We loved the new design on this ship. Grouping musical venues together created a much more lively evening vibe (our previous HAL cruises had been pretty dead at night). In general the dining was excellent-- the lido was the best cruise buffet we have every encountered. Also enjoyed the Tamerind and really loved the sushi bar. The only truly disappointing dining was the Sel De Mer-- overcooked, bland fish and clearly canned escargot. On a ten day cruise we only ate in the dining room once, but it ws fine. The NFL championship game was broadcast pool side as was a movie each night. Nice way to view. The newly designed pool area has plenty of seating.

The staff was outstanding-- better than we have experienced on any previous cruise (including 10 HAL cruises). This is possibly due to it being a new ship with Oprah Winfrey expected on the sailing immediately following ours.

There were a few disappointments-- the thermal pool design is not as good as on Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam -- it is impossible to use the massage waterfalls without spraying everyone else in the pool. As is typical, the spa was a joke with silly fake "treatments" like "detox foot treatments" and grossly overpriced, mediocre massage. The casino is also rather poor with terrible odds. Read more