Arrived a day early staying at, for the third time, the Hilton Garden Inn at Dania. Outstanding in service , friendly staff, good bar & restaurant. Were taken in a small van to the dock at about noon and by 12:30 were in our cabin.WOW.With 5700 passengers to load Royal Caribbean has a system that should be copied by other lines.
Instead of trying the futility of getting something to eat at the Windjammer, we opted to sit at the Bolero bar and drink lunch. Speaking of the Windjammer, only attempted to go there twice, it was always so crowded even after you got your food you could never find a place to sit. We ate at the dining room most every evening the 6:00 seating and were very satisfied with the food. We tried the Shack on the Boardwalk and had the best lobster (4 huge tails) for a small fee of $18.00 , it was worth it.Ate lunch at the Central Park Cafe often, very good. Made reservations for all the entertainment prior to the cruise. Another great idea by RC. Enjoyed the Comedy show, Ice show. Come Fly With Me, Hairspray, etc. Enjoyed many afternoons at the Solarium area.On sea days - very crowded.
In summary, the experience was very good. However, the ship is beautiful and well thought out but prior comments by others that say it doesn't seem crowded was not the case. It seemed like there were more than 5700 on board most times while on the promenade or at the elevators or any venue on the ship. We prefer the Liberty size ship.
