We chose this cruise based on a previous experience with the company. My Mom couldn't say enough good things about American after her first cruise. She then spent nearly $20,000 for us to take a mother /daughter trip. For the last 2 years we had looked forward to the immaculate ship, personalized service, and fine cuisine, she had experienced. We had not had the opportunity to travel together for over 30 years, so we were really looking forward to this extravagant vacation.

As it turned out, American Cruise Lines' regard for customer care/satisfaction had gone by the wayside. As one guest on the ship stated "it was a Holiday Inn experience at a Ritz Carlton price. Our basic needs were not even met, (no toilet paper, toiletries, tissues...) Our room and the rest of the boat had dirty dishes that sat around for more than 24 hours. The service in the dining room was completely inadequate. We ended up getting our own drinks on multiple occasions. The food was mediocre. The officers and the chef were changed during the trip. There was evidence, on multiple occasions, that someone had been in our room. I could go on and on, but I will suffice it to say that the boat was poorly managed, and the staff, (who were all very friendly) were not trained appropriately and had no idea how to do their jobs.

I lost my Mom to cancer in March of 2021, so my husband ended up taking her spot on this trip. We had planned to celebrate her in some way each and every day. Since she loved Martinis we decided to have a martini toast in her honor on our first night. When we ordered the bartender asked if it would be ok to serve them in wine glasses, since they did not have martini glasses. All I can say is, it's a good thing she wasn't there. This was the beginning of a long line of disappointments.