Embarkation in Miami was very fast. we arrived at 2:30 pm and made it on the ship in 15 minutes or so. I was very thankful for this because we drove all the way from Houston, 17 hours. The port of Miami is fantastic, compared to the port of Houston. After we arrived we made it to our cabin and relaxed. My only problem here is how long it took to get our bags. I really wanted to changed my clothes. It also took a while for them to set up our room for four people, but it was done by the time we were ready to settle in for the night. The cabin itself was very clean and large enough for four. It was always clean, though it sometimes seemed like we were the last ones to get our cabin made up or turned down for the night. The bathroom was okay, small, but what you can expect for a cruise ship. The showers should be enclosed so water doesn't all over the place. Overall we were happy with the cabin, afterall, we only slept there.

Dining on the ship was really an adventure. We ate at Mama's Kitchen one night and found the food just okay. Most nights we ate at the main dining rooms or in the Garden Cafe. The food was prepared well and served quickly. I always found it cooked right, though lacking creativity. I really found I liked breakfast the most. Overall I'd have to say that the food was better than okay, but not great. Service on the ship on some days was great and on other not so good. In the dining rooms I found most of the servers to be friendly, but somewhat lacking in personality. I think that goes back to the $10 aday they charge per person for tips. I believe if they did away with that the servers would work harder to earn their tips. The fitness facilities on the ship seemed nice, though we didn't use them. we did stop by there once and looked around. I thought it was neat that they had TV's hooked up to the treadmills. Recreation on the ship was plentiful. The pools were always clean and full. the slide was a busy spot for children and some adults. My wife made me ride it once so she could take a picture. The hot tubs were almost always full during the day, but i found at 6 or 7 at night they were empty for the most part. Bingo was alot of fun. On the last night of the cruise my wife won the jackpot in a 3 way split, $786.

Entertainment on the ship was great. I love every show on the ship. We sat right up front and were picked a few times to take part. The cruise director did a fantastic job organizing everything. Outside of the shows some of the singing acts were just okay, nothing to write home about, but entertaining enough. We only did one shore excursion. It was the rain forest tour in San Juan. The guide did an alright job, but for the price we paid the whole thing should have been better. Everything else we did on our own. We even used Cruise Critic for ST Thomas. It was on Cruise Credit that we found out about Goodfreys Tours. We paid $25 each for an island tour, plus a drop off at Corral World. There, the driver gave use coupons for $2 off admission. When we finished the driver was outside waiting for us. We had a fantastic time in ST Thomas and it was my favorite stop. There weren't many programs for teens on the ship, but my kids seemed to enjoy themselves anyway. With only a handful of teens they always seemed to be going going going. Overall, I'd give the cruise a solid 5. The price was right, $2000 for four people, and the experience was something we will always remember. In my opinion if you want to book this ship do it, you'll have a good time if you let yourself.