We chose this cruise because of the itinerary. The chance to visit Havana was very appealing. The price of the Cuba itineraries is a bit higher than other locales but worth it. However, the Empress of the Seas is really showing her age. Royal Caribbean says they spent millions on refurbishing the ship in 2016, but I'm not sure where they spent it. All of the public areas are looking long in the tooth with worn and scratched up furniture and surfaces. The cabin was nice but EXTREMELY small. My walk-in closet is bigger than our cabin was. Royal Caribbean has also substantially curtailed the number of items on their dining room menus and selections in the Windjammer since my last cruise on RC in 2015. The food on the ship was mediocre at best. The entertainment on the ship was good and there were several different activities provided. The brightest spot of the cruise was the service. Our service in the dining room and from our cabin steward, Sharon was great. The piano bar with Jane was also a high point of the cruise. We were also disappointed that the time in port in Cozumel wasn't long enough to take a Tulum tour, which I know is available on many of the ships that port in Cozumel. This was my 29th cruise and I enjoyed it because I had never been to Cuba. The rest of the cruise was typical Caribbean cruise. I would definitely go on this itinerary again, but I would consider a different cruise line.