My wife and I decided to take a cruise by ourselves this time, and our Infinity cruise on the Pacific Coast and Mexican Riviera was one of the most relaxing cruises out of the 15 cruises we have taken. Of course having a round trip cruise from San Francisco was great, as we live about 100 miles east of San Francisco and didnt require any air travel. Our neighbor took up to the cruise terminal, letting us off at the curb for our departure, and picking us up 11 days later.

BOARDING THE SHIP = We received a notice to not board before 5 p.m. with an 8 p.m. cruise departure. We arrived at the pier at 12 noon, and we were able to board immediately, and we were in our cabin before 1 p.m. and having lunch a short time later. The safety drill was at 5:15 p.m., and it was not realistic to have more than 2,000 passengers board at 5 p.m. and ready for the safety drill 15 minutes later. On other cruises we arrived prior to the scheduled boarding time, and in nearly every instance we were able to board the ship early. Another thing we have discovered is that the cabins are usually available even before the announced time. We check out our cabin as soon as we board the ship and it is usually ready. By arriving at the terminal early we were able to board the ship without any hassle or crowds.

BUFFET DINING ROOM = Our initial experience in the buffet dining room for lunch was excellent. The beef stew was outstanding, but many of the other buffet meals left a lot to be desired. The fruit juices available at the buffet were often watered down or empty. The cruise line where we have cruised the most, generally has a better arrangement in their buffet, and the fact that cruise line is open 24 hours a day is an advantage. Basically the food is excellent, but it is a hassle when trying to get an egg omelet and a waffle for breakfast and having to go to two different areas. Utilizing one of the four major buffet stations for pasta, ended up having long buffet lines. Their pasta and pizza were excellent, They also have a sandwich and soup station which was very good. One of the highlights of their dining program was the Spa Cafe on the opposite end of the ship from the buffet on level 10. They offer healthy food, which is great for breakfast and lunch. We didnt have any long lines at the Spa Cafe. MAIN DINING ROOM = The only disadvantage was the fact that we were in later seating, which resulted in us not finishing dinner until sometimes as late at 10:45 p.m. Then going to the show resulted in us not getting to bed until after midnight. On a few nights the entertainment was presented at 7 p.m. which didnt make it so late for us. The Grand Buffet was presented in the main dining room, and it was as excellent as the one on the Mercury on which we cruised in April of 2005. The ice carvings were outstanding. Read more