Background: I am a 41 y.o. male with a European/South American upbringing and have been living in the U.S. for a total of 27 years. I see myself as a person of refined tastes but do not necessarily live everyday life that way. I consider myself as someone who knows (both by upbringing and then personal experience) what "is good" and what "is not so good". As a consumer, I enjoy and seek out good value which does not mean cheap; there are times when a $50 entree represents better value than a $2.99 fast food meal.

My previous cruise resume reads: Renaissance Cruises (1x), Princess (4x), and Royal Caribbean (3x). Reviews on cruise critic are as follows: Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas (AOS) on 07/07: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=30616. The Caribbean Princess Western Caribbean on 09/07: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=32829. The Crown Princess Southern Caribbean on 12/07: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=35864. The Caribbean Princess Eastern Caribbean on 04/08: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=40724.

This cruise was booked simply in order to achieve platinum status which I wanted to have for my January '09 booking of a full Panama Canal on the Island Princess (Acapulco to Fort Lauderdale). As a secondary goal, I wanted to see how the Princess experience, which I enjoy immensely, translates into a shorter cruise. Read more