Embarkation in Seattle - this process went smoothly, taking about 45 minutes bag drop to boarding the ship. Passengers in the Concierge Class spent about half that time with an express line at check in. The 'welcome aboard' champagne or orange juice was a nice touch as well. TIP - pick up the coupon books being offered at embarkation as they will come in handy in the ports.

Staterooms - the rooms were well appointed with ample lighting and an attractive blonde wood color with 3 large floor to ceiling mirrors across from the bed giving the illusion of a larger cabin. There was a refrigerator that we never used and cotton robes that we did use. We usually book a balcony cabin on warmer weather cruises, but opted for just an outside cabin on this trip out of fear that it would be too cold to sit out and enjoy. The large window was nice enough enjoy the scenery, but the drapes did not always block out the block out the 20 hours of sunlight we had. Also, the end of the bed shaped with an arc that sticks out. Ours had a sharp point that we kept bumping into so be careful walking past the bed.

Food - we cannot speak about the United States restaurant because we did not use it, however we thought the food in general was at least on par with the other cruise lines. The subject of food can be difficult to critique because everyone has different tastes. We are by no means "foodies", but we were expecting a higher quality or quantity of food. This wasn't always the case. There were many great things we enjoyed, like the waffles and the warm almond and chocolate croissants in the Cova Cafe, the nachos and onion rings at the poolside grill, but we did not feel that the overall quality and variety were that much superior to the other cruise lines. There is only one main dining room, the Trellis, which is a larger restaurant with bi-level seating. It is an elegant room with large floor to ceiling glass windows at the back of the ship. Unlike other cruise lines, the restaurants were not open 24 hours a day. There were times we came back for lunch from an excursion only to find no food available between 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM. Room service is available 24 hours a day and a large variety can be ordered from a decent-sized menu via your TV. TIP - do not miss the brunch on your first "at sea day". The food stations are well set up and include unlimited Alaskan Crab Legs. The Aqua Spa Cafe offered great low-calorie and healthy alternatives too. Read more