To preface my review so you will understand my experience: I took the cruise with my younger sister and my parents. I am 14 years old, and I've only been on one cruise before this one - on the Carnival Miracle, which went to Mexico. Thanks for reading my review and I hope you take my thoughts into account when choosing your next cruise! :)
The embarkation process went quite well and it was not long before we were able to explore the ship - however, the staterooms did not open until 1pm (we boarded at 11am).
The ship itself is quite nice. It has various venues for trivia/entertainment/activities, etc, and they are all used to the fullest extent they can be.
The "Virtual Balcony" was a neat idea, but it wasn't actually that great. It wasn't even on the side of the boat we were on. Overall it was a good location, quite close to the buffet and not too much noise.
It was really hot out, and without an excursion there wasn't much to do. We visited the Craigdarroch Castle and it was interesting, but then we spent the rest of our time waiting in line at a restaurant.
Side note: Seattle residents beware, the "Pagliacci" is NOT the same as Pagliacci Pizza. It's a completely different restaurant.