Dolphin Swim was absolutely worth it! Getting off the ship and debarking on our own (meaning taking our own luggage off by ourselves) was mildly frustrating as everyone else wanted to do this option also. and returns at 12:40) and then pay $3 to get into this national treasure! We did splurge to do a Dolphin Swim at Atlantis but this resort is too large to enjoy anything else for the short time you are in the Bahamas. In Tortola, you can take Speedy Ferry service to Virgin Gorda/The Baths for $36 per person (leaves at 9:00 a.m. Thomas, you can take a cab to Magen's Bay for $8.00 and spend the day here for the $4.00 entrance fee. I highly recommend setting your watch to "ship time" and getting off the boat as soon as you can so you can book your own excursions and get back in plenty of time for departure, otherwise, you may get stuck in a port as the ship leaves exactly on time. We booked during a promotional time and picked the unlimited beverage package and were very happy with this as drinks averaged $8-$12 per drink-I would recommend trying the "Bushwacker" and "Miami Vice" on very hot days! We don't usually book excursions with any cruise lines because you can get off the ship and truly pay less than 1/2 of what the cruise charges. Freestyle does have its benefits including wearing casual clothes in the dining room and eating on your own time and not getting stuck with people you may or may not get along with. Dining is definitely not what it used to be on cruise ships-no more lobster night/prime rib night with a baked Alaska presentation for dessert by eager and happy waiters especially with Free-style cruising. The raw sushi bar was good (prices very reasonable) and the Brazilian restaurant ($20 p/p additional) were worth the extra money. The scrambled eggs in every restaurant seemed like powdered eggs. The included restaurants (Taste, Savor, Tropicana, Garden Cafe, Shanghai the Noodles Bar and the buffet (can't remember the name) were good but nothing special. The casino was smoky and the slot machines were tight as $20 would buy you 5 minutes of playing time. The comedians were more entertaining in the "Headliners" bar for the late show (over 18 only allowed) but make sure you make reservations (free) so you can be guaranteed a seat. We watched "Legally Blond" and Levity (the comedian acts) in the auditorium and enjoyed them. The dancing was very good but there was no point to this show and there was no story or any program to understand what was going on so we left mid-performance. We watched "Burn the Floor"-a dance show. The water slides/ropes course and walking the plank was very entertaining. The pool area on the ship was small but we didn't spend most of our time in this area (maybe 1 morning/afternoon). We traveled without children and found several areas that were for adults only, including H2o which had a movie screen, 2 hot tubs, a bar, and a "wet" sitting area with waterfalls and showers to keep us cool. The ship, itself, was very large and it took several days get to know. The carpet in this room was already worn and the shower floor was cracked, but our room attendant, Christian, kept the room very, very clean. The balcony, on the other hand, was very small but worth it as you could open the door and enjoy the ocean/fresh air. The room itself had the largest room/bathroom accommodations on a ship that I have ever been on (previously sailed with Carnival and Princess). We felt very lucky to have a balcony room on the 10th floor very conveniently close to the stairs and elevators (room 10176) as it was booked as a "Balcony Guarantee" room. We just returned from a 7-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise on NCL's Getaway.
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