We are used to expedition-style cruising on small ships with minuscule cabins, so our small cabin seemed roomy to us, and we were thrilled to have a separate shower in our somewhat seedy bathroom. We had a LOT of storage space and the closet had more hangers than we needed. (That was a first!) The cabin was dusty when we arrived, so before unpacking I dusted all hard surfaces with disinfectant wipes. Same for the balcony furniture. Not a good way to start out, but it didn't take long. We were very satisfied with our cabin except for the much overused mattresses. They were grooved down the center from too many voyagers. We did not sleep comfortably in our trough-style beds, which left us a bit tired and cranky. On disembarkation day, I observed that all the mattresses in cabins near ours were also visibly worn out down the center -- it was easy to see when the beds were stripped down.

We found the ship to be attractive and especially enjoyed the enormous photos of American scenes at the stairwell landings/elevator entrances. The food in the large dining rooms was ordinary and the service was slow, so we mostly ate in the cafe/cafeteria. We thought the food there was quite good for cafeteria food, with lots of options, and we loved eating in the outside area. The one excellent meal that we had was at the French restaurant, the Jefferson Bistro, which was worth the surcharge.

For us the trip was not about the food or other traditional ship amenities but the ports. And the ship is a great way to see several islands in a short amount of time. We wore ourselves out on shore, so I can't say much about the diversions available on the ship. Read more