I had always wanted to do a cruise, but couldn't find a partner in crime with whom to travel. I started dating a gentleman who was able to go, so after just a few short months of dating, we booked the cruise. I figured it would be an easy way to figure out if he and I were going to make the long haul (spoiler alert: we did not, but I'm glad). The embarkation was easy, though we had upgraded to a balcony after an offer and upon registration, they attempted to give us badges for the couple who had previously reserved the cabin. We were on the ship before we realized it, so we had to trek back. We got it squared away. That was really the only hiccup.

The smaller ship was great. If you've never been on a cruise ship at all, even this mid-size ship is big. The stewards were great, the captain was calm and reassuring and the cruise director goofy, but in a fun way. The ports were Charlotte Amalie, Grand Turk, San Juan and the small cruiseline owned island. San Juan was gorgeous, but the time allotted there was short.

The cruise itself was great, though I will agree that the clientele on Holland is slightly older. We were among the younger crowd, but still had a great time. There was a storm and large swells so a couple of dinner times were quite iffy for the older folks walking around to get to their tables. My date was seasick for two days, also. The ship and crew itself were really great; we enjoyed the room service several times. They even have a seasick menu to choose from, and that was very helpful for the sick one. Read more