ckglick

It was our first cruise and I had researched everything I could think of, and everyone gives you different answers so let me answer a few things for you.  You do not need to take a water bottle with you.  There are areas with juice, water, and tea available almost all the time.  Don't take snacks with you!  You won't need it.  There is so much food.   And most of the food is wonderful.  Get involved!  There are so many activities planned that you can participate in or even just watch.  This particular cruise had a wonderful activities director and we really enjoyed watching the events.  And, it wasn't just for adults.  There were things for kids and even older teens to do.  I had an 18 and 20 year old with me and they enjoyed it also.  The cabins are very small, but really, who stays in there except to sleep, so it really doesn't matter.  And, don't bother paying for a window view as you don't really use the view.  Ours had my time dining, which I really liked.  We set up times in advance to dine, and if we were a little early or late, no one minded.  Additionally, all tips were included, but if you want to tip extra, there are envelopes you can get at the end of your cruise to leave tips.  The service was amazing!!!!  I am not sure how they train their people, but that person should be rewarded.  Everyone is friendly, helpful and willing to go out of their way for you.  My daughters ate at Izumi (the specialty restaurant) one of the nights and they felt like royalty they were treated so well.  And, when signing up to have them go to that specialty restaurant, the person taking our reservations asked questions about the girls to make sure they would be able to show them a special time.  As for the excursions, you can buy them on the ship even up to the day of the excursion.  They are really well planned, and we felt safe.  I am not so sure I would have felt safe exploring on my own.  Lastly, unless you drink a lot, I wouldn't recommend the beverage packages as, yes the drinks are expensive, but are you really going to drink enough to warrant paying for the package?  Royal Caribbean is a wonderful cruiseline and I would highly recommend taking a cruise with them anywhere!