Great short cruise!

This cruise was perfect for my husband and I to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary!  It was generally what we expected as we have both cruised before. The drinks were all included which made the drink process so much easier. You do not have to wait for a receipt- you take your drink and go!  My husband was disappointed that he got charged extra for a red bull but every other drink we wanted was free.  The schedule of drinks was awkward though. You could order alcohol at 7 am if you wanted to but when we wanted a soda at 3 am the only way to get one was by ordering room service! 

This was our first time not having a balcony on a ship. Our ocean view room was on the 8th floor and I can honestly say that the balcony was not missed. We were barely in the room because the cruise was so short. Also, there was no option to rent movies in the room which is something we have done on longer cruises. Since we couldn't order room service while we rented a movie it wasn't really necessary for us to have a larger feeling room.  If I were with 3 or more people I would have felt clostrophibic. Also, the bathroom felt slightly bigger than a porta-potty. If bigger rooms are very important and drinks are not, you should consider Royal carribeans enchantment of the seas which offers a similar schedule of ports.  

This was NOT a family cruise- at all. It may have been the time of the year but there were not many children or many activities for children to do unless you did shore excursions which were very expensive. We were so glad we didn't take our kids!  No one seemed to be too intoxicated, however, but I may just not have noticed or cared. If I had children with me, I may have paid more attention. Also, my husband and I were not asked for ID once. I'm 30 and he's 23 and we always get carded if we go out in New York. I think the assumption is that if you are on an open bar boat that you are of age to drink. I probably wouldn't bring teenage children on this ship. 

The food was great in the dining room but the buffet was small and a little disappointing. Being able to eat food from the buffet outdoors was nice but the food was basic and the options were boring. If I had to cruise any longer than 4 days I would have been sick of the same tired options.  Prepare to spend an hour and a half in the dining room if you want all three courses.  If you want anything other than wine to drink with dinner it was a wait.   

The ports were as expected. Freeport is not worth getting off the boat for. We went to senor frogs and had a good time but it was unnecessary because the drinks on the boat are free. Nassau is amazing and has so many things to do. It truly made the trip. We chose to go to Atlantis and do the aqua adventure and it was worth it for us!  If you like to gamble, Atlantis has an amazing casino. We won a lot there but lost it all on the boat! The private island day was perfect for laying out, relaxing, eating and drinking on the beach. The island was large and had public and private areas as well as some small shops(that only take cash). All of the food and drinks are included on the private island. However, the food is the same food as on the boat.  It would have been nice to have some sort of bahemian options for the island food instead of the basic hot dog and burger type of food. The boat to the island is a little rocky so if you get seasick be prepared. 

The ships entertainment was fine for a short cruise. We had fun at the game shows and we won twice during deal or no deal!  Overall we had a wonderful experience and the positives outweighed any of the negatives!  If it were our first cruise we may have been disappointed but we know what to expect and it was exactly what we were looking for- a short getaway for a couple to enjoy together!