I must admit I was very nervous about this cruise, especially given all the bad reviews recently. We are a family of four and first time cruisers. Overall, we had a great trip and would definitely cruise again.

The embarkation process was easy. We waited awhile in the terminal but no big deal. Our room was not ready when we got on and was not ready at 1:30 as promised, which was annoying. But, it was ready by 2:30 or so and our luggage arrived by 3:00 so no real complaints.

The ship is definitely dated. But it's about to be overhauled. Also, we constantly saw crew members cleaning and keeping things looking nice. Our room steward (Noli) was great. After we asked for ice the first night, he generally filled the buckets twice a day (missed once or twice). When we told him about a weird clanging/rattle outside the window, he got it taken care of. He made sure to ask if we needed anything and kept our cabins looking great. Towel animals were a hit with our kids, of course. Read more