Family of four, first time cruisers, went from Galveston to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.
Embarkation: Nice--not a problem. Waited in line for maybe 25 minutes or so from beginning to end. Checked in online beforehand, which helped.
Public rooms: Oh my goodness, they were nice! As a first time cruiser, they were everything I expected them to be--beautiful, clean, inviting. Not a lot of people swam; most were in the hot tubs. Never saw any children in the Solarium.