We're a family of five, with three teens ages 13, 16, and 18. We weren't sure what to expect after reading all the mixed reviews for the Spirit, but we went with open minds and had a wonderful week.

EMBARKATION: Easy, fast-moving line. On the ship in around twenty minutes. We avoided the more-crowded lunch buffet, and instead ate a leisurely meal in Windows. Tried to find the Cruise Critic meeting, but got there late. At exactly 2 pm an announcement was made that cabins were ready, and our luggage arrived soon afterward. Ship is quite beautiful, staff is constantly cleaning, we were impressed. A great effort is made to prevent germs, with hand-sanitizing stations at every dining venue and every port; we were very glad to see this was a ship priority.

CABINS: My husband and I were in a standard inside cabin, and next time I would splurge for a balcony. There was plenty of storage space, and a good-sized shower, but I felt a bit claustrophobic. Our kids' cabin next door was considerably larger with 190 sq. ft. and just fine for the three of them. We were lucky to have amazing cabin stewards (Esther and Milton) who took care of every request, left adorable towel animals, and were very kind and pleasant. It was so nice to come back to a neat, turned-down bed with mints on the pillow each night. The linens were fine, and the beds were comfy thanks to the mattress pads we requested in advance of the cruise. Read more