We are big fans of HAL and were very excited about our first European cruise with the line.

First to get the negative out of the way: The staff was very pleasant but you could tell they were understaffed: long lines at the front desk, long hold times when calling guest services, sometimes not having the cabin cleaned until 4PM. Additionally, the ship was tired and worn- the toilet seat in our room was peeling, the robes in the spa were frayed or had holes in them, the sofa in our room was dirty and worn. Oh, and the swimming pool was a murky color, I suspect as a result of all of the small children swimming there.

Now for the good, this is the perfect sized ship for easy cruising. The food was good, the atmosphere nice, the people friendly, and the verandah large. The Pinnacle Grill was well worth the expense but I cannot say the same for the "Le Cirque" evening. This was our first trip cruising with our child and she loved "Club HAL". There was never a shortage of activities for her and they kept her busy so mom and dad could enjoy some alone time.