My wife and I took our first cruise in October 2006. We sailed Navigator of the Seas to the Eastern Caribbean. Great ship, awesome ports but poor customer service and resolution. I have contacted RCI several times and still to this day over three years later, it still has not been resolved leaving me with a bad overall view of how Royal Caribbean treats the customer. I am the author of a travel website Around the World in Pictures http://www.dontenphotography.com/ and here is a copy of my trip log from the cruise, highlighting the good and bad.

Eastern Caribbean Cruise 2006

October 21, 2006 Miami, Florida: We left our home in the early morning to begin the three hour commute to the cruise port in Miami as we embarked on our first ever cruise. The anticipation of the cruise made the drive feel more like 8 hours. As we climbed the bridge and caught a glimpse of the ship in the port, the excitement began to kick in we had finally made it. Embarkation was a breeze, having a toddler in a stroller was a golden ticket to advance to the front of the line. We were photographed for our Sea Pass and quickly stepped aboard the Navigator of the Seas. Once one board, it did not feel like a ship, rather its vast open promenade felt like a city block. We headed up to our stateroom on the ninth deck. We booked an superior balcony room near the front of the ship. The room was spacious and the private balcony was worth the extra money. My parents and sister arrived shortly after and checked in to the room next to us. They added airfare to their cruise package and were picked up and transported from Miami International Airport directly to the ship. Once they arrived we headed up to the Windjammer buffet for some food, a spot that will become our choice for the cruise. The convenience of the buffet and variety of food offered was easiest for us traveling with a 1 1/2 year old. We then headed to the front of the ship as we set sail from Miami to begin our cruise through the Eastern Caribbean. Once afloat, we played a round of golf at the Navigator Dunes miniature golf course as we watched the skyline of Miami slowly disappear into the Florida sunset. After a walk around the ship, we retired to the stateroom for the night. Read more