after reading some of the horror stories about the Emerald, I was not looking forward to our cruise. Surprise! We had no problems whatsoever with anytime dining; we were a group of 8 seniors, some handicapped with scooters and wheelchairs. Got around the ship just fine. The food was very good in preparation and presentation, even though the choices were always tempting to our crowd.( I never met a meal that I didn't like)The captains and waiters went out of their way to get us special requests each evening. the cabins were wonderful (handicapped)and easily accessible from the elevators. Embarkation went very smoothly, and so did disembarkation, which is a feat for 3200 hundred passengers, many in wheelchairs and scooters. in fact, I don't ever remember seeing so many handicapped guests. We had no trouble getting seats to the shows, and even though we got their early, if we had come 15 minutes later we would still have seating. We enjoyed the shows very much, and thought the cast had a high level of professionalism. The sets and costumes were great. We are long time cruisers, having been on many of the lines currently sailing, so we are not easily satisfied. The Emerald was very good; however, I do concur that since Carnival bought Princess, there has been a great deal of what other reviewers have called "nickel and diming"...even the tissues and toilet paper are not the quality they once were. Nevertheless, it was quite enjoyable.