We had an amazing time!! Everyone just seems so happy to be back. Certainly, there are those on board who feel the need to flaunt their "personal freedom," but I was impressed at the staffs' courage and tenacity offering repeated requests for compliance in the face of this behavior, and their honesty that we all have to work together to keep things going. Personal stories were shared by some of the staff in public venues of what they had to do to keep their families afloat during the shutdown. It made the personal discomfort of certain rules feel much less significant when reminded that this is an important way we can support this industry and the wonderful people working in it during this difficult time.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
The crowd was a bit overwhelming compared to what we experienced pre-Covid, but they moved everyone through quickly - once we actually made it in the building. I will say, the part of our extended family who were travelling with an unvaccinated 11yo did not have a smooth time. They had to wait 90 minutes for the return of his pre-embarkation covid test before being cleared to board.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I know RCCL isn't known for its over-the-top stellar food, but it was tasty. Some MDR items are bigger hits than others. I will ALWAYS choose MDR Brunch over the Windjammer. Windjammer was a definite improvement, however, with staff serving as they were always mindful to stir up foods to keep them looking (and tasting) fresh. This is one thing I hope to see continue.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Flowrider and Rock Wall are always a hit! The "Perfect Storm" water slides were great for our pre-teens, but once a person reaches adult size/weight, the water pressure really is too low. The Tidal Wave (boomerang slide) was SO FUN - yes, I even did it my self, and didn't die! I never felt like we had a hard time finding a group of deck chairs, and was actually surprised at just how many were stashed on the Deck 4 promenade at the very back of the ship...it felt like there were still plenty out for our sailing. We loved our family shuffleboard tournament on the Deck 4 promenade, and putt-putt with a view at the front of the ship (Deck 13 - accessible by stairs). **Be sure to line up early if you want to do the open ice skating - we did not, and missed our chance.**
Entertainment
4 out of 5
I was actually surprised that the ice show we had reservations for was a "go" as there was quite a bit of ship motion, and several skaters fell. I love the ice show, but would definitely miss it in favor of the skaters' safety, as several took some hard falls during our show. The Cool Band was great in the Star Lounge almost nightly, and we discovered a love of the game shows on this sailing - particularly "Finish that Lyric," "Name that Tune," Sports, Marvel and Star Wars trivia.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
Our Teens enjoyed gaming in the Fuel Teen Club and met some friends toward the end of the cruise, but there was little to no info shared on structured Teen/Youth activities.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Excellent, as always!! Everyone seemed so grateful to be back. We did feel like the management level staff in the Windjammer and MDR were a little over the top in requests for good feedback on the RCCL Survey. It was a bit obtrusive.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Her finishings are showing their age, but she was stunning and immaculately clean, as always! Our family members who were cruising for the first time kept saying how beautiful she was. I LOVE cruising this style of ship with older children/younger teens...the layout - especially with the Royal Promenade on Deck 5 make it VERY easy for kids in this age range to independently navigate the ship. My kids, of course, reference everything by where the food is located (Sorrentos, MDR, Windjammer, and the Sprinkles Ice Cream Station).
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We were in 3640, our kids were next door in 3642 (not adjoining) which are pretty standard Ocean View Cabins. I can't honestly say that it was any larger than the interior that we stayed in on our first Liberty OTS cruise, but the light from the BIG window gives a feeling of extra space. We like to stash the coffee table upside down on the floor of the closet to give more room between the couch and vanity. Very clean, our stewards, Vince (3640) and Ida (3642) were amazing!! AND...did they get new beds during Covid???? Because this bed was so much more comfortable than I remember from our first cruise!!
Lovely people, the port are is very nice. We enjoyed the RCCL/Chukka Zip Line and Cave Tubing excursion. Lots of beautiful scenery. Staff on the zip line were very professional, very safe (our harnesses were checked, double checked and triple checked on each platform), and very encouraging/gentle with this super-scared mama. They made a very high-anxiety experience a quite enjoyable one for me.
BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, and darling port area. We did the Maya Key excursion - just a short ferry ride from the ship. Lovely island, good food, interesting animals (though not sure how healthy they are) and Mayan information, with a lovely (but small) beach. Be sure to take your Deep Woods Off - as sand fleas are an issue here, but I got out unscathed with my bug spray. (My "tough guys" who didn't think they needed any spray were not so lucky.)
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