My husband was looking forward to this trip for a long time and booked it for our family. I felt so sorry for him because it was a huge disappointment.
Let's begin with packing for the trip. The literature from the cruise line said that there was a dress code for dinner. Casual. ( Specified that shorts were not allowed in the main dining rooms ever for anyone) Smart casual. Dress shirts no ties required and dresses or pants suits for women. and Formal. They said that exceptions were made on the first day. I bought several pair of long pants, ties, dress shoes and collared shirts for my son (he doesn't dress up often) This was a waste of money. Dress code was NEVER enforced. Men had shorts and ball caps in the dining room, flip flops and short shorts on the women. Some stepped it up for formal nights, but no one is ever turned away. Other special dress nights were announced on the cruise. They had White night, Rock night, 70's night....like we all had those things packed!!!
We got to the ship early as recommended and got on board very quickly. This is when they begin the endless extra charges. Drink packages vary. The full out beverage package is 59.00 per person, per day plus 18% gratuity charge. We did not purchase this for our family of four. The only beverages included are water, the flavored water of the day, tea and regular coffee (sure there is a Starbucks wannabe on board, but it is extra). We splurged for wine a dinner but there is a drastic up charge. a $4 bottle of Beringer White Zin is $29 plus the added 18% gratuity (which is over $5). We bought the water bottle case for the excursions. It took them 2 days to deliver it.
Too crowded for 4 people to tolerate each other for 13 days. The bathroom was especially tiny. The housekeeping however, was excellent trying to keep the room up around all of our stuff.