We got this cruise as a promotion for a timeshare purchase we made last year. We had our choice between Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian, and since we have sailed both Carnival and Royal Caribbean many times, we figured we'd try something different. Although it took longer than normal to embark (we have priority boarding usually), once on the ship we decided to grab a bite to eat (who doesn't when they first board, right?) We went to the Indigo dining room, and ordered lunch. I ordered a burger, and was shocked when they brought it out. Most burgers I've ever had on a cruise are thin, dried out patties and buns, with not a lot of flavor. This was a thick patty, nice soft bun, and the flavor was fantastic! VERY IMPRESSED. We prebooked 4 specialty dining restaurants, LeBistro (French), Teppanyaki (Japanese), Moderno (Brazilian), and LaCucina (Italian). All were fantastic, and I would recommend them to anyone. We've eaten and specialty steak restaurants on many ships, so we decided to skip Cagney's, but heard from other passengers that it was also amazing. We did eat in the main dining room one night, and I would have to say that it was better than anything I've ever had on Carnival or Norwegian. I had a curry dish that was amazing and my wife ordered pork with black beans and rice that she raved about. As an aside, if you have to wait past your scheduled dining time in the specialty restaurants or you have to wait at all when you walk up to one of the other dining rooms, they offer you a voucher for a glass of champagne. Even if drinks are free, it's still a very nice touch that we've never had on another cruise.

Our favorite spot on the ship was O'Sheehan's Irish Bar, where we had dinner one night, and drinks most every night. The burgers, reubens, wings and nacho's were unlike anything we've ever had on a cruise ship, and the martini's were fantastic. We had two great bartenders (Sheryl and Vipul), who surprised us each night with a new special recipe to try, and we weren't disappointed!

The only downside to the whole cruise was the pool area. On sea days, it was impossible to get a deck chair anywhere close to the pool, or even on the pool deck itself. There were hardly any servers walking around taking drink orders, and I had to wait 15-20 minutes in line at the pool bars. I have never experience this on a cruise before, but it no doubt was a side effect of their all inclusive drink package that they were giving away as a promo, so I guess you can't really complain since it was about $1500 to purchase it separately!! Read more