Just returned from the Navigator 7-day cruise to Bermuda. Some wonderful stuff, some not so wonderful, and a couple new lessons learned. I'll keep this brief, as I'm starting to doze, but will hit the high and low points.

The first people Mom and I met--even before we boarded--were Loon and her husband. They figured out who we were, and approached us. We palled around with them through the cruise--terrific people and lots of fun.

The weather was great on port days, notwithstanding the pain inflicted by Frances in Florida during that time. I'd highly recommend the snorkel trip that goes over a shipwreck--it was amazing. It's run by Jessie James Cruises (they added it on as a ship excursion at the last minute).

Not surprisingly, the food and service on the Navigator were superb. RSSC knows how to hire and train. The specialty restaurant, the Portofino, was nothing special food or atmosphere-wise. I'm not sure it's worth the trouble of a structured reservation. But the Compass Rose was excellent.

One thing I really did not like: the days at sea at the beginning and end of the cruise--particularly at the beginning. A day at sea is nice after several days of exploring ports, but to have one at the outset sets up a very boring launch to a vacation, particularly as they didn't even have the pool filled while at sea (too choppy). I've always liked RSSC for its destinations, but this cruise was a little more sea-oriented than I like. That's personal preference only. I know some people love the days at sea, and like the first day to de-pressurize after coming off of work.

Disembarkation was another sour note. We were kicked out of our rooms at 9:00 and left to sit around crowded lounges for 2 hours before we could disembark. Then, there was not a taxi to be had. I know they make some bucks from selling their land arrangements, but in a port like NY, they must realize that independent travel is going to be done by quite a few, and they should show enough consideration of passengers to ensure that there's a taxi line formed.

Again, the complaints don't outweigh the pluses--not by a long shot. But I did learn a couple of things for future reference.