We will be cruising on this class of ship with Royal Caribbean again!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The quality of the food in the main dining room was spectacular! Honestly, even though we ate in a few specialty restaurants on board, you don't need to. The menus revolve and provide a nice variety and every entree I selected was incredibly tasty.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We tried to hit everything we could in 7 days. There are 2 flow riders on this ship, and if you get out there early, you could ride every day. The zip line and mini golf were basic but something to do. For people who usually don't have access to a rock wall, this one offered enough variety to be able to try a few different levels of difficulty. The fitness center was full of new equipment and clean. There are 3 pools plus the splash pad, so plenty of space. Although the blue and yellow waterside were slow, I didn't get the chance to try the green and yellow one. Finally, I thought the novelty of having the carousel and Great Abyss slide was also a fun way to kill some time when you didn't want to swim.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The stage shows in the theater were having a technical problem with some of their sets and had to adjust a few of their shows, but that wasn't the crew's fault, they probably needed to wait until port to get it fixed. We also saw 2 ice show which were amazing and the Aqua theater show is a must see.
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
She liked the science lab and a few of the activities. She didn't spend much time there as we were busy doing all of the other activities together.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Everyone that we encountered was helpful and very friendly. I can't say enough about the staff! They brought enthusiasm to the cruise but not in an overwhelming way where it gets old fast. Instead it was just right. And everyone was a professional, from the cleaning crews, food service, room steward, to entertainment and security staff.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
At times I still couldn't believe that I was floating on a ship in the ocean. Central Park is amazing, the outdoor deck is spacious enough to get a lounge chair. My only complaint was that it was pouring rain when we had to go to the specialty restaurant, and that entrance was outside. However, they crew did leave umbrellas for the guests to use. Overall, this ship is massive and has so many features, you actually need to make an effort to hit them all in a week long cruise.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
We had a balcony room on the exterior of the ship. The room design is as expected, but I do have to say that it was nice to have a shower door instead of a curtain. This was my ninth cruise across Carnival, Norwegian, Disney, and Royal Caribbean, and this is the first time we haven't had to mop up the bathroom floor at least once. It's the little things!
Ship tip
If you have kids who might be napping during the day, be sure to check your cabin location to minimize noise. I thought I had found a quiet level of the ship, but even at night the music and noise from a club was able to be heard down the hall. The interior balconies are open to the pool deck and aqua theater, so consider that when looking as well.
This port was a 15 minute walk from the shopping district, but remember it is hot during the day, so consider a taxi. We did an excursion to Maho Beach, which was fun to see the planes landing over you, but it's not a stellar beach and can be rocky at times.
We just hung out on the beach and at the pool. You can snorkel, but go during high tide along the rocks to see the fish. If you wait until low tide, the water is too murky to see anything and you have to go out further. Check your itinerary to see how long you are at Coco Cay before you drop money on bungalows and excursions as it seems to be expensive when you break it down by the hour. The food on the island is the best cruise island lunch I've had, so I don't believe that you need to pay extra money for food on the island.
There were long lines, but that is to be expected with as many people as was on the boat. I love the facial recognition at customs, so once you are off the boat, it goes quickly.
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