This was my first cruise. I was unsure about how the cruise would go and did not expect anything extraordinary. We are a family of four a 14 year od, 16 year old, a mother and a father. We booked a mini-suite on the Caribe level.
Embarkation- We arrived at the departure port at about 11:00, since we were staying at a nearby hotel, we got took a complimentary shuttle. The Embarkation process was very smooth. It took a maximum of 15 minutes to get all checked in. Before we boarded the ship, we got out picture taken which was a nice touch. When we entered the ship, it was beautiful, an attendant showed us to the elevator, rode in it with us, showed us to our room, and told us when our luggage should arrive. I was very impressed. Later that day we had some time to explore and then were shown to our muster station and had a lifeboat drill.
Layout- First of all, this ship is beautiful. It is fairly easy to navigate. The atrium in gorgeous- it has a great feel, a few neon lights that please the party people, kids, and elderly. The dining rooms all have a first-class feel as well as the other public rooms. Although our cabin was towards the back of the ship, we were never bothered by the sound of the engine or the distance from the center of the ship.