To celebrate my in-law's 50th Wedding Anniversary, the entire family went on a cruise together. We arrived, met friendly porters at the dock to handle our luggage, friendly staff that tried to encourage everyone while standing in the long lines (which moved along, but of course were just long). It was my wife and I's first time to cruise.
The process of checking in was smooth enough, though it isn't like on The Love Boat where people with clipboards are there to help you. Everything is done by your Sea Pass card, which really streamlines the process.
The cabin was about what I would have expected and had heard about. Though I thought the carpet and curtain was a little dated, the bed was comfortable and the stateroom was cleaned, twice, every day.
Cabin was slightly dated, but comfortable. We were very near the engines, but were still able to sleep at night with minimal disruption from the noise.