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This was a great long weekend getaway. The ship is in great shape, easy to get around, there's plenty to do and the staff are wonderful. Our cabin was on the 8th floor and promenade facing but there was never any noise, those cabins are pretty soundproofed. Our cabin steward was Dolores and she was exceptional, our cabin was always clean and we always had fresh ice. Embarkation in Ft Laud was pretty smooth and the staff there are very friendly and efficient. Disembarkation was rough though, not enough customs agents and they have everyone exit single file from the ship on deck two. Then you walk across the dock to get to customs in a separate building. Port Everglades could really use a refurbishment. The food on this trip is good, it's the usual RCCL fare. The lunch buffet is mostly salad bar, hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, carving station and hot pasta. A few dishes were very spicy, some kinda bland, but mostly it was good. They might consider a toppings bar for the burgers and dogs so ppl can make chili dogs, mushroom burgers or even sliders. We took the Turtle Cove and Cenotes tour with Cancun Adventures. Our guides were Michelle and Juan Carlos - this tour was amazing, fun, informative and the sights were spectacular. This tour was the highlight of our trip and we look forward to doing it again when we bring the kids back to Mexico. The Greg London show was great and he hangs out in Vintages afterwards and talks to everyone and anyone who wants to say hi. The deck patrol by the pool was out in force on the last day and they may have been a bit aggressive with the towel retreivals - there was some drama at all the pools but it was a good show. Overall, this is a great alternative to Majesty, we've done this cruise 3 times and will sail her again. Read Less

I wanted to clarify some other posters' remarks. We were on the ship in January for a short cruise of the Mexican Riviera. I wanted to review in context of a person who has traveled on celebrity ships quite a bit. The last poster was entirely correct about the dining room and the food. Celebrity has obviously started cutting costs and it has really begun in the main dining room. I also don't understand why celebrity charges $45 or now $50 for Murano for each person for specialty dining. I've traveled other cruise ships and have gone to specially dining – – like Royal Caribbean – – and we only pay $25 a person and the food was just as good as the celebrity specialty dining. For The main dining room and the buffet space, this was probably the blandest food we've ever had on a celebrity cruise ship. We were sorely disappointed in the food. Tasted more like the Carnival cruise ship. Having said all this, for those new to celebrity cruises, the ship is not representative of what most celebrity cruises are like. We thought the ship was by far the way the worst celebrity ship we've ever been on. This was our fifth celebrity ship and second non-solstice class ship. The ship was quite frankly very ugly. It's very plain and the common areas are pretty plain as well. The main rendezvous bar was so tattered and full of drinks spills and drink rings on the bar that it smelled like an old college bar. It was dark and ugly. The theater was also very ugly. We didn't find any room attractive on the whole ship except for the bar that serves the wine. It's located right outside of: bistro on five. Also, we found the staff to be much less friendly on this crew ship then on any other celebrity cruise ship. Maybe because it was a five day cruise -- I don't know. Also the cabins were very tiny. Thank God they had wall-to-wall mirrors in the Oceanview cabins or we would have committed Hari Kari. LOL there wasn't even enough room for a little couch. We just had a chair next to the two beds. Like the other poster said, the entertainment was quite good. It was surprisingly good. Celebrity is not known for their entertainment and this cruise ship ironically had the best entertainment of any celebrity Cruise we've ever been on. That has to do with the drama and dance group that is their regular players. The voices were top notch of the dancers, particularly one of them, were excellent. They did a range of musical numbers and all were well directed. They didn't rely on tired old gags and gimmicks – – the direction felt new and fresh. Great kudos those kids. We especially like the adult themed musical they did in the late hours of the night. So, for the poster who suggested that celebrity really isn't a notch above other cruise lines, don't let this cruise ship be your measure for celebrity cruises. If you went on a solstice class ship, you'd be singing a different tune. Or just really, any of the other celebrity ships! This one is definitely an outlier. We won't sell the constellation again. We didn't have a bad cruise because we always have fun cruising, but we just found that it was the poorest of all of celebrity's cruise ship offerings, by far. The ship was like an average Carnival or Norwegian Cruise lines ship. Sorry if my capitalizations are off in this post, as I'm using a voice dictation tool. Read Less

When purchasing the Ultra bev. package, they add other cost such as, the drink in the pineapple. There was an additional charge of $4 for that. The last morning of the cruise, the dining room did not have mimosas. The dining room did not have all wines available to me with my ultra package. The food was sub-par and very, very small portions except for the night that we had lamb. The pool area near the big screen was over crowded and there was no one there (cruise crew) that was able to get a party atmosphere going. The person cleaning our cabin was nice to the adults; but, not to our 14 year old son. Most of the indoor bartenders did not smile or seem happy. The windjammer salad buffet was the best thing on the ship along with the ice cream machine. The bed was ok and the pillows were good. The public ladies rooms were kept clean. Too many children with no activities just roaming. Instead of an ice skating rink, it should have been a roller rink, or both. Thank goodness they had a Basket Ball court for the teenagers. I did not like that I could not order bottled water and a drink at the same time while outside near the pool/tv screen, even though I purchased the ultimate drink package. Thanks for having the football game on the big outdoor screen. My husband liked that. But, we are going back to Disney Cruises. This experience was nothing to talk about. This was our 2nd time with RC. The first time was worst; but, it was 7 years ago. Thought it would be better. We have been on 10 cruises and Disney has never left us disappointed. One last thing, this is not the fault of RC, but, the people on the ship were basically unhappy and rude. No one appeared to be happy. They need a new cruise director. He was boring. Read Less

We are experienced cruisers, and always cruised with Norwegian Cruise Line, but this time decided to change things up and try Celebrity, and boy do we regret it. Food- Food in the main buffet Ocean View Cafe was just not good. Almost everything was bland, lukewarm and mealy. On multiple occasions, the cups and plates were dirty and stained when we picked them up from the rack. The main dining room San Marco has excellent staff, however the food quality is highly inconsistent. Entrees were well made but everything else was below average... they served caprese salad with those light brown balsamic vinaigrette dressing one can find at a Subway, which made it almost comical that they call themselves a gourmet restaurant ran by an Italian. The desserts were not great either; the chocolate cake was cold, tasteless, and soggy... it was overall a disappointing dining experience. NCL was MUCH better in taste, freshness, presentation, and are more generous in portion sizes. The premier restaurant Ocean Liners was excellent, we had a wonderful meal there, it was pretty much the only decent meal on board. It costs $50 extra per person, $90 extra if paired with wine. Facilities- Staterooms were outdated, which was fine, we knew this was an older ship when we signed up. It was not exactly spotless though, there was dust/hair clusters in the corners of the room and the grout between the tiles in the bathroom was coming off. We purchased SPA passes to use the Persian Garden, which includes 2 steam rooms, 2 "massage" shower stalls, and a room with heated stone seats. It was small, cold, and dingy. There was black mold all over the ceilings in both steam rooms, and the sauna temperature was so low it was such a joke. The SPA changing rooms were shared with the public, and only half of the 50 lockers worked, it also constantly smelled like someone just took a dump 10 minutes ago. SPA passes don't give the users any extra amenities, a tiny tub of body scrub costs $6 whereas NCL gives all SPA users a designated upscale changing room and unlimited access to two kinds of high quality body scrubs freshly mixed everyday. Entertainment- The productions in the main theater and the comedy shows were great. The cast worked really hard to provide the best entertainment they can. The Captain was a natural comedian, his announcements are hilarious and we always look forward to them, the Captain and the crew were the saving grace of our dull cruise experience. The DJ at the nightclub was just awful. He managed to clear a completely full dance floor within 30 minutes. His choice in dance music and transitions between songs are worse than my teenage sister's iTunes playlist from 2009. Most people at the nightclub just sit around and stare at the empty dance floor, waiting for a good song to come on, then eventually leave without even drinking. Don't count on the nightlife on the Constellation. Oh and get this- towards the end of the cruise, we learned that once in a while, a nudist community books the Constellation for an alternative lifestyle cruise. Meaning that everyone on the ship is always nude (except for formal nights) Great. I'm all for people who aren't afraid to express themselves, but I cannot help but think that every surface on the ship was also touched by an old man's butt crack, I mean, how well do they really sterilize the fabric chairs in the dining room? Overall we felt like Celebrity is just stretching dollars everywhere, from food to services. We are going back to NCL and will not be cruising with Celebrity again. Read Less

I'm in this cruise as I write this. What a colossal disappointment. I took this cruise over the Thanksgiving week to try and do something new compared to the traditional family dinner. Mistake. Pros: rooms are more spacious than expected. Very easy embarkation process. Cons: sad to say there are many....too much emphasis on upselling, tips, paying for a little extra. It completely ruins the experience. Worst experiences were in the spa and on one of the excursions. The spa, which is a Canyon Ranch, is terrible. They could care less about you or your time at the spa, for which you are paying a great deal of money. I had a very pushy, rude, aggressive spa tech named Renata try and push power whitening (teeth). She was like a pitbull who wouldn't give up a steak. I have veneers and told her even my dentist said power whitening on veneers is not going to do anything. She insisted this is it true. When Presented with the disclaimer before treatment, it clearly says, "this treatment will not have any effect on veneers, crowns or caps." When I pointed this out to Renata, she panicked and became very defensive. She then said, "Well...this will clean your teeth nice instead!!!!" No thanks. I have a dentist and a toothbrush for that." Clueless and rude - not exactly two qualities you want in a spa tech. Next was my acupuncture/massage treatment. The same guy, who claimed to be a doctor (no way in hell!) did three treatments on me. They started out OK, but the. Turned into a shameless schill to sell Canyon Ranch supplements and seaweeds. In the middle of one of my treatments, which was supposed to be peaceful, a knock on the door and the. Hands coming in disrupting the treatments and shoving Canyon One vitamins and a box of seaweed I the room for me to buy. No thanks. When I said I'd check with my physician on the validity and necessity of the Canyon One supplements, he shut down. He couldn't believe he missed a sale. Sorry, try another sucker. If the Canyon Ranch is purely licensing out their name to Celebrity Cruises, I'd seriously suggest reconsidering. The brand and credibility of the Canyon Ranch legacy has been tarnished because of this relationship. Next con was the excursion in Playa del Carmen. It was not only boring as hell, but an hour late to leave because the ferry operator was nowhere to be found. No excuse. Next,our guide in Playa del Carmen was lame. He was as engaging and interesting as a Manila envelope. Of course he constantly had to tell us, "hey listen...my last name is not Rockerfeller. I only survive on these tips, so be good when I pass my hat around." Jesus Christ. Get me off this boat. I set out I this cruise hoping to book my next Celebrity cruise to Austrailia. NO WAY! I'd never in a million years do Celebrity again. Creepy, rude staff (and creepy Captain). I'll pass. Read Less

I have only sailed with Royal Caribbean and thought the first cruise was good but maybe not as great as I didn't know what I was doing and the weather didn't cooperate. This cruise was a nightmare. They sent out several emails stating not to show up before 2pm and we got there at 1:50pm and 4.5hours later started walking into the boat. Unfortunately, the 4.5 hours was spent in the heat standing in line for unorganized chaos. We found out later that people who showed up at 11am got on the boat in about 20 minutes. And had over 4 hours of boat time, all to themselves. At least our bags showed up- some didn't even have that luxury. (we got a note asking for assistance in locating about 4 passengers bags that were missing or placed in someone else's room.) Once on board, I would like to say we were greeted warming and served some tasty snacks. This was not the case. They refused to serve until after the muster drill. Which I understand, but they should have had sandwiches and drinks while we were waiting for the muster drill which didn't happen for another 1.5 hours. Service was awful, the wait staff was annoyed that were wanted to eat dinner and enjoy ourselves. We had hoped to turn it around as my friend and I were there to ultimately see Chit chen Itza, and cross that goal off of our bucket list. Activities onboard had been cancelled and shuffled around without any notice and the karaoke machine had broken and then was replaced by a game that started and ended 30 mins before and after the karaoke entertainment so there was no option to participate in that either. The night before we were supposed to dock our excursion was cancelled due to lack of sign ups. That was it, no options were offered to assist us in attempting to see this excursion which had already been bought and paid for. I had to ask for internet access to try and find something ourselves. We found an amazing new option, however- due to the time that they cancelled the trip, our new option to see Chitchen Itza was not available as they didn't receive notification in time. Additionally, when we landed at port in Cozumel, the Oasis of the Seas- another Royal Caribbean Cruise was docked. They could have at least attempted to have us join their excursion, but they couldn't be bothered. No one was able or interested in helping us and even messed up crediting the correct account from where the excursions had been purchased. they kept insisting that they could fix it but only on the last day. The line was so long the last day that I think their plan was to get people to just leave without getting helped. We had to go back 4 times to get the same issue resolved. I would recommend the Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Navigator of the Seas- if you enjoy dealing with Comcast Customer Service. It's the same type of training. not helpful and just tries to sell you on things you don't want. Read Less

Overall we had a great time. The ship, Liberty of the Seas, is beautiful, clean, fun. Never boring. Food was acceptable, not super, but not terrible, you won't go hungry. Coffee was awful. They have Illy coffee shop on promenade, very expensive, but definitely better coffee. Kind of cruel and unfair to serve people garbage coffee ao that they would be forced to buy expensive coffee. Terrific low fat yogurt by the pool, a hit with all ages. Service in windjammer and dining room is friendly and prompt. Despite large crowds the ship was kept very neat. Our cabins were on promenade, sevenths deck, midship. The RCL person who booked me, assured me the rooms were sound proof and there was no loud actives on promenade after 10 pm. She lied big time, all the parade and disco parties just begin after 10pm, and the noise from disco was unbearable, even with ear plugs. If you like quiet, promenade rooms may not be a good choice. The cabins were in great condition, clean, pleasant decor, pillows were hard, but the beds, sheets and comforter were very comfortable. Our attendant Gabriel was amazing, very sweet and helpful. Pool areas were beautiful, i love that they have several small and medium pools. Movies by the pool are a great idea, but their sound system is imperfect, we could barely understand what was being said. Lots of fun activities. I would love to go back, but maybe on the ship with starbucks on it(like Allure of the seas). Read Less

I have waited some time to write this review so I could be fair in my assessment, in comparison to other cruises we have taken. In all fairness, this cruise was mistakenly booked during one of the Spring Break weeks, so that is not RC fault. The GOOD Waiters and cabin staff were outstanding. We wanted for nothing in our cabin. And our dinner wait staff were courteous and always attentive. Food was very good. Portofino was wonderful dining experience. Ship was really beautiful. We liked the promenade and how everything is very localized. Ice skating and dinner shows were terrific. The BAD These few things killed the cruise for us, despite everything that was good. Lines - long lines for EVERYTHING! Especially guest services. Insane why they could not put more people behind the desk to minimize the delays. Drink Package - again, more lines. When we embarked, we could not see the front of drink package line. So we decided to buy an embarkation drink before fire drill, settle into room, and chill. Returning to our room from muster station, same thing - insanely long lines for drink package. So we bought a glass of wine, had dinner and decided to wait in drink pkg line now. After waiting and buying package, we went to guest services, waited in line another half hour with all our drink receipts, only to be told they would not credit what we had spent on our drinks from earlier. All would have been included in our package, so we thought that was completely unfair. More about drink package below. Bar Lines - INSANE. This was the straw that broke the back. We waited up to an hour for drinks at the various ship bars. (An hour wait at the outdoor bar by the kiddie pool) This is completely unacceptable. We are thinking that bar staff goes on slow-mo because of the quantity of drink package sales, at least on our cruise. We spoke to a bartender in Viking Club and he said it was because of the high number of college kids. But I am not buying that exclusively. It's a huge ship that holds alot of people... if it wasn't a college kid, it would be someone else. There is no excuse for having to wait 15-40 minutes on average for a glass of wine. There was no way the drink package was worth it due to the time it took to get one drink. RC has to fix this problem. Lounge Lizards - RC has to fix the problem of people leaving dirty towels on deck chairs to reserve and walking away. My husband and I had 3 days on the cruise ship and not one of those days were we able to find 2 clean chairs to sit together outside. That's INSANE. First day we sat in shade toward front (or maybe the back?) and it was insanely loud. The second day, we sat outside on bench near wake boarding pool. On our last day, we finally took someones dirty shoes off one chair and a linen lunch napkin off the other, put them on floor by the chair and sat down. No one returned in entire 3 hours we sat there. This same day, another passenger was complaining as well and told us it is easier to get a seat at a white house dinner than a seat by the pool, and I totally agree. This cruise is for R&R. Which is sitting by pool, enjoying music, enjoying a cocktail. Even for 2 hours. Most everything that should have been fun on this ship was a hassle. We're going to stick to the smaller ships from now on. Read Less

We booked this cruise last minute and I must admit I did not enjoy this ship as other Princess ships I have been on. I tried often to access the Skywalkers Nightclub only to find it booked for private parties. I wanted to see the view during the day not at night. I understand booking private events like weddings, which was one of the reasons, but on the only formal night on our cruise we were not allowed admittance because it was only open to elite and suite holders. Talk about feeling inferior. Even the Sanctuary is assessable for a fee. I did not find a lot of variety in the meals in the dining room. I also found there was only one dining room for anytime dining and the other dining room for anytime dining started after a certain time. I also found there was no dress code inforced for the dining room. People came with shorts which I thought was only allowed on the Lido Deck. I also wanted to have breakfast in the dining room everyday but I was told I could only go there on sea days. We had an inside cabin and I found the T.V selection very poor. When you don't have a balcony sometimes TV is your entertainment when you need some time out of the sun. I loved the staff. Everyone was attentive and very polite. Our cabin stewart was wonderful. The entertainment was awesome. I really appreciated the extra length the ship's crew went in trying to keep everyone well as there was a bit of a virus breakout on our cruise. I may try another cruise line for my next cruise. Read Less

We previously sailed on Royal’s Independence on the Seas. We enjoyed the cruise so much, we decided to try Liberty of the Seas, and booked while onboard. Overall, we had a wonderful trip, and this is a beautiful ship. I am a big fan of the Freedom Class ships. My favorite part about the entire trip was our enormous balcony cabin. The service on this ship was also absolutely, positively, outstanding. They made us feel at home and that we were never a bother. We loved everyone we encountered on the ship. We enjoyed the venues, the food and the entertainment. Here is a breakdown: PRE-HOTEL STAY We arrived two days early and stayed at the now Residence Inn (formerly the ii Lugano) on the intercoastal. It is pricier than some of the standard hotels, but it was absolutely lovely, and I would highly recommend. The rooms were beautifully decorated, and offered a washer/dryer, kitchen and large spaces with a huge balcony. They also provided a hot breakfast in the morning. They do not offer free transportation, but the concierge will set up transport for you. We found the location to be excellent if you don’t mind being a bit away from the cruise port. It was next to a BoKampers, and there was a Walgreens nearby. There were several little restaurants nearby that you could walk to. The hotel also has a restaurant on site. EMBARKATION Embarkation was a lengthy process, filled with many lines. We didn’t experience this on Independence. It took about an hour and a half, but we were finally heading toward the ship. On Indy, there were no lines, we just walked up to the desk, which was amazing. Not so much this time. I wish they offered Faster to the Fun like Carnival. It is worth the extra cost to avoid lines. SODA/ALCOHOL PACKAGE We love that Royal allows you to choose from several different packages. EACH person gets to choose whether they want a package or not. It is NOT required that each guest in the same cabin purchase the same package as required on Carnival. I purchased the water package and the soda package. ENTERTAINMENT I loved the entertainment on Independence, it was a bit more fitting for what we prefer. It had more juggling/comedian and live musical entertainment. Liberty had Saturday Night Fever, a juggler, aerialists, and other singing/dancing, but quite as suited to our taste. Although it was very good, it wasn’t our preference. My entire family loved and just raved about the ice show. That was likely the favorite of all. This is amazing and a MUST do on any ship that provides the option. Don’t miss any ice show, it is just a wonderful experience. SHIP The ship is beautiful and does provide a WOW factor that Royal is known for. The promenade is gorgeous, and allows for many spots to sit and enjoy meeting others or people watching. We loved the solarium area, but when laying out, there isn’t much of a breeze, so we preferred to head up to the higher decks. I still love that they have swings that overlook the ocean. We never found a spot to sit there, but they were obviously well liked by many. The gym was very large and spacious, and they offer numerous classes to partake in for an extra fee. Since I was with family, I didn’t previously realize that if you bring young children, you can “sign out” toys to take to your cabin. This is wonderful because it could save you an extra bag of toys!! I was very impressed, as was my cousin. She did utilize the babysitting service one evening and said they were very good to her 18 month old. On Independence, I didn’t notice head pounding music, however, the music was blaringly loud on the lido deck for Liberty. It reminded me of being on Carnival, and that is one of the reasons I felt Royal superceded. It wasn’t the case this time around. The atmosphere wasn’t quite as nice as it was on Independence. STAFF The staff on this ship were superb, top notch and absolutely wonderful. I honestly cannot say enough about this crew. In fact, I would go as far to say that they were far superior to the staff on Independence. I was impressed with our wait staff, Robert and Lissette. I told them that they are the reason people cruise, they make you feel like family. They make you want to return to the dining room. Our stateroom attendant, Harrold, was wonderful, and everyone onboard was always offering a greeting to you to welcome you back. All of the stateroom attendants we saw were extremely friendly and welcoming. Part of my family were on a different side of the ship and their stateroom was tended by Warbert, and he was just wonderful also. He would let me know if they had left, or would leave a note in their room for me. He always went out of his way to assist. We were thoroughly pleased with the service and staff. I even commented to guest services that we had to get more cash because we ran out of tip money since everyone was so kind! CABIN We had an E1 cabin on the aft with an amazingly, huge deck. Our balcony made the trip. We came with a large family group, so it worked out perfectly. I don’t believe we had ever used our balcony as much as we did on this cruise. If you choose a cabin on the aft, do realize that you will walk farther to the elevators. I would not recommend if you have difficulty with knees, feet or hips. It is definitely a hike, but I felt it was well worth it! Our cabin was a bit tighter than my dad that was next door. We had a smaller couch, but it was fine for the two of us. POOLS/HOT TUBS The solarium pool was quite nice, as you could sit on the edge in water without getting in the actual pool. What I found odd is that the pool is 6 ft 11 inches deep. Most of the people were just there to cool off, and you couldn’t possibly swim laps, so I’m unsure why that depth was necessary. I love the splash area for the kids, and it’s obvious they do as well. The cantilevered hot tubs look amazing, although we never tried them. LOUNGE CHAIRS There seemed to be plenty of chairs available on sea days, which is sometimes problematic. We didn’t encounter this on the ship, so that was nice. The solarium is a great place to lay out if there is a breeze or the ship is moving. Otherwise, it doesn’t get a lot of air and becomes very hot. The cushions also get extremely hot in the sun. FOOD I always miss Carnival’s Guy’s Burger. We did go to Johnny Rockets, and it was much better on Liberty. Although, there is a $5.95 charge for it. It was well worth the cost, and I would highly recommend. Main dining room – great service, many options, great dessert options, and the food was very tasty. I primarily had baked potato and chicken. The food was very good, and they catered to my allergy issues. Even in the lido, you could find a chef that was willing to help you decide what you could/couldn’t have, based on allergies. We used room service for breakfast, and it was always very timely. We felt the options in the Windjammer on this cruise were a bit more limited, but the food was good. We also appreciated that there were wait staff around to help you if you needed anything. This was a nice touch. Sorrentos – I didn’t try it, but my dad said it was good. FOOD ALLERGIES - I suffer from nut/tree nut/sesame/coconut allergies/fish and shellfish, which can be deadly. Please contact your travel agent or the special needs department and they will assist you with these types of issues. Our head waiter would provide the menu each evening and then I would decide what I wanted the following day. They do a nice job of making certain that you are kept safe. ACTIVITIES This is what sets Royal apart. They have basketball, mini golf, shuffleboard, dodgeball, ice skating, pig pong, make your own rock video, flowrider, rock climbing, video arcades, splash pools, and all sorts of options to keep you busy. We absolutely loved watching people on the Flowrider. When they have the competitors, it is very entertaining. It’s hard to believe you are on a ship. SPA AAAAAHHHHHHHH need I say more? This was the highlight of my trip. I didn’t do a standard massage, rather a special they were offering with a facial, neck/shoulder massage, foot/calf massage, and some other offerings. It was A M A Z I N G. The knots were gone in my neck once I was finished. FROZEN YOGURT On Carnival, it’s offered 24 hrs a day, but on RCCL, only until 6:30 pm. It is YUMMY!! CASINO We only went to the casino once on this cruise, but it was very large and offered many slots, and other options. MEDICAL STAFF Unfortunately, my aunt had a swollen wrist the day after we boarded the ship and was in terrible pain. Fortunately, she purchased cruise care and will be reimbursed for the charges. PLEASE ALWAYS BUY insurance!! It is not worth the risk!! The staff were very helpful and x-rayed her and put her in a splint. I purchased some topical anti-inflammatory cream in Cozumel and that made her 100% better! DISEMBARKING Disembarking was rather terrible. We didn’t have an issue getting off the ship, but there were so many ships in port that it took an extremely long time to get through customs. It was line after line after line, and I was just thankful we made it to the airport in time. PORTS – Western Caribbean – Cozumel & Costa Maya Cozumel - We took a tour of the Mayan Ruins in Tulum. We had been before, but wanted to see it with our family. We took a ferry ride and then a bus over to Tulum. The prior tour was not crowded, but this one was. If you have any issues with walking, I would not recommend. I noticed some people were having a difficult time with all the walking. If you have never been, I would recommend. If you have, I would do something else to avoid the crowds. Costa Maya – there is a shopping area similar to Grand Turk once you get off the ship. There is a large pool and all sorts of little shops and a Carlos and Charlie’s. There is also a little trolley that shuttles people back and forth to/from the ship. We enjoyed the area tremendously. The people are very friendly. TIPS: Some of my family had never sailed on Royal previously. They were a bit confused by what all was included and what was not with regard to the pizza, café, ice cream, cupcakes, etc…I can see how this would happen. The signage and the touch screen computers are very helpful when navigating the ship. Be sure to utilize if you aren’t sure where to go. Happy sailing!! If I have missed anything and you have further questions, feel free to ask!!   Read Less

Enjoyed our cruise. A great getaway from the winter weather. Arrived at pier, but was lead onto an incorrect line. It was the entry line after you check your luggage. So we carried on our luggage all through the process and wondering why no one was taking our luggage. We find out later there was a different area for drop off of luggage. Even though we had to lug the luggage, it was ok because we were able to take it to our room, unpack and ready to enjoy ourselves. We had great dinner seating and the waiters were excellent. Could not please us enough. Went to Belize on tour, two city tour. The tour guides were also very good, explaining everything about the country and everything that we passed along the way. In Cozumel we went to Paradise Beach. Great place to spend the day at the beach and pool. Good for families and adults. A lot of water sports to do or just enjoy the pool. Very inexpensive. One little glitch was when we went to see about booking another cruise. We had some things and places in mind but the person there was not that helpful, She suggested when I return home to call. Did mention about the reduced deposit but I did not feel comfortable. So all in all it was a very good cruise and we are looking into something in the fall, besides two other cruised we have booked.   Read Less

DW & I (late 50's) sailed RCL’s Vision of the Seas 4-day cruise, Port Everglades to Cozumel & back (2 sea days), over Memorial Day weekend 2014. I’ve never seen better cruising weather, 4 days of just blue skies, light winds & calm seas. Even the Captain commented on his last noon Bridge Advisory. What a great start: Embarkation was the easiest ever. We were at the terminal 10:30 a.m. & right up to check-in. Done in 5 minutes & DW asks, when do we begin boarding? Answer: You can board now, cabins are not ready but the bars are & the Windjammer is open for lunch. And by 10:45 we were enjoying cocktails by the pool. Savvy thinking by RCL; more bar revenue, & everyone - staff & passengers - avoids the embarkation herd effect. The recently refurb’d VOS looks & feels brand new. Our outside cabin (Deck 2 Aft) was a bit small but certainly functional for 2 people, featuring wood, blue hues & colorful artwork. Very efficient cabin steward & the $5-spot assured we always had ice (signage on your vanity says ice must be requested). Engine noise & vibration were slightly noticeable especially when under way, but you’re just above the engines aft or thrusters forward on a low deck. New flat-screen cabin TV, but choices were, surprisingly, lousy. No interactive technology for tours or tab review, no movie rentals; just news, TNN & RCL informational loops. Dining was good, especially the first nite with Prime Rib & Escargots. We had 2 dining issues & I must say the RCL dining staff members I dealt with both “owned” the problem & resolved it to my satisfaction. Indeed, all ship staff to a one were professional & pleasant. The Drink Packages proved popular, as you could tell by the many folks who always had a drink in hand even early in the a.m. One foreseeable consequence though on the first nite was the worst bathroom throw-up scene I’ve ever encountered. No Pizza. What? Except for room service trays we saw in the hallway, no venues served pizza. We didn’t miss it. Outside Promenade was unusable for my daily, almost-exercise walkabout, as the bow was closed (permanently) & other sections often cordoned off for maintenance. But there were plentiful deck chairs & it was pleasant to just sit, relax, breathe the sea air & watch the ocean go by. Small, always crowded gym. The running track on top deck was pretty much impassable (crowded with sun-lovers & their chairs) on sea days. And Tip Envelopes are back; even if you pre-pay your gratuities (automatic $12.50 pp per day) you’re “reminded” that you can give something extra to that special staff member. We tried the self-help early disembarkation & learned if you do it, wait 20-30 minutes after it begins or you will hardly be able to get off an elevator & into the slow-moving line. Really can’t go wrong on RCL. Bons voyages always, extom. Read Less

Re: Celebrity Constellation, April 19 to 24, 2014. My wife and I boarded the Celebrity Constellation in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on April 19, 2014. Finding the parking deck in Port Everglades was a chore at best. However, our boarding was very quick with no lines. This was our fourth cruise and we were surprised at how fast we were booked in. Our first impression of the boat was inspirational. The ship was classy with grand nostalgic taste. Most of the newer ships have little or no traditional regalia. The crew was wonderful. They all seemed to be having a good time as rooms were changed and meals were served. We were waited on like royalty even though we had purchased discounted tickets. We got to meet the captain and his officers. They were all very friendly and jovial. At dinner, we had Pariaman, from Indonesia, who really made us feel like special guests. Pariaman took great pleasure in waiting on us. It was this kind of attention that is lacking on most cruises. Pariaman had charm and wit. Too bad all cruise ships do not have a Pariaman on board. Our first stop in Key West, Florida was surprisingly fun. We shopped and tasted the local specialties. On Tuesday, we arrived in Cozumel, Mexico. I recommend that you just stay on the boat. There is less than charming and goods are junk. The Cozumel people harked at us like so much cattle. They do not deserve your money or time. I highly recommend Celebrity Constellation and would gladly cruise with her grand ship again so long as the destination is not Cozumel. James and Sherrie Mercier   Read Less

We've never cruised before and didn't know what to expect. We wanted time away from work and the kids and were told that a cruise would be a good value. I booked through an ad with Intercontinental Hotels Group. We received and upgrade to a balcony room and found that it was definitely worth it. We both had trouble getting a lot of time off of work, so we flew down from Newark to Ft. Lauderdale on Thursday morning, but arrived in plenty of time for the cruise. Day 1: Check-in took awhile but it wasn't bad. They kept everyone moving. They take your photo getting onto the boat, which seemed a bit ridiculous with us being all disheveled, schlepping our coats and carry-ons. We settled into our rooms, freshened up, and went to visit the Vitality Spa for the tour. It seemed nice and I had wanted to get the husband a massage as a late birthday present (the trip was his actual present). He seemed intrigued by the hot stone massage and suggested that for both of us. I booked it. I didn't get the name of the woman who did the booking, but she was a very pushy salesperson who really pissed me off. Honestly - she was the only real negative on the trip. I'll get to that later, but when she handed me the slips for the reservation, I said "we both wanted hot stone, you have me down for Swedish." She replied that she had to put it in that way in order to get the discount. I also told her that I wanted both charges to be billed to me, not just mine. Anyway, after making the reservations we left and went to lunch. The Windjammer was already hopping. Food was good. It wasn't gourmet, but I didn't expect that a buffet would be anything spectacular. It was good, though. We walked around after lunch, out on the deck, finally getting sun. BTW, my only minor food quibble: Jade is supposed to be Asian, right? Most of the food wasn't, and when it was, it was Indian. I really like Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. A little more variety in the Asian department would have been nice. We were in cabin 1532, a balcony stateroom towards the front of the ship on deck 10. It was lovely. we had a queen couch which folded out (we didn't need that) and the two twin beds were pushed together into a king. The balcony made the vacation for us, because there were many times when we just needed to chill and watch the water. I think the stateroom attendant came in and cleaned the room every single time we left, haha. She was fantastic. Yes, the bathrooms are small, but they are efficient, clean and definitely not bad. The air return in them is good, too, so shower steam and bathroom odors are quickly absorbed. I am fanatical about that and brought a can of Febreeze air effects, which helped to freshen the entire cabin at times. I had ordered a bottled water package and the water was there, all ready for us, when we boarded. This was another thing I won't do, since we barely used what I ordered. I think we went through 4 bottles, max. DH had to bring his laptop for work and signed up for a wireless package. Work will reimburse him but damn, it's expensive and slow. We tried to make it up to the Sky Bar to meet up with other Cruise critic members but didn't quite make it before Muster. That was hilarious. A couple of seasoned cruisers were complaining mightily about being away from their drinks. There was so much to do, it was amazing. we showered before our massages, went upstairs, and waited. The husband was called in first. He thought we were doing this together and seemed a bit confused, but went off to have his massage. Then I was called and sure enough, it was for a Swedish massage. I didn't complain to the massage therapist. She was obviously young & in questioning her I found out she was new. I should have asked for the name of the person who had done the original booking, but I didn't. I did enjoy the massage and when it was over I met the husband outside. He was thrilled, felt relaxed and happy. We went back to the room to clean up & go to dinner. We had My Time reservations in the Botticelli dining room. Our waiter, Ionut, and our assistant waiter, Abraham, were attentive, kind and helpful. I'm allergic to crustaceans but not other seafood, and they adjusted some of the dishes accordingly. For the most part, I thought the food was excellent. I had a steak the first night, duck on the second, rack of lamb on the third, and cod & scallops on the 4th. All were perfectly prepared. The appetizers were great, too. Loved the escargot, the tapas plate and the scallops. Some of the desserts were great, others were good but not great, but that's fine, I shouldn't be eating dessert anyway, haha. We had the wine, beer and soft drink beverage package. I enjoyed a glass of wine with dinner each evening. I have no alcohol tolerance and I'm not a drinker, so I think we could have saved the cost of the package and ordered a la carte. I don't think the husband had more than 3 glasses of wine or a couple of beers on any given day. I did drink a lot of diet coke & sprite zero, but not enough to justify the package. My one guilty pleasure: the protein shakes on deck 11. I'd get a mango or strawberry shake with 70 grams of protein, perfect for someone who has had weight loss surgery. Even though we were tired, we wanted to participate and see what was going on. The 70s dance party on the Promenade was great! We really got into the energy of the evening and enjoyed dancing in the "street." The cruise director, Jerome, and his staff were all great and very high-energy. I think we fell into bed after midnight, very happy. Day 2: We were at sea all day. We had breakfast at the buffet, hung out a bit in the hot tub, and participated in some of the day's events. We attended a trivia game about movie characters in the Schooner bar. We went to the shopping talk by Kelvin (seemed a bit of a hard sell to certain very expensive, high-end stores). If you're looking for basic souvenirs, this is not the talk for you. If you're looking for expensive jewelry, watches, gemstones, etc, go for it.We walked around quite a bit, exploring the whole ship. We went to a bunch of different activities and I can't even remember them all! It was formal night and we dressed for dinner. It was great to see so many people dressed up. We weren't exactly formal (he wore slacks and a sport coat, I was in a cocktail dress, but we didn't seem out of line with anyone else. One thing I really enjoyed: we went out to watch The Hobbit on the big screen, sitting on the deck chairs. He gave me his sport coat (I was chilled) and we just had a great time. Day 3, Cozumel: We had tickets to Chankanaab for the Snorkel tour. Oscar, our guide, was very pleasant. I think we had a bit of a late start. Other than the one family with the extremely whiny kids, it was a very pleasant experience. I've never snorkeled before, and thought it was great. I loved seeing the fish, the lobster, the sea urchin and the other things under the water. After snorkeling we had lunch, and attended the tequila tasting (ick) and the Sea Lion Show (great). Then we went back to the pier, and headed out to the shops. Of course all the shops are very high pressure. I think the places recommended by the ship were out of our price range. The one we really liked was Alberto's, a silver place where the guy makes it himself, so it's not all the same stuff you see in the other jewelry shops. We picked up presents for the kids. On the way back, we were in one jewelry place and stopped to look at some stuff. Somehow he was talked into buying me a pair of Mexican Opal earrings. I can't complain about that, they are lovely and I was extremely touched that he did that. Money is tight right now and I thought that was out of our budget but he did it and I love them. Love him, too. OK, enough mushy stuff, lol. Back to the review. At the pier we bought a mug, a couple of t-shirts, a couple of bottles of tequila for friends, and we stopped at the Humane Society booth to make a donation. The adorable puppy up for adoption was soooo cute! She was an adorable terrier mix. Considering the amount of critters we already have, I wasn't adding another to the mix, but boy, was she cute. If anyone gives you change in pesos, consider putting that into the donation jar. The Love & Marriage game show in the evening was an absolute laugh riot. I haven't laughed so hard in ages. Day 4: At sea again all day. I got up extra early to get sunrise pictures, and I saw a dolphin! I was thrilled. We went to a lot of trivia games during the day, hit the pool & the hot tub, and had a blast. We went to the Encore! ice show, it was great. They have some really talented people there. By the end of the day I was dragging! At dinner we heard that we'd be going back to snow in NJ, so we weren't thrilled about that, haha. After dinner we went back to the casino for a bit. Then we went back to the room to get ready to go to Saturday Night Fever, and, well, I fell asleep. :( We missed the show. I'm disappointed about that but hey, reason to go back, right? Day 5: Got up early. We went to breakfast, packed and did a final walk-around. We opted for self-carry at 10 (but left at 9:30) because my Dad was picking us up. We left (well-deserved) tips for our waiters and our cabin attendant. Took a long time to get off the ship but once we were off it was fine. I have to say, I'm really glad we had a balcony. It made for some very nice quiet time, where we could sit, talk, watch the ocean and relax. We had so many special moments, it was truly a time for us to reconnect. We'd like to go back with the kids, but for now, we are glad that we had this interlude.   Read Less

I consider myself an experienced cruiser – not an aficionado by any means, but I’ve been on 6 or 7 over the years. Obviously I am a fan. Actually, about half of those have been on Royal Caribbean, with the last one about 4 years ago giving me a pretty great experience (the other lines were Carnival and Celebrity if you are curious). However, this most recent experience was enough to make me say I’ll likely never book with Royal Caribbean again. I set sail on the Liberty of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale in late January. It was a family event – our group was about 70 people. We are a fun group that can roll with the punches and make the best of things – the only reason the vacation wasn’t a total bust. At first glance the Liberty looked like a great option, one of the largest in RC’s fleet I believe. Let’s start with the positive…the activities on board and the ship itself were great. The public areas were well designed with plenty of fun bars, shops and restaurants to hang out in (personal favs were Schooner Bar and the Hoof & Claw English Pub). The casino was very good with friendly dealers who willingly taught me the basics of craps. Yay! The pool area was awesome – if crowded –with plenty of hot tubs and a rock wall. The FloRider surfing set up was an absolute blast! Finally, some of my group utilized the child care services and reported excellent experiences on that front. Unfortunately, everything goes downhill from here. Upon closer examination, cleanliness was a huge issue on board. Despite the instructions in the form of verbal abuse from staffers to use the Purell stations prior to entry into dining areas. Upon checking into our staterooms my father found what looked like pubic hair inside some of the drawers. Over the 4 night cruise our stateroom was cleaned only twice. Another example, the first night at dinner there was a hair in my cheese plate. I’m relatively understanding …in a busy kitchen things happen, I called the waiter over to let him know about the issue and request a different dessert. He proceeded to imply that it was my hair that had fallen in (completely different colors by the way). I was not amused and told him so – after which he went around to the other side of the table and attempted to blame me again to my family members. It was an early indication of the atrocious customer service that was to come. With this level of apparent disregard for cleanliness on board it comes as no surprise that this line has been in the news recently for health related outbreaks. Thank goodness no one got sick in my group. Moving on…If you are like me, one of the things you look forward to most on a cruise is the food. Oh the food! Midnight buffets, burgers by the pool, main dining room smorgasbords and even the specialty restaurants…bring it on. Someone jokingly said if you don’t gain 2 pounds a day on a cruise you are doing it wrong. My past cruise experience led me to believe that I was in for a 4-day long amazing culinary adventure…I could not have been more wrong. The food on the Liberty of the Seas was TERRIBLE. To be fair, the casual buffet in the WindJammer for lunch and breakfast was good…your usual fare. The main dining room is where I had the majority of my problems. The seafood was fishy and rubbery across the board – it all tasted like it had been leftover from previous sailings. It was old and on the verge of going bad. To add insult to injury everything had that too hot, rubbery taste we all associate with excessive use of the microwave. OK, lesson learned – I’ll stick to land based cuisine…it didn’t help. Nothing was ever cooked to order properly. On multiple occasions my medium rare order came out charred and well done, while my neighbors well-done was close to bloody. Of the 4 nights we had dinner only the last had any actually tasty dishes. The last night…also known as tip night – call me cynical but I feel those 2 things may be related. I didn’t personally dine at Chops or Portofino (the specialty restaurants), but members of our group did and reported back that they were only marginally better. Now let’s talk about that terrible level of customer service I mentioned earlier. Again, based on prior cruises, I was expecting pretty good customer service. Maybe not Disney level, but it is a cornerstone of this industry and I would expect representatives of the cruise line to take it seriously. Nope, the staff of the Liberty of the Seas was not helpful or friendly…in fact they were downright combative at times. It started in the main dining room – I’m sensing a trend here. The wait staff was horrendous. Every single night at our table they either got an order incorrectly, didn’t bring someone’s order out, brought out random extra orders or forgot to take someone’s order entirely. They were also incredibly slow at filling water glasses or taking additional wine orders. Not to mention the hair incident. The beverage staff was equally awful at many of the on-board bars. They seemed to all be moving at the speed of sloth, it took a staggeringly long time to get a drink anywhere…even when we were the only people in the bar area. Bartenders will frequently roll their eyes at you, or condescendingly ask “what’s the magic word” when you order a drink. Side Note: I’m generally polite and a prior server – I tip well and always say please, which that guy would have heard if he bothered to pay attention to anything. Expect to be blamed for any problem you bring to someone’s attention – even at the guest relations desk. We had a small billing discrepancy I needed to clear up at the end of the journey. The rep behind the desk was completely rude and abrasive. I have never been so disappointed in a company. The level of quality for my experience as a whole was so far below my expectations it was shocking. I love going on cruises, I’m sure I’ll go on many more in my lifetime – they just won’t be with Royal Caribbean.   Read Less

2 hours plus to board... Not immigration fault too few RC check in staff No available food after boarding except Serrento's pizza with long lines.... 1st night bar = casino, club, everything shut down at 2am. Yes you heard me called concierge asked about food and bars... CLOSED. I show for 4 nights in main stage.... Comedian/magician 1 show at 7:30pm on last night Chops specialty restaurant sent back two veal chops which we couldn't cut.. chief came out he couldn't cut ... apologized nice guy but we had enough. Men's rooms all over ship smelled like urine ( I am not fussing about stuff like that but it was simply not clean. Golf simulator down entire trip. Ship beautiful and nice, well maintained Disappointed in RC and will not go on large ship out of Ft L again. Getting same problem staff didn't know which level to direct us to get off with bags ... Read Less

A group of 11 of us sailed the 4 night Liberty of the Seas from Fort Lauderdale to Cozumel, Mexico and back, to celebrate three birthdays. We had a blast but I have to say I was disappointed in the service on the Liberty. 10 of us had sailed the Liberty 3 years ago and the service has really gone down since that experience. Embarkation was painful. There was some issue getting the passengers off the ship, so we were held in the cruise terminal for 1.5 hours with no explanation. We finally got on the ship and went straight to the Windjammer for lunch. All was good there. Our cabins were great and we had 4 balconies in a row. Our cabin steward opened the dividers between all 4 with no issue, so we were able to enjoy one large balcony. The food in the dining room was excellent. All of us really enjoyed our dinner experience. Our head waiter was a little strange. We have friends with severe allergies, and I've found that RCI has always been extremely good and careful with this on every cruise. This cruise was okay but not the usual level of service. Maybe because it was a 4 nighter? Our main waiter warmed up over time, and our water boy was really fun and great (Victor). Food on the rest of the ship was fine and it was always nice to get sandwiches and cookies in the Cafe Promenade or pizza in Sorentos. YUM! Ice cream on the pool deck was delicious too. The Saturday Night Fever show was amazing. A must see for sure. Up In the Air was also good. You can't miss Quest. Such a laugh always. The 70s parade is fun, especially when you dress up yourself which some of us did. We used the gym every day and it's an amazing gym with wonderful ocean views. We had pre-booked an RCI jeep/snorkel excursion in Cozumel, and when we arrived to do the excursion we were told it had been changed to no snorkelling, no lunch and a shorter timeframe.... we were not informed of this by RCI. The excursion was disappointing and we would not have booked it had we known. It took us 3 different people to talk to at guest services before getting anywhere. The one guy was so rude and unhelpful when we explained the situation. At one point I said "you need to do the right thing here", and he asked me what that would be! HUH? Another guy came along and we all finally got a full refund on the excursion which made us feel better. I think the most disappointing part of this cruise for me was the amount of smoking on board, and all over the place. I have never noticed this before on an RCI cruise. I'm not sure why... again, maybe a 4 night long weekend clientele? But it was noticeable in many places on board. The casino was unbearable and so was the night club. It turned me off a 4 night cruise for sure. When we returned to FLL, we chose to carry our own luggage off at 8am and it was sheer chaos. No staff anywhere to direct people, and it was a huge crowd trying to get off and a riot almost broke out because people were butting in line. Craziness!!! All in all a very good time because of the group I was travelling with and the food. Have fun!! Read Less

Celebrity Solstice was a breath of fresh air, for once we didnt feel nickel and dimed for every little extra. Sailing in Aqua class everything is included. Everyday, fruit, canapes and some sort of drink was delivered to the room. Loads of amenities included a beach bag, slippers, robes, bottled water in room etc etc etc Also we really appreciated that there was ice cream, sorbet and low fat ice cream all day long in the cafeteria,( why they had a shop selling gelato is beyone me) they were soo good, try the Litchee sorbet Blu our specialty restaurant was wonderful, healthy and seems like low calorie food, beautifully served, by very attentive waiters, and for once we saw the Maitre D everyday. They even called your room to leave a msg thanking you for having gone to dinner in the Blu. Only little bad note is that the aqua class balcony rooms are no larger than the normal balcony rooms and we found these a little too small. We were supposed to be three luckily, the third person backed out of trip and we had the room for ourselves, it would have been awful for 3, no closet space, and if the couch/bed would have been opened we wouldnt have even been able to walk in the room. Apart from that the room was fine. Absolutely no noise from hallway or other rooms. The ships passengers median age seemed to be from mid 30s and up. Very little children or adolescents due to it not being a school holiday, so very little noise that end either. But the ship seems much more suited to adults, not young children as there arent that many sport activities on board like all of the Royal Carribean ships. Forget movie theater there was none!! And they did the Wii in the discotheque. All excursions we found ourselves outside or inside the port arrival areas Way less than the excursions offered on ship of course. In Roaton pls dont miss the Gumbalimba park you can go all day There is a monkey park where they come sit on your shoulders and head soo cute until one stole the earring off one of the ladys in the group, continued to eat it for 10 minutes, but he eventually threw it down. They advise you to put all your bright stuff, bags etc in a locker beforehand. There are parrots, other animals and an insecterium to visit. Zip lininig or canapy tour is 10usd more and snokeling with a guide to reefs is 15usd more than admission which also gives you bus roundtrip. a great day overall. But try to take a lunch off boat or snacks as they have very little, i bought a cheeseburger for 10usd!! They didnt have much else, oonly down side. I would definetly reccomend this cruise and Celebrity ship to everyone and can t wait to go on another. Read Less

Beautiful ship, and cabin kept well, but our compliments end there. Balcony cabin was cramped, but we expected that due to the bargain price. We seldom saw the cabin steward, and he missed service one day, but overall the cabin was well kept and clean. Worst cruise food ever; 1st cruise that we did not enjoy. We've been on a few where the food was merely average but nothing as awful as Poesia's food: less than poor. Would not cruise MSC again, for multiple reasons including the very, very poor food. Even the cocktails were bad except for the pina colada which came out of a pre-mix machine and tasted great. We're not big drinkers but when we cruise, in addition to traditional dry martini's we enjoy some specialty drinks: Rum punch; Mai Tai; Long Island Iced Tea; Appletini; Pina Colada; etc. We tried six different cocktails, and had to leave all of them after one sip except for the Pina Colada. We tried asking for a "repair" after the Appletini was so bad; the request was met with "attitude" and returned as bad as the 1st one so we just left it. Drinks were well priced at $5.75, but we didn't find a decent mixologist among their bartenders... more like the blind leading the blind. Wine list had a decent selection and was reasonably priced. 1st nite's dinner provided an Osso Bucco which was very good, but not another decent tasting dinner entree until the last night which provided a mediocre rib eye steak. Risottos and pasta were available every day and all very good, as were the sauces, but that was the only consistent quality, and one tires of pasta after a few days. Awful pastry; they must save a fortune on sugar; and their baker has no idea what the consistency of a croissant or any of the 4 breakfast pastries they served every day should be like. Yes! The identical 4 breakfast pastries for the entire 5 day cruise, and all very poor. Menu for bkfst & lunch was IDENTICAL EVERY DAY! Eggs always arrived cold, as was the toast. Bkfst menu offers grits along w/oatmeal, etc.. My spouse ordered grits one morning but they never came... finally asked for them & the staff gathered in a huddle with one of the dining captains. The dining capt came over & asked what was wanted; he was very nice, but obviously quite puzzled. Spouse pointed to "grits" on the menu and said, "Some grits please." The dining capt. and staff went back to the kitchen, then returned to advise us, "We don't have that. What is it, "grits?" Unbelievable. Not a big deal that they didn't have grits, but it is a big deal that something appears on the daily breakfast menu of which the staff (front & back) had no knowledge. Out of 5 night's of lunches and dinners in the dining room, one decent dessert: a spiced pear. In our experience, desserts are important to most cruisers. Poesia's desserts were all horrible (but one). I lost weight on this cruise, which is a good thing, but not the reason we cruise... :o) Public bathrooms were filthy from the 2nd day on. Public area toilets were clean when we boarded, but never clean again. By the 3rd day they were disgusting. Tables in public areas (not dining room) were never clean; always sticky. Dining room was always neat & clean. While the staff was very friendly, the bkfst staff was very poorly trained: Among a variety of faux pas most of the time no one was able to pour a cup of coffee and keep it in the cup; food that should have been served hot was always delivered cold. Our dinner steward was great; not his fault that the food was so poor. UNETHICAL PRACTICE: This cruise was a theme cruise for hard rock, acid rock, fans., called ShipRocked. We were not advised when we booked the cruise that there was a theme. This particular group spoiled the cruise for each of the other cruisers we spoke with (dozens of people). More than 1000 hard rock fans were tattooed from head to toe, with so much face & body piercing it must take them a while to get through a/p security. Some came to the dining room literally in rags, torn t-shirts and jeans, even on the "formal" night. When confined with them in an elevator the air was usually filled with the smell of marijuana & very unpleasant body odor. Some typical cruise events, such as movies in the theater, were not available due to the presence of this group aboard; their events took precedence over the desires of regular cruisers. Even a highly placed staff member was angry about the presence of this group (specific title not included to honor confidentiality). A group of us were told, "I've worked on a few different lines and never seen a line allow a group like this aboard unless they take the entire ship... and if they sell a "theme" that only takes part of the ship, cruise lines usually advise all independent bookings of the theme in case they don't want to be on board with such the "theme." MSC did not do this, although they allegedly told their staff that they did. Stay away from MSC and the Poesia. Read Less

So first, let me start off by saying this was my first cruise. My expectations for food, cruising experience, cabin, etc were not high bar by any means since I'm fairly easy going and honestly, wasn't sure what to expect from a cruise. That said I was cruising with a group that have assured me that my experience with MSC Poesia was poor in comparison to its competitors in many areas. First - the pros - The ship itself is beautiful, well maintained, and although I see others stated the restrooms, etc were dirty in the common areas, I had the exact opposite experience. I felt the ship was perfectly maintained. I also was very pleased with the decor, layout, space and size of our balcony cabin. Some of the staff were quite nice, while others seemed as if we were inconveniencing them. I think this just about covers all the pros, as you can see, not too many to list. Secondly - the cons - the food was awful...i mean honestly, my expectations weren't very high to begin with but the cafetaria food was dreadful. The seating was crowded, the flow of the buffet was terrible and always backed up into other areas, the selection rarely varied and many times the food was cold or tasteless. Also, the availability of times to grab a bite was minimal and limited. The couple times I ate in the more formal dining room, the food was slightly better...the pasta being the best of all but otherwise less than impressive. I had always heard food on cruises was one of the highlights...not the case with Poesia. Next up, the bartenders and waitstaff...they seemed to be unprepared for the maginitude of the attendees that came through the theme of our cruise Shiprocked. I understand many fellow cruisers were not aware they were sharing the ship with "those people", but the staff should have been aware and prepared. That said, I will not go into the generalizations people are making about those of us that shared the ship with us for the music theme portion of this cruise...but i will say i am not pierced, nor tatooed from head to toe...nor did I or anyone in my group wreak of smoke, sweat or any other substance and from my pictures I can confirm I was not dressed in rags at dinner...I can not account for the behavior, appearance and habits of others that attended for the theme, but to generalize us all as the same is rather close minded. ANYWAY...I digress...I was also unimpressed by the staff person who was responsible for maintaining our cabin and providing simple things like towels...a complete fail in that area. As for the theme portion of the cruise, which is why I was on the ship from 11/14-11/19 - it was spectacular and I was impressed with the bands, the activities and I will be attending again next year. So, for those of you that do not want to share the ship with us "headbangers" the dates are 11/26-12/1 on the MSC Poesia again...how I wish Shiprocked would pick a different cruiseline, but the theme was enjoyable enough to overlook the cons of the Poesia. However, I would not willingly choose this ship...it dissappointed in too many ways, even for this newbie cruiser. Read Less

The Oasis is massive but being a big ship has its pros and cons. The best things about the Oasis are the shows, activities and facilities. The rooms were bright, new and clean. The open areas were expansive, wonderfully decorated and unique. Even though there were 6000 passengers on the boat, the only time that we ever saw crowds were at the shows. The shows were hands down the best part of our cruise. There was a different show every night and they were all professionally done. I felt like I was on Broadway in NYC. To make your trip smoother, make sure you reserve all of your showings online before the cruise. Also, there is no need to get there 30 minutes early to find a seat - usually 10 minutes is more than enough. We had a oceanview balcony room and highly recommend it! Given how big the ship was, if you did not seek out the ocean, you can easily forget that you were sailing in it. Waking up to the ocean views was priceless especially when having room service breakfast on the balcony. Our favorite part of the ship was the Central Park because it was a serene escape from the noise and madness of the parties held throughout the boat. Now onto the bad. Having to service 6000 passengers means that the service is subpar. During dinner, we had to ask our waiter repeatedly for items. We never saw our headwaiter (and wished we didnt tip her) and our assistant waiter always looked exhaustive and checked out. The food was much worse than on the 4 other Royal Caribbean cruises that we have been on - most of the hot food was served cold and the meats were overcooked. Avoid the Windjammer during breakfast - the crowds are crazy and it was like a bazaar. By 9:30am I had to scratch the side of the pot for any remaining oatmeal. Eat breakfast at Opus Dining Room when it is open (make sure you go to the a la carte and not buffet side side), Park Cafe or anywhere else. The speciality restaurants were okay. Giovanni's is worth trying but the food at Izumi was not good. Everyone got their entrees at different times and the service was slow. Have lunch at the Dining Room when it is open as well - the salad bar is amazing. Be careful of the Flowrider! I took a private lesson at night and when I did the surfing, I "wiped out", hit my head on the back of the board and almost had a concussion. When I went to the medical center they said that they have 5 accidents a day on the flowrider - some guy got foam embedded his nail and another broke his finger. If you must go on, make sure you learn how to fall correctly. Ports Try to get the sailing that does not go to Mexico. Cozumel and Costa Maya are very run done. There is nothing to do except for a shore excursion that involves snorkeling or scuba diving. We have been to Mexico a lot and definitely do not feel that these 2 ports give a good you a good taste of Mexico Read Less

First cruise, pretty disappointed. The ship itself was great, very impressive. For a first time cruising, it was more than expected from a size, features, and looks perspective. The top deck was really cool as well. I think now that the first cruise novelty has worn though, I'd be uniterested if I cruised on it again, but for a newbie it was different, like going to a new resort or country. Food was truly disappointing, no better than a meal at some senior citizen buffet. I was completely suprised by the lack of seafood on a cruise ship, went against everything I had heard. The navigator has buffets open for breakfast and lunch, or a sitdown option, but around these two timeframes only, otherwise you have to go to a small cafe for something to eat. The cruise was 4 nights, so 4 formal sitdown dinners. The first two nights, dinner was pretty good. so/so Prime Rib and really good Filet on the dress night. The 3rd was leg of lamb that was ok, and the 4th was a fried fatty strip steak, very similar to a steak that you get with a Steak and Eggs breakfast at a coney. All the appetizers, sides, and dessert were buffet quality at best. Desserts in general sucked to be honest. We asked for a table for 2, didn't get it, had to request it, so we got stuck in the corner. Didn't help the experience, but dinner with 6 strangers 4 nights in a row, not sure I would've enjoyed it more. You could pay a $20 or $30 upcharge to get better dinning which was garbage that they even offered that IMO. Not only pay pass on free dinner, but then pay more on top? Seriously? The dinner service was great, very friendly, other areas were too. I did get kinda sick of hearing about filling out surveys for everything though, but they did do a good job I thought, very pleasent people. A tip, check out the dinner buffet, than go check out the sitdown menu, might like the buffet better. They had some sushi one night, wish we would've just ate that. The entertainment was dumb. We're mid 30's and would not have paid to see one of the shows or entertainment the ship had, lots of bad lip synch and dancing. The comedy show was really bad, literally it was an hour of 1 line jokes my grandpa would tell, no stories, no routine, just awful. One positive was the ice show, that was pretty good, they had a guest performer, she was really good, wouldn't have gone otherwise, but that I enjoyed. Drinks were reasonable I guess. Some bartenders made them strong, others weak. I heard there would be daily specials, I never heard, saw, or were offered any. We had a cabin at the front of the ship, so ours was a bit bigger than most, great cabin to have. On the way home, there was some motion in the room, but no a deterent to having the extra room and view in my opinion. They had lots of bathrooms throughout the ship, but by the end, 30% were out of order, sometimes I had to walk up or down a few floors to get to one. The fitness center was great, lots of machines, no wait, top of ship, great view. The only other gripe, there were lots of American workers, and we were scooped from an American Port, why not have an American talk on the mics? It was hard to understand half of what was being said on the ship. Another tip, have room to buy duty free alcohol on the ship and bring it home with you. Incredible deal, but I had no room to bring it on the plane with me. My only regret! Read Less

We took our four kids on the Independence of the Seas. I am 38, my husband is 46 and our kids are 8,9, 11 and 17. All girls except the 9 year old is a boy. This ship is absolutely perfect for kids of all ages. You have to like people though, lots of them, all around you all the time. But, there is plenty of space to meander throughout the ship, and a great work out area, bigger than some land exercise facilities I've seen. I got a massage the first day and used our gold member coupon booklet to receive an additional discount on top of the discount the ship provides if you book a spa appointment the first day on the ship. The massage was wonderful. I think it was around $135 and then I tipped generously because I really liked her. The second day was at sea. We were so tired from traveling I couldn't enjoy much of anything the first night. We walked through the promenade/mall area at night, and wandered around the ship. The kids were so excited, it was just so much fun watching them see everything for the first time. The kids stayed entertained in the kids' club for the most part. Fabulous program they have on board. You just have to be aware there are other kids that are very spoiled and don't have very good manners and can be quite mean. Our 8 year old daughter is quite sensitive and let us know of some of the other kids in there who were name calling and excluding kids. The free ice cream by the pool was enjoyed several times by my family, although I am not a big ice cream fan I did not try any. If you go to the pool area, as we did, later in the day, there will be no chairs to sit or lay in. But you can sit at the side of the pool with your feet dipped in. I so much wanted to enjoy the Solarium/adult only area, but never did get to. It looked wonderful, but also full to the max with no open chairs. There were stools under water you could sit on and rest your drink on a platform they had separating the pools. A bar nearby all the pools, if not two bars. The midnight buffet was great. The line was horrendous though. If you're not there right away, there's quite a line to wait through. But great food. I liked all the food. No complaints there at all. We ate in the Windjammer all but two nights. We did not attend the formal nights. With four children, I did not want to buy four new formal outfits, so we opted out of that. The food in the formal dining room is excellent, better than Windjammer. Our drink waitress was a bit clueless and did not know how to fulfill any sort of requests we had, which was just an after dinner coffee with Baileys and didn't even really show up to ask us if we wanted anything. We had to pull over the head waiter and our main waiter, who was very nice and helpful. I suppose only showing up two nights, they weren't used to us being there. We used our own walkie talkies we got at Radio Shack, since there were six of us. They were very, very handy. I don't know what we would have done without them. They worked quite well for the most part. Only if someone was deep in the belly of the ship, walking from the room to a pool, did it not work so well. We took chargers and charged them every night. It was very windy our cruise. They had to seal a lot of the doors shut due to the high winds. It was chilly at night too. We had a balcony which was fantastic. I don't think I can ever go back to a room without one now! I loved the sound of the ocean. In ports of call though, we were always on the side facing the other ship in port that was on the same path we were (Grandeur of the Seas). I loved the Latin dancing in Boleros. We went there almost every night. A three person band and a little dance floor. I can't do any of the moves, but I sure loved watching! The last night I bee bopped by myself next to my husband off to the side. I couldn't contain it any longer! The shows were good. The ice show blew my mind. I couldn't get over being in the middle of the ocean watching an ice show on a ship! They were amazing. It is a little ice rink, but they still did some spectacular spins. The costumes were fabulous. The violinist I loved. She was on her last cruise though with ours. I really liked the last show they had. I don't know the name of the comedian, but he was very funny! The main cruise director guy was also very funny. I really liked Vintages, the wine bar. I love wine. We did their wine tasting and it was very nice. I love Angela! You must go say hi to Angela! She's from Romania, and so knowledgeable. I just loved her. They have excellent recommendations, and you can taste wine in these things called "flight" where you get three glasses of different wines you want to taste. They have suggestions, or you can order what you like. Dog and Badger had some rowdy crowds at night. They were having a blast. It was packed in there nightly. Not much room to sit. A live one person band sang 70's-90's music. He was good. Pizza after dinner hours was always available, with little cups of tiramisu and some other stuff. You could sit in an area inside with red booths, or out on the promenade and watch people go by. The last night we were there, there were a couple of people with these machines working on one of the model ships they have located throughout the ship. I asked what they were doing, and they said they were "replating the gold". That amazed me. Real gold railing surrounded these things. The arcade for the kids is great for the kids to pass time at night if they're older, but it does cost you extra money you can put on their cards. We did not use the flow rider, but my husband and son went up and watched one day. The line was about 30 minutes he said. They partition it in to two sections, side by side. Once you fall off the board, you're done. If you're not over a certain height, you have to remain on your belly or knees. We also didn't participate in the put put golf or use the basketball courts, but the kids' club took our kids up there. They will come get your kids right from the formal dining room if you want, and there were a couple nights you could take them to Johnny Rockets, a 50's restaurant, and drop them off there for dinner. You could pick them up at 10pm, or if you didn't show up every half hour after that is $2.50 per kid. Their hours run till 2am. This ship is amazing. I can't imagine what the Oasis and the Allure is like. Read Less

hello all found this cruise on vacations to go than booked it with a local agency in Montreal Canada. it was my first time cruising so I hope I do not bore you with some details I went on line and did the internet registration it was simple and fast got my sea pass and printed out all documents that I would need for this trip. Our destination was Cozumel Mexico only one. Day of departure went smooth from Montreal Canada we took Air Transat to Fort Lauderdale same day departure next time I will book a hotel and leave a day before because we had to leave at 2:30am in the morning in order to make the 6 am flight it was a long day....it was me and my 16 year old son going. Once we landed in Fort Lauderdale I looked for the Royal Caribbean representative I was not able to guarantee transfers because I booked it only 2 weeks in advance so we spoke to this gentleman and he instructed us to wait till 11am than take a taxi to the pier and than we could board than. I saved more because transfers are $30 each person taxi from airport was $15. us dollars savings $45...!!!! So we waited for around an hour, we had our suitcases, changed into light clothing, and we were ready to swim in case our bags were delayed till we got them at our cabin. Once we got to the pier it was very exciting, tons of people coming from all over, we left our bags with the porters than proceeded to the gates and customs and registration it seems complicated but it is very well organized.. Once we got on the ship your photo is taken and than you are herded into an area which is huge where you wait till lunch is ready there are various lines for kids programs etc A message kept on replaying over and over with an apology about the cabins not being ready till 1pm it was ok we headed to the Windjammer cafe which is a very large buffet restaurant and sat down to eat it had many foods to choose from. All dining rooms have FREE ice tea, fruit juice apple juice and lemonade breakfast is orange or apple with free coffee or tea water on tap is ok to drink bring a water bottle if you choose so you do not have to pay $4 for a bottle of water each time. The only drinks you will pay for unless you get the drink card are the following, all soft drinks with gas like coke up etc wine beer fancy drinks fancy coffees Ben an Jerry's ice cream ..so here are my tips buy the drink card, and if you want to save at dinner time buy a bottle of wine they have many to choose from and it is worth it it goes from 22-up to 100's the soft drink card for kids is 20, adults is 40 so be warned. Exercise classes are a charge too. It is a charging marathon on board. Once we ate, we were allowed to check out our rooms we had a balcony room on the sixth deck it was beautiful and very clean our cabin steward Dean was amazing and very helpful. His towel sculptures were fun. My son joined the teen program I never saw him for the 4 days it was tons of fun for him he had a great time!!! Now to explore this giant vessel is something, it is 14 floors and it is ginormous. Just to walk it is something, I swear I must of walked miles. Women be aware, to put something on the soles of your high heels it is slippery on all decks inside and outside there is some carpet but the marble floors are treacherous I slipped many times and I witnessed some women falling on their high heels, rubber soles are the best ones for this trip go to your shoe repair man and ask him to put something on your soles to allow you to walk without falling! There is so much to explore on this ship it is exhausting there are many pools most of the activities are on the upper decks like 11 an 12 shows are on the lower floors with the ice rink it is very well placed but it takes time to find, tons of stairs, and it will take a day to remember where everything is. Of course you can wait for an elevator it takes time. There are legends on each floor with everything mapped out. Dinner in the dining room was where we went to, mornings and nights the Windjammer is ok but the breakfast is not great there food starts to look alike after a day, there was only one formal night so that was a relief ,otherwise the food is ok and the service was wonderful it has a Titanic staircase leading you into the lower floors in the dining room, our head waiters and main maitre Dee were wonderful they made me feel like a princess. Each night they put away my left over bottle of wine till the next day. Thanks Jimmy and Paul!!! All entertainment was wonderful as the game show The Quest hilarious you are going fall down laughing great time there. Ice show with the Olympic skater was great, the Broadway shows were fun as well the entertainment director is a hoot as is whole team of people. Casino dripping with cigarette smoke and lounge lizards waiting for their win, that in itself is amusing to watch unless you have the bucks to play the slots or the big games. yes occasionally people win. Disco younger people getting drunk and dancing up a storm. So each night I would go to the show and than seek out any other entertainment on board or go to the casino, it was fun and entertaining Shopping is better on board than at duty free unless you are buying silver or something that they do not have, it is cheaper to buy on the ship trust me. Jewelry shopping is amazing on ship and it is duty free, and the girl to go to would Dana Or Kerry they are very knowledgeable and helpful in making decisions very good prices I did well So for the most part the cruise was fantastic the ship is beautiful and team that work on it are great and very helpful. I give the ship 6 stars for their efforts at making everyone feel good. Warning read below: We arrive in Cozumel Mexico I have pre arranged a tour on ship for the Atlantis submarine. We only have one land day the rest are at sea,we get off early because of this tour we are told we must be on dock for no later than 8:15am...famous last words the tour guide is late to be exact he finally shows up at 9:30am the only trip left is some snorkel trip which we cannot do due to health reasons. We are waiting and waiting finally the tour director says if you do not want to wait any longer we will refund your money. We decide to wait, finally someone comes to collect us and we are again waiting for everyone to go the bathroom another 20 minutes..remember we only have a few hours left, we have to go by ship time not Mexican time. So we all have to now walk down the street to this office where they say ok we will pay for your taxis to the shopping area it is only $6. to go there. as a gift for being late. We are than boarded on a ferry to get to the submarine, this trip is supposed to be 2 hours in total .It takes over 20 minutes to get to the submarine, we are boarded in it and do a very small tour for less than 20 minutes underwater, we are looking at dilapidated coral reefs that are severely damaged from the last hurricane 2 years ago.We see some fish a lobster one manta ray that is all it is a very poor tour, that we paid $100. each and it was late an the tour guide is not understandable at all it is a waste of my time an dollars. People were upset, and we did not feel we got the value for the money on this one. So do not book this tour it is called Atlantis Submarine tour it is a waste of money and time. We did some shopping with the discount book we bought on the ship, great deals it was fun than we went to a beach called Mr. Sanchez. This beach is very rough with a strong undertow and very murky waters the sand is that sinking sand, very hard and coarse brown ugly sand. However the chairs and umbrellas are free there is a bar and kitchen it is worn out from the last hurricane. Be forewarned to pay for a taxi $15 us dollars each way from the port. I was not impressed with the beach at all, the drinks were good though. There are some small stores to buy some silver trinkets etc there. This destination is not a great place unless you are diver other than that find another place to go to . We leave Cozumel an to let you know I have been all over Mexico my favorite places to date are Ixtapa, and Cancun this Cozumel needs an extreme makeover fast. Another day at sea till we get back in port than I book yet another tour to the Everglades it is amazing with a fantastic tour guide called Robert we get a boat ride right through them, see some gators, and other small animals the tour is fantastic! It is about 4 hours worth every single penny I paid for it and the information is great. All in all I would go back to this cruise, in a New York Minute, I loved the ship the cruise, the people, and food. It is a very clean ship. I will say get out there and just do it because if you don't you will be in the same place next year as this year and not be further ahead. Read Less