Big plus and Big minus

I lost 5 lbs. on the cruise! The food was the worst we have experienced on a cruise. Everything was way overcooked. Some seemed left over from a previous cruise. At Jade buffet, the only thing decent was salad. I've had better at a supermarket chinese deli. The other buffet carved meat was good, not much else - even desserts seemed old. The awesome staff at formal dining helped make the experience enjoyable, the food did not. Nearly everything was overcooked and mostly dry. The 1st fish seemed as if it had been in boiling water for hours. The steak was so bad the waiter, without asking, took it away and brought another which he also removed after I tried to cut it. Lobster was so overcooked it was like rubber. The chilled soup and salad was good. For dessert the key lime pie was the only one we liked and it was actually excellent. The only entree that was good was the prime rib. Pizza and the chocolate cake at the promenade cafe saved the day on many

The Ice Show was spectacular - the highlight of the cruise. Considering the size of the rink, the performance was incredible. We enjoy ice shows and this one was better than those we've seen on a full size rink. I would gladly have attended twice. The stage shows were a different matter. The singers and dancers were talented. Unfortunately the director chose uninteresting arcane music that didn't have much entertainment value. I noted that there were many unoccupied seats for their second performance and many left early. The magician/comedian was adequate and the juggler/comedians bordered on exceptional. The cruise director did everything well, we enjoyed him. The casino was fairly good size, but seemed cramped. It could have used a few more of the fun video games instead of so many mechanical reel type slots.

The ship staff were fantastic. They did a great job taking care of the ship and their guests. We truly enjoyed the wait staff in particular.

The ship was the best one we've been on. Everything was spotless. The decor was exceptional. The adults only Solarium, with hot tubs that were actually hot, was a favorite part of the ship. We visited the fitness center every morning and it was extremely well equipped, spacious and with a view that inspired. Even when crowded, the promenade was enjoyable and waits for the pizza were minimal. The formal dining rooms were nothing less than spectacular. Although fairly good size, the casino was a bit cramped and could have used a few more of the video games rather than the old style mechanical reels.

Stateroom was wonderful, spacious and clean, with extraordinary closet space. The invisible steward kept everything perfect. We didn't get to enjoy the balcony much because the guests in the next cabin were constantly out on their balcony smoking and the fumes were really bad. We had to keep the door closed most of the trip.