The ship overall is in good condition post its 2019 refurbishment. Staff was very friendly, especially the crew at the Schooner Bar. We did a JR Suite for the first time and definitely came to appreciate the roominess, but you can tell the ship's age in the furtinute and bathroom decor/design. The staff was great overall. Our biggest gripe was that MyTime dinning is not worth it anymore. Long lines every night for the dinning room, whether you had a reservation or not (worse if you didn't). It was never worth waiting that long just to sit and then order, so for the first time we never had dinner at the MDR on the whole cruise.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
If you have all your documents set, the embarkation itself is a breeze. BUT, the Panamerican port unfortunately suffers from some bad traffic flow (not the cruise lines fault), but it added a stress to even get there. Once arrived the building would benefit from more clear signage to know where to go first.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
If you are a long time cruiser with Royal you tend to notice the changes in the dinning. While specialty Dinning maintains its quality, the buffet options are seemingly limited. Take for example, before the pandemic you could get a larger variety of fruit, while now it's the same melon and pineapple cuts on most days. Service on Giovanni's was oddly slow.
A major disappointing aspect was the crazily busy MDR. For the first time in over a decade of cruises, we did not get a chance to go to the MDR due to the excessive lines for MyTime. Our suggestion would be to avoid this type as it was not well organized. The line on Christmas dinner extended to the Deck 3 statreooms...
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Entertainment
5 out of 5
While we feel the main theater shows have amazing staff and singers, we understand they cna be limited by the ship's technology and age. Music was good throughout but if the ship is dated they should make strives to stand out some more than the average entertainment we've gotten to know in the years.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Stateroom and general staff are friendly. Restaurant staff cna tend to be a bit slow. Special shout out to the Schooner Bar crew.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
JR Suite is the ideal size for a cruise stateroom, having a full tub shower is more comfortable, though you can tell the ship's age in the furniture.
Ship tip
Try to avoid My Time Dinning. We've always favored this option but it was gotten way too busy to manage. You still end up doing long wait lines.
Although I agree that long lines for dinner can be annoying, I think that saying 2019 bathrooms are outdated is being a little picky and didn't even comment on the ports and only gave them 3 stars. That ship is beautiful and most people really like it. Just my opinion. Happy cruising.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
