Overall, this was a good cruise. I would not hesitate to book this ship again, if the price were reasonable. Some things that I liked: • The ship did not feel crowded at all; it was very easy to get around, thanks to interactive maps located throughout the ship. • The pool deck was nice, there were plenty of pool chairs available, and the pool area was not overly crowded. • Embarkation and debarkation were both easy. • There were more free dining options compared to the Liberty of the Seas, such as the Park Cafe, which I enjoyed. Things that I did not like: • The layout of the room was akward; the room seemed smaller than to comparable rooms on the Liberty. • While there was plenty of storage space available in the room, it was hard to utilize. The closet space was hard to access. • Some of the shows were canceled, and it was very difficult to change reservation times/days once on board due to many shows already being booked up.
Embarkation was great. It went very smooth and quickly. We boarded deck 5, Royal Promenade, which was was very impressive. It is similar to Liberty of the Seas' promenade, but larger. The rising tide bar looks very neat, although I did not try it. The ship is beautiful. Public spaces were gorgeous, and I enjoyed the many art pieces. It was very easy to get around with touch screen computers located throughout the ship. The computers provided cruise compass info, maps, and directions to your stateroom, among other things.
Muster Drill The muster drill took place in a lounge. It was great. No more wearing life vests.