This was my 13th cruise, my first on Royal Caribbean. I can only say this ship and RCCL blew away any other ship I've sailed. From the embarkation process which was fast and painless, to the debarkation process which was almost pleasurable!!! With the exception of 1 employee, EVERY member of the staff was extremely friendly, outgoing and beyond helpful. This was a wonderful change from my last Princess Cruise where it was evident that Carnival purchased the line; the employees were apparently not allowed to be too friendly with the passengers! The ship is gorgeous.

My only complaint is that the rooms are VERY small. There were 2 of us sharing the cabin with 2 twin beds and at times it was VERY difficult not to be stepping on each other. This is the only place I believe Princess to be better. The balcony however was large and wonderful.

The entertainment was GREAT - especially Peter Ritz at the piano bar and Mark Taylor the magician on Tuesday night. The entertainment director was not quite as annoying as most. The casino was way too smoky so we stayed out of there, but it was a real pleasure to be on a mainly non-smoking ship. The only smoking was allowed outdoors or in the cigar bar. The disco was typical - very young, very loud, lousy bar service, but we enjoyed the piano bar so much that it didn't matter. (There were 6 of us travelling, ranging in age from 29 to 45) This is the best trip I've taken, and I take 3 or 4 vacations a year and am VERY picky. Read more