I took the cruise only fare with the RCI transfer from Barcelona airport to the cruise port. On arrival in the airport I was met right away by RCI reps who took me right to the transfer coach. About 30 minutes later I was at the ship. My luggage was not on the coach and they told me I would see it later that day outside my stateroom. I had used online check in and walked right in and didn't have to wait. This was around 1145am. I decided to board and go to the Windjammer for lunch and then go to my stateroom to leave my valuables in the safe. I then got off the ship and went into Barcelona for a few hours. There was a shuttle bus for 2.50 return.

On arrival back to the ship around 5pm I got my luggage outside my stateroom. The Promenade stateroom was perfect for me as I was travelling alone and didn't want to be confined to an inside but wanted some kind of a view but without breaking the bank. It was spacious and well worth the extra $100 or so that I paid than if I had an inside. It was nice to look out and see into the Promenade. The shower was good and had more room than other cruises I have been on. The bad points were that the air conditioning could not be turned off fully and only be set to neutral but the air still blasted out resulting in me getting a sore throat having to go to the medical facility to get something for it. There should be a way to turn off this A/C as it really was a pain. In the end I had to block the air vent with paper and tape and then I got alot better. Also the stateroom was a bit worn looking with dents and chipped paint on the vanity area and the odd stain. The bed was very comfortable and these are the new ones put in last month I believe.

The ships public areas were very well maintained and it didn't look dated even though its one of the older 'New' ships. I loved the Promenade and the Cafe was great for tea/coffee and cookies anytime of day. The pools were nice but I didn't use them or the hot tubs as I'm not a fan of them. I used the Sauna and Steam rooms which were ok. There was a good gym and Spa center also. The Ocean Adventure for kids looked great and I guess they must have stayed in that area as even though there were kids on board you rarely saw them. Read more