For our very first cruise we chose nine days on Silver Shadow, Fort Lauderdale and return. In order to increase the likelihood that we'd enjoy it we booked one of the Royal Suites, (a slightly embarrassing name IMO). The port is a 3 hour drive from our house, so we took *lots* of stuff, far too much in fact! Sailing time was 5pm so we paid $200 for early check-in, which was a good idea as there were few passengers around so boarding was swift and there was time to settle in, have lunch and look around the ship in the afternoon.
The ship is very handsome both inside and out and our cabin was great, 1000 square feet, 1 1/2 baths, bedroom with two large windows looking forward, another room with a bar area, dining table and chairs a sitting area and a side veranda. We shared a butler with the 7 other high end suites.
We know a lot about the hospitality business having run a large country inn for ten years and having travelled extensively all over the world and we were amazed at how well this operation runs. The staff are very well trained and friendly, nothing was too much trouble and we were made to feel totally pampered. With three restaurants and a poolside grill there's plenty of choice and the food is good. We lunched in the Terrace which has a copious buffet and ate dinner in the dining room. We did not try either the posh Champagne restaurant or the Terrace for dinner as we like to eat very lightly in the evening and in the dining room we could choose a couple of appetizers and perhaps dessert. There is a breakfast buffet but it starts far too late for us - 8am- so we had room service which was brought every day at 6am by a cheerful and most meticulous waiter called Clifford. We didn't attend any of the many daytime activities or the evening shows so I can't comment. We were very happy to use the spa (I had eight sessions with a personal trainer and seven massages), read the newspapers and books - the library on board is extensive - and eat mostly a deux. I'm rather deaf so a tableful of people in a crowded restaurant is difficult and anyway a few years of innkeeping tends to use up ones supply of sociability.
The weather was rough for the first couple of days and with a cabin at the pointed end of the ship we got the full effect. On the first morning at sea my trainer said she had never seen it so bad and the massage therapist, after working on me for about 15 minutes, said she was feeling so unwell she had to stop! The first port of call was closed by the storm. We didn't really care, but I felt sorry for folks who had come from cold places hoping for a few days of warm sunshine.
Only one really bad thing happened which is that my wife decided the this cabin in this ship should be our choice, and she will accept no other, for all future cruises, of which she intends there to be many. A lovely woman with excellent but really expensive tastes!
New to this, I'm not sure what interests people in a trip report so I've tried to keep this short, but I'd be glad to answer any questions.
Jeremy
