My boyfriend had never been on a cruise before so I booked us this cruise through a timeshare promotion. I had been on the cruise before and knew what to expect. The timeshare company was very upfront about what the fees would be (port charges, parking, and gratuity/fuel). I can say that after our experience on this ship, he is sold on cruises for life. We are already planning Alaska for next year.

Boarding was easy. Yes, they try to sell you a lot of things, but if you don't want them just say no and keep moving. Once on board, since the rooms weren't ready yet, we went to the Rio dining room and enjoyed the lunch buffet. I love this ship's coconut fried chicken. The seafood rice was also really good. We toured the ship afterwards and got some ice cream. Before we knew it, the room was ready. I knew we were booked in the cheapest class of cabin but we weren't exactly prepared for bunk beds. Oh well, we made the best of it. If you are spending time in the room on a cruise you are wasting your vacation anyway.

After some pool time, we washed up for dinner in the Rio, the casual dining room. I enjoyed the seafood pasta. The second night we ate dinner in the Crystal formal dining room and enjoyed really good beef wellington and superb service. We ate several snacks in the italian trattoria. Breakfast was each morning pool side and it was a very good buffet. The only complaint I have about the food is that I was served a coke zero in a Christmas themed can that was out of date by three months. Once I brought it to their attention, I was able to get a replacement though. Read more