Friends convinced us to travel with them. This was our first cruise so we thought this four day trip to Catalina/Ensenada would be a good test. We had no idea what to expect. My partner thought the entire affair "cheesy," but I enjoyed the ship and the vacation. This is not a five-star vacation, it's a budget offering and the ship is filled with families, partiers and people who do not appear in the upper 1%. Still, if you manage your expectations, you'll have fun. The value can't be beat.

Embarkation was relatively quick. Took just under an hour from the time we arrived clueless in the check in line to boarding. On board, the buffet was in full swing, the waiters were serving strong cocktails, and the crowd was in a festive mood. A good start to the trip.

The ship decor is over-the-top with an Egyptian and ancient Greece motif mixed in with a lot of neon and reflective surfaces. Think 1980s Riveria Hotel, Las Vegas. Not my style, but fun for a few days. What impressed me is how clean the staff kept the ship. A few signs of wear and tear if you looked hard enough, but considering the traffic that ship gets day in and day out, the place was very clean and well maintained. Read more