This was our first time taking a cruise and we had a great time! We got a great deal that included our airfare and free dining package, drink package, internet, excursion credit and a cabin credit. We arrived in Nola around 1:30 on Saturday and had some time to explore the city. We arrived at the cruise terminal at 9:30 the following morning and were part of boarding group #2. Everything was super smooth, there were no lines and we were able to get on the ship and get the Vibe passes we desired.

Our 10th floor balcony room was spacious and clean and had a lot of smart storage allowing us ample room to unpack and get settled in for our week stay. During our stay we had wonderful service from our cabin steward, Nelson. He always greeted us with a smile, called us by name and kept our room stocked with towels and anything else we needed. The ship was also very clean and well kept, the only dirtiness we saw was from other passengers leaving drink cups and/or plates random places for the crew to pick up after them.

Prior to our trip I had done a lot of research and had booked 2 group dinners several weeks ahead of time online at the specialty restaurants we wanted to try during our vacation so getting reservations wasn't an issue that a lot of people mention in these reviews. In my opinion, if you know you're going to go on vacation, taking a few minutes to book a reservation ahead of time to ensure you get the time you want is a smart idea and you can always cancel it or change it when you get on the ship. We ate at the tepanyaki grill, Cagney's steakhouse and Moderno's - they were all very good. For our other meals, we usually ate at the buffet, which offered a decent selection for every meal. We did try the noodle bar, which we thought was delicious and O'Sheehan's, Savor and Tropicana. We did think Tropicana was our least favorite of all, but it is a large venue and the staff did their best. Nothing we ate was terrible, in fact the majority of it was good to very good quality. Read more