We were on a cruise instead of a blizzard. We found things to enjoy and some things we did not like as with everything in life. We will stick to bigger ships in the future because we prefer the activities and entertainment but don't let that deter you from giving the small ship experience a try if that is what your budget allows.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Royal Caribbean has embarkation down pat. We haven't had a problem on any ship. Pro Tip: register in the app by scanning your passport (they need the photo, not just the informationentered). We have found that they retake our photos every single time so they told us not to bother with that step in the process. Fill out the health questionnaire either the day before or morning of sailing. We were also able to watch the safety briefing from our hotel room in the morning and walk straight to our muster station when we boarded to get that out of the way.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The new menus were hit or miss. Since this was the second leg of a side by side cruise, we only ate in the dining room twice. Our dining staff, waiter Made, and assistant waiter Mavilyn were exceptional! Far better service than the team we had on Odyssey in the previous week. The chicken in the Windjammer was always cooked perfectly. Sherri, was always helpful for breakfast in bringing my San Pellagrino and Gregg's fresh squeezed OJ.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Not much going on during sea days, so we spent a lot of time relaxing on the Promenade deck with a drink and a good book (much needed). We did spend one morning in the Solarium. It turned out to be a spring break cruise and most of the college students were sleeping until noon which made it easy to use the pools before then.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
This is personal preference. We went into this cruise knowing it was the smallest and oldest ship in the fleet so we weren't expecting Broadway style entertainment. What they did have was not our cup of tea.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Always impressed by the staff. It was a spring break cruise which got pretty wild at times, but they handled it with grace.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
We knew this was the oldest ship in the fleet and wanted to add it to our collection before it gets sold. We were not expecting fancy, but we were expecting cleanliness. Peeling paint around the ship, rust, peeling grout in solarium hot tubs, chipped surfaces in the hot tubs, really dirty bathrooms, especially the baseboards. We did however, like the appearance of the classic theater. 20% of the casino slots appeared to be down so didn't spend much time in there.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
We never met our cabin steward. The cabin had dust, dirt, and sticky stuff everywhere when we checked in. I thankfully carry Lysol wipes with me and spent an hour scrubbing everything down before we unpacked. Gregg is not as clean as I am and even he was shocked.
Ship tip
Bring Lysol or Clorox wipes. Check your expectations. We still found things to enjoy even if it wasn't what we were used to with Royal Caribbean. We were on a cruise after all! 😀
We did a side by side cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. Royal Caribbean had a free shuttle service to take you from one ship to the next. Ask once you're onboard. It was seamless to transfer ships.
Appreciate your detailed feedback and very positive attitude. Sorry your cabin was such a disappointment. Nice you were able to put this ship in your collection before it was gone. Glad you mostly enjoyed your second leg of your S2S.
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