Things are definitely different post-pandemic. Seems more crowded, but only because the # staff might be less. Seems very rushed in main dining room and quality of relationships with your assigned waitstaff suffered. Wait staff even at Chops seemed distant, even unhappy. Entertainment was GREAT but we noticed that they don't do aerialist/cirque shows anymore (nor that type in Aquatheatre show). Overall we had a good time but a little sad that in general, the overall happy feel of the crew/staff was not there (probably understaffed).
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Main dining room menu and service has changed. Most notable is feeling rushed and no personal connection with daily wait staff who were only concerned with us putting "10" on the anticipated surveys to come. Didn't remember drink preferences and had to ask for refills more than once. Didn't seem genuine - rushed and transactional feel
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
pools, fitness center/track, zip line - clean and well maintained
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Enjoyed all of them - so much talent (divers, skaters, musicians, musical theatre talent)
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Stateroom attendant was genuine and a hard worker; didn't pitch the "10" on surveys (seemed more motivated by making his guests comfortable and happy vs getting his "10" rating); learned our names; very friendly and just a great guy. Contrast: wait staff who didn't do that great of a job knowing our drink preferences, keeping drinks refilled; getting our orders right; never offered coffee with dessert (had to request; then started asking) - felt so fake; kept asking if we are satisfied and happy (how can you say no if they keep asking); not genuine interest in the guest - just a transactional relationship. Were they nice? yes, very nice - but the experience suffered. We've cruised many times on Royal Caribbean - disappointed with main dining room experience. SAME goes for the expensive Chops Grille - service was "ok" and the steak - nope, not sure the cut was as advertised; the filet mignon was tender inside BUT the outside was way over charred. Was not happy with that extra expense that we had hoped would be a "treat" for the family.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Noticed some tears in the curtain sheers in the main dining room.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Not a bad location. Very clean and well maintained, except we noticed some spatter-stains on curtains in stateroom (makeup?). Size was just fine for 2 people. Comfortable, although beds are not that comfortable (subjective preferences)
Ship tip
If you don't want to spend a lot on the soda package, bring your own 12 pack of sodas and store them in your cabin. You can request ice (2x/day) from your stateroom attendant and you'll have sodas in the cabin to enjoy. You can even bring your soda to main dining room and ask for a glass of ice.
We did a horseback riding and snorkeling tour. Horseback was "ok" - horses were small and trail was through the neighborhood onto beach (ok). Snorkeling was AMAZING - best we've done on a cruise excursion.
We did Mr. Sancho's beach resort. LOVED it. It's changed a little bit - less beach space (could be time of year). Got a massage. Food is not amazing but sufficient and drinks, yummy.
After our January cruise, I had the same feeling regarding the crew. They seemed to be under tremendous pressure to please that they, at times (excuse the pun), went overboard. One crew member even commented that their scores were not good for the previous cruise, and they were told they must improve or "there would be he'll to pay".
As for the dining room, I read an article that Royal has redesigned their menus in an effort to have guests in and out of the MDR in 75 minutes.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
