This was our first cruise, but we have vacationed in the islands prior to this cruise. We are in our late 40s, and our winter vacation is our major trip annually. This was an extraordinary vacation in every sense of the word. The ship was just amazing, beautiful, spotlessly clean and while very large, never felt overwhelming. It was very easy to get around, and other than a couple of first day confusions, we didn't lose our way.

Embarkation: Very easy, we flew in to Ft. Lauderdale, immediately connected with an RCI rep and were shepherded through the process easily. Arrived in Miami around 12:30 and boarded right away, almost no line -- it was effortless.

The Ship and her Crew: So difficult to separate the ship from the crew -- and would have to say the crew make the ship experience phenomenal. Not once were we greeted with anything but a smile. We had a couple of difficulties with the mechanicals (toilet) in our cabin -- someone was there to fix it within 10 minutes. The ship is breathtaking, wonderful art and sculpture everywhere. Smooth sailing, we had one slightly rough night, but happy to discover that we are very good sailors -- no need for medication or bands of any kind. Our cabin was flawlessly maintained -- I think our cabin steward was a ghost -- we rarely saw him, but he always managed to take care of the room while we were away. Bar staff were always friendly and attentive. Read more