Fun cruise, but not the best I've done

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 0

Review summary

This is my 5th sailing with the Royal Caribbean, and although the trip was overall fun, there were many significant corners that the company cut this time that is concerning. First the good things- the staff was not only courteous, but helpful and fun and probably the best that I've sailed with. The room was very nice and clean, and overall cozy. The sights which we visited were beautiful (Venice, Croatia, Turkey, and Greece). The things that I found disappointing: 1) The evening meals were fair at best. The 2 times that I ordered steak, the quality was below the cheapest cut from Outback Steak House. There is now only 2 courses offered (not 3 as in prior cruises). We were never offered lobster as a meal choice during the whole 7 day excursion. 2) Family friendliness. Sure there is now rock climbing and golfing, as well as specific children's programs, but my 14 year old son was not able to swim with me in the "adults only" pool nor was he able to work out in the gym. My 18 year old daughter had difficulty in the beginning with our waiters, neither of which knew the rules for alcohol ingestion for 18 year olds. 3) The shows were average at best. Mostly dancers, jugglers, Argentinian cowboys, an oldies group of singers, and Elton John. Gone are the concert pianists or violinists, the ballets, the last night gala show. 4) Internet. First, the computers still use the Windows 2000 operating system, which is not supported by Microsoft anymore and is considered by most as "insecure". Royal Caribbean still charges 40 to 60 cents per minute, where most hotels now offer either less expensive or free "unlimited" internet- something that I've used at home for the past 10 years. Maybe I'm spoiled by my last cruise to Alaska in Royal Caribbean's Celebrity Cruise line where everthing was perfect. I may need to reasses my choices in the future if quality continues to deteriorate.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

Entertainment

Service and Staff

Ship Quality

Cabin / Stateroom

Ports of call

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

Corfu, Greece

Santorini, Greece

Pros: Great staff, clean ship, wonderful sights to see.

Cons: Poor evening food quality, expensive internet access, mediocre shows

Recommends Splendour of the Seas? Yes!