Have sailed on Royal several times before. It is a great family cruise line, but as a senior, I was never impressed. The food was always one of our major complaints. That being said, we just returned today from a 5 day sailing and could only rate it great. Living in Ft. lauderdale it is very easy to book a last minute get-a-way. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas the cruise lines offer great deals because people are spending their money on the holiday rather than vacations.

We boarded the ship with ease as they have priority boarding for previous Royal sailors. The ship was beautiful and all of the crew were friendly and accommodating. We purchased a special 3 dinner package in the speciality restaurants $70 which was so well worth it. But the first night we ate in the main restaurant. The food was good and the service was even better. Everything was served hot and there was some interesting seasonings. They still have to work on desserts. I am a peanut butter lovers and am always looking for something peanut butter and chocolate. Most people are chocolate addicts so we are always seeking MORE CHOCOLATE! And I must suggest at least one meal at the Chop House. Each offering looked so good that we had hard tine choosing what to eat for each course. By the time the main course was served, we were too full to really enjoy the steak ( which was done to perfection). For those who like more well done meat, ask them to butterfly the fillets.

I had one of the best massages that I have ever had at the spa. There was a young woman named "Baby" who not only gave the knots in my back a real workout, but was so knowledgeable about the body that I even learned a few things about stress relief. Since one of our favorite places on a cruise is the casino, we really enjoyed this ship. The dealers were funny and friendly and the slots were friendly too! Entertainment on the ship was very professional and well done. You could hear people throughout the ship talking about it all week. Read more