This was our first cruise with Royal Caribbean as we have sailed with Norwegian and Carnival many times before (twice during the pandemic) and we were disappointed. The ship itself was clean and well maintained but the entertainment was very subpar and even the entertainment crew was barely around. We only saw the cruise director Mickey when he introduced or closed shows. I bought the photo package and there weren’t even enough photos taken to fill half my pkg. of 50. We are not drinkers so it wasn’t like we were looking for a party boat either.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Very quick and easy. However the vaccination bands they have you wear are a nuisance. I’m not sure why the unvaccinated don’t have to wear them instead.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We were disappointed with the main dining room. Our food was delivered to the table lukewarm every time. I also ordered my roast medium well and it was barely browned on each side. The buffet however had a great selection which is why I have 4 stars. I had the best pork chop I have ever tasted and the stir fry was yummy.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Shuffleboard was missing pieces. We did enjoy the mini golf, water slides, flow rider and sports court. I was disappointed that the card room did not have more games. We usually sail Carnival and their game room is full.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We were so disappointed in the entertainment. The musicians did a good job but everything else was mediocre. I was looking forward to the comedy shows and other entertainment but the best one was the fire Ice show. We are definitely used to a higher level of entertainment from cruise ships.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff was great and were working so hard all the time. They were genuine in their happiness to have us on board. We were very impressed with the wait staff in the buffet and Linda and Robinson in the dining room. Also, our room steward Aman was so attentive even though we knew he was so busy.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship was super clean and we found it to be easily maneuvered.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Your typical inside stateroom though we were surprised by the lack of storage spaces as we are used to carnival that has lots of closet space. I did enjoy the medicine cabinet feel in the bathroom though.
We found plenty to do in Galveston and Houston. My only complaint is that it is expensive to get from the airport to the pier and for this reason we probably won’t sail out of Texas again.
We did the Yucatán and Salt mines tour thru Shore Excursioneer. Our guide was very shy at first and didn’t have too much to share but if you asked him questions he was happy to share is knowledge. So it was a great day out.
We did the ATV tour thru RC and had a blast. Our guide was Saul and he took us for a fun and full ride. I’m sorry but I can’t remember the other guides name but he was funny, knowledgeable and great too. We didn’t stay at the beach break because we had passes to Playa Mia which we also enjoy.
My Freedom and Ovaition were ok but Independence was bad. I thought I'd get spoiled with RC but that wasn't the case. I can't wait to get back on Carnival.
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