We cruised with a group and between us we had been on 25+ cruises in total over the last 20 years. Cruise lines included NCL, Carnival, RCC, Celebrity, and Disney in the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Hawaii, and Europe. Most of us agreed that Disney was tough to beat in terms of service, amenities, and those extras that make a trip memorable. Some of us were a bit skeptical about freestyle cruising, but for the most part were pleasantly surprised.

Ship: The ship was huge, and we'd have to agree with most of what we read on Cruise Critic. The rooms had lots of storage and the bathroom was big by ship standards, the pool was too small, and the casino and adjacent areas very smoky. There were tons of kids on board, which seems to be a trend these days. There were many meals sitting near a screaming toddler. The crew was extremely polite and courteous, and did their best with a smile on their face.

Dining: We ate in the MDRs and overall it was a good experience. The servers were pleasant and attentive. To get from appetizers to dessert took about two hours as it seemed to take a long time for the food to make it to the dining room. While the food was great, with a few exceptions, the menu repeated itself over the week and stuck to the basics. The buffet was excellent with many options and a staff that went out of their way to help. We read so much about the Shanghai's Noodle Bar and found it was just average after a 90 minute wait. Loved O'Sheenan's pot pie and fish & chips. We did order coffee and Danish for morning room service and it was a nice to start the day sitting on the balcony sipping coffee. Anything other than coffee and Danish comes with a service charge, so be aware. Read more