Lynda Eldridge
Age: 56
Occupation: retired teacher
Number of Cruises: 7
Sailing Date: December 18th, 2003

My husband and I were looking forward to a relaxing Christmas cruise. We had sailed on Royal Caribbean and Princess previously. The Asian decor of this ship was truly beautiful and we were quite impressed with the size of the bathrooms. The shower door (instead of shower curtain) and a separate toilet area allowing a little more privacy was a welcome alternative to the other cruise cabins we had experienced. We will probably not sail with NCL in the future for the following reasons. Our biggest disappointment was the number of children on board this cruise. We heard there were upwards of 600 kids on board. Although they had access to their own Wet and Wild Pool area, there were very few children swimming in it in all of 12 days of the cruise. Children, and teenagers swam in the only adult, albeit small pool, monopolizing all 4 hot tubs as well. Children were everywhere. It was impossible to avoid bumping into strollers, teenagers hanging out on stairways and deck hallways.

We had a beautifully presented and delicious meal in one of their specialty restaurants, "Cagney's". The meals in their other main dining rooms were good, but we enjoyed better food on Princess. The buffet area, "Raffles", seemed disorganized and tasted mediocre, at best. We were warned not to expect great choices here and it lived up to our expectations.

We were also advised to ask for an additional comforter to soften the mattress in the staterooms. We did, but it didn't seem to help much.

The entertainment throughout the cruise lacked the quality of the productions we had experienced on our other cruises. Toward the end of the cruise, we weren't even bothering to attend the so-called production numbers.

Of the ports visited, St. Thomas, Barbados, Antiqua and Tortola were our favorites. The beaches in Barbados and Antigua were absolutely crystal blue watered with soft light colored sand. Grenada was still reeling from the effects of hurricane Ivan with many of the homes still abandoned and in ruins. It was Christmas Day in Dominica, with many of the port shops closed. We spent the morning wandering just taking in the sites at the port. Many, if not all of the buildings were run down and in disrepair.

The two and a half days at sea at the beginning and end of our cruise were not as enjoyable as we had hoped, due in part to the number of kids on board and the rough seas on our return to New York.

In the future, we will seek out more adult style cruises.

Ask a Question About NCL, Norwegian Cruise Lines

Ever thought about becoming a home based travel agent? Check out my web site for home based travel and cruise agents located at;