I chose this cruise because I wanted to experience a cruise on one of the big big ships. And the ship did not disappoint. Beautifully appointed throughout. Lots of public spaces. Chose a junior suite, and it was perfect! Great storage space, and the balcony was more spacious than I had on a prior cruise line with a full suite. But the nickel and diming ruined it for me. $119 for a behind the scene tour of the ship! Ridiculous! On demand movies in your cabin, $12 a pop, and not even for the latest releases. One specialty restaurant had a $95 charge per person! Can it really be that good? And don't forget service charge in addition, though you're already paying one. Want an ice cream cone for a snack, that's another charge. Why bother to check the messages in your cabin. 98% of them are promotions for watch and jewelry sales, or the special they're running in the spa, or the presentation you don't want to miss on shopping you can do in the next port. Is that all that you can do in port? There was never any cultural information provided about these places that might have urged me to get off the ship.

Activities are more oriented towards the fit. Two flowriders looked interesting, and I might even have given one a try if the cruise were a little longer, to get my nerve up. The zip line on the ship is good for someone who has never tried one before, but doesn't compare to the one in Labadee. The actual ride was only two minutes long, but it was exhilarating, and I don't regret one second of it.

Ice skating was a disappointment. For the first few days of the cruise, I couldn't find any reference to the rink in any of the on ship materials. After making some inquires, I found the rink, and found that it was closed for rehearsal of the on ship ice shows. About half way through, it was opened for public skating. Each session is a total of 20 minutes, and that includes the time it takes you to lace up your skates. I figured that the 10 minutes I spent skating on the ship would have to suffice until I got back home for more. Read more