Since this is our first cruise, we wanted to "test the waters" with a short, inexpensive re-positioning cruise. The emerald princess has definitely exceeded my expectations! Honestly, I was a little concerned when I read the reviews, but I'm glad that we experienced it for ourselves. The food in the dinning room was awesome and the staff were friendly. We wanted a cruise where we could read and relax without kids running around everywhere. We basically ignored the tops decks where kids and the buffet are. Everything we needed/wanted was lower on the ship. Although we didn't participate in very many activities, the ones that we did attend were great! The martini mixing class in the piazza was so much fun! Our two favorite activities were afternoon tea and eating sushi in the wine bar. We did these almost every day. This trip also included a nice, extended stay in Victoria, BC. We were in port for 15 hours.