I chose this cruise because I wanted to go to Cuba. The other two ports, Key West and Cozumel, were added bonuses. The food was a highlight. Everyone in my party liked what was served in the Windjammer and in the main dining room. As far as the crew is concerned, we really liked those in the dining room and our cabin attendant. We also appreciated that we were not pestered constantly to buy drinks or drink packages. The range of products needs to be expanded in the shops. We enjoy onboard shopping but there really wasn't much to buy especially where jewelry was concerned. Another disadvantage of this cruise is that there was only one small pool. In previous cruises with Royal Caribbean we liked the fact that there was an adult pool. On the Empress there is one very small pool and the even smaller children's pool was closed for the duration of the cruise.