A friend of mine chose this cruise after being referred by a travel agent who had never sailed on the ship. I had read the reviews but hoped for the best.

What we liked: very friendly staff who clearly work their butts off. The Cirque du Soleil show was excellent as was the Born to Rock show. We splurged on dinner at Butcher's Cut, which was excellent, too but cost close to $150 for 2 people. We met very friendly people from all over the world and also enjoyed the Ports of Call.

What we didn't like: check in was chaotic. Lots of waiting in long lines. At least three before we actually got on the ship. The ship opens up into the main shopping area. As soon as we entered it was again total chaos. The crew were really strongly pushing everything from drink package upgrades, spa and photo packages and onboard specialty restaurants. Excursions were heavily pushed too. Nothing like being bombarded when you are trying to relax. This was highly annoying and reminiscent of the mall kiosk workers. Read more