This was our first time on a ship of this size, and although we heard there were about 3600 passengers on a ship capacity of 6700, there were areas that seemed crowded. Masks were required in all indoor spaces and recommended in crowded outdoor spaces. Next to last day, the pool areas were quite congested and we saw few, if any, wearing masks. We enjoyed the cruise, but frankly prefer midsize ship, max capacity 3000 or fewer. We have been enjoying Celebrity a bit more and have status with a couple of other cruise lines. We took this cruise because of a great deal we got on one of our credit cards, with a large rebate. Not sure if this is true all the time, but RCCL did not seem to offer any pre-cruise perks at booking such as prepaid gratuities, drink package, etc. We guess the discounts are given in the cruise price. If the right deal came along, we would cruise RCCL again.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
I believe Terminal 18 is one of the older terminals and they had us waiting outside (we had an early checkin time). The line was a confused mess with people with priority mixed in with people with different time slots. They could have benefited from having ropes and stanchions to at least bring some semblance of order to the lines. Add to this that the setup had us away from the restrooms and when we finally did get inside, the seating area was blocked off from the restrooms. After an 1 1/2 hour drive to get to the terminal, rest room access is a must
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We did not eat in any of the specialty restaurants. The main dining room food and service were both superb. This was our first cruise on a mega-ship and we found the need to scan in and out of the buffet a nuisance (never had to do that on a buffet on any other ship in 35 cruises). The buffet was average and poorly laid out with choke points that made it difficult to traverse.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
RCCL is known for their entertainment and here they did not disappoint. A full production of Mama Mia, an aqua show, an ice show, comedians, etc., were all enjoyable. Because of the ship capacity, we understand reservations are necessary, but since we were at about 40 percent capacity, we never had an issue getting in.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Mama Mia was good, not quite Broadway quality, but we were on a ship after all. The ships orchestra was outstanding and we heard them in different venues. The comedians were good, one far better than the other. The other bands around the ship sounded great.
Children's Programs
No
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward was outstanding, met our every request and kept our cabin clean, neat and organized. We did not have set dining, but the tried to place with the same wait staff every evening and our waiter and his assistant were terrific. When we had to eat early one day during the assigned seating time, the head waiter came to our assistance and we were able to get a table with our usual waiters and did make it to the show on time.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship was always clean - and in comparison to other ships we have been on, it was huge.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Balcony cabin, relatively small, especially the shower. Always clean and met our needs.
Ship tip
Study the ship in advance and make reservations for the entertainment as soon as you can. The app is a must.
We like St. Thomas, been here several times, but in this case did not leave the port area. Crown Bay is very limited by the port, so not a lot to do here. (We prefer docking at Havensight which is adjacent to a mall and within walking distance of the sky ride).
Another port we enjoy, again did not leave the port area, but there is a bit more shopping area so we spend some time off the ship enjoying the local beer .
Last few disembarkations have been remarkable - facial recognition on a tablet and then out the door to the parking lot - we had breakfast, walked off just after seven and were home before 9.
We’re on the Allure right now and we have 3097 per customer relations -it seems like nobody’s on the ship we never see anyone except in the pool area and you don’t have to wear a mask outside …… we’re having a ball
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