First off I want to say that this was an amazing cruise!  My wife and I (ages 23 and 26) had a great time.  We started by flying from Chicago to San Juan on Saturday, and spent a night at the Caribe Hilton.  We used Hilton points, so cost wasn't an issue.   This hotel has spectacular grounds, and we definitely enjoyed our one night there.  The morning of embarkation we took a cab to the pier around 12:30, and by 1:15, we were on the ship.  The embarkation process was a breeze...and like other reviewers, we stopped at the duty free shop in the terminal and picked up a bottle for the cruise.  No problem!  We dropped off our bags in our room, and then went to explore the ship/get lunch.  This took up the rest of the afternoon.  The ship is beautiful - clean, aesthetic, and plenty to do!  My one complaint about it is that it's design is not always friendly when trying to get between various public spaces.  This is due to the two dining room setup.  You often have to go up or down stairs to get to where you need to go, even if it's on the same floor you were on!  We had an open seating dinner that night.  The food that night, as always, was spectacular!  I am a big eater, and took advantage night after night.  I had no complaints...and even if I did, I would just order something else.

Unlike many people who have reviewed this itinerary, my wife and I were determined to not only enjoy the islands we were attending, but also the ship and all it has to offer.  We went to some of the shows, and spent ample time at many of the lounges/bars/clubs.  We were lucky enough to be seated at dinner with 3 great couples who we became friends with.  It was unexpected, but they all made the trip so much more enjoyable!  We now had some people our age to hang out with and enjoy the ship with.  The piano bar (irish seas), karaoke bar (red & black seas) and the arctic club were some of our favorite spots, in addition to the casino.  Live music is always playing in many locations, and we often went searching for some of our favorite performers.   The combination of island hopping and staying up late enjoying the ship was exhausting, but worth it.  Don't let other reviewers fool you!  You can do both.

Our cabin was clean & comfortable, with plenty of space for the two of us.  We had an oceanview room, and didn't regret our decision.  One of our newfound friends had an aft balcony room, which was awesome, and we ended up there for happy hours before dinner most nights.  Now that I've described our time on the ship, let's move to the island reviews: Read more