Well.... I guess I'll start at the embarkation: TERRIBLE & DISORGANIZED : There are no clear signs or people properly directing the masses to the proper lines or location to go. We happen to be Diamond Plus (which has taken quite awhile to accomplish) which is supposed to have priority boarding. We were told to get in the MASS CHAOS line with everyone, and by the time we reached the front of the line the guy says... oh well you should asked me... you could have gone straight in. SERIOUSLY?! Are you kidding? How about a sign or 2 to direct your customers? Once we got through the metal detectors (which is a joke, anyone can get through) the boarding process was almost flawless and moved rapidly.
Once on board we (our group of 4) we immediately noticed a change in overall attitude and food quality. It's unfortunately declined over the last year. It seems someone in corporate thinks its a good idea to lower food quality probably to drive people to specialty dining. Service from employees has also declined: never saw the head waiter, not impressed with our waiter but extremely happy with the asst. waiter. Casino dealers: very unfriendly & rude. Sad part is our group LOVES to tip but couldn't find anyone worth it. They won't ever realize how much $$$ they didn't get- they should've been nice...."ching ching".
The perks for our loyalty to RCCL have officially diminished. Last year on this exact cruise we were entitled to access the concierge lounge, now mngt has decided that we can no longer access this particular lounge.. It's reserved for Suite guests. So basically all you have to do is sail 1 time and book a Suite (Junior-Suite does not count) and you are given full access and all the perks of the ship. Our group of Diamond Plus members is not a valued customer anymore and our loyalty doesn't mean much- very sad. All of us are retiring soon and will most definitely be looking for a different cruise line that appreciated the loyal cruiser (maybe Regent or Princess). Disembarkation: Another cluster of the unorganized... my suggestion START EARLY and carry off your luggage. If you're going... just don't expect anything from anyone and you won't be disappointed.