Our sailing was 9/14/2007, and made me a platinum Crown & Anchor member.

We flew into Newark airport the night before and took the Country Inn & Suites, (Elizabeth) free shuttle to the hotel. The room was clean and the staff friendly. They booked a taxi to the ship for us the next morning. The ride was @20 minutes. We arrived at the terminal @11 am. The processing was quick and organized, waiting only briefly until the bus came to take us to the ship. The ship is beautiful, well maintained and gigantic. We entered on deck 2 and you don't get that WOW factor like you do when you enter on the Promenade deck of the Rhapsody or Splendour, although once onboard the artwork and architectural design of the ship is impressive. We immediately went to the Windjammer Cafe for lunch. The variety of food was expansive, tasty and well presented. Hand sanitizer was available at the entry to the cafe and staff encouraged everyone to use it.

We were in our cabin by 1pm, which was a surprise because our documents said check-in was at 2pm. Our stateroom was large enough for the two of us with lots of storage and closet space. It was a connecting cabin, but did not hear the neighbors at all. The balcony had two chairs and a small table with ample room for relaxation and reading in the warmth of the sun (except for the first morning). The bathroom was larger than expected - a round shower with adjustable head was perfect. Read more