I took this cruise with 6 friends, all African-American, including an older couple and the rest single in the 30-50 range. We have all cruised before on other lines and on NCL. We LOVE freestyle cruising, and we make the most of any trip we take. We all enjoyed ourselves and were content with the service and features of this cruise. Most on the ship with us were older, many from different European and Asian countries. We heard several languages being spoken.

Barcelona and Embarkation: I shared a cab with a couple of folks on my flight, and for a total of 30 euros, we rode to 2 hotels near La Rambla. I enjoyed one night at the Apsis Atrium, very near to everything, for about $200 and I would definitely stay again. A short 30 euro cab ride to the pier the next day, and embarkation was a breeze. We got there around 11 or so in the morning, they served us orange juice, and by 12, we were heading onboard to collect our glass of champagne. Very nice.

Ship: The ship was easy to navigate, and indeed, the decor is a bit "festive", but that didn't bother us at all. We actually loved the seating in the public areas, and made great use of the "Whatever" rooms for Karaoke and WII. It was clean everywhere, and there were lots of places for quiet time or more lively action. Elevators were sufficient, although after a show in the theater, they were very busy. No worries, we were on vacation and never in a big hurry. Read more