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This was our first cruise so we were not sure what to expect. I hope to give some useful information to others considering this cruise.
Activities - there just isn't enough going on during the day. The theatre showed a movie on the first day only and then nothing, it was closed during the day. A daily movie would certainly help pass the time. Bingo at 3.30 (minimum 22 dollar fee) was about all, except the Art auctions every day where you could watch everyone NOT buying any art.
Gymnasium - this is small and unless you go in the morning or afternoon you will not be able to use any of the equipment.
Eating - the Windjammer cafe was good with an excellent choice however be warned at breakfast it is jammed and we often had to take our food outside onto the pool area and eat in the chilly windy weather. We did discover however that you can have breakfast in the formal dining room (between 6.30 - 9.00 which was a little early for us) or you can have it delivered to your room free of charge after 7.00 am.
Lunch was not a problem and there was plenty of room during the long sitting. You can also go into the formal dining room for a "30 minutes express lunch sitting" or eat in the inside pool area (although this tended to be burgers, hot dogs and fries).
King and I dining room - we chose the second sitting (9.00 pm) and this is too late, particularly when you have been trying to fill your time during the day - also we missed a lot of the evening entertainment. The formal nights are not really formal, don't think you need a jacket, tie, dress etc. I wore trousers and a blouse, my hubby wore a shirt and trousers just as on the other nights. Food at night is fantastic and service is really good.
Cabins Don't use the water provided as they charge you $5 per bottle. At the pool area there is a machine providing ice water and coffee all day and night. Just get a glass of water to take to your room
Bars The Schooner Bar was were we spent most evenings as the other area Top Hat Lounge was permanently empty, just a few couples dancing. What a shame they could have made much more of this space - dancing classes or shows. We had the Cocktail of the Day at $6 but after a few days were getting suspicious that there wasn't actually any alcohol in these. I switched to a rum based cocktail and this confirmed my suspicions. The cocktails are in a large plastic tub in the kitchen which is ready made up, presumably with little or no alcohol. So if cocktails are your thing, go to the bar yourself and watch the waiter making one up for you - I can recommend the B52s !
Entertainment Again we were disappointed with this - 2 x "reps shows", a magician and a comedy singer. My husband enjoyed the Beatlemania show though.
All in all we felt the company were always trying to get more money out of you, even the daily talks about the ports of calls were laced with shopping tips where you could spend your money or organised excursions which cost a fortune. We always did our own thing and there was little information about this.
Ship itself felt just the right size for us, the cabins were spacious and there were plenty of opportunities for eating and drinking. I don't think we would use Royal Carribean again, but we will try cruising again but in a warmer part of the year.
Happy Cruising!
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