We always have fun, and Royal delivers a great product in our opinion. We think there is a need to change how things are done in the terminal though.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
New bright and shiny terminal with small signage on the outside and a flow that doesn't quite make sense. It also doesn't seem to matter what check-in time you pick because it was chaos and no one checked your time on arrival. After going up the escalators, just find a person with an iPad because there's no real organization, just a free for all.
Going through security, take everything out of your pockets and your wristwatch off. It's ok if you forget, there's quite a few angry employees ready to yell at you and to push you through the process.
After security, it's open seating in zones. We saw an area for Key and there might have been an area for suite guests/pinnacles, but no real signage. Some zones were blocked off and we tried asking a question as we were in a suite but were angrily told to sit in any zone. There is a guy calling statuses by zone that they then board. After that, it's a short walk past the photographers and you can relax.
All in all, only about 20-30 minutes from when we arrived, but the unorganization made it seem longer.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We have always enjoyed the food on Royal, and the same was true for this cruise. We ate in the main dining room for my time dining one night. The server was pleasant, and the food was good, but we felt we were being rushed through our meal.
We tried Samba, the Brazilian restaurant, one evening. It was OK but I wouldn't spend the money on it a second time.
We are at Coastal Kitchen quite a bit because it was less crowded and we never felt rushed.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
As big as the ship is, they spread activities out, so it didn't seem crowded.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Another reason we chose Royal is the entertainment. We went to the ice, aqua, and Mamma Mia. We thoroughly enjoyed all three.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone was top-notch... as always.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
For as big as it is, it's pretty easy to get around. Staff was always cleaning.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We were in a Crown Loft Suite because we used the credits from canceled Covid cruises. It was a fantastic experience, and our room attendant Neil was amazing.
Our excursion was fun... we did Dances and Salsa at Playa Mia. Met some nice people but no real time to enjoy the beach as advertised.
HUGE line to get back on board the ship. I don't think the last person was onboard until we were supposed to leave the pier. Not sure if that is normal or if it was because MSC was docked with us.
As soon as you step off the gang way, you know your vacation is over. The angry people from the boarding process are back. If you have a birth certificate, their line feeds right into the escalators that take you down to your luggage. Passports, well, that line feeds towards the elevators where you come to a stop. If you slide to the right after you do facial recognition, you can take the escalators or stairs and make it a quick process.
If you take a bus transfer to either airport in Houston, make your way to the front and get in one gigantic line. There are one or two signs, but you can't see them because of the line of people. Why don't they have two separate lines, one for each airport? That would probably be too efficient and not provide any opportunity to try to interact with the angry employees.
We were off the ship and had our bags in about 15-20 minutes. We stood in line for a little over 35 minutes and then waited about 20 minutes for the bus we boarded to leave.
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