This cruise left Baltimore, which worked for us because we could park at the port. Boarding was no more difficult than it has been for any cruise we've taken. (Compared with some of our fellow cruisers, we are pretty new at this!)

Royal Caribbean's best asset is its crew, and I told them so in our survey. The crew made this cruise a grade 4. We met so many crew members who were willing to answer our (probably nosy) questions about their home nations and families. They showed us pictures of children and towns and parents, when things got slow at a bar, for instance. Even the young women cleaning our bathrooms were willing to practice their English and offer us a paper towel to open the door. Our cabin steward was a shining light for sure!

The ship is ready for a sprucing up, which is scheduled this spring. Paint is chipped and rust is showing. We live around salt water, so we are aware of how much damage salt water does to infrastructure. However, in all the time that we were aboard, we only saw windows washed on the highest decks. Sitting on 4, 5, or 6 trying to look out a window was almost painful. This, too, I mentioned in my review. We don't cruise to look at each other. We like the water view. Read more