This was our first cruise and we were surprised by how much we enjoyed it. There were four of us in our suite - me, my husband and our two teenagers and we did not feel cramped at all. The new decor was beautiful with modern gray and white tones and very efficient use of space and more storage than we could use. The veranda was huge and we spent lots of time there while on the ship, though we didn't use the hot tub (which was clearly NOT part of the renovation as the faucet handles were corroded).

Our package/suite included dining in specialty restaurants, so we had a chance to visit Luminae, which had an fabulous new menu every night and amazing service, Tuscan Grill, which was just okay, and Qsine, which was a blast and had delicious food served in a really unique way. We did try the Oceanview Grill buffet for breakfast a few times, and for snacks (2nd dinners?) for the kids in the evening. The food was good there too, with a lot of choices and something for everyone.

We attended a few of the entertainment venues, including the ballet/violinist. Both were very impressive, with the violinist selections clearly designed to entertain a crowd with a wide variety of interests (some classical, some modern and a very dramatic presentation style). Honestly, I don't know how the ballet dancers did it - standing and spinning is hard enough on stable ground, but on a rocking ship it was even more astounding. Our kids are still talking about it. Read more