As always, an amazing time with Royal Caribbean. Starting the cruise with 2 full days at sea, before the first port, was a nice way to really get into the mood of things and unwind from daily life/work.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was very efficient and the staff were all friendly.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
We used the Windjammer Buffet for most breakfast and lunches, lots of options and everything I tried I enjoyed. We also ate at Chops Steakhouse (Excellent food) and we tried Jamie's Italian (was good but I prefer Giovanni's Table from past cruises, on other trips). The main dining room was excellent, as always, for dinner.
Chop's Grille
5 out of 5
Excellently prepared steaks and the sides we tried were all very enjoyable as well. The ambiance is nice and it just feels special to have a meal here.
Windjammer Marketplace
5 out of 5
The buffet was always well stocked and looked clean. Lots of choices, even for picky children. Great for a quick bite to eat!
Jamie's Italian
5 out of 5
This was a nice, casual, place to eat! I tried the lasagna and would go back again just for that, it was so good. We sampled a bunch of the appetizers and they were all wonderful as well.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We used multiple pools and the kids liked the kids water park area and the water slides. The zip line is neat and the rock climbing offers an amazing view! Ultimate Abyss is a good rush too. Something new for me was the sushi making class, that was really cool and yummy! So many other activities were available on board I am not even sure what else to list. We never saw open ice skating offered this cruise, the kids were looking forward to doing that, we may have just missed it though. The carousel is always a hit with the kids!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
We really enjoyed both the aqua shows and the ice skating! My wife said the stage show was one of the best she has seen on a ship.
Children's Programs
We had the whole family on board so the cousins played together on instead of using the children's programs for the most part.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
There was not a single time where any staff on the ship was anything short of completely friendly, helpful, and in a good mood.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I prefer the larger ships and the Symphony of the Seas (along with the other sister ships in this class) are all amazing. Central Park is always great for a little walk.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The Loft Suites are truly amazing. Lots of room and the views are unbeatable. Everything was clean and still felt new (ship was celebrating its 1-year anniversary this week). The bathtub in the upstairs bathroom was nice but I really missed the rain shower that we had on the Oasis last year.
We always like this port. Small shopping area available right off the ship and then a quick taxi or water taxi takes you to the middle of downtown for more shopping or easy access to a nice beach. We didn't do an excursion this time.
Traffic is incredibly heavy here. Some members of my family went to the beach and had a wonderful time. They ended up walking (~25 minutes) because that was faster than taking a taxi, again due to the traffic. No excursions, we just did our own exploring. At least one tour was late getting back to the ship so if I am going to do an excursion here, I will always book it through the ship to make sure they won't leave us behind.
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