We have been on nine cruises so far, and this one was the only disappointing one we've ever had. We found this particular ship to be lackluster in the areas of food, entertainment, bedding, and knowledge and helpfulness of the crew. The ports were nice, but the ship dampened our enthusiasm for cruising.

Food: I lost 1/2 pound on a 10 day cruise. If it wasn't for the cookies, I would have lost more. It was obvious that they were trying to economize—cheaper cuts of meat (steak was tough and thin) less meat and shellfish, with more pasta and vegetarian dishes. They consistently used a spice I didn't like—possibly cumin. Creamy desserts appeared to be made with gelatin instead of cream (a "cheesecake" wiggled like jello). Cakes and pies were pretty much dry and tasteless. The cookies were good, but the staff in the Windjammer doled them out—you couldn't just grab some. We had lots of discussions about the "dessert Nazi."

Entertainment: We judge our entertainment by big production numbers. The staff tried hard, but there were no fancy backdrops or costumes. In one show about romance, satin gowns and costumes were full of pulls and snags and the designs were frumpy. Read more