First off allow me to be clear- I am not what you would call a cruise veteran. My only prior cruise experience was 37 years ago. Of course things have changed in this time. But I do not feel that changed for the better.

I am going to address the food first. The main banquet dining on Deck 14 had a huge variety, but the quality was pretty poor. I was rather shocked by this given the reputation cruise ships have for dining. But the quality was akin to what you would find in a school cafeteria in the '80s. Dishes head very minimal if any seasoning... Lacking even the basics of salt and butter and such. Even things like salad dressings and pastries were low on flavor. It was odd. Had the fish and chips today, and the fish was 80% soggy breading... Just nasty and indicative of / consistent with the entire spread. Breakfast quality was equally poor.

The only fine dining dinner option included with the package (ie, no upcharge) was consistently good and the service excellent. So at least one meal per day was pleasant. Read more