Your right about the mixed reviews.
We went in May of this year. We loved the ship. We are 50+ and had a super good time.
Although we had a balcony and spent a lot of time out there. We went all over the ship and had a great time. Bingo was fun but a little high. The shows were all good.
We had George the Greek in the dining room He was GREAT!!!
There was a goup of highschool kids for there 2003 Class trip, but we never was bothered by them. We just remembered how it was to be young and having fun. They were usually in the Disco or around the music set up along the Sensation Blvd.
We went to Grand Cayman and Cozmuel. The food was very good , we had early dining and had on problem with seats for the shows.
For some reason we always hit the Seafood Bar & Grill when there wasn't to much of a line. We found the food there good as well. The hambergers especially.
There are (2) seafood bar & grill areas. One at the back of the pool and then another one thru the glass doors in the back of the ship. Same food, less lines.
Any special question just feel free to email me.
One thing you might consider. We are very big drinkers, mixed drinks are high.
We took insulated mugs. Lemonade, tea and coffee are FREE!!!!. We would go up to the pool deck at the seafood bar and grill and fill the mugs with ice and tea and you can do that as much as you want. SAVES BIG BUCKS!!! and you can carry it with you all over the ship.
The spa, if any of you think you might use it. WAIT til a port day or the last sea day. I wanted til the last sea day and got a wonderful deal for 1/2 price.
Also pictures are high, but worth it for all the work they do to take them. Also, I found that they ran a special for your camera film developing one day for $8.88 with double prints + a photo book to put them in. We took advange of that and that way we were sure the security scanners didn't ruin our film and had our picture done and ready to show when we returned.
One other thing we read on the boards before we went that we did. Now don't get me wrong, we bought a lot of pictures, but too, the photo crew puts up the backdrops at some point during the day before formal night and other nights. Just simply stand in front of one of them during the day and have someone walking by take you picture.
We also read about smells, we never noticed any at all anywhere.
We also read about the stains etc., we never noticed any of them. All the crew was great and keep busy keeping the ship clean at all times.
I think your vacation where cruise or land vacation is only what you set you mind for it to be.
We read somewhere on someone's review that there were (X) amount of lights out on the lido deck. I told my husband that if that was all that person had to do on a cruise they had to really be board.
Like I said feel fee to email us and I'll try and answer any question.