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Royal Caribbean International

MV Nordic Prince

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Pamela Johnson
# previous cruises: 4
Date of Trip: November 20, 1990
Itinerary: Caribbean

This was our first cruise, and nearly tarnished our overall decision to never cruise again. Back in the early 90's RCA marketed itself to people who were inexperienced at cruising (which of course, included us). However, it failed to realize that many people were quite worldly without having the benefit of previously experiencing a cruise holiday.

In general, we were disappointed in the condition of the upholstery in public areas (visibly worn), the condition of the dinnerware in dining area (not one meal passed without a cracked or chipped eating utensil), and dated appearance of the public areas.

A bright spot was our table's waiter. Excellent service and suggestions with each meal. Some meals where well prepared, but many where average at best.

The Nordic Prince had only one A cabin (which was the one we stayed in). Although oversized (a little over 400 sq.ft) compared with the rest of the cabins, it was certainly of poor value. Sheets and towels were threadbare or felt like they were washed in starch. Also, of disappointment was our perfect view of lifeboats which obstructed each window in our cabin.

To the credit of the entertainment staff...they truly gave it all they had. No big (or even small) name celebrities.

The cruise staff, in general fell into 2 categories. Those who wanted to be of help (but were too inexperienced to actually be of assistance), and those with plenty of experience (but wear either too burnt-out to help or just plain didn't care if they helped or not).

Ports of call were fine. Typical Caribbean ports included Puerto Rico, St. Maartin, St. Thomas, The Bahamas, etc.

The pool side shipboard activities seemed enjoyable to those who participated. But a lot of hype went into promoting things like wine-tasting, and some other events...which proved to be quite underwhelming compared to the hype.

The exercise facility was about the size of a large car (an exaggeration, but it was pretty tiny). And the equipment was not in the best of working condition. It would have been better to use the area for additional spa treatments, and just get exercise by running around the decks.

Our fellow dining room table passengers were wonderful. They were all seasoned travellers...and as a group we managed to do what we could to make our cruise enjoyable. Thankfully, because of the size of our cabin...we were able to throw a little cocktail party for our new-found friends. We formed our own little travelling group tour, where we explored island adventures off of the beaten paths.