Having read some of the reviews on this site and never having cruised before we were a little uncertain what to expect from our first cruise. We can only say that from the moment our cases were checked in at the airport it was a pleasure. The flight going out was comfortable, food reasonable and service excellent (Thomson), the process of plane to ship was easy and ran very smoothly. We chose an inside cabin as you need to create a benchmark somewhere. The cabin was small as expected but well designed so that the available room was put to the most effective use. It was quiet and the cabin steward was brilliant, he couldn't do enough for us.
The ship is very large and we would frequently go in the wrong direction as there are no indicators as to where is forward. This was no great problem and to be honest was part of the fun.
We chose Freedom dining so that we could plan each evening around any shows we wanted to see. This was the right choice for us, not only did we meet some lovely people (only two exceptions), but we managed to take in some good entertainment as well. The standard of the shows was very good.