Not for the Young or Young at Heart

Ship tip

Let me start by saying I and my wife are 45 years old and have been on over ten cruises. I am not disabled but to say that this ship is handicap accessible is an understatement. There were probably more scooters, canes and wheelchairs than on any cruise ive seen. The average age had to be 70 and the activities (or lack thereof) reflected that. Unless you count eating and drinking as an activity there is virtually nothing to do. The highlight of the cruises entertainment would be the silent disco party where the revelers are wearing headphones and singing Saturday Night Fever songs for the world to hear with no musical accompaniment. It would not be fair to compare the offerings on Royal of a Rock climbing wall, wave runner, carousel, water slide, mini golf, ice skating, water theater shows, boardwalk cafes, 24 hour food availability and Room service menu to this ship, but when you are parked side by side in a port its hard to ignore the dearth of activities offered by this ship On the flip side if you are younger and can make it past a 11:00 pm bedtime the ship is at your disposal as most common areas were abandoned. The nightclub QUASAR never had more than a handful of people, presumably because the music was terrible. and similar to the Sky Lounge on deck 14 where top 40 meant top 40 from 1980. If you are adverse to minorities, except if they are serving you, this is also a ship for you. There was virtually no people of color to be found save a smattering here or there. The food in the main dining room was adequate, i think the quality and selection are designed to steer you to the specialty restaurant. The length of time for service and the lack of attentiveness are all negatives and I think is being driven by the prepaid tips policy where they are no longer working for tips. The same can be said for the staterooms. (I know its a little thing but any cruiser knows that having a towel animal is cruise 101. They've either done away with that or my attendant missed that day of training. It is a small touch that is missing.) Finally, paid for a concierge class, the only experience with the Concierge was briefly during the debarkation process he greeted us at the lounge and presumed to have the group follow him. We were dropped at a line at which time he said he would be back and he never returned. Again attention to detail was lacking and for being at the higher end of the price spectrum they definitely cater to a certain crowd willing to sacrifice certain luxuries for a quieter, less crowded and much, much more mature cruising experience. Children and families beware.