After a wonderful experience on the Grandeur of the Seas in May, my wife and I just returned from our second 9 night cruise this year .The embarkation process went incredibly smooth especially with the on-line check in option. Less than an hour from the time we were dropped off at the pier, we were eating lunch in the Windjammer.

We booked a Promenade view cabin and our mother, a first-time cruiser, had a handicap-accessible balcony room across the hall. After five years of hearing us talk about cruises, she finally took a leap into the world of cruising. In the mornings it was wonderful eating breakfast on the balcony while we were watching the world go by and at night people watching from our cabin.

The ports of call were equally impressive. Labadee, Grand Cayman and Jamaica added the perfect mix to the ship that has everything. Even though our last cruise also went to Grand Bahama Island, we decided not to leave the pier area because of the devastation that is still evident from the storms last year. Read more