we chose this cruise because it was a Tampa departure. this was our 16th cruise. we have cruised with Carnival, Princess, Holland and Celebrity. this was our 2nd with RC and probably our last. the crew was fabulous, the ship was beautiful. our complaint and one of our main reasons for cruising, besides seeing all the beautiful ports of call and a relaxing vacation, is the dining experience. we love having a designated time for dinner which allows us the privilege of getting to know a few of the wait staff, those who serve the same table every night. we also enjoy the late dining time. the timing of the main entertainment on this cruise, both early and late, was right in the middle of our dining time! thus we missed all the shows! also the food was not at all up to the standard of any of the other cruises we have taken. bland to terrible would be the description i would pick.. and the food in the windjammer buffet was just as bad if not worse... they served the same menu every day of the cruise. if you wanted anything different you had to make a reservation in a "specialty" on board restaurant and pay extra for it. we go on cruises to relax and not have to plan dinner! and we like cruising because the entire experience is included in the price... or it used to be! we have never been on a cruise where the dining room food nor the buffet was so bad and the choices so few... also this cruise did not have a welcome on board party as all our other cruises, no one to meet you as you come aboard to direct you anywhere nor did they have a past guest reception and the meet the captain reception was disappointing compared to all other ships we have experienced. we felt the crew was understaffed, never enough help in any of the bars to accommodate the cruisers, there was usually a wait. all in all the bottom line is we expected more than RC delivered in this cruise.