Having cruised with Royal numerous times, we had been told that the big ships, Oasis and Allure, had to be experienced. Well, it was an experience. As Diamond members, we could arrive at any time. The process had an oh-oh feel in the beginning, largely because of the security screening. Once through that we found a smooth embarkation. We got to our cabin quickly, met the stateroom attendant(who was GREAT) and went off to lunch. Windjammer Cafe was JAMMED. Seriously folks, the Cafe in the old Sovereign class was bigger than this. Just not a fun experience. It was worse the next morning - They actually had a waiting line to get in. Later we learned that there was line for the dining room for table service, but you could go right into the buffet. It would have been nice to know.

Dinner seemed really empty - we had a table for 8 with 6 people. The Waiter and assistant were lots of fun. The maitre d' stopped by, introduced himself and checked up during the meal. The food in the dining room was pretty standard fare. The food was good, probably not 5 star WOW, but better than a chain.

Many of the venues (shows, and the like were incapable of the folks who wanted to attend. Notably, the "adult" comedy show was held in the smallest venue possible. Like a lot of this ship, it just felt "cramped". Read more