This was our eighth cruise so we are starting to get a feel for how ships and cruise lines compare. We had travelled previously on this ship 7 years ago when it was MS Random under the Holland America banner. It is now a very different cruising experience.
Embarkation and disembarkation were as smooth as we have experienced and better than most.
Firstly the condition of the ship. Upon approaching the ship it was easy to see that the lower half of the ship was well overdue for a coat of paint. It looked quite shabby. However once on board the ship looked much like most of the other ships that we had cruised on in terms of finish quality. However, the windows really needed a good clean as many were VERY messy. The public areas of the ship all looked quite fresh and more modern than most of the other ships we have experienced. We really liked the modernised main dining room and the free asian style restaurant. But the cabins are looking dated, albeit they are clean and functional.
We understand what 'obstructed' means, and it often means you just get a glimpse of the water. But this ship looked out on a bulk head and had absolutely no view of anything off the ship. The cabin itself was well laid out and the bathroom was one of the larges we have experienced. The 2 seater lounge made it very comfortable.
We just mossed around the resort area and returned to the ship.