While I have cruised before, my partner and his daughter were both first timers. I liked the itenarary as it would visit 5 islands which is a bonus in case either party was proned to seasickness. I also liked the size of the ship. Many of the larger ships can be overwhelming to new cruisers and I wanted us all to have a more intimate experience. The cruise was wonderful. Had a mini suite room with a balcony offering lovely views at each port. The ship had a wide range of food and entertainment options, none which were ever over crowded. The Dancing with the Stars was spectacularly entertaining and the professional acts were visually stunning. The people on the ship were friendly and helpful. My only reason was lowering the rating to a 4 is a had some frustration getting bottles of wine from the wine package I ordered. We wanted them for our balcony, but unless the restaurants were open, we struggled to find a place that could give us one. Water fountains would have also help bump this cruise ratings but we hydrated in the main dining area. As for dining, there was enough options that our picky 9 year old had no problem finding delicious things to eat. Hooray! My traveling partners ended the trip committed to becoming cruise people and we will for sure be booking again at some point.