I am a Diamond member on RCI so have been on a lot of cruises on RCI and other lines. Over the past year or two I have watched the gradual deterioration in services on Royal Caribbean. This last cruise on Serenade made me think the decline has reached a point that it might be time to try another line. There is a sense of penny pinching. No more pen and paper in the rooms. No more glasses and ice in your room unless you ask for them, and then you still have to argue for extra glasses. Threadbare towels that should have been retired ages ago. Food in the main dining room really mediocre at best. The "steak" was far below the quality you would find at a middle line chain restaurant like Outback. Chicken marsala was absolutely tasteless. The food in the specialty restaurants was definitely better, but far from outstanding. Service providers really needed more training in customer service. We encountered downright rude personnel in the Windjammer, the buffet dining area. Some beverage areas were not serviced frequently enough so that dirty dishes and glasses piled up. The customer service people at the front desk were a variable group and some problems were just left unresolved. The ship is attractive and many of the staff were more than attentive, but the overall experience we found disappointing.