Photos are personal and we won't be sharing. We did actually have a good time, but didn't enjoy the experience enough to be very likely to do a repeat. Maybe cruises just aren't our thing, but I suspect with the right staff and destinations things could have been a lot better.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Embarkation was a bit chaotic, but generally we got through okay. It wasn't well explained what we needed to do, but they walked us through it.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The Garden Cafe wait staff was fantastic, and most of the staff was very good. The dining had a good variety, but unfortunately since it was our first cruise nobody informed us of just how early we needed to book specialty dining WAAAY in advance, so we ended up with limited options (although we still enjoyed the two we were able to get).
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Fitness center, spa, etc, were all well supplied. The 'masseuse' wasn't as good as ones we had been to previously, especially for the price paid.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The "Choir of Man" show was fantastic, the other musicians and performers were mostly just okay
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Wait staff was really great, the room steward was okay although was quick to send us elsewhere when we had questions instead of chasing them down himself. Most staff were great, although tbh the cruise director staff (other than the assistant cruise director) weren't great... rather annoying when trying to be funny
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Well-maintained and mostly clean and nice - no issue here
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Obviously the room wasn't very large, but it was great having a balcony, and it was well-kept with a pretty comfortable bed.
Ship tip
Main advice is to learn all the 'tricks' that first-timers like us didn't know. e.g. book dining and entertainment as far ahead as you possibly can so you have selections. Also we didn't know that even when a show says it's sold out, you can usually get in anyway if you arrive early as one of the first in the standby line. Lots of things they should tell 1st timers to give them a better experience that we had to figure out for ourselves.
We had priority access and it was still absolute chaos and terribly managed. Thankful we got off earlier than most, but it was honestly ridiculous how they mismanaged it.
The more you cruise the more you learn and know what to do and what to expect. I've been on 9, it's never perfect, but it's definitely a nice way to see the world. I've seen two people from the exact same cruise have a totally different experience. I hope you give it another try. Maybe try a different cruise line.
The cruise line makes information available on its web site and app. It's up to you to do research, check popular cruising related forums and prepare. Joing a roll call helps a lot. The cruise line app allows you to book shows, restaurants and excursions in advance.
Our first cruise we mostly just stayed in our room! I have been on two since then with another one booked…my knowledge and experience is growing as well as my love for cruising! We really enjoy Royal!
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