We chose this cruise because we wanted a January getaway to warmer climes than included the Caribbean with a focus on the Panama Canal. We booked early when this cruise was thinly booked and received a good price and a upper floor veranda upgrade in the process.

We have travel with HAL in Alaska on a slightly smaller but similar ship and were very familiar with the ship's layout.

The Good: Embarkation was a bit rocky but we got aboard quickly. This ship was well staffed with polite and attentive crew members, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia. We were on Deck 8 which is one deck below the Lido food and pool deck which was convenient for many meals. Lido Market does not open at the same time every day but most days they opened at 6:30 am while allowing the early birds in for coffee prior to opening. Excursion days they opened at 6 and I believe 7 on Sunday. We switched off eating breakfast and lunch between the Dining Room and Lido. It appeared to us that the Dining Room menu changed little if any for either breakfast and lunch on a daily basis. Many items available in the Dining Room were also available on Lido (pastries, Eggs Benedict, etc.). Out stateroom was larger than we are accustomed to on river cruises and the balcony was an extension that made it feel even larger. I felt that our stateroom was in excellent condition and may have had some upgrades along the way. The carpet was faded from the constant sun coming through large glass doors. Each balcony is separated from the adjoining staterooms but can be opened by staff if you are traveling with others in adjoining rooms. We felt that the entertainment was somewhat lacking. There were several productions that centered around either canned music with dance and accompanying instrumentals or instrumentals with a canned video playing on the screen. We attended a number of day and night time functions and feel that not enough emphasis is being put on entertainment. We did not buy a beverage package but chose instead to attend Happy Hour in Ocean's Bar between 4 and 5 where all drinks were 50% off. Our waiters and steward were both excellent. The best entertainment were the comedians and one was so-so. Read more