My husband and I took our first cruise on RCI last week. We have been on Carnival twice and NCL three times prior to this cruise. Here are our thoughts, observations and opinions….

Embarkation was very easy. We did not wait at all and got right on the ship at about noon. Cabins are not typically ready until about 1:30 pm so we roamed the ship looking for the spa area. We were surprised at how small it was. In our search we found the Solarium area, an adult only pool with a glass roof, comfy cushioned lounge chairs, tables and chairs, a cafe serving salads, sandwiches, soups and sweets and a bar. Lunch was good and relaxing as the Solarium is at the back of the ship on deck 9 - out of the way and peaceful at that time.

Our ocean view cabin (3114) was adequate and clean. It had the smallest bathroom we had ever seen on a ship. The shower was a corner with a curtain - there was no movement that could be made without moving the curtain but it sufficed. The bed was waaayyyy toooo hard and the pillows were way too skimpy. (PS we are spoiled as we usually book a suite so consider this when reading our review ;) ) Claire, our cabin steward, was adorable and accommodating at all times…thanks Claire!! :) Since we planned on spending most of our time out of the cabin, the size really did not matter - but the uncomfortable bed/pillows did matter :( Read more