My wife and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary by booking a Western Caribbean cruise with RC on the Empress. This was our first cruise ever, and almost everything was at least as good or better than we had expected. The crew, cabin stewards, and staff were attentive, friendly and helpful in every way. Elvis, the Cruise Director, was warm and hilarious and even serves as the vessel's zumba class instructor.

The food and vistas were amazing, with a nice surprise every now and then at the Windjammer and Starlight dining rooms. For example, all-you-can-eat lobster and escargot the second to last night at sea, and an East Indian food night at the Windjammer.

We paid for one RC excursion at Costa Maya, the Chacchoben ruins 1/2 day trip, and it was top-notch. Luis Tellez was our tour guide. He was extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. The tour was just the right pace, with plenty of time to wander and get varied photo ops. It was an experience that we'll never forget. Read more