Although some 18 years old, the ship is in wonderful shape and her crew was outstanding!
I especially loved the Jade Restaurant on the 12th deck - a great sushi / asian dining experience with a panoramic view looking over the bow of the ship. The only problem was that it was only open from 7:00PM to 10:00PM. Had great sushi and my wife "cooked" her steak skewers on a hot lava rock right at our table. Quite a romantic spot as well.
Another point of interest is that the captain is Karin Stahre-Janson, the first and only female ship's master in the entire cruise industry! It's not true what some say about women drivers - she did a marvelous job, even through the 10-foot seas on the first night (due to the lasting effects of a past hurricane).
I think this will be our last cruise to the Bahamas in August - it was extremely hot and humid. Couldn't go in the water at CocoaCay due to the many jellyfish. Only stayed on the island for about an hour and wound up going back to the ship to get to the pool and air conditioning.
This was our first experience in a Grand Suite. Don't think it was worth the extra money - it was a little bigger than a
JS and we got a couple of amenities (sushi snack, cheese tray, fresh fruit), but all in all, I think a better option would have been to stay in the
JS and spend the extra money in the bars and casinos! Now that we're Platinum, I think we'll get the priority boarding and departure anyway, and there was no line for the tenders at CocoaCay.
Met an elderly couple who were on their 71st cruise! They started cruising in 1960. They now live in Orlando and are enjoying the opportunity to cruise out of Tampa, Miami, Fort Laurderdale, and Port Canaveral - all within a short drive away. How lucky!
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