This was mine and my husband's third cruise - second with Royal Caribbean. We've done the Mediterranean and Caribbean, so we decided to try something different for vacation this year by heading north. We live in northern Virginia, so the drive up to Baltimore is quick and easy - a major selling point. We're in our late 20's and travel quite a bit. Ship review is below, see separate port reviews for Portland, ME; Bar Harbor, ME; St. John, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Boston, MA.

Embarkation - Embarkation at the Port of Baltimore was a breeze, as always. We pulled into the parking lot at 11:30am, paid our $135 for parking ($15 p/day) and were on the ship by 12:30pm. Check-in lines were divided by cabin deck number, with separate lines for Diamond/Diamond Plus members and suites. We waited in a short line to go through metal detectors and a shorter line to check in.

Dining - We chose the second dinner seating, which always works well for us, and ate in the dining room all nine nights. We were seated at a table for six, but unfortunately, our tablemates never showed up. Our waiter, Cruz; assistant waiter, Ender; and head waiter, Collins, were the best we've ever had on a cruise. Collins made it a point to stop by and chat several times; something we've never seen in a head waiter before. He also helped clear dishes and keep the service moving. Cruz made solid recommendations based on the menu and was almost always right. The food was pretty good, especially considering they were preparing 10,000 meals a day. Lobster tail was served on the second formal night, but it wasn't the fresh Maine lobster we had become used to on this itinerary, so it was a little disappointing. The sugar-free desserts and healthier foods off the "Vitality" menu did not disappoint. Read more