We are a family of 4 from Ontario, with 2 boys ages 4 and 10. In tow we picked up my Inlaws from Quebec in our minivan and drove down I-87 the day before. Stayed in Nanuet-Hampton Inn-about 40 minutes from NY pier. Hotel is brand new, but a little tricky to get in from the busy road. Had 2 snorkel vest delivered there and was waiting for me on arrival.

Left for the pier at 10am- crossed the GW bridge and was waiting to board by 11am. Painless embarkation, eating lunch in the lido by 12:30pm. Cabins ready by 1:30ish. We had a connecting OV on the main deck, which afforded lots of interaction between our boys with their grandparents. Chorie our room steward worked very hard to keep our beach gear/shoes all in order thru out our cruise. Very creative towel animals every night. Unlimited laundry $70/ 2 pick ups a day/last day San Juan.

Dining: We had one breakfast and lunch in the dining room and found it too lengthy. Most of our other meals ended up in the LIDO. All the stations in the LIDO are very spread out, so if you wanted a little bit from each station expect to spend a long time in lines! Best Lido foods- eggs benedict, waffles with strawberry and blueberry sauce, fresh squeezed OJ, asian stir fry(need more noodle variety), fresh mango wedges, bread pudding, hot fudge sundae, grape juice. Not so good LIDO food- sushi(all vegetables and rice mashed up) Hard to find berries, tomatoes, limited salad dressings. All dinners were in the Vista Dining Room with AYWD. On our first night we were seated at table 189 for 6 at the bottom of the staircase with bench seating on one side. The boys were more patient sitting on the benches and we had a perfect view of the flower ceiling. Waiter: Saiful, Assistant:Dany, Wine Steward:Danny, was excellent. We always went for dinner around 6:15 and had the same table or next table over. The only reservation we made was for 2 formal nights to ensure we had the same great staff at 5:45pm. After the third night our waiter Saiful was always waiting for us with a smile at the entrance to welcome us to his table. Dany always brought our boys their favorite juice on arrival. I did notice about 1/3 of the down stairs seating had the same people dining at the same tables every night. Lineup for dining did not start until after 7:30pm. Food was very good 4 star quality. Best dishes: escargot, vegetable stacks, shrimp cocktail, prime rib, filet, pot roast(with pineapple yams!) veal. Crab legs and lobster tails just so so. Tofu yuck! Duck dried.Not enough cheese on the French onion soup. Boys always shared a cold fruit soup and fruit cocktail in a martini glass. Desserts were all yummy! Had cappuccino most nights but very strong. Dessert buffet a big waste of time and money. Most chocolate waxy and way too crowded and late at night for our kid's. Taco bar was great for cheese sauce, guacamole and chips; but hours were only limited to 3-6pm. Read more