Mizzbe

If I hadn't sailed on Royal Caribbean many times before, I might be giving a more enthusiastic review. This time, it was hard not to be aware of the many cost-cutting measures I observed, such as the absence of the usual toiletries in the stateroom, the flimsy toilet paper, mediocre food, and even the end of the mint or chocolate on the pillow at night.

On the plus side, however, the scenery was spectacular, the entertainment was very good (the exception, perhaps, were the less than polished big production numbers), 

Buenos Aires is a port worth visiting for several days before the cruise leaves, and Valparaiso, at the end, is also worth a couple of days, at least. One big problem is that passengers are left to figure out what to do with their luggage at the last port, unless they are booked into a hotel.

The staff was very capable, though some grumbling was heard about the Brazilian government's demand that a large percentage of the crew be Brazilian. That may explain why Royal Caribbean, allegedly, will not be doing this cruise route in the future.

Very choppy weather created a downtime experience for many of the sea-sick passengers (and crew) for at least one day, and large swells prevented the stop we hoped to get at Mauii. It's a lot of time at sea, so if you lust for land, this isn't your cruise. Otherwise, the passengers were kept well occupied. The food is good, not great, and tends to read better on the menu than it actually tastes. Still, I had a very good time (even though my travel companion and I were both sick for a day, and even though we missed a stop in Mauii. The crew was very courteous, and the activities are plentiful.