Great Ship and Ports

     Two days of cruising down to St. Maarten was relaxing way to start a vacation.  The Getaway staff was outstanding, always providing excellent service in a courteous way.  I was amazed at how big the ship was yet easy to navigate about.  There were many things to do to keep busy or to just find a place to relax, you decided how much to do or not.  With the many people on the ship I was amazed by the fact that it never seemed crowded in any part of the ship.  I never had a problem finding deck chair space to lay out and get the sun or to find a slot machine!  I cannot say this about any of the other three ships I have been on.  Food:  Excellent buffet at the Garden and the choices in the three dining rooms were great not to mention the entertainment (free) in the Tropicana each night while we dined. Quality of food everywhere was great as well as the variety of cultural dishes.  The dining was free style, no reservation or set eating times which was also great as we never waited to eat and we ate when we wanted.  I went to two "pay" restaurants Moderno and the Noodle bar.  Moderno is Brazilian/Argentine style of meats brought to the table for as long as you could eat.  Quality and service were excellent.  Price was reasonable at $20.  Asian Noodle bar was reasonably priced and again the food quality was excellent.   Dress up if you wished or one did not have to, its a vacation so forget the dress up thing and have more space in your luggage.  Entertainment:  Everyday there was fine entertainment for everyone of all ages and the children's designated camp area was a hit according to the children that went there.  Room:  I had a suite but a balcony would serve the same purpose unless you want the tub!  The room and bed were extremely comfortable and we had plenty of room.  Our steward, Amy was outstanding, as were all the people working in the tight hallways.  Tight hallways but more room in the rooms, good.  Embarkation and disembarkation was fast and efficient (half hour) and for those reasons I will use the Port of Miami and this cruise line again unlike the horror show (1 and a half hours) at Port Canaveral for our last cruise.  Ports of Call:  St. Maarten we went on a drive, boat and drive tour of the whole island and enjoyed the stay.  St. Thomas was the port of call but we took a boat to St. John to see the unspoiled beauty of that island and it was well worth the sights.  I would recommend an excursion to St. John that shows you the sights and has a period to enjoy a beach.  St. John excursion is not for shoppers, shoppers stay on St. Thomas.  Finally, the port of Nassau and the ship docks right on the main shopping areas which was great fun and gave us time for a three hour excursion by bus to see Atlantis, Watkins distillery and where the Bahamians of all classes live.