 |
Excellent Cruise by
Debbie D from Akron, Ohio Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: Ice Skating show, food and activities Cons: beaches at ports The ship was absolutely beautiful. there was nothing about it I didn't love. There was so much to do on the ship I didn't get to do it all. The pools were great. I loved the fact that they were not salt water. I have been on two Carnival ships and the pools were salt water and I hated that. There were so many pools and hot tubs on this ship that you never felt crowded. Ship QualityThe cleanliness of the ship was excellent. I don't ever recall anything ever being nothing but spotless. The decor was beautiful. Dining/FoodThe food was excellent. I loved the make your own pasta station. something I have never seen before. The selection was fabulous at the Windjammer. The service at both the windjammer and Romeo and Juliet was outstanding. The staff was so friendly and very helpful. There was nothing I had the entire week that was not outstanding. The only suggestion I have is that the ice cream station was called Sprinkles but there were never any sprinkles for your ice cream. Stateroom QualityThe beds were actually pretty comfortable. the size of the room was ok. A small room for 3 ladies is not the best thing in the world but you arent in the room much so it's ok. Ship Staff QualityStaff quality was excellent. Everyone that took care of us went above and beyond. the state room attendant was great. He made us the best towel animals. The ladies I was with asked for a lot of things and he was great. We chatted with him the hall like we knew him for years. The waiter in the romeo and Juliet always made us feel so good and missed when we didn't make it to dinner. He gave us great tips for the ports and allowed us to eat way too much. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe ice skating show was the best ever. I have never seen such great tricks on the ice. the comedy shows were good too. I thought the guy who did the closing night show was the best. The variety of activities on the ship was great. The sports section was excellent. I wish I had time to enjoy more of it.  17 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
  Fantastic Trip by
Pete L. from Boston, MA Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: Great weather & Great Service Cons: Too short! overall a great trip. Everything was organized and executed flawlessly. Ship QualityClearly the newest and best ship in the fleet. Entire ship layout and quality was excellent. Dining/FoodFood and dining staff were great. Stateroom QualityEntry was a bit tight, but overall balcony was fantastic. Ship Staff QualityStaff was wonderful Entertainment & Activitiesno kids... what else can i say!!! 
Collapse List of Ports
Belize City, Belizewe didnt see much of the port, we ended up snorkeling.
Don't Miss: reef snorkeling Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoDevasted by the hurricane, but rebuilidng the port.
Don't Miss: beach. Cozumel, MexicoCozumel was beautiful, skip the shops and go straight for the beach.
Don't Miss: La playa! 21 out of 27 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
The Bad, The Good, And the Ugly by
Doug V from Boston, MA Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Low level staff Cons: Royal Carribean First, the bad news. There is an oddly thin veneer of glamour about Royal Carribean, like someone showed them a short movie about elegant living and they cobbled together a vacation experience from that. Telling your guests to put on black tie does not a formal affair make, particularly not when your wait-staff are trying to sell your guests an extra glass of soda or wine throughout the entire meal. A well worn rule of thumb in polite society says that whenever you ask someone for their wallet at a formal gathering, you had better be affiliated with a charity, a cause, or a candidate. If you ignore this rule, any air of formality that you hoped to establish at your occasion will sink like the Titanic. Royal Carribean either doesn't know this rule, or doesn't care.
It seems to us that there is a system in place from the moment you board the ship to constantly sell you things. I'm talking about drinks, both soft and alcoholic, excursions, trinkets, momentos, gambling, massages, facials, accupuncture, haircuts, shaves, manicures, etc, etc, etc. Anything and everything that they can make an extra dime on, they will sell you. Calls home are $8.00/minute, internet access is $0.55/minute, small bottles of water for shore excursions, $3.50, pay per view movies in your room, $12.99 each. It wouldn't be so bad if they came through with the goods when you paid, but the tropical drinks they serve for $8.50 have never even met a peice of fresh fruit, their burgers from "Johnny Rockets" are extrordinarily bad, and their roulette wheels all have double zeros, thus improving the odds for the house.
With that said, there is, to be fair, some good news. The ship itself is spectacular. You have to see it for yourself to understand what I mean. The "low level," least senior staff were fantastic. I'm speaking about the people who bus your table, clean your cabin, refresh your water or coffee, and just generally look after you. About these people, I just can't say enough. They are smart, attentive, polite, pleasant, and go about the business of making you as comfortable as possible almost invisibly. Unfortunately, these marvelous people are hindered by Royal Carribean's previously mentioned zest for revenue enhancements. Ship QualityHigh "wow" factor. Dining/FoodFrom "good" to "not great." Stateroom QualitySmall but clean and well-tended. Ship Staff QualityLow level support staff were all fabulous; room stewards, house-keeping, diningroom support staff, and all service staff associated with the "Windjammer Cafe" were simply outstanding. They could teach the staff in the formal diningrooms quite a bit about service. Entertainment & ActivitiesI hate pandering.
Collapse List of Ports
Belize City, BelizeBelize is worth seeing. Wildlife is spectacular, jungles are beautiful, and the people are friendly. What more could you ask for?
Don't Miss: Monkeys. Costa Maya (Mahahual), MexicoCosta Maya is a "Tourist Village," but it is also a Town about two miles down the road. The first can be missed, and the second should be avoided.
Don't Miss: The distant view of the shore from the ship's dining area. Costa Maya looks best from a distance. Cozumel, MexicoMexico, but without the annoying street venders and the lingering bowel problems. Take a walk, or better yet, rent a Jeep and go find a tropical drink with fresh fruit in it. Beaches are beautiful and the drinks are generous.
16 out of 20 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
The best cruise ever by
Gary H from Carrollton,Ga Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: The food, shows, ports of call, room Cons: Can't think of a thing My wife and I have taken six previous cruises over the years and had never experienced one that came close to this one in total satisfaction! Everything was well planned from the booking experience to the leaving of the ship on the final day. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & ActivitiesEvery night there was great entertainment and activities. The last night headliner act was a disapointment as it wasn't up to the standard we came to expect.
Collapse List of Ports
Labadee (Cruiseline Private Island)A relaxing day on the beach
San Juan, Puerto RicoMost of Old San Juan can be better seen by walking.
Don't Miss: The old fort Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.We did the beach and the shoping here. This was by far the best of the ports we visited.
Don't Miss: The shoping Philipsburg, St. MaartenTake the water taxi as it is the best value if you make more than one trip a shore. The local merchants were too pushy and constantly approach you trying to sell something, even while on the beach!
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Great Cruise by
Chris R. from Philadelphia, PA Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Food, Great Boat, Nice Cabin, low price Cons: Mediocre Ports Royal Caribbean was a great line. Excellent food, friendly staff, a myriad of services. One complaint - you have to pay tips (if using a credit card) before 12 AM on the day before your last day - I wanted to leave a credit card tip since I had no cash on the last day but was out of luck. Ship QualityHuge ship, very spacious Dining/FoodFood was very good, and the cuisine changed each night - Italian, Chinese, etc. Stateroom QualityVery nice staterooms Ship Staff QualityVery Friendly Entertainment & ActivitiesGood 9 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Best cruise ever. by
David K. from Suffield,CT. Sailing date: Mar 2013Pros: The ship. Cons: lip synching by performers (except for final show). Great ship and layout. The Royal Promenade really adds something special. Ship QualityAbove average condition. Dining/FoodExceptional food and service. Stateroom QualityVery convenient and accessible layout. Ship Staff QualityExcellent attitude and always very helpful. Entertainment & ActivitiesLip synching by performers in stage shows takes away from show.Ice skating show is a real winner! Children's ProgramsNo children at home but as ex-day care business owners we took note of your programs and were very impressed. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Western Caribbean on Independence of Sea by
A Traveler from Charlotte, NC Sailing date: Jan 2013Pros: Very clean, well maintained ship Cons: Low food quality I sailed on Independence of Seas January, 2013 for 6 night itinerary from Fort Lauderdale visiting Grand Cayman, Cozumel and Costa Maya. I have previously sailed with RCCL on Jewel of Seas.
Independence is a beautiful, very large, very clean and well maintained ship. Room steward was very attentive and available if we needed him. Guest services were helpful and friendly. There were lots of activities going on around the ship. Ice show was very good.
Given all the good things about this ship and staff it is so sad the food quality did not meet my expectations of Royal Caribbean. There were no trays of fresh sliced fruit only bowls of whole fruit, apples, bananas, kiwi and pears. There were no cook to order stations of any kind and no food outlet at the pool area. The hamburgers and hotdogs occupied a large section on the buffet. There was no omelet station at breakfast and a staff member confirmed that the scrambled eggs were powdered. The premade omelets looked as though they were pressed from a tortilla maker. The Windjammer Buffet area was too small for the number of passengers and was very, very congested every time we visited. The one main dining room was nice, service was very good, but food was below average. There were two other outlets that served pizza or finger sandwiches. The room service menu was the most limited of any ship I have traveled on. Three other food venues were available for a surcharge of $5 to $30.
Although the Independence fell far short on food quality I know this is not the standard of all RCCL ships. I will most likely sail on RCCL again but not on the Independence. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Bad bad food by
A no nonsense traveler from Ohio Sailing date: Dec 2012Pros: Entertainment Cons: Food My previous sailing with Royal was 10 yrs back and food quality has significantly gone down. Even today I remember the excellent meals from Royal Caribbean decade ago cruise and this is a total contrast to it, food wise. Ship is newer, clean, entertainment was outstanding but Id not recommend this ship or royal Caribbean to anyone due to their food quality, which is a big part of cruising for most cruisers.
I didnt use their onshore excursions which is expensive for a family of 4. We made our own independent booking for ex, we rented a car from Hertz in St Maarten and toured the island freely.
Their specialty, Portofino restaurant food quality was similar to that of Olive garden and this is $20/person. the wait to be seated (despite the reservation) and the wait between courses was unacceptably long. Enough that we requested for the main course to be packed and sent to the room, with the desert. And we were there from 8 pm till 9.45 pm!! What started out as a special evening turned sour due to this - Additionally kid's club was closing at 10 pm so we ended up leaving without finishing the dinner.The appetizer risotto was nice but everything else after it was mediocre. Thiramisu base reeked of cheap rum
Coming to the main dining room its several notches below the Portofino, which I compared it to Olive garden earlier The kicker is, food served in the main dining room is also served in the buffet. Raviolis were doughy (I have never tasted raviolis that were this bad. It was a new low), chicken breast bland with no seasoning, nacho chips thats no longer crispy, guacamole that turned brown, Indian dishes made by Chefs with little understanding of the cooking process (curry powders thrown in and not cooked well, so it tasted bitter). Butter chicken was made without heavy cream, which is a big component of it it was basically tomato paste from the can thrown in with leftover chicken from lunch earlier that day (I could easily make that out)
One of the fellow diner, due to food allergy had written to Royal Caribbean with detailed info and it wasnt communicated to the waiters. Despite mentioning it, the waiter had very little interest in wanting to understand and accommodate it. Additionally, waiters couldnt speak to the dishes when we had questions.
Windjammer food could be compared to banquet type of food. May be like golden corral. I found their fries to be really tasty though.
Overall, none of the meals were outstanding I dont remember a single dish that made an impression.
Regarding the outrageous tip expected on the cruise Cruise liner is basically shifting their responsibility to you. We arent tipping them for exceptional service, but rather paying their salary as what the cruise liner pays is very low. It may have been understandable to pay $30 tip for a dinner, for family of four, if its multicourse fine cuisine But when its several steps down than Olive garden food coupled with mediocre service, the tip doesnt make sense. Same with room steward 160 dollar tip for 8 night cruise for 2 adults and 2 young children. Rooms were quite clean but when was the last time you left $160 tip for 8 night stay? This isnt just applicable to Royal Caribbean but rather to the entire cruise industry. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
Children's ProgramsThe kids club counsellors were the mostly younger people. I didn't see any affection or warm handling. they were there to do a job - this is the perception i gathered. 1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Fabulous Vacation by
Laurel M from Atlanta, GA Sailing date: Dec 2009Pros: Being pampered Cons: Leaving! This was our first cruise and it was a wonderful experience. The ship was spotless, way cleaner than any place I have ever been before. The food was really good, with the exception of desserts. Activities were fun, ports of call were good, the excursions were fun. We were well taken care of and will definitely cruise again. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
Good cruise by
Steven V from United States Sailing date: Mar 2013Pros: The ship and the service are great. Cons: seating at dinner. The ship and service are wonderful. My only complaint is we had a seating request at dinner for ten people from three different rooms in our party. When we got there they had four of our party in a completely different area of the dinning room. They did get us together, but it was at a table meant for eight instead of ten and we were stuffed back in a corner of the dinning room.. Other than that the cruise was wonderful. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom QualityWe had an interior stateroom which is pretty small for four people, but you don't really spend that much time in the room. Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
Did you find this review helpful?
|
|
