This sailing was specifically a Blues Cruise. So I can't address the normal entertainment & activities on the ship as they didn't apply. But the ship itself is lovely. Every public room and area was clean and well appointed. The public art work was varied, unique, and stunning. We took an inside cabin (wanted the darkness so we could sleep!), and were surprised by how spacious & nicely decorated it was, & it had a great location. Dining - presumably the most important part of any cruise! We couldn't believe how well organized the Lido deck buffet was, as was the variety & quality of the food. Instead of the passengers just digging into the food line, it was graciously served to you, thus controlling quantify and limiting chaos. Of course one could have as much food as desired, but you didn't see the usual piles of food on a plate. We ate dinner in the Manhattan dining room most nights, and again were pleasantly surprised by the quality, variety, & presentation. The servers were prompt without being pushy, friendly, and efficient. We had dinner one night at Tamarind, an Asian fusion specialty dining room. The food was unique and beautifully presented. The servers were charming and gracious, and the decor in the room itself was stunning and subdued. DINING WARNING: DO NOT GO THE "SPECIAL" once-a-cruise-only dinner at Rudi's. We paid $49./person, which I thought was kind of high. The service was awful. The waiter literally took 30 minutes to come take our order, but the wine steward repeatedly came back even tho no wine was being ordered. The food just ok (certainly no better than the main dining room). When I asked for plain decaf tea, I was told they didn't have any (tho I knew it's plentiful at the buffet upstairs)! Not a great experience, and definitely not worth the money! Again, because this was a specialized cruise, we only went to 2 ports, Curacao & Aruba. Curacao was charming with lots of history. Aruba, tho, seemed dirty and dusty, and not nearly as interesting.

In summary: We've been on lots of different cruise lines, and definitely look forward to sailing on Holland America again.