Let me start by saying this was our first cruise. Our expectations were high considering all the hype about this new ship, the improvements to freestyle cruising, the whole "It Girl" contest, etc. I was traveling with my husband and two sons, ages 10 and 12. We wanted to try cruising because it seemed like a great way to see a number of different places all in one week. Like they say, getting there is half the fun, so we booked a penthouse suite and hoped for the best.

Embarkation was remarkably easy. We arrived via a limo (the posh, posh traveling life!) at 12:30 and our luggage was promptly picked up by a porter. We made our way through the terminal and had a Mr. Bean moment as we bypassed the long check in line for the suite check-in line. We were then escorted to the VIP lounge where Lisa, the friendly and efficient concierge, greeted us and escorted us to the ship. With champagne in hand, we were on our way to lunch in the Grand Pacific by 1:00.

Lunch set the theme for the rest of the cruise. We were seated at a window table and enjoyed a leisurely meal while watching the other boats sail past. It was announced that rooms were ready so we headed on up to Deck 11 to see our home for the next 8 days. WOW! The penthouse suites are remarkable. The colors are definitely not what would be chosen for home dEcor, but they truly work for the ship and have a very upscale feel. The boys had their own bed and bath, and enjoyed having their own TV - they called their room the Lizard Lounge. The master bathroom was something to behold. You can lie in bed and look at the ocean through the huge window over the bathtub. The shower was everyone's favorite. It had one of those great rainwater heads and even had body sprayers, but the best part was the floor to ceiling window. As long as you weren't in port you could shower and look at the ocean. Of course, there was a privacy shade too. Shortly after we arrived in our room our butler Christopher came in and introduced himself, gave a little talk about the ship, the roles of the various staff and also what we could expect from him. Christopher was wonderful, and is now a butler in the Villas (so I hope you Villa guests treat him well!). We were always greeted with a smile and he was genuinely interested in what we did each day. It was wonderful to have him bring breakfast for us on the days when we had to be out early for shore excursions. Both Christopher and the housekeeping staff always kept our room extremely tidy and well supplied with towels, with cute towel animals and mints each night. Read more