Embarkation: Painless. Arrived to Pier 2 at about 10:30 and was given a #1 Card for boarding. We had to wait about an hour an were on board by 11:30. The ship is understated elegance - it's subdued and quite nice.
Cabin: We were in Emerald 206. A very nice (and large) ocean view cabin - category C. We were beyond happy with it. We were booked in guarantee category D - so the upgrade was much appreciated. Everything about the cabin was pretty standard. Bathroom was tiny, but no smaller than normal. The large walk-in closet was very nice. The stateroom had a chair and a small sofa, which was also nice. Though we requested robes, they were not present upon our arrival. Our cabin stewardess did bring the minute we asked. Unlike a lot of postings on this board, we found the bed to be adequate. It's true that it's hard, but not unbearable. My only complaint about our stateroom was that the outside of our window was beyond dirty. I was surprised that they never washed the windows once on our 10 day cruise.
Food: Again no real complaints here. For the amount of food they have to produce, the quality was actually quite impressive. Our dinners ranged from good to great. We never had a bad night. Some highlights: The pasta with pesto, Fettuccine Al Fredo (delic!), Shrimp Fra Diavalo, Lobster on the second formal night.
Cabin: We were in Emerald 206. A very nice (and large) ocean view cabin - category C. We were beyond happy with it. We were booked in guarantee category D - so the upgrade was much appreciated. Everything about the cabin was pretty standard. Bathroom was tiny, but no smaller than normal. The large walk-in closet was very nice. The stateroom had a chair and a small sofa, which was also nice. Though we requested robes, they were not present upon our arrival. Our cabin stewardess did bring the minute we asked. Unlike a lot of postings on this board, we found the bed to be adequate. It's true that it's hard, but not unbearable. My only complaint about our stateroom was that the outside of our window was beyond dirty. I was surprised that they never washed the windows once on our 10 day cruise.