Last year I sailed SS Spirit in Greece and X Apex in the Caribbean; veranda suite and retreat sky suite. Will admit the cost on SS was higher but the experience was higher as well. There were several things that turned be off to X. Dining was a hassle. Very crowded and very difficult to get in a restaurant. We tried not long after dining was available and could not get in many of the restaurants - never were able to on the boat as well. Luminae got boring after a while. And, usually a line and wait there as well. Never got into Fine Cut, Raw on 5, Le Grand or the MCRide. Tried to walk into Le Grand for lunch one day - restaurant practically empty but were turned away. Dining is one of the best parts of a cruise - on SS I did not have any problem getting into all restaurants. The other issue for me was crowds. Getting on and off the boat was taxing. Running track, gym, casino all shoulder to shoulder.