BACKGROUND: We are a young couple (for HAL anyway) in our early thirties. We have two kids which we left behind. This was our very first cruise ever.

EMBARKATION: Smooth as glass. We arrived the night before and stayed in a hotel (wrong one by accident - who knew Airport North was different than Airport). We were taken to the port by the hotel shuttle along with several other cruisers. One couple was headed to Princess, so we dropped them off first. This was our first time cruising, so we weren't really sure what to expect. The Princess terminal was PACKED. There were twisty turvy lines of people outside. I figured we were in for one heck of a long wait, but as we pulled up to the HAL terminal we realized the lines were absent. Leaving our luggage on the curb, we hesitantly wandered into the building to find very few lines. Many people had said on the boards that the line for express check in is actually longer than the line for the people that didn't register online. True, but the line moves oh so much quicker for us internet checker inners. Within a matter of minutes, we were on the ship and terribly overwhelmed. We wandered around the Lido deck for quite some time before giving up and heading outside. There was no way to find seating. The people that had gotten there earlier (we boarded around 12:30) were relaxing in all the seating even if they had finished eating. We didn't know you could check in your carry on bags by the pool and head over to the Queen's Lounge for a movie. So, we finally found a place to eat and scarfed down some food. It wasn't a big deal (not a trip ruiner), but it would've been nice if there had been a place to sit right away.

FOOD: We thought the Lido food was good, but nothing to write home about. There was nothing that either of us had that tasted bad, but there was little that was absolutely scrumptious. Although there was always a good selection of food, it tended to be the same or very similar at each meal. Still, it was good (especially since I didn't have to cook it). The dining room had better food than the Lido, but still very little wow factor. I did have some sort of mixed berry cobbler one night that was absolutely out of this world. The Pinnacle Grill had by far the best food. It was worth every penny (plus some). If you are a steak lover, don't miss it. If you aren't a steak eater, you may not be as impressed. The service in all of these venues was impeccable. Read more