Embarkation and Disembarkation was a breeze after we got lost driving into Long Island because Princess site googled wrong directions, we traveled 1.5 hours extra. Also, this was the only cruise that did not swipe credit card upon embarkation saying it was on file, boy would this come back to bite me.

The Ship: We liked the layout and it was very easy to navigate between dining and entertainment venues. In particular separation of the pools was different but nice. The ship does need drydocked as carpet is worn and lots of rust and wear..

Entertainment: Very important to us being in our 40's with 15 and 12 year old boys. Theater shows were not very good, singers were okay but the dancers were like robots with very scripted movements and with no fluidity. The first comedian was excellent but the second one needed some help. We had previously seen Alfred and Seymour but they left the ship and were replaced by a futile attempt at a hypnotist. One positive note, the game shows family feud, the quest, all trivia, newlywed game were excellent. The cruise director should be Fernando who is engaging and dynamic, both he and the cruise staff were wonderful. The cruise director Neal should hang it up, the only time he was seen was on TV in the morning or to introduce acts in Theater. Every cruise (17) the cruise director has facilitated the Newlywed game or some other show, not this one, totally invisible throughout the week. Also, you need to get to the Explorer's Lounge 30 min. prior to any engagement, the room is not adequate to seat people for events and entertainment.Food: Having been on several Celebrity , Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruises I can honestly say this food is not close to Celebrity or RCL, compares to Norwegian but has a better selection on the menu than NCL.The buffet was boring, the main dining room (Coral) was so inconsistent totally hit or miss upon what you ordered. Night one the prime rib was thick and leathery, but night two the filet mignon was great. Sea Scallops was excellent, but veal dishes were lousy. You want something delicious go get pizza everyday and finish it off with some soft serve, they were highlights. And a little tip visit the International Cafe for danish, donuts, sandwiches on deck 5 real nice alternative. Read more