Keep in mind that this is just my second cruise and I am not exactly a "cruise person." The idea of taking multiple cruises every year makes no sense to me at all. Anyway, we signed up for this "repositioning cruise" because the initial price was low and because the idea of crossing the Atlantic seemed like a good one. Sailing-wise, things started out fine, but the last three or so days at sea out of Miami were VERY rough, and this is a ship that does not have the same level of stabilizing as some of the newer and larger ships out there. Plus the weather was kind of cold and super-windy.

All the crew folks I interacted with-- waiters and bartenders-- were great. My favorite people to chat with by far were these folks who tend to have some really interesting stories about life on the ship, about where they are from etc.

Maybe I'm a food snob, but I thought the offerings in the Windjammer cafeteria were kind of so-so and the main dining room was very mixed (some nights, great; others, not so much). We got 4 of the speciality restaurant meals. Chops Grill (if you like a good steak) and Izumi (if you like sushi and related Japanese dishes) were very good and worth the extra charge; Giovanni's was not very good (stick with the pasta if you go) and Sabor was just downright bad. Read more