Embarkation: Very quick and easy. Only thing we found a bit confusing was accessing the parking garage. This was our first time in Tampa and it was a bit confusing due to all the other cars of people arriving and departing. We drove around in circles for a few minutes and then unloaded the bags on the curb across from the terminal and my husband went to park the car. We arrived at the port at 10:30 AM and were on the ship having lunch by 11:45. The lifeboat drill is not so bad & it is fun to watch everyone hanging out in their life vests.

Food: This was much better than we had expected. My husband is a very picky eater and had no trouble finding breakfast, lunch, and our evening meals in the dining room. I really enjoyed dinner every night. People at our table enjoyed the lobster (it is Caribbean lobster keep in mind, not from Maine, so it is a bit chewy). The pumpkin soup is great, loved the desserts and many if the appetizers were different and very good. If you do try something you dont like, just ask for something else and it will be brought right out to you with no questions asked. We had the 8:30 seating in the Mardi Gras Dining Room and a table for 10. The later seating seems more relaxed than what we saw out of the earlier seating&.The breakfast buffet got very crowded at times, but we figured out that if you went to the line at the pool, it was much shorter. Lunch we ate at the Brassiere everyday and there was always plenty to choose from at the buffet along with the salad bar, deli and pizza. We enjoyed the pizza! One tip&get it when it just comes out of the oven!

Room: We had cabin U133. It was an Oceanview cabin. Great views outside of our window, but wish they had wipers on them to clear off the water splashes. Our room steward Mohammed was the best. So polite and extremely efficient. All the towel animals inspired me to buy the book and make them for friends and family that stay with us often. Read more