This was a first cruise for me, my husband and my sister. We are all professional adults in our early 30's who live in the Baltimore area. We have no kids. I want to state that this was our first cruise and we loved it so much, we have already re-booked the same cruise again and are bringing my parents! Anyway, we drove 15 minutes from our home to the port, parked and got in line to get on board. It took us about an hour to get onto the ship. We learned that if you are driving to the port and leaving your car, pay cash. There is no one in the cash line but a wait in the credit card line. We swooped right in, paid cash and parked. Easy as pie!

We loved the ship. Clean, clean, clean! I noticed ship employees steam clean the hallway carpets, shine the metal brackets on the edge of each stair, clean the window ledges, replace a broken floor tile in record time. Even the ceiling tiles/strips at Mermaids (buffet) were clean without a speck of dust. We tend to be neat freaks and we notice these things. Impressive!

The ship staff was courteous and helpful and our room steward was wonderful and efficient. The main dining room, Normandie, had delicious with a great selection each night. Not a single complaint about service. It was wonderful. We also ate at David's Steakhouse 2 nights during the cruise and it is worth paying the extra $30. Simply a treat! Don't miss it! It is a 2-3 hour dining experience that you will thank yourself for later. Read more