Royal Caribbean is by far our favorite cruise line. Embarking and disembarking was rather painless. We expected much longer lines. We got our luggage in our room rather quickly. On the plus side is the beauty of the ship. It is truly an engineering feat with the finest technological advances. The entertainment was better than Broadway quality with a wonderful variety of entertainment. Our ocean view balcony was a must have for a Caribbean cruise and for the only quiet spot we could find on the ship. The ammenities for kids was terrific. However we don't have any so being surrounded by such a huge group of children is not our pick. When we did try to venture to the solarium deck which is 16+ age the very noisy Europeans groups were worse.

Our room was comfortable with excellent pressure in the shower which was an unexpected treat. The service was excellent. The theaters, diving show, movies, ice skating were all great. We especially enjoyed central park with the beautiful guitar music on several nights. The Casino had plenty to offer and we loved the way it was divided in half for smokers and non smokers. The dining room food was outstanding (I have no idea what people complain about here) and the service terrific. The only complaint on the food was the specialty restaurants which are constantly getting more expensive. Chops had awful service and an overcooked steak. We didn't care for Giovanni's food the the service was great. Breakfast at the solarium was wonderful and we really enjoyed the Seafood Shack and the sandwich bar by the carousel. Unlike NCL where every drink was awful all the drinks we had on this ship were perfect and we tried a good variety of drinks. We never felt pressure to buy drinks. When we refused the waiters moved on politely. I would highly recommend this ship to anyone who wants to try a cruise or experience a big ship. In the future we may vacation at a Sandals as they offer more relaxation for adults at a slightly better price point.