Interesting design, not your typical Royal Caribbean ship and cruise experience.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Embarkation in Hong Kong is organized, Platinum and Diamond members especially efficient
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Be prepared to spend $$$ for specialty dining. The main dining room cannot accommodate all guests onboard. So if you don’t reserve a table and time for dinner in main dining room, you can choose between Windjammer (good selection and quality) or one of the specialty restaurants. First Royal Caribbean ship I’ve been on that is unable to accommodate all guests that would like to eat in main dining room.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
Interesting design choices on this ship. My favorite activity is working out in gym. On Spectrum, gym is tiny with low ceilings and limited space. Almost like an after thought... hope this isn’t a trend for the future. Pools are nice... indoor pool space especially nice on the Spectrum. Flow rider excellent, bumper cars were lots of fun for families.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
We lucked out. All entertainment was good. Most was in English language so some grumbling among Chinese guests. But for English speakers, nice. Unfortunately, Silk Road was cancelled on our last evening due to storms and heavy seas. The entertainment staff did a great job providing shows despite the storm and cancellations.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
I really liked the service staff on the ship. A nice blend of experienced staff from other ships and newly hired Chinese staff. The latter so eager to do well and meet new people, experience new things. The Chinese personnel are commended for their friendliness and English language acquisition. They love the opportunity to work in the cruise industry and it shows!
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
The ship is new and spotless. Unfortunately, some questionable design choices makes the ship unique in Royal Caribbean’s otherwise outstanding fleet. The gym is tiny. Huge mistake. Please don’t do that to fitness buffs again. The center promenade area is small compared to other ships and crowded. Asians love to shop and will pack into any area with sales. To combine shopping areas with lounge areas where square footage is already limited AND make it a central thoroughfare between aft and forward sections- ??? And only 2 banks of elevators (forward and aft with no mid-ship atrium bank of elevators) creates constant waits and people packing in. Most that were able gave up and used the stairs. 5 to 10 minute waits for an elevator not uncommon on the spectrum. Why????
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Cabin was excellent with spacious aft balcony. Decor is nice. Our cabin attendant kept it spotless.
Ship tip
Book a seating time and make reservations for main dining room if that is important to you.
Hong Kong departure... Kai Tek is crowded and disembarkation slow. Necessary crowd control but be prepared for at least an hour wait after picking up luggage to get through the exit door.
*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.
