I belong to World Wings International, the former Pan Am flight attendant organization and this year we held our convention on this cruise. The ship is huge but elegant, clean, very stylishly appointed. My stateroom was on deck 9 with an ocean balcony which I used a lot. The room was large enough for 2 of us to be quite comfortable. Our cabin attendant was a gem. The food in the dining room to which we were assigned was better than I expected, but not "cuisine". The specialty restaurants where you pay extra were on a higher level. We ate at Giovanni's and the service and food were both excellent. The quality of the shows was spectacular. We watched an ice show, a diving show a short version of Come Fly with Me which was dancing and singing and the piece de resistance, a Broadway level version of Cats which was OUT OF THIS WORLD. Really well done with a stage set that was captivating, extraordinary talented cast.

One thing you have to watch out for are the "beverage packages". They sell them as a "package" but the rate is PER DAY. I could not drink enough liquor to justify the package. For me, it was cheaper to buy my drinks as I wanted them and since we were away from the ship for 3 days on shore excursions and the beer is cheap in Mexico, there was no need for the package. Tea, water and coffee are free anyway. If you want to snorkel and you have your own gear, just take a taxi from the ship to the beach at either the Costa Maya or Cozumel and do it on your own. DO the Royal Dolphin experience though - it was fabulous!!

Another great thing was the SPA. I had the best facial of my life but be prepared to spend some $$. If you wait until later in the cruise, they have some discounts you can take advantage of. I didn't shop so I can't help you there. Expect to do a lot of walking as this ship is huge. I also really disliked the loud music they played during boarding. It was geared to high school kids and made it hard to even hear yourself think.