We arrived at Bayonne about 11:30a, and waited for at least 20 minutes in line to get to the loading/unloading area. There were still people departing as we arrived. The process is not as smooth as others I've experienced. It seems like a very small area given the size of the ship. We had to wait about 30 minutes for my husband to park the car and return to the terminal. Fortunately, since we had a suite, we were able to bypass the long lines and check-in within 10 minutes before boarding the bus which took us to the ship. We entered the ship and went to the Windjammer for a bite. What a surprise to see Santa at the next table. Seriously, this guy had the hair, beard and suit. He wore red and green all week. He also sat center stage at most of the shows which put the comedian off a bit. Our room was ready by 1:30, and one of our three bags was waiting for us. The rest of our luggage arrived by 3:30p and we were completely unpacked by 5p. I heard others were still waiting at 7p for bags.

I was struck by the pushy sales tactics we were bombarded with upon entering the ship. Annoying to say the least and not the best way to start a vacation. They were not only in your face, they caused traffic jams. This trend of pushing for extra money is really off-putting.

Our room was spacious, with a great walk-in closet and plenty of hangers. More than enough cubbies, drawers and cabinets to stow our gear. The mattress wasn't great, and some of the linens were threadbare. Although we asked our steward to change the sheets mid-week, they were not. The "mini-fridge", aka cooler did not work, unless you want to warm your beverages. The cooler was warmer than the room. Read more