Wonderful staff, tidy ship, but too small. Rooms are old and not efficiently designed nor enough space to breathe. Poor choice of activities and badly timed throughout the day.
There are too many "additives" and what you get isn't worth what they're charging. We had to pay more for internet in one week than we do in 4 months at home and the ship internet package didn't even work! You had to add a "soda package" or an "alcohol package" that cost ridiculous amounts of money (as in you had to drink at least 13-14 drinks per day to make it worth the money). It was cheaper to drink on the islands all day than enjoy a glass of wine or two at dinner. We have done a ton of traveling all over the world, but this was our first cruise, and may very well be our last. We certainly will not be going on this particular ship and would look for something newer, larger and more cost inclusive (if that's possible) if it's ever a consideration again.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Awful. It took us 3 hours to get on the ship due to poor planning at the dock.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
The dining room was wonderful, food was great except for one night. Buffet food was okay, except that there needs to be better planning/layout to accommodate so many guests at one time. Couldn't find a table to sit at half the time and lines were ridiculously long. They also ran out of food and then the wait was longer. Didn't try the specialty restaurants because the "perks" of the ship were already way over priced and we didn't want to iship.nvest any more money in this
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Tried bingo - fail. Not much participation. The dance "lessons" were in the middle of the pool area and my other half wasn't comfortable learning in front of half the population of the ship so we didn't do it. Most of the activities were during the day during island excursion times so we didn't get to try as many as I wanted to. The poker tournament was a lot of fun. The towel arranging activity was enjoyable. There weren't many choices of activities. The arcade was a joke and wasn't worth the space it took up. Too many places to sit and just lounge around instead of having fun and exciting things to do.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Watched the juggler show and he was great!
Children's Programs
No children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room staff was quite amazing and made our stay super special. Also, the dining staff in the Great Gatsby were equally as wonderful.
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
The ships design and layout was way too small, but it was well-maintained and clean and tidy everywhere at all times. This should have been a separate question because I would have given 5 stars for cleanliness.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
Our cabin was a claustrophobic nightmare. There wasn't room to put anything anywhere and it was difficult for just two people to move around. Poor design :(
They were so disorganized and documented things on paper. It's 2022, get a computer and start utilizing efficient and fluid systems. You would have thought this was the first cruise ship ever to leave and arrive back at Barbados.
"They were so disorganized and documented things on paper. It's 2022, get a computer and start utilizing efficient and fluid systems. You would have thought this was the first cruise ship ever to leave and arrive back at Barbados. "
Yes, believe me, you will have a better time on bigger and newer ships. I wish that your first cruise was on one of the voyager class ships. They are very nice and perhaps a better fit for you. Not too big to where it could be overwhelming, unless you like big cruise ships. And they are definitely better than the small ships. They are a mid sized cruise ship and some have been revitalized with improvements that you may love. Hopefully you will give them a try. Liberty is my favorite of the Voyager class ships. Happy cruising!!!
Thank you for taking the time to write your review. Don't give up on cruising because of this one experience. You just need to do more research before you book your cruise. I watch a lot of youtube videos on the cruise I am thinking about before I finally book. If you are looking for things to do, I would recommend booking a cruise on Carnival (my personal favorite cruise line). They didn't get the moniker of the "Fun Ships" for nothing. You would probably be better off booking on one of the mega ships. My next cruise is on the Grandeur, but I did my research and I personally happen to like the smaller ships. This will be my first RCCL cruise, but I wanted something a little more laid back for this cruise. Just remember research is the key, and a bad day at sea will always beat a good day on land. 😎
Was this your first cruise, because rooms are always small they don't hide that fact, most of all cruise lines charge a lot for WiFi and soda/drink packages. Did you not do any research on cruising, the ship or the cruise you were taking?
We took our first cruise on the Grandeur, we researched everything watched videos on YouTube and learned as much as we could, and we knew she was an older ship that didn't have all the bells and whistles of the newer ships. We learned to watch the RCCL website for sales on WiFi, soda/drink packages, for just about anything and we got a great deals on both along with a three meal specialty restaurant dinning package. Embarkation and disembarkation are always a little chaotic, however, till you get status The Key is a great option to simplify it, which we got at a great price on sale with the WiFi included.
Even on the mega ships the rooms are not much bigger maybe just a little better set up but not much bigger. You're going to pay even more for the extras like WIFI and drinks though you might have more to do on the ship!
Your remake about Barbados is very of the mark, don't be an "Ugly American", not all countries have the money or ability to be as sophisticated as your local library, sometimes these place have just one person working everything at the port. Most of these islands in the Caribbean are poor and rely on tourism to stay afloat and for two years they have had no money coming in because of Covid-19.
Next time you cruise make sure you look into everything, do your research and be prepared!
Should have done a little more research. The grandeur is one of smallest oldest ships Royal Caribbean has. It’s like staying at a best western when you go to Vegas.
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