We really enjoyed Symphony and Allure but they are just too big in our opinion. We've never had trouble getting a chair around the pools except for Symphony and Allure.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was amazingly simple on Symphony. We were on the ship in less than 5 minutes from dropping off our luggage at the curb.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food was amazing. We had the dining package and at lunch and dinner in the specialty restaurants. I have to say the specialty restaurants and the servers really made the difference on this trip. Our server, Victor, in the Jamie's Italian restaurant was one of the nicest people we have ever met. I wish we could have taken him home with us. We at several meals at Jamie's just so we could sit at one of Victor's tables and visit with him.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The activities are plentiful, but we really enjoy hanging in the pool or hot tub with a drink, but that did not happen on this cruise. We sail all the time with RC, but this time if you even stuck your foot in the pool and had a drink in your hand, the lifeguards would yell at you. We tried to keep the drink on the side and just take a sip and put it back - we still got yelled at. The only way you did not get yelled at with a drink was if you sat on the pool edge without any body part touchig the water. I don't know why this is now a problem. We have sailed 3 times with RC in the last 16 months, and it has never been a problem until now. We will no longer purchase the drink package.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The activities are pretty much the same across the RC fleet. The big difference is the water theater in the back. Unfortunately, just about every show was canceled because of slightly rough seas. I understand the safety of the performers is 1st priority, but they need to have an "alternate" version that is edited for safety so that the show can still go on.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff if always top notch and is the driving factor that keeps us loyal to Royal. If you have a chance to visit Jamie's Italian specialty restaurant, please ask for Victor. He is one of the sweetest guys you could ever meet.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship was beautiful and has a nice and modern look compared to the rest of the RC fleet. There were crew members that were always cleaning. This was the first ship I've been on that did not have a bad smell in some carpeted areas.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We usually book balcony rooms, but we spend very little time in the rooms to justify the added $300 each to step outside. So we went with an interior room and used the room savings for the drink package. The room felt spacious. It seems RC tweaked the bathroom and storage which really opened the room up. We will probably continue booking interior rooms.
Ship tip
Be sure to bring comfortable shoes. My smart watch said we walked 5 miles a day just on the ship.
The excursion options in St Maarten is incredibly limited. The island is beautiful to look at, but there just wasn't anything to do. We did the airport/beach excursion and were really disappointed. Several of us paid extra money out of our pockets to get a taxi back to the ship.
San Juan was the most beautiful island we have ever visited in our numerous RC cruises. It was nice to visit a port and not be hounded by people trying to sell us junk.
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