We originally chose this cruise because of the price and the dates; as a teacher, I am limited on what days I can take off and how they fall around holidays. For a budget cruise, this did not disappoint! We are in our mid thirties and left three kids under 7 at home with grandparents for our first trip away from them.

We booked about 2 months in advance, paid roughly $800 for two adults in a balcony room. We ended up on Deck 7 in room 7417 (I think, my memory is fading now). It was the perfect location for us - quiet, towards the rear of the ship - just two flights of stairs up to what became our favorite bar, pool and food areas. And it was just 2 flights down to the comedy club, casino, etc.

We had a balcony room, which we LOVED. We went back and forth if it was worth it for us - and turns out, I don't think I'd cruise any other way. We spent a lot of time enjoying the views from the balcony. Our room was in nice condition and our steward was very helpful. Our first night the water was rough, and the rocking caused the shower to drain a little funny (overflowed the lip a bit), and our steward brought new towels right away. The room had plenty of storage, but only one real outlet. (Definitely next time I will bring a power strip or multi USB charger for devices.) Read more