See above. I believe I have fairly well characterized my observations.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Pretty smooth, especially when you consider that we were warned that it might be both delayed and rushed to complete as another ship had to break in line to unload after being diverted due to illness
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
compared to last years R.C. trip, the main dining room and buffets were better. The specialty dining was both more expensive and add on and not as impressive for both food and service. They were definitely understaffed and while the waiter (Juan Carlos) did his best, the actual food prep time was pretty long. More than once he apologized for the wait. The main dining room reservations and service lines to get in were strange. You cannot make reservations other than the night before. For the early dining times, it was noticeably faster to use the no-reservation line: have somebody monitor this for the first few days of the trip at the 5:pm opening and see if you don't agree. The waiter (Jayson) and assistant waiter (Moises) were very good.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Pools when open were nice, but rather cold. no climbing wall. Parties on the deck/lounge were not anything as big as they used to be on the same ship 5-8 years ago. The jewelry/shopping show was a monumental waste of time: tremendous hype and absolutely no substance. We were promised a large savings, insider pricing, tax/duty free etc. would permit big savings at a particular jewelry store. It took about 5 minutes to see this was baloney. Who in his right mind would try to claim that $24K for a one carat diamond loose stone was a real bargain? Divide that by about 2 - 2.5 and you might have something.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
shows were for the most part really strong. The house band was excellent.
Children's Programs
our youngest is now 19. when he was younger, he used to love it, though.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Michael our cabin steward was very good. He greeted us every day by name and answered our (few) phone calls on the first ring or two. As previously stated the wait staff we encountered (Juan Carlos in the Tuscan Grill, Jayson and Moises in the main dining room) were all very good. The standard of service is both high and consistent.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
yes.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
about the same size as the suite last year at R.C., but a better layout. the divided room(s) allowed our son to have his own space, and the balcony was really enjoyable. Room was spotless every time we came back from meals, activities, etc. Michael was really good.
Ship tip
If you have teenagers, they will have very few companions to hang around with. At 55 years old, I daresay I was a relative youngster. This is the third time we have been on this ship over the years (same cruise itinerary), and the demographics have really shifted upwards by at least 10-20 years.
Nice, as usual. We did a 7 hour hidden gems excursion, and saw way more of the island than all of the previous excursions combined. This one tour was quite a deal considering the activities, restaurant lunch, ice cream, and bus tour. On the other hand, your jet ski options were way overpriced. a 10 minute cab and about $125 will get you about 90 minutes on a guided jet ski tour....in this case with just my son and I.
People (guests) were rather pushy, not wanting to follow directions, and no real organized queue was enforced to get people off the ship from the Rendezvous lounge on deck 4. I have seen Black Friday lines at Target that were better.
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