We were on this ship earlier in the year (last season) and so we knew what to expect; or at least we thought so because with a new cruise director, this one was incredibly different from the last one and not in a good way. After reading the many other recent reviews that expressed disappointment with this ship, I tend to agree that RC's standards have slipped; in the space of a year! Where to start..?

Overall the staff were very friendly and accommodating, but they could only work with the tools and training they were given, which was lacking in many areas. The drinks packages were marketed heavily throughout the cruise, and we paid for the ultimate package so we could enjoy the ship's wide range of cocktails that are usually on offer. However, only a dozen cocktails were available on a menu printed on A4 paper (how tacky) instead of the beautifully set out book with photographs that we had on our last cruise. I had to instruct bar staff on how to make a Lava Flow and the bar tender at Boleros did not know how to make the signature cocktails. Last time, Boleros was tended by two fabulously friendly staff who made the bar inviting - this time, it had zero atmosphere and the staff looked bored.

We enjoyed the theater production, but Tamara Guo put on an extremely dull show - she talked way too much while showing off her multi-lingual skills, we couldn't understand her and walked out. There was no atmosphere on the pool deck, which really just felt like an out door movie theater - kids movies playing at 10pm?! They had one deck party but it started at 10:30pm.. pass. Ellingtons was equally dull; we were there one night at 7pm for pre-dinner drinks and we were literally the only people there with the two (bored) staff - it was completely deserted! The violin/piano trio played very nice classical music, but this is supposed to be a jazz bar and there no jazz music at all on the cruise. Last time, performers from the theater production played in a terrific jazz band after dinner, but they were absent on this cruise. Read more