This cruise was a replacement for the OVATION Hawaii cruise which was cancelled by Royal. It was the only cruise that fit the timeframe and ship size/experience... and I have to admit, I was curious. Everything was shiny and new. There was an incredible amount of activities, music, new venues to try, and fun entertainment! The cruise director (Michael) was the best I have ever experienced. His staff was excellent. Annoyances were few onboard (*see everyone's comments about soot and smokestack pollution). The food was fabulous, from MDR to Specialty Dining. The Beatle Maniacs were a hoot! We were definitely reliving our childhood at ALL of their performances; were literally dancing in the aisles at the Royal Theatre! The Mason Jar was delightful. Especially loved the Country Trio band and the innovative drink concoctions in the bar. The Southern Cooking was exactly right... so delicious. You will not leave there hungry! There were shortages and missteps to be sure onboard, but nothing that affected our overall enjoyment of the cruise. I loved my cabin steward! He was tireless and I cannot say enough nice things about his professionalism, his friendliness, and how he made my stay completely comfortable! He was no less than a mind-reader and anticipated all of me needs. He would be an excellent TRAINER of newbie cabin stewards! The only bad thing (for me) that I have to say is that this cruise was SO AMAZING that my Alaska cruise on OVATION which followed this cruise was a horror story by comparison! Thinking about the WONDER? Just do it! No regrets.
Cabin had a Boardwalk View on Deck 7 through a large porthole directly over Johnny Rockets. On embarkation I could not enter cabin. Thought my room key was not working, but it the door handle was sticking and extremely hard to turn. It took Maintenance two tries to fix it by Day 2. Loved the location, amount of storage, size of the room, size of the bathroom. Decor of cabin was lovely. A/C worked well. Needed to leave a key in the slot by door or everything would turn off. Did not like location of light switch by the bed (which turns off the overhead lights). It should have been on the far side of the bed. Having it on the side nearest the cabin door was not convenient.
Did the walking tour called "The Roman Experience". Very interesting and informative. The day was warm and our tour guide was charming. We stopped for some beer/wine and tapas about halfway. Explored the Roman amphitheater/coliseum. Very enjoyable.