We chose this cruise to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. This was our first cruising experience. The price was right, taking into consideration all the hidden charges.We flew in the night before and stayed at the Embassy Suites Conference Center. It was within walking distance to the ship and they watched our bags for us when we returned and had several hours before needing to go to the airport.

We booked an interior cabin and were assigned to a handicap accessible room on the 10th deck (the highest deck with rooms). Lots of room and storage, and wide doors. The water was choppy and the boat rocked a lot. They said only those who were drunk could manage to walk in a straight line. We used motion sickness patches, which worked great, but still have severe dizziness side effects for us even after 2 days since leaving. I read lots of reviews ahead of time. Some were helpful.

Here are my recommendations: Take an alarm clock. There isn't a clock in your room and your phone's time might go crazy. A simple extension cord was helpful. Purchase the case of water so it's in your room for your entire cruise (it's about $4). Ask your room steward to provide you with a bucket of ice each day. We appreciated it for having cold water. We left a tip each day when the room was cleaned. We learned he works 4 months on and gets to be with his wife and two children for two months before returning to work. Our cabin's walls were not magnetic, so those magnetic clips someone recommended didn't work at all. Bring a laptop with movies. We brought a few, but also ordered one. We got sleepy and didn't finish it. It didn't save for us and there was no willingness to give us any credits. Read more