My husband and I like to explore when we vacation so we were hesitant to take a cruise but we decided to try it for our 22nd wedding anniversary and we're so glad we did! (Our hotel stay at Days Inn the night before was horrendous. Do not stay at Days Inn!) Getting on the ship took a little time as we expected but they handed out bottles of water. Once we were on, we got to our room with a balcony and we were pleased with the size and my husband was thrilled with the balcony view and the sound of the ocean. We explored the ship for awhile and spent some time outside enjoying the sail away party.

As a first time cruiser, we were a little confused about dinner - we thought we could go anytime - but we were scheduled to eat at 6. My husband really wanted to watch the sunset from our balcony so we were an hour late for dinner. It turned out okay, however, and we enjoyed getting to know our table mates. I am a complete food lover, although not a food snob, so I still enjoy food that others might think is sub par. That being said, I really enjoyed the food at both the main dining room and the windjammer. The service was nice, but others at the table felt that service on other cruises was friendlier and more animated. I for one do not need to be entertained by my servers. My husband does not drink, but I do and I got the drink package. It was well worth it for me because I was never without a drink in my hand! There will always be juice, ice water, tea, lemonade and coffee absolutely free so unless you want to drink cola products, specialty coffee drinks, bottled water and of course alcohol, there is no need to purchase drink packages. We did not try any specialty restaurants but we did enjoy a late night snack of pizza at Sorrento's or cookies at Cafe Promanade.

We completely enjoyed the trivia times in the bars, the pools, the various parties, the band, Undercover, ice skating show and the nightly shows were amazing. So much talent in this ship! We ported in Cozumel and Costa Maya. At Cozumel, we took the Chichen Itza excursion which was something I have wanted to to for 12 years. Although there was a 45 minute ferry ride followed by a 2 hour bus ride each way, the one hour we had at Chichen Itza was well worth it. The ruins are absolutely stunning and it's a must see for any history lover. Carlos, our guide was wonderful. You will receive a sandwich, snack, water and coke on the trip. At Costa Maya, we reserved a spot at Yaya Beach Club. This was outstanding! Completely beautiful and relaxing with excellent food, drinks, massages and service. We also spend some time shopping in town. Read more