A very good special was offered for their last Caribbean cruise before leaving for Europe so I decided to take a friend - who had never cruised before. We arrived a day early and stayed at the Renaissance Hotel near the port. Our shuttle to the ship was simple and easy ($6.00/person). Check in was a little hectic even though I was Elite - just lots and lots of people. But we made it though and found our way to our room. We unloaded our carry on's and by that time, our room steward, Kenneth, stopped by to introduce himself. We asked for bathrobes and extra lotion. Then we made our way to the buffet for lunch and a walk around the ship. Being this was my 4th time on the Royal, it was interesting seeing what my friend noticed as a first timer. She was impressed! She enjoyed the buffet and all the foods that were offered. For me, the food was almost the same as before - but still good. We ate on the outdoor back deck of the ship which I have always enjoyed. Service was a little sporadic at times but I just got up and filled my own glass.

We ate in the Symphony Dining Room on 2 nights of our cruise - food was very good and service was just OK. It didn't bother my friend as she didn't know what to expect.

One of the pleasures we had was watching two top notch movies on the outdoor screen. We probably would have watched more if there were movies offered that we liked. I especially enjoyed it as the weather is much warmer in April than in January when we usually cruise. Read more