EMBARKMENT: The EMBARKMENT process was very smooth and well organized. Our luggage arrived in our cabin around 4:00 so I would recommend you carry on a small bag with your bathing suits so you can hit the pool or hot tub before your luggage arrives. WARNING: We tried to carry a separate piece of luggage that we hid two large bottles of wine and a case of bottled water. (Bottled water on the ship is $5.50) Well that piece didn't appear in our room. Security kept it. They called us to come get it and we had a choice of either letting them keep the wine until we disembark or pay them $15 cash per bottle and then we could drink it. They didn't care about the water. We paid the $30. Still a lot cheaper than paying $6.00 per glass @ the bar.

CABINS: We were on the 11th deck in cabin 11512 which was a semi-suite with a balcony. Perfect for us with two children ages 13 and 17. Very clean, spacious and well kept. Space is limited though for clothing (only two drawers) but the closet was spacious with slots for clothes. Closet had a fair amount of hangers also. Under the bed had plenty of room to store your luggage. The cabins are in great shape and well taken care of. The maids were in twice a day, one to make up the cabin and then again to turn down the beds (and clean up again). They really work hard 15 hours a day to keep your cabin up. Each night we came back to the cabin and it was clean and they always had a different "towel" design laid out and chocolate on our pillows. They even make up the sofa bed for you each night. FOOD: We ate @ the Venetian, Garden Cafe (buffet), Aqua, Impressions and Cagney's. Venetian and Aqua each are the main dining rooms and had the same limited menu each night. Cagney's was $20 pp which is well worth it. Very good steaks. Impressions is the Italian restaurant and didn't charge extra. Very good also. My only complaint was that in order to get reservations, you had to stand in one of many lines around 7:00 am down in the Garden Cafe. They opened up @ 7:30 a.m. but lines will start to form around 7:00 a.m. You can try and call but rarely will they pick up. The food in the main dining rooms were fine nothing spectacular. The buffet was I ok also. You won't starve but don't expect too much. The kids ate alot in the Blue Lagoon which is more for kids/teenagers and serves like a fast food. They have MTV going on there 24/7 so the kids hung out there quite a bit with other kids they met.

DRINKS: Drinks are pricey. We did the POP card for the kids and well worth it. They give the kids/adults a Coca Cola mug and you carry that around and they refill it for free. A glass of wine is around $6.00 and a cosmopolitan was $8.50. Read more