Where to begin? The embarkation process was very good. The lines moved smoothly and we received assistance because my wife walks with a cane. That was certainly appreciated. And I appreciate the changes that have been made to the life boat drill. Sitting in a restaurant and listening to a briefing is better than standing on the promenade deck wearing a life jacket.
After that, things got a bit "sketchy" as the young people say. The food in the buffet was room temperature no matter when you dined. The pastry tasted stale. The cantaloupe was a couple of weeks short of being ripe. The stroganoff tasted like it was made with tough round steak and the noodles were under-done. The hand-carved roast beef was gristly. The breakfast sausage was lousy. However, the omelet station did a great job under enormous pressure.
The exception to this was the Steak House. Even with the upcharge of $35 per person, this is well worth the expense. My wife and I both had the 14 oz. New York Strip and it was wonderful. The service was flawless. We ate there twice, and appreciated the help of the Sommelier in selecting a bottle of wine. She was very professional. In fact, all the staff of that restaurant gave us great service. We should have eaten every evening meal there.