We wanted to visit the eastern Caribbean and 3 of the ports of call were new to us. Another plus: We live in northern NJ and this ship sails from Bayonne. We had sailed before on Royal, and guests with balconies used to receive expedited embarkation. No more; we had to wait in line for over 40 minutes -- worse than the security wait at Newark airport. The service onboard was excellent (housekeeper Vince, waitress Rochelle). The cabin was clean and the balcony generous in size. We stayed on deck 11. Kudos to Royal for the vast number of onboard activities: simulated skydiving, surfing in a wave pool, bumper cars, rock climbing, outdoor family movies, etc. Entertainment was also very good ("We're Gonna Rock You", the comedian-juggler, the 3 tenors, etc.) The big disappointment is the food in the 4 dining rooms: It's truly lackluster and disappointing. For example, I've eaten better steaks at the Outback Steakhouse. Pasta dishes were bland and in desperate need of seasoning. Out of 9 dinners, only one entrée was outstanding (a pork shank). The other meals, though edible, were little better than diner food. The problem? Too many passengers. Over 4,000 people pass thru the 4 dining rooms each evening between 5 and 8, requiring Royal to resort to mass-produced, "institutional" food. [BTW, after paying $1700 for my cruise, I simply refuse to pay extra for specialty restaurants.] One positive note: Disembarkation was smooth, fast and easy since we carried our luggage ourselves from the cabins.