Lots of activities to keep you occupied so don’t forget to take some time to relax. We traveled as part of a group of eleven people. We did most of our excursions with them and had dinner with them most nights. We had an age range of elementary aged kids up to retirees and everyone enjoyed themselves. It was a great family vacation without having to cook or clean all week.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were driving to the port the morning of the cruise and had two unexpected stops. We arrived at check in about 11:00 and they were already boarding the ship. The lines for security were fairly short and the check in process quick because we had checked in with the app. We were from curb to ship in 15 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We are regular Royal Caribbean cruisers and have tried almost everything we want off the main dining room menu. The dining room is good with a few misses and some favorites. The breakfast and lunch in the dining room is pretty good with some rotating choices and some quick service items. The windjammer was just OK for breakfast. The food was just too mass produced but did give variety even though the food was the same each day. We never made it there for lunch or dinner which I have heard is better. Specialty dining was amazing. Park cafe was a good quick option with pretty good food.
Sabor
4 out of 5
Unfortunately this venue has been replaced during refurbishment on other ships so it won’t be around much longer. The guacamole is worth the price of admission. The authentic Mexican cuisine is pretty good but the sides disappoint and service and food can be slow. You end up filling up on chip, guacamole and pico.
Vitality Cafe
5 out of 5
The food options are limited to light snacks and fresh squeezed juices and smoothies. It’s a great option if you have a beverage package.
Main Dining Room
4 out of 5
It was good not great food. We cruise frequently with Royal Caribbean so we weren’t wowed for dinner. They haven’t changed the menu in a few years. Our head waiter and main water were excellent and attentive. Our assistant waiter seemed to disappear at times. Breakfast and lunch had some nice quick service options you could get yourself.
Windjammer Marketplace
3 out of 5
I don’t recommend this venue for breakfast except the fresh waffles Belgium waffles being made in the rear of the dining area. Too much mass produced food being kept lukewarm that tastes like mush. It is overcrowded too. I know it gives variety and you can usually get in and out quickly but it’s not worth it to me. I didn’t make it for Lunch or dinner on this cruise which I would expect to be better.
Boardwalk Dog House
4 out of 5
Pretty good hot dogs. I tried the Coney Island dog. Not a ton of toppings but a few to choose from. Only side option was potato salad. Hours are limited.
Wonderland
5 out of 5
The presentation is as important as the taste of the food. You should be willing to be a somewhat adventurous dinner. They brought use several appetizers that fit within our dietary restrictions. Our server Ryan was excellent and just brought us more dishes until the entree which we chose. We brought our kids and they ordered some food off the kids menu but our server brought them some food from the adult menu too so we ended up with an obscene amount of food. We enjoyed the presentation but we didn’t enjoy everything but really enjoyed the unique experience and we’re glad we tried it.
Solarium Bistro
4 out of 5
A good less busy alternative to the windjammer buffet. It has a lot of the same food. You can get eggs made to order here for breakfast and for dinner there are entrees you order but get your apps and desserts from the buffet.
Bionic Bar
4 out of 5
It was intriguing to try the bionic bar and have a robot make your drink. No blenders here so no frozen drinks but there was a decent selection of drinks and you can always customize or create your own drink. Sometimes the wait was kind of long but it was interesting to watch.
Coastal Kitchen
5 out of 5
We would have loved to dine here more but we were cruising with a group and had dinner with them most nights in the main dining room and then went to two specialty dining venues that we hadn’t experienced previously. We went night one and had the filet which was amazing. The service was excellent. It was more like eating in the specialty restaurants or a land restaurant in which the food was made to order.
Park Cafe
4 out of 5
Quick service options in Central Park but somewhat limited options for food. The kimmelwick sandwich is the highlight.
Sorrentos
4 out of 5
Royal Caribbean has improved the pizza. It can get busy at times. The pizza is decent and there are usually three options and you can get a custom pizza too. It’s a great snack option.
150 Central Park
5 out of 5
We had excellent service from Mohammed. It was a very nice experience with some really good upscale food. All appetizers were very good and the soup presentation was nice. They brought a bowl of the garnishes and then poured the soup in over the top. We had the beef tenderloin which was excellent. Multiple deserts were good especially the fried cheesecake which my wife wouldn’t share so I had to order a second one.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There is no shortage of things to do onboard and you will need more than a week to do it all. We chose to take the kids to zip line, rock wall, mini golf, abyss slide, pools and water slides. We had things planned in all of our ports and only had two sea days so we missed out on the flow rider and ice skating to try other things or to just have some relaxation time.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Do not miss the Fine Line Aqua theater show. It was amazing. It’s high energy fusion of acrobatics with water elements. The ice skating show is really good too. Grease was good. We didn’t chose to go to the production show or headliner show. Columbus the music was weird but the entertainers were very talented. The live music around the ship was excellent.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
My son (7) really enjoyed himself but my daughter ( a very mature 10) was not as interested in the activities/programs. She only wanted to go based on some of the scheduled activities.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
We had excellent and friendly service from all staff we encountered. If we ever needed anything it was addressed quickly.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Despite the size we were able to find our way around easily. The design of the common areas and rooms were appealing and not as much sterile metal panels as other ships.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
This is a junior suite ocean view balcony on the starboard side slightly more aft than forward on the hump. It has a slightly larger balcony than similar rooms. There is also a decent increase in space over an ocean view balcony room. This room has a single sofa bed with a Pullman bed above and the normal bed that can be together or separate. It also features a walk in closet with shelves and hanging space. The bathroom has a bathtub. The walls and ceiling do not look as sterile as prior ships but the walls are still magnetic so bring some magnetic clips or hooks to hang up clothes to dry.
Ship tip
It will be impossible to do and see everything in a week so make priorities and do those things first. Look over the daily cruise compass for times of activities. Don’t miss the Fine Line aqua theater show.
This is a newer port and there are not as many excursions to do from here. The port complex is huge and confusing making it difficult to walk out on your own. So book an excursion or enjoy the port area. Better yet contact the awesome people at Maya Chan resort for a day pass. The water is brownish at the resort because of a sea grass issue but everything else was amazing. Transportation is included for the 20 minute bumpy ride to and from the resort but once you get there you can unwind. Enjoy a relaxing beach day and have an amazing authentic Mexican lunch as well as the chips and guacamole and all the drinks you care to enjoy. Each family will have their private shaded area to enjoy.
The service is amazing. You won’t want to leave. There are also very reasonably priced massages for an additional cost.
Some of us rented a pool cabana and others went to the water park. The water park was a lot of fun. There were thrill rides and family friendly rides as well. I would consider a water park cabana if you had 4-6 people getting park passes since it includes the pass. There is also the wave pool in the park. Outside of the park there is a younger kids water play and splash area with slides and a pirate ship. There is a giant pool in the island that has a swim up bar. There are beach areas in multiple spots as well. Plenty of chairs and umbrellas are available at no charge. It’s up to you if you want a chill day or a thrill day.
We booked a private custom excursion for our group through the cruise line. I contacted private journeys department in advance to arrange something since we didn’t find an excursion that combined the activities that we wanted. I was given a quote and we had to pay upfront but had a private vehicle with A/C, driver and guide for our group. We went to the iguana farm, did an island tour, had time for shopping at a craft market and chocolate shop, visited a sloth and monkey sanctuary and a had a glass bottom boat tour all in five hours.
We drove to the ship the morning of the cruise since we live an hour away. There are beaches nearby as well as the Kennedy Space Center. Orlando and all of its attractions are within an hour’s drive. It is an easy check in and embarkation process here. The worst thing is they charge parking fees for even partial days that you are here (both first and last day).
It was a breeze if you have a US passport. They use facial recognition and almost everyone barely stops and you are off the ship and on the curb in minutes.
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