Royal need to get more staff to drink the Royal Koolaid. Only about 65% do now. I mean everyone employee you encounter should be warm and welcoming. Also I don't mind spending extra money for elevated dining experiences but I shouldn't have to to get good flavorful food. And where Royal lead in hospitality and food they now are behind all the cruise lines I have been on. That includes Carnival,NCL and Celebrity. This may have been my last Royal cruise and sadly they were my first right after 9/11.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
For the most part it was great. Just one guy wasn't welcoming at all and seemed disinterested in doing anything but standing and doing nothing. Didn't really seem to want to help when my app wasn't working to display my sea pass
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food in the main dining room was middle of the road good. Except for the spaghetti which was good and the prime rib was really tasty. The rest was just good. The service was amazing. The pay for food was really good. The brisket at the bbq place was delish and the seasoning and flavor elevated here. As well as the sports bar on the boardwalk the food was fresh and made to order. The buffet and the Mexican place and any of the free food was no better than cafeteria food. Pumped out with little flavor of freshness. Such a disappointment. Desserts were not edible most times and that was basically anywhere from the dining room to the buffet. Who can't make a molten chocolate cake. The dining chef that's who. The service was even worse than the food. Especially in the buffet and even at the places I paid for. Nobody seemed interested or they were burned out. I had to speak to a manager at least twice
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The solarium was loud and not very zen like. Tho the service was better around the pool. Even if they didn't seem happy they were attentive
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I give a high rating for the Aqua show only. Amazing. The comedy show was mediocre, I asked the piano guy and he couldn't do several songs, the entertainment seemed geared toward middle of the road whites and nobody else. I was on Celebrity in October and they had entertainment for everyone the djs mixed it up wonderfully . Also where was the cruise director. Never saw or heard from him and the pool area was boring when you wanted fun.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Inattentive, slow, nonexistent at times. On the 5Th floor cafe a server behind the counter just looked at me and stood there and for 1 minute we stared at one another until I said I'm waiting for you to greet me and he said"what do you want to order". Horrible. I asked for his name which hid did in a hissy sort of way and I had to address the situation with the manager. He was nice thereafter. It that happens at more than one place where they didn't even greet me. Disgusting. The buffet staff was the worse except for a few people I didn't even know they would get you a soda until the last day and then better service after I spoke to a manager and advised him of what my rating would be and my experience. Then it was amazing sadly it was to late. Royal was a service disappointment
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Everything around the ship seemed beautiful and clean. It's an older ship but the refurbishment really help and I appreciated that. Nothing beats Central Park. One deduction because my room still had a ton of glitter on the balcony floor when we arrived. It was taken care of for the most part but all cruise long I dealt with remnants of glitter
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Very clean and the attendants were attentive and kind. But my room didn't have a sofa as in the pictures just a small chair. My partner and myself are big guys and I went to guest services to ask for a sofa and she lied and said only rooms with 3 or more get a sofa until we explained that one o our solo travelers had one and so did the other couple who came with us and then she backtrack and said after everyone was on board she would check and get back to us....she never did! Just more "Royal service " ugh!
Ship tip
If something isn't right about anything speak to a manager right away. Don't wait.
Bad service at the food place at breezy bay. But pool is huge just freezing that day and the day beds we purchased were cool and right on the beach for a perfect view. Wish it was better service and able to order food
We paid to go to Paradise Beach Club on our own after research and it was the best decision ever. The highlight of our cruis. The food was so flavorful, so delicious and so plentiful. The service by Saul and his team couldn't have been better. Hand and foot service the best for the entire 7 days we actually dreaded going back after the gorgeous day we had. The beach wasn't extremely clear but the pool was huge and heated! And the bathrooms so clean
We did the infinity bay resort but getting through the port was a mess and some of the vendors were rude and used racial stereotypes to call us. Disgusting. The resort was just ok and not worth the money. The food included in the buffet was so limited. It was cold and not tasty at all. We bought pizza and that was good and the drinks were good. Service didn't exist by the pool and too many vendors. Just ok
We did the Yaya beach club which was a bit more rustic than we liked but it worked. The drinks were hit or miss but the food I purchased was delish. Sergio was the highlight of the day. He was so attentive and even walked us to get a cab. Great service at YAya beach club. Bathrooms could be more open and nicer and more ventilation. But the beach was crystal clear
I could never complain about the friendliness of the staff but the desserts I’ll say to agree. I was so looking forward to the Molten chocolate cake (my favorite) but not this time!! Nothing molten about it. 😢 We have been looking forward for 2 years to Ahi Tuna Nachos at Playmakers Bar n Grill and they came out on chips instead of fried Wong tongs!!! They were still good but not as awesome as on Wong Tongs.
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