First cruise in many years, and I'm glad to be back on the ship. Royal Caribbean surpassed all of my expectations, the ports were great, and a hell of a time was had by all.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The terminal at Miami was hard to navigate, and there was a bit of a delay before boarding, and before staterooms were ready. But, once we got started, it was smooth, and all the staff were super helpful.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The dining experiences were probably the best thing about the trip for us! Windjammer buffet was great, the service and food in the Sapphire Room was excellent, but the specialty dining was out of this world. I would live at Chops Grille, if only I could...
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Nick, the guitarist at Crown & Kettle, was amazing! So laid back, and loved interacting with the crowd, and super talented, too! Danny at the Schooner Bar was great as well! My entertainment highlight, though, was the ice show in Studio B. 'Spirit of the Season's was a great show, and the skaters were Olympic-class!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Explorer took a bit of time to get used to, and she certainly could use the refit, but the common areas and staterooms were otherwise clean and well-maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
They called it a 'spacious balcony' room, but for 3 people, it was still pretty tight. Not a lot of space to store things like luggage, and the balcony was pretty full. But the staff kept things super clean, and once we figured out where to put things, it was pretty comfortable.
The Queen's Staircase is as lush and green as ever. Once you get out of the port area, the city quiets way down, which is both good and bad. Stick to the main areas, and don't go too far outside the port.
Instructions from compass and boards were contradictory, and a little confusing. But, once we figured it out, it was smooth. Top tip: book airport transfers with RC, it's so much easier.
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