bostonanne

The overall cruise experience was great for a first-time cruiser.  Myself and 8 others from my family (we live all over the USA) chose to have a mini-reunion on the cruise.  I took my mother on this cruise as a gift to fulfill her life-long dream of going on a cruise which my father was unable to fulfill due to his untimely death to cancer. 

Checking-in for the cruise was fairly easy, and the line was not too long to wait in.  Getting on-board was simple.  The rooms were as expected.  The housekeeping service was beyond attentive (Steven) and exceptional.  The main dining room service was excellent (Oscar).  Our party of 9 was seated together for dinner, which made the experience that much more personal. 

The actual sailing part of the trip was very smooth, with the exception of a rocky last night's sleep on the cruise.  I do wish I had planned better for the afternoon spent on Nassau.  Downtown Nassau does not have that much to offer (other than the natives desperate to sell you goods or services, and expensive shops that I have at home in Boston).  I know excursion packages were possible to purchase through Royal Caribbean, however, it would have been nice to have planned better to find a reputable tour service to see more of the island. 

The day at Coco Cay was great, even with the rough seas making it difficult for the boats to take people to/from the island.  I applaud the Captain for doing a great job under the circumstances and making the passengers safety the top priority.  Several people in my party did not make it to Coco Cay.  They were disappointed but understanding.  The island itself  was clean, well-maintained and had lots of activities to offer.  The only thing I was disappointed in was the shopping - the stuff for sale was junky touristy stuff. I was hoping for more hand-made crafts local to the Bahamas (which I was able to find in Nassau after hours of searching).

Overall, I think the entire service was exceptional.  The staff did a great job in offering non-stop entertainment and food.  The food in the Windjammer was decent (I equate it to a college cafeteria).  I was impressed with the variety though.  For someone who thought she would be terrified of the ship and didn't want to go, I actually would consider going again.