My husband and I have been cruising for many years, and our favorites are Holland America and Celebrity, with honorable mention for Ncl, Princess, and Carnival. This was our First Royal Caribbean cruise, and after booking the D1 category, the most expensive cruise we have ever booked. Unfortunately, I wish I could say the experience was worth the cost.

To begin with, we drove from Arizona, which was only a wonderful 5 hour trip. We parked at 5 Star, which is right across the street from the pier. When we sailed on Celebrity only a month prior, the cost was $12 per day. But now one month later, it cost us $15 per day. Arriving at 11 AM made embarkation a breeze. Our Cabin D1 was larger than other balcony categories, and we found it sufficient for our needs.

The ship is absolutely beautiful. Probably the most impressive we have been on. The glass elevators were absolutely wonderful. Our cabin stewardess was Rhonda from Trinidad, and she was also fabulous. We had request late seating, small table. Were assigned a table for 10. After cruising so many years, we knew to approach the Dining Room Captain asap to make a change. I can't say he was very nice in his demeanor to us; however, he did reluctantly agree to assigning us a table for 4. I must say I have NEVER seen so many huge tables of 10 in a cruiseship dining room. However, I will say that by the 5th night, many of the tables were more than half empty because so many people were unhappy with the cuisine in the dining room. Read more