CABIN
This suite on deck 9 is in the back of the ship and very close to the rear elevators. While the cabin is wonderfully spacious and comfortable, be aware that the neighboring service room results in strange noises day and night. The noises did not interrupt our sleep because I wear ear plugs and hubs is heavy sleeper, but if you are a light sleeper or sensitive to noises, it could be an issue. We were disappointed in the cabin's lack of cleaning to our standard. There was so much dust accumulated throughout that you could run your fingers along the rails/furnishings and get disgusting clumps. We reported the issue and uniforms came to see the dust problem for themselves, apologized and dusted, but we still felt the cabin did not get cleaned properly on a daily basis. In addition, the balcony is completely exposed to the elements, with no shade or overhead covering at all, and it lacks any privacy since the cabins above deck 9 see directly down into the balcony. I would book an aft extended balcony over this suite. The safety/muster station was in the Pacific Restaurant.
EMBARKATION/DEBARKATION
Booking this suite means you get priority embarkation and debarkation. We had a check in appointment for 10:00 - 10:30, but we missed the priority embarkation because the traffic was absolutely dreadful at the cruise port (the people directing traffic are terrible. They need serious training.), leaving us arriving to the terminal at 10:35, and after ALL waiting cruisers had already been allowed to board. Priority debarkation directions had us reporting to the Atlantic Dining Room by 8:30AM (carry-off luggage passengers were reporting there by 7:30AM) and we (luggage tag group 2) were allowed to begin the debarkation process at 8:15AM. The entire debarkation process, including the 640 steps walk to the Express Lot, was completed at 8:38AM
FOOD/DRINKS
We loved Shaq's Big Chicken and the soup/sandwiches at Beach Buns as free dining options. We also enjoyed our ChiBang meal, but the Main Dining Room was just okay. I did not enjoy the buffet because it always had the same options and there were loads of dirty dishes and tables making it feel gross, but the gelato station gets two thumbs up. Our best meal on this cruise was at Bonsai Sushi! The sushi was great, as usual, but I LOVED the ramen with chicken and the meat skewers, too! I have been craving that meal ever since. Oh, and the Bonsai Mules are my favorite cocktails on board. Our favorite bar was at Guy's Brewhouse by the Heroes Lounge. They make the best mojitos on board. Java Cafe has improved the speed and traffic flow. The first year in service, this cafe always had a long wait in line. Now, the wait is reasonable since they always had two registers open. I loved the friendly and speedy service, and the caramel cappuccinos were always tasty.
CASINO
The casino had a lot of jackpot winners. I witnessed several 10K winners and heard announcements for multiple big winners. Hubs won a jackpot on Huff N' More Puff, and I did well, despite no jackpots, leaving the casino up a few hundred dollars with bets under $3 per spin. (That is a win in my books!) I particularly enjoyed the DRAGON LINK, Golden Drums, Buffalo Wheels of Reward and Jackpot Carnival, all in the nonsmoking casino.
SHOWS/ENTERTAINMENT
Honestly, we've been on the ship four times now, and we still have not watched any of the shows. The casino keeps us entertained.
If you have questions, just ask.