This was my 5th cruise on the Rhapsody of the Seas and 15th on RCL. We used the Dolphin parking on 81st street and continue to like their service and the fact that it is just off the freeway. Let them drive through all the traffic going and coming and allow us to just get in our car and head home.
There was a pretty good crowd when we got to the pier at around 12:30. However having a suite and being diamond members got us around most of the crowd. In a short time, we were off to the ship and onboard. Just about 20 minutes later, we were in our room after grabbing a bite in the Windjammer. I must say that the windjammer is really not getting any better. However you can always find some thing to eat, but no match for what Celebrity puts out. I think RCL needs to look hard at this area and make corrections. We did find that the grill there was shut down and no longer making omelets in the morning. Apparently they got dinged on a Coast Guard inspection improper ventilation and were forced to shut it down. This will be addressed at the scheduled dry dock coming up.
Dinner in the main dining room seems to have come up a bit. I was very pleased with the meals there and realized how much I miss some things on RCL. Although overall Celebrity is much better at food, they are no match for RCL soups and broths and to me are truly desert challenged. (Yeah, I know this is all subjective, but JMHO) I still like my American deserts rich and sweet, not European and healthy.