Always heard Royal Carribean was a notch above some of the other major lines. After finally sailing I have to agree that they are committed to excellence. Was everything perfect? No but overall very good. Food was good the negative reviews aren't being honest and fair. If you got a dish you don't like, get another ! They will work with you. Buffet food had average selections. Very disorganized rude people cutting the que all the time. But that may have been th demographic of the passengers. The passengers were probably 50% Americans most coming from NY NJ and northern states. Lot of Canadians but a good overall mix from other countries. Entertainment was really good! Dance troupe was great varied it up quite a bit. For a 9 day cruise they kept the variety by flying in new talent. Bands on the ship were talented but I have to say they were pretty indigent playing what they want rather than playing to the crowd. I appreciate reggae and salsa but you get to the point where you want something to dance to. DJ in disco was great that was the only venue we danced in but didn't start till 11:15 pm so it left lulls. Piano guy is the best! I chose Cruise for the itinerary and length, and of course the opportunity to try Royal. The ABC islands were awesome! We bought a package that included an excursion on ABC islands. I don't regret buying through ship it was worth the peace of mind. However If I go back I would just hire tours on shore as it is safe and would give you more control.