We were cruising with 8 of our family and friends. At first we were were concerned that such a big ship with so many people during spring break would be too crowded, but there were only a few times when the crowds were overwhelming (the Dreamworks parades, after each show, and during some Boardwalk events). Other Cruise Critic members forewarned us to book our reservations for the shows and other popular events like the comedy club ahead of time and I'm glad we did. There were always waiting lines for these shows.
We really felt like we were treated specially. The amenities available to suite guests were outstanding. We especially like the suite only sundeck on deck 17. We didn't find that until 3 days before the end of the trip, but we were glad we did. The Coastal Kitchen was a wonderful place for dinner, although our My Time Dining service and food was also outstanding.
Breakfast in the Park Cafe and Solarium Bistro were very nice and offered healthier options than the Windjammer. While the ship had alot of people, there were many places to eat so that everyone wasn't crammed into one or two restaurants. There were times when it was confusing as to which restaurant charged for services and which one didn't. Even within some of the "free" venues there were charges and on the Boardwalk, Johnny Rockets was free in the morning and ala cart pricing after 11.
Our travel agent surprised us with an upgrade to a Grande Suite Romo 8260 and we loved every minute of it. The room had so much storage, even with 3 of us in it we still had empty spaces. The pull out couch was perfect for our 11 year old son. The heavy curtain that separated the living space and the bedroom gave us the privacy we wanted. The bathroom was HUGE, but the tub was raised and my 6' 4" tall husband's head rubbed the ceiling when he got into the tub. The balcony was my favorite part. It was a double long balcony with a cafe table, 2 chairs and 2 chaise lounges with foot rests. It was my favorite place to spend my early mornings reading while my family slept.
Straw market right off the ship was expansive and offered much variety. Taxi to shopping district was reasonable and speedy. The shopping strip was a bit like the Vegas strip but instead of getting the offers of private dances, the vendors tried to get you to come into their jewelry shop for your "free gift". There were some very interesting shops and art galleries that we really enjoyed seeing.
Embarkation was very smooth and the suite lounge waiting area was very comfortable. We ended up having to wait a bit longer than expected due to some delays on the ship.
We stayed on the ship here because we'd already been to straw markets. My family did an excursion that turned out to be not very good (snorkeling and tequilla tasting).