The Celebrity cruise line arranged our visit to Machu Picchu. Daily only 4,100 visitors are…read moreallowed into the 15th century "Lost City of the Incas", 8,000 feet above sea level. We had fascinating English speaking local guides that broke us into groups of twelve to present us with background information , tours, personal stories and invaluable information about the sacred valley, Inca Empire and arrival of the Spaniards. Machu Picchu is 1 of 14 Peruvian Historic Sites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site & in 2007, was voted one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. Pottery excavated at Machu Picchu has been dated over 1000 years old, prior to the Inca's. The names of the buildings, their supposed uses, and their inhabitants, are the product of modern archaeology based on physical evidence. The tombs at the site were built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls, locked together like Legos. The 3 primary structures are the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Three Windows, and the Intihuatana. From 1929 to 1971, Machu Picchu underwent extensive restoration and conservation work, including structural stabilization & artifact excavation. Archaeologists believe Machu Picchu was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti from 1438 until 1472. The Inca's built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later, when the Spanish conquered. According to the new radiocarbon dating, it was occupied from about 1420-1532. Historical research published in 2022 claims that the site was probably called Huayna Picchu by the Inca's themselves, as it exists on the smaller peak with the same name. Current excavations are taking place in 2 different sites. The hotel is closed and will become the new Machu Picchu Museum documenting its history & found artifacts. We climbed up site, one for endless views above Machu Picchu. We walked along many of the man-made terraces that were engineered with good drainage, fertile soil that were well protected. We spotted where hundreds of years later there was a landslide. I understand that approximately 750 Inca's lived here, farming about 12 acres of mostly corn & potatoes. Once they had enough food, they built their strength and became warriors. Those in high status lived inside the Empire. The workers and the peasants commuted by foot daily to work. If they were good workers, they could move up the hierarchy. Bingham, from Yale University, arrived in 1909, the ruins were covered by vegetation but the terraces were visible so he couldn't observe the extent of the site. He took preliminary notes, measurements, and photographs, noting the fine quality of Inca stonework at several principal buildings. His photos are visible inside the sanctuary restaurant on site. His works were published and shown to the world via National Geographic. There are two ways to get to Machu Picchu either by train or by foot . We saw colorful tents with climbers and their porters; spending at least three days getting to the site. We went up on the Vista train with snacks and a fashion show and came down on the Bingham train with a live band, Bar, white tablecloths and three course dinner. Our day started at 6 AM and ended at 10 PM. Breathing at the high altitude was difficult, we had smoke from Bolivian fires, and the grounds were very dry and dusty. We spent four days in the Sacred Valley visiting the holiest site of the Incas and seeing the Spanish church that was built above. Explained were the ways the Spanish conquers converted the Inca's to Christianity. We went to the main square surrounded by a cathedral, churches, restaurants and shops. We stayed in the monastery hotel, and explored all around town, visiting shops and restaurants. The hotel provided a daily lavish champagne breakfast buffet, opera, dinners, art tours, and magnificent grounds.

These people gave the best 250th birthday party ever!! We had SO much fun!! We were yelling,…read morescreaming, laughing, partying all night!!! Great job guys!

Great to have some alternative transportation options. I wish it can work on Saturday and Sunday …read more It's feels like Miami need another rote from Brickell to south Beach ( south of fifth Street)

This was the boat we took from Miami to Cozumel, Belize and Harvest Cay…read more The boat is a pretty good size with plenty to do and great food options! This is the boat that had the delicious Asian restaurant that had dishes inspired by a handful of cultures (Korean, Japanese and Thai). There was plenty to do on days at sea. Marc (With a C) was very entertaining and did a great job keeping everyone entertained!

Our family had a great time on the Norwegian Escape for a 7 day cruise to the Bahamas, U.S. Virgin…read moreIslands, British Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic. The restaurants were very good. My favorite was the hibachi and the steakhouse. But I really enjoyed attending Savor and Taste for our regular meals. Overall, we had great customer service on the cruise ship and we enjoyed the entertainment.

The wife and I did the round trip Barcelona City tour Mediterranean cruise aboard the NCL…read moreBreakaway. We had one of the all inclusive drink package, the water package, and the specialty dining package with upgrades that provided 10 specialty dining opportunities. We also enjoyed $50 off shore excursions and a club balcony suite with unlimited wi-fi. The itinerary included Barcelona for 4 days pre-cruise, Canes/Nice France, then to Italy: Florence, Pisa, Rome, Naples, and Vatican City - back to Spain: Ibiza, Palma, - with a return to Barcelona - Flight to Amsterdam - overnight layover and then home. The embarkation process was great as was the disembarkation process (we secured a late checkout which allowed us to miss the chaos). Overall, the entertainment was fine, the specialty dining experience enjoyable (we didn't really do the buffet). We opted to do the other complimentary eating spots designated for serving breakfast (O'sheehan's Bar and Grill and the Manhattan Room main dining room, and all the specialty dining venues for dinner). The service staff were excellent on this cruise. Our butler Miklos was great!!! I saw someone recommended doing Alaska (we've done it) but Alaska does not compare to cruising the Mediterranean (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, North Africa).

I have mixed feelings about NCL. This was our second cruise…read morewith them and we haven't been on any other brands, so I'm not an expert. Great things: ------------ The food. The restaurants were great, the servers were great. Good portion sizes in the included restaurants and ridiculously huge portion in the specialty restaurants. Very nice variety and selection: steak house, seafood restaurant, Italian, French, teppenyaki restaurants and a noodle bar and sushi bar. Also an Irish pub (however it didn't have any Irish beer which was a little strange) and a burger joint. I'm probably missing some others. The water slides and ropes course - super fun and rather terrifying - not bland and boring. The staff - very hard working and friendly. Burn the floor - there full out dance extravaganza show. Amazing dancers/athletes and well staged. Syd Norman's Pour House - a recreated dive bar from LA with a band/cast that put on amazing shows. Very small venue though. We waited in line for an hour one night and still didn't get into the show :( Some of the smaller musical acts, but not all of them. Average things: ------------- Pools, casinos, bars, most of the smaller musical acts,gift shops, and shore excursions. Bad things: ---------- The app, website, and the way you access (or don't access the internet on board. A total nightmare! Don't plan on any decent access unless you spend hundreds of dollars extra. They nickel and dime you for EVERYTHING. Everywhere you go and everything you do, there is an upcharge. Just get used to it. Lots of complicated and tricky terms to all of these supposed 'deals.' Be careful or better yet just say 'no.'

If your looking for the perfect weekend plan Stop looking, this is it! The best Marina I've ever…read morebeen so far in Miami. They are really attentive and friendly, the place it's nice and pretty, they also have comfortable parking spaces available for clients, that's a total Plus! You are definitely going to have an incredible time with friends, I highly recommend it with my eyes closed for a fun time in the water..

What can I say about this ship that hasn't already been said? It's not for everyone due to it's…read moresmall size. We weren't in love with our suite experience. With that said, it was the excellent service received and the itinerary that won us over. First of all, I'm not sure how anyone can really judge NCL strictly from one sailing on the 2nd to the oldest ship in the fleet. Yes, it's even older than the Norwegian Epic. Ha! Our expectations were low from the day we booked this cruise. That may be why we have a totally different perspective. We've seen the best that NCL has to offer (The Haven), and now we've seen the lower end of the spectrum for suite guests. It was a good experience despite the size and age of the ship. At the same time, I can see why people love it or hate it. I'll start with the negative and end with the positive. I hated the Northern Crown Suite's (9201) master bath. I think I'm just spoiled by the newer bathroom setups on other NCL ships. It was clean, but very cramped and outdated. It wasn't picture worthy. There was also a musty smell coming from the shower drain. Thankfully, the L'Occitane products made it all disappear while in use. On a brighter note, the shower pressure was outstanding. Yay! The hot tub on the balcony is also old & outdated. It looks more like a jacuzzi bathtub. You might want to book the 8th deck counterpart that has a larger hot tub. In all fairness, we didn't get to use it. The weather was unseasonably cold for the month of May in Northernn Europe. It just took up a lot of space on a balcony that's already crowded with outdoor furniture. Honestly though, it was probably one of the nicer rooms on the ship. The rest of the room was very comfortable and somewhat spacious. We slept very well and that's really all that matters. Having a separate half bath by the entrance was a nice perk as well. I'm giving this ship a 4-star review for other things that made this cruise so special. Our Concierge, Cabin Attendant, & Butler were all amazing. I hope to see them all again on other NCL ships in the near future. This ship will be transitioning to Cordelia Cruises towards the end of the year. I think the Sky will be missed. There aren't many cruise ships left of this size in the fleet. I love the conveniences that smaller ships have to offer. It was so easy disembarking at port of calls even without priority. I think we only had about 1200 passengers onboard. The elevators were rarely full. The stairs are easily accessed because you're only utilizing 8 decks. The ship's size is also ideal for navigating through rivers such as the Thames and the Elbe. It was the first time we've ever heard the 3 warning blasts from a cruise ship. The sailboats in front of us scattered quickly away after they heard it. How's that for excitement? I absolutely love the jogging/walking track on Deck 6. It was like being transported back into another time. There are mirrors on each corner as you make your way to the back of the ship. They were very useful in peeking around the inside corners to prevent people from accidentally running into others coming from the opposite direction. We used this track a lot while at sea. It was fun! Also, the fitness area was very well equipped with beautiful sea views. It was just another alternative when it was too cold and windy on deck. The food was pretty average. We dined in the MDR for the first time. It was better than expected. The buffet was just okay. We liked the crepes station the best. The specialty dining was average as well. I think the Sugarcane Mojito Bar probably wowed us the most. The newer Prima Class ships don't have this bar. So, I'm ending again on another high note. TL;DR - Would I book a cruise on a ship of this size again? Well, it depends on the itinerary. I must admit that Norwegian Sky looks kind of cute wearing a lei on her hull. She was once named the "Pride of Aloha" during her heyday in Hawaii. Her crew loves her. I could tell by the many conversations we had with each one that we encountered during our week long cruise. We can totally see why she's won the hearts of many after finally experiencing it for ourselves. Hopefully others will get an even better experience when she's the Cordelia Sky.

What an Obnoxious cruise experience got into a fight that had security breaking up…read more Too much testosterone 20 somethings causing trouble. Loud Obnoxious Music and ghetto starved patrons who act like they were just released from Aufchwitz. Very Rowdy. Forget the pool. Specialty food sucked. Buffet not good. More water in the eggs than outside of the ship $18 for rum & coke drink package ridiculously high Got food poisoning took two weeks to feel better. Thank for ruining my Thanksgiving. No stars for you

An exceptional experience from beginning to end. The booking process was seamless, well-organized,…read moreand completely stress-free. Communication was clear throughout, making everything feel effortless. The yacht was immaculate, beautifully maintained, and exceeded expectations. The crew was incredibly professional, attentive, and welcoming ensuring every detail was taken care of. Truly a luxury experience all around. I would 100% book again and highly recommend to anyone looking for a first-class, worry-free day on the water!

We cruised on this ship a few years back. I really do not have any complaints at all. I have…read morecruised with Carnival several times over the years. The cruises have many different price ranges and options. You can choose to cruise for 3 days or for a week.. We went on a short one for an extended weekend one time.. The next cruise will be on the new ship, Vista . . We are looking forward to that one.