This was my first cruise on HAL. I have mixed feelings about my trip. Majority of them are positive, but there are some negatives also.

EMBARKATION: When I arrived at the port, I was amazed by the number of people waiting to board. However, the line moved very quickly. A word of advice, complete your paperwork on line. The line for the people that did this was very short!! The check in person was very nice and wished me a great trip. In all, I checked in and was on the boat within a hour. Due to the time I arrived on the boat, the rooms were not ready. Every one was greeted on board and directed to the Lido deck. The food was great, esp the bread (more on that later !!). We also found out that the ship was going back to the original travel plan (Half Moon Cay, Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel) and we were going to be one of the first ships to return to the Caymans. When the announcement for the rooms arrived, I went to my floor and was greeted by an escort who directed me to my room. This was a nice touch and very helpful.

CABIN: I had an oceanview room with a blocked view. However, I found the cabin to be beyond what I expected. The bathroom had a full size tub, and plenty of space for all my items. The closet was a fair amount of room. The safe was one that you set your own code for usage. The bed was great!! HAL has upgraded all the bedding and it was so great that I spent extra time in bed (esp afternoon naps). The desk had limited space with the TV taking the bulk of the space. A small sofa, table and nightstand completed the room. Also, two robes for usage was in the room (I traveled alone). My cabin steward came shortly and gave greetings. He asked when was my dining time, did I have any special needs and informed me that he would bring my luggage to the room. I'm sorry that I can't recalled my steward's name, but he really took care of me. I saw him from time to time and he always spoke and asked how I was doing. I made sure on the last day to give him something extra. Read more