For years I've told people Royal Caribbean is my favorite cruise line, based on a trip we took many years ago on Majesty of the Seas. Sadly, that is no longer true. Logistically, things went well for this cruise. They knew how to get us on and off the boat. Our cabin was fine and the boat is quite attractive with a wide variety of activities and entertainments. Every crew member we encountered was helpful, polite and eager to serve. We loved the people at the dining table we were assigned to. We won a raffle at the Art Auction. We won the Love & Marriage Game Show. Based on these criteria we should have left the boat happy people, but we weren't.

The food and entertainment were sub-par. These are supposed to be the highlights of the cruise, but instead they drug down the whole experience - beginning with the embarkation buffet. The buffet tables were a mess and the food was awful. It looked as if a hurricane had been through the Windjammer. The food tasted as if we were being served leftovers from the previous cruise. What's more, they began clearing the buffet tables 15 minutes early. Stay away from the Chocolate Sensation! I'm not sure what it is except awful.

The most significant thing we remember about the Sail Away is that it was loud. In fact, the overpowering volume was part of every entertainment venue. While most of the musicians were pretty good, the singers were almost without exception weak. Someone should tell whoever is in charge that you can't make up for poor singing with volume. Read more