I'll be brief because I have a kid in the tub and only have a couple of minutes. I loved this cruise. It was my first one, so take it for what it's worth. I really liked the freestyle cruising as it worked well with children. We tended to eat early so it was best to avoid the main dining rooms to avoid the crowd. We ate at 3 specialty restaurants and paid a small price to do so. The food at these were very good.

The ship was too crowded for my liking. The activities offered were not very accessible during peak times, the beach was over crowded and it was impossible to get a seat at the pool if you didn't get there early. So many people saving the chairs for later. I have to say though, that I didn't see a lot of people leaving them for hours or much of the day as some people have said. Even the lounge chairs away from the pool were taken for the most part on nice days. You had to go pretty far away to get a seat.

Ultimately, I felt as though I couldn't walk around the ship without running into somebody and having about 40 people dart in front of me and my children. The first couple of days, it wasn't too bad, but by the end, it kind of grated on my nerves. To avoid that, I think I needed to avoid the times and activities that draw other people and find a spot and stay there. The library never seemed to have many people in it.... I assume all cruises are like that. Read more