We left Ft. Lauderdale Dec. 8, 2010. Embarkation was very quick and easy. We were there early, about noon. Our cabin was ready. We went to lunch at the buffet, of course, and it was quite nice. In fact, it was one of the best of the cruise.

It was chilly, so no pool time. We walked around the ship, comparing it to the Ruby, which we sailed on last year. Very similar.

THE STATEROOM: Plenty of storage in cabin and bathroom. Everything worked. Two chairs and a table on the balcony. The bed was terrible -- hard and lumpy. We couldn't sleep the first night. I complained to the purser and we got a brand new mattress, but it wasn't much of an improvement. I ached all over --shoulder, hip, back. After several days, I got an idea. I asked my cabin attendant to put one of the nice quilts under the sheet as a mattress pad. That really helped! Why don't they have the same mattresses as Holland America? Those are great! Read more