This was a cruise with my elderly mother, teen daughter, and her friend. I've been on about 12 cruises including NCL, HAL, Carnival, RC, and Celebrity. Embarkation was great, we walked on around 11:00 almost without stopping. Thanks Carnival! Our inside room for three on U122 was fine. Smallish but no major issues. Everything was clean and in good working order. Food overall was just OK, definitely not up to our recent cruises on HAL and Celebrity. Lido buffet was below average, Guys burger joint was great, deli was a nice option. Main dining room food was hit or miss. Some choices were very good, like the tomato soup and prime rib. Custom steaks were all overcooked. Calamari was luke warm. Food choices were plain, nothing fancy like I enjoy on a cruise. Food service was mixed. We had to wait 40 minutes for a table on the elegant night. Once seated, we waited 10 minutes for water, another 5 for menus, another 3 for bread, another 5 for bread plates, and so on. We arrived at the dining room at 7:40 planning to make the 9:30 show but we did not make it. MDR was unprepared for the crowd that night - indicating poor dining room management. Service in the room also below average. They made up our room just once a day. Cheerios spilled on day 3 were not cleaned from ujnder the bed when we left on day 5. Music was good which included a six piece band, guitar soloist, and duo. I did not see the shows but our teens (who like Broadway) enjoyed them. Pool deck was fun as always - the highlight of our Carnival cruise. All in all - it was fine for what it was. A four day getaway while the kids were on fall break. This was the only ship that matched our dates. Read Less

Typically cruise on Princess but wanted to try this due to itinerary. Hard not to compare Princess against Holland America. On the positive side we like the larger bathroom. Also the staff is great. On the not so positive side: The ship itself is old and is not well maintained compared to Princess ships except for cabins. Too much up selling in all areas. For example, Consistently being asked if we want to purchase a $75 steak or pay $25 for a lobster. When you say NO the demeanor of the staff seems to change. Not as attentive. Booked a walking tour at one of the ports. Due to fairly heavy and consistent rain and cold we thought it would be canceled but it wasn’t. Can’t imagine who would want to walk in the cold and rain for two hours. Probably will not be cruising with Holland America again anytime soon. Read Less

Disclaimer: This was our first trip with RCCL, our last 3 x were with Disney Cruise Line(which we were very happy with). I have 3 small children- 3, 6, 8., and am particular for quality/service, and have allergies- hence my experience. Check-In: We did online check-in and had to redo all the paper work at check-in again, and still spent more time fixing it on board. Lots of lines/long waits to get on board and at guest services. Put a damper from the start of the trip. Once onboard were greeted by cigarette odor. There is a constant cigarette odor in atrium area because of the casino. Dining: Didn’t like that we were assigned to a shared table. I’m here to vacation with my family, not to mingle. It took some time but we were reassigned to a private table. Food in dining rooms overall was very good, service was top-notch. It was the highlight for us on the ship. They were able to accommodate any special requests. Had room service one morning and it was great and on time. Buffets were good and had a lot of variety. Enjoyed Sorrentos pizza and the deli options for the kids. Tables were always clean. Adventure Ocean Kids program: Very disappointing. Registration was a mess. My kids didn’t want to go after the first day. Activities were coloring, hearing stories, or playing games like tag. They had a Family Science activity they said it would be making a volcano. It ended up being a demo of one of the counselors doing it. she was having a blast while the rest of us watched. Didn’t even have any kids participate. Nothing hands on and a waste of time- sums up the kids program. They have a room for kids under 3 to play with toys but no counselor so parents stay with them. There is no babysitting service. Entertainment: Loved the variety of live music on board. Kids enjoyed the rock wall. Did not enjoy the theater performances. They had a Britney Spears vocal performing soul classics for Signed Sealed Deliver- was off putting and the kids were bored, so we didn’t do the Boogie Nights one. We saw Puck the Magician another night and the kids enjoyed it. We did a Disney trivia, and it was again a waste of time. It was a PowerPoint of 15 slides, and then 1 fact question at the end. It lasted 10 minutes. We noticed a few activities didn’t happen as well. They were suppose to play Hocus Pocus on the pool deck. It was a clear night, but nothing. They were suppose to have Ballroom dancing another night, and again nothing. It was disappointing showing up for nothing. Cupcake class: If you are curious about signing up kids, I’d recommend age 8 as the minimum. It was a great class, and actually took 1.5 hours instead of 45 minutes. It’s advanced, working with fondant and lead by a head pastry chef. We signed up with our little ones but it was too much instruction for them to follow along. The chef was great with the kids and they enjoyed it, but I think it would have been easier on us all to just hang out at the pool. Other: Atmosphere is majority young groups, party goers and first timers, with the minority of couples, retirees, families. Experienced a guest cursing repeatedly loud at crew that it was “f*ck#d up” he had to pay a daily gratuity at guest services. Probably from the same group that would pass through the halls late at night blasting loud music. But what do you expect when every corner they are pushing alcoholic beverages. Photos: We bought the all photo package for $159 in advance. I called to confirm it included digital as it just said “all photos” and was told yes all prints and digital are included. Once onboard was told no, it was only prints since this ship didn’t have the technology to offer all digital. Typical setup every night around atrium with various backgrounds: black, white, ship, bokeh patterns. We didn’t get any photos near the elevators on formal night but regretted it since they ended up looking really nice. Out of 60 prints, I ended up with 10 good ones. Lots of eyes closed, hair in face, not looking, crooked angles, etc. We are going to create a bloopers album in spite of it all, but I wished the photographers took their time since we missed the opportunity to capture these vacation moments. Parking: First time to use Park-n-Go(as recommended here) and had a flawless experience... and it’s cheaper than parking at the port. Highly recommended. First class service. Excursions: Our itinerary included Cozumel and Costa Maya. Bonus, we got an extra hour of sleep due to the time change. Cozumel we did the Xcaret Adventure. If you have little ones - as a heads up the journey to get there can be tiresome. We regretted not having a stroller or beach wagon. They said to be downstairs at 6:45 am. But it took 2 hours before we even left the port on a shuttle boat. The boat ride was another 45 nauseating minutes, followed by a 10 minute walk to a bus, and another 15 minute bus ride. The guide never stopped for us to change, and when we asked about renting a stroller he said it would just get in the way. I think he just didn’t want us to slow him down, so we left the group. We did one river ride, had the most expensive taco lunch, 20 minutes on the beach and then it was time to head back. I didn’t like that they have us 30 minutes of shopping time before getting on the shuttle boat. It was not part of the itinerary. They should have let us leave and those wanting to shop could have stayed or shopped at the port. Overall, we felt the excursion was still worth it for the river adventure. Costa Maya we did the dolphin encounter. It’s right next to the port. Very easy to get to. It was overall a great experience for my family. We got to go in the water and do tricks/poses with the dolphins. People were complaining that most of the instructions were in Spanish. We got the digital picture package and realized afterwards all of my husbands photos were missing! So make sure you get everything before you leave. We also did the bird aviary. This was my oldest child’s favorite from everything we did the entire trip. It was not crowded at all, and we had a lot of time to interact with the beautiful birds and to enjoy the views. Read Less

Stay out of the Elation Dinning Room for Brunch, Crazy slow service, Rude waiters, There was a prob. with a 5.00 drink, we called for the Maitre d, ....he could have cared less. He has no idea what customer service is. I spent over 14,000.00 to take our whole family on this trip and could not get an issue with a 5.00 drink corrected.....really ! We are both Platinum, but this is our last Carnival trip....they have become the worst line on the sea. they just don't care, grad the money and go. The cabin was nice, we always get a suite, however don't look for nice soaps, or the other comp items that suite guest used to get.....nothing now. I love the Casino.....I live there, they are the best. the food is lacking, I will just leave it at that. now we know why the stock is dropping like a rock.....you just can't keep treating people bad, and think they will come back. We are looking for something a little more first class. Read Less

This was my first cruise in over 5 years, this cruise was awesome... The theming is good, many people kinda get a bit turned off by the American nature, but this is an American cruise catering towards Americans, each restaurant has a theme, the Lido one is themed to "Rosie the Riveter", while the any time dining is themed to Abraham Lincoln and the reservation one is themed to George Washington, other American events are portrayed as well, The Apollo 11 landing is in a nightclub, and the wild west is in a casino. Anyways, the slide is outdated, i rode it 100 times and it scraped my back so hard, it needs the new slides that are on the Sister ships. The Cheese Pizza at Pizza Pirate kinda tasted disgusting, the Cruise Director Kevin was mostly good, except he wakes people up, and the Cruise Sub-Director Georgia (not the state/country) was awesome as well. The cabin i chose was an interior bunk bed, it was better than expected, the dining staff were awesome, extra props to Mr. Norman for having great service, it is one of the cheaper, but awesome. Overall, it's a 9/10 cruise, good but needs fixes. Read Less

This is our 8th cruise - and it keeps getting better. Staff service was outstanding. Ship was clean, very well organized. We had a balcony suite on the 14th floor - everything working. I love the fact that there is no more bathtubs - efficient layout. A lot of dining options - we went to Cagney's, Teppanyaki, Local Grill, Garden Buffet, Savor, Taste, and Teppanyaki. Not everything was perfect, but the little hiccups can easily be looked over because of the awesome service. Was a little bummed that Victoria was cancelled, but can't fight the elements of the weather. A lot of activities on the ship as well. In the end, this trip brought our family awesome memories. A family member went on the racetrack. Yes, the charge extra, but it was so worth it. The view of the Golden Gate Bridge from our balcony was priceless... really priceless. The port in Vancouver was clean and beautiful. Granted that we did not depart on the original schedule, they made it up in activities. Read Less

My family and I decided to finally do a cruise since we have always wanted to do one but never had the chance. Until our friends wanted to the same so we booked it. Arriving to the ship it was an easy process getting on and they even take your bags to your room. When you get on the boat you already have the key to your room and your bags will be waiting their for you. The cruise we went on had only been five days. The only downfall was that we weren’t able to stop in Victoria Canada due to the low tide. Which then they had gifted everyone $50 for credit to spend however you wished. My kids really enjoyed the Entourage since they had the opportunity to interact and make friends with other kids on the boat. They also enjoyed the activities that they had planned. As well as there teen counselors Wakanda and WiFi. They said that they were overall fun and funny people to be around and because of them my kids would like to go on another cruise and have them as their teen counselors again. Overall would definitely see myself planning another family cruise. Read Less

I’ve waited 20 years to take this cruise but it was my worst experience. The debarkation process was chaotic. We had FTTF, checked in, breezed through security, and then were called to board immediately. Everything was looking good until we tried to board and they said a couple of us weren’t checked in. I did everything online before and it appeared to be complete. Few minutes later and we were on the ship. We had two rooms with a balcony and an inside room across the hall for the kids. Our steward, Christopher, seemed to be annoyed when we mentioned the beds were not configured as requested and the trundle was not set up. We never saw him again until the final morning of the cruise. He didn’t ask if we had any requests and the service of our room was mediocre when it was done. It certainly wasn’t daily. Odd and very different from my previous experiences. Halifax and Saint John were beautiful but there wasn’t a lot to do around town. Our stops in Portland and Boston were cancelled due to tropical storm Melissa so we spent a second day in Halifax and an additional sea day (of hell) was added. Huge swells had the entire ship rocking and passengers sick everywhere. No comedians for the second half of the cruise and no additional activities were added to fill the time. It was beyond boring watching the ship map showing us crawling along. Ship areas are cramped and just boring. Same breakfast every day and you’re lucky to fine anywhere to sit. The dining room didn’t include the great shows with the staff. If they did perform, you were lucky to see anything because the design of the dining room includes walls that obstructs many tables. The service was rushed and impersonal but they made sure the last night to make a pitch for extra tips. I had a thermal suite pass but it was a waste. The locker room includes showers but no hair dryers. Who wants to shower and then go out with wet hair? The other facilities in the thermal suite were ok but I prefer those that include therapy pools and hot tubs. I had a few treatments in the spa that were fantastic. Highly recommend the massage therapists. If this is how refurbished looks, I can’t imagine how bad it was before. This was my third Carnival cruise in 18 months but I think I’m done with them. It’s too much planning and money for a mediocre experience. Read Less

I went on this cruise with my DD for a little getaway. Embarkation was very good on the ship in 15 min. Debarkation was also good. We didn't get to stop in Victoria, however we have been before so it was fine. We had customs in San Francisco, which was fairly long getting off the ship, so a shorter time in port. However we walked to Pier 39 and enjoyed the Aquarium, shopping and all that was there. The Ship was big and new and clean. The atrium had a beautiful chandelier and staircase, but the rest of the ship I wouldn't say was fancy. We enjoyed laser tag. The race cars were fun, but there was a long wait, even with reservations. The Galaxy Pavilion was too expensive for only a couple minutes, so we didn't do any of the VR games. There were 3 main dinning rooms , serving the same thing in all of them. I liked the smaller atmosphere of Taste & Savor restaurants, besides these there is the Local that has a small menu, breakfast was fine, but we tried the fish & chips and they were like fish sticks. Then there is the Buffet and the Observation Lounge with a smaller buffet that is complimentary. Everything else is A La Carte restaurants. We did not go to any of them. The Service was very good. Very friendly staff. The entertainment we saw, Elements was well done, kind of different, but good. We did not like Foot Loose. Our Cabin was a balcony. I found it to be small compared to other cruiselines, but it was fine. I might go again, but I'm not sure. Read Less

Sunrise is beautiful, recently been refurbished. But... with all the concerns about germs, why did they put hand push buttons to open auto doors on Lido deck? Dirty hands repeatedly touching these then sitting down to eat. Makes no sense!!!. Food on buffet just ok, nothing bad but nothing great. Guys Burgers always great! Food in dining room always good, there again only few selections were great. Staff from waiters to room stewards worked very hard as usual. Maitre'd at one restaurant was not very accommodating or at least appeared like he couldn't care less, so we got on Carnival Hub and reserved our table to be ready when we got to restaurant. Worked really well the 3rd night on. Cruise Director was awesome. Just seems like Carnival has taken quality down a notch and replaced it with quantity of passengers. Example: no linen table cloths in dining rooms except formal night and dirty silverware found at our table every night for 7 nights. Will we go Carnival again-yes of course. Port is driving distance and cost can usually be found discounted. But dont expect Quality and Excellence on this ship Read Less

My family and i went on the norwegian escape because a family member of ours was getting married on the ship, and a good amount of us (60+) decided to take the week and sail together. My family and i had an absolutely terrible experience. Originally boarding ship; we were told to wait on one line, and we waited for 45 minutes before we were told we were in the wrong line! The original staff member that put us in the wrong line walked away instead of taking the second to apologize to myself and about 10 other people in my family who all waited in the wrong line. While waiting to board ship, staff members kept telling us to keep the aisle clear. I crossed the aisle at one point to reach a staff member and ask where the bathroom was so that i could change my child's diaper. Another staff member immediately approached me to keep the aisle clear - for crossing it for two seconds to ask another staff member a simple question! Staff members immediately very rude. Leading up to our cruise, my husband and i called the norwegian cruise line multiple times asking if we could have a room upgrade. We went on the cruise to attend a wedding, and were locked into a group pricing discount. Members of the wedding that we attended paid the same price as us and had better rooms than we did because they received free upgrades. However, my husband and i needed the upgrade because we have a one year old and needed a room with a bathtub in order to bathe him (and just extra room in general). We were told multiple times to call back closer to departure date. When we did this, we were told it was “too late to receive an upgrade and ask again at check in”. We asked again at check in and were told to ask guest services once we board the ship. When we got into our room, we were given an inside state room. For two adults and a child, this room was entirely too small. It was too small for one person, let alone three. We needed to keep all of our luggage in the closet and take down a murphy bed above our actual bed to keep our luggage out of the way. As told, we called guest services for an upgraded room and were told that once boarded, it was too late to upgrade rooms. Being that we could not upgrade, we asked guest services to bring us a crib for our one year old child. The crib was unable to fit in our cabin. Even with all of our luggage tucked away in closets/the murphy bed - we could barely fit ourselves in the cabin, let alone this crib. We were still not given an upgraded room, while other people we sailed with had luxury rooms for two adults, no children!!! (For the same price) Our first night at the manhattan room, our waiter expressed his annoyance with us switching to the table behind us to sit with another member of our reservation party who was seated completely by himself at a table (while we had a reservation of over 60 people, and he was the only person seated alone). We felt bad that he was sitting alone, so a few of us got up and sat with him. It is understandable that this may have frustrated the waiter, but as a former employee of food service, expressing this to your customer is extremely bad taste. We used the youth center daycare for two nights so that my husband and i could enjoy a night out. The youth center counselors told us that if our child cried for ten minutes, they would page us. They asked what they could do to console the child if he was crying, and my husband told them to pick him up, rub his back, check his diaper, or just simply play with him. I witnessed the counselor write this down on her ipad during the registration process. On the night we put him in the daycare, i had been paged within a half hour of putting him in and was told that he was “upset for a while now” (10 minutes). When i got down there to check on him, they brought him out in his stroller, with his shoes and day outfit still on (they asked me to provide pajamas so that he could be changed into them, which i did). He had not been picked up, changed, or allowed to play with other children to distract his crying. Why was i paged when nothing had been done to try and console my child? As soon as i picked my child up and took him out of his stroller, he had stopped crying. I changed him into his pajamas that i had provided for the youth center staff in my child’s bag. This was not done for me. They then charged me for leaving him there for two sessions (an hour and 50 minutes per session) when he had only been there for 30 minutes. I ended up taking the child from the youth center and watching him myself for the rest of the trip. I do not understand the reasoning for asking parents what the staff can do to console your child if these steps are not going to be taken and they are going to page the parents regardless (while still charging them). Whenever i tried to push my child in his stroller down the cabin hallways to get to our stateroom, housekeeping was constantly taking up the halls with their carts up until 8:00 pm! The halls are already too narrow to get by with these carts in the way, but with a stroller, it was close to impossible. We had to move them each time. On the first night, they were still cleaning rooms until 8pm at night (what were they cleaning if guests hadn't even spent a night there yet?). There was always one steward in particular who kept getting annoyed at me for having to get by, as if expecting me not to use my stateroom for the duration of my trip. I did not get this staff member’s name. Whenever i would try to get by, the steward would pretend he did not notice me struggling, as i clearly saw him see me and then walk in the opposite direction and into a stateroom. My husband would have to move the housekeeping carts himself. If this steward did happen to move his cart, he would express a very obvious annoyance and once told me he “had to do his job”. His “job” includes being courteous and accommodating to cruisers, even those with children that are in strollers. As a cruise ship leaving out of new york city, the staff should have expected most guests wanted to watch new york yankees playoff games and the new york giants. When these games were on, bar staff would refuse to turn off golf and put these games on. One night, a member in our cruise party went to guest services and asked them to put football on. When they finally obliged, 95% of males on the cruise were all gathered together watching this game on every television that it was displayed on. Another night, the baseball playoffs were on with the new york yankees, and guest services refused to turn off golf. They told us they “did not have this channel”, when they played football on the same channel the night before. They then told us “the game wasn’t on” when it most definitely was. A lot of new yorkers on this boat were annoyed that guest services could not do a simple task of changing a tv station to accommodate the majority of their guests sailing out of new york. Outdoor custodial staff members need to do a better job of keeping the outdoor area dry - my one year old slipped on water and hit his head on the concrete floor! While eating lunch in the buffet one day, there were no high chairs in sight and i had already placed my bags and plates on the table. I asked a nearby buffet staff member to bring me a highchair. He said okay, disappeared and never returned. Expecting him to return, i sat my child on my lap and struggled to feed him and myself until my high chair arrived. I eventually had to ask another staff member for a highchair and that person finally brought one to me. My first night dining at o’sheehan’s, i asked the waitress for one thing on the menu and she did not understand english very well. She kept telling me she did not understand what i was ordering. She brought me something entirely different than what i wanted. Our last night dining at the manhattan room - we were with a reservation group of three tables. All tables finished their dessert before we even received our meals. it took an house for us to receive our meals. Read Less

I chose this cruise because my family wanted to cruise and not have to fly to do it. I had been on this ship before and it was ok. I thought it would be better this time since it was a few years ago since my last trip. SMOKING, SMOKING, SMOKING, I had no idea that carnival allowed smoking on the ship, at almost 4 areas. I was sick the entire time, the smoke caused lung issues and breathing issues for me the entire trip. I had to mostly stay in my cabin due to the smoke all over the ship. None of the areas were enclosed, so therefore the smoke was everywhere! I could not enjoy the casino, due to smoking and neither enjoy the activities in the main lobby areas due to the smoke all over! So really I hated the trip! Due to the smoke I needed some meds from the medical clinic, however if you did not catch them when they were open u had to wait 4 or 5 hours when ever they decided to open up again! Hint: medical facility should have 24 hour access on a ship! There were very few daily activities planned, got very bored with eating and sitting in the dining areas, absolutely nothing to do during the day! Food was barely warm, at all times, fries always cold! Never saw any sanitizing on the ship. RCCL always sanitizes the ship right before your eyes! Carnival, please order sufficient supplies in your medical unit, I was told the simple over the counter med., I needed was sold out, and it was the second day! Waters were really rocky and no explanation or notification was given at anytime about why the ship was so rocky the first two days of sail! Guys burger place had the (car wash rags for napkins) absolutely poor taste. Not looking forward to traveling with carnival again! Read Less

We took advantage of Ncl free flight, that was a mistake. We landed at 8pm and had to be checked in by 10. When we arrived at cruiseport they treated us as if we were a huge inconvenience. They gave us our cards and told us to checkin onboard deck 6. The crew would not let us onboard said to go back and check in, after several minutes of arguing we were escorted to guest service. Our escort spoke with a guest service agent who clearly wanted nothing to do with us. After 10 minutes it was clear he had no idea how to check us in and went to get someone else. She took our cards never acknowledged us, smiled, or made any eye contact. At least she knew how to check in. The ship is beautiful but our experience with crew continued. They did not smile, make eye contact and quite frequently made you feel like you were an inconvenience. I think I heard washee washee twice the whole cruise. We were unable to stop at Victoria, so only San Francisco port. It took 1 1/2 hours to get off., and we were one of first groups called. One person taking key cards for entire ship. Customs not well organized. No one was allowed back on until almost 2pm, apparently they had a few passengers that they could not find. Food is good, plentiful of course. Cagney's is excellent. Never saw cruise director. Enjoyed Footloose and Elements. Racetrack has increased price. Laser tag is now 1 game for 9.95. Enjoyed the 7d and indy car. Read Less

Upon arrival to our stateroom I always make sure sheets and bathroom is clean. While wiping out the toilet there was a brown, black and greenish film inside the toilet rim. In 7 days the sheets on the bed were never changed and the bathroom was cleaned slightly. We incrued several charges to our onboard account that were incorrect including a $62.41 for 2 bottles of wine which we never ordered. One bottle of water from the mini bar was $13.40!! So if you choose to sail with NCL check you account frequently because they try to get extra money out of you any way possible. On three separate occasions I encountered rude and disrespectful staff. The entertainment on the ship was good and free but mostly will cost you extra money. We did not make it to the last port of call (Great Stirrup Cay) and was given $30 pp for the inconvenience of being at sea another 24 hours! The experience at sea was very rocky and ship did a lot of dipping and everyone was holding on to keep fr stumbling. For $1400 pp......I was not impressed by this cruise line and it is highly unlikely that I will cruise with NCL again! Read Less

The rooms are very dated with filler covering up rust. The public areas are equally uninspiring. The entertainment is low grade with one man shoes rather than big performances. However the ents staff are very good. Rest of staff are mostly good but many of bar staff just don't care.. You ask for a particular drink.. On the menu.. But staff say they don't have... And show no willingness to get it etc. It's truly the shabbiest ship I have ever been on and they have no irons to press your own shirts etc... You must pay to have shirts ironed.. 6 dollars a pop! Everything is an up sale. Food on board was generally good despite lack of choice. Gym was worst I have seen on a ship. No cross trainers and rowing machine broken, cramped space limited equipment available and no sign of any staff to assist. I won't be taking another royal Caribbean cruise. Read Less

Smallest rooms on a cruise I have ever seen, lights are flickering, housekeeping broke some of my items while cleaning my room, I can go on and on about how awful the rooms are. The ship itself is so boring, never anything to do, pool is tiny and always closed. Food was also inedible, including the fancy dinner place that served essentially freezer dinner quality food, with poor service that messed everything up every night. Rude staff everywhere. No disability accommodations at all. Also we were 1.5 hours late to our destination and no compensation for missing out on our plans. Awful experience overall and I would not even let my worst enemies go on this cruise. I would not even pay 20$ for this cruise. I am never going with Royal Carribean after this. I would rather swim to shore and risk my life than spend another minute of my life aboard this ship. You have been warned!! Read Less

We chose this cruise for just the wife and I. We have both been on about 12 RC cruises over the past 13 years or so. Our daughter is in school this time of year so she stayed back home and got grandma time. Couldn't beat the price for this cruise, we booked not long after the Cuba cancellations. The ship is small and you can notice a few areas where it has some age but overall its in excellent condition. We noticed right away that there were very little if no crowds or waiting in line, this continued throughout the cruise. The first afternoon is always a little busy on any ship but I compare it to a sponge, by late evening and the next morning everyone kind of gets "absorbed" into the ship. Going through the Windjammer for breakfast or any other time that would usually mean waiting in lines like on other ships was non existent here. Same with the elevators. Never had to wait at any bar and the bar staff quickly learned and remembered my order. We didn't use the pool but watched some of the activities around it like the belly flop contest and sexiest man contest and was easily able to get close to see. The single pool was small but never appeared to be too crowded. One thing I found unusual was the lack of a second level along the sides of the pool deck. This kind of limits some shady area there but not a big deal. There are several big hammocks and comfortable large lounge type chairs at the ends of the pool area deck on the second level. The layout of the ship is easy to learn and you can be anywhere you want within minutes of walking. There are lots of large windows throughout the interior decks to see outside and great views of the ocean and couches to sit on nearby, it feels very open and airy. We tried an interior guaranteed cabin (they pick the room) because we aren't picky and were trying to make this affordable as possible. Ended up with 3109 which was your standard interior room for two. We were notified of the room selected about a week before the cruise. We were offered an ocean view or junior suite as a "Royal Up" but declined. The cabin was small but we had no problems. We asked the cabin steward if he would separate our bed which made him give us a confused look since we are married but it was a smart move as it opened up a lot more floor space and made getting in and out of the beds much easier with an aisle in the center. The shower is definitely the smallest I've encountered but then again it was sufficient. Overall the cabin was in excellent shape, clean, and there was a surprising amount of room in the closet compared to the rest of the small cabin. We don't spend much time in our cabin on a cruise anyway so it was plenty sufficient. We always bring some magnetic hooks and a hang over door organizer to better manage space....it helps! We did notice a slight sewage odor from time to time from our sink and toilet but it never lasted long and there was also an odd smell occasionally on deck 6 which is where the open deck area is below the life boats. The port side of the ship is the smoking area on this deck which seemed opposite to most RC ships I've been on. The food and food selection was good, your typical Royal Caribbean dinner menu in the main dining room and standard things you'd expect in the windjammer. There are sinks right at the entrance to windjammer to wash your hands. However you still see people who don't bother and walk on by and I always seem to end up near a person licking their fingers and then handling the serving utensils at the buffet which makes me instantly lose my appetite but thats not the fault of the staff. The staff in both areas were great and we never had any trouble finding a seat right away in the windjammer even at the busiest times....that seemed very refreshing to me. We ate breakfast in the main dining room once. We usually do that on larger ships to avoid the hassle and chaos in the windjammer but found it not necessary on this cruise. My wife misses the "savory bites" that used to come in the bread basket for dinner in the dining room so we asked and our waitress had them at our table every evening for dinner after that....very nice! The casino is split into a main level and half a level down which is interesting and is all non smoking. There are a small amount of table games but as with everything else it never seemed overly full and there was always room to play whenever we wanted to. The fitness center/gym is above the back of the viking crown lounge....quite small but they have a good selection of equipment. There always seemed to be various activities going on during sea days like trivia and similar things that are typical of RC. The staff did a wonderful job at this and were engaging and friendly. There were some kids onboard but I would think it would be difficult to keep them entertained during sea days as there a limited amount of things geared towards them. We had two sea days on this cruise. The ship was very stable and we barely noticed any wave and swell movement. The evening shows were good. Love and Marriage, the Quest, good comedian show, etc., all the things you'd expect on an RC cruise. So....yes, we would definitely book this ship again for just us two or even a group. We are right around 40 and found enough to do and really enjoyed the lack of crowds and lines, super easy to get around. Its a great and clean small ship and like I said the personal level that you get to know the staff and interact with them was great. Embarkation and disembarking were both done very quickly and efficiently. We carried off our own bags since all we had were carry on size luggage and were off the ship just before 8:00am. We stopped at Key West, we usually get the hop on/hop off trolley. I got a cuban sandwich at Caroline's and the necessary visit to Kermit's for frozen key lime pie covered in chocolate. Went to the rum distillery and got a few free samples that were good and spent the rest of the day just exploring. This was our first time back to Coco Cay since the Perfect Day renovations. We didn't want to pay for the thrill side so we just hung out on the chill side. The huge new pool is amazing the swim up bar is fun. I'm glad they kept the one side non molested the way it used to be with the beaches and tons of chairs and scenery. We were the only ship there that day so it was great and not crowded. Plenty of empty space and beach chairs to choose from. I can imagine it gets pretty busy with a few ships there at once. It is nice to not have to tender in anymore and risk missing the port if the winds are up and the tender boats can't run. Read Less

We selected this cruise 18 months prior because of the marketing of it and the new ship. It was billed as a gorgeous ship and it didn't disappoint. After we had it booked and paid for we were seeing some bad reviews and were a bit worried but in our experiences, those were just not the case. We did purchase the Aurea experience which included a balcony room with the use of robes/slippers, exclusive top floor solarium unlimited use with a dedicated bar and hot tubs, UNLIMITED drinks- including soft drinks, bottled water, cocktails, wine, beer, milkshakes, gelato ice cream, hot chocolate (even at Venchis) and mock-tails, just from a card scan (no signatures). It also included a 50 minute message for myself and my husband, two sun tanning bed sessions, unlimited use of the thermal spa that comprised of two saunas, indoor and outdoor whirlpool tubs, two aromatic steam baths, multiple aromatic showers (warm/cool combos) a Himalayan salt room and warming beds. It also included priority boarding, which went smoothly and quickly as well as anytime dining which we found very helpful. The ship was remarkably large and we never struggled to find a seat even at peak times for the buffet and the cruise was sold out. The crystal stairways were beautiful, the decor very elegant. It was lovely. The balcony on our cabin was good size and the cabin size adequate but could have used more/better storage for clothes. Or wait staff in the dining room was above and beyond, particularly catering to our 13 year old daughter. We had read complaints about the food but it was delicious and if we didn't like something or worried we wouldn't, we just ordered two different entrees. They were extremely friendly and worked very hard to keep us happy. The shows were the best we had seen anywhere, and were not interrupted and your view blocked constantly by waiters taking and delivering drink orders. You could bring drinks in but not order inside the theater. We never encountered any rude or disrespectful staff (or other passengers for that matter) which we had heard was a problem. We did do two excursions and the process was very organized and timely. They gave you a time to show up, they gave you a number, called your number after all had checked in and then left soon. If you showed up too early then you did have to wait as that was not your scheduled time. The excursions were very good and we enjoyed them except for the transfer when a couple was 35 minutes late getting back on the bus. Our teenage daughter absolutely loved it. They had several water slides, a zip line, full arcade with a race car simulator including a bowling ally. Not only would we go again, we booked a future cruise while on board. Highly recommend. Read Less

We stayed overnight in a hotel in Southampton then got a taxi to the city terminal for 11am. As D+ loyalty we got priority security and check in and were on the ship within 20 minutes. We called into the Diamond Lounge for snacks and a hot drink as windjammer wasn't open. Our balcony cabin was ready by 1pm and 30 minutes later our cases turned up so we unpacked and went for lunch. We used our D+ BOGO and went to Chops Grill first night and Giovanni's the second night. The other 4 nights we went to MTD and our waiters Russel and Bradey were excellent. Pre-dinner most nights we went to the Concierge Lounge where the service was excellent. We visited 3 ports. Vigo- Spain.Nice port 10 minutes walk up a hill got us to a long pedestrian street of shops including Zara and Mango. Gijon-Spain.This was a 20 minutes free shuttle ride into town.There was a nice promenade plus a long street of shops including Zara and Mango Le-Havre-France.There was a massive queue for the €5 return shuttle with estimated 45 minutes wait. We got a taxi instead to the docks shopping centre for only €8 which took around 10 minutes. We enjoyed our cruise and the ship looked in excellent condition. Read Less

We did the Eastern Caribbean tour on Symphony. It was a good cruise, the ship did not feel that crowded, some lines but they typically moved fast. Service was mediocre, crew was not very pleasant and bar service was pretty slow. Food was also mediocre, but not bad and not great (except for Lobster night, Lobster night was great!). We got a good value out of the drink package as drinks are at least $8 each. Perfect Day was a fun beach day, but felt a little rushed. Got off at 10:30, found a chair, had a couple of drinks then head to lunch then swimming with the pigs. Got back for one hour of beach (nap) time then boarded for early dining (late dining would have had another hour on the island). If you want good pool chairs on sea day, get ther by 7:30 am on day 1 and then 7:00 am each following sea day. If you want any pool chair and are not picky about your location, you can sleep in for another hour, but everything is gone by 9 am. Read Less

My mother set up a family vacation. The ship it self is very beautiful. The ship have lots of entertainment and food. 1 thing they need to change is the elevator. SMMART ELEVATORS MUST GO. No one should have to wait 10 minutes to get from 1 floor to the next. Another thing is the food. Its lots of food but pizza every night. Need to change up the mean. My group was sick of eating the same thing. And another thing if I pay for a soda package I should be able to get my can of soda with a glass of ice. They give everyone a hard time about giving them their can of soda. We paid for that soda so we should receive our can of soda.. Nowhere to heat your food up late night. Must places have fruits and vegetables out at all times. Its was hard to relax in hot and swimming pool due to parents not attending to their children. Kids all over the food also Read Less

I do not like RCL. I simply don't like how they do things. Nevertheless, my Mother who is Diamond on RCL said I should experience an Oasis Class Ship at least once in my life so off we went. While some things were good it was generally a terrible experience. I will try to cover both in my review. Our cabin was one of those that had a balcony facing the inside of the ship. If we never left Miami I wouldn't have known it because it was like staying in a hotel. There is no Promenade Deck so you don't see water unless you are seated near a window in the restaurant or if you are on top of the ship. The pool deck is all windowed in so you must go higher to breathe the Ocean air. We got to our cabin and there was no remote for the TV. We made several attempts to contact guest services but nobody ever answered the telephone. Eventually our cabin steward came to the rescue. The cabin was adequate except for the tiny safe provided. Our cabin attendant was excellent and kept the cabin spotless. The main problem with this ship is that there are over 6000 passengers and not enough facilities for all of them. There were lines and more lines for everything. Sea days on the pool deck were monotonous. All of the complimentary dining options were always packed with lines. We chose anytime dining for the main dining room and there was always a line to get in. We tried making reservations but the tables we wanted were always booked and many times nobody showed up even though they were reserved. The serving staff in the main dining rooms for dinner are for the most part very good. Not so great for other meals. The dining room management is a confused mess. We reserved a table one evening only to arrive at the time we were told to arrive to find the table occupied. We found Symphony to be an unorganized jumble. If you go be prepared for a constant wait for elevators and if someone is in a wheelchair not many people can fit in.The food is awful. Both of us contracted some type of illness from the food on the second night. The food in the Windjammer is like pig slop. The bright spot on this ship is the shows. We did not much care for Hiro but Hairspray, Flight, and the Ice show were terrific although there were several cancellations due to technical problems. In one case we were informed our show had a new starting time and we went there 45 minutes early to get a decent seat. After sitting there all that time the cruise director announced the show could not go on. This happened with three different shows during the week. Make sure you reserve. Another thing I disliked is their towel procedure of having to sign out and in towels. I much prefer having them available in my stateroom like other cruise lines do. My biggest complaint was the unavailability of ocean air or views of the water. No wake view on this ship. I much prefer the older ships of other cruise lines that carry less passengers where things are manageable. Because of the amount of people and screaming kids everywhere it was not very enjoyable. Coco Cay is perhaps the worst of the private Islands I have visited. I couldn't care less about the new water park (additional charge) and there is a 12% value fee for anything purchased on the island. The swimming areas are like man made lagoons rather then open Ocean. This must be great if you have kids but for adults it wasn't too exciting. Everything on Symphony is an additional charge and all of the activities are geared toward purchases. You cannot even get a decent movie on TV without paying for it. As far as the zip line and slides that is all great if you have kids but for seniors it's not very important. I didn't like RCL before and I have cruised with them a few times but after this I would rather stay home then go on Symphony again. Read Less

We had 3 rooms, a group of 10. We have sailed with Royal Caribbean and decided to give Carnival a shot this year; what a mistake. Everyone who worked on this ship looked mad all the time, employees would run you over, would not get out of your way when you were walking throughout the decks, pool areas and dining areas. The bartenders looked miserable and angry all the time, it was evident they did not want to be there. We had purchased the Cheers package, and yet the bartenders tried to limit every single thing you could order. If we ordered a drink, and didn't want bottom shelf liquor, we were told no, or just completely ignored until we had to demand the bartender to make our drink the way we wanted. After going back and forth with the bartender, we explained, per Carnival policy, you're allowed to have a drink of up to $20, therefore, allowing us to have top shelf liquor drinks. Although you are limited to 15 drinks per day, we were able to reach 11, and we stopped due to the fact they were using so much syrup, it would literally have your stomach hurting (by the way, not even tipsy off these drinks, very suspect). The Food: Absolutely horrible. The best food on this ship was the brisket from Guys BBQ and the burgers from Guys Burgers. The buffet was an absolute joke, the dine in was the same horrible food they were putting on the buffet. The pizza, well lets just say, that pizza didn't live long enough to make it to the oven, it was so dry and over cooked. Then comes desert; nobody can mess up desert, right? Well, Carnival Breeze even managed to mess up the desert, which was also disgusting. Hey, at least the Ceaser Salad was good. Instead of just hopping on here to leave a bad review, I did contact Carnival directly to inform them of our experience and also all the other passengers who were mummering about the horrible experience. I wanted to let Carnival know directly so that they could focus on what matters most. Some times, it's all about changing the small things to make big experiences matter, like a smile when you are being served, having a bartender who not only smiles, but listens to what you want. Friendliness was the main factor missing from the experience, and it was very odd that it was the entire ship. This experience just didn't feel like a 7 day vacation, it felt like we were a nuisance to everyone and really felt out of place. Unfortunately for Carnival, this will be my last cruise with them. I will gladly stick with Royal Caribbean as my experiences with Royal Caribbean are just what their name says, Royalty. Our group is also considering Norwegian as we have heard amazing things about them as well. Read Less

Family friendly and to try a new cruise line . What we got was the rudest most unhelpful staff I have ever seen in the 15+ years of cruising. The dinning was average and again “couldn’t care less type of attitude “ Nobody seemed to know what was going on and never got the same answer twice. We had a tight connection and wanted to know how long roughly it would take to leave the ship with our own bags and was told the immigration could be slow and on leaving the ship there was no immigration! The cabin was average but what tipped my wife over the edge was no tissues in the bathroom. She was told it was because we didn’t have a higher enough grade balcony!!!! Staff had a poor command of English and didn’t know what was going on . Overall very disappointing and will never travel with them again. Read Less

I chose the Royal for a new sailing experience, looking for exciting adventures and it was all this and more. The ship is absolutely stunning and has great offerings of food, entertainment and activities. Many events centered in the Piazza. However, with a larger passenger list, there is not enough crew. Longer than usual wait times for drinks and meals at dinner. At times we were unable to find waiters for a glass of ice tea, or coffee in Horizon Court. Our room attendant was unable to keep up with the demands of having 18 mini-suites to clean thru little fault of his own. Sadly, the Effy store had so many aggressive sales people I was turned off and refused to buy an anniversary ring. The Sanctuary service was fabulous! We tried the Sanctuary Cabana and were very pleased to not regret the $140 per afternoon cost... it was that great. Also, I got a world class hair makeover from Yureli in the Salon and I couldn't be happier. I wholeheartedly recommend the Royal... bear in mind to be flexible and in some ways lower your expectations. Who knows, may your cruise on the Royal Princess will be a 10. Read Less