2nd cruise. First one was with Carnival. We loved this ship and the staff. If you go with no expectations, then everything will be a very pleasant surprise. The ship was very clean, food was good, lots of options for eating, some great entertainment (Jean Ann Ryan Company) and some we could have skipped. Loved the idea of freestyle eating. Thought the decor was nicely done and very understated. Since everything said is one's opinion, I hope you will take it as just that. My opinion. Weather was very iffy our first few days out. Embarkation at Miami was just too easy. Arrived at 11:40 and was on Deck 11 next to the pool by 12:05. Could go to your room after 1:00. Luggage arrived by 3:00. Weather was absolutely stunning on Saturday and Saturday nite. Then the clouds and rain moved in. Waves were up to 12 ft but this ship rode very smoothly. We did start our Bonine the day before and took one/day. Still cloudy in Roatan/Belize but not raining (ok, maybe a drizzle here and there). Cleared up Weds afternoon. Gorgeous day in Cozumel and then back to clouds and 7 ft waves. Couldn't tender into Grand Stirrup Cay so went to Nassau for our last day. Still rough Friday night, but a beautiful moon lit night for our last night onboard. Took a box of wine in our carry on. Told 2 people as we went thru the check in process and no one said anything. There was a point where you could go to the surcharge table or continue check in. No one pointed the way to the table so we went thru check in (this was after the xray). 3 couples all went with wine and no one was charged. Before anyone takes exception, we did buy wine in the dining room. Did not drink around the pool as the cost of the drinks at $8.50 and up spoiled our appetite for drinking. They would sell a lot more drinks if they would lower their prices somewhat. Beer seemed reasonable at $19.95/helmet (6 beers). Had a balcony stateroom (8254) aft. Loved it and our stewards. But I will never travel without a balcony again. Totally spoiled. It was nice to be able to get away from the noise and the crowds to relax and read. Food was good.Room Service is great and fast. Get room service the first morning and you'll have flowers for the rest of your cruise :) We knew before we went that everything is mass produced, therefore it's not going to have the finesse of a dinner prepared specially for you. However, the staff nicely accommodated any special requests. No eyebrows were raised when someone requested more than one entree or more than one helping. In fact, we all had 2 lobster tails (which were the highlight of the week). We saw several people order 3 entrees for 2 since they couldn't make up their minds and they would share one. If you walk away hungry, you can only blame yourself. Food is presented nicely on the plate and normally warm to hot. Lots of choices each day on the dinner menu. However, the 7 Seas and the 4 Seasons share the same dinner menu every night. Don't forget the cappuccino. Went to Pacific Heights. It was ok. Food was good. Great service. The menu is different for each restaurant but same all week. Nothing else appealed to us so we didn't go back. Specialty restaurants: Didn't go to any. Friends went to the Steakhouse and raved about the food. FYI - they offered a 50% discount only on the first night at the specialty restaurants between 5:30 - 6:30. Since they offer lunch on the first day (we ate at 7 Seas), a full buffet all day and a sail away BBQ at 5:00, we just couldn't sit and eat again at 6:30 (another great thing about freestyle). So our friends went, had a great filet and prime rib. Prime rib and NY Strips are offered on the 7 Seas menu during the week at no surcharge. And they were very good. So we didn't miss anything. The other restaurants just did not appeal. Buffet was as everyone says - not as well laid out as could be. But a little patience goes a long way. don't miss the waffles station in Pacific Heights for breakfast or their pasta/pizza bar for lunch.

Excursions: Roatan - used Victor Bodden. Had a great day trip. Didn't do the beach or snorkeling due to rough, cloudy and rainy weather. Did see beautiful beaches for snorkeling if it wasn't so rough. Belize - Did the ship's Belize City/Alta Hun tour. Again, no snorkeling or water sports due to the cloudy and rough water. We enjoyed our tour guide but when we compared notes with others who went on a different bus, we didn't get such a good trip. He didn't fill us in on half the things our friends heard on their buses. Oh well, I can say I've seen the jungles of Central America and lived to talk about it LOL. Our other friends did ziplining and cave tubing. They raved about it. Cozumel - been there. So it was a shopping/walking around day. 6 ships in port so it was very busy there. VERY SORRY we didn't go off ship and find an excursion for snorkeling. It was the only perfect, sunny, calm day in the 7 day trip. Should have, could have.. Did not get hassled by the vendors as much as the last time. Nassau - again, been there so we wandered around, looking at the sites and shopping. Again, the vendors seem to have decided it doesn't pay to harass the buyers.Then back to the ship for lunch and relaxing on the balcony watching the boats in the harbor. Entertainment - way too much to discuss in length. Don't miss the Jean Ryan Company shows. Don't miss the "fountain" show. You can be as busy or as quiet as you want to be. 12th deck is a quiet place for sunning and snoozing. Casino is too smoky for me. Keeping in touch: Cell phone usage - I have a sprint phone which worked while the ship was at sea (using Sprint charges only) and everywhere but Belize. Found an internet cafe in Roatan for $2/hour and one in Cozumel for $1/hour. It was a good way for my family to keep me informed on what was going on with a relative in the hospital. Our friends had AT&T and Verizon and they all worked at all the ports and on the ship. Disembarkation - what a breeze. We did the express bags and took them out ourselves. Can leave the ship between 7:30 - 8:20 or wait and go when your 'color' is called. We are off the ship and in our car by 8:10. And that was after a lovely breakfast at the 7 Seas. Can't tell you what our favorite thing was because we honestly loved it all. Obviously, not everything was perfect, but it was easy to overlook a few minor things for the overall spectacular experience. Our cruise was full. That may be why they didn't offer more discounts for the specialty restaurants. However, we never felt crowded, nor did we ever have to wait at the restaurants or for a chair around the pool. Sorry this is so long. I guess I'm still in our post-cruise bubble. Actually, I am waiting for someone to bring me a menu, put my napkin on my lap and ask 'Madame' what she would like for dinner. Perhaps all desserts tonight.