Family Cruiser Beware

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 8

Review summary

Family Cruiser Beware!! I want to share my family cruise experience with anyone interested. We are a family of seven, so it takes two cabins for my husband, two 12 yr. old boys, one 5 yr. old and 4 yr. old boys, and 10 yr. old girl. My husband and I like to cruise frequently for our gambling and food fixes. This time we took a Royal Caribbean Cruise. Majesty of the Seas 5-day cruise. Day 1. Boarding was smooth and efficient. The windjammer buffet was so crowded with nowhere to sit, the staff started stopping people at the door and announcements for guests to leave the tables when they were done eating to accommodate others coming in. The food stations were CROWDED. The hamburger and hot dog stations were not too bad to get to and they kept those stations throughout the full cruise. The Pizza was delicious throughout the cruise, but it closes around 3 am and does not reopen until lunch the next day. Only one soft serve Ice Cream station available and frequently the ice cream was too soft because the number of passengers. It was locked up after 10pm, so late night ice cream was not an option during this cruise. Our inside cabins were so SMALL and old, the shower heads were green, the base of the showers was bowing away from the wall/baseboard. There was virtually no storage and the cabin steward stored their 4 life vests in what little closet space you had. If you wanted Ice, it was upon request only and sometimes it was a stressful time trying to get it. I needed a fan related to hot flashes in such a small stuffy room, guest service was efficient in arranging one to be delivered to me for use during the cruise. The main dining room was wonderful, and we had the best service from Rosemary and Maha. Day 2. The 12 yr. old boys had no structured activities during the day in their designated activity room. Their activities routinely began at 8 pm. 12 to 17 shared a large room with a lot of sofa-like seating with a large flat screen TV, adjacent was a small more secluded area with sofa-like seating and a smaller TV. These kids came and went as they pleased, no registering required. Can you imagine if you had a 12-yr. old daughter alone in a room with several 16-17-year-old boys! Imagine what could happen! Royal Caribbean should think about that. I did mention this to guest services on the ship and to Arya at the customer service 1 (800) 256-6649. I would like to mention that there was no computers or video (Wii, x-box, or play stations for any of the kids and my 12 yr. old boys said they couldn’t have card games in their club because the staff sad people would steal it. So, no games or cards available for them, but there were some magazines in the room. The boys ran the ship eating and hanging with new found friends but complained about not having much fun and feeling a little bored. Day 3. The 12 yr. old boys said one of their friends did not feel well, but it was not brought up until that evening both boys were sick with vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and headaches. This day we decided to take the 4 & 5-year-old to the little water play area, swim trunks and sun block and they were ready. We like staying on the ship while in port to enjoy some things without the crowds. The one area had a slide, but they were not tall enough to be allowed to use it, so they only got to stand in front of the three small sprinkler poles to get wet. The other side had a small double slide, so we took them over there and was told they were too big and since they didn’t wear swim diapers they couldn’t play there, it was for baby’s and little toddlers. We talked the staff member in letting them a least slide down once and wait until a little one comes, needless to say three minutes later- their fun was over!! I went to the general store on this day to get my husband cigarettes and something to take back to coworkers. Nothing had prices, so I had to ask how much each brand of cigarettes cost, and I was asking how much the fudge, candy, rum cakes etc. were and the man acted as if I was bothering him by his voice tone and body language. I had enough! I called him out on it and told him if there were prices I would not be asking. I bought the cigarettes but nothing else. Day 4. I called the medical facility in the morning to ask if they had anyone reporting vomiting and diarrhea as the 12 yr. old boys were. They told me to bring them down and let the doctor evaluate them- no cost. One of them was much worse than the other and the doctor (who was kind, attentive) mentioned about IV fluids may be needed. We opted for one to get IM Zofran, the other a Zofran under the tongue. As an ICU nurse, I did notice hand hygiene was not a priority. The male nurse had the pill in the palm of his hand, never wore gloves for the injection in the butt, which he gave the injection over at least 2 minutes with the needle in place, this was not necessary. Only IV Zofran needs to be given slowly. The male nurse told the boys they did not need to follow the diet guidelines the doctor instructed them on, but I told them we would be following dietary guidelines to rest the gut and try to slow the nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. After the Zofran (anti-emetic) the boys were feeling better and started getting hungry. We had a list from the doctor on what was recommended and since the boys had to be quarantined to their room, room service would have to deliver bottled water and food to them. This was a joke and very stressful. Arguing with room service to try and get food for them rest the cruise was not fun. Once they sent ½ cup applesauce with one set plasticware, 2 boiled chicken breasts and 5 crusted rolls. I called to get more applesauce and 2 sets of plasticware and they sent 2 larger cups with an inch of applesauce in it (maybe ¼ cup). I visited guest services to try and get some food items and Hara was kind and helpful, but even though the doctor gave us a paper with yogurt on it, room service still never gave it to the boys. On a good note- room service for my room each morning for coffee and continental breakfast was timely and accurate, only if I could say the same for the boys being in quarantine. Day 5. We arranged to be the first off the ship because of the quarantine it had to be first off or last off. I was over this cruise- so first off. Hara arranged for the boys to have 2 pancakes each on their own plate with an apple and banana and a bottle of water to be delivered at 6 am, because we were having assistance with our luggage coming at 6:30 to our rooms to go to guest services by 6:45am. I got up at 5:15 to make sure we were all up and dressed to be standing at the buffet when they unlocked the doors, so rest of us could have breakfast. Upon returning to the room at 6:25am, only to find the boys got NO FOOD. I tried to call room service from their room with no answer, went to my room and they answered and said “no room service today” I said Hara had arranged it, still denied. I called guest service and they said they would call Hara and have her call me- I said I was waiting for the help with luggage-or was this a lie also. As soon as I hung up someone appeared to help, he took down 2 suitcases and then came back and we followed him down to guest services. Hara was there, and I told her about room service and I was MAD, that she needed to give me a room credit because I must stop on the way home and get food. She said she was giving me $100 credit. I accepted this and was less upset. She even arranged for someone to bring the boys food, upon delivery she was there to see no pancakes- shortly after a man came with the boys some pancakes. One ate both, the other ate one of them, plus their apples- the bananas did not look great, so they did not take those. Hara escorted us off the ship and directly to the customs desk. My only regret- I forgot to give her a tip!! The ship does not have movie channels on the cabin TV’s and I did not bring any activities for the kids because cruise ships usually have things for kids to do, so imagine the LONG BORING day in quarantine the two boys had!! I shared this whole disastrous cruise vacation with Arya at customer service 1 (800) 256-6649, even sent her the pictures I had, and she called me back and was going to give me a future cruise credit for one day for two people. Can you believe that!! I said give me the money instead of the future cruise credit because I am not going on another Royal Caribbean cruise after this one. So, locked up in a room for a full day with nothing to do and barely anything to eat and me having to fight to get them what they did get, I told her FORGET IT!!

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Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

Disembarkation

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