The cruise across open seas was wonderful. Customs/Security was a breeze, I don't think the CBPS agent even glanced at our passports when we were coming back into the U.S. All of the ship's crew were very knowledgeable, friendly, attentive, respectful, and kind. However, what I did not like about the overall appearance of the ship was that there was supposedly a remodel done within the last year, however, I was still able to see broken wood fencing on the top-most deck surrounding a play area, lights out in the main dining area, and also rust spots in several areas across the ship, from hinges and screws to doorways. Almost every window on the ship had caulking around the pane that was over-spread and not very attractive to look out of. The one saving grace of this cruise was the food. The food at the Windjammer and Giovanni's was decent. The food in the main dining area was wonderful, but partially lacking in variety and exceeding in a manner that was too extravagant. A word of advice I will give you is to not get any type of oil/sun screen on your Ship Card. It will wipe away the bar codes on the back and you will have to get a re-issued card from Guest Services. The musicians on the ship are very good, however, I did experience an issue where I was recording a small segment of a performance on-board and the bass player of one of the bands seemed to not like that, as he pointed a me and then made a camera-shaped motion to someone on a higher deck, then watched me closely for the next couple minutes, while barely playing. There were no signs prohibiting cell phone recording, and I did not have it any higher than my waist, while sitting, but the event made me feel uncomfortable, so I ceased any further recording after the song had ended. Security was plentiful, and the ship tour was highly enjoyable. The food was far from exceptional in variety of options that would be enjoyable (too extravagant or distasteful additional ingredients), but the taste of what was selected was on the higher end of very good.

At Bermuda, the shops were pricey and varied in prices the further back from shore you walked, for the same items. The attractions on the island were wonderful, and the beach was a real joy to be on. Snorkeling gear allowed you to see some beautiful fish by the rocks out in the sea.

At Nassau, the shore excursion on the semi-submerged windowed boat was enjoyable, but only small fish less than 2 feet long were seen. The Straw Market was a nightmare. The people were badger-some and trying to eek every dollar they could out of the tourists. The market salespersons were locals who would constantly ask you to buy something and mention how long they spent working on the items and how they would "give you a good deal", proposing some high number then cutting it for a third of that and offering you that as a final price, then just as you're walking away from the sale they'd cut it by another 20-30% for just another few dollars. No police officers or police vehicles were seen the entire time we were on the island. If you do go here, watch your wallet, it isn't far off from the olden days of a thieves island. Read more