What a great trip. Embarkation was effortless, probably because I’m a Platinum member and the ship was sailing well below capacity as it was an unscheduled cruise out of Port Canaveral. Previously, the ship had been home ported in San Juan. After doing some evacuation work in the Caribbean, she did a brief cruise out of Canaveral for four days to Nassau and Freeport. The cruise was a bargain. My expectations were not great, but the trip really delivered.

The ship is a Fantasy Class vessel, well over 20 years old. It was immaculate. Numerous upgrades were present. I can’t really think of anything about this cruise that disappointed me. Having stateroom service only once a day was less than we are used to, but it was completely adequate for our needs. Our stateroom attendant, “Wee” was awesome.

Dining was great. One night I ordered off the steakhouse menu and it did not disappoint despite the $20 upcharge. The filet was spectacular. The other offerings, for the other three nights, were fine. I tried things I’ve never had, and when they weren’t exactly to my palette, replacements were enthusiastically provided. The wait staff was terrific. The only real alternative dining experience was the Chef’s Table, which we declined, as I’ve done it many times before. The lido buffet was the usual fare. Everything was tasty and hot. On the one occasion we used room service, it was prompt and tasty. Read more