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UNADVISED SCHEDULE CHANGE by
A Traveler from US Sailing date: May 2013Pros: LOTS OF FOOD, GREAT SERVICE, LOTS OF ACTIVITIES Cons: WERENT CLEAR ABOUT SCHEDULE CHANGE
During the 3rd day on board I found out that Royal Caribbean decided not to stop in Athens, but in Mykonos instead.
When I went to customer service, they confirm the schedule change and told me it had to do with a possible strike on Athens, and also told me that they placed a letter at the desk at the time of embarkment.
Visiting this port was one of the main reasons for me to take this cruise.
I think they should advise all passengers of this change BEFORE getting on board, so that you can decide if still want to take the cruise or not.
Once you are on board there isnt much you can do
DISAPOINTED ABOUT HOW THEY MANAGED THE ISSUE. Dining/FoodLOTS OF FOOD, DECENT FLAVOR Stateroom QualityGREAT SERVICE Ship Staff QualityWAITER WAS A MESS, MIXED GUESTS PLATES.
THE REST VERY FRIENDLY AND POLITE Entertainment & Activities
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  Discrimination against the Deaf by
Toby R from Discovery Bay, California Sailing date: Jan 2013Pros: The people we met Cons: No American Sign Language Upon booking our cruise I notified the cruise line informing them I was traveling with my soon to be fiance, whom suffered a severe hearing loss. The cruise line assured me there would be effective communication available on board in order for her to enjoy the on-board entertainment and be available for announcements and other vital information. This was not available when we inquired at guest services, further we were told to travel when the ship is chartered by the deaf. I was completely offended and would not recommend this cruise line.
Second the ship changed its port of call in Jamaica, which left us without being able to attend our shore excursion, which we still have not been refunded.
Last the food was sub par. On numerous evenings the food failed to meet the depth of flavor I am used to experiencing aboard Princess Cruises. For example the Lobster bisque had a slight lobster flavor, but fell flat on the pallet no balance or distinguishable seasoning. On several occasions the " cold milk " did not meet industry standards for proper food handling, this the temperature of the milk was above 42 degrees and remained in the "temperature danger zone" for more than the allotted time, endangering the health of its patrons.
Last, my partner was exposed to an airborne stomach virus while on-board even though the ship had sanitize stations located at the dining facilities. She was quarantined for 25 hrs and room service failed to meet the diet recommended by the Dr. on-board, they were uncooperative and at times came across as if they did not want to service the guests; another guest had complained to the nurse about the same while we were waiting to be seen.
Save yourself the $ and aggregation and Cruise a different line. Ship QualityAccessibility for everyone with special needs except the deaf. They recommended she use headphones is like giving a quadriplegic crutches and the Blind glasses. Dining/Food
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Ship Staff QualityThe ship crew failed miserably making us feel as though we were imposing on their time by asking questions, not informed and very rude on several occassions. 0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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never again!!!!!!! by
A Traveler from Virginia Sailing date: May 2012Pros: stateroom attendee was super nice n kept room looking nice n tidy Cons: horrible food The food in the dining room was nearly the same as the windjammer buffet. The waiter was not very friendly. Steaks n prime ribs were horrible. Medium steak were super well done,thin and prime rib medium was dry n hard. Lol...Worst food ever on a cruise and we cruised many times before. They were smoking everywhere. On the deck by the pool. we couldn't spend any time on the balcony because of cigarette smell. Ship Quality
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0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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not for romantics by
A Traveler from utah, usa Sailing date: Sep 2012Pros: dinner wait staff Cons: full of kids My husband and I went on this cruise as a romantic getaway; but that is not what we got. The "adult" solarium still had children in it running around and screaming. They were jumping in the pool and the hot tub, 1 with a leaky diaper on. Seeing the baby with a leaky diaper in the hot tub turned us off from every using the facilities. The "adult" only area was not enforced, so my husband and I spent our holiday surrounded by chios. The dinner staff was wonderful and entertaining. The staff of the ship was delightful, they knew our names and remembered us even with 3400 passengers. There was a lot to do and it was all included in the initial price. Most activities got cancelled, like the scavenger hunts, because not enough people showed. The theme parties we were expecting and packed costumes for never occured (toga party and pirate theme night). Ship Quality
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Not up to Royal Carribean's standards by
Eric C from Wichita Falls, TX Sailing date: Dec 2011Pros: Clean room, good shows Cons: Terrible food, poor waiters, limited entertainment options This was our first time on Royal Caribbean, and might be our last. As a floating hotel, this could have been a decent cruise. Most of the service was fair to good, the room was ok, and the trip mostly went off without a hitch.
Our biggest complaints centered around the dining room: slow/inconsistent service and poor food quality brought down the rest of the experience. Food was obviously microwaved just before being served, most of the food on the buffet was lukewarm, and in both areas the food was dry, stale, overcooked, flavorless or any combination of these.
Most of the other passengers with whom we spoke were regular Royal cruisers, and were telling us how this boat fell far short of Royal's usual standard of quality, but we can only take their words for it at this point. We left more detailed reviews below. Ship QualitySeemed very large. The ship smelled musty when we first boarded, including our stateroom. The decor was appealing, and the common areas were kept clean. Not all elevators or stairs went to every floor, so going up and down floors could be confusing; go up two flights, then go to the other side of the ship to another set of stairs to continue going up, etc. Dining/FoodThe food in both the buffet and dining room had the taste and consistency of having been reheated (microwaved). Most dishes were dried-out and/or overcooked. The soups and gravy were made from powder mixes. Each passenger was assigned a specific table and seating time for dinner (which we did not mind), but during breakfast and lunch you would always be seated at a large table with other random diners. While we enjoyed most of our conversations with these other people, we would have preferred to have been seated privately at least once in awhile. The Jade Restaurant is not a separate dining room, as advertised, but a six foot section of the regular buffet that just served a few different kinds of fried rice. Regular buffet consisted of only three stations: small salad bar, burger/hot dog station, and carvery. Very little of the food tasted good, though you were allowed to order as much as you wanted. The best meal that we had during the whole trip was at a little snack shop in Jamaic Stateroom QualityRoom size and decor met our expectations. Room was cleaned and serviced twice daily, so we always had fresh towels and ice. Bed and couch were decent. Balcony door lock was damaged by a previous passenger, but stayed closed. Transparent dividers between balconies limited privacy. Ship Staff QualityStateroom attendants provided excellent, personalized service. Dining room staff were slow and disorganized; often could not get refills on drinks for half or more of the meal service. Customer service and shore excursions staff were friendly and helpful. Entertainment & ActivitiesSpecial shows were great, but infrequent; ice dancing, juggler, singers, etc, usually only had one show per day. Most of the regularly scheduled activities on board seemed to consist of just alcohol, gambling and sales pitches. More than half of video arcade games were broken. Sports facilities (basketball court, mini-golf, rock wall, etc) were in decent shape. "Murder mystery" night at the Portofino restaurant was fun, if expensive (it's also four hours long; 7-11pm). 1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Not such a good experience by
Annie M. from Port Charlotte, Fl Sailing date: May 2009Pros: Food at the Wyndjammer Cafe Cons: Strict smoking policy The cruise director lacked initiative. Maybe because this is our 10th cruise, and we kept comparing him to other cruise directors. We did not feel "involved." The Mardi Gras parade is over rated. The no smoking policy in Royal Caribbean is ridiculous, and makes the smoking guests feel uncomfortable. The small areas allowed for smoking were overcrowded and lacked enough ashtrays. It is our sincere belief that Royal Caribbean did not explore alternatives for the smokers - probably the person in charge of this policy is a former smoker that wants to impose his/her views and not the customer's. Ship Quality
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Cannes, FranceWe were too tired because of jet lag, and decided not to book any tour. Decided to walk the city on our own at approx 11 AM. We took a public bus that took us around the city for 2 Euros and took in the views. Very nice.
Civitavecchia (Rome), ItalyWe took the Panoramic Tour of Rome, and it was worth it. Rome is a lovely city and this tour allowed us to see as much as possible in 5 hours.
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), ItalyThe walk from the bus terminal to the leaning tower is much longer than originally depicted. The time spent in the area was very short and did not allow to visit any of the sites properly.
3 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Clean ship, good food! by
Bob & Sue K from Hickory, NC Sailing date: Feb 2013Pros: Clean ship, good food, good service Cons: Embarking from New Orleans: signage was non-existant. We wasted time and energy walking around the entire building before finding our way to check in and then had to deal with curt personnel. Compared to a number of other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean ranks higher on food, cleanliness, service and maintenance. Ship QualityClean and well maintained. Dining/FoodThe lobster on lobster night was overly seasoned. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityGreat cabin attendant. Security personnel were gruff. Entertainment & ActivitiesIce show was good and nice added show. 0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Relaxing cruise by
A Traveler from Seattle, WA Sailing date: Dec 2012Pros: The owner's suite Cons: felt very crowded when in certain areas This was our first cruise so I have nothing to compare it to. The ship was impressive with the amount of activities available on board and our suite along with the perks were worth the expense. Ship Quality
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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good cruise by
A Traveler from NY Sailing date: Apr 2011Pros: great destination Cons: The staff did not enforce the rules, underage kids were iin the Jacuzzi in the adult area. The rules were not enforce by the staff. The kids had the run of the ship. The kids were in the adult only jacuzzi area and the staff did absolutely nothing. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe waiter and assistant waiter were courteous and went out of the way to make us happy. Stateroom Quality
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Entertainment & Activitiesnot enough variety in the entertainment. We did not here any island musicin the club (Dungeon) or in the entertainment in the top deck. It was the same music.
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Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)Great destination.
Falmouth, JamaicaGreat location. The Rose Hall Great House was interesting.
1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Good Choice for a Deal by
A Traveler from California, MD Sailing date: Mar 2011Pros: Our room with the balcony. Cons: Shows aren't great. Just good/ok. This cruise was great for the deal we received. I would travel with Royal Caribbean again but is only my second choice behind Celebrity. Ship QualityBeautiful ship. Very clean and the layout was nice. Dining/FoodThe wait staff were amazing! The dining room was beautiful and the food was pretty good but not wonderful. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityThe ship staff were great! No complaints. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe show schedule was not very good and the actual shows were alright; mostly singing and dancing to the "oldies." The Bolero Tequila Bar and the Dungeon had great music and atmosphere.
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Cozumel, MexicoThe ATV excursion was awesome! Other than that, Cozumel has an upbeat atmosphere and good shopping opportunities.
Don't Miss: The ATV excursion!!!!! 2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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