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CHECK-IN AND BOARDING: We live about 20 minutes from the Baltimore Cruise Terminal and loved that it was such an easy drive to the ship. I wish, though, that Baltimore could adopt the boarding procedure used in Philadelphia. In Baltimore we stood in line to get up to the door of the terminal building, where someone checked to make sure we had all our docs. Then we stood in a long, slow line before we got to the actual check-in counter. In Philadelphia last year, after the preliminary doc check, we were escorted to a row of chairs inside the building. Each row was called in turn to the check-in line, and from there things moved very quickly. It was much easier on the feet and made for a more relaxing way to start the vacation. Having said that, the RCI staff couldn't have been more helpful with the check-in process.
It was after 1 p.m. when we boarded and our room was ready. We were able to have lunch before we got to the terminal, so skipped the buffet and went out on deck for sailaway.
ROOM: We were in an outside room on Deck 3. The room wasn't huge, but was well laid-out and had tons of storage. There were drawers in the closet; in both night stands; and the vanity/desk. The hairdryer was in one of the drawers. There were also shelves in the cupboard above the safe; behind mirrored doors on both sides of the large vanity/desk mirror; and in a generous medicine cabinet in the bathroom. There was a full-length mirror on the outside of the bathroom, and a large mirror beside the bed that reflected the view from the picture window. The number and placement of the mirrors made the room feel light and spacious. There were also a desk chair at the vanity, an upholstered chair and a small glass cocktail table. Even with all that, there was room to walk around. We had the beds configured as one queen bed with the head beneath the window, and there was room on each side to get in and out comfortably (and keep a pair of shoes).
The only downside was figuring out where to stow suitcases. Our large suitcase fit in the closet, but the others wouldn't fit under the bed. They ended up living on the upholstered chair and the floor next to it.
Furniture was light-colored wood. The color scheme was predominantly hunter green and white.
There was no fridge in the room and no actual mini-bar. There was always a bucket with ice on the desk, and the room came equipped with bottles of water, cans of Coke, Diet Coke and Sprite, and some snacks. These were charged to the room account if/as used. I put the snacks and soda cans on the shelves to the right of the mirror to make more room on the vanity table.
ROOM STEWARD: Stanley introduced himself when we arrived and made sure everything was okay. We didn't see much of him after that, but almost every time we went out and came back in, we could tell he'd been in to tidy up and keep us supplied. You can't ask for more than that.
BATHROOM: This was very nicely laid out. The adjustable shower head with hand-held option made it easy to take a shower without getting the rest of the bathroom soaked. There was a shelf beneath the sink, enough room on the sink to put toiletries as we used them, and that great medicine cabinet with mirrored doors.
There were little bars of soap at the sink and in the shower, but there was no body wash/shampoo, although there was a fixture where a container would have fit.
LIGHTING: Lighting was good and where we needed it. The lights in the bathroom and in the vanity/desk area were great for grooming and putting on make-up.
MEALS: Even though we experienced long waits with Anytime Dining on Norwegian Majesty, we opted for My Time Dining. Royal Caribbean has this figured out. They offer traditional dining times, but have an area of the balcony set aside for My Time diners. We were able to make reservations for 2, something we couldn't do on Norwegian, and never had to wait. AND-- Alexis, the maitre d' was brilliant in that he almost always was able to place parties with the same wait staff every night. Our waiter and his assistant (Peter and Alexander) knew us by name on the second night and knew our preferences. The same diners were usually in our area, too, and that was also nice. My Time Dining was a really great experience and I wouldn't hesitate to opt for it again.
The food was very good -- especially the beef offerings. We did have lobster tails one night, too. We ate lunch in the dining room, but had some breakfasts in the dining room and some in the Windjammer. The buffet was surprisingly well laid-out and there were plenty of tables, both inside and out on deck.
ENTERTAINMENT: We generally prefer to find nice deck chairs and enjoy being out on the water, so we didn't go to the fitness center, spa, casino, bingo, seminars, etc.
We did take in the three shows in the lovely Palladium Theater. The singers and dancers are clearly talented, but we found the themes and content of the shows to be kind of strange. Still, it was an enjoyable way to spend some time after dinner.
The Palladium is also used to screen movies, and we even watched the final game of the World Series on the big screen in there.
POOL AREAS: The pool area features both indoor and outdoor pools, both with several hot tubs. There were plenty of deck chairs in both areas, and I never had a problem finding a chair. The Solarium area had a glass roof and lovely dark blue and gold tiling.
LOUNGES/BARS/MUSIC: We discovered the Viking Crown Lounge the first night out, and enjoyed sitting at the top of the ship with views in all directions as we sailed down the bay as night fell. After about 10, this area turns into a disco and it gets loud. There's a great dance floor and it gets lots of use.
We also checked out the Schooner Bar on deck 6, which is a smoking area. We enjoyed the piano player/singer in there.
There was also a band that played for dancing on the main level of the Centrum every evening.
There was often live music in the main dining room at dinner time, which was a lovely touch.
OUTDOORS: Deck 5 is the main promenade deck. There are lots of chairs (not lounge chairs) all around the deck, and it was always easy to find a chair in either a sunny or shady spot.
Deck 10 is the jogging deck. There were plenty of chairs there, too, although it got very windy up there when we were on the water. It was a great place for an evening stroll when we were in port.
STAFF AND CREW: They were always around when you needed them, and were unfailingly friendly and helpful. Furthermore, they didn't pushing drinks, bingo cards, etc. as we've experienced elsewhere.
SHIP IN GENERAL: Yes, there were a few dings on the elevator doors. However, the ship was spotless throughout. Brass, chrome and glass gleamed. Marble floors shone. Carpeting and draperies were clean.
We found the decor to be fairly elegant but comfortable. There's a lot of art on the ship. We liked some pieces better than others, but enjoyed the overall impression it created.
CONCLUSION: This was our first experience with Royal Caribbean. They exceeded our expectations in many ways, and we definitely plan to sail with them again.
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