Not Bad but Not Exceptional

The Spa Café

I loved that everything here is a "small bite." Added benefit is that most of food is relatively healthy. However, I don't recommend you spend money on their smoothies. A bit pricey for what you get. Otherwise, just excellent!

Murano Restaurant

We only visited for breakfast, so I cannot evaluate the suppertime experience. Breakfast is free at Murano. It was never super busy for breakfast, therefore, it was a nice quiet spot. My husband loved the mango smoothies. I really liked the lox and bagels. If something you really want isn't on the menu, ask and they can probably accommodate you.

Cafe al Bacio and Gelateria

The gelato is very, very good. Service at the coffee/tea bar is spotty. Be prepared for a long wait if there are more than a few customers present.

Craft Social

My husband was disappointed that no frozen drinks are available in this bar, but that's pretty typical of concierge lounges. My only complaint was a particular bartender who seemed inexperienced. Since I only saw him once, I suspect he was an emergency fill-in for the regular staff. The main bartender was very good at his job.

Bistro on Five

Be aware that this eatery is now "Sushi on Five." We didn't eat here, so I can't comment on food quality. Other passengers raved about it.

Guest Relations And Excursions

Our cabin keys mysteriously got demagnetized every two days, requiring a trip to Guest Relations for a new card. No explanation was ever offered. If you do get a new card, MAKE SURE the new card shows all the same access that was printed on your old card! We did not use the Excursions desk this trip because we had booked prior to departure.

Fitness Center

Lots of different kinds of machines. We typically visited on port days when we stayed on board. Had the place to ourselves. Machines in good working order. Many classes were offered, but we did not avail ourselves of any. No supervision, so use at your risk.

Ensemble Lounge

Comfortable seating. Bartenders were good. Live music every evening, which tends to overpower any conversations you're trying to have with your shipmates.

Sky Observation Lounge

This quickly became our favorite place to go for quiet time. Daytime gives you a panoramic view out of the front of the ship. Nighttime has nice lighting. The bartenders here are excellent. It's a great place to go if you want to read or just relax with your group. Music acts and DJs provide entertainment, generally after 9pm.

Library

A fair number of titles available. What drove us crazy was no ship's personnel ever makes an attempt to properly get the books in order. Even though every book has a letter taped to the spine and should then be on the shelves in alpha order, you'll quickly realize that a full 25% of the books are in the wrong place. This is further complicated by the fact the library extends to a second floor. My husband and I actually spent 30 minutes trying to get books back in their proper area, and we barely made a dent!

Persian Garden

This is both good and bad, depending on when you're there. If it's a sea day, it tends to get crowded. Some passengers don't observe the 20 minute limit in the heated lounge beds and no employee is there to enforce the rule. The steam bath and the 2 saunas were good. It's nice that chilled water is available without having to leave the area. Best time to visit is on port days while most passengers are ashore.