Great 1st Cruise

Our overall experience was that it really was pretty good. That being said, it would be easy to get on this cruise with expectations set a little high. This is not a new ship, therefore is it not what you see on TV. The ship is nearly 20 years old, and all though well cared for, it shows in the decor (lots of neon everywhere) and lacks the shine of the newer ships. Also, it is not one of the larger ships, so if there are high seas, you WILL notice it. We experienced some high seas for a couple days and there were a lot of people who had trouble with it. Remember that you are on the Pacific Ocean, not the Caribbean. The clubs and bars do seem to be geared towards a younger crowd, but the shows were entertaining. I didn't care for the buffet, but that the food in the dining room (and the dancing/singing wait staff) was very good. All the crew seemed friendly, helpful and genuinely concerned that the guests enjoy themselves. Some of the children's programs were a little lacking, but the areas for Camp Carnival were currently undergoing renovations so I'm sure that is not a normal thing. Catalina was fantastic, could have stayed there for a few days. Ensenada was very much a let down. If you get off the ship there, stay with the tourist groups. We rented a car and went to some of the sites on our own and that was a mistake. This is not Cabo or Cancun and you may not necessarily be welcome. Dollar for dollar, this was a great bargain. Especially as first time cruisers. We will probably do this cruise again, but will treat the day in Ensenada as another laid back "day at sea" and not get off of the boat. I would recommend this cruise to anyone looking to relax, but not to someone looking to be entertained 24/7.