There was nothing majorly wrong, just lots of little things - e.g. no final invoice was laid in our room on the last night. Unexplained charges on our CC that still haven't been resolved 5 days later. The room decor needs updating, towel art was so basic, we couldn't even tell what it was supposed to be. The activities were poorly organized, the show had running problems. The Key advantages were not displayed. The entire "General Store" was dedicated to chocolate and liquor, with only one tiny corner with basic amenities (I forgot my hair spray, and they didn't carry any). Super long lines to get into breakfast buffet. The 'map it' function on the onboard ship finder touchscreens twice gave us "we can't find that destination", so that was broken too. Individually, it seems nitpicky, but taken all together, you expect more when you're dropping $$$$ for 3.5 days onboard.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We bought "The Key" so that embarkation would be less of a hassle.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Less variety than I've had on Carnival or Princess. Main dining restaurant overcooked the steak, which was disappointing, but other entree's were very good. The layout of the buffet was very cramped and it was extremely difficult to get through because it was always packed with people.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Poorly organized. My husband tried to go to several posted activities. He showed up exactly at the posted time to find that the activity agent had already started early and didn't want to let him join in. My husband had to show him the schedule in the ship app just to show that he was on time for the activity in order to have the agent relent. Sorry, that's ridiculous.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
We saw the headliner show. For some reason, something happened backstage and they stopped the show mid-act. No explanation of what happened. The professional dancers and the rope artists were very good.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
My dining room attendant was very polite. Cleaning employees looked overworked and exhausted.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Plates and dishes were cleaned away very promptly.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Walk-in closet was a bonus and there were enough hangers. The quality of the TV picture was terrible. Nothing was in focus. The couch fabric looked like it was from 1985, which didn't match the chair and footstool. The mirrors had damages to almost all the corners, with some rust inside the cabinet. Room just seemed a little tired and could use maintenance.
Ship tip
Do main dining. We once saw a line up to get into the buffet for breakfast with 50+ people in it.
Nice island, mix of white and brown sand, we enjoyed the taco bar. We brought our equipment and went snorkeling. Don't buy a snorkle excursion at $100/person, you literally walk from the beach and see fish right away. Watch Youtube. Minus one point because the water in the water parks was FREEZING. The ocean was warmer. With all that sunshine there are low-cost ways to warm water. It was unenjoyable at that temperature.
We were with a group that visited a restaurant, so we didn't have time to explore anything else. There is a 'straw market', which is a claustrophobic vendor stall area full of souvenirs, similar to Mexican port markets we've been to.
When you purchase an upgrade like "They Key", which advertises perks like "priority debarkation", you expect there to be signs letting you know where to go. The Key debark was not marked anywhere (nor for ports of call). There was only one line for debarkation, which we herded into. While in the line, we saw at the head of the line that people were walking up to agents to ask, and they were let in front of the queue after showing their key. That would have been nice to know, but the queue is routed through the dining room so there was no way to leave the line once you were in it. It's a little thing, but in the end, there were tons of little things Royal didn't do well.
I have never had a paper copy of my final bill delivered to my cabin on any cruise line I have been on. You should never book those 3 & 4 day Bahamas cruises on older ships, they are the worst values in cruising.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
