Maybe budget and staff cuts affected the overall cruise? Or the rumored changes that happened in January?
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Moved rather smoothly. We only waited a short time to be on board.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
I enjoyed 95% of everything I ordered or took from the buffet.
Reflections: We all agreed that our servers Walter and Forget did an amazing job! I actually looked forward to seeing them at dinner time and searched for them at lunch.
They were super friendly, fun, attentive and so accommodating. For example, Walter brought a kiwi-only fruit cup for our son each time before he asked! We were flexible and polite in return.
Windjammer's: The iced tea, juices and lemonade were surprisingly watered down. But no complaints! They were always available ice cold. There was such a fantastic selection every time that I wished they were open a little later at least one of the evenings.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
First of all, the activities in the RC app were a little too vague. Music shows were quite entertaining (I became somewhat mesmerized by the musicians and dancers). I wanted more variety in shows.
Adventure Beach was a letdown.
I noticed the blue water slide barely had any running water. Our nine year old son said he had to scoot his legs down the slide. A dad and his child had trouble too.
The Adventure Ocean pool is best for very small children. Obviously a safe, quiet area to play in away from the main pool. (Note: Adventure Beach was closed down for about 24 hours due to a "health inspection," according to a crew member).
Casino was a lot of fun! We would have played there more often if we cruised without children. Dealers were friendly, patient and helpful. The smoke was really only strong for a few seconds at the Casino Royale entrance, next to the slot machines. I noticed working floor fans near the entrance. Casino was not terribly humid.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
Musicians and dancers were incredible, but the shows themes were bland and app descriptions were poorly written. Musical impressionist from Las Vegas was highly entertaining! The only show I watched where the audience clearly enjoyed it. Farewell show should have been called "The CJ show." It was just CJ singing their favorite songs (although they have an amazing singing voice!).
I love music, but way too many music shows.
Children's Programs
3 out of 5
Our 9 year old son gave it a good try.
Apparently another child screamed in his ear and the monitor did nothing because "they didn't see what happened." This may be an inaccurate account from our son.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Dining room service was the best. Walter and Forget did a fantastic job together. Jaypee, our cabin steward, was always friendly in the hallway and managed our cabin well. Every one we encountered greeted us and available to answer questions.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cafeteria organized well. Dining room had lots of room. Pool was nice at off peak times. Restrooms were generally clean and well maintained (I considered high volume areas, like Safari Club). I let the attendant know her work was noticed. TIP: Use the soap dispensers on the wall.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
I loved the balcony size. We liked having the bed next to the balcony and kept the curtains opened all night.
However, it was too cramped for a teenager and nine year old to share the pull out couch. We noticed some cabins had a pull down bunk bed, which would have made things much better! Our daughter improvised by up removing the couch cushion off for the 9 year old to sleep on the floor.
We were careful to avoid a wooden corner jutting out of the edge of the pull out couch. Also the fridge door's hinges needed tightened.
The shower and carpet needed a deep cleaning. Bed was comfortable. Wished there were outlets by the bed.
Ship tip
Keep an open mind and stay positive. Hard not to compare to previous cruise line experiences. In retrospect, I should have followed my own advice. 🤦♀️
Tricky finding transportation to beach. No signs or people offering rides. Port drops you off at a tiny historical part of town while you look around lost in the heat for a way to travel 10-15 minutes to the beach.
Beach is nice; chairs and umbrella available for rent for about $39. Shore is very rocky! Wear swim shoes! Waves were high and fun to play in.
Restroom was so dirty and one toilet was clogged. Two out of three showers worked by the restroom.
Loved this port. Sand was soft and widely spread out (less sidewalks to break up the natural feel).
Jellyfish at one beach caused us to move to the inner beach. The we moved to the huge pool on the other side. Very beautiful pool area with incredible seating available.
Pool was cleared out for 30 minutes due to being "compromised" about 1 hour before we had to go back to the ship, so many people left.
Food was so delicious and stations were organized well. Restrooms were clean and maintained well. Coco Cay was much better than expected!
Thank you for a refreshingly honest and descriptive review. I noticed RC has really decreased the quality of entertainment and quality of food in the MDR and Windjammer to recoup loses. I compare food quality to that of a golden corral now (hence the push for specialty dining $$$). We will be cruising on the Seranade on the 21st of September.
Hi everyone!
Hope you're having a great day! 😊
Thank you for commenting on my first cruise review!
Yes, I totally admit the tendency to write irrelevant details. My goal was to offer a clear, accurate account of my personal experience so you can sort out what's actually important to you. Take what's relevant and leave the rest!
Forgive me for the critical tone in parts. I attempted to follow up with a positive observation or a benefit of the doubt.
Despite severe allergies, I had a lot of fun relaxing and would definitely seek out a different Royal Caribbean cruise ship in the future!
Sorry this cruise was not the best experience for you and your family. Hopefully any future cruises will be more to your liking. Thank you for sharing.
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