Me, my wife and 3 kids decided to go on this cruise for Christmas vacation is December. After reading the brochures, we decided that this was the best cruise. As our time on the ship went by, we realized we had definately made the right choice. We got right on the boat without waiting, which I thought was great.

The Ship

Everything about this cruise is wonderful and magnificent. This elegant ship is nine stories high, and has so many activites for the whole family, including 12 different bars for the adults, each with its own theme. The bars include the Irish sing-along bar and the South China Club, which is the largest casino at sea.

Entertainment

As for entertainment, there are seven different whirlpool jacuzzi's, and also four swimming pools, the main pool with a 214 foot spiral waterslide, which your kids will love. There is also a library on board. Now how many cruises have you been on with a library? The library has a very large selection of reading material too. There is also the Virtual Sea arcade, witch is a virtual arcade, and also the Children's World. The Children's World is a place where kids age 2-15 can go to hang out and meet new passengers on board the ship. There are also computers here you can use and also board games too. Also on deck, there are shuffleboard courts and ping-pong tables for all guests to use.
For adults, there are also some other amenites for you on deck. There is a Jogging Track around the outside edge of the ship, and there is also a Nautica spa with full service, and also a beauty salon too. Four gift shops are also scattered around the ship.

Food and Dining

For dining, there is formal dining, and also a Pizzeria Arno and a Mississippi BBQ, witch is buffet style dining.
The two formal restaurants are the Pacific Sun Dining Room, and the Atlantic Dining Room, one at the front of the ship and one at the back. The drink prices were priced very high though, which I didn't really like, but luckily I had brought a small cooler of drinks along.

The Rooms

I thought the rooms were great. You got all your basic channels, like CNN, ABC, ESPN, and a lot more. The rooms were also pretty good sized, with a closet with a lot of space. The rooms were also incredibly clean, and the maid that cleaned our room acted very friendly and polite. Our room was a balcony room, which was absolutely gorgeous. We also went in to a friends room that did not have a balcony, and we decided that the balcony room was well worth it for the extra 200 bucks. The view of the ocean was very beautiful at sunset.

The Service and Staff

I thought the service was excellent. Every memeber of the crew was always there to make you happy. There is a pretty good ratio of crew members to guests, so you are always being helped. The staff was always very polite and always smiling. They were always asking "how are you doing?" "Are you enjoying your stay?" The staff was very, very friendly.
There were also contantly staff mebers washing, cleaning and sweeping the deck and other parts of the boat. This impressed me, and the boat was always as clean as it could be.

The Ports of Call

The ports of call that the ship makes are San Juan, St. Croix, and St. Thomas. These places were gorgeous, and the sights were breathtaking, so definately make sure you have your camara ready, with extra film. The beaches are also very beautiful and there are also some great places to shop.


Overall, I would recommend this cruise for any age, because there is things to do for everyone. This is all for an affordable price too. If you are lucky, you might even see dolphins jumping out of the water alongside your boat. We saw some dolphins on our trip and it was truly amazing. I hope I have helped you, and I hope you will take your family on this fantastic getaway.


Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families