There were many positive aspects to both the ship and the cruise, but in retrospect, the negative surprises were so striking that they overshadowed the strengths more than they should have. More than anything else, the omnipresent sales pressure was a painful distraction from what could have been a much more enjoyable vacation experience. The most ridiculous example of this was our assistant waiter's seemingly inexhaustible eagerness to sell cola and wine to everyone at our table during our "formal" nights. The image of my husband dressed in his best suit having to fend off a fusillade of beverage inquiries went from odd, to embarrassing, to downright comical as the week progressed.

It should be noted that I don't fault the waiter at all. He appeared to be simply doing what he was instructed to do. Moreover, he was as courteous and pleasant as anyone could possibly have been who was trying to pimp a couple of extra sodas to a dining room full middle-aged men dressed in business suits and ladies dressed in evening gowns and cocktail dresses. With that said, the dining room service was generally attentive. The food was only fair for a formal dining experience, but seemed very good upstairs in the cafeteria where our expectations were more modest and the service was generally outstanding.

Unfortunately again, the pounding sales pressure did not end in the formal dining room. It was on the TV, in the public areas, on loud speakers, in the Promenade, at kiosks, getting off the ship, in the evening cruise news letter, by the shops, by the pool, relentless... and everywhere. Watches, massages, tanzanite, anti-aging treatments, drinks, excursions, ice cream, fitness consultations, facials, costume jewelry, t-shirts, cameras, e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. And quite tragic, really, because the ship itself was whimsical, imaginative, and lovely, and most of the service was somewhere between very good and fantastic. Read more