Solid quick getaway for us without the kids. It was very crowded, and definitely a booze cruise / party ship. I didn't mind it but just not a top level of service ala our preferred cruise line which is Celebrity.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
counter agent didn't even tell us our room- had to ask someone else while trying to find it and we guessed right because they don't list full room #s on the room card
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
First, on Celebrity, we are usually some of the few people that choose the beverage package (premium - alcohol included). Here on this cruise, it seemed like almost everybody did. That led the bars to constantly backup and for the bar staff to be somewhat dejected or cold because they knew they were just slinging drinks quickly to get through them. It's not that they were bad, but they certainly didn't seem very friendly or personable and likely due to the sheer quantity of drinks they were making and having to do it so quickly, and knowing they were not working for tips aside from what was included. I would prefer to have a slightly higher gratuity included with the beverage package to make them excited when someone with it comes up, instead of dreading it. Make it a 25% gratuity or something on there so they are motivated to serve those customers. I would have the same drink at times on the cruise and it was made differently by each bar.
Regarding dining room, we had a rough night the first night. It was so slow, and we were not really attended to very much at all. Then we asked to be switched and nights 2 & 3 were great service. We had waitress Keisha and Asst. Mya those last 2 nights and they were EXCELLENT. Attentive, friendly, speedy - just overall they were great.
Food was constantly pretty good, aside from 1st night in the main dining room. All other dinners in main dining room was excellent. The buffet was adequate - not too bad overall and about what I'd expect from a buffet. It was just constantly super crowded. Way overcrowded in fact.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Not a ton going on, but with only 2 full days and at a port each day it's be be expected.
Pools were crowded and hot tubs were super crowded constantly. It needs more common areas for a small ship like this with so many passengers.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We saw parts of many of the shows but were not overly impressed - in fact the staff show with the music from 80s movies performance at the theater was the best one - way better than the headliners.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Older ship, certainly showed its wear and tear. Clean for the most part but certainly not a newer ship with many amenities.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Decent size, stateroom attendant was good overall.
I think celebrity is 69 and Norwegian is a whopping 82/89 can’t remember which!!!! Royal is normally 59 but I always buy it at 25% off
63 is crazy!!!
Of course gratuities get added to each of these prices as well
Going on a 7 day on harmony and my price after gratuities was either $341 or $371 I think?
Yeah we were expecting a party atmosphere and I'm not opposed to it totally. Just needs a balance. The drink package was def not the cheapest...$63 per person per day. I think it's even more than celebrity if I remember right.
Agreed weekend cruises are crowded and mostly drinkers!! I agree most of the time when bartenders see the drink package the service level drops
For what I understand royals drink package is one of the cheapest that combined with the weekend/party cruise were probably the issue
The Fri-Mon cruises are more “party” type than the Mon-Fri ones. There are more bachelor and bachelorette parties, people celebrating their birthdays on the shorter one.
*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.
