We arrived the night before the cruise in Cocoa Beach via a jeep rental from Budget. We always rent a car as we find this option much cheaper plus you can run around and pick up last minute items such as water and pop. I used Hotwire to book a 2 and a half star room and we got the Holiday Inn. The rooms were not very nice but the pool area with water ship play area and tennis courts were very nice. We ate at Grills on the pier but it was very cold as a cold front had just moved in. Just our luck! In the morning we went for a drive and to see the ship, it was unbelievable to see it looming in the distance as you drove towards it. We dropped off our rental jeep at budget and were quickly shuttled to the port. We arrived around 10:30 and check-in was very quick. We were too early to board so we had to sit. There was a delay with the Coast Guard so we had to sit longer than usual. Once on the ship we headed straight for the Windjammer for the usual Day 1 lunch feast. We were not disappointed as usual. Rooms were not going to be ready until 2pm so we began touring this beautiful ship. I have never been on a ship with a promenade so that was amazing. Even though the ship is huge I did not find it difficult to get around at all. Our rooms opened up at 1:30 and our luggage arrived a few minutes later which I thought was quick. We had an interior room which was about the same size as the other RC ships we have been on. I loved the glass door in the showers and the storage space was a little more creative. The beds were very comfy. We then headed to Flowrider to check it out. It is awesome and I could sit there all day just watching as it is very entertaining. They have a nice sitting area to watch. We all tried it although us girls only tried the boogie boarding. Our dining experience was good as usual. Our waiter was efficient but didn't have much personality. Our assistant waiter was a lot of fun though. I was worried about the food as a lot of reviews were very negative about the dining on this ship. I found it to be no different than my past cruises and enjoyed it very much as usual. We did not do any specialty restaurants. We try to do breakfast in the dining room as I enjoy a more relaxed dining experience plus I love the eggs benedict. We also do lunch in the mdr as well as I love the salad bar. However I was disappointed that the menu was the same everyday although I really only come for the salad bar. On several days we went to Afternoon Tea in the windjammer to get nachos and guacamole, yum! I loved going to the Deli for sandwiches and Sorrentos for pizza as well. I had to quickly leave dinner to get to the Welcome Aboard show in time. I was really excited about seeing Richard Spacey and I was not disappointed! He was one of the highlights of the cruise for me. He is amazing and I wish I had seen more of him on the ship. There were 3 comedians on the ship and although I enjoyed them I thought that 3 were alot. I was hoping to see a concert of some sort. Drew Thomas was good as were the Royal Caribbean Dancers. Love and Marriage was hilarious as usual. The Freedom Ice show was fabulous! One thing I noticed on this ship is that it almost always felt empty! We couldn't believe there were 4000 people on that ship! The only times you noticed it being busy were for the evening shows so we always went half an hour early to get seats as well as the pool deck in the later morning. The Crypt was never busy and we did not enjoy as much because they always played 80's music. We got a little sick of it after awhile. The 70's show was fantastic as usual especially since it featured Richard! The parades were neat too but they were a little crowded. Freedomfest was another busy event but worth it as it is really the only opportunity to see some ice and food sculptures plus taste some different foods and of course the chocolate table was the best! One thing I want to emphasize is if your able, get involved as much as possible and your cruise experience will be that much better. My husband did the belly flop ( the Canadian champion with the Canadian sun tan!), we played volleyball and dodgeball against the crew (Richard was a lot of fun at this event as well) We were team captains at Quest. This was one event that I was disappointed in though. I guess because there are so many people, they have to do it in the ice rink (Studio B) and you are divided into huge groups and only the team captains really get to do anything. Also Richard was not very risque with this game so it was pretty tame. However Quest is still fun and an experience no adult should miss! The Miami party at the adult pool deck was a lot of fun. They decorate the area and have human statues. Some of the Royal Caribbean dancers were out and the music was a little better. People were jumping in the pool with their clothes which added to the entertainment value. Another thing I noticed on this cruise is that the average age was about 47 so events like this were not well attended as they seem to be for a younger crowd. Evening action in general was pretty quiet once the shows were over. The last night was another comedian and Richard did his Evolution of the Dance show which is a must see. We loved it! The fitness facility on this ship is first rate. I especially enjoyed the tv's on the elipticals. I was able to watch my husband on flowrider on tv and still got my workout in. The pools are fresh water on this ship which was nice and I think they were used more because of that but I do enjoy the saltwater cleanse. The cantilever hottubs are awesome and it was never difficult to find an empty one which surprised me. I would love to bring my kids on this ship as there is so much to do for them. The H2o zone looked fantastic, the flowrider, the basketball court, minigolf, ice rink, kid friendly shows, hottubs in the kids area, parades, karaoke on air and on it goes. I loved this ship and it was not too big for me! Not sure how I will go down a class now. Guess its on to Oasis if I want to see more Richard! AWESOME! I Love You! Disembarkation was such a breeze. We did express checkout. You could get off at 6am but we got off at 7am with no lines at customs. We were at Budget by 7:30am.