As a well seasoned traveler, (I am the daughter of a retired major airline employee and have 20 years of active military service abroad) I must say this trip was one of a lifetime! My mother, 2 sons (14 & 15) and I traveled together for a family vacation and we all had a blast! We arrived at Port Canaveral amid notorious central Florida rain, but that did not hamper a smooth registration/check-in. Our luggage was pre tagged at home (RCCL sends your baggage tags to your home along with travel itinerary, boarding checklist and cruise tickets) so all we had to do was park our car in the lot, ($29.00 USD for 4 days. I thought this was a little steep) drop off our luggage, and check in. We arrived at 2:00 pm as stated in the cruise guide and at first the check in line seemed long and reminiscent of those at Disney and Universal. But alas, a travel agent walked through the lines giving reminders and pointers of all documents necessary for boarding and time spent waiting in line was minimal. Our agent at the desk, Carol was friendly and polite. We wanted to take her with us instead of being just another of her customers. Carol gave us 2 room keys and told us to see the purser for additional. My entry aboard the ship was all I imagined (1st time cruiser)! Immaculate decor, elegant furnishings and lots of space. Our state room was #5070,at first it appeared small, but it turned out to be perfect. Outside cabin with window, on the Showtime Deck, a few steps from the casino, the shopping mall, the purser, excursion desk, every thing! We had two bunk beds that were incredibly comfortable. Our cabin attendant Maria, did a wonderful job with our stateroom. She never woke us too early, or bothered us one bit. Whenever we returned to our room everyday, it was clean, fresh towels etc., beds made for the day or turned down for the night. Perfect. Soft drinks are stocked in the cabins at cost...a Coke costs $1.50 USD! I knew of this by reading this site before my trip so we brought along drink pouches/squeezits for something to drink in between meals. You also could go up to Windjammer for soft drinks free of charge at any time but that’s a trip out of your cabin when you may not to leave and it's iced tea or lemonade...lucky for me I love lemonade! First lunch was at the Windjammer, we ate outside and enjoyed the wonderful view. Then a mandatory drill for everyone for emergency situations. Then we were off. There was so much to do.. We took in a musical show "Flashback" which was excellent. There was something for everyone in it. From Elvis to Aretha, Madonna to Michael Jackson. Top notch-A #1. Then there was dinner. Beautiful array of entrées and alternatives as well. This was perfect for teen boys! We had a window table with a wonderful family from NY who also had teen boys same ages as our. Again...Perfect! Winston, our waiter from India, pampered us without limit! He de-shelled shrimp for us, found alternate appetizers for us upon request and made sure all of us were pleased! He was a lot of fun too! The pool party was a blast. We did the Cha-Cha, Macarena and the Conga Line. Then a live band played Island music and every one danced! It was magical! There was a dance club just for teens too. Nassau was wonderful. Shopping for gifts and souvenirs was less than I expected. At the straw market we got 4 Bahama T-shirts for $10.00 USD! I missed out on the trip to Atlantis at $4.00 USD per person. I only saw cabs offering the trip for $15.00 USD per head. We skipped that, and went to the Nassau Marriott on the local transportation at $1.00 USD per head. Coco Cay was superb! Yes it was crowded at the entrance...but a few steps beyond the crowds is heaven on earth! There are 3 sections (at least!) to the beach. We went to the third, no rocks in the water(crystal clear in fact-you can see tiny fish swimming around your toes!) No jelly fish, plenty lawn chairs, sun, and shade! When you need a break, go to Coco Cay! There was a Bar-b-Que scheduled from 11:30 to 1:30. After swimming at 2:15 I was hungry. No problem. I asked the waiter if the Bar-B-Que was over at 1:00. He said it was supposed to be but we will not stop serving if our guests want to eat! There is free water and soft drinks at Coco Cay although bottled water is sold at $3.00 USD per bottle before you leave the ship for Coco Cay. Captain’s night was fantastic. Dinner again superb! A Quartet performed at our table, the waiters and chefs were formally introduced, and performed a farewell number!... My boys thought they would be bored, but after basketball, movies, shows, and the teen clubs, they passed out every night exhausted and asked for wake up calls in the mornings so they wouldn't miss anything. This was a wonderful experience. It was my first cruise, my mom's 3rd and we both were impressed! We were docked next to 2 other ships in Nassau but none were as regal or pristine as the Sovereign. Four of took this cruise, with window stateroom for just about $1500.00 USD. The quantity and quality of the food alone was worth this much. When I finish this review, I'll start planning my next cruise.