This was our 3rd cruise, 2nd time on Royal Caribbean (we took one trip on Carnival, never to return!). We are sold, and will probably never do another line! Of 2300 souls onboard our cruise, 450+ were repeaters, and for good reason. We will definitely fleet up to the (larger) Voyager class next time for 2 reasons: they have an onboard dive shop that offers certification during the cruise (something my husband and I want to pursue) and they have a larger kids program.
Our special-needs 10-year old son (autism) had a good time, and never fussed about being dropped off. But the amenities for kids and number of staffers in the kids program (Adventure Ocean) were not optimum on this mid-size ship.
That said, the service is what makes RC #1 for us. But it is not white-gloved and stuffy. Our dinner waiter was cheerful and enthusiastic, having requested a transfer from one of the exclusive, extra fee dining rooms, because he missed the fun of the main dining room. Joselito was a delight! 2 examples of going the extra mile: 1) Our first night, the head waiter called up to Adventure Ocean to extend our son for after-hours sitting because we were not yet finished with our late-seating dinner at 10 PM.