This Western Caribbean cruise was selected primarily because of the port of Tampa. We have friends in Tampa and Superbowl weekend seemed like a good time to visit them and depart on our cruise. We sailed on the Carnival Miracle last year and the ships are virtually identical. The main dining room, Truffels, is much less gaudy than the one on the Miracle. Although the interior of the ship appeared to in be fairly good repair, the exterior was definitely not. There was visible rust on the side of the ship. The windows were never washed the entire cruise, and they we covered with salt spray. When I have sailed with Royal Caribbean, they wash the windows at least twice during the cruise and well as cleaning the balconies. This never happened on our cruise. The deck chairs fell apart every time you moved, and I don't mean just a few, I mean almost all. They were of poor design, old, and in dire need of replacement.

I would have to say the food was pretty good overall. The Lido buffet had nice choices, but the lines were long and tables in short supply at peak times. The main dining venue was also good. We choose the total choice dining option. We were willing to wait a few minutes each night for our waiter, Conrad and his assistant, Opec, both great. I recommend the total choice dining. I saw almost no one wait for a table, unless you have a specific table or waiter request. If so, they accommodate you by giving you a pager that works throughout the ship to notify you that your table is ready. The only real disappointment was the extra charge, Golden Fleece, restaurant. It certainly was NOT worth the $30/person tariff. The service was mediocre and food unmemorable. We enjoyed the main dining room better. I have to admit that we did not have the same experience with the extra charge restaurant on the Miracle last year. There it was exceptional and we back again.

The service was good pretty much without exception from the waitstaff to the bartenders and our room steward, whom I only met a couple of times, but our room was always clean. Read more