We wanted to experience sailing through the Panama Canal and experience what all the hype of cruising was all about. It was more a 2.5 stars for me.
The good: Callie Smith,the entertainment CRUISE DIRECTOR was exceptional and the general ship staff were pleasant and hardworking. There was plenty of choice at the buffet everyday. The dining room had a few outstanding dishes: Baked Alaska, Pork Belly, Coconut Cream Dessert.
The bad: security needs to be stepped up at the embarkation port in Ft. Lauderdale. There were definitely a few young guys pretending to be busy with their cell phones loitering quite near our line (2' away) and against the walls in the corner overhang waiting to prey on the those who were not vigilant of their belongings. Watch out for the guys in flip flops, sunglasses, caps, and no luggage!
The first day there was no A/C until late in the evening and it was stifling hot in the cabin. The life boat is blocking most of the window, you can only see a tiny bit of ocean through the lifeboat's 1 sq. foot small filmy plastic window. Definitely not worth the extra charge. Toilet has issues; several times it took from several seconds to over a minute to begin to flush; had to call maintenance on the 2nd day when it refused to flush at all. They left a note practically accusing us of causing the blockage. The vents would emit an acrid smoke smell in the late evenings and foul smells in the daytime. Bed was a bit saggy and i could not get a good rest due to back pain.
Honestly it was such a short visit, it was a blur. The only memory is the stifling hot transfer boat. The operators should open all the windows below deck especially when the temp is in the upper 80s.