Us: Husband and Myself (3 previous cruises on a different line) and both sets of parents (all first time cruisers).

Pre-Cruise: Stayed at the Holiday Inn right across from the San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal. Rooms were nice (however, the rooms had Double Beds rather than Queen size), bathrooms appear to have been upgraded. The Elephant and Castle Restaurant in the lobby was fun for dinner, but way overpriced for breakfast. Location was perfect...we just walked across the street, and were ready for embarkation! We parked our vehicle at the hotel with a package that included room and parking.

Embarkation: Left for the ship around 11:30 a.m. With two ships in port, was not sure how busy things would be. It was very smooth and quick. I could hardly keep up with the line. (Not that I am slow, but it just really kept moving!) We were on the ship in less than 30 minutes! Went up to Lido deck and enjoyed eating and relaxing in the sun! The Mongollian Grill is fabulous and worth the wait! Also, visited the self-serve ice cream machine! Rooms were ready at 1:00 p.m. and our luggage had already arrived! Rooms: We all had inside cabins. The size was just fine. The orange color is a bit much at first entry, but by the end of the week, did not even notice it anymore. The bathroom was larger than on previous ships. Our room steward greeted us warmly and our room was always clean and tidy. We did not notice any noise from the hallway or above deck. Read more