This was our sixth cruise, and we have cruised on five different lines. Having fallen in love with cruising, our project is to sail with all the major American lines in order to find our favorites. Perhaps this is a misguided project, as individual ships may vary considerably. Be that as it may, this was Royal Caribbean's turn.

As always, it was a breeze to get to the San Diego cruise port from the airport. We simply catch bus 992 in front of the airport terminal and in a matter of minutes we're dropped off a block from the port. The bus runs every 15 minutes and costs $2.25. We travel light so luggage is no problem (we only checked one bag between us for a 10-day cruise, and we still didn't wear everything we brought).

Overall, the ship and the cruise were most enjoyable. The ship itself is well designed and never felt crowded, despite being filled to capacity. My only real complaints would be the small, poorly stocked library, which is actually only an alcove, and the choice of art for decorating the ship. The modern and often abstract, even kitschy art was simply not to my taste. However, I have yet to experience a cruise ship that did not thrill me in some way. I was more than happy to be cruising again. Read more