This was our second cruise. Our first was for our honeymoon in 1979 with a cruise line that is no longer in business. We have not been interested in another cruise. It really is not our preferred method of seeing the world. Our good friends invited us to join them. The cruise started in Venice, which we have visited before, but Venice is a town that one can enjoy multiple times. Once on board we were absolutely shocked at the elegance of the ship. We have heard that ships are now floating cities. We now fully understand that comment. We entered our room, which was a Verrandah, and once again was shocked. The room was spacious and luxurious. We spent a lot of time on our private deck, including several in-service breakfasts. We were on our deck, drinking wine, and listening to Venetian music when we sail out of the port. We will never forget that. The rest of my comments are probably not new to people who have been on a cruise or cruises recently. The ship has huge staff who is dedicated to making sure you are happy. The food at the buffet and other venues were nothing short of fantastic. We particularly enjoyed the ethnic food of the particular port we were visiting. The entertainment every night was superb. We couldn't wait for the nightly show. Not only was there first class entertainment nightly in the theater, but a string quartet played each day, there was a fantastic piano bar, and live music at the pool. The computer classes were informative and valuable. The procedure to disembark at each port were very organized. We did not experience any snags and there was very little wait (the ship was at about 22,000 people). The cruise director and activity director were very informative, articulate, and knowledgeable. All of the shore excursions we booked were flawless and awesome. Yes, they were expensive, but worth it. We were comfortable, safe, educated, and thoroughly enjoyed each trip. It was very hot every day. When we returned to the ship, staff was waiting with ice cold water, lemonade, and towels. Wow, was that special.

We are educators who live on a budget. This cruise was a financial stretch for us. We both feel money well spent. We will always remember this cruise. We loved this cruise so much we booked The Midnight Sun Cruise with Holland America this summer.