This was our third cruise with Royal. The embarkation still has some bugs to work out. We had to stand outside in the heat which wasn't easy for us and would have been more difficult for older cruisers. We also had some problems when our plane landed at Newark. We had to actively seek the Royal representative and then had no assistance with the luggage. Also, the rep got off the elevator and left us and another couple not knowing where to go to catch out shuttle. An argument ensued between the rep and the driver and we really felt like we were going to witness a fist fight. This was not the greeting we expected or had received previously on RC.
By the time we finally got through the rather lengthy check-in process and got on the ship, the mustering call had already occurred and we found ourselves rushing to find our place. So we got that out of the way and then the next problem occurred when our luggage got lost and wasn't found until after a report had been filed and in the early morning hours the next day, it arrived. We actually only saw our cabin steward 3-4 times and so we had trouble remembering his name and his face. Once when I was going to my room after being out at the pool, he asked me as I was trying to get into my room if it was indeed my room. This tells me that perhaps on a ship of this size, the room attendants have too many responsibilities.
Well, I was not prepared for so many children. Now we sailed at about the same time of the year as we had previously, but had no idea there would be 700 plus kids on board. Now don't get me wrong. I love kids. I am a teacher, but after a long school year and having just finished the year a week prior, I would have liked for it to have been a wee bit quieter. I do understand why so many children were on board. There are endless activities and opportunities for them. Putt- putt, inline skating, rock wall, pools, hot tubs, unlimited ice cream, etc. And let's not forget meeting many new friends and starting endless romances!! I'm not that old.