Embarkation was okay. There were definitely plenty of people to help with luggage at the pier when we got there around noon. Checking in was quick and easy (even with birth certificates and not passports). We wanted to get our embarkation picture taken but they said they couldn't fit 9 people (4 of them kids) in the picture. Later in the photo gallery we saw pictures with 13 people. Apparently you just needed to be more insistent.

The cabin was fine. We had 3 cabins with two of them adjoined. That was really nice. It made it feel more spacious. The porthole was huge. A lot bigger than I expected. Do not expect regular towel animals. If your kids look forward to that part of the trip, you should be prepared for it to be hit or miss. According to reception, it is up to the cabin stewards discretion whether they do it every day or not. It may not seem like that big of a deal to some but my kids really look forward to it. They were on Carnival where they did them every day they were disappointed.

Food... The food on this cruise was terrible overall. We tried just about everywhere. I hope they were having an off week but really it just stunk. The Italian restaurant was bad. The only place we found where the food was really outstanding was East Meets West. The buffet was bad, the main dining rooms were bad, and Pacific Heights was mediocre. The ice cream bar was fun. They had cute toppings. My daughter would always get the ice cream with sprinkles and a bowl of jelly beans on the side. Read more