I was not expecting a lot but I was really impressed with the entire experience. The ship itself is the usual Vision class, with all of the glass and the soaring atrium. I kind of like the classic elegance of that look. It is in excellent condition, everything was spotless and fresh. Even though they are doing the short cruises, the level of service, the food and the entertainment were equal to the longer cruises. I would have to say the crew is one of the friendliest and most helpful I've had recently, no matter who you asked a question to or reported an issue, the response was always "Thank you madame let me take care of that right away" and they did. I think that comes from the Captain and senior staff, who were always walking around the ship, interacting with passengers, taking part in activities. Captain Gus was really funny, he was right there at some of the silly stuff that is done. I did the My Time Dining and was very very pleased. The first night we had a table that all liked each other, so each night we were seated together. By the 2nd night the waiter knew our drink preferences and I have to say the service was as good as assigned time, but seemed to move along at a better pace, not rushed at all, but not the long delays between courses. Windjammer was also better than usual, both the food and the service, again I think having managers helping out made a difference. The cruise director, "Bing Bong" Marc Walker was excellent, again surprising on a short cruise. Headliner entertainers were excellent, ship production shows also usual high quality. I had priority debark so I was off the ship at 8:15.
So I would highly recommend this ship if you only have time for a short cruise. Ships offering longer cruises could take some lessons from these officers and crew. I will definitely go anytime I can fit it in and especially if there is a great deal. Oh, by the way, the casino is smoky, but not unbearable, but the machines were lots of fun and were giving decent play.