I've always travelled Carnival but am most definitely converting to RC. Considering this boat is labeled a "party boat", I found the entire RC staff was welcoming of my grandchildren. The high leveled cruisers were also very nice to them - they received quite a few ducks from them. I wish I caught the names of my 130 RC cruises couple because they were super informative and gave each of my grandkids a duck. My "first time cruiser" level card stuck out like a sore thumb but it attracted all the higher level people offering the best advice.
Thank you, RC, for a wonderful vacation.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
I bought "The Key" so it was a breaze.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Windjammer - 1000% great. Something for everyone to eat. Breakfast and lunch were amazing. I never ate there for dinner - we opted for MDR instead.
MDR - the food was good. Again, something for everyone to eat but it was just "ok", nothing stellar about the taste of the food. My caesar salad was flat, lettuce was soft. My steak was overcooked. Mashed potatoes were dry. It still tasted good and I left with a very full stomach.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We came with our very young grandchildren and stayed with them. They absolutely LOVED the kids area, the splash pools, the mini golf, the entire kids area! We did the slides, rock climbing, etc. Loved everything!!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
WOW!!! BEST entertainment I've ever seen on a boat. Loved every show, just wish I had more time to see them again before we left. Water show - OMGosh...
Children's Programs
5 out of 5
My grandkids were too young for kids club but they did see the entertainment shows and were mesmerized. My two year old couldn't get enough and my 4 year old was in awe...
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
There's not enough room for me to talk about my room stew - Joseph and my dining crew Dave and John. Joseph and my grandson were best friends by week's end. Every time I needed Joseph, he was there. I never waited for anything and never needed to ask for anything. He was always there with a smile willing to help however he could.
Dave and John - they were such a great team. Dave is a natural with kids, especially the littles. My 2 year old grandson thought he was the greatest thing in the world. We would sit and within 5 minutes, Dave had their food out and they were happy eating. We were seated in an area where the kids could play by a window while we finished eating and they were never in anyone's way. I just hope Joseph, Dave and John know how happy they made us.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Place was spotless. Thought the layout was nice. The ONLY thing I could pick apart would be the directions on the 7th floor if you get on the wrong side of the elevator. We were confused at first on how to get to the other side. We figured it out but it would've been nice if you had signs. 7th floor elevators on boardwalk side.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The beds were sooooo comfy. Pillows, too. Cleanliness - we had Joseph, it was spotless!
Ship tip
The only thing I can really gripe about is communication. The day we missed our port - we found out via Facebook, not RC. The announcements didn't come into our room, just the hallways. I had no idea we weren't going to port that day. Maybe put something on the TV, something on the phone app, etc. Would be nice if you automatically sent out the letter for everyone to use for their insurance for missed port fees reimbursement.
At 2 yrs. the child is too young for Royal's free kids camp but would have been accept to the at fee RoyalTots daycare. No reason they wouldn't have accepted the 4 yrs. old, unless you failed to register them in a timely manner and the camp was full already.
I just looked up the kids program. It’s called Adventure Ocean and they accept kids starting at 6 months old so not sure why your grandkids couldn’t go.
Those short cruises are all called party cruises no matter which cruise line you’re on. 3 or 4 days IMO is not worth going on a huge ship like Utopia. Definitely need more days and nights. Glad you enjoyed it though. Not sure why the kids club would not take your grandkids. They all go that young, unless it’s just that ship.
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