Starting with the chartered flight from Gatwick. Boarding very painless, fairly quick and no delays. Plane ok, seats don't recline, which is fine for a daytime flight, but not good on an overnight home with no sleep and having to drive 4 hours when you land! Only a very limited choice of free films, the rest you have to pay for £4, which if you are on a Thompson or BA flight are free. Drinks also charged for, food disgusting. Normally i can tolerate airline food, this was the worst ever and i'm not a fussy eater!
Boarding at Barbados was chaotic. Standing in a line for half an hour in a boiling hot warehouse shed waiting to get our seacards. More check in stations needed at busy times.
Once on board everything was fine, cabin ready and nice and clean. The ship was already very busy and the signs at reception said there were no upgrades available as the ship was full. The library is very small all the popular books had already been checked out, luckilly i took a couple with me, there were no book swaps available either. We had been allocated freedom dining, but a quick visit to the restaurant manager soon changed it to second dining in the MDR.
Very noisy, right over the theatre, so no sleep until the last show ends at 11.30pm