As a first time cruiser, I had asked many experienced cruisers for what to expect. All said RC was the way to go. It was not, and in fact the people I traveled with (who were Platinum RC cruisers) told me several times that this cruise did not match the quality of experience they'd had previously.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Smooth, online advance actions through app was helpful.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Main dining room portions, quality and variety were underwhelming and not all what I had been told to expect. Buffet did not include chicken tenders, a must for little ones. Chops restaurant was exquisite in quality, waitstaff, and atmosphere.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Zumba - very fun. Pool were crowded and pool chair no-saving policy was not enforced. Whirpools didn't function reliably. No morning yoga classes? Disappointing.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Piano bar - pretty good. Theater performances - subpar, below the quality of my local high school theater productions. Ice show - excellent and thrilling (went twice). Casino and Bingo were meh.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Jimmie and Joel at main dining did a good job taking care of us. Steward was fine. Front desk was non-responsive, seemed uninterested in resolving our concerns, and flippant. Spa staff was amazing - kind, responsive, and skilled.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Clean but older ship. I prefer the smaller layout of this ship but it did limit amenities. It was clean.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Clean overall but worn/old stains (carpet, shower). Drawers could have been cleaner. Veranda was NOT clean and I couldn't get help. I had to clean partway myself before ambushing a team member in the hall and pressing them into service (they were very thorough). Bed was comfortable.
Loved it - we grabbed a taxi and went to Coral Beach. Perfect day of snorkeling, beach drinks, and hunting for sea glass. Wish the port call had been longer.
Pretty shopping area. Most of our time was taken up with the snorkeling excursion, which I would not recommend for safety reasons. Length of time there was too short.
Awful, just awful. My mother tested positive for Covid (our test) on the day before disembarking and we received no support or direction. We were given multiple pieces of conflicting and wrong information. The customs official we met as we dragged our luggage past semi-trucks and other confused passengers commented on how disorganized RC was.
I agree with the comments and I also advise you to give cruising another shot. I was introduced to one of the biggest modern ships and then took a cruise on the Liberty and I was disappointed, but the ship was still Royal with the Royal atmosphere, so give the Oasis or Anthem a try.
Sorry this cruise didn’t meet your expectations. Please consider giving cruising another try. We have been on three cruises where we apologized for things because they weren’t up to par (including the last one). Sometimes things are just off! Appreciate your feedback.
Thanks for your review. Sorry the cruise didn’t meet all your expectations. As others said, cruising is not completely up to where it was before the covid shutdown but I feel it’s still a great way to vacation. Hopefully your next cruise will be better.
I hope you try cruising again but maybe wait a year or two at least. We have been on 2 cruises post covid and things just aren't quite up to par. Lots of new crew members and food supply problems are obvious. I'm sure things will improve with time.🤞🙏
Thanks for the review. We’ve always had a great experience with Royal Caribbean. Cruising is not the same as it was prior to Covid, so your expectations may have been too high or cruising may not be for you. Try cruising when school is in session for a better experience.
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