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Great First Cruise by
A Traveler from Southern CA Sailing date: Oct 2008Pros: Good Value, relaxing, all inclusive trip to Hawaii, good food Cons: low energy, bad entertainment, activities skewed to very old demographic This was our first cruise so we had no preconceived ideas of how it should by or what to expect. My first thought when boarding the ship was that the demographic of the other guest was very very old (80-90+). The first few days out at sea we were somewhat disappointed with the energy level of the cruise given the older audience, especially the activities and entertainment. We knew they should cater to this audience since that was the majority on board but felt that very little effort was made to please younger people. The majority of the activities were bingo, trivia, crafts, you get the idea.
One thing to note is that most aspects of cruising seems to be tailored to a 7 day cruise, the menus, activities, entertainment, etc. so for a 15 day cruise like this it really felt like the staff was 'treading water" trying to spread out their pre-determined agenda with lots of filler.
Another small nit-pic for me was that "free" drinks like lemonade and ice tea are only available in the buffet, so if you're lounging at the pool you have to walk all the way to the back of the ship to get a drink you don't have to pay for when there are two bars right there. That felt a little like we were being punished for not getting paid drinks.
Having said all that, the ports and excursions were amazing and the trip was amazing value. We still had fun and relaxed a lot. We would probably do it again. Ship QualityThis is a newer ship. I felt like the size was perfect, not too small and not so big it's overwhelming. Some of the decor seems dated for a ship that is only a few years old but everything on board is still shiny and new-ish. Dining/FoodThe food on board was really good and the dining staff were great. The only thing that was kind of bad was that the menu for the buffet lacked variety and got old half way through the trip, again because I think it's based on a 7 day cruise and this was twice the length. Stateroom QualityWe had an interior room, we didn't mind that since we didn't plan on spending a lot of time there. It is quite small but comfortable. It is pitch dark in there though with no windows which is kind of disorienting when you wake up with the motion of the ship, you don't know if it's 2am or 12pm. The TV channels leave a lot to be desired too. Ship Staff QualityAll the staff were great and friendly. Entertainment & ActivitiesAs I said before it was all skewed to a very old demographic. Activities were trivia, lots of bingo and bridge and crafts. The night clubs and bars were deserted by 10PM most nights. The energy level was pretty low. The live music around the ship was great thought, they did an excellent job in that department. The stage shows that were produced by the ship's entertainment were also pretty good but there were only three of those in 15 days. The other days the entertainment was ridiculously bad, we were rolling our eyes at most of it.  
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Ensenada, MexicoEnsenada is like someone took Tijuana and moved it by the ocean. The only things to do there are shop for cheap crap or viagra and drink at a cantina if you want to brave it. We got off the boat for like 30 min and headed right back. So did most everyone else.
Don't Miss: Just miss the whole port Honolulu, OahuWe had been to Honolulu before. Waikiki is very crowded and touristy as is Pearl Harbor and Honolulu is basically like most major metropolitan cities. We opted to do the "LOST" tour since we are fans of the show, there wasn't a lot to see since the tour only stays within Honolulu but it was still really cool. Then we headed down to Waikiki to see the beach and do some shopping at the International Marketplace.
Don't Miss: If you haven't seen them before: Pearl Harbor, Waikiki beach, International Marketplace Hilo, HawaiiHilo is not very touristy from what I can tell. We took this opportunity to visit Volcanoes national park which was very interesting. We opted for the tour that did NOT include food and we were glad we did. The food is served in an old lodge that hasn't been remodeled since the 1940's and the food is terrible there. Also, don't buy macadamia nuts at the Mauna Loa factory, they're much cheaper at one of the thousand ABC stores you'll see walking around anywhere in Hawaii.
Don't Miss: Kiluea volcano and tour Kailua-Kona, HawaiiWhile we were there the course for the Ironman was set up and people were training, there was lots of activity due to the event being that weekend. We rode on the Atlantis submarine which was really amazing and worth the price. The town itself is nice to walk through and take pictures. We had the most amazing shaved ice of all time at this place: http://www.scandinavianshaveice.com/, we had shaved ice at other places in Hawaii on our trip and compared to this place those are just snow cones!
Don't Miss: Scandinavian Save Ice, Atlantis Submarine ride, site seeing, lava rocks on the shore line, tide pools, photos Lahaina, MauiMaui is beautiful and being there two consecutive days gave us the opportunity to rent a car and drive around. There is lots to do there. We went snorkeling at black rock and then drove on the road to Hana stopping to hike to a waterfall and swim. A word of warning: most of the "deals" you find in town for activities like snorkeling, surfing, etc. are tied to time share condo sales. Just stay away from all of them.
Don't Miss: Seeing the country side and beautiful vistas on the road to Hana, lots of beaches for snorkeling, surfing etc. 12 out of 16 people found this review helpful.
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  Great cruise experience by
O.G. from Newark, NJ Sailing date: Aug 2010Pros: Food was awesome, variety of pools (one pool+jaccuzzi was 24 hrs), staff was great Cons: The stop at Dominica, the evening shows catered to an older crowd, the fitness room closed early (around 10pm, but was more like 9:45pm), the prices for pictures were extremely high This was the second time cruising (first time was with carnival) and the first time for my girlfriend. I would definitely never cruise with carnival after experiencing Royal Caribbean! The ship was very well maintained. No matter where you walked it was spotless! The hand sanitizers were always full. Our room was always cleaned for us twice a day. The staff was amazing. The included food selection was really good..even had the ability for special requests! The ship had a very good layout. Plenty of pools and daytime activities. Night activities could be added, but they still have a decent selection. The billiards room and game room were fun at night when me and the girlfriend wanted something to do on the ship at night. The mini-golf was pretty cool too. We used the jogging track a lot because the fitness room closed a bit early (around 10pm). Overall, it was a pretty good experience. We will definitely cruise with Royal Caribbean again soon! Ship Quality
Dining/FoodDining was a very pleasurable experience. The staff was very attentive. I'm allergic to seafood, and my girlfriend is a very picky eater, and yet they always made sure we were happy with what we were eating. Stateroom QualityOur stateroom attendant was very informative and always kept our room clean. However, the room was a bit smaller than expected and a bit uncomfortable, but we were rarely in the room so that didn't matter much. I guess you get what you pay for, right? We stayed in an interior room, and it was towards the front of the cruise ship (lots of movement because of the ship rocking). You get used to the ship movement after the first day. Ship Staff QualityCan't stress enough how friendly the staff was. All the staff was dressed professionally and handled all matters as such as well. They seem like they sincerely loved their job. Most staff remember your names very quickly, too! Entertainment & ActivitiesThe best thing (for us) were the two comedy shows. However, it was the same comedian both times with very similar jokes. The game show nights were cool too, but they only did that twice. The rest of the shows were a little dull, considering they were catered to a much older crowd. 7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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memories to treasure by
thelma s. from ca Sailing date: Jun 2009Pros: Excellent,friendly,corteous by far the best customer service, taste and presentation of the food awesome,punctual and very organized activities... etc Cons: soda should be included with thirst quencher selection We boarded from Vancouver to see the city, stayed at a very nice "gold suite" staff were nice too, service was excellent, very friendly staff as always. But when we boarded the ship, OMG,from now on,Whenever possible and this ship (or will
consider same cruise line)is available Definitely going on a cruise than in a hotel. 2 nights hotel stay in vancouver was equivalent to 1 person fee (balcony)for a cruise. Loved it, my family including my sister's family was so sad on the last day. We are looking forward to our next cruise. Destination: eastern carribean: Ship- Serenade of the seas. Ship QualityMy husband was impressed how they make the whole ship "spotless". Dining/Foodwe were just totally spoiled. too hard to come back home. Stateroom QualityExcellent. Ship Staff QualityGoing above and beyond is what every one in that ship did for all the guest. Including my daughter who just want her fish cooked the simplest way of just plain fried "the way mom cooked it" Entertainment & Activities
Children's ProgramsMy 12 year old daughter had a blast. 9 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
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Fantastic experience by
Sara A from Toronto, Canada Sailing date: Feb 2012Pros: The food was wonderful, the service was out of this world, staff were funny, friendly, and super accomodating. Cons: the show times needed to start later we missed a few because of our late dinner seating, not long enough on each island, the the ship was spotless at all times, everyone was fantastic, we had such a great time and as soon as we docked the last day, my husband and I were already planning our next trip. Ship Qualitythe ship was huge, so much to do decor was modern and apealing, restautants very elegand decor, and very very clean Dining/Foodomg, food was fantastic, you will gain weight at all the options and availablility/ Stateroom Qualityit was a nice set-up but i would have liked a bigger stateroom, we have an oceanview but i think next time i would like a suite. Ship Staff Qualityfantastic, everyone is so friendly and seem like they really care about you. Entertainment & Activities
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Living the Dream! by
A Traveler from New Jersey Sailing date: Apr 2011Pros: I liked NOT thinking of anything else but having a good time. This cruise helped me do that. Cons: There was nothing I didn't like. The people on the ship were professional, yet very friendly. In spite of all the people they take care of, they all remembered our names. We felt bad when we left and hope to see them all again. We also enjoyed the cleanliness of the ship, the beauty of the ship, and all the wonderful entertainment they provided. They were a CLASS act! Ship Quality
Dining/FoodEverything was delicious!! I enjoyed the variety they provided too! Stateroom Quality
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St. John's, AntiguaWe enjoyed a day at the beach in Antigua.
St. George's, GrenadaWe enjoyed this island, although we didn't do much but go to the beach and do a little shopping afterwards. Still, it was beautiful from what we saw. The people were lovely and very accomodating. It was a very nice day!
Don't Miss: Grand Anse Beach Castries, St. LuciaSeeing this island made us want to go back for a air/land visit. It was beautiful!! We took a boat ride to the pitons and got a chance to see the beautiful fishing villages and beaches on the way. They stopped at a black sand beach which was awesome, and let us take a swim. It was not to be missed!!
Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S.V.I.We went horse back riding on this island. It was awesome! The people are very nice on this island too.
Don't Miss: Paul & Jill's Stables Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.The shopping was the best of all ports. It's a lovely island and has a ferry service to other islands if you'd like to explore more.
Don't Miss: The shopping 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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A great Cruise by
A Traveler from BG, Ohio Sailing date: Feb 2011Pros: over all cleanliness, friendlyness of the staff, Cons: off site staff/ knowledge lacking to explain or recommend We have been on several Cruise lines, and we picked Royal Caribbean because
we expected it to be a bit nicer than the less expensive cruises and it attracts an
older crowd...not young partyiers etc...and the guests on this cruise were exactly that
very polite, easy to cruise with...and mature. The ship was older, but we felt well maintained and updated, we are not interested in RC's HUGE ships with 5000 people We were taking our 3 married daughters
and we wanted a special time...It was a dream for me as the Mom/ Grandma to have
just our adult family for nice dinners, wonderful off site excursions, clean entertainment
etc...and almost all our expectations were met....The ship is older Ship Quality
Dining/Foodpasteries were poor...dry and like store bought...not baked... Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityEXCEPT the off site staff, the guest service staff was great but the lack of knowledge or
service mentality was lacking with Off site...almost seemed like an inconvenience and
impatient to have you make a decision and get out of line!! Entertainment & ActivitiesComedian Jeffrey Jena and Cruise director were terrific..Sprectrum?Motown tribute wonderful too....the El Gaucho was pretty weak...
kept waiting for him to move to next part of act and that was it! He tried to be funny and
no one really laughed...felt sorry for him....
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Bridgetown, BarbadosWe did our own thing again, hired a TAXI and then to the beach to swim and interact with
the SEA TURTLES...wonderful!!
The men scuba dove with an ORBITZ excursion and had a great dive!
Don't Miss: Turtles...as they are fed so guaranteed to show up!! Roseau, Dominicaour FAVORITE because of the diversity....Hired a TAXI on our own after our bad experience
with RC excursion day before....we toured the island briefly on way to the TRAFALGAR Fall
We hiked the rocks down to the base of the falls,jumped in the water and then hot springs and then ALSO hit the Champayne Beach with WONDERFUL snorkeling!!
Don't Miss: Trafalgar Falls if you can hike to really experience it and not just look at it! Basseterre, St. KittsDON"T pick the Kayak and Snorkel off site with RC...because it is really only a
good kayak excursion...over priced and POOR snorkeling...didn't do as explained to us..
no reef etc...
Philipsburg, St. Maartenloved just walking to the gorgeous beach NICE that it was a walking distance from ship
not requiring any transportation to get a taste of the island.Loved being the only ship in the
port too!
Tortola, British Virgin IslandsVIRGIN GORDA and the BATHS a must...did it on our own with a ferry and taxi...
Don't Miss: same above...skip ROADTOWN...just a city 6 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Great ship and great ports by
Nat F from NY, NY Sailing date: Apr 2011Pros: The design of the ship was really nice and the service was great Cons: Skip the desserts I have been on many ships in the past and I found the layout of this one to be so streamlined and intuitive. This was an all around good trip. The food was good, the service was good, the ports were good. I would definitly go on this same ship again. Ship QualityThe layout was great, the ship was very clean, the decor was classic and not cheesy. Dining/FoodEverything was amazing except for the deserts and those weren't terrible as well just not as good as some other ships Stateroom QualityThe pullout bed was a bit hard and of course the bathroom was tiny. The sink could use some better drainage. The balcony was a nice size and comfortable to sit and read or watch as we pulled into port. Ship Staff QualityThe waiters in the dining room were excellent. Everyone was very friendly. Entertainment & Activities
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Bridgetown, BarbadosGreat beaches are close to the port and lots of fun activities available right on the beach.
Roseau, DominicaBeautiful natural lush wildlife. We went to the Twin Falls and swam in the waterfalls. As long as you don't mind cold water it's amazing. Mero beach is a black sand beach with crystal clear smooth water.
Basseterre, St. KittsThe beaches here are not that great and the taxi guys at the port will try to convince you to go to one place over another to get kickbacks from the beach bars. Don't bother here.
Philipsburg, St. MaartenAlways excellent duty free shopping here and very convienent beaches.
Tortola, British Virgin IslandsMy friend visited the Baths and Virgin Gorda and she said they were amazing. We went to Brewers Bay and it was so nice and less crowded than Cane Garden bay. Keep an eye out for the passing cows and bulls on the roads!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Great Vacation by
A Traveler from Missouri Sailing date: May 2010Pros: Food, accomodations, friendly staff Cons: Constantly on the go, little relaxation, being nickled and dimed for everything This was my second cruise and I was very concerned with getting motion sick. I took Bonine which helped greatly but made me tired most of the trip. Ship is large with many places to eat, drink and just hang out. Staff is extremely friendly, always remembering your name, and very helpful. We chose to plan our own excursions which worked out well. In Barbados we spend $25 pp+ for a tour around the island, and a 2 hour stop at a beach. In St. Lucia we spent around $33pp for a tour as well as going to the volcano. The driver was not talkative and drove like a mad man. I might suggest going through the ship for that island. In Antigua we took a cab (14 round trip) to Jolly beach and had a great time. St. Martin we also took a cap to Orient beach for 12 round trip.
Food is great on the ship, and there are alot of things to do is you can be as busy as you want. Internet is EXTREMELY slow so I wouldn't plan on writing alot to your friends. All in all I thought it was a great value and would go on a cruise again. Ship Quality
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St. John's, AntiguaLoved it! Probably everyone's favorite. Beach was clean, and uncrowded. Shelling was really good as well.
Bridgetown, BarbadosBeautiful island with crystal clear water and white/pink beaches. We did not shop and only ate at one restaurant. Loved it
Castries, St. LuciaYou definately want to hire a driver or go on an excursion. Our driver was not helpful although the tour around the island was beautiful. We stopped several times on the way to the volcano, but none on the way back. I had to ask to stop because I was getting sick. the guy drove like a madman. We did not eat on this trip either which was quite disappointing. The island is beautiful and is a must see
Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S.V.I.Get on a tour ASAP. There is NOTHING in Frederiksted! Christensen is where you want to go, or take the Buck Island tour which is great!
Philipsburg, St. MaartenWent to Orient Beach which was interesting. Very crowded beach, but this allowed everyone a variety of places to eat and drink. Island was similar to Antigua/St. Croix
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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A Wonderful Trip by
Dianne B. from springfield,oh Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: The ship, the food, the experience Cons: visiting St. Lucia The ship was wonderful. We had great food, wonderful service, awesome amenities. Ship QualityVery clean and well laid out. Dining/FoodGREAT food both in the dining room and buffet. Stateroom Qualityroomy and comfortable; loved the balcony Ship Staff Qualityvery accomodating Entertainment & ActivitiesGreat shows.
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St. John's, Antiguatour was good; small buses; cramped
Bridgetown, BarbadosAbsolutely the best part of the itinerary. What a wonderful place; wish we could have stayed longer.
Castries, St. Luciaaweful experience; tendered not docked; the only way out of dock was thru a market were sellers ganged up on you; also they followed you on the beach; had to go out of the market onto the main street in order to get back to the tender dock there were even more people following you. I felt very unsafe even in broad daylight.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.been there before, but still had a great time
Philipsburg, St. Maartenenjoyed the tour
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful.
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Great cruise! by
Danny P.R. from Ponce, P.R. Sailing date: May 2011Pros: The service and the food and of course...the solarium! Cons: >60 y/o oriented cruise, pushy people at port of call First of all it is a beautiful ship with beautiful and plenty of places to walk around the ship..from your stateroom to the solarium that is like an indoor pool..so quiet and relaxing. There were so many places to walk around. The food in the Dining Room was B+ class as well as the service but to be honest the food at the Windjammer was even better. I'd give an A+ on that. The one thing I didn't like was the table sitting at the dining room so I preferred to eat for an additional fee to eat at one fo their restaurants called Portofino and Chopps Grill...The experience in these 2 rest were superb!...Loved it! Quality was absolutely great. The ship had different areas to sit and have a drink. For me was the Schooner bar or the safari club with different activities throughout the day. I also found that the ship was more oriented towards older population, mostly >65y/o activities. The tours on the islands and the port of call with duty free shopping turns out to be the same in every island. I'm from the caribbean so I dont recommend people from the caribbean to take this ship cause you'll be bored. Overall, would I do it again?...definitely yes! but I'll choose Alaska or Mexico area next time. Ship Quality
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St. John's, AntiguaThe best beach overall was in Antigua definitely..If you have a chance get the beach extravaganza tour...you'll love the clear water beach and the lunch!!!!Rum punch included!...except not enough umbrellas so take tons of sunblock
Bridgetown, Barbadosgreat beaches..
Basseterre, St. Kitts
Castries, St. LuciaNice weather, great beaches.
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.As I said above..more people were talking about St. Marteen but I found more accesible St. Thomas...
Don't Miss: The shopping Philipsburg, St. MaartenEverybody was taking about St. Marteen..but to be honest...I wasn't impress at all. First..too many pushy people trying to sell you the same as in the other islands. You'll find the same stuff even more expensive. We had lunch in one of the restaurants and for 3 clubs sandwich(they were ham,cheese and egg..not club) were more than $70 w/o tips...We bought an excursion online adn ended up paying
$84 for each person for the butterflies tour and the lady in the store admitted that the entrance for the butterflies farm was $12..so they charged you >$70 for a 10 min ride to the french side..unbelievable...I'd recommend to buy EVERY EXCURSION DIRECTLY IN THE SHIP!!!DO NOT BUY IT ONLINE!
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful.
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