The ship was cozy, with fantastic service and good food at the specialty restaurants. The itinerary offered a nice balance between going places we've never been and relaxing at sea. We enjoyed our group being there together and everyone found things they liked both altogether and separately. The ship offered enough to stay busy, though we prefer more shows and activities that can only be offered on a larger ship. Space was also a factor in not having more causal or fast food choices. The excursions made up for any shortcomings on the ship, however. It was our first time in South America and we went places in Central America we had not been before.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Incredibly easy and fast! Literally onboard in less than 15 minutes from dropping off luggage.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate at the specialty restaurants for almost every lunch and every dinner. The food was always good and often excellent. The service was anywhere from great to superb. The Windjammer was always very busy as expected, but the only real complaint was the lack of water availability. Very often, there were no water glasses on the tray. Also, more fast and causal options for snacks would have been nice. Otherwise, we very much enjoyed the food and service.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Fitness Center was excellent with many choices for machines. Pools were often not crowded and nice to relax in. Once we had the entire pool to ourselves to do laps in! The shows were minimal, but expected that on a smaller ship (we're comparing to Oasis class). Our group really enjoyed the game room on the Centrum and also the Silent Disco. The other evening activities were mostly not to our taste. We went to the cinema once, and it was not bad, except the pub next door was easy to hear through the wall.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
The stage shows were okay, with the guest performers being the most enjoyable.
Children's Programs
Did not bring kids
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The waiters in the specialty restaurants were exceptional. Linda and Colleen at Chops, Christiano at Giovanni's, Joe at Izumi and Joseph at Samba were our favorites. our room steward took good care of our room, although we did not see him often.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The layout seemed to work well. We really enjoyed the Centrum and the live music played there being heard easily on the levels above. The overall design seemed dated, but probably to the taste of the older crowd that made up most of our itinerary.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Our cabin was exactly what we expected in size but we had a couple of complaints: the couch was very uncomfortable and pretty worn. We mostly used it to store things rather than to sit on. Also, the floor in the bathroom is falling in, especially by the door. It's obvious water has been draining there for a long time.
Ship tip
Be aware of the size, if you've sailed on larger ships before. It feels compressed, but it is also very easy to get everywhere quickly from everywhere else!
We did the Chocolate and Rum tour, which was just OK. The stops were not special, but we did see a large portion of the island as we rode a very long way to get to the stops.
This was a Royal Caribbean excursion to see the city and the locks. The bus was not fun, partly because we just had a private tour and partly because the microphone was terrible that the guide was using in the bus. The redeeming factor was the local cafe we went to on our own and had the best mojito ever in the world, as well as amazing empanadas and plantains. We did enjoy seeing Panama City and the Canal.
We did the Cigar Rolling Class, which was fantastic fun! I highly recommend, even if you don't smoke cigars (give it to someone who does!). The instructor has taught all over the world and it was really amazing to learn what it takes to roll a real cuban (style) cigar. Whether you like them or not, you can see what an art it is. After rolling cigars, we enjoyed the special food menu at the resort and swimming at the beach.
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