We flew into LHR one day prior to cruise and had private service pick us up and deliver us to the Tudor Marriott in Maidstone. The guys were golfers and the hotel is a country club, which allowed them to start their golfing cruise by playing in England. Private car picked us up the next day around noon and delivered us to the port. Registration was a piece of cake. Walked right in and in a matter of 10 minutes were on board. The main dining room was not available for lunch, so reluctantly went to the buffet and was pleasantly surprised. We assumed that due to the fact that this ship only has 600+ passengers, the buffet was not a mad house like on the larger ships and the food selection was excellent. Because of this experience we ate all but one breakfast and all lunches when were on board at the buffet. Never a problem finding a seat or elbowing your way to get to the food which has been our experience on the larger ships.
The first day was a sea day, which gave us time to get oriented and to locate items that we had packed the previous day! We were in a mini-suite next to the aft cabins and the storage and size of the cabin was great. The only negative about our location was the noise above when they were moving the chairs early in the morning or late evening. But very convenient to the buffet and minimal noise in the hall.
Due to the fact that Tropical Storm Bertha had arrived in the UK, the motion of the ship was the most we have ever experienced. We knew that those folks who had weak stomachs probably didn't enjoy this part of the trip.
Great storage and nice size. Location was excellent (last next to aft suites), convenient to stairs and low traffic.