We took Mariner of the Seas with two kids, ages 9 and 12 mainly so we could check out the new cococay! We have taken the 3 day disney cruise 6-7 times and absolutely loved it but felt like our kids were ready for some big kid activity! Because it was so much cheaper than Disney we decided to upgrade where we could so obviously that added to our enjoyment! The pros: 1. Jamies italian was very good 2. teppanyaki was very good 3. flowrider was a blast- we booked a private session, but got on again later 4. laser tag was really fun (free) 5. ice skating (free) 6. bungee jump was really fun (free) 7. we really enjoyed the under the big top ice skating show 8. buffet was not crowded and pretty good for breakfast and lunch 9. we loved mid day starbucks 10. cococay was amazing!! Much better than disney's private island! Its new of course but the water park was very fun and not crowded, the wave pool was fun, south beach was beautiful and lagoon pool was as well. It was under capacity so we never had any issues with finding chairs at the pool and beach. There were many food options and it was fresh and plentiful! all in all it was awesome! 11. in nassau we did a snorkeling and fishing through a private boat charter The cons: 1. the crowd was less kid friendly 2. they allow smoking in some areas 3. they had little to no activity during the day on the agenda aside from silly stuff like trying on perfume or the art auction 4. the rooms need updating even though the rest of the ship was amped 5. the kids club programming was blah-my kids checked it out once and said pass! 6. we paid extra for a lot-dining, soda, flowrider I will definitely try RC again to get to cococay, but didnt love the ship. If I do I may try a longer itinerary that is more family focused! Read Less

The ship was very pretty, had most of what we like in elegant decor to delight our senses and keep us dazzled. The food, too, was very good, possibly the best we have experienced in a wealth of cruises we have taken with a variety of cruise lines. We had an inside cabin off the Royal Promenade, which meant we had a window that looked down at the shoppers. The room, itself, was very nice, with a window seat as well as a little couch, besides the desk chair. It was roomy, with enough nooks for storage for our short 4-day cruise, that I would consider to book such a cabin again. However, the bed was hard - I mean board hard! Our quality of sleep was not good for the 4 nights. We tossed and turned most of the night, only to fall asleep and wake much later in the morning because we had no sense of day or night because of being in an inside. This sleep pattern disrupted our usual cruising routine. Anxious to start using the Workout room, we went straight there the first morning. The weight-powered machines were adequate, but when we attempted to use the bikes, treadmill, etc. they all were password accessible. The place hummed with activity, and I saw no staff member there that would assist us in how to activate any of these equipment. So... we left, and never returned to the workout room for the duration of the cruise. We dined twice in the dining room with our open dining option, and the service was good both times. We actually made a reservation for those dining nights when we first boarded the ship. I asked the staff taking our reservation which night was formal nigh, and he informed me that they do not do formal nights anymore. Having packed my husband’s suit, I was disappointed this wasn’t made clear on their webpage. We cruised with my daughter and her family, and I hoped to get a nice picture of us all decked out in our best attire. Originally the formal night is the second night of shorter cruises, but we chose a different night to go to the dining room, to better fit with our daytime plans. But what I wasn’t told is that RCI or maybe just this ship does a Dress Up anyway you Like evening which is the same as formal night, and all the photographers were on hand... and we missed it as we sat upstairs in the Windjammer enjoying the casualness of the night, unknowing... The focus on hand-washing as people entered the Windjammer was humorous, with staffers playing guitars, singing and prancing around “washy-wash your hands, scrubby, scrub your hands” to popular tunes, and with the exception of one very tuneful fellow, sung painfully off key. The service there was good to excellent, but I found the tables so close together, and the chairs difficult to move on the carpet, that it was a struggle to get up and return to your table, weaving through tables and chairs heavy with other diners. No more pretty glassware is given in the specialty drink. I was told that stopped, even though their website still shows pictures of those lovely glasses. Huge disappointment, hoping to add to my collection. But about the drinks, it costs around $15 per glass. Plan to drop $30+ for two drinks... making those high priced “drink plans” a better choice for some. Bingo was rather a disappointment, too. Less games, higher prices. No fun Bingo Lingo. Rush, rush, rush. And the same for all the Trivia gatherings we experienced. Boring. Regarding the dance and singing talent of the theatre shows, It was an experience we could have better spent watching TV in our cabin room. But, ah, there were no movies to be seen on that TV without paying $12 to rent. This included movies the ship was showing poolside each day. It didn’t seem fair. So, hanging in the room was not an option on this ship. But lounging in the Solarium was a real relaxing. Bring a good book or two, and find a pool bed. Or maybe a hammock on the upper open decks. But if you grab a towel or two, be warned that if you will need to show your sea pass, and then must return them, Showing your sea pass again. Maybe bring your own beach towels might be the better choice? If you are real savvy with technology, then maneuvering the RCI Ap to find out what’s going on day-to-day, hour-to-hour will be all you need on your phone, providing it is no more than a couple years old model. Otherwise, you can still tote around the paper version, as we did. The Ap was difficult to navigate, and caused more frustration than convenience. We stopped at CocoCay, and it is huge. Daughter had booked a beach bed for her family, and when she stepped off the pier entrance, there were no signs to direct her to where they were. They went to the nearest beach, and walked the sand till they found them an hour later. Later it was discovered that there was an exclusive transport cart to take people to the private beach where rage beach beds were. It took us longer to find them, as we dragged our rented water mats along with our beach bag. We stopped to ask where the beach beds were, and staffers there were clueless till one took the measures to investigate, and put us “elderly” people on a cart transport to the exact beach. It was a nice, quiet beach, I mean very nice. The kids spent the day finding all sorts of sea creatures in the shallows and along their walk through the sandbars. But the beach was far removed from the fun children’s activities, so put on your walking shoes when visiting CocoCay. The second port stop was at Nassau. We stayed on the ship, We noticed that the pier was different. They have added more piers changing the look of the cruise port entrance. It had been a few years since we last were docked in Nassau. And lastly, our final bill. We compared the cost to what they changed our credit card, and it did not jive. I have inquired with RCI and have not received a response from them. And, no, we did not a make any additional purchases on our last day. So...? Be mindful that their bookkeeping might have some chinks in their otherwise Royal Caribbean armor. Read Less

We just wrapped up a four-night Bahamas cruise on the Navigator of the Seas. We had the Key, got to the terminal about 9:30am, checked in, did security, sat in the Key area and were literally the first to board at 10:40am. We had already dropped our luggage with the stevedores, but should have waited and dropped it at the Key area on deck 4. Information about the Key was sort of scarce. We didn’t receive our bags until about 5pm. Fortunately we had packed swimsuits and sunblock and were able to enjoy the pools and slides. About the Key: -The internet package was great. -We didn’t know until the last day that the Key acts as a “fast pass” for the water slides (grr). -The Chops lunch was excellent (filet) -We only used the priority seating for the ice show, but there was plenty of room at the other shows. -Our main dining room departure breakfast the last morning was really nice. -Info on departure procedures was a bit sketchy, so we left our baggage in the cabin during breakfast and after we grabbed our luggage and just went to the bamboo room to be escorted off (shorter line). It worked out just fine. -Our “checked luggage” was with everyone else’s, no specific “Key” Area was marked off at customs. Service was always friendly and attentive, except the bar servers were surly. At the theater one night, a server refused to provide a drink menu, and at one of the pool bars the last night, the bartender acted as though he was doing us a favor by making drinks and wouldn’t even talk to us. Hopefully these were the exception. The water slides and flow rider were fun, although the pools were really crowded on the sea day. We enjoyed the soft serve ice cream once we found it, and were so stuffed from meals we didn’t snack too often! We aren’t big drinkers, but the $12 mixed drink prices seemed high. We felt that RCI “nickels and dimes” passengers a lot. The main dining room charged an extra $8 for squeezed orange juice. That’s ridiculous. We didn’t do any formal excursions and instead explored Nassau independently and spent the Cococay day at Chill Beach (the island food was better than the Windjammer buffet, especially the brownies!) Read Less

I was on Anthem of the Seas last spring and had an amazing cruise with a group of six people, which was my very first cruise. A week after being on Anthem we booked another cruise on Adventures of the Seas, this time we added two more people to our group making it a total of eight people. ( 5 women and 3 men ) The women in our group all had issues with cleanliness of the rooms and not completely satisfied with their dinner meals. Overall I was pretty pleased with my cruise however the music being played throughout ship was horrible to say the least. Half of the music selection was in Spanish and the acoustics were also terrible and even worse if someone was trying to make an announcement over the speakers. I found that the selection of music that I could actually understand ( English ) wasn't upbeat at all and the few songs played that were actually good songs were actually depressing songs. One would think being on a cruise the cruise director would want everyone to be upbeat and cheerful. Perhaps my next cruise I'll have to make sure to bring my own music and entertain myself. The staff on Adventures of the Seas, were all very nice and professional from my experiences with them however the crew didn't appear to be happy. Which was the complete opposite from Anthem of the Seas, their staff was very enthusiastic, fun and entertaining. Before disembarking Adventures of the Seas we stopped by the Next Cruise desk and to our surprise the next cruise offer was twice the price for one less day than the current cruise. Needless to say not one of the eight people in out group was up for paying double, so we will look for other options for our next cruise. Read Less

Adventure of the seas 8N cruise Bahamas and perfect day Stayed overnight at doubletree Hilton. Free airport shuttle and $25 to the port. Wasn't happy they threw my luggage in the back of their free airport shuttle and as only 2 other people the bad slid around and was black not red! I still can't get it clean. Hotel excellent, and had swimming pool, cafe and Starbucks. Cruise Check in was quite quick although the queue for security was long and this was 10.30am. Once onboard there was a long queue waiting for the buffet Windjammer restaurant to open. Best avoided so went to cafe on deck 5 for a cheese and ham sandwich instead. Signs at guest services saying no upgrades as full. I did receive several emails since I paid for my cruise asking me to bid for an upgrade so it would appear unlikely you would now get any free upgrades or be able to pay for any onboard, instead they will go to the highest bidder. I selected my balcony cabin location right by the elevators so didn't want the upgrade anyway. Cabins opened just after 1pm. If you have ever bought a new build house you will understand what I mean when I say I then went on to 'snag' the room for issues. The TV volume would not turn down and was so loud I had to keep it off. The cabin steward said he has reported it but on day 2 I called maintenance myself and they sent an electrician within 30 minutes who advised it was a faulty cable. Several hours later after dinner they swapped the cable and it then worked fine. The sink tap was spraying water all over me as was probably clogged with lime scale and spraying everywhere, the cupboard door to the safe was loose on one of the hinges and almost fell off and one of the balcony chair seats was very dirty. The air con also doesn't seem to work properly either. Again my room steward said he reported these issues on day 1. On day 3 I rang maintenance again myself and within half an hour the tap spray was swapped and works perfectly now and he called a colleague who sorted the cupboard door also. Should I really have to do these things, I would suggest the room steward or supervisor should test these things. You should book my cabin 8622 I have had it fixed! Surprisingly I didn't have to ask for my free drink and welcome gift for crown and anchor which I normally spend two days chasing so that was good. I pre booked arcade credit as it came with a bonus amount so I had a letter in cabin to go to the arcade and dial a number. I did this and was told to just put my card in the machines and it will work out the credit. A nice man appeared and was very helpful, showed me how it all worked. A lot of machines were broken, poorly stocked or simply would not accept the sea pass card. You win tickets and can claim them at a machine in the arcade room on the last evening from 7pm. Needless to say we had to stand around waiting for someone else to arrive as the machine was broken! Then we had to wait whilst all the kids took forever choosing their prizes. Casino credit - was told can use OBC in the casino at no charge. You transfer the money on the machines. They have instructions in the casino. Unfortunately the casino was ruined by the smoking as usual. It goes through the whole casino and not just the smoking section. This is very poor RC. The staff are very unhappy here and are worried about the smoke to their health. People were using the casino as a smoking room instead of going outside. I walked through when it was closed and there were 2 people smoking. Entertainment was good. Mix of dancers and comedians as well as a fabulous entertainer. Dinner was busy in the windjammer most nights which is unusual. It was often busy but plenty of tables in the evening for those not wanting to go down to the restaurant. I had to live on Frosted flakes for breakfast as there were no weetabx. They also had no salad cream which normally I manage to find a bottle hidden away. The restaurant manager told me they've never had it. My reply was that on my last 20+ cruises, I must have imagined it then! I struggled to find any cooked vegetables, broccoli some days but lots of fried food and potato wedges - same all week. It was much better last year. Lovely man in the Windjammer looked after me and was very helpful. He even went to get me some French fries the last evening when they were not on the buffet. Diamond lounge - lovely to see Christopher there again, nothing was too much trouble and he even helped me find something to do the last day whilst waiting all day for my flight. Buffet continental breakfast is served in the diamond lounge although they don't have cereal in there now so was a bit disappointed. Also no snacks during the say when I went in there. I guess it gets wasted so no point putting too much out but would have been nice to find a few cookies. Diamond and above guests please note that guest services advised RC's new policy is to open all cans in the happy hour promotion (5-8pm offer). So where we get 3 X free drinks per day, if we choose to have soda cans, they now open them. I was given two cans of Coke Zero open which I then wasted as couldn't drink two at once. I like to save one for the next afternoon. Apparently they tell me they now open them so we don't give them away! I said look, I don't drink alcohol so I want my free cans of soda to enjoy when I like. If this is your new policy I will still give them away opened or waste them. I suggested RC stop those people who are costing them a fortune drinking for 3 solid hours alcohol at the free bar each night rather than worry about a few cans of soda. I am really cross having got to diamond plus I may now have to switch to P&O!!! The 3 free drinks is a perk I have spent a lot of money with RC to get. Port info: Very little information on each port, maps were not given out unless you went to some sales talk! They just wanted to talk about the overpriced stores and bamboo sheets. I assume they get commission? The Ship ha the usual merchandise, and overpriced general items. I even gave one guest some Ibuprofen for a headache as they were a small fortune in the shop. Usual $10 tat sale as I call it. Day 3 Port Canaveral - very hot! Harmony of the Seas had taken the best dock right by the Exploratory Tower so we ended up too far away to walk to anything by the Port and certainly is this 90F plus heat. There was nothing you could walk to and one of the few attractions nearby was also closed Sunday's. I got off to check I hadn't missed anything but just got bombarded by these giant flies which were everywhere. If not been before, would have done the trip to Kennedy but as we did that in November we stayed on board. Disappointed we couldn't walk to anything. Other people cancelled their tours to Disney as it was just so oppressively hot. Found some people who went to Universal Studios and they said it was unbearable and couldn't queue in this heat. Day 4 Miami - loads of cruise ships in port as you would expect. We docked on the starboard side, walked through the terminal to the HOHO buses. I booked this $49 tour on board as had lots of OBC otherwise would have bought cheaper on shore. Lots of people selling tours ashore and cheaper. They didn't tell us that we would queue for 45 minutes to get a bus that then dropped us off 5-10 mins away to then stand and wait for the proper bus to start the tour. We were left stood next to buses with engines running, it was so hot, 91F/33C in the shade plus the heat from the buses. A lady then shouted we were in the line for the blue route and we would not get on the next bus so would have another 30 minutes to wait after the next one arrived, so she said we could queue for the red bus route and moved us further along. There was no organisation, it was a free for all when the bus came. Nobody dare get off as they knew they would not get a seat back. No air con downstairs, I guess as open top buses but very poor for a hot city. I wouldn't be surprised if people were unwell due to the heat. Even with the windows open downstairs there wasn't much of a cool breeze, in fact it was a warm breeze most of the time. Other than then beach and shops, there wasn't much to see. After the tour ended we had to get off the bus and wait another 20 minutes for the bus back to the Ship. Total waste of $49 as had been to Miami before. Took 4 hours to do nothing. I did give the diamond concierge feedback which he did log and I would have left it at that but as I was infuriated at being given two cans of coke open (total waste) I went to guest services to complain. The excursions manager did call me to discuss and offered a 50% refund which was fair. Day 5 Nassau - docked furthest away so four ships in front of us. On the port side so I had a view of the ocean, ships the other side. I booked the morning essential Nassau tour in advance saved ten dollars. This was a fantastic tour. The only thing I was unhappy about was the man who decided to walk us from the furthest dock to the bus (a good 5-8 minute walk) just as the rain fell down. To say we were all soaked was really an understatement. I took out a cardigan to cover me but it was literally wringing wet. Needless to say the rain stopped after ten minutes and the man abandoned us for another ten minutes. Like they couldn't have waited for the heavy shower to pass! It took 2 hours to dry out. We went to the rum cake factory, Atlantis, the rum factory and more, it was great. Restrooms at every place. Had 3 other ships in with us so was busy around the shops/market right by the port. You can walk wall around this area. There is even a McDonalds just round the corner by the Hilton. Be prepared to haggle at the stalls though. Change was given in local currency at one of the shops on the tour so ask if paying cash whether it's USD change or Bahamas currency. Day 6 the much talked about Perfect Day, Coco Cay We docked on the left as you look at the island so the whole island was to the back of the ship as we had turned around. Grandeur was also in port. Little open mini buses took us from the ship exit to the island. They were driving a little fast! The water park looks amazing. There is also the balloon but it looked too swaying to tempt me. There are a number of shops in huts to the left of the island. Unfortunately I am very fair skinned to cannot stay out in the sun for more than a hour or so, even with factor 50 on. They were selling factor 70 and one lady factor 100 cream in the huts. There was very little shade on the island, some under the food places but not all tables were in the shade. Also you had to venture off the path through sand and sharp shells to find a table. They need to work on this which I'm sure they are doing. Also all the restrooms all had queues for the ladies. Enjoyed seeing the island but too hot for me and set my heat rash off! Internet package $15.99 for the basic one device if purchased for the duration of the cruise, 24 hour pass gone up to $22.99. Slow connection but handy to keep in touch with family and friends. I tried to download the Uber app for cheaper taxi to the airport but the pictures where you have to select store fronts etc. just would not load as it was too slow speed. Disembarkation - transfer to Newark airport it was $27.50 and left at 7.40am only! The excursions booklet had 2 X 4 hour tours leaving at 9.30am (note meeting time is 8.30 in lounges to get you out, collect luggage and through customs etc). At the back of the booklet it said have a late flight, after 3.30pm we have late tours - what they actually meant was the tours in the booklet would get you to the airport for flights after 3.30pm - total waste of time confusing people! They went on to do the same with just airport transfers saying if not in a hurry and flights after 3pm book a transfer to Newark ($27.95) or Times Square ($44.95)Again, they meant only one bus for each, both at 7.40am!!! Seriously! Excursion desk were not helpful at all. They offered no long tours or later tours and said latest time to get off her ship was 9.45am. I was going to book one of the tours but they were all cancelled as they didn't have enough people to run them. So, I was left with nothing to do and a flight at 10pm at night! RC were not helpful at all. I asked if there was luggage storage at the airport and they gave me a leaflet for storage in New York. I google one near the HOHO bus and it said sorry this location is temporarily closed. The rest appeared to be self storage. For those not knowing New York this was not good. Can someone please set up a business collecting luggage from the cruise ship on departure day and returning to the airport or nearby later. Surely a profitable business. I opted to leave at 9.30am, but was told final call to leave around 8.30am. I was going to get a taxi but there was a shuttle for just $20. Ok, so it went to the Hilton and Best western first but didn't take long. Far cheaper than a taxi if just one person. Met a lovely family also from the UK on the shuttle. Worth noting you can get a day room for around $79 plus tax $90 if you have a late flight. Newark Airport - Delta wouldn't let me check in nor offload luggage saying had to wait for virgin Atlantic (code share) staff at 5.30pm. No luggage storage they say after 9/11. However, I was able to walk all around the airport and get within 50 feet of aircraft on the AirTrain with a suitcase that had not been scanned/checked. This is really poor security. So I had 12 hours to kill before my flight. A lovely man in the shop suggested I take the shuttle outside P4 on the AirTrain to The Mills at Jersey Gardens shopping mall. I took the AirTrain around the terminals, just 2 stops and was at P4. The shuttle was outside waiting. $5 one way, $9 return. They accept luggage and even put it onboard for me. The mall is 10 minutes away, buses every half hour and he even gave me the timetable. It is huge! I never covered half. Really good prices and on designer stuff like handbags. I'm not a big shopping fan but really enjoyed this. Luckily I had my suitcase so wedged some things in! Another option with a late flight is to take the train to Manhattan. Follow signs to AirTrain at Newark airport and buy a ticket at the machine right at the AirTrain entrance (I think they were orange/blue). Buy a ticket to New York Penn station (not Newark Penn station). This ticket will cover both the AirTrain and the N Transit train. Take the AirTrain to Newark Liberty International Airport AirTrain station. Takes 10 mins max. Then get off the AirTrain and get on the NJ Transit train going to New York Penn Station. There are signs at the station. Download a map online. Once there, you can either walk around or get the underground to the main sights. You may be able to find a luggage storage location! Read Less

Embarkation was a breeze, arriving at 11:00, changed into bathing suits and had a great day at the pool. The band was entertaining and great dj music and enjoyed tacos by the pool. Our luggage arrived to our cabin by the time we finished at the pool, in plenty of time to clean up for dinner. Dinner service was great in My Time Dining and with our pre-board reservations we were sat immediately. The only real complaints I have for the ship is the lack of bar service. There was only one waiter in the casino and he served only the table games. If you played slots or video poker, you must fend for yourself. There was usually only one bartender at the casino bar as well. The other thing that we found lacking was the Diamond Lounge. We missed the ambiance and the view from the Crown Lounge. Being a small lounge with no windows on Deck 5 (I think) was no where we wanted to be. However the Concierge there was wonderful. Debarkation was very fast although no one adhered to their departure time. Read Less

The ship is not very new, but its clean and looks good. Cabins are a good size, and amenities are good. Food was great, pretty standard though. They don't have 24/7 food like all the other cruises I went on, but they have it until 2/3am. The entertainment was good. But the comedian, Jeff Norris, on the final day went a bit far and people started yelling at him and leaving... Would not want to see him again. Wish they weren't partnered with him. Service was good. They strive to give you perfection, but make sure you speak up. The ports and excursions were good. You can disembark quickly and they provide a lot of support for getting to where you need to go. Finally I did dislike the upselling. When you are eating your food they have ads for more expensive options. If you go to the spa, they will give you want you want and try and sell you more and more. The art auctions they let the crowd choose what art to see, but only show half of those AFTER they try and sell you on the ones they want to show you. I don't remember that being as bad on Carnival and Princess, but maybe it's the changing times. Read Less

This was our 9th cruise, 2nd with Royal. After cruising on the Oasis, I have to say that the small to medium size ship are more attractive to me. Although the Grandeur is an older ship, and smaller ship, it has a charm to it that makes you look over some of its dated look. The open atrium (centrum) makes the ship feel larger than it is. We are a family of four, and travel with friends We booked two ocean view rooms, deck 2, Rooms are adequate with plenty of storage, and drawer space. Dining. Overall a good variety of offerings in the Windjammer, healthy corner was appreciated. Omelet station was frequented often by some. Lots of choices for meat lovers of vegans. Main dining room was also quite good, with a nice rotation of different meals every night. Crab cakes were especially good. Service was great, fun friendly staff made our mealtime enjoyable. Entertainment. Enjoyed John Blair and his team. Smaller ships give you the opportunity to see this group in action more readily than the larger ships. Always a fun activity to watch or participate. John also gives a matinee performance Tribute to Neil Diamond. If you close your eyes you would think Mr Diamond was in the room, very good. Ports.Bermuda was beautiful, next time maybe 3 night stay would make it even better. Did a 4 hour tour with local Taxi. Very informative tour with lots of local tidbits from this native driver. Stops at St George, Hamilton and other points of interest Horseshoe Bay was spectacular, beautiful pink sand and rock formations were visually satisfying.(bring the camera) Nassau. walked to The Queens staircase for a few photos, some shopping on Bay street, overall a pleasant few hours, we skipped the beach, have been here before CoCo Cay. Amazing transformation to this island, making it an absolutely wonderful, or shall I say "Perfect Day", spent a few hours on Chill Island, relaxed, some beach time, a quick meal at the food/ grill shack, lots of Beveridge stations as well.Moved to the Oasis pool for a quick afternoon dip and DJ music, the pool is HUGE, clean and refreshing, very enjoyable. Negatives? Yes there were some, food a little on he salty side, not used to that. The ship is scheduled for a major Dry Dock, I believe next year? and probable needs more than a coat of paint, a upgrade in many areas would benefit this already charming little ship. The staff is encouraged to upsell, upsell, upsell, specialty restaurants, drinks, spa, photos and more, no issue with that, but at mealtime it seemed a bit much to have it mentioned numerous times to accept one offering or another. Would I sail her again? Yes, for 2 reasons, no need to fly from where we live, drove to the departure port the night before, stayed at the Best Western in Elkridge , one night and provided parking for the duration of the cruise, really convenient. Complimentary breakfast, great staff, clean rooms. Shuttle to and from the port and they also drove us and picked up from Arundel Mills Mall nearby. The ship has a few itineraries that are of interest, would do Bermuda again, New England Canada cruise and have my eye on the 12 night southern Caribbean itinerary. Overall a great cruise Read Less

Grandure is a bit dated but if you are looking for classic cruising this is a good ship to meet those types of expectations. Royal has not updated this ship to include water slides and a wave runner. Because of this, the ship draws an older crowd and there are few children, teens and college aged folks. Since the ship is older and lacks these amenities the price point is lower and attracts cotton tops on a fixed income and people who are looking for a bargain. The crew was awesome. It is not unusual for crew to try and remember you and your tastes but it seems that this crew really has a talent to make to feel you are the only person they are taking care of. I could write a review on Dan Burgess, the piano player in the Schooner Bar, and his talent for making connections and bringing an entire room of people together and making them have a great time. The food is standard Royal Caribbean offerings. I don’t find any uniqueness or variation in menu, quality or presentation from one RC ship to another. I believe corporate does this to maintain a homogenous expectation much like a chain of restaurants. I think this is a mistake because passengers feel like they are eating at the same chain restaurant every night and every cruise. The food in the MDR and the buffet are the same. The premium restaurants do serve a notch higher quality and portion and variety of menu. I would like to see RC put an exec chef of every ship and give them autonomy to create dining venues and offering that make one RC ship unique from another. My only truly negative feelings are of RC and their incessant and relentless jamming of dining, drink, internet, next cruise, jewelry, shore excursions etc etc. They are there to sell these things and I am here to buy them. Their nonstop, high pressure tactics is a HUGE turn off for me. Immediately upon entering the door of their terminal we were ordered, in a not so nice way, to empty all of our outside drinks on the ground. After checking in and even before getting to the ship we were hit up for dining packages, drink packages and the usual obligatory photo. I have no issue with this. Once on the ship, we were approached NINE (yes nine) times in the first hour to purchase premium dining. I began for feel this was rude and I had no problem being rude to anyone who approached me with a smile and a brochure by telling them to go away. Hitting the Windjammer for lunch as soon as you board is a bad idea unless you want to start your vacation by becoming angry. The spa personnel set up a table and greeted guests as you approached them instead of circling an area like a street beggar who is desperately pan handling for drug money. I purchased over $500 in spa services for my family. This is proof that slamming your guests with an army of beggars is not effective and creates a paradigm of anger that lasts for the entire cruise. If you are not a stickler for details and can turn a blind eye to sloppy repairs in public areas, worn furniture and scratches; then this may be a good fit for you. I would sail on Grandure again as the value is fair. If those little things bother you and mildew totally turns you off then you may want to look at Oasis class ships. Read Less

We took the train from North Carolina the day before and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express across from the Casino. The hotel was clean but unremarkable. We were pleasantly surprised to see others who would be sailing with us there along with at least one Pinnacle couple. The shuttle from the hotel was already full for the early times so we decided to Uber it over. Less than $20 with tip. As we were arriving some of the folks from the previous sailing were still milling about and looking for their rides. The site did not have a lot of signs and we had to carry our checked luggage over to trams to be loaded. Since we were so early, we grabbed a bench outside and less than 15 minutes later someone got us and we went through security and to the check-in process. Mostly painless, but the brace on my wife's leg seemed to puzzle the security people. Still, we were one of the first checked in and shown the suite lounge. In the lounge, we were joined by some others including a nice couple cruising by themselves without their kids and family. Hi Tim and Tracy! We joked about the "difficulties" of getting to the port but agreed this was a smooth process. After about 15 minutes, they came and got us. As I mentioned, my wife had a knee brace from a broken leg and we got to enter the ship from deck 1 and not have to use the gangway. A nice option for those with mobility issues. At 10:03 we were on the pool deck and heading for the bar. We had the deluxe beverage package and wasted no time using it. It was a bit of a splurge, but we checked prices and got a great deal. In my opinion, the package is great because it offers you the ability to not worry about getting a drink. We waited for the Windjammer to open and called family and friends to let them know that vacation had started and they wouldn't likely hear much from us except pictures on Facebook of us having a good time! The food in the Windjammer was always good and varied. Most of the times the crowds were not too bad except at the made to order egg line. My wife mentioned a couple of times that the food was a little cool. I didn't think that myself. We split our breakfasts from the Windjammer and the main dining room. The Windjammer is more convenient, but we like the fact that you can sit with different people each day and have some great conversations. We did Mytime dining and had the same waiter and assistant waiter (Michael and Derick). They were wonderful and took amazing care of us. We skipped dinner on the first day in Bermuda since our tour got back late and ate at Giovanni's one night, but our MDR experience was outstanding. We hadn't eaten at Giovanni's before since my wife doesn't eat pasta, but we did it this time because I had to try the Pasta Carbonara. It was good. I did try small portions of several portions of pasta as well as shrimp and my wife had a filet. All was very good and we agreed that we would have to eat at Giovanni's again. We loved the entertainers that we saw, but we were disappointed by the ruckus in the comedy show the last night. We weren't there, so I'm not going to go further into it. There were some very talented guests and the karaoke performances were great. We actually gravitated to the Schooner bar by the end of the cruise. At night, we were entertained by the piano player, Danny Burgess, he was great at pulling the guests into his performance and even got several ladies to sing along clucking like chickens including my wife. He is out of Texas and had to fill in for Giovanni who got sick the cruise before ours. If you get a chance to hear Danny, don't pass it up. On Bermuda, we did a private tour with another couple with Quinton Bean and got an amazing tour of the islands and their history. The only complaint I have is the fact that we didn't dock until 2 PM and much the island slows down or shuts down in the late afternoon. It didn't help that we got there on a Saturday. Sunday was even slower and the weather was bad - nasty storms and lightning. We planned on going to Horseshoe Bay, but the weather kept us at the dockyard - most of which was closed. Nassau was Nassau, nothing remarkable. On Coco Cay, we rented a Chill Island Cabana(Oceanfront when we booked it). They revamped the cabana area with the whole Perfect Day relaunch. It was still a great time and having the nice calm cove with all the fish was great. For the right price, I'd do it again. The best part of this cruise and was the core group that was part of the Roll Call page. We had a meet and Mingle hosted by John and Katrina Blair and some of us did an impromptu cabin crawl. Definitely some ideas for future cruises. We do junior suites but are now on the lookout for aft view JSes and good prices on full suites. We have sailed on Grandeur before, but will she has aged some, you'd not be able to tell by looking at her and the crew and service are still the best part of a trip on "Lady G"! Read Less

My company purchased this cruise for the office staff (Memorial Day 3 day 4 night cruise), I had never cruised with RC only NCL. I think I got spoiled on NCL because this was a huge disappointment. I was pretty excited to cruise another Cruise Line and the largest ship sailing right now, but it was lacking. The name "Royal" should actually be called "Not Impressive Cruise Line" Embarkation was quick, getting our luggage was quick, other then that, nothing special. We had the drink package, and I'm not a drinker so figured I'd be tipsy but it seemed like all the drinks were watered down because I just never got drunk. LOL The Windjammer Buffet, I tried breakfast there and it was really disgusting, the scrambled eggs felt like it had some type of fiber in it, the texture was just off, I'm assuming it was fake eggs, eggs Benedict was warm/to cold, and just wrong, the over easy eggs were sitting on plates under a warmer light, I just couldn't get myself to eat something like over easy eggs sitting under a warmer. The sausage links crumbled if you cut them, I have no idea what they were, the bacon was rubbery and under cooked. Breakfast was a washout and I didn't eat breakfast again on the ship. We also tried dinner one day, food again was warm, not hot, and stale like it sat being warmed for way too long, so we left and went and had Pizza at Sorrentos, which was good. Wonderland, this is an experience, the food was strange, some of it was really good, while others were a little to weird to eat or the texture was just wrong lol but that's Wonderland, I suggest if you want to try something new, adventure food, try it, it's definitely memorable. Chops Grill: Very bland, I had the Filet Mignon, I ordered it medium, I got well done, it was very bland and the sauce they offered for dipping was also very bland. The extra price you pay for this, just wasn't worth it. 150 Central Park: Limited menu and this time the food was so salty, my hands and feet swelled up. I must have drank a gallon of water so I could get my rings off. The pumpkin soup was very good, the salad also very good, but the lobster was not impressive. My favorite place to eat was Sorrento's and El Loco Fresh. Entertainment was average, but with such a short cruise and it being a company trip, we didn't get to book much with 6000 people on this ship it was impossible to get reservations for a party of 28. The casino was always packed. When the ship was at Coco Cay and Nassau they closed everything down, no shopping on the ship, no bands playing on the pool deck, no activities scheduled for those who chose to stay on board, it was really boring, the first day we laid around our room after walking on the decks to see what was what, they don't have any movies playing on our TV's or anywhere on the ship. We ended up napping until the 6000 were back on the ship and then it was so busy you couldn't go to anything because of the crowds. Employees: They all seemed a bit quiet, on NCL they're friendly, joke around, the employees just seem happier. If I made friendly comments to the employees on Symphony they actually seemed shocked that I would joke or acknowledge them. Maybe it's the clientele I don't know, are people more friendly on NCL? I also noticed a lot less class on this cruise. Shore excursion, Nassau hmmm what can you say, Dirty, overpriced, aggressive sales, will not accept "no thank you" the first dozen times you say it. Our driver from Atlantis back to the ship was drinking rum with the drunk riders in the front and driving reckless back to the ship. I don't care what cruise line I am on I'm never getting off the ship in Nassau again. Cabins are much larger on Symphony then on the NCL ships I've been on, the storage better, 2 closets and a dresser, I appreciated that part of the ship. Nothing on TV but several ESPN channels, FOX, MSNBC and BBC. If you choose to watch a movie on demand be prepared to pay $12.00 Read Less

Positives - Entering and exiting the ship was an efficient and easy process. Entertainment, Water Show, Comedians, Dancers - ALL FABULOUS ! Gorgeous impressive looking ship. Staff - some friendly, some not. Windjammer Buffet - food was good. Nice Cabin. Failures - Main dining room - Food was a C+ (fair). Steaks under-cooked,Other steaks overcooked, Food Took too too long. Please teach the chefs how to cook meat. And it was a Frustrating overly long dinner due to the poorly managed kitchen. Waiters were all apologetic. Hook Restaurant - Food took FOREVER Fish dishes were so Dry they were not edible. Timing of all the dishes was off. Operations, Procedures, and quality control all failed. Burn the Hook Restaurant down and start over from scratch. Cabin Telephones - We returned to South Florida 3 days ago and I am still on hold with the Ship's Guest Services. Take the cabin phones and throw them overboard. They are useless. You will NEVER reach anyone from any department. Room Service, Guest Services, Housekeeping - they are all on a smoke break. My (adult) daughters were in Room 10-445. Her entire area was a ghost town. No Staff Anywhere for hours. Need ICE for the room? - Good Luck. The ship is Gorgeous - But completely inefficient and understaffed. At times we were delighted. But there were times we wanted to jump into the ocean. Thank you for your time to read this. Read Less

My husband and I traveled with another couple for a long weekend getaway. The new updates they have added to the ship were great. The Escape room was a lot of fun and definitely different than what we were used to locally; which added to the excitement. The water slides were great but closed at 6pm or 7pm every night. The pools and hot tubs other than the poolside movie pool closed by 7pm. Mini golf and the rock wall closed at 5pm or 6pm every night. This was a bit disappointing since it would have been nice to do some of these things outside of the normal kid hours. The food in the main dining room was great and we had wonderful choices with a good variety. The room service food was not edible and definitely not work the $7.95 charge they have now added to the service. We had the opportunity to eat at Izumi, it was amazing! Great experience and amazing food! The excursions of CocoCay were a bit disappointing because this was the first time they had two of their ships in port at the same time so you had very limited access to any excursions. Way too many people for one island when two ships are there at once. However, CocoCay was fun, clean and colorful. My biggest complaint was the number of smoking areas!!! It seemed like every where we went there was a smoking area! The casino, of course, was smoking but so were many outside locations. Even on whole side of the ship on the pool deck was smoking, and with the wind blowing it really meant the whole pool deck was smoking area. I found it disgusting for myself and travel companions but if my kids would have been traveling with us we definitely would have complained for the amount of smoke that was always present by the pool. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed our trip, with a few disappointments. Read Less

Our sons and their girlfriends joined us, so 6 of us, they are all in mind 20's avg. We picked the Navigator as it was a decent 4 nter to Bahamas from Miami and we stayed a cpl xtra nights in Fort Lauderdale tacked on in the end. Quick UberXL to Miami Airport, checked in at terminal A and was slick, the new way they check you in, and from time dropping off bags till ordering 1st cocktail, no more than 20 minutes. Disembark was jut as quick, we walked off with our luggage, always do. We got them Inside cabins (1 each cpl) and upgraded to Ocean View and did the upgrade with the bid process, minimum bid. We had cabin 10390 aft location and what a sweet location, 1st time in aft for any of our cruises. Balcony was extended and a little wider, 2 lounge chairs, 2 regular chairs, and 2 little tables, with room in between. Food - service and food was very good. Includes Windjammer, MDR, Chops, Hooked, the Tacos at Pool level, food on the Promenade too. Entertainment - was average i would say, not better or worse from any other RC ships. Coco Cay - outstanding upgrade! Kids loved it we enjoyed the beach as normal, we were right of Chill beach, near washrooms, near food and drinks flowed!Beach and water were Perfect, we actually had a Perfect Day! serious! lol Kids said lines werent overly bad, but no lines later in day, hour or 2 before getting back to ship they said no lines or short lines. Nassau we went to Tiki Bikini Hut and Beach, walked the straw market there and back to Tiki, food and drinks were good. Weather and beach very good again! The new upgrades were down up nicely. kids did slides and said they were fun, new chairs around the pools and cabanas nice touch. Clean and easy to get around ship. Read Less

Approaching Diamond Members, so we Love Royal Caribbean. The newly renovated Navigator is well done. The Port of Miami RCCL boarding process was greatly improved as we were on the ship in less than 15 minutes. The music was great on this ship thanks to the Royal Caribbean Orchestra with the High C's Horn section, Directed by keyboardist, Hugh Little, a very gifted and talented Musician from Michigan, he made the cruise a fun experience for us. As a professional musician myself, I was so impressed by the talent these players demonstrated. We hope they stay together on the Navigator since we are going again in October. The other highlight for us was the Cruise Director, Yugo. What a fun, upbeat person. He sets the "fun" tone for the cruise and he should be commended. Make sure you go to the shows and you will enjoy his personality. The Ice Show "Reaching For The Stars" is a must see. The skaters are very talented (Olympic Quality) and the high-tech use of lighted drones during the show was very impressive. Specialty Dining has become disappointing. Chops Grill on this ship as on our previous cruise, Allure of the Seas was very disappointing. The "casual" atmosphere with the removal of the tablecloths ( replaced by Plastic Mats ?) was a turn off. When you pay for specialty dining you want it to be special, right? Well, that is our thinking. So, in the future, we will not be paying the extra fee and just stick with the MDR (Main Dining Room), which in our opinion was much nicer. Our waiter and head waiter were amazing and very friendly. We hope to see Priscilla and Rosebeth again. Excellent service! The renovated Coco Cay is very nice. No more tendering in to the island thanks to the new pier. The waterpark is a must for the kids and family. Multiple restrooms, bars and food stations is a very nice improvement. Overall, this is a very nice four day cruise on the Navigator. Going again on her this October. Read Less

We choose this cruise for Cocoa Cay and we really enjoyed it. The food in the main dining room was delicious except one night. Part of my steak was chewy and part was delicious, order rare to get a medium rare. The deluxe beverage package is on sale before getting on the ship and it is so worth it. No worries about charges later and water, soda, latte,capuchino, alcoholic beverages, etc all are included on board and on Cocoa Cay island. Entertainment in the lounges and the boardwalk were good The ice show was great. The regular show had a guest juggeler he was okay, three of the four singers we're good but only three harmonized well, the fourth person threw them off key . She sang well on her own. Trivia is in the bar by the casino so it's smokey we couldn't attend. There were lots of entertainment opportunities. It's a get four Day vacation. Read Less

Sailing out of Bayonne (40 miles from home) was luxuriously convenient. This ship was larger than our first cruise (on Brilliance), but never really felt crowded. We were less-than-impressed with food in the main dining room, and will probably plan for upgraded/specialty dining every night on future cruises. The three specialty restaurants were all excellent, as one might expect. Our cabin was amazing - much larger than we expected, and very comfortable. Needs more outlets, though. Our room attendant, Emina, was wonderful. In Bermuda, we did a five-hour wraparound tour of the island with Juanita, the owner of Bermuda Island Tours and More (booked through Viator). She is a native Bermudan and former police officer on the island, so she knows everything there is to know. Highly recommended. In Nassau, we did the half-day Pearl Island excursion. Lovely beach island and a nice lunch (BBQ chicken and fried grouper, with rice-and-beans and cole slaw). Overpriced drinks, but that's to be expected. We had dinner at the Green Parrot Harbourfront, which was a very nice restaurant - but even though it's only 3/4 mile from the ship, walking there is NOT recommended. We walked through a pretty sketchy part of town. We were disappointed with the piano player in the Schooner Bar. Somewhat limited repertoire. We very much enjoyed the Champagne Bar, and the Rockstar cocktail (or a variation thereof) is going to be my new summer sipper. We did not attend any of the entertainment (my husband did karaoke one night and had a lot of fun, he told me) nor did we use the fitness and recreation facilities. We indulged in a hot-rocks couples massage at the spa, which was wonderfully relaxing. Read Less

We chose this cruise because we’d sailed on Navigator OTS and really liked the layout of the ship. Since Mariner OTS recently received an overhaul, she became even more attractive to us for a weekend get-away sailing out of our favorite, close-to-home port - Canaveral. Embarkation was smooth and we were on the ship within minutes of arriving at the pier, about a half-hour before our room became available. For the first time (and surely what will be the last), we chose a guaranty cabin based on cruise duration and price. It turned out to be a disappointing experience. Our interior room, located on Deck 8 and very close to the very rear of the ship, clearly had not been updated as evidenced by the stains on the back of the desk chair and the musty odor in the room caused by carpeting badly in need of a thorough cleaning and deodorizing, or better yet - replacement. Also, my husband called Maintenance staff in the middle of the night because he was unable to sleep due to the rattling and vibration within the room. When they left the issue seemed to be resolved, only to start up again within a short time. We were happily surprised by the quality and variety of food in the Windjammer Café and, although we had to scout around a little bit for seating, we were pleased with all of our breakfast and lunch visits. Our Main Dining Room experience was totally enhanced by the excellent service provided by our waiter Dony and his assistant Noril at Table 471. They were totally committed to providing superior service and a cheerful ambience --- the best waiters we’ve had in a long time! The meals were two hits and a miss. The chicken marsala was good; the beef tenderloin excellent; however, the green pasta totally lacked flavor and was barely warm. My husband enjoyed the seafood entrée and the beef tenderloin as well. We caught both general audience and adult comedy shows, and came away wishing they had been better. We like to play in the casino and found Mariner’s casino staff very friendly and helpful. Bar service was good throughout the ship. A special shout-out goes to Luis at the Boleros Bar! We’ve visited Freeport/Lucaya and Coco Cay in the past and since we’re not really beach and/or water park people, we stayed on the ship to relax and explore. While disembarkation wasn’t too bad at Port Canaveral, I must say, I absolutely love the digital disembarkation program now available at Miami and Fort Lauderdale ports, and hope that Port Canaveral will soon have it, too. With the exception of our accommodations, we had a good time onboard Mariner of the Seas. Read Less

My husband and I love Royal Caribbean, but we will never sail on this ship again. Despite the million plus overhaul they completed on the ship the rooms were not updated very well. The over-sized balcony stateroom (9362) smelled terrible like moth balls. The hallway near the room smelled like mold. It was very disgusting and disappointing. I was expecting a nice clean experience with the renovation, but that did not happen. Royal Caribbean needs to fix this issue asap! The specialty restaurants were great! Hooked was amazing as was Izumi! The steakhouse left much to be desired for as it did when we sailed on Allure 6 months ago. If you are used to The Capital Grille, or a Maestros level steakhouse you will not receive the same quality(read flavor/deliciousness) here. Skip the steak house and choose any of the other restaurants for sure! The cruise overall was very relaxing. In the future we will definitely choose Oasis Class or better. This boat does not compare to Allure by a long shot! Read Less

We are diamond members after loyally cruising with Royal Caribbean and wanted a weekend getaway for Mother's Day. Perk 1 - gone - Since you have to bid/gamble your money to get an upgrade, I guess RC did away with rewarding Diamond members with occasional upgrades. Perk 2 - gone - Viking Crown Lounge was packed 10 minutes after 5pm so there was no seating to be found. Food was on a kitchen counter behind a semi wall. You stood in a long line to order a drink at a table littered with bottles. This was supposed to be another Diamond member perk, free appetizers and drinks from 5 to 8pm at the Viking Lounge overlooking the boat/water. Perk 3 - gone - They no longer provide special blocked off seating for Diamond members at shows and events. Perk 4 - gone - Disembarking early. Used to be second off the ship only behind self assist and Pinnacle members. Our luggage tags said "39" on them making us the second to last to leave the ship! I'm so sad to say that I wasted all my time cruising on RC only to have no loyalty rewards after all this time. I was using a RC credit card to establish points for spending money on the cruises but now I'll have to switch to another type of card to accumulate points for a different cruise line. The stateroom attendant Ketut was amazing. Our room was always spotless and he was such a kind person and always smiling. That was about the best thing I can say about the cruise other than we really enjoyed the ice show. An older man fell going down the steep stairs on the way to a seat and had to be assisted out due to a severe head injury. Kind of put a damper on the event. The spa was good but I hate the pressure afterward to buy very expensive products. I can buy them on Amazon if I want them so why pressure me and make my relaxing spa time stressful? The food was good and now that they have arranged the setup differently it is not so crowded to pick out your meal. Still, never enough seating and I wonder if that's because people choose not to use the dining room anymore. Overall it was a slap in the face to start using other cruise lines. Read Less

I took this cruise as a quick getaway with friends. But it would be a great itinerary for singles, families and couples also. The ship was very diverse. Embarkation: Amazingly fast! We arrived around 1pm and were on ship in less than half an hour from parking the car. Disembarkation: Sadly a MADHOUSE. Customs got "full" and they stopped calling numbers at one point. Luckily, we had a very late flight and were self-disembarking so we were not in a rush and hung out on the ship. We still had time after leaving the ship and attempted visiting the Kennedy Space Center. We just had time to look around and were annoyed that after parking for $10 it cost an additional $60 per person to even go to the gift shop! We didn't have time to tour, so we left. Entertainment and Activities: The only downside to a 3 day cruise was there were so many things to do and we didn't have time to do everything we wanted! Some of the times were awkward and we could never find the "Box Office" to schedule things like laser tag. We had late set dining (hoping to avoid the kids and enjoy the evening entertainment), but often things were scheduled during that time. In the future, I would do MyTimeDining for a short cruise, but I will miss having the same wait staff each night. Service: Speaking of service, everyone was impeccable. Our room steward was wonderful, and the dining staff in the MDR and Buffet were great. Dining: The only let down was the MDR food. It came up unexpectedly bland and overcooked every night. To my surprise, some of the best food I ate was for lunch in the buffet. It had a better breakfast than the MDR also. Breakfast was a buffet in the MDR too, so unless you just like the relaxing atmosphere there, the Windjammer had more fresh choices. Deserts were only good once and I was sad that there were not better options in the Cafe Promenade where we have had excellent ones before. Ports: Nassau - This is a busy port but seems to handle the crowds well (5 ships in port that Saturday). We started the day early before most of the shops opened walking the 3-4 blocks up to the Queen's Staircase and Fort Finnacle. Easy to do on your own and not busy at 9-10 am. Nice but nothing overtly special. We shopped in town, ate lunch back on the ship and then went out for a Glass Bottom Boat tour with one of the locals sitting out in the port($35 pp). (Same excursion on the ship was only $5 more, so not a ridiculous savings. Bring cash and you can save a few dollars though with a local vendor.) We were going to go to the beach but decided to enjoy the ship for the afternoon. It was really fun eating dinner as we sailed away at 8:30! Coco Cay - BEST DAY EVER!!!! You can make this island whatever you want. Adventure: zip lining and water park, and rentals. Relaxing: plenty of free beach chairs, snorkeling, multiple swimming areas. We chose to spend the morning snorkeling at Chill Island, which was easy with my own gear even though they do have expensive rentals if you need some. Left that area and spent later in the afternoon relaxing on North Beach where it was actually quieter. There were a couple sharks and sting ray in the water to snorkel with if you were brave (only by the floating bar area)... which I was super excited about. Life guards are at each beach too and some organized beach activities. Free Food on the island was pretty good. A nice BBQ with mexican choices also. The drinks at the bars were some of the best on the whole trip. The pool bar looked like a fun party even though we went for relaxing areas instead. The entire family can be entertained here. I could have spent the whole cruise on this island! Read Less

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Having been a fan of royal and it’s sister ships - this was a huge disappointment. I chose this ship that was suppose to have a dreamworks program catered to little kids. After paying in full I was told the program was canceled and nothing would be replaced. I paid 500 dollars for an almost 2 year old to sit a one mini splash pool. The best part is kids wake up early and the pool doesn’t open to 10. The last day the filter was broke and we couldn’t even go in for hours. LocAted right next to a larger splash park that she couldn’t go in with a diaper or any other pool on the ship. I was told there would be multiple options of things to do with a young child - ok great if I want to put my baby in an indoor playroom on vacation NO THANKS. Do a Disney Cruise is all I can say. The food was about good as a cafeteria in a hospital and lines for places to pay were a mile long for also mediocre food. 150 central dinner upgrade was the only positive thing I can say about this cruise. Service awful, out of everything form drinks to hot dogs, they never had anything. I haven’t taken a royal cruise in many years and will never again. Celebrity has always lived up to its expectations but with a child I was told Royal was the ship- NO go If you dont want to be nickel and dimed for every penny you spend skip this cruise line. I am a person happy to spend money on a trip especially for my baby girl. I have cruised on most lines and vacationed from beaches to the best resorts. Thank goodness we are going to Disney world after this or id be so upset right now. Lesson learned I will spend my money elsewhere where by daughter can actually have things to do like the characters and parades that i paid for but we’re canceled. Let me say I never write reviews but this really upset me. Hope those who read it deeply consider before booking Read Less

we chose this cruise for a quick relaxing get away( 8 couples) Before we even got on board it was turning into a mess, we booked this a year in advance used cruise planner and I called to link us all for dinner at 645 for the 3 nights when the shows came on line I called to book 3 shows as cruise got closer all our plans disappeared. I was on the Royal app and looked in calender first my dinner for first night had just me and husband at 5 pm just 2 of us and no dinner for rest of cruise I called again asked what was going on , After they looked into it I was Told Janet called and changed it "Janet" who is Janet no one in our party by that name ,so now we had to have dinner between 5-530 pm every night because it was booked I called got nowhere there was nothing they could do ,Ok we left it , 2 days later I get email the show picked for second night was cancelled and we was put in for 3rd night so i called and asked what happen to the show we booked for 3rd night :oh we cancelled it" so I asked did you move it to second night ,oh no it s booked, So now all 8 of us got THE KEY which was useless as anything just a waste of money,and the WOW bracalet ,the didn't take the WOW any where unless you took off dining room would not take it so if you didn't take your card you was not getting a drink, We had reservations for the Comedy show on first night get to show 15 minutes before, all these people from dining room just going in ,here me with this so called KEY with proroity seating was a joke I got NO SEAT AT ALL no one was there checking to see if everyone going in had reservation, Next day went to Customer service desk what a waste of time , I asked her what did i spend money on if the key with VIP seating is a joke and the WOW is not taking any where ,all she could say to me was whats can do for you , Did you read the paper you have to go to show 30 minutes before I sad no it don't say that, Then every time my husband ordered a drink they would put on my name I didn't have the drink package had to stand in line again I think in 3 days i spent more time at the service desk,, The boat itself was huge and very crowded on Nassua day we was there all day and night we left boat for about 3 hours only so much you can do it port that there wasn't much to do there at all went back to boat for lunch tried to use Johnny rockets oh no its closed all shops closed only place to eat was windjammer ,photo shop closed you think it would be open for so people cant get stuff done with out all the crowds no so you just hang in your room or on deck 5 and sit and watch people go by I felt like i was at the mall waiting for it to open,, They put your little newspaper thingy in your room telling you things happening on boat one was 20.00 off for photo package we go and ask was told Oh there is no promotions today I took the paper out showed him and in black and white it there but he said NO that was first night I said look at day its day 2 he would not take it guess where I was next ?? back in service desk, I had called Royal several times and wrote email before we even got on board email where answered by ROBO MAIL some one will get back to you in 48-72 hours ,NEVER HAPPENED never got phone call from Supervisor like i was told even once on board nothing was resolved ,, was never offered a credit a dinner a drink NOTHING for them making this the worse cruise We have a cruise already booked on the Symphony in november we was all debating to cancel it or not ,, we know we are staying away for making reservations for dinner and NOT GOING NEAR THE KEY NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT IT waste of money Our special Key times for zip ling was for monday between 2-3 pm . we were not on the boat monday i asked them this and they had no answer Read Less

We chose Harmony of the Seas because we wanted a short cruise out of Port Canavarel with all the amenities. We like Suites and the Coastal Kitchen experience. Embarkation was a breeze, our room cards were waiting for us in our room. Loved the Coastal Kitchen for Breakfast and lunch. We actually bought the dining UPGrade and had a dinner in 150 Central and Chops Grille. While the service was nice in both restaurants; the food quality was just ok. We ordered the Halibut in the 150 Central and it was definately overcooked; I know we could have sent it back but..... The next night in Chops; the appetizers were great. We both ordered filets; medium rare. Not the best quality filets we ever had; they lacked flavor. Thought at first they were overcooked but the center was medium rare. As much as we liked the smaller dining experience I don't think it was worth the upgrade price. The Coastal Kitchen service was great; the one dinner in the Main Dining Room was also great; just too big. We went to the Grease show; well done. I always think these shows go on just a bit too long. People were beginning to leave before the show ended. Loved the Grease music so we stayed for the entire show. We went to the Fine Line water show. WOW, WOW, WOW. Best show of this type that we have ever seen, Pay attention to the first performer to come on stage; we twirls and spins for at least 15-20 minutes and then he is also in the show. Super High energy. Well done Read Less