It's the best of the best shoved together
If you choose the right ship and company.
I don't plan on flying so at this point my only choices are coming out of Seattle or a long drive to California.
Pricewise it beats anything that I could compare against as far as some resort somewhere that I fly to. Which I won't do. Also, I don't really want to leave the country. I'm okay hitting international Waters. But I don't actually want to enter another country. A felony on my record makes it a bit difficult when making these decisions.
There are variety of restaurants that are top of the line. No waiting, just stumble out of my room or the pool deck and show up. By paying in advance, I ended up paying $15 per person a for meal that would easily have cost a hundred bucks per person in an equivalent land restaurant.
And there's no concept of choosing something and limiting yourself as far as something else is concerned. Order one of everything. Order five lobster tails. It's all the same price.
I don't get the drink package, I don't want an incentive to drink my money's worth. On the other hand, the drinks can be ridiculously cheap because as long as there's not a manager behind the bar a bartender will give you a double or triple shot mixed drink for 12 bucks. They know you're going to tip when that happens.
I don't get seasick and I love the rocking with the boat. The mattresses suck compared to my mattress but I still sleep very well due to the rocking. I have my own private balcony.
The entertainment is great (comic, ventriloquist, dancers, singers) and the seating is incredible. I had first or second row for every show I went to.
They swap out the entertainers every couple of days so you get new choices all the time.
You can be sure every staff member paid attention to me and was kind.
When I took the kids on them, the staff kept the kids away from me until 9:00 at night. A total day I could be sure the kids were mostly safe. The ain't traveling far. And they have someone watching them by while being fully entertained.
Yes they sink occasionally. And yes, there are fires and hurricanes at resorts. Horror stories everywhere. I never want to go to a resort in a poor country that is a resort destination at a limited location, but the surrounding areas are filled with people who would be happy to kill you. That's not happening on a boat.
And I never went to hand my life to a foreign customs agent again.