Reading the reviews by others, and it is hard to believe we were on the same ship. I tend to be easily pleased and my husband and I had one of the best cruises ever. Yes, the ship is in need of refurbishment but the occasional problems were more than compensated by the extraordinary staff of the ship. Yes, there was some illness but I don't fault the ship's sanitation. My husband and I both got mild colds but we don't blame the ship! You have 2800 strangers from lord knows how many countries. Viruses spread. It is up to passengers to wash their hands! And, no, the hand sanitizers aren't enough on their own.

We booked an interior cabin so that we could splurge on excursions and other amenities. This turned out to be an excellent choice. Here are a few highlights and a few ways in which the experience could have been improved:

Food – we had late dining and enjoyed the company of two bright and witty couples for the full cruise. We thought the food was excellent in the dining room. We rarely went to Lido but when we did, were well satisfied. We went to Crown Grill twice – it was a fine dining experience from first to last. We were less impressed with the crab shack – The ambience leaves something to be desired and I think the way the food is presented on the menu might be altered to customize it to patrons' tastes. The wine packages were a great bargain. Both Christmas and New Year's were a blast. Read more