Embarkation process went smoothly and we were boarding the ship within 30 minutes of arriving at the port. Our staterooms were ready when we arrived - that was a first. The balcony stateroom has a toilet behind a frosted glass panel and a shower behind another glass panel. A curtain separates this from the rest of the cabin - but it blocks the door, so no one can enter or exit when someone else is getting ready. The sink and mirror are on the other side of the curtain- odd. The beds are very close together when separated which would be an issue for friends sharing a cabin. The couch for the third person does not pull-out and is in a curved shaped. It is OK for a small child.

The entertainment was the best on any ship we've been on. Blue Man group was the crowd favorite, but the Cirque Dinner Show, Legends in Concert, Second City, and Howl at the Moon were excellent as well. The extra money for premium seating at Cirque was worth it to be in the middle of the action. Upper level seating is on a counter at the railing and not much of the show is aerial. Don't miss the "Behind the Blue" lecture with the cast of Blue Man Group. We were happy to see our former cruise director of the Pearl, Simon Murray. He is doing an amazing job as Director of Entertainment.

The food was fantastic at most of the venues we tried: buffet, Manhattan Room, Taste, Teppanyaki, and Wasabi. The exception was O'Sheehans where the fish and chips wer good but the buffalo wings were terrible. Desserts were disappointing overall, but the ice cream and crepes at the buffet were delicious. Read more