My wife, a vet of cruise lines, and myself and our 2 kids[ ages 14,16] went thru a painless Embarkation, and we were on board ship in the hurricane-ravaged port of Galveston for Thanksgiving week. My first impressions were this- clean,tight ship,populated by extremely friendly and helpful waitstaff.Small cabins,on the bargain deal,was expected. They served their purpose,as we spent most of our time outside of them enjoying the food,which was excellent,and the entertainment,which was better than expected. I am a performer,musician,with a national release,so I was especially scrutinizing on that level. The food was always ready when it was supposed to be, the dining experience in the upper scale areas was handled fluidly by a warm,friendly waitstaff,and did not disappoint. We hit the Port of Progresso,and went to see the Mayan ruins just outside of town, a mere 35 minute drive. Our guide, Jose, was a genial fellow,personable,well- knowledged about his Mayan ancestry,and the ruins were beautiful,and worth the short trip,which fueled our ambitions to explore more ruins deeper inside Mexico in a future vacation. Folks,if you are shopping, BUY HERE! Seriously cheaper prices than our following day stop, which was Cozumel.40-60% price differences on some items. Cheaper alcohol,especially. Hit the small city for best deals. Cozumel was beautiful,as expected...the merchants friendly,helpful,and almost too much.We did zip-line and scuba combos, the kids loved it. Island dining was a recommendation we followed up on ,and were not disappointed with. The 3 rd night on our cruise offered up the best star-gazing I have seen in years,spectacular in scope. some areas I will now point out on ship- the gym was populated by a smart staff, and it offered up needed exercise to combat the influx of calories. The shops had friendly,attractive staff,and were always willing to chat about their hometowns,countries. The casino staff was as good as Vegas, the ever-watchful eye made sure it was legit,legal,and respectful. Drunk idiots were escorted out quickly, thank heavens. My wife is a card sharp, and she spent many hours at the Casino, and loved it. The drinks were great,though,we don't drink to get drunk,but to appreciate. Last day it was sad to leave. It was quick,painless to go through customs.

only negative comment would be directed to the paying clientele,some of whom were destined for the gaol. My experience overall was an emphatic Yes to wanting to do this again, we plan on hitting this at least once a year, but likely twice a year.