Brief review = good cruise for value.

Arrived 1 day early. Used Las Palmas from airport. Called to say they lost our name card! Should've known this would only get worse...and it did. After we found driver, he noted someone 'hit something' with the van and so it was dripping fluid from the AC unit where our luggage was. Pleasant trip to hotel. Used Priceline for hotel. Got a great deal, so can't really complain about it. However, it is clearly a convention type hotel. I would rate this as average. Shower curtain had mold on it. Yuck. Went to Bayside for dinner. Enjoyed this a lot. Used the People Mover attached to hotel. Would highly recommend! It's free! Went back to Bayside for breakfast and packed to get to ship. Easy ride to ship. Arrived 11:30 and in less than an hour was on the ship. Lines always moving and seemed organized.

Day 1: After embarking, ate lunch and unpacked. Had OV room on Empress Deck ... the same deck as the Purser and grand staircase, etc. Ship is in good condition, given it's 10 years old. Some slight stains in hallways, but nothing major. Never saw any other stains/peeling paint except for a sink on Lido Deck that looked like it should be replaced. The bathrooms on this deck also needed new grouting, etc. Looked a little grungy in 1-2 of the bathrooms. Otherwise, very clean ship. Staff always cleaning. Food = very good. Staff in dining room, excellent. Seas were calm this day. Read more