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The Vibe when we looked was just over $250 per person for the 7 days. It did sale out so others saw value we just didn't with no sea days. Lots of great hotels in San Juan area, Air B&B is an option as well. A few hotels we have stayed at and liked are below, there are many options in a variety of price ranges in the San Juan area and beyond, but these are properties we have used in San Juan area for short stays or pre cruise stays. We found the pre cruise nights for March 9 to be some of the highest we have seen in the past and we started looking about 9 months in advance. Hope you enjoy your trip. Good Beach and Pool areas Hilton Caribe Royal Sonesta San Juan Marriott Resort and Sellaris Casino Good for Old San Juan walking Hotel Rumbao (Marriott property) Sheraton Old San Juan Good for Close to Pan American Pier Sheraton Resort and Casino

Recap and Thoughts We are an experienced cruise couple from Michigan, who sailed this particular cruise with a group of 5 total. We have sailed with many cruise lines but this was our first NCL experience, as we normally cruise Royal. We were concerned what would the experience be without status or a suite on the Viva, but we noticed no benefit that we would have been missing besides maybe the suite area which NCL calls the Haven. Overall, we thought the Viva was beautiful. The ship has a very contemporary resort feel. The atrium was bright and lively but there was not a connection to the ocean from it. Though the ship is beautiful, navigating the ship was odd at times with hallways mysteriously ending or dining locations being placed where you thought a hallway should be. Also certain venues felt very small for the passenger count, and if you wanted to see a show that no reservations were required, you would see people lining up an hour or more prior. Bar space and sitting areas were plentiful, but not deck or pool space. If this or similarly designed ships were to be placed on an itinerary with multiple days at sea, we would consider looking at other options as we are pool people. We did not use the 3 dry slides the 1 water slide, go cart track, mini golf entertainment area or the Galaxy Pavilion but noticed others even with this port intensive itinerary using them. The staff as a whole were amazing and attentive. Some other reviews we have read talk about long waits for bar service, aloof servers at specialty dinning etc., this was not our experience. We also felt we got great value out of upgrading our package to unlimited internet, premium drinks, and 4 specialty dinning instead of 2. We were in cabin 9314 which was a BF. The room was arranged well, but needed a little more storage space and for a newer ship. We felt there was plenty of charging locations but a lack of actual plugs. As first time NCL cruisers we overpacked dressy clothes. We appreciated the relaxed vibe and will pack a little differently if we sail NCL in the future, which may help some of the storage space issues. The one thing we noticed with the BF on deck 9 location is everyone on Deck 8 who turns back to the ship can see in your room. If this is an issue for you, book a higher deck. We also had some noise issues when the Local kitchen was being cleaned between 2:00am and 5:00 am, and shame on us for picking this room but have never had so much noise in a room close to anything noisy. Boarding and disembarkation of the ship in San Juan was super easy. Maybe one of the easiest we have had especially when you consider we were NCL first timers. We had 5 speciality dinning experiences. All of them were great for their own reasons. Our least favorite was Cagney’s but that may have been influenced by an average server, compared to some of the others. A ribeye that was just okay or that it is just a steakhouse. Our favorite speciality dinning was Le Bistro which was definitely because our server John capped off a great experience. The other specialty dinning we did was Hasuki, Onda and Palomar. Our experiences in the complimentary dinning area Hudson’s for one breakfast and one dinner was all that we did in the main dinning area. They were ok but nothing to rave about besides the wine steward. We enjoyed the complimentary Local for breakfast and the extended hours for snacks or the menu at Local. With the limited space in the buffet, Local was a welcome reprieve but often times could be crowded as it was the only thing available as you came back on board. During breakfast as early risers it was often our only option, but we never waited more than 5 minutes to be seated. One critique comparing to other cruise lines was the times that food locations were open extended buffet hours or times in the Indulge Food Hall could really make a difference. The complementary indulge food hall was a wonderful concept! Though breakfast was broken into sections with mini buffet setups the lunch and dinner options could provide countless variety for a meal. This is a concept that we would like to see expanded onto other ships and cruise lines. Entertainment from the stage shows Icons and Beetlejuice, to musicians in Syd Norman’s and in lounges throughout the ship were great. The musical entertainment talent rivaled anything we have seen at sea. The only thing limiting is the space of the venues. Syd’s and the Improv could have double the capacity and would still be packed. If music or comedies are not your thing other entertainment options like guest acts, ice skating, etc were non existent but that was ok with us. Shopping on board was not open the first 4 days of our itinerary due to a vendor contract change. When they did reopen it was nothing exciting and even the NCL branded material was lacking. If this is what will be in future shops on this class of ship they may find a way to better utilize the space into venue space and put a catalog in the stateroom. We were very impressed by the in room TV system and selection of free movies on demand. Also the interface of the system was very intuitive. We thought the mobile application could use an update but the way they displayed the daily schedules on the app was straight forward and that was our prime use of the application. We also found that you could call a department through the application was helpful especially to change dinning times instead of standing in a long line day 1 or going to the venue. We did not use other in app features like texting. Internet speeds were just ok, not great FaceTime to friends and families sometime would cut out and there were definitely dead spots on the ship. One thing that was interesting was it appeared the ships system prevented WiFi calling through their own device, which if you did not use certain text or voice applications like FaceTime you were unable to connect. The casino only made our list one night and we found it to be lively with reasonable and comparable table minimums to other ships. We appreciated that it was non smoking and the smoking area was separated. As a Cigar smoker this was a blessing and a curse as the only smoking areas for Cigar smokers was the cigar lounge or a small area above the pool deck. This ship really needed another area and maybe on deck 6 which I believe would be lifeboat boarding would be a great area maybe to accommodate more cigar and other smokers alike without disturbing others. Ocean Boulevard is a great space connecting the whole ship and on the Boulevard forward and below the bridge is a great place to see stars but no sea view from this area. There are no dedicated running or walking tracks but the Ocean Boulevard served that purpose for us and many though the later in the morning you circled the deck the more people and obstacles that were presented. The gym was just a cursory visit to see and was well equipped but many people want to be outside for walking or running. Also well equipped was the spa, though we did not buy a spa pass others we talked to said the space was amazing which confirmed what we saw when touring it. We also did not see value in the VIBE Beach Club with this itenarary so chose to not pay to access that space. Knowing the deck constraints if the area would have had a pool we may have consider purchasing. The itinerary was very busy without a sea day. We knew that going in and found the port offerings (Tortola, St Marten, Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, and St Thomas) in all of the ports to be comparable to other lines. None of the ports were 1st time for us, but our desire to spend more time and do a land based vacation in Barbados, St Thomas and St Lucia for all different reasons was reinforced. When we reflect on the cruise as a whole we asked ourselves would we sail with NCL again the answer is definitely yes. Though, we thought Next Cruise offered no value compared to discounts on other lines and the fact we could meet or beat the quotes we requested for future sailing. We find there were areas that NCL excelled on verse other lines and areas they lacked the product overall is still something we would consider doing in the future. We also asked ourselves would we want to sail on this class ship again and the answer was it depends on the itinerary as we may be unhappy with a warm itinerary that had more than one sea day. Photos are available on Facebook as under Pilot Knows Travel. Thanks for reading and please ask questions if you have them.

Day 8 Disembarkation This morning we were pulling alongside the Pan American Pier at about 4:45am. The first announcements we noticed occurred around 6:30 and that seemed to coincide with when self debarkation began. We have made an 8:00am flight in the past out of San Juan with just carryon luggage but that took a few strokes of luck, but that is also being in the airline world, I wouldn’t recommend a normal passenger doing this, but today we have a flight after 2:00pm so we were not in a rush. The elevator landings at 7:00 had people with suitcases in hand waiting as we made our way to the Local for breakfast. The local was not very busy and tables were available until breakfast service closed at 8:00am. This morning all restaurants and buffets were open until 8am. All staterooms were asked to be vacated by 7:30. We had chosen to disembark towards the end to sit on board instead of the airport and picked the 2nd to last color group that was estimated to be called at 8:45am. Only so many color tags are available at guest relations for each color grouping. If you are not doing self disembark and want a specific time go to guest relations in the late afternoon or evening of night 6. We were expecting tags to be delivered to the room and the 9:00am group was gone by the time we realized this. At 7:35 they announced last call for self disembark. The first two color groups were called at 7:55 and then the third group was called at 8:15. During this process, none of the lounges or public spaces felt overcrowded on deck 8 on the aft of the ship. After the 8:15 announcement, it felt like another group was being called about every 10 minutes. The light blue group was the second to last group without NCL provided tours or transportation was called at 8:35 and as we were walking onto the elevator to go down to deck 4 and off the ship we heard the last non arraigned group at 8:45 to be called. From the time we made our way down the elevator to the time we pulled into the airport was 35 minutes. Despite the Pan American Pier not having a fancy terminal or lots of amenities, NCL uses it well and with the facial recognition customs clearance even a long line moved quickly. Uber was a hassle for some and while in the customs line I waited and waited to be paired with a driver and had no luck after about 5 minutes. Seeing the amount of people walking towards the Uber pickup area we upgraded to a Uber black for about a $10.00 increase and made it to SJU much quicker than many of our shipmates still waiting. This may have been a one off experince as we have never had Uber issues in San Juan in the past however today was the Ironman and last weekend on Sunday was a bicycle race and marathon had lots of street closures. We arrived at the airport and certain ticket counters seemed to be swarmed. Don’t make the mistake we did and bypass the USDA inspection to print bag tags first as the line did not get any shorter as we hoped. After the USDA inspection and dropping our bags off it was a quick trip through precheck and off to the lounge for what we thought was a blissful wait. What we found at the lounge using our priority pass membership was an extremely long line to checkin to the lounge as they were space limited. It is moments like these that I am blessed that DW reminded me yesterday to create a reservation and we skipped a line of about 20 and headed straight in to the lounge. There are many lounges in the priority pass system that are great the lounges in SJU are just okay but it is still a quieter reprieve. With no delays posted so far we should make it home by the time Viva sets sail again. Remember to checkout photos on FB at Pilot Knows Travel and if you have any questions feel free to ask. On the flight home we will try to work on a recap and our thoughts to post soon. Thanks for cruising with us and following along.

Day 7 St Thomas Another early morning started our day as the sun came up and we began to make our way towards St Thomas. Just after 07:00, St Thomas could be seen off on the horizon as we made our way towards the island for a scheduled 10:00am arrival. This morning with a later port arrival, we decided to try the indulge food hall for breakfast when it opened at 8:30am. Unlike Lunch or Dinner service, you do not order off of iPads, but rather walk to the different food hall areas . This gives a feel of small buffet like stations and also spaced out everyone. A few in our group love sriracha sauce on eggs and this was the first location we found a bottle of sriracha. We had plans to go out in the port area as soon as we were cleared to go ashore but Mother Nature decided to bring rain showers on and off until about 11:00. This morning and we have booked a 11:30 excursion on a cycle boat bar to Honeymoon beach on Water Island. After we thought the rain was done, DW and I and our three friends we are traveling with we made our way to the pier and awaited our excursion. At our meeting time of 11:20 all 16 fellow peddlers had arrived and we were lead to the very end of the pier and adjacent marina in about a 10 minute walk to the cycle boat. The cycle boat is a modified pontoon boat with a bar in the center and 10 peddlers stations and other seating available in the front and back of the boat. Peddlers power is not needed and I think we hardly peddled and more focused on the music and meeting all of our new friends. The trip in the cycle boat to Honeymoon Beach took about 30 minutes and upon arrival the boat was beached to allow for disembarkation in about 2 feet of water down a ladder. Honeymoon beach was quiet and not very busy today, that could be because the rain or that we were only joined by one other small ship in port today. Regardless even with the heavy rain that started about 10 minutes after our arrival it was beautiful. Extremely clear waters and a nice beach bar with great food was on this small beach. After about 2 and half hours on the beach it was time to make our way back to the cycleboat to pretend peddle back to the Viva and we’re back at the pier by 3:30. This excursion and the beach was one of the hi-lights of our groups time on the cruise. With a 5:30 all aboard today we had a little bit of time to peruse the shops at the get Havensight pier but did so quickly to get some light food before setting sail one last time. After our quick snack and cleaning up for the evening we went to walk the ship in search of music and then to the indulge food hall to try dinner services there. Just like our lunch experience this is a great concept. The food was fresh and served promptly. The Nan bread was great. The only area for improvement would be to allow easier customization for things like no cheese or a sauce on the side of a dish. After dinner and another stop for live music to listen to one set we made our way to the room to pack a few last items and place our luggage out the door by 10:30pm and called it a night.

The deck space and pool space seems to be inadequate and venues are all small. Sitting and bar space is spread about and plentiful. Without a sea day the ship works, with multiple sea days on a pool needed itenarary I don’t know how it will work. The infinity pools a few times looked like a people packed aquarium.

Day 6 St Lucia This morning was an early arrival into the beautiful port of St Lucia. If you have never sailed in your St Lucia I would recommend ensuring you have a good spot like the observation lounge for sail in and an aft view for sail away through this tight port entry. This morning we were pier side just a little after 6:00am and cleared shortly after. Joining us in port was the Tui Mein Shiff 4 which ported at the Castries downtown pier and we used the Point Saphire Port across the channel. We went to breakfast at the Local this morning and found them to be in the middle of a rush at 7:30, most likely due to everyone’s excursions times. We were still able to enjoy breakfast and were standing at the pier by 8:20 for our tour to the mud baths. After standing in line for a few minutes, we were split into smaller groups and lead to very nice clean and air conditioned 20 plus passenger bus. The first stop on our drive was at an overlook of the fishing village Marigot Bay. The drive was through mountains and rain forest areas along the western shore. At this stop there was a chance to use a bathroom for a fee and the ability to purchase small souvenirs or soft drinks from a road side vendor. As the drive continued we passed several villages and had narration provided throughout by our informative guide Brenda. Our second stop was at a scenic overlook of the Pitons. This also had a bathroom available for a fee and several vendors. After about a total drive of about an hour and a half plus stops we arrived the hot springs in Soufriere. The smell of sulfur was noticeable as we approached the parking area but never was overwhelming. After our guide checked us in, we were given time to change into a swimsuit if needed and then a short walk to the entrance of the baths. The baths consisted of four main black water pools that consistently got cooler in temperature the further downstream you were. The hottest or first pool they reported was at 100 degrees. After a first soak you exited the pool and applied mud all over your body and let it dry for about 15-20 minutes. Once the mud dried, you made your way back into the pools or to a shower to rinse off, though they said the cold shower defeats the purpose of the sulfur mud, so we opted for rinsing in the warm pool. The entire experience from off the bus to back on the bus was about 1 hour. We had a great time but there were way too many tours at the springs during our time there. After we left the springs, it was a short drive to an old sugar mill converted into a restaurant called Soufriere Estate. Here, multiple tours were served a buffet lunch in open air dinning rooms of this historic site which parts of the structure dated back to the 1700s. Lunch was a salad, rice, curried plantains, vegetables, lentils and chicken. After lunch, it was time to board the bus for the same 27 miles mountainous drive. The tour was great but you need to be ready to spend 3 plus hours in a van. We arrived back to the pier at all aboard time of 2:30. Traffic was extremely slow in Castries and we were thankful we booked through the ship for this excursion. Next time we believe we will do a boat excursion to avoid all the traffic. Other Viva stops in St Lucia have stayed in port until 5:30 pm, and even our tour guide from the port authority thought the change was odd. Our guide also said they hardly ever tender in St Lucia, unless there are 5 ships in port it just doesn’t happen. I cannot imagine the traffic if 5 ships were in port. Once on board it was time for a snack, but the only things still open at 2:30 was the surfside grill and the Local. The local was busting at the seems and the line at the surfside grill was about 10 minutes. In addition to small square footage of venues operating times could be expanded based on the port schedules. We set sail at about 3:30 and enjoyed the views as we backed away from the pier and out the channel before turning. Tonight we have 7:30 dinner at Cagney’s and maybe hitting a few venues for music. After laying out by the pool, we headed to shower for the night and ensure all of the mud was removed. After cleaning up, we headed to the Metropolitan to play movie trivia and then shopped at the newly opened shops, before dinner at Cagney’s. Dinner at Cagney’s was nice, but compared to our other speciality dinning experience choices may have been lower on our list than the other four. I had the ribeye and it did not compare to DWs Filet. Both were cooked to the requested temp, maybe I just got a bad cut or the filet was just that much better. Following dinner we perused the shops, music and a few bars with friends before calling it a night to prepare for our last port day in St Thomas.

Day 5 Barbados Today was a later port arrival with a 10:00am scheduled arrival. Per the normal, we were up and at it early. After a few obligatory cups of coffee we decided on the Local for Breakfast this morning. At 7:30, we were one of the few at tables for a good breakfast as we watched Barbados appear on the horizon. One thing DW has noticed is that the cook on items such as eggs or meats has been consistent and accurate throughout the ship at multiple venues. After breakfast, we strolled onto Ocean Boulevard where we found lots of others now out for a walk or in some cases a run. There are no outdoor running or walking tracks that we have found so this space plays double duty it is very empty in the early morning. Later in the morning with more people out could make for an interesting combo. We continued our approach into Barbados and we were pier side at approximately 9:15 and cleared to go ashore at 9:45. The pier in Barbados is mixed use Cargo and Passenger and joining us today was a ship from Tui and Aida. As the last arrival, we found ourselves at the furthest pier but it was only about a 10 minute walk to the terminal. The walk is no longer than piers in Costa Maya or Cozumel but feels slower and longer as the piers are smaller and only a small path is marked with walking to allow traffic on the remainder of the pier. There was also a free shuttle, but we opted to walk it. Today we have booked the Tiami Catamaran through NCL. We have another local Catamaran company in Barbados that we love, El Tigre, but our arrival times did not line up with their cruise times today. After our walk to the terminal we did a little port shop browsing with a stop for a Banks (local beer) and then went to the excursion area where we lined up for transportation to the harbor to board the Catamaran. Just like other experiences we have had in Barbados this excursion ran like clock work. Just a short bus ride to the back of the pier area from the terminal to the departure point a quick boarding and off. Tiami and their staff were great. Due to winds and waves we did a sail to the north of the port first and then to Carlisle bay to snorkel in two locations, turtles and then ship wrecks. Following the snorkel we repositioned to the northern edge of the bay and had a lunch of chicken, fish, rice, macaroni pie, and salad. Between lunch, the bar opening on the tour and just the atmosphere we finished on a high note despite the waves and the wind. We arrived back to the cruise terminal after the 5 minute bus ride at 4:25pm and had booked the 7:00pm showing of Betttlejuice. Friends we are with had also made dinner reservations for us at 5:00pm at Hudson’s so it was a made dash to the ship and the stateroom to be ready for dinner. Hudsons service for dinner was better than breakfast but it was still slow. We were seated within a few minutes of our reservation and we did not finish our main course until just after 6:30pm. At dinner the Wine Steward, Fructuoso from Philippines, made quite a positive impression with his fun loving approach and demeanor. We chose to skip desert to ensure we still made it to Beetlejuice on time and had seats. Beetlejuice was great and if you like production shows this is worth fitting it into your schedule. About 70% of the way through the show we had an unscheduled pause for a preformed injury that lasted about 10 minutes. We hope the performer is ok but the show went on and we didn’t notice anyone missing from the cast. Though it was great the performance was just over 90 minutes by our guesstimates without the break. Following Beetlejuice, it was back to the Metropaltin for another night cap and to listen to the duo of Nil and San. These two musicians are extremely talented and have a wide range of genres they cover. After a relaxing finish to the day we headed back to the room to rest up for an early adventure in St Lucia to the mud baths.

Day 4 Antigua This morning, we pulled in to the St John’s area and had lines secured around 5:45 followed 30 minutes later by the MSC Seaside who we were with in St Marten. After a morning coffee and walk we were cleared to go ashore at 7:00. Last night, we had decided with friends we would meet for breakfast at 8:30 in the Surfside Cafe. This was our first meal in the cafe and just like our other observations when passing through the area the buffet needs a little more space a 20% increase at-least around the food stations would do wonders. Overflow seating is plentiful in the neighboring restaurants but it is just difficult at times to move around. One thing we noticed very different than Royal, was the lack in number of hand washing or sanitation stations and the encouragement for guests to wash their hands. I do think Royal plays a little to big brother with the washy washy routine but Norwegian was the complete polar opposite! Breakfast was good and the omelette line moved pretty quick, however the options for the ingredients were small. The one thing I have not understood in mass market cruise line buffets is how they cannot figure out to cook edible biscuits or gravy. After breakfast and a quick stop by the room to begin the layering of lathers of sunscreen we headed to the pier for our 10:10 meetup time for our beach day excursion. The excursion was to Valley Church Beach included a chair each two rum lunches each and lunch as well as transportation. After a wait of about 15 minutes we were lead to the transportation area and split into 4 or 5 vans that set 15 people and had a guided tour to the beach about 25 minutes away. We arrived at the beach a few minutes after 11:00 to only a few chairs remaining. The beach area was beautiful but has way too many people between excursions and people who did private transportation. Though chairs were included an umbrella if needed was $10.00. Even with the large number of people it was still a good time. The beach was a shell sand that had a pretty deep drop almost immediately as you stepped in. This was no problem for most but some individuals struggled to get out either due to limited mobility or extra rum punches. Lunch began at 12:45 and was a buffet service, although you only got one time thru the line, consisting of chicken, ribs, and fish accompanied with rice and beans, macaroni and cheese, a saffron spaghetti noodle dish, potatoes , vegetables and salad . A bar was nearby for drinks to purchase other than rum punch, as well as bathrooms and fresh water showers. After lunch we had until 2:45 to enjoy the beach and then a 20 to 25 minute ride back for our 3:30 all aboard to set sail for Barbados. At 4:30 we were ready for the evening, and we started to drop lines so we made it to the Observation Lounge for a cocktail and to watch us leave the harbor. This was the second time the bar at the Observation Lounge was topped off for a special event so after a quick bite of quiche and focaccia that we shared we headed to the Metropolitan bar for a few cocktails with friends prior to our dinner plans tonight for Le Bistro. Le Bistro was great the food was good but the service was amazing from Our Waiter John and Assistant Mater’D Harold. If they are working we can highly recommend Le Bistro as they made good food and exceptional experience. Dinner took just over an hour and a half and as we left the comedy club and Syd Norman’s were busting at the seams with guests. It was not yet 8:30 and people were pinging up for the 10:00pm shows. With the crowd we made our way back to the Metropolitan with Nikola playing and it was packed as well with very few seat’s available. This was the first night that we felt the full ship was alive and it brought a much different and welcome atmosphere. After a drink or two we went to Press Your Luck and set in a side wing. This provide a perspective of just how small the theater is. As we walked to the theater 45 minutes prior to the show at the Comedy club and at Syd Norman’s people were already in line and at least 50 deep in each line. This seems to speak to the demand and lack of space in these venues. The Press Your Luck show was fun to watch! They did a good job of interacting with the contestants and the audience. Joel a custodial water artist from Magic Kingdom won over 500 dollars. After the show we stayed in the theater as they began to convert the theater into the night club for the evening. This process was not only encouraged by the cruise director to watch but was fascinating. It also spoke to how they tried to maximize available space. Following the conversion the upper deck closed and the dance floor became the place to be. We decided to make into the tail end at Syd Norman’s which was still packed to the gills but some great artist playing great music. This was a nice way to finish a great day with a stop on the way to the stateroom for a nightcap so we can rest up for our Catamaran trip in Barbados tomorrow.

End of Day 2 and Day 3 St Marten After enjoying the music in the atrium we made our way up to deck 17 for the Mediterranean inspired Palomar. This was one of the four dinners we had pre-booked and we added a fifth to dine with friends on night one at the hibachi restaurant. Palomar has indoor and outdoor seating and is on the opposite side of the Seaside Cafe. We arrived a few minutes early and were seated promptly. We had a window seat across from the open kitchen. Our server explained that with the dining package we were entitled to two appetizers one entree and one side each. Dinner started with a bread service and the hi-light of the evening was the appetizer Tuna Crudo. Dinner was great, and though busy, service was attentive and prompt. When our dinner was over after about 90 minutes we noticed no one had been seated outside. Before heading elsewhere on the ship, we walked the Surfside Cafe, and though small, had a good variety with baby back ribs being the speciality meat of the evening on the buffet. We then headed to the atrium, to watch Battle of The Sexes which was a fun show to watch the Men and Women competition, while drinking 3 espresso cocktails Ravi expertly made. After Battle of the Sexes, we made our way to the theater for the show, Icons. The theater was set up differently than other ships with a floor level almost like a Vegas theater and then retractable seats which open up at midnight for a dance club that I hope I am sleeping when that occurs. The Icon show was one of the better, if not the best cruise ship singer shows we have seen across multiple cruise lines minus Disney. The show reviewed popular musicians with a group of 6 singers taking a turn at features and solos backed up by the VIVA band. Following the show we decided it was time to head towards the room after a stop for water. They were out of boxed waters and substituted Pana water. It feels like we were just some of the few who upgraded the drink package, but it has seemed to be a great decision and value. This morning we began our arrival into St Marten as the 2nd of 5 cruise ships to be visiting. Today on paper was the busiest port we would visit with a possible passenger count in port of over 20,000. With this much traffic we decided we would make today a ship day primarily with no scheduled sea days on the itinerary. At 6:30am we were along side the pier and I was finishing a cup of coffee when the MSC Seaside started to enter Great Bay. As the MSC approached it was interesting to note some similarities in the overall design with the Viva, including all of the balconies being built inside a lower outdoor deck blocking a straight down view. As the Seaside began to secure themselves Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas began to enter the bay. This ship is just massive and the dome on the front of the ship looks intriguing. At 7:00am the ship had been cleared for passengers to go ashore. We decided to have breakfast this morning at Hudson’s. Our waiter may have been new as it felt like he was struggling. Breakfast was good but the hustle and bustle of the main dinning room breakfast made us wonder if the Local would be our breakfast spot the next few mornings. With no plans we decided to tour the other breakfast areas and found the Surfside Cafe to be jam packed and unable to accommodate the surge of breakfast goers at 8:45 that wanted food. The Surfside grill on the back of the cafe had no waiting though the options were a little more limited than the cafe. After a stop on the pool deck to enjoy the breeze and views we decided to go down to the indulge food hall just to compare and contrast the breakfast crowds. The indulge food hall had a very quiet atmosphere and a great vibe that has us making a stop for lunch a priority today. Following our walk around we stopped for a while in the shade and decided to take a stroll into town. Kay’s Jewelers (Not the USA Kay’s) has been a favorite of ours at any of their locations but especially downtown Philipsburg as we have been to that location enough we know the owner Raj and many of the great staff like Yogi. After perusing the store with a cold water and beer provided and a purchase we made for DW, we made our way across to Cigar Emporium to buy a bottle of Blanton’s for home and a few cigars for me and strolled back to the ship. This afternoon we enjoyed a few cocktails at the Local Sports Bar and an appetizer and then made our way to the indulge food hall when they opened at 1:00pm. Customization of things like a salad was difficult on the iPad and but it was also easy to over order from the iPad. We enjoyed a mixture of Indian, Mediterranean, Asian and American food. There was also more activity in the shops as most of them have been closed all week due to a vendor change. The signs by the shop say grand opening in 2 days, stay tuned for more to come on this. Following lunch and another cocktail and a walk around to find the ship beginning to liven and the Surfside Cafe to be packed at 2:00pm, it was off to the room for some relaxation and reading on the balcony in the shade while we stared at the Icon. At 4:30 we made our way to the Metropolitan and enjoyed playing Wonders of the World Trivia with a group and then just chilling in the bar meeting new friends. We have dinner reservations tonight at Onda for Italian at 7:30 and then maybe we will find some music and the casino. Dinner at Onda was great; the Tuna Crudo, Beef Carpaccio and Ravioli were some of our favorites, oh as well as the pizza by. The restaurant had a great atmosphere, however due to its location next to Ocean Boulevard entrances and exits it kept going from cold to hot. After dinner and a few glasses of wine, we were off to find music and ended up back at the Metropolitan before finishing off our evening with our first Casino donations. Tomorrow we are in Antigua doing a beach day dinner at Le Bistro and then the game show Press Your Luck. DW has started to put up photos on FB at Pilot Knows Travel. If you want a photo of something specific or a specific question let me know.

I have seen Blanton’s at the Metropolitan, the Whiskey Bar, and the Belvediere. The Metro and the Belv seemed to have friendlier service and better atmosphere.

If you have never done La Placita de Santurce in San Juan look it up. It is a blast especially after 6pm as it becomes a closed street walking bar district. Prior to that it is an open market in the center. We have been to San Juan multiple times and have never done La Placita at night.

End of Day 1 and Day 2 Tortola Last night, we found a live musician by the name of Nikola Kolev. He was fun and kept the crowd well engaged. We also found the bed surprisingly comfortable. My original concern of noise from Ocean Boulevard was false, however, there was some noise from the Local Kitchen which woke us both up several times though we are very sound sleepers. I am a notoriously early riser on cruise ships. This morning was no exception and I was up and out of the stateroom a few minutes before 5:00am exploring the ship. While I explored, we were drifting near the northern shoreline just waiting for our time to begin the approach into Road Town. Since I was up early, I found a cup of coffee from the Local and began to wander and explore. The ship has a contemporary resort feel throughout. The Penrose Atrium, is brightly lit and seems detached from being on a vessel at Sea. This is made up for in leaps and bounds in my opinion by Ocean Boulevard where you feel connected to the sea with outdoor seating areas and lounge space throughout and especially at Soleil Bar. Additionally, the Observation Lounge on Deck 17 forward was a great place for coffee as I awaited for the sun and my DW to rise. I continued to wander and try and get my bearings for the remainder of the trip. Though impressed by the decor throughout and the atmosphere of many public places, I did find the layout of where passages dead-ended frustrating and navigation of the public space on certain decks sometimes clunky. Some spaces also felt small like the Surfside Cafe buffet, but with the variety of so many complementary food locations maybe they will not feel crowded. I spent the remainder of my time this morning with coffee in hand on the Ocean Boulevard lounges. Speaking of coffees, a number of locations open early for self service coffee was defiantly a high point compared to previous cruise lines. Once DW was up and moving, we had a good breakfast at the Local and waited for the ship to finish its arrival into Port. We were pier side around 7:30 and cleared to go ashore a few minutes after 8:00. At 9:45 we met up with friends and their family who had chartered Malu for the day. Malu was a water taxi that took us to Soggy Dollar, Foxy’s, Pirate’s Bight, and then to Willy T’s. I cannot say enough about Malu and our Captain Rowan. We had a diverse crowd including two younger children (4 and 6) and Rowan’s care for the whole group and his vessel was nothing short of amazing. After the wonderful day with Malu we arrived back at the dock at 4:00pm for a 4:30pm all aboard and found a quick shower and the Soleil bar for sail away followed by a bar tour finishing at the Penrose Atrium Bar to hear Nikola play an acoustic set. Dinner tonight is at Palomar and we hope we have the energy to make it to Icon’s at 9:30 before arriving in St Marten tomorrow.

We left the Sonesta at 11:30 and were at the pier by 11:50 and on deck with a drink in hand by 12:15. We had a boarding time of 1:00pm and had planned on waiting but we were onboard in a flash. We also came down on Wednesday prior and had a wonderful time at Palmas Del Mar and a day trip to Culebra.

Hello all and welcome! This is an almost live trip from the NCL VIVA March 10 departure. As I begin to write this intro, we are setting sail and we are in the San Juan Basin Turn departing the Pan American pier at 8:30 local. We are an experienced cruise couple from Michigan, sailing with friends for our first time as a couple on NCL. The boarding of the ship in San Juan was super easy. No waiting involved! Super smooth and we arrived at the pier an hour and 15 minutes prior to our assigned time with no status. Our last three cruises in the last year and a few months have been 2 back to back for a total of 14 days on Celebrity Beyond in January on 2023 in an Ocean view, a 7 Day on Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas Owners Suite over July 4 and a Grand Suite over New Years on Harmony of the Seas. We normally cruise two to three times a year. We have cruised Disney, Royal, Carnival, and Celebrity a bit but have not sailed Norwegian in over 30 years. Our cabin for this cruise was a category BF on Norwegian and we are on Deck 9 Port in the aft 1/3 of the ship. Though hard to compare our two suites thinking back to the ocean view on Celebrity we found the storage a little tighter, but the rest comparable from a room comparison. We would have needed more if it was not just two of us, We may overpack but we like to also unpack and not be in a suitcase all week. Also, the closet isn’t long enough to hang a longer dress. The view on Deck 9 was of Ocean Boulevard(which is on Deck 😎 and then the Ocean itself. We also had the voices for that area along with the dinning and bar noises but you get what you book and we will see how the week progresses. Tonight, day 1, we had dinner at the Hibachi Restaurant with friends for dinner. Pre-dinner we preferred the Boulevard bar over the Whiskey Bar. After a great dinner we ended up at the Metropolitan Bar for Music and then to the deck for sail away. If you have the Beverage Plus package, bottle water and Blanton’s are included, which will help me ensure I cover the difference in cost. This particular itenarary had no sea days but I will post as I can and answer questions. Tomorrow we are are in Tortola with a private boat charter. Our first day impressions for DW and I are great but our room had past guests shoes in the closet which leads us wondering how good they actually cleaned. But to the stewards defense, the shoes were all the way on the lowest shelf of the closet all the way against the back, where unless you got down you could not see them. We are happy to answer pre-cruise questions as we have cruised out of San Juan multiple times, but this trip we came 4 days early and stayed in the Humacao, Palmas Del Mar area pre-cruise and then the Royal Sonesta the night before the cruise. Photos will be available on Facebook as we take them and have time or as the WiFi will allow us to upload under PilotKnowsTravel. We are sailing out for our adventure and hope you will follow along. If you are with us on this sailing please add your thoughts!

After completing a B2B I thought it would be a good idea to summarize our thoughts. We are still working on a way to scan the daily planners from both weeks. Our B2B on Beyond was a great experience starting with the Eastern route and finishing with the Western. As first time Celebrity Cruisers we could not compare to previous Celebrity expectations but could compare to Royal, Disney, and Carnival. We found the itenarary on both weeks uninspiring but may look into their longer itineraries on the Beyond next year. Below are our thoughts on the following areas: Embark/Debark Ship Stateroom 3155 Staff Drink Package Included Dinning Premium Dinning Entertainment Overall Embark/Debark This is an area that Celebrity Beyond excelled. Our original embark was the most organized and quickest we have ever experienced. At all of our ports of call the Destination Gateway helped making getting on and off the Ship so easy and efficient. At the conclusion of our B2B the debark was just as easy as the beginning of our cruise. Ship The Beyond is an amazing vessel that we would be happy to sail on again. Pros The resort type theme of the open decks and the use of space to create hidden areas. The ship layout was easy to navigate and flowed naturally. It has a very contemporary and modern vibe. Cleanliness was amazing and in the public restrooms there was almost always an attendant cleaning. Cons Lack of connection to the ocean in many of the areas on the Grand Plaza. No access or lack of to the bow or a bow view. We like to look out forward when entering a port that was not possible accept in the retreat or spa that we found. Not enough clocks in public space and a lack of place for trash and passengers to place used items such as cups on the pool deck. Stateroom 3155 We were in 3155 which was a port side Oceanview on deck 3. We thought the room was well appointed. Closet space and storage were good enough for 14 days on board for our B2B. We were impressed by the small touches in the room design and layout overall. We would book in this class again if needed but not this room due to some noise issues. This room was selected as it was available on both legs of our B2B. Pros The decor and color of the room along with some nifty design touches. Collapsing desk to provide more counter or floor space depending on the cruisers preference. Light controls including an under vanity light in the bathroom so you don’t wake up the entire cabin for a late night bathroom entry. Bathroom layout though not intuitive ended up providing one of the largest showers at sea we have experienced for a non suite category. The room also had ample plugs throughout though not on both sides of the bed. Cons First and foremost noise from above and below. The noise above was obviously the kitchen from Le Voyages kitchen this did not bother us that often based on our time in the room. The noise from below must have been a crew service area off of I95 this always started around 5:00am. The only other stateroom issue was the design of the curtains as they were mounted inside the frame and not the outside allowing a significant light billed around the curtains exteriors. Staff Overall the staff in every facet of our interactions were generally happy and would greet individuals with a smile. They were engaged and if you had multiple interactions with them they would remember your preferences. Pros Meaningful interactions and conversation with all staff members from Captain Kate, Officer Staff, Restaurant Staff, Bar Staff, and Housekeeping and everyone above below and in between. The ship had a true vibe of community because of this. Cons Lack of wandering bar staff on our first week especially at the pool that seemed to be corrected by our second week. Drink Package For both of our legs of the B2B we had the premium beverage package and throughly we received fair value from it. A special note is the aluminum water cans can be difficult to almost impossible to open. A few individuals we hung out with had minor cut fingers on the cans from opening. Pros No guessing on what are bill would be at the end of both cruises. Nice to have the entire menu available with a smaller up charge on just a few drinks. 20% off bottles of wine for special occasions. Cons Might have drank more than we would have otherwise. Included Dinning Overall we felt the included dinning was on par with Royal Caribbean we were not experienced Celebrity Cruisers so we could not compare to previous cruises on Celebrity. Dinning Room staff in the four main dining rooms was good all nights. Pros The dinning in the main dining rooms was always prompt and in 2 weeks we never had a wait of more than 5 to 10 minutes for a table of 2 or all the way up to 8 at various dinner times. In all of the dinning rooms we received good service but the service in Cyprus stood out as superior in several sections. The dinning in the buffet was always efficient and clean. You were able to find something for everyone’s taste each day. The unique lunch experience in Eden was very good and a nice alternative as an in between the buffet and the dinning room at lunch. At breakfast the execution on egg dishes was great on almost everyday. Lobster on Chic night 2 was great we appreciated the Maine lobster over the Caribbean and had no issue with the only lobster each before an up charge. The preparation was executed with precision and you were able to couple it with another entree if you wanted. Cons After a B2B the menu became a little repetitive both in the Main Dinning Rooms and Buffet. In the main Dinning Rooms due to the set items that are served in each individual restaurant and also at all restaurants every night not as many dishes rotated as we were used to in previous included dinning experiences. On the buffet we could always find a variety of food but it was disappointing that we and fellow cruise friends noticed a marked improvement of food at lunch on the last full day of each cruise. It almost felt like buying survey comments. Eden breakfast was just not executed well but we only tried it once other dishes may have been better. Premium Dinning We have only done one other premium cruise dinning experience on the multitude of our previous cruises. With this cruise being a B2B we did premium dinning experiences on week 2 to break up the repeating menus. Pros All of the venues had a decor and touch that emphasized you were eating somewhere different and special. The staff, food and service at Le Voyage along with the venue itself was special at every turn. If the menu interest you even a little and you are only going to do one specialty dinning this location deserves special considerations. The freshness of the dishes at Raw on 5 we did this night 1 on a cruise not sure if it contributed to the freshness. The wait staff service and knowledge of the menu in Eden was great. Le Petit Chef has a wonderful sommelier and an amazing tomato tart that may have been the best thing we ate all week. Cons The Fine Cut did not move the needle compared to other dining venues on board. Le Petit Chef is conducted in Le Grand Bistro and is off of the Grand Paza without an appropriate sound barrier that really distracted from the experience. The Sommelier in Eden provided our only negative staff experience in 2 weeks on board. If you feel like you’re buying a used car from a Sommelier ask for someone else. Entertainment We found a wide variety of entertainment across the ship from guest performers, two production casts, live music, resident artist, DJs and engaged activity staff. We did not participate in trivia, or karaoke but others commented on what fun they had. Originally we felt that Disney far exceeded our Celebrity experience and Royal was just a step above. However with two weeks on board they were all a lot closer the more we experienced and with a few improved story lines Celebrity could be ahead of Royal and nipping at the heels of Disney in our opinion. Pros The individual talent of all staff performers. We felt the general quality of all entertainers was above what we have seen on other lines. The Eden cast and small theater story line brought a show concept to sea which we have never experienced. All four of their performances were exciting. The main theater itself incorporated great technology that added to the shows and helped showcase the talent of the artists. Silent Disco had so much energy each night all walks of life seemed to enjoy the experience. Pool side activities were fun and engaging and helped improve the pool side atmosphere. Cons Pool music in the morning normally until 11:00 or 11:30 was reminiscent of things you would listen to at an elevator in a funeral home. The Eden shows were only at 11:00pm additional showings would space out the crowds fighting for seats to watch these great performances in a small venue. Guest Entertainers were just okay when compared to other guest entertainers we have seen. Overall We really enjoyed our time On the Celebrity Beyond. The staff and ship were great. The demographic was a little older than we have cruises with in the past but when cruising without our teenager this was a welcome change. We would book another Beyond cruise but instead of a back to back would look at a longer itinerary when possible to avoid repeating food and entertainment.