This was a lovely, incredible ship. The entertainment, food and drink options were incredible. However the quality of the food was disappointing at times. The first time I’ve cruised without experiencing seasickness. I’ve cruised for 20 years now and the food has always been one of the highlights of this. Unfortunately, because this is such a large part of the experience, Royal would not be my preferred cruise line in the future. I would however recommend them for anyone with a family and kids that need entertaining and activities.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Much has changed since we last sailed with Royal but the embarkation was for the most part effortless. Definitely one of the quickest and easiest we’ve ever had. However, we were unaware that we would retrieve our room keys at our cabin. Just a momentary bit of confusion that was resolved, but someone should have mentioned along the many check in points. Especially as we’ve travelled with them before.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Everything was ok. The main dining room experience lacked the consistency, choices and privilege it once commanded. Food quality has suffered. The menus were limited and sometimes repetitive. The “ theme nights” left much to be desired. Playmakers was good. Wonderland, while the overall experience was nice, I wasn’t overwhelmed with the food at all. 150 Central Park was great. A very nice overall experience. But our best meal strangely was Johnny Rockets.
Wonderland
3 out of 5
Experience was great. The food presentation was brilliant. The food taste was underwhelming. And for the price, my seafood should have been perfectly cooked.
Windjammer Marketplace
3 out of 5
Not as expected, but it offered edible food.
Solarium Bistro
4 out of 5
Just good. There for breakfast only and the was fresher than the Windjammer, but the same selection.
Playmakers℠ Sports Bar & Arcade
2 out of 5
Edible but not incredible and below expectations. The hot wings seemed anaemic and were a reduced quality.
El Loco Fresh℠
3 out of 5
Meh! An attempt at Tex-Mex, but underwhelming.
Dog House
1 out of 5
Hotdogs were rubbery and buns were stale. I tried it twice and the second time I didn’t bother trying to finish the hotdog.
Cafe Promenade
4 out of 5
Great for a coffee or tea, and a morning snack.
Boleros Bar
5 out of 5
Always a great vibe. Needs to be larger!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
This is an area Royal excels.
Guest Services
5 out of 5
Issues resolved as expected.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Hiro was exceptional and exceeded expectations. Flight, well, this seemed disjointed and overly produced. It tried to pack in too much in a short time.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our room attendant, Abdul, was the epitome of the service we come to expect from Royal. The service in the main dining room was great. Not exceptional, there were some misses. The repeatingly asking us to score the well became annoying. Others around the ship seemed tired or unhappy to be there. There were often times when tables were left with previous passengers meals left for long periods of time. Obviously the staffing levels have been reduced.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Absolutely loved this ship. Cleanliness in some areas was left for periods longer than I expected and this included some of the speciality areas, but mostly in “included” food facilities.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We found the bed a bit uncomfortable at times. By the end of cruise we were longing for our own bed. The storage was excellent. The most I’ve ever had in a standard cabin.
Ship tip
If you’ve sailed with Royal Caribbean prior to the pandemic, lower your expectations in regards to the food offerings.
Anyone have the cruise compass from symphony leaving out of Civitevacchia? We leave in 8 days. Wondering if there are any on board deals for drink packages and if it's worth it. It seems like we are at port a lot! Also, how was the Wi-Fi? Being close to shore a lot wondering if we even need to purchase it. Thank you.
Great itinerary. Appreciate your details. Unfortunately, cruising isn’t back to pre-Covid standards industry wide. Glad you still mostly enjoyed your cruise.
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