The ship is new, very nice appointed and well designed. The rooms were very adequate. We enjoyed many hours sitting on the balcony reading and basking in the warm sun. We would have normally spent more time in open common areas but that was a challenge. The ship tonnage is 93,400 and she is designed to carry 3,000+ passengers. Compare this to the Celebrity Solstice at 122,000 tons carrying only 2,850 passengers, the Grand Princess at 109,000 tons carrying only 2,600 passengers, or HAL's Zuiderdam at 85,000 tons carrying only 1,918 passengers and you get a clue why we stayed on our balcony. Even RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas at 90,090 only carries 2,500 passengers.

The food was could be described as "diner food." The captain's cocktail party was a joke and the dinner afterwards would bring tears to the eyes of any foodie. It was pretty awful. Our table mates resorted to drinking Nescafe instant after tasting the brew the first night. My wife joined them the next day and I switched to tea. It became a joke when anyone ordered a salad. Regardless of what was on the menu - Caesar, garden, mixed etc - it was all made of iceberg lettuce.

Our waiter was a gem. He had been an assistant waiter (busboy) for two years and this was his big chance. Some people have inferred that I am hard to please but Luigi was as hard working as they come, so anxious to do everything right. He took his job to heart. Not contrived, not artificial, not looking for a tip, just a person that wanted to do a good job. It was refreshing. Read more