This trip was just me and my son, age 5, and we had a great time. Our first two cruises were on Royal Caribbean (also loved) but we loved sailing from New York, close to home. We did make a stop on the way to ogle the Explorer of the Seas which was leaving from Bayonne the same day, then moved on.

Embarkation: We arrived really early, and were at the pier by 10:30. There were still people getting off the ship so we hung out on the top level of the parking garage looking at the view and checking out the ship (note: if someone is dropping you off, it's $25 no matter how short a time they're parked-woo!). Inside the port, there is a small area with chairs, and we wound up in the last few rows, thankfully. Most of the people who arrived after us had to stand for over an hour. Not a great system but we were on the good end of it so I am not complaining. We went through security, checked in, took our embarkation photo and were on the ship a little after noon. Though cabins were not available until 1:30, the sheet they gave us said we could drop our carry-ons, which was fantastic, so we scooted down, dropped them off and went to the Lido deck for some lunch. So great to not have to wrestle bags while you eat lunch. We had our checked bag before sailaway, too, which was great.

Stateroom: We were in 2216, a category 1A with portholes on Deck 2, Main Deck with 1 double, 1 sofabed - perfect for a parent and child. We'd had balconies on our two previous cruises with my husband, but this was better under the circumstances. My son loved sitting in the window looking at the view but I didn't have to worry about him getting on the balcony while I was in the shower or something. A couple of times it sounded like someone was dropping hippos on the floor above us; I figure it was waves hitting the ship - and we definitely knew when they dropped anchor when the ship reached port, but were already awake by then so no problem for us. I gave up one of the much coveted picture window 1As after booking because I was worried about having him sleep in an upper, and never looked back; much preferred having two beds on the floor. Plenty of storage space, loved the little basket of amenities in the bathroom, and the beds were as comfy as promised. I peeked into a lot of other rooms during the week and they all seem to be about the same size (except, of course, the suites). Read more