Our group of 11 ranged in age from 9yrs - 65yrs. We had 6 adults and 5 boys. For the most part, our group is one that does not drink, does not gamble, doesn't dance, and doesn't like to do formal clothing. Sounds boring, but we're not. =) Even with all of those things aside, we still managed to have fun. We chose this ship because we didn't want to be on a "party ship" that catered to a younger generation. We wanted a nice family atmosphere with a emphasis on safety for our kids. Overall this was a nice cruise. The ship was super clean, efficient, beautifully decorated, and has very good entertainment.
The Pros: Excellent staff, great kids program for all ages, lots of contests and activities for the adults. The food was fairly predictable in the Horizon Court buffet, but it was very fresh and the kids really liked it. The outdoor grill made excellent hamburgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and pizza all day long. The dining rooms had a lot of variety. The pools and hot tubs were clean and only crowded occasionally. This ship is huge and you get the feeling often that you are the only one onboard, which is nice. The shows were terrific - comedians, jugglers, magic show. Some better than others, but nothing terrible. Laundry facility was great ($1 wash, $1 dry) per load. Our room for our family of 3 was excellent (A342). A queen bed for us and a loft bed that came out of the ceiling each night for our son. They gave us SO MANY hangers. I counted 30 beautiful wooden hangers when we arrived. Room service was perfectly prompt every morning with the coffee and milk we ordered the night before (tip them a couple of bucks cash). The prices in the gift shop were surprisingly reasonable. I should have bought that beautiful $10 sun hat (dang it!)
The Cons: This is definitely a cruise that gears mostly to retired couples and seniors. The pools are too few and too small. No slides, no waves for the kids, and a little boring. No basketball court. Only one sport court used for tennis, dodgeball, etc. The 9-hole golf course is sorta a joke ... super small. The soda card costs $27 plus tax (for all ages). Only pays for itself if you drink a LOT of soda like me. The ports of call were ok. You really don't get a whole lot of time on shore ... especially in Cabo, only about 5 hours. The jogging track was closed for most of our ship for repairs.