Beautiful ship, high-quality shows, good itinerary. Fair food quality/variety. Staff too overworked/short staffed to provide individualized service that was recently RCI standard. TERRIBLE embarkation in Vancouver!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was HORRENDOUS! Over 2 hrs!!! Have been on 14 cruises, domestic and international ports, never such disorganization and pointlessness. Thousands of people herded from one large room of winding lines to another, over and over and over. 3 cruises all packed in together to get bottlenecks by ~15 self-service customs kiosks at the end that numerous passengers were having difficulty with and no staff assistance to be found. Will NEVER embark in Vancouver again! Wish o could give ZERO stars!!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
RCI Food quality and variety has declined in recent years. Windjammer had the same bkfst, lunch, and dinner selections every day. Many of the dishes were very bland. Super disappointed there is now only ONE ice cream machine on the entire ship, it's no longer self-serve, and it's only available 4.5 hrs each day!
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There were a lot of activities on the ship- from sporting to trivia and "whodunnit" competitions. Very happy either the variety, and staff very engaging.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Multiple diverse shows throughout the week. Very happy with the quality of the shows and the time options.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Truly a 3.5 stars. Short staffing was evident, though the staff seemed to try their best. I remember seeing our room steward out and about, greeting us by name, multiple times/day. This week we say him 3 times in total over 8 days-once on the 1st/last days, and once mid-week by chance. LONG delays at meals. Our table was often getting starters or entrees while others around us were already on dessert, and not due to late arrivals. Again, staff had no time to be friendly and interactive with those at their table as it used to be, too rushed.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship was very clean and updated. Good flow. Easy to embark/debark while on port. Rarely waited for elevators.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Happy with the design updates vs older ships, to include the over bed cabinets, 2 large closets, flush TV, and lower-profile desk.
Ship tip
Nice ship, good itinerary. I think the issues are likely industry-wide. Would choose this ship again for a different itinerary.
Nice downtown area, though many shops closed with "soldout" signs with still several hrs of port time remaining. Great port to rent a car and explore independently, easy to navigate though unfamiliar with the area.
Unable to get within viewing distance of the ship due to size of the Ovation/ice. Should choose an alternate or offer smaller vessel excursion options to allow viewing.
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