We have cruised before and always ask for a balcony room midship two floors below the pool area to cut down on noise. We can drive to the Miami port so we often go from there. The embarkation was slow, but not terrible. Our stateroom was clean, but not luxurious - lots of plastic - and the TV was very old. The shows were not helpful with information needed on ship activities or port information. We could not hear any information on the loud speaker in our stateroom without opening the door. But our bed was comfortable and the steward kept the room clean.

The ship looked as if it needed refurbishment badly and the windows were not clean in the public areas. The food in the dining rooms was almost the same every day and the service was slow. The waiters forgot often what we had ordered and most everything was overcooked. The Italian restaurant, for which we paid extra, was not worth the money. We were going to go to the other specialty restaurant, but canceled after we tried the Italian. The activities were very good for drinking and partying. The shows in the theater were good. The staff looked as if they wished they were on another ship for the most part.

We did not take any of the shore excursions. Freeport, Grand Bahama is only interesting if you wish to watch the cargo ships arrive and leave. There was a cab one could take to get to the shopping area. We did not bother to do so. In Nassau, we did not take any shore excursion offered by the cruise line, but took the water shuttle to Paradise Island. We found it a cross between Disney and Las Vegas and it would be great for clients who wish that. Bay Street is a tacky tourist trap. We did go to eat at Arawak Cay, see the Church and the forts. All interesting, but we did that on our own, using public transportation. We never could land at Great Stirrup Cay as the captain said that it was too rough to get in from our mooring. It looked nice, but there is nothing there but beach. We spent the day at sea. Read more