This was my 8th cruise and first time on the Navigator. Overall, it was a great ship with a great crew. The ship is very similar to the Independence and Freedom of the Seas, which I've sailed on before and thoroughly enjoyed. Lets start with the good: - The Ice show. This was fantastic and shouldn't be missed. They have a coordinated light show using drones as part of the show and it's amazing. - The guitar singer in the Windjammer singing "washy washy" songs. Haven't seen this on any other ships, and it always brought a smile to hear the days rendition of some song converted to a "wash your hands" song. Loved it. - Cruise director and staff were very energetic and funny. - Balloon drop at midnight on the first night of the cruise. I've done a New Years eve cruise and this reminded me of that scene. It was really cool. This was the first cruise where I decided to try the specialty dining as I've always been impressed with the MDR food, so was looking forward to seeing how much better the food would be. I tried Chops and Jamie's Italian restaurants. Chops was decent, but this was no where near as good as it should have been for the price. I was expecting something along the lines of a Morton's steakhouse or Ruth's Chris quality, but it really wasn't even close...more like an Outback experience. It was good, but not worth the extra money. We had a similar experience at Jamie's, though it was even more of a disappointment. Never been to an Italian restaurant where they didn't play Italian music...instead they're playing some pop/techno stuff, that just didn't fit. I've also never been to an Italian restaurant where they don't immediately serve you bread along with some form of spread. Instead, Jamie's has some different breads as part of the appetizer menu. Also the waitress seems to over explain everything. I appreciated her knowledge, but it got to the point where we just wanted her to shut up and let us eat. The staff was wearing jeans and flannel shirts...not sure how this is Italian themed, but maybe I'm not hipster enough to get it. The desserts were hit and miss...the lemon meringue cheese cake was wonderful, the tiramisu was lacking and short of any coffee flavor. I didn't get a chance to do the escape room. It wasn't open on our last sea day so you'll want to get in early so you don't miss that. Also, one night there was an even on the cruise planner for "Stargazing on the helipad". We weren't sure what would be involved with this but assumed it would have some crew lead event of sort. Nope, it was just a bunch of people on the helipad at night, all wondering what was going on. Overall, it was a great cruise and I would definitely go on it again Read Less

We chose this cruise as it is about a month out of dry dock from an extensive renovation. We have previously sailed on the Majesty, Allure, Freedom, and Mariner of the seas. We have also sailed on the Disney Wonder and MSC Seaside. We arrived at the port around 1:30 and basically walked onto the ship. Very quick and easy. We only got a chance to do the Riptide slide as we didn't feel like waiting in line for the blaster. We really enjoyed the solarium for adults only. We are early risers so we never had an issue getting chairs. I was thrilled to see them actually keep track of chairs that people tried to save. There were plenty of chairs all over in case they were all taken at the pool. We spent a good deal of time at the casino. We had fun but there was a lot of smoke that made it difficult to breathe. Our stateroom was great. We had a balcony towards the back and didn't have anyone above us. Our balcony was the last one, so it was slightly bigger than normal. We generally spend a good amount of time in the room, so we were disappointed with the few choices there were for tv. Even the movies you had to pay for didn't have good choices. We didn't do any excursions, so we splurged on specialty restaurants. We dined at Hooked the first night, which was decent. The food was good, but the service was lacking. We went to Jamie's Italian the second night and it was so good we went back again the final night. The main dining room was seriously lacking in food and service compared to the specialty restaurants. Even the plating was mediocre. I cook much better food at home. The food is one of the main things that we look forward to when cruising. I would absolutely recommend the dining package if it's something you're able to do. Food in the Windjammer wasn't as good as we have experienced in the past. El loco fresh was an excellent addition to the included restaurants. They do need to improve the queso though as it was tasteless and way too watery. We only had the pizza at the promenade which was good. We got wings from playmakers that were good as well, but they took much longer than we expected. Overall, we really enjoyed this cruise. We spent a LOT of time relaxing, which we desperately needed. Read Less

Took my 83 year old father on a cruise. We flew into Miami, stayed at Cambria Blue Lagoon (very nice) and took a $10 pp shuttle to the port. We opted for The KEY which gave us a lot of nice perks (internet, choice seating, free lunch at chops grill day 1, etc. Got dad a balcony room (8582), and myself a Promenade Interior (8583) directly across from his. My father loved his cabin ... the fresh air and views. My cabin, however, was awful. Terrible toxic, chemical, mothball-like smell. I asked housekeeping to help twice. Two different staff members agreed it was unbearable, but offered no solution, no other cabin, no sympathy. (See more in my cabin review). The cruise and excursions we're enjoyable for my father. He enjoyed the food, the shows, the waterslides, the staff, and his cabin. I found the shows, the cruise director and the performances to be a bit cheesy and annoying. We loved our two excursions booked through the cruise ... The Dolphin Swim in Nassau and the Dragon Zip Line in Haiti. Incredibly professional and worth every penny The cruise staff was friendly. And the ship overall was clean. Read Less

We needed a break, and since our youngest was celebrating her 21st birthday the week before the cruise, we decided this was a perfect time. This was Navigator's third trip after her recent yard period, and she didn't disappoint. On this cruise we had me (59), SWMBO (54), our son (26), our daughter (21), SWMBO's sister (59) and her husband (68). We travel often with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and will continue to do so as long as they will have us. We always have a great time with them. Embarkation: Normally, embarkation is quick with little to no wait. Not this time. It seemed the folks from the cruise before ours were slow to leave the ship, so we were standing around in a crowded embarkation center for quite some time. We arrived around 1030 and didn't board until between 1200 and 1230. There was a large group that had been corresponding on social media and here on Cruise Critic and we were able to meet up with some friends of ours while waiting to board. Meals - Windjammer: The food in the Windjammer this cruise was up to its usual standard - decent, not outstanding, but it filled the void. Some was very good (especially the desserts) and some not so much (avoid the Eggs Benedict - the toughest English Muffins I have ever seen). As usual, the staff in the Windjammer was great, and overall it fit the bill. Meals - My Time Dining: Before cruising, we booked My Time Dining for 1800 each night of the cruise. First night - no problem. We were promptly seated and had a great table - first table on the left as you enter the dining room. The table has a decorative wall surrounding it that made it feel more private than the other tables. We really liked it. The second night, the computer system had our reservations at a different time 1715, but having booked everything for 1800 before leaving, we arrived at 1800. Of course, our table was given to another group, so we got moved to a new table with a different waiter and assistant waiter. It all worked out great though, as our waiter, Francisco, and his assistant, Shuzhen, were wonderful. Shuzhen is from China, and she told us some folks have trouble pronouncing her name, so she told us to call her by her family name - Moh. They were so friendly and attentive - absolutely terrific. The food was very good, except for one night when a number of us ordered the Braised Beef Short Rib - it was so bland. As for the rest of it - truly excellent. Bars - we all had the drink package and, as usual, it did not disappoint. The bar staff on the Navigator make killer Frozen Mojitos, Bushwhackers, and Mudslides. Their Moscow Mule could use some work though - theirs is basically vodka and ginger beer with a lime garnish. Ports: we hit Labadee, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao on this cruise. We only booked excursions thru RC for Labadee - the Jet Ski excursion (we love this one), and my daughter loves the Zip Line. As for the other ports - In Aruba, we booked the JetLev (the water jet pack) for our son and daughter thru a local company (Red Sail Sports if I recall correctly - SWMBO did the research and booked it). Our son took to it immediately and loved it. Our daughter had a face-plant in the water and got a snoot-full of ocean, so she decided that was enough for her. The folks at Red Sail were outstanding. They meet you at the pier and drive you to their location. The driver gave us great tips for using the bus system in Aruba as the plan was to go to Arashi Beach after the JetLev. We grabbed lunch with our friends from NJ (whose son also did the JetLev) at a small joint by the beach - nothing special there. Afterwards, my daughter wanted to go back to the ship, so she and I took the bus back to the port while the rest took the bus in the other direction to Arashi Beach. Aruba is beautiful, and everyone had a great time. In Curacao we walked around town and did some shopping and sight-seeing - took it easy that day. We ate lunch at the Iguana Café along the canal next to the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge. We got to see the bridge open and close a few times while we ate. Pretty good food there - we pretty much dined on the appetizer menu and really enjoyed it. It is an easy walk from the ship. In Bonaire, we rented golf carts for the day from Bonaire Cruisers, and that is definitely the way to go. They are two blocks from the dock, and they gave us great directions and maps and off we went to explore the island. From the salt flats, flamingo sanctuary, the old slave quarters, the lighthouse, the windsurfers and all the divers, we really enjoyed the leisurely trip around Bonaire. Highly recommended. Disembarkation - things ran a little slowly as the escalator that takes you from the ship to customs broke down. There was about an hour delay getting off the ship as a result, but we got our bags and got thru customs with no problems. Overall, we loved this cruise and were ready to get right back on the ship when we disembarked. I highly recommend this itinerary Read Less

This is my second RC cruise, 20th overall cruise, this was the most disappointing. I believe in celebrating the positives so I'll start there. Nine days with great weather, met some awesome people and had the BEST/most enthusiastic activities staff EVER (on any ship or line). Now why this got a two star: worst, most bland food of any cruise, Princess held this title for nine years but Navigator of the Seas now claims the title. I say this strictly from Windjammer and late seating main dining. My food was cold or luke warm when it should have been hot, and multiple dishes were straight up bland and flavorless. I addressed this during on board surveys and with waiters and head waiters, and even the staff seemed to know it. When the staff won't even drink the orange juice because it's color water there's a fundamental problem. To be fair the turkey dinner was good and the pizza in the promenade cafe was delicious. Sadly at one point my fellow guests and I questioned if this was a corporate decision to make subpar food included so that you would pay the surcharge and eat at specialty restaurants. I cannot speak from first hand about any of these but three different groups had not been happy with hooked or the chop house either. Biggest complaint cold, bland food. The burritos at Loco Fresh were good but the hours are just afternoon. Ben and Jerrys was tasty and reasonably priced (free soft serve by the pool was not good). Drinks were bad. I thought I would enjoy some fun tropical drinks on this vacation but the flavor and quality was all over the place. Some drinks were too strong and imbalanced others too watered down and flavorless. I'm really glad I did not get the drink package. Best drinks were served by the solarium pool. They were a positive and cheerful staff and most consistent. Schooner Bar was all over the place, some great, others undrinkable. Disappointed that movies in your stateroom had a $12 cost, that's crazy when other cruise lines movies are free. The room was regularly cleaned (loved the magnets on the door to notify staff). The pools were well monitored by lifeguards and after an early rumble for chairs by the pool there was a nice staff member who pulled towels and bags if people didn't show up within 30 minutes. I was impressed with RC that they followed through with this. Muster drill was efficient. Illusionist and ventriloquist were great shows (two of the best ever). Comedians were disappointing. I had a great time on this cruise but I think I'll take a break from this line. I hadn't been super impressed with my first experience and unfortunately this one didn't improve upon it. Read Less

We chose this cruise based on price and intinerary. It was our first on RCCL and third cruise overall. Traveled as a family of four, with kids ages 9 and 11. We thought this cruise and ship were outstanding. We didn't realize upon booking that it was going in for refurbishment, so that was a great surprise. Embarking and disembarking for us went well, but we were there very early at 11:30am. My understanding is that those that arrived even a half hour later waited for quite some time to board. The staff was outstanding, especially to our kids. The Flowrider and waterslide assistants were particularly helpful! Dining room staff and stateroom attendant were all very good, though I'd stop short of saying excellent. We were never nickel and dimed for anything. Just a few offers from staff for the specialty restaurants, but nothing beyond that. The photographers are there of course, but tolerable. Elevators were a struggle throughout the cruise. Waiting times were long and even when a car arrived, it was often full. Elevators were sometimes marked out of service. It would be improved if able bodied people who were only going one level would just use the stairs. For reasons I don't understand, the aft starboard set was the most reliable for us. We took great advantage of most of what the ship had to offer: - Waterslides: excellent. The single rider one is a bit fast for adults so I only rode it a few times. The double slide, where I could go with my kids, we did dozens of times. It was busy from 11-2 or so, and we avoided those times. After 4pm, we had the place to ourselves and took advantage! Great fun! It was usually open until 8pm. - Flowrider: My kids did this many times. Staff was outstanding in helping them! - Mini golf: Very well done and the best mini golf I've seen on a ship. Only complaint is that it is VERY poorly lit at night and it mostly unusable after sundown. - Basketball courts, table tennis, etc: your standard stuff. Equipment in great shape. - Pool loungers and pool: While the pool area was often crowded, away from the pool it never seemed too crowded. There were always plenty of chairs available somewhere on the ship. The areas by the mini golf course were usually available and well designed with wind blocks. The round sofa loungers are excellent and I want some for my backyard! A hidden gem is if you go to the Flowrider, on the starboard side is a staircase that goes down one level - there were 30 or so chairs down there that no one knew about. I usually had the whole place to myself, though it was sometimes shady depending on how the ship was oriented. The pools were excellent and never too crowded. My kids enjoyed them. - Laser tag: average. Music was painfully LOUD!!! We didn't go more often just because of the noise level in here. Bring earplugs. - Ice skating: My daughter loved it. Very nice setup and not crowded at all. Food: Windjammer: It's a buffet with standard buffet food. Desserts were excellent. I usually opted for whatever was on the carving tray and it was quite good. Music again too loud in here, and on too short a loop so that you hear the same songs over and over. By Day 5 of 10, it was irritating. It was well laid out and the all you can eat seafood buffet on the last night was excellent. Main Dining Room: We did My Time Dining and it worked out pretty well. We dined here 5 of the 9 nights. (The rest of the nights we were busy doing other things and just wanted a quick bite in the buffet.) One night they sent us to a table that was already occupied, but otherwise it was flawless. Service and food were very good. Prime rib on Night 1 was excellent. Same thing on Night 7 was disappointing. Not sure why. But otherwise, pretty good. Service was just as quick as an American restaurant. Loco Fresh: We loved this place for a quick bite to eat for lunch. Freshly made and great taste. No clue what to do with my dishes afterward though? We did not do any of the specialty restaurants or Johnny Rockets as the "included" food was plenty good for us. Entertainment: I thought it was excellent. We saw almost every show. The ventriloquist and hypnotist were our favorites. The Showgirl show was excellent, but the follow up Ballroom Show was very disappointing and slow. All other shows were above average. Live music throughout the ship was pretty good although there were some hits and misses mostly based on personal taste. Cabin: Small, as expected. We booked very late so we were on level 2. Not so bad 90% of the time, but there were two nights in which there was excessive noise (maintenance or machinery) from below, which woke us up, sometimes for an hour or so. I would try to avoid this level, though if it was all that was available, I'd still book it as the rest of the cruise was great! Temperature was perfect (although the rest of the ship was warm.) Shore excursions we did all on our own or third party. Haiti: beach (food provided on the beach is average to below average.) Aruba: horse riding with Rancho Notorious. Curacao: wandered Willemstad and visited the Maritime Museum, local shops, etc. Bonaire: glass bottom kayaking and (first time) snorkeling. Despite the few hiccups (noise, elevators) we would absolutely do this same cruise again. The staff were fantastic and the ship was immaculate. Read Less

The ABC islands were beautiful! We enjoyed our excursions, and the Sunset Cruise in Curacao was amazing! Great music, beautiful scenery, and excellent staff. Our Stateroom attendent, Tri, was very attentive and extremely nice. Our waiter and attendent in the main dining room (Stephen and Olinad) were the best!! Every aspect of this cruise, from the balcony room to the activities and food was awesome. I was celebrating with my mom on her birthday, and we decided to try Chef's Table. The cuisine, wines, and deserts were delicious. The games and entertainment were top-notch. I suggest going to see "Love and Marriage". The couples chosen for the game we saw were hilarious! There were several standup comedians. One was very funny, and the musical shows were professional and entertaining. There is so much to do on the ship that there is no way you can do it all. Never a boring moment...with that said, there are several places on this ship that one can find some peace and quiet, while viewing the beautiful scenery of the open sea. I've enjoyed all of my cruises with Royal Caribbean, but this one has been my favorite. Read Less

Wow, what a great cruise. The best of times start at Decks 11 and 12 around the pool. The cabanas were a joy to sit in--like box seats at a ball game. The 3 level Lime and Coconut bar is the perfect place to hang out, people watch and party. Soft serve ice cream on 11 now has an attendant. He kept the lines moving and eliminated the usual mess and germ sharing. El Loco Fresh (also on 11) is a free Mexican style buffet walk-up. Food was good, but the cheese was way thin and you had to open up the pre-wraped burritos to add some of the available hot sauces and assorted other condiments. That really backed things up. The new water slides are amazing. Tried em both and loved em both. If you want entertainment, hang around and watch people try to get out of the 2 seat blaster after their first trip. Best times could also be found at the Bamboo Room and Playmakers, both on 5. They are bars with good bar food; but at an extra cost. More on that in a minute. Deck 4 has $2 Mimosa's at the casino on the sea days. Best drink deal I've found since the 2 for 1 margaritas at the On Air bar on Freedom! Deck 3 has the entertainment. The shows at Royal Theater were varied and entertaining. Something for everyone. Studio B has a new ice skating show that is even better than the old one. It also has free skating and lazer tag. Good stuff. Now for the ok...the music was loud. I'm going deaf because of the way I played my music in the 60's and 70's. But most of the music onboard was way loud. Royal spent many millions renovating the pool area, so why on 4 different nights did we have late night parties on deck 5? They did have one on deck 11 one night, but the shrill electronic music that was playing drove us downstairs. Main dining dinner is at 5:30 or 8:00. It takes close to 90 minutes to finish. So why were some 60 minute shows scheduled at 5:00 or 7:00? Last, but not least, the Windjammer closes for the evening at 9:00. Which means that the only free food to be found after then is at the Cafe Promenade on deck 5. At busy times the wait would be 10-15 minutes for something to nosh on. Good business for the Bamboo Room and Playmakers though. And they do have good food. But those are just nits, the ship is great. Read Less

Chose this cruise because it was 9 days and I have only been to that area twice before. This ship is very hard to navigate from one area to another especially when the 3rd and 4th decks are involved. I wish we had known that water shoes were so important at the beaches in Aruba. The underwater rocks are tough. Also the "off road" tours they are really that "off road" and unfortunately far to long. Meals in the special dining rooms were excellent and the service outstanding. Meals in the dinning room had outstanding appetizers and starters but the entreas were not up to the standard set by the apps/starters. Over all the crew was very good and the rooms delightful. This was my 42 cruise and while it was not my favorite it was far from the worst. Read Less

We chose this as our 2nd cruise because we had friends already booked. We then had an additional 6 friends join us. The reason for the 4 instead of 5 is simply due to issues with or at the terminal prior to and after we returned from our cruise. We had to wait for extended period of time both times with no real communication from Royal as to what the issues were. Apparently people did not get off the prior cruise and then when we retired the escalators were broke. So communication is key so I feel they need to work on that. Other than that the cruise was unbelievable. The destinations were perfect and the staff was beyond awesome. So friendly and helpful in every way possible. Special shout out to Raj and Sagar our dining staff. They are the gold standard of service and the excellence. They were on top of everything and never had to even ask it was like they read our minds ahead of time. Julio our cabin steward went up and over our expectations. My suitcase was damaged in transit and Julio help find the materials I needed to repair it. The different towel animals each night always put a smile on our face. Thank you so much to those gentlemen they deserved to be recognized by not only by myself but by The entire Royal corporate team. Read Less