Overall the big bonus was not having to take a flight. The sea days at the beginning and at the end were a great to relax. I will do this cruise again, especially if they bring the Oasis of the sea as they supposedly will do in 2020. we had a sick passenger, so had to divert to the Bahamas. Buy travel insurance
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The embarkation was easy and well organized. The lines moved fast and because we had already done our online registration, plus photo it went even faster.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
the food was good but it was not great. The dinning room my time dining the wait was sometimes long because we had a party of six. Will highly recommend reservations. The variety of the food was not great. I expected more. I did not go to any of the specialty restaurants because they were over priced.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
So I was shocked to learn that the fee to use the spa was $30.00 per day per person. Yes if you wanted to use the steam room or sauna. Clearly Royal Caribbean tries to nickel and dime you at every turn so get ready for that. The pool was overcrowded, and the music on the pool deck substandard, not danceable. your usual games, bellyflop etc as expected. the fitness center was great because it had an amazing view and was never crowded. The North-Start did not work at all the entire time, go figure.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The DJs ad musician played the same songs over an over . It was like groundhog day. The shows were good particularly Spectra's Cabaret and We will Rock you. Other show were below average. The silent party was good because of the people not so much the Dj.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Room steward, Koko, was magnificent. He met our expectations. In other places, the attention did not seem genuine. Then someone in the casino when I complained about the machine being messed up he told "so don't come". The drinks were mediocre and super pricey, a beer bucket (Blue Moon) of 5 beers about $40.00 plus gratuities
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The design was ok. some of the bathrooms in the common areas smelled like urine. The adult solarium was great but not enough space. You had to wait around for a chair or go very early and then stay all day.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin had an obstructed view, but it was actually very nice because it was very private. It was two of us and we had plenty of room and storage space. The shower was a little small but we did not have an issue.The room was kept super clean, by Koko our cabin steward. We had an issue with the door and the TV but was taken care of right away.
Ship tip
Be prepared to spend money. Buy the drink package and stay away from the casino. Read the cruise compass or download the app. Buy the internet package to stay connected with family members on board. It is a big ship. Go to the pool deck super early to secure a chair. Take advantage of the pre-cruise sales.
We did the excursion on our own. Just grabbed a cab $8.00 per person to Horseshoe Bay. It was great not at all crowded. the views were breath taking. People very friendly and this beach has comfort stations, chairs and umbrella. The ride there was amazing.
We tour on our own by way of taxi. Went or Maho beach and Orient beach. A word of caution about Maho Beach. there is almost no shore/sand left and is very crowded. Also the waves can be rough I will not go there with younger children. Orient beach is more lay back and less crowded. Our cab driver took us around to the French side and we got see a great deal of the island. We spend the entire day with this person for about $160.00 so see what you can get when you get to the port
We booked an excursion to El Yunke, the rain forest. It was beautiful. This one was good for people with mobility issues. I suggest calling the parks department before booking, to see what's open. Our guide, Olga, was great. since the hurricane the forest has changed and there were some parts that are still closed.
I wish Royal Caribbean will just do an overnight here, it was amazing. The only not so great thing was that they bring the food from the ship and the selection was very limited. Also the walk back to the ship is lengthy. Do buy from the people selling they were in the back. They were not pushy at all. Locals were very friendly. Do give tips whenever you get a service.
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