Just got back yesterday (12/7/03)! For his birthday, I surprised my boyfriend with this cruise. We had a really great time overall, but there are a few things that kind of bothered us a little. Keep in mind that we had an overall GREAT time on the cruise, and we would definitely recommend it to our friends. So don't let any negative comments disappoint you. You will have a lot of fun...I miss it already!

1)Sunday & Monday- The lines were very long when we got to the pier in Manhattan. And just when you think the waiting is finally over, there's another line to wait on. But don't get too annoyed, they go pretty quickly. TIP: Fill out all the paperwork and immigration cards before you get there. And don't forget your passport or birth certificate and another form of photo ID...they won't let you on the ship without it. Also there are 2 days at sea, and it can get a little boring. I suggest bringing a book or a deck of cards so that you can at least entertain yourself during those hours when there's nothing going on. However, they leave a daily itinerary on your door, and all of the ship's activities are listed out on there. It makes planning the day a lot easier. Definitely go to all the shows. They were fun. And try to meet other people early on because it really does get boring on those sea days.

2) Tuesday-Getting off the ship in Port Canaveral was a project, so get there early and don't forget to bring your driver's license and key card. They were pretty strict at that port. We paid $15 each and took the 1hr bus ride to Epcot. There was more than enough time to check everything out there.

3) Wednesday- Miami was nothing special. They should get rid of this port (along with Port Canaveral) and give you more time in the Bahamas. We did take the "Latin Tour of Miami" ($36 each) and that was nice (say Hi to Miguel...they tour guide. He was awesome!). They take you to Coral Gables and Little Cuba. Coral Gables had beautiful Italian and Spanish style houses. It was a very nice tour, but they don't bring you to South Beach, so we paid another $15 (each way) and took a cab after the tour. The shuttle bus (which also goes to South Beach) is $15 each, so it costs the same. Looking back, I wouldn't have bothered going to South Beach at all because a) there was no one at the beach (it was a Wednesday in December), and b) there's nothing to see during the day (except for Versace's house). South Beach is famous for it's night life, but during the day it sucks. I felt like the whole day was a waste of time and money. Don't bother going shopping in Miami...unless you don't have the Gap or CVS in your home town. I'm from NY, so there was no point in going shopping in Miami. Same stores. But it was probably great for the foreigners.

4) Thursday - The seas were very rough, so they decided to bring us to Nassau instead of the private island. That was cool because it gave us a little more time to spend shopping and checking out "the Bahamas." We loved Nassau. The local people were usually very helpful and nice, but the people at the straw market were annoying and rude. They would almost follow us around which made it hard to really shop because someone was constantly trying to pressure you into buying something. And ladies, tie your hair into a ponytail or something...you will be asked constantly if you want your hair braided (which I didn't). I have long blond hair which definitely made me a target...lol And keep in mind, the women in the straw market seem nice, but they get snippy and rude if you ask them for a price and then don't buy it. Definitely a great place though....we walked to the water tower and Queen Elizabeth steps, which was beautiful. Bay Street has a lot of shops and jewelry stores, so this is definitely a shopping day. Get the 4 for $10 T-shirts.

5)Friday-Great Stirrup Cay is a pretty little island. I though there was going to be a bigger beach area though. There's not much sand between the rocks and the water, so try to get there early so you can find a good spot. Bring goggles...there are so many beautiful fish that swim right up to the shore. Would have been better if we had goggles. And one big TIP: BRING WATER SHOES! The ocean floor is very sharp and slimy. People were getting hurt while walking around in the water. There is also a little market behind the bbq area, but it's expensive compared to Nassau. The bbq was not very good...definitely not as good as the food on the ship. Definitely eat breakfast before you leave the ship. There is also a cool Caribbean style band playing music...nice touch. The water was beautiful and the ferry ride was very short (and very bumpy, so sit down). Overall, this was a fun beach day!

At night - Really good shows...don't miss them. And make reservations at one of the main restaurants because it's Surf and Turf night.

6) Saturday - At Sea- Go to the shows...play cards and read your book if you get bored...Or go donate your money to the casino ;)

7) Sunday- New York- Don't bother waking up early unless you are NOT an American citizen. They are called down first around 8:30am. Everyone was assigned a color, and our color wasn't called untill 11:00am. So if your color is purple, wake up late, eat breakfast, go take some last minute pictures of the ship and make sure you packed everything up...but definitely don't rush...you might even need your book again. ;)

Overall, it was a really great cruise and we had a good time. Our balcony stateroom (room 10662)was really pretty and had more than enough space for us. Big closet, 3 drawers, coffee maker, blow dryer, safe and fridge. The balcony was awesome and we will never get a regular stateroom again. The bathroom was always clean with new towels every time we got back in the room. The cleaning crew was working 24-7.

There are 10 restaurants, and they're all pretty good. The three main restaurants have the same menu, so just pick your favorite atmosphere. Salsa, the mexican restaurant, was pretty good. There are also three restaurants that have a cover charge. The steakhouse, the Japanese restaurant (Bamboo), and the French restaurant (Le Bistro). We went to Bamboo and Le Bistro....they were really good. I recommend going to Le Bistro at least once. And Bamboo is half price between 5:00 and 6:00pm.

The Garden Cafe on deck 12 was good for breakfast and lunch, but it was kind of hard to find a table sometimes. If you walk to the opposite end of the restaurant there should be some empty tables there.

And one last thing...go to Dazzles Lounge at night. The singer is awesome...Have a great cruise and e-mail me if you have any questions... Jenica13@aol.com