We sailed from Los Angeles to four Hawaiian islands, then to Ensenada in Mexico, and then back to LA. Four and a half days each way across the Pacific was a long time to be on the ship. Since it was winter, most of the time it was too cold to enjoy on-deck activities like the outdoor pools or deck chairs. Eight or nine days without any ports of call is also more than enough time to exhaust all of the entertainment on board and the various free movies and other TV programming offered by the ship. I was grateful to reach the Hawaii and get off the ship on the way out, and even more grateful to reach LA and get off the ship for good on the way back.

The food was surprisingly uneven - some days it was quite good, other days nearly inedible. The worst food was from the special holiday menus, which I found pretty surprising. The pizzas and hot dogs were the worst - completely disgusting. The first thing I did when disembarking in Hawaii was make a beeline for the nearest fast food. Normally I don't like fast food, but it was a refreshing treat after the fattening, repetitive fare on the boat. Also, because food quality was so variable, it was nice to know for a change what to expect in my meal. On the positive side, room service was 24 hours and at no additional charge for most items. It was nice to be able to get a club sandwich or PBJ any time of the day or night (especially after an unsatisfying meal in one of the main dining rooms). There is also a handy continental breakfast service - you can order several different items like pastries and juice in the evening, and it will show up at the time of your choice the next morning at your door.

Even though it was an "all inclusive" cruise, soft drinks and alcohol are billed separately. The way the ship handles this is really annoying - you have to present your ship card each time you order a drink, and sign a receipt each time too. With large groups at a bar or at dinner this can be very cumbersome and annoying. They should come up with better, less disruptive methods, like portable card or finger print readers. Paperless options would also be nice. Read more