First of all, we had the same happen. My dad passed away on our anniversary 2 days out of New Zealand. My wife and I knew it would not be possible to get to Arizona, so we stay on to the end. It worked out better with mom.

Yes, the embarkation was congested, but we still were on ship within a hour. My wife and I are pretty easy cruisers, she figured out a way to hang a hammock on the balconey, it worked out fine. We were on Lido deck and experienced only a cigar smell the first few days, but not in room. Walking up the stairs, I did notice squeaky decks on B and C. The ship was for the most part clean and good, sure it is not a new ship. But I like the promenade on 7, many new ships don’t have one.

On a 27 day cruise, what do people expect, sure there is trivia “7” times a day and many Effy sales. Who cares, we went with friends and enjoyed the drinks, and both wives won on different days. And sure, the movies on deck were repeated. Read more