 |
 |
|
Name: Audrey Robinson
Email: agoascoz@aol.com
Age: 23
Occupation: business student/front desk agent
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: 07/09/98
Itinerary: Nassau/Coco Cay
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 89
CabinAmenities: 97
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 78
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 98
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 97
CasinoStaff: 89
PrivateIsland: 99
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 65
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 94
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 70
EntertainmentPoolside: 86
CruiseActivities: 88
Casino: 88
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 99
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 14 Jul 1998
Time: 20:05:19
Remote Name: 152.163.204.69
Remote User:
Comments
This was my as well as my husband's first cruise, and overall everything was great. We
drove to the port and arrived there at 2:30. As soon as we got there
we gave our luggage to a porter who, as we were leaving, asked us for a donation 'to make
sure our luggage arrive to our cabin on time.' Unhappy about the
practice but feeling forced, we gave him 5 dollars. After that, everything went smoothly,
and 15 minutes later we were on the ship. We were automatically
greeted and shown to our cabin. A few minutes later Elvis, our cabin attendant, knocked on
the door and introduced himself. He seemed a little shy.
More
than 2 1/2 hours later, 5 PM, the ship departed and we were still waiting for our luggage.
We started getting worried, called Elvis who told us that it could be
delivered as late at 7PM! I got quite upset, because I wanted to change my clothes right
away to get ready for dinner and I got scammed $5 at the port. After
the phone call our suitcases arrived within 5 minutes (what a relief!). The cabin was
actually spacious and very comfortable. The closet is big and full of
hangers, and there are a lot of closet and shelf space available, including in the
bathroom. The shower is tiny, but who spends hours and hours in the
shower? We did not mind at all. Elvis came to fix our cabin 3 times a day, but we never
saw him! The dining room has a beautiful view.
Our server, Gustavo,
from Argentina, was a character! He was funny, but he brought us the wrong order every day
at every single meal! Besides that, the food was absolutely
delicious. Being French, I am extremely picky about the food I eat, but what I ate on the
Nordic Empress was a delight. Even their different types of bread
were extremely good. You have to have breakfast there. There pastries are wonderful (their
chocolate croissants are my favorite), as well as their omelettes.
We had an evening snack at theWindjammer Cafe. It was OK, but not that great The shops
onboard are very limited and not particularily at a good value.
Also,
here is a very important tip of advice: if you need to get your hair or nails done, or if
you would like to use one of the spa services, make an appointment as
soon as you get on the ship. Their appointment book gets full extremely quickly and they
do not have enough staff. I needed a manicure, went there 2 hours
after the ship departed, and everything was already booked for the entire cruise! Maybe it
was for the best, because the employees there were very rude and
had an attitude problem. The spa had a last minute cancellation and my husband received a
25-minute massage, a pure delight! The lady did a great job. The
gym has a breathtaking view of the sea, and the equipment is clean and looks new. The
pool, full of salty water, was a little too small. The ship also has 3
jacuzzis that are extremely hot. The band by the pool was very good, even though they were
not playing that often.
We arrived at Nassau on time. The only
problem is that that particular day was the Bahamas's independence day, so everything was
closed. We did not get to do that much shopping. We booked a
tour of the city through RCCL, which costs 20 dollars per person. It was quite pleasant
(the minibus has A/C), but the driver did not stop at one attraction and
the tour was half an hour shorter than supposed to. A cab would have been cheaper. That
night was formal night, and a professional photographer took
great pictures of my husband and me, all dressed up for the occasion. The pictures came
out very nice, but be careful: they cost a fortune, and we spend
about $120 on pictures! They are worth it though.
The next day we arrived at Coco Cay, RCCL's private island. It was absolutely gorgeous.
We snorkeled for
hours among beautiful tropical fishes and Rays. This island is like paradise on earth. The
barbecue was very good, and they offered a wide variety of food and
drinks. They offer jetskiing, sailing, paddle boats, and banana boat rides (be prepared to
pay quite a bit of money). Unfortunately, the banana boat had a leak
and was not available. As far as the rest, they only had about 3 of each, so for more than
1,000 passengers it was less than sufficient. We wanted to rent
jetskis and sail boats, but they were all booked for the day. We still had a great time on
the island. They organized several games such as limbo contests,
wacky races... We had a blast! The entertainment on board was nice, especially the
comedians. Everybody was laughing so much! The nightclub on board is
great, even though the dance floor is too small, and gets crowded quite fast.
Although it might seem that I am criticizing a lot of things, overall we had a great
experience and we came back with our head full of great memories. The ship
by itself is great, but they could improve their level of service. We are definitely
planning to take another cruise. We would definitely recommend the Nordic
Empress, but next time we will probably try another cruise line.
Want to book your cruise at a great rate?
Click here.
Questions or comments? Mail to webmaster@cruiseopinion.com.
Copyright ©1996-2001 CruiseOpinion.com. Last modified: January 17, 2000.