BACKGROUND
I sailed on this cruise as a solo. This was my 10th cruise; I've been on all the mainstream cruise lines (except Costa) and about half the premium/luxury lines so inevitably I ended up comparing this ship and cruise line with others I've taken--it compared favorably, despite that it was less expensive than most (maybe all of them) and had mixed reviews. I am an American and speak only English, so I was a little concerned about the multiple languages used on the ship, but it turned out not only to not being a problem, but being one of the positive elements of the trip.
EMBARKATION
Cabin was roomy, with a nice firm bed, large closet, a lot of storage space, and a long sofa. Teak deck chairs on balcony were nice. Location was a little hard to get to; on 15th deck only one elevator goes to that deck. It was in a quiet location.