The Takeaway: A Mixed Bag

Our experience was mixed. At first, there was a mix-up in table assignment (a table for 12 instead of a table for 2) resolved after a few days we think by the intervention of our travel agent. Once that was resolved, the main dining room wait staff made all the difference in our dining experience. Very professional and personable crew members. A joy to encounter.

Our stateroom attendant was a very hard worker and also personable.

Suggestion: Add three seconds to the timing of elevator door openings. Lunging for elevators is not a fun activity.

Our trip was marred by the fact we both got very bad colds: I got it three days in and it stayed. I found only one over-the-counter allergy product in the shops. My husband later bought other cough drugs at the Medical Facility. Since they didn't help, I saw the doctor for an antibiotic. I'm filing an insurance claim for $408 for my care, which will take weeks to resolve. My husband's cold started later. (He n-e-v-e-r gets colds.) This interfered with our ability to taste food or wine, take yoga classes and sleep. We encountered sick people everywhere on board. 

Although dining room food was beautifully presented and varied, room service and Windjammer food paled by comparison. Scrambled eggs and yogurt were inedible. Bacon was often served under-cooked and eggs overcooked. Coffee was great in the dining room and terrible elsewhere.

On a positive note: We loved the Phoenix classical music group, especially on the Centrum stage in the atrium. The theater offerings we attended were very good. Clo was a terrific social director. Venues are lovely, particularly the Solarium (and Park Cafe). Relaxing on deck chairs was bliss.