My husband and I picked this cruise because it was a good deal and sailed during Halloween. Overall, we were very disappointed with our experience.

Embarkation: We dropped off our bags and then parked at Cruise Park. Traffic at this port is an absolute mess. Galveston needs to revamp this area. Also, there were people still debarking while we were trying to embark. Perhaps the ships should arrive in port earlier to help clear up this congestion. The embarkation lunch buffet was so crowded that we ended up eating protein bars we'd brought onboard.

Ship Smell: This ship has terrible ventilation. The casino is located on deck 4 midship, but the cigarette smoke smell permeates several nonsmoking areas on decks 3 and 4. For this reason, we were unable to enjoy the Schooner Bar, Boleros, Photo Gallery, and On Air. The aft stairwell also smells like cigarettes. It gets worse the closer you get to deck 4. The forward stairwell sometimes smells like sewage. There is a wraparound exterior walking area on deck 4. The starboard side is supposed to be nonsmoking. However, we encountered a smoker there every single day. When we mentioned this to guest services, we were told to call security if we saw someone smoking. Unfortunately, by the time you reach security, the smoker is already done and back inside. Read more