I was hesitant to book this cruise due to the size. Love large ships but do not like large crowds. Although I don't have stats, I believe the ship was pretty full because some additional cruisers were added last minute since a sailing on Allure was cancelled. Certain times and places seemed crowded (as would on any ship). Dining hrs are crowded but they have enough venues (including "free" ones) that helps spread out the crowds. We avoided the buffet most of the time because it was most crowded. A comedian referred to the buffet as like riding in a "bumper car". Funny but true. I am not a very patient person, so I choose dining that was a bit less chaotic.

I have read a lot of reviews so I had some idea what to expect. I was still incredibly impressed when stepping upon this beautiful ship. So many unique things to see/experience. You have to see it. Describing it does not do it justice.

We ate in the dining room every night. Food was outstanding until the last night. Breaded Fisherman's platter was not good. They were very close to perfection on the dinner experience. I did experience the best beef tenderloin/filet I have ever had. Based on reviews, I tried a couple of the chilled fruit soups. Awesome! Salmon/crab grain (appetizer) was great too. This was on the standard menu and available every night. Visit the Solarium cafe for healthier dining (lunch/breakfast). If you want table service for breakfast or lunch, go to the dining room. For breakfast the dining room is split between table service and buffet (to help keep the crowds down in the Windjammer buffet). The choice is yours in the dining room. I think it is this way at lunch although we didn't visit the dining room at lunch. Read more