Let's face it, it's pretty hard to compare an older smaller ship to the classes of ships we've previously sailed on namely Voyager and Freedom class ships. On the whole it was enjoyable for my wife and I but we did not bring our two teen kids this trip and I'm sure they would have been fairly bored. They like to walk the promenade and go on the flowrider, water slides, ice skating etc. and this ship just does not have that. We also enjoy the shows on the bigger ships and on this cruise it was just singing and dancing as opposed to Broadway style plays on the other ships we've been on. There did not seem to be much action going on at the Viking Lounge or Boleros but we were mostly calling it a night around 10pm so it may have picked up after that. The gym is tiny so workout early or on excursion days. The reggae band was very good and made the scene at the pool enjoyable. Would I go on Empress again? Probably, as it's good for a short 4 day cruise but would look elsewhere for the 7 day cruises we normally take with the kids.