Pros:
- staff is friendly & efficient
- MDR menu & food is remarkably better than on RCI US based ships
Cons:
- Windjammer isn’t open until 7am. Not even a small section for light bfast
- mattress is much too hard
- Toilet paper is very rough
- Didn’t inform us of port cancellation until after we were scheduled to arrive (app notification would have been helpful)
- Offer specific areas in the dining rooms for guests without children
- The number of forks with bent tines is atrocious
App - hard to find specific things (ie operating hours of guest services; Diamond Lounge; temperature outside; etc). A search function would help.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Sydney is an excellent embarkation port. The staff makes it simple and quick to get processed and onboard without long wait times or lines.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Excellent food and the speed of dinners in the dining room was nice (45 minutes total generally). The atmosphere is loud and chaotic though with lots of screaming children old enough to be taught better. I felt horrible for the crew having to be polite to such horribly behaved people. The food on the Australia/Sydney cruise was FAR SUPERIOR to Royal Caribbean's food for the Caribbean market in taste, quality, and variety. The buffet was amazing with great selection and quality also.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
So much to choose from. We do wish the gym opened earlier in the mornings.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Excellent performers and musicians.
Children's Programs
We did not have kids with us this time.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our waiter, Kheeraj, was superb! This guy will be a Maitre D' in no time! Our room steward was really good as well. The staff was very helpful, friendly, and very efficient. We were very impressed with the staff.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Nice looking ship in excellent condition.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Well laid out with bigger than average shower. Good storage. The bed is horrifically hard (not just firm, but uncomfortably hard!). Nice size balcony with comfortable chairs.
Ship tip
Eat at the pub...the food is excellent and cheap for the high quality...especially the burgers.
Amazing! Go to the Botanic Garden ... you will see lots of wild kuckaburro, cockatoo, and other incredible native birds plus wonderful vegetation all very close to the port area Circular Quay. The Chinese Garden of Friendship was also a highlight. But you must go to Taronga Zoo, and the Sea Life Aquarium and small attached zoo for lots of close encounters with the native animals.
We did a private excursion with Port to Port Cruises called Albatross, Wildlife, and Harbour Cruise that was incredible! We saw wild albatross, shags, seals, blue penguins, and all kinds of other birds. Rachel was a fantastic guide for this small group (10) and knew exactly where to go to spot the most animals and birds.
We did a ship excursion to the Canterbury Sheep Farm. It was a nice tour and the family farm we visited was fun and educational. We watched different styles of sheep dogs herding the sheep plus watched two sheep get sheared. The offered food was delicious and the bathroom clean. Very nice experience but if you can do this with a smaller group than the full tour bus, I would advise it.
We did a life-time memorable Lord of the Rings tour with one of the original elves in the movies. He is a local and really plugged in to the film industry. He was witty and entertaining and took us out in the woods to several filming locations most never get to see. It was an 8 hour tour and he had us back to the ship in plenty of time. We even got to tour the Weta Workshops where the special effects and costumes were created for multiple different major Hollywood movies.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
