Overall, the short 5-day trip was relaxing but lacked the amenities of the larger and newer RC ships. Our cabin steward and MDR server were excellent, but the food could have been better.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We walked right on. It was great.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The MDR food was average and at times, not good. One night, the escargot order came out missing two; another night, the escargot came out over-cooked; the lamb shank came out a little tough; a breakfast omelette was over-cooked. A waiter at breakfast and one at lunch kept misunderstanding our orders and forgetting items.
We did not go to specialty restaurants.
The Windjammer's roast beef and roast pork were tough. Their Indian food was very good! The last night, the rack of lamb was very good.
We've been on other RC cruises totaling 28 days and the food was consistently very good.
Our dinner server, Ye Yinshuang was excellent! She went above and beyond to ensure we were satisfied - all with a cheerful smile! Ekaterina was fine.
The Park Cafe's tuna sandwich was a disappointment. A paper-thin layer of tuna was swallowed up by two super-thick slabs of bread. Another passenger told me how she ordered a peanut butter & jelly sandwich through room service and showed me a picture of it. There was a slab of bread, a super-thin layer of peanut butter, another slab of bread, a super-thin layer of jelly and another thick bread slice. The peanut butter & jelly are supposed to be together.
It looked like the same person made our sandwiches.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
My wife was happy. She kept busy with Raj's stretching classes, workouts, airplane and egg drop contests, etc.
I, on the other hand, was not happy with the lack of choices I would normally have on the other, longer RC cruises.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Even though we didn't have young children with us, there were many in the audience at the first show with the comedian. He already had a late night adult comedy show scheduled, but chose to throw in profanities throughout his act. It was quite disturbing to hear that knowing that show should have been family friendly. In fact, we would have preferred "clean" entertainment. We did not attend the late show. Darryl Jovan was excellent. The woman who sang Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" was impressive. We didn't recognize many of the songs in the second RC show about musicals, on night 4 or 5.
Children's Programs
We didn't bring children.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Ludwick, our cabin steward, was excellent! Three to four times, I went to check my bill on the day before disembarkmentand there was a long line. I had no option to check out on the TV or app. The app would not allow me to schedule my time dining, though it said I could. I mentioned earlier about the two different waiters who didn't understand our order.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The outdated shower kept splashing water past the short, plastic curtain. First dockside impression of the ship was that it was a rust bucket - definitely not worthy of the RC title. It was more like "Needs Enhancement" of the Seas. The front view of the ship was so rusted, it was an embarrassment! The rust coming from the huge portals on the side sends a message that the Galveston port is not worth the ship looking its best. The common areas WERE clean and well-maintained. I sure wished the windows were squeeged before sailing!
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The overall comfort and size was the same as other RC ships. Beds were comfortable and we had no major issues with noises. Our cabin was well taken care of by Ludwick.
Ship tip
Go early to any Centrum activities! Otherwise, you'll wind up standing because there's not enough seating on that floor.
It rained and cut our visit short. The area surrounding the port is all controlled by the cruise ships and did not feel authentic.
We took a taxi to the end and saw the beach. It started raining and my wife had a very relaxing full one- hour massage in a private, air- conditioned massage room for only $20.
I’m curious about the activities you thought should have been offered. Also, there is now a Royal Caribbean app for your phone that is free to use on the ship for scheduling dinner, checking expenses, etc., why did you not use it? Hopefully you will try another RCL cruise and try it. Happy sailing!🛳
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