Booked the 5 night inaugural cruise to find a 3 night was added before this so booked that too. Embarkation was quick and smooth and was onboard within 15 minutes. Had a balcony cabin on deck 6 which was lovely. Only tea was available within your cabin and coffee would have been good. Plenty of storage. Lift doors need adjusting as close very quickly. Went freedom dining and didn't pre-book any evening meals beforehand which was a mistake as struggled to get our restaurant of choice at our preferred time but the food was excellent, in particular the steak and lamb shanks. The curry in Silk was very mild for what it was but then they do have to cater for everyone.

The Esplanade is a lovely area with plenty of lounge style seating to relax. 24 hour cafe again served lovely food and didn't struggle for a table. We don't usually enjoy eating in the Winjammer but our experience was good on the two occasions we used it. Found a table relatively easy and the food was really good. The 270 cafe serves excellent food and the 270 entertainment area is a fabulous space. Boleros Bar was the busiest and we struggled to get served. Overall within the bars we found a lack of waiters walking around to serve customers which meant queuing at the bar. The robot bar was out of order most of the time.

The entertainment was spectacular and must not be missed. As usual enjoyed seeing the band 'Rock the Boat' which was previoulsy on the Independence. The North Star is an experience but one you would normally only do the once. Too much smoking in the Casino as people tended to use it as a smoking area even when the casino was closed which in our opinion is wrong. You could smell cigarette smoke in neighbouring areas. Therefore overall a good cruise on a lovely ship which needs a few adjustments. We felt it was geared up for where it is headed, China.