This was our 4th cruise, 1st with HAL, 1st out of California. Flew in a few days early and stayed at the Holiday Inn across the street the night before, so the 1st day was a breeze. No embarkation problems, did all the pre registering on line. Cabin was nice, very front of the boat with a veranda, so there was a constant breeze to be dealt with. Cabin steward was switched in mid cruise, we guess our 1st one had a bout with the intestinal problems going around. The 2nd steward was less friendly and less accessible, but I believe he was suddenly saddled with a double work load, so I understood.

The food was always excellent, did not try the Pinnacle, we had a scheduled time for dinner so we just stuck to that. I did not attend many of the entertainment acts but the others in my party did and all said they were very good, especially the comedian. We won one of the trivia contests and my 18 year old son finished 2nd in one of the Texas Hold Em tournaments, so of course we enjoyed those activities.

The weather was not exactly stellar, so laying by the pool was kept to a minimum. Read more