Wife and I (early 30's) thought it would be a great idea to take a baby-moon. 7 relaxing days at sea with nothing to do but watch our stomachs expand (hers more than mine). Oh, and it was. Now this review is about the cruise but you will find that my biggest complaint is the passengers and since you (the passengers) read these reviews I thought it becoming to add some helpful hints along the way. I put a (*) where passengers should take notes. Getting to the ship was a breeze. Got off the plane in Fort Lauderdale and was met by RCI staff at baggage claim. They even knew our names! What sweet people. They let us know what to expect the whole way and before we knew it we were on a bus headed to the ship. Embarkation At the ships terminal there were 3 lines. First security, then boarding passes; then all passengers stopping when before stepping foot on the ship. Guess which one was the longest? *When you arrive at the terminal there will be many RCI employees asking you to pull out your documentation. They will even show you what it looks like prior to submitting it. Please listen to them. They have a very efficient system but you have to follow some simple directions for it to work. *Also, when you are moving in a line of a thousand people stopping to take a look at your new home for 7 days tends to back things up. Simply look behind you and move to the side prior to stopping for photos of things you'll see for 7 more days. The Ship We were on board by 2pm and everything was amazing. Our cabin (balcony, slightly forward on starboard side) was very roomy. Although you tall ladies good luck shaving in the time capsule called a shower. Our first day was at sea which was needed to find your way around this floating city. The facilities are incredible. The gym was well equipped but full the first 2 days. Kind of like people start a gym routine in Jan. and by Feb. there all gone but on a shorter scale. *If you don't get out for a run prior to 8am use deck 4. You can run without the obstacle course of sunbathers. Oh speaking of sunbathers or rather all of the towels that enjoy the tropical sun while their owners are off doing something else (aka chair hogs). The wife and I developed a new game. If we see chairs that have been "saved" for more than two hours we take the towels, return them for fresh ones and keep them as souvenirs. It turns out to be a $20 fine for chair hogging and we get new linens for or policing efforts. *Don't chair hog or if you do; be prepared to fork over a $20 fine. Some of the highlights of the ship during my trip were the 10pm - midnight rock climbing and flow rider night and the 70's street party. The music was great and during the street party some 70yo grandmother started flashing from her promenade window. The whole crowd down below went crazy. And that is what vacation is all about, letting loose and having fun. Dinner We ate in the main dining room 2nd seating which means we ate at the windjammer for our first dinner. Unfortunately, I have to say that some dinners were nothing short of disastrous. Most of it was no fault of the staff except trying to please every request by every guest. Our dinners lasted for two and a half hours and two of the nights it ran so late they didn't even give us the dessert menu (not that we were starving). The tables around us were very demanding of the staff's time. One lady even made the waiter cut up her salad for her! What's next, chewing it for the passengers? Now I do have to say we also made special requests as vegetarians and the staff was very accommodating. They even provided us alternatives each night that were not listed on the menu. Ports San Juan was a fun few hours for us. We walked around OSJ and the Del Morro Promenade. We found some nice parks and even challenged some locals to dominos (I think my guy cheated though). Some of the local artisans are very impressive. *There is a Walgreen's in OSJ that has any personal items you may have forgotten at a fraction of the cost on the ship. St Martin was quite relaxing as well. A $6 water taxi takes you to the town pier where electronics shopping is all around you. We bought a camera which saved us $50 from US prices. We also found Bamboo Bernie's along the boardwalk. Unfortunately the name will change in Nov. but they make the best mango smoothie I have ever set my lips on. Labadee was a wonderful beach day. I'm not one for just laying on a chair so we walked around the little peninsula and visited each inlet and cove for a quick swim when it got hot. Despite what others have written about the market; it is fun if you have a sense of humor. *Whatever the price they say you can always talk them down to ¼ of their first price. If you liked the way they tried to sell you something give them a little extra.

Overall we had a wonderful baby-moon. The staff tries to please every guest no matter how ridiculous their request and they should be applauded for their attempts. Lastly, I would like to thank our new friends Andy & Amanda for giving us important pointers on "balcony club" etiquette. You guys rock.