This was my first cruise. I was so excited All my cruise friends had raved about cruising -the food,the intertainment etc. Here is my reflections: The food was vile. The service terrific. How difficult it must be to serve food that isn't up to standard in the main dining rooms and deal with the complaints. The new trend now is to push passengers to the speciality restaurants. The Canyon Ranch Spa was terrific. No need to pack anything nice to wear. I did wear all my pretty dresses to dinner,but everyone else wore shorts. I especially enjoyed (not) the wife beaters at breakfast. I liken this experience to the deregulation of the airlines. If you want good food you will have to pay for it. Guest services and porter staff outstanding.

Entertainment good: As far as theatre is concerned. However, there wasn't all that much. The casino could not be operated due to Japanese laws. So knowing this information ahead of time, it would have been nice to have something else to do. Movies??? Trivia at ten not so exciting. Cleanliness of ship, not so much. I was told not to expect much as the ship was 16 years old. Excuse me, hotels are old,but there are PIP standards that must be met In order to keep the franchise. There was a terrible smell in my cabin that could not be eradicated. Cracks in the tiles as well. Shore excursions were okay, but very expensive when alternatives are cheaper and cover the same or more.

The Captain and his crew were amazing. We encountered two typhoons during our cruise. Never felt unsafe. Read more