Not sure how people can write a 1 star review any have any credibility; having been on ten cruises with 4 different cruise lines, I can honestly write a solid review for this ship starting with 1 - Embarkation was super easy and friendly 2 - The cabin is spacious, very quiet, nicely appointed and the balcony was a definite plus. 3 - ALL the staff were friendly and professional, cabin stewards, maintenance, waiters, gift shops, etc. were professional, superbly competent and started every conversation with a "Good morning or Hello". 4 - The food and the choices were great, from sit down dinners in the dining room to pizza at midnite or the morning/lunch buffets...if that wasnt enough you had deli sandwiches, stir-fry, fish and chips, a Steakhouse and lots of little surprise things like the Chocolate Extravaganza. Really, really good. (Id say great but dont wanna sound like a shill). 5 - We loved the comedy club, the casino, and for my 12 year old son the Circle C kids club activities. There were at least 2 shows we watched in the theater and that left about 6 clubs/bars/venues we never even checked out. Didnt feel swamped by thousands of people poolside; even the days at sea were tolerable in finding lounges in decent places for sunning and to enjoy staged activities. We even played mini-golf and volleyball. Serenity for adults was great with different towels, padded chaise lounges and separate hot tubs which gave it a resort feel; we spent most of our time enjoying the...serenity (sorry). There's a huge video screen for movies at night (which could definitely be used in more creative ways). Music kept everyone entertained. Did our own excursions and probably saved a couple of bucks. Disembarkation is now even easier, since there's a Self-Assist option and we only had carryons, we got off at 730 and headed home. Don't be swayed by the negatives and people who pay less than $300 for an inner cabin and expect The QM2. This was the best bang for the buck Ive ever experienced and met tons of people who enjoyed it as much as we did.