My only prior cruise was in Europe on a ship that held 350 passengers so I was curious to see what a cruise on a large American ship would be like. Also, I got a very good deal via a vacation web site for this particular cruise. Embarkation was probably the worst part of the experience. A one hour line in a cavernous space. The ship was clean and in good repair and although my cabin was dated it was also clean and in good repair. The esthetics of the ship vary widely. Some rooms (e.g. the main lobby) are straight out of a 80s fever dream of Living La Vida Loca in Las Vegas. The pool area appears to have been designed by the folks who brought you Pee Wee Herman's Playhouse. Other spaces - like the gym and most of the restaurants are decorated in a more up to date and conventional manner. The drink packages I was offered were ludicrously expensive. The full daily package would have been about 100.00 per day including gratuity and the wine and beer package about 80.00 (it was not hard to spot the people who had paid for the packages - as they rarely were without a drink in their hands). I decided to limit myself to two glasses of wine a day that came to about 25. As I spoke to other passengers I quickly discovered that the prices people paid for their cabin and drink packages and shore tours varied wildly. Factors like when you bought, if you negotiated, prior trips, the phases of the moon, your astrological sign and the price of tulips in Amsterdam all seemed to factor into the final price. My main message to a new cruiser is make sure you get a clear picture of the full cost before you go by asking lots of questions, talking to someone who has been on a few cruises and feeling free to negotiate. The ship provides you with many opportunities to spend money - the most egregious is the horrendous, crappy "art" that they sell to the uninformed and gullible at shocking prices. To be fair, I never felt pressured to spend - just offered many opportunities. Also, for those dedicated to throwing money away - there is a casino. There is a nonstop series of events throughout the day but most are either a way to encourage you to buy - "lectures" about art - available in the gallery or seem geared to a senior citizen's center - bingo!

My cruise was in early December so we had few kids. The great majority of the folks on my cruise seem to be elderly or working folks with an emphasis on careers such as cop and electrician. The lobby, pool area and the main buffet restaurant are very busy and buzzy. The only public spaces where I could gather my thoughts were the library, top side front sun deck area and the outside rear deck restaurant area. Due to Hurricane Maria damage on other islands, we stopped at ports that were surprisingly poor and in poor repair (e.g. Martinique). Many folks seemed indifferent to the ports and really on the cruise to be on the ship. The tours offered by the boat for the ports were again shockingly expensive (about 75 per person). With some preplanning several of the ports provide relatively easy access to a nice beach by cab. The amount of time at each port was quite limited - much less time than suggested by the itinerary that you get when you sign up. Again, the focus seems to be about being on the ship.

The meals were OK to good. Try to avoid the main buffet restaurant when you can and go to the smaller "complimentary" restaurants that serve noticeably better food and have a calmer atmosphere. My one try of a non-complimentary restaurant seemed no better or worse - and of course more expensive. Overall, my message is that this is a very easy way to have a vacation. The experience is not travel in any sense that I have every understood the term. Your opportunity to experience different places, people, food or culture is essentially zero. Rather, the experience is of being in a very large hotel with shifting scenery. If you are elderly, have mobility problems, have kids or just want to hang out and have a few drinks, this is an easy and enjoyable vacation option.