This was only our 2nd cruise. The first was on NCL and believe me, this won hands down! The embarkation and disembarkation went smoothly. The cabin was roomy enough for 2 and we were totally grateful for the wonderful "hand held" shower massage as it allowed for a lot of pressure. As far as dining, the MDR was "very good" not totally impressive. Some meals lacked taste and not much of a selection but NOBODY went hungry! We found something to satisfy our appetites, had a super server and the MDR is absolutely beautiful! The Windjammer was satisfying as well for breakfast or lunch. We love the layout as it was easy to get around. Chops on the other hand was not worth the money. The steak had no flavor and their chef doesn't know the difference between a Ribeye and a T-Bone! We had a great cruise director and the shows were very entertaining. Every Royal employee was well mannered, polite and helpful. When we were on NCL, they would avoid passengers. Sorry, we did not do any excursions but the Grand Cayman and Cozumel ports were good. They can keep Costa Maya for my part! The shops on board are overpriced but the goods were there if you wanted them. I would like to see more "pub" style bars on this ship but it was fine as we ate plenty! I have purchased a cruise on Oasis of the Seas and I did it prior to this one so I can take my family so I hope it is just as good!