Had good time. Enjoyed some of the shows. Specialty restaurant nice. Met very nice people. Many activities to make a selection. Gratuities added to every person in your group/night. Book hotels close to cruise port if flying in day before that offer transport to cruise terminal. If transfers not included get hotels that you don't have to travel too far. Taxis are expensive. Don't know about the ubers.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Fast. Wasn't aware that luggage was to be dropped at a specific zone. No problem though. Representative directed me to the correct zone. Walked back to line and continued check in process.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Main Dining room (Deck 3)staff wonderful. We had the My Time dining option. Roni and Gopinath main waiter and assistant. Natacha was supervising this section. They were attentive to our request. Sarah and Ina were wonderful as well. We sat in their section one night when unable to get in our usual section. Fast and courteous service. The reservations and table assignments were quick once the lines opened. Try and make your reservations before embarkation or as soon as possible. Some food selections may not be to your liking. If so you can choose another entree. There is a young lady as you exit the dining room who has a beautiful smile and pleasant personality.
Chops Grill one of the specialty restaurants on board was very nice. We sat outside on the patio. Quiet and very comfortable. The inside was cool. The patio was enclosed but we were able to look out at the people walking, hear the music playing and look at the plants. I really enjoyed the atmosphere. The area is really too dark for pictures when adequate lighting not available. The Windjamer had smiling courteous greeters. One lady said, washy-washy, whenever we entered(wash your hands to decrease spread of germs). You have a variety of food selections. The temperature of the food not always hot. Go early before rush hour and you have a better chance sitting quickly. Go later and you're searching for seats. There are several venues to eat. Some very tasty some not so much. Your preference. Some restaurants you will pay extra and some not. Make selections early (1st or 2nd day on board) if not done prior to sailing. Look for deals when booking if available. Promenade and Sorrento's were always packed. Good dining. Late night snacks.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Did not do any of these activities.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The musical groups were good. Didn't go to any lounges with solo performers. The musicians on Coco-Cay, Jack n Jill and the solo male singer with multiple instruments had nice voices. The game shows/trivia games were fun. Royal promenade activities were fun. You had to participate to truly feel the excitement unless you enjoy watching others having fun. There is a lot of noise. Didn't care for CATS, but the singers had beautiful voices. The set was too dark. The illusion show was okay. Not as good as others I've seen. The Frozen show was very enjoyable and entertaining. Don't get behind a pole or you will not enjoy( can't see the performance). The Aqua show was good. Didn't care for some of the themes but the performance was energetic. Music too loud. Some people were disappointed due to cancellations. If seas rough too dangerous for the performance. Equipment problems not safe to perform. You can try and get in on other nights if the shows are performed. The venues are opened to those without reservations about 10 minutes before showtime. One Sky is a musical interpretation. Ship band was nice. I like sax players and some of the bands that performed are very good. DJ and L'ements band on pool deck enjoyed. Elvis, cruise director and team entertaining. Comedians were okay.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Food venues were very good for me in main dining. Crowded in other venues if I went at the wrong times. Promenade, Boardwalk, Sorrento's, El Loco Fresh, Solarium Bistro, and others good to excellent. Guest services were always helpful and didn't have to wait in long lines or long time. Last night was a pit rocky due to storm and I lost my sea pass by not being alert when pulling items from bag . Went to guest services and another was made(you will need sea pass to exit ship). Shop personnel pleasant. Focus, photo area was different. Digital now for the old cruisers. Pre-select your photo packages if you are one to purchase photos. They are 8x10 now and $24.00. Did not care for the black and white photos. Enron(sorry if misspelled) , room steward, was wonderful. Good memory and attentive to our request. Room is only serviced once per day now. We were able to get three towel animals.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Every area was clean or being cleaned. After party(disco) or other promenade events cleaned up fast after streamers/items. Entertaining events.The car was nice and the bears were a joy. Liked how the clothes were changed throughout the cruise. Missed the military tribute. The daily compass is on your phone now. You are ask to download the RCCL app. This will allow you to make reservations for dinners, shows, packages, etc. If you want a paper copy of the compass you can go to guest services or ask your cabin attendant. It's also on the TV. If you have not been on this ship before you should familiarize yourselves. This is a big ship and you can miss areas you may be interested to visit. The Isumi restaurant is in the front of the ship. I'm glad my cabin was surrounded by other cabins above and below. I prefer balcony cabins that face the water instead of interior ship. Sometime it does rain and activities may be cancelled on the pool deck. Recommend take a light jacket or sweater or you may be purchasing an item for warmth.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Shower just too small. Didn't care for the connected door but the only way to open was through the cabin steward. Those with family( children) usually like these type of cabins. Utilize the space under the bed to store excess luggage. The bed and pillows were softer than previous cruises. An extra piece of bedding was added for comfort. I liked this because I would normally have to take motrin or tylenol until my body conformed to the firm mattress. Store your luggage and you will have more space.
Ship tip
Buy a card holder unless you want to purchase one with RCCL logo. Book your excursions early and make sure they can be refunded if port missed/or cut short or weather not permit. Be sure to set your watch to ship time. You don't want to be left at a port. Know the all aboard time. Watch your spending. Parents the sea pass is your credit card. I don't know how you can limit your childs use but your vacation can be ruined before it starts if you don't have a conversation with all in your group. Not all venues/services are free. Food and activities are usually at the back of the ship and shows at the front. But there are exceptions.
Stay at a hotel that has transport to the cruise port through the cruiseline if you don't have reasonable transportation. The taxi charges are high and the prices quoted in websites are not correct. The pathtrain is reasonable. The water taxi is doable. If you are familiar with the transit system by all means use it. Use common sense when using public transportation. Wear sensible shoes. Some areas have an uneven pavement. Oasis of the Seas does not go in front of the Statue of Liberty. The statue can be seen from the ship but it is not close. Flew in a day prior to cruise and was able to sightsee some. Went to Journal Square and from there able to catch train to New York and then subway. Visited Ellis island didn't make it to Liberty island but able to view statue at a distance.
Pretty beach. Nice swimming areas. Food good for what I had. However, would have preferred something more. The straw market interesting. The beer was expensive. Didn't purchase any food. Ate food supplied by ship.
The shuttle to the airport wait time long. My original luggage tag color disembarked before we were allowed off the ship. When we made it to the luggage area they said not to collect until the rope was dropped. Had a flight to catch. Customs was quick and easy once luggage obtained. Raining when exited the terminal but prepared. When arrived at zone for bus it was full and had to wait for another bus. We left the port after 0900. Flight leaving from terminal C after 11:00 and the boarding was to start at 10:59. We made it in plenty of time but would not recommend for flights before 10:00/10:30( ship shuttle unless left early)..
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