My parents have been loyal RCI cruisers for >45 years. They have taken 19 cruises together. This was my 6th cruise with RCI. We purchased this trip a year ago through RCI and paid extra for insurance. Three weeks prior to this cruise my mother had a stroke. She is unable to travel. My mother was to room with my sister-in-law. We tried to exchange my brother in place of my ill mom. RCI did little to help with the substitution. He was required to pay $700 more in order to room with his wife instead of my mom. We had planned this for a year so we determined to go despite the additional cost.
The positive of the ship: Workers are pleasant, attentive, & efficient. There are multiple pools/hot tubs. Food is very good with variety of options available. There are various unique attractions including bumper cars, the North Star, wave surfing, etc. The shows are entertaining. Rooms have bathrooms that make use of limited space by placing cubbies for toiletries, etc. There is a foot bar in shower and includes nightlight in bathroom. The virtual balcony in interior rooms offer unique and decent live ocean views. There are special cafes like hot dog van, fish/chips shop, etc. The fish is quite good. The pizza parlor is suppose to be 24/7 but is not. It does serve very good pizza. The artwork throughout the cruise ship is intriguing and captivating. Required ship drill is condensed. Express check out allows for quick and easy departure.
The negative of the ship: The beds throughout are very firm. Expect long lines for everything, especially for unique attractions. Photo lobby has one attendant who must bounce between cashing out customers and assist with photo kiosks where cruisers review/select photos for print. Dining on a ship with >4,000 cruisers is difficult. Though the food is flavorful, the actual dining experience can be quite stressful. Port days are especially challenging. I traveled with my 10 yr old granddaughter. She liked to sleep in. We ran up and down several decks searching for a place to get food between the hours of 10-1130. The windjammer buffet closed at 1000 and didn't reopen until 1200. The dining rooms ended breakfast at 0930 and reopened for lunch at 1130. There is a soft serve ice cream station on deck 14 near the pools. It is randomly available with one attendant. Again, expect long lines and limited selection as 1/3 options quickly becomes unavailable.
Virtual balcony is quite a plus. Bathroom has extras as noted in review.