First of all, let me start off by saying Bermuda was fantastic!! Loved every minute of it. We've always enjoyed RC and we love Bermuda so this seemed like a no-brainer. We arrived on the ship and were happily let on at 10:30 AM. We toured the ship a bit. It was very big and pretty but we were not fond of the narrow halls and Royal Esplanade in general. Seemed quite confined. The stores are broken up and weirdly laid out so they are very congested. Oddly, there was nothing in the store that said "Bermuda." It was all "The Caribbean and New England" so forget about getting any souvenirs that mention Bermuda. We found the clothing choices to be kinda gaudy and cheap looking, so I bought nothing until t-shirt day, which by the way the line was so long it took forever for people to even be able to get in and look as they were only along in a small amount of people at a time. But at least they had shirts that said Bermuda. Very little selection for gifts for kids. Usually I can always find stuff. Not this time. The entertainment was good, but the comedian decided to make it political which turned off half the crowd. I'm not on vacation to talk Politics! We will Rock you was canceled due to the weather, which was understandable. The food was very good, but a very limited selection for Gluten Free people, which has never been the case before. There was a nice area for GF food which had some good things, but nothing on the Esplanade deck. So If I wanted a snack it was a hike, or I had to wait a while and get an entire pizza. The Specialty dining was outrageously priced. Some was 75.00 PP. We skipped it. Now for the worst part...The room. It was so hot an stuffy. The air conditioner only went as low as 68 and you could barely feel it. We called maintenance. It was later in the night. After waiting a long time, we gave up and went to bed. They never even contacted us after that. The bed was rock hard. It felt like a cot. The room was NOT cleaned well. The phone had a layer of "gunk" on it, that my boyfriend had to scrape off. And then we found pills. One was a prescribed aspirin, the other, Alprazolam, a Class 4 Narcotic. Thank GOD we didn't have a kid in there because we found it on the floor. The other was on the sink of the bathroom. After that, my boyfriend, a cop, decided to check the room to make sure there were no more. He didn't find any, but the layer of dust and dirt under the chairs was disgusting. On our departure day, he decided to put a small "x" on the tag of the sheets. We went to breakfast. When we came back, the bed was already made. The "x" was on the sheets still, indicating that he never changed them... for the next people. All I can say is WTH?! Again, we've always had good luck with RC and hope this was an isolated incident. But its starting to feel like quality and quantity are going down hill. We have contacted them about the Pill thing. Hoping to hear back. Read Less

We picked this cruise due to its leaving from Baltimore. I went with my sister, who lives in Baltimore. Boarding was easy, luggage showed up quickly, got into room at 1:00. Food: Main dining room excellent for dinner. Didnt really spend much time there for breakfast or lunch Windjammer - this is where we had most breakfast and lunch. Buffett wasnt bad except beware the buffet eggs!! Probably worth the line for fresh omletts, but we didnt. Park Caffe- tried 1st night with munchies, NOT GOOD Service... Excellent thru out ship. Bartenders, hosts, waiters, room service, room steward, all outstanding! Room: We were in 3558 a oceanview. Room was spotless, roomy enough, bathroom tight. Hard not to get the floor wet when showering. We spent most of time in the Centrum, band was excellent, other shows good however we never made it to the theatre. Too busy!! Good time. would do again Read Less

My husband and I took my parents on this cruise with the intentions that this cruise was all about them. My mom cannot walk that far and I felt a smaller ship would make her cruise more enjoyable for her. The service that we received from the staff was outstanding. My husband and I have been on many cruises and have never had service like we did on this ship. We do feel because we were on a smaller ship and not one of those mega ships that the crew is able to really go above and beyond to their passengers. We ate at Chops Grille twice and Giovanni’s once and the food was fantastic! The food in the main dining room was excellent. Any restaurants that we ate at, if my mom wanted something that was not on the menu they always met her requests. This ship also recognizes Veterans and has a very moving ceremony in the main atrium. If you are looking for impeccable service and a smaller ship I would highly recommend this ship and cruise line! Read Less

The first issue was the fact that we got rerouted to Portland Maine for a day (which I could drive to from NH any day for an hour and a half). So we really only had two days in Bermuda. The first day we had a good time at horse show bay. The second day we went to a beach closer to the cruise ship since we had to revised by 4:30 to make it back before leaving. The beach was suppose to open at 9 and they told us we had to wait until 10:40 because the Disney cruise that just came in had to do their excursions before we could go in. Well they were late so finally at 11 after the two excursions came in and filled up the beach us low class royal carribean cruisers who also paid a lot of money for our cruise got about a 10x10 spot that was left on the beach. We bought the deluxe drink package but every time we tried to get s drink it took forever and we had to walk to other end of the ship since there was no waiter by the kids pool area. The drinks also tasted like they had no alcohol in them. The food in the windjammer was always gross , but the food and service at reflections was good. When I went to buy a shirt off the ship the price had gone up because I “ missed the time “ of our cutoff to buy them . Which also just happened to my wife when she tried to buy our pictures that people took of us all week the whole trip we were here. They just told her we had to order them yesterday . We’re still sitting on the ship! I would never recommend this cruise to anyone nor would I ever go on it again. Also anyone who doesn’t smoke probably won’t enjoy it because all you can smell through out the whole cruise ship is cigarette smoke since they let them smoke in the casino. It was nauseating. Read Less

1. Very speedy embarkation process in Boston. We arrived at about 1:15 pm and curbside to cabin was less than 15 minutes. 2. Cabin was ready and clean but looked "worn/used". Cabin steward Jacob was wonderful. 3. Itinerary was changed due to hurricane/tropical storm Jerry. While we appreciate RCI adding a day in Portland and shortening our stay in Bermuda to keep everyone safe and comfortable, we were very disappointed. 4. Many parts of the ship were in need of repair: outdoor movie screen did not work, near Schooner bar a lingering "burnt wood" smell, cigarette smoke smell in may public non-smoking areas, one day our cabin door would not lock, a few days later maintenance was in our room for over 3 hours to fix a leak. 5. The two outdoor hot tubs closed by 7:30pm every evening. Therefore the only other hot tub in the Solarium was always crowded. This created some hostility among the passengers in the hot tub and those waiting to use it. Also, the staff allowed children into the Solarium in the evening to use the pool, since "the outdoor pool was too cold and the hot tubs were closed". 6. The cruise director staff was suspiciously absent and the activities offered on this cruise were few and far between. The destination speaker was not a good speaker, the evening entertainment was just okay, and the musicians were mediocre at best. We did not notice any live music by the pool. 7. The food was better than expected in Windjammers and Giovanni, and as expected in the dining room and at Chops. This was our 14th cruise overall, and our third and last cruise with RCI. Read Less

Serenade of the Seas Cabin 1050 suite I was concerned about the food as many reviews indicated that the food was not good. We did not find that to be true at all. I travelled with 3 other family members (all adults) and the suite was comfortable for 4. The tub is quite high for elderly travelers but, we knew that before we travelled and we were able to adjust. The juggler and comedians were very funny. The other ship entertainment was quite good as well. Unfortunately, the singers fell short of what I have come to expect. I feel bad as I know they train hard but, their voices were not as polished or professional as I expected or heard on other cruises.That is what brings down my entertainment rating. The other entertainment and games and shows were very good. The dining staff and food and chef and wait staff and head waiters and maitre d etc were unbelievably great and we felt like we were the only group in the room. They went way over and above for my 90 year old mother and showered her with attention and helped her with her wheelchair. They also spoiled my 24 year old daughter who is vegan. It was as if she had a private chef with the amount of attention she received and they went way over and above to accommodate her needs. We ate in Chops Grille for breakfast as that was a suite perk. It was very good and hardly any other travelers were there. We ate in the main dining room or Windjammer buffet for lunch. Both were great and plentiful with a good variety of options. We had appetizers and drinks in the concierge lounge and ate in the anytime main dining room for dinner. The excursion we did was the Devils Island Snorkel. The crew was great but, the kayaking was quite limited as to where you could go and you could only use it for 10 minutes at a time. People who snorkeled enjoyed it. We would just ask about how far and how long we could go in the kayaks next time. I would recommend this cruise. Read Less

We have done many cruises in and out of Boston. We have taken the Maine/Canada cruise on the Serenade three times, we enjoy the ship and decided to try Bermuda this year. Since it is hurricane season we took a chance that we would end up in Canada again. It was touch and go for about a week, and we did head to Portland Maine for a day, and lost one day in Bermuda. We still throughly enjoyed the cruise and found it very relaxing as usual. The captain was Stig Nilsen, we have sailed with him a few times on different Radiance class ships. Carly Boileau was the cruise director, she creates a great atmosphere around the ship along with Nick her Activities Director. Nibu Sayed was the Hotel Director there was incredible Indian food in the Windjammer. Denis Loncarica was the Chief Engineer. There was no Captains Corner this time which we usually enjoy, seeing the film about the behind the scene’s working of the ship, and having the officers speak and answer questions. We decided to try the three day specialty restaurant package when it went on sale we bought it before we sailed, it was a good value. We were not disappointed, and enjoy dinner in Chops, Giovanni’s, and Izumi. The food was great, and wonderful service as usual. We each tried to hot rocks dinner in Izumi, it was OK, I am not sure what all the rave reviews are about. They have moved the tables in Chops so they are not so close together and the atmosphere is calm and relaxing. We ate in the MDR only once on formal night. It was crowded, and too much rushing about by the staff as they try to serve everyone. I did notice that people in the area we sat were dressed up, suits and a few tuxes on the men, and lots of evening gowns and cocktail dresses and fancy tops on the women. Once we left the dining room it was very mixed and we saw lots of shorts and t-shirts. We ate in the Windjammer several nights, it is much quieter than the dining room, and lots of great choices for food and fantastic deserts. The staff was welcoming, helpful and always smiling. Rocky our room steward was outstanding, kept the cabin spotless and was an expert at towel animals. The ship is in great condition, but I can’t help not liking the changes. I miss the library, though I found a good book to read in the bookshelves by the pool tables, I used to enjoy sitting there reading and listening to the music in the Centrum. The area above the Centrum that used to be the Loyaly area is still closed even though the aerial show is long gone where they stored the equipment. It is wasted space now. I used to like the glass area in the floor where you could look down into the Centrum, I understand it is still there on the Jewel and Radiance of the Seas. Speaking of the Centrum they are still doing all the activities that used to be held in the Safari Club there. The Captains reception seems like an after thought in the Centrum so we just kept walking. It used to be a very special event. The International Parade of Nations is impossible to enjoy in the Centrum. They have had complaints about noise in the cabins near the Centrum, even with the closed doors, but they just keep doing it. It makes no sense. The production shows were very good as always, Stage to Screen was outstanding. We did not see Vibology this time. The commedian was not our favorite, but the commedian juggler was very funny. We used the gym, lots of people did still it was not crowded. We spent no time at the pool but anytime I walked by, there were plenty of chairs. There were few children on this cruise. It was very calm, no crowds, no problem getting restaruant reservations once on board. We had a small Meet and Mingle, wished more had attended. Boarding in Boston was different this time. We were met by a worker with a tablet who checked us in, and took our picture with it. When we arrived their were no lines at all. We usually arrive around 1pm and find few people but this time we just went through security and checking with no waiting. I guess the new method works well. Next year the Brilliance will be sailing out of Boston, we are booked for the 10 day cruise to Canada next fall. Read Less

Outdated boat with outdated activities and entertainment, if you are over 75 you will have a decent time as the boat is small. The entire boat looks like the it is straight out of the 70’s... with outdated furniture and carpet. The bathrooms smelled like mold and mildew and using it just adds to the gross smell. The boat is past due for dry dock. I’m a bit surprised this is a Royal Caribbean boat. My stateroom shower uses shower curtains that never completely dry, with noticeable mildew growing on the surface. The fact that you have to touch the toilet lids to flush the toilet shows how outdated the boat is. The food was decent but could’ve been better for the prices we pay. The constant selling of drinks and packages became annoying and there was absolutely nothing to see in Bermuda. If you want an overpriced quick getaway on an old moldy outdated boat, this is the vacation for you. Read Less

Lets start with the false advertising...We booked this boat because of how amazing this boat looks on the RC website. Too bad it’s all fake! There’s NO H2O water park, there’s only half the restaurants they claim, no outdoor sports courts, no self leveling pool tables, no children’s playgrounds as displayed, only a couple of the shows they claim...it’s basically like they took all the best pictures of their entire fleet and all the best everything and pretend it’s on every boat. Things like the kilbasa, sausage restaurant literally being a tiny HOT DOG food truck in the corner of the arena. The bionic bar was just an afterthought, “slap a couple robots in the middle of a hallway with chairs”...The opposite of what the pictures show. 4 year olds CANT DO ANYTHING despite being 42 inches tall, must be 5 and up. How has no one sued them yet??? We requested twin beds. Only to arrive with a king and couldn’t be separated. No gifts for anniversary and birthdays. Don’t bother telling them your celebrating. WARNING!!!!! - They canceled the royal IQ app last month (yet still advertise it) so if you’ve already booked with family thinking you can text each other, FORGET IT. Seems like a game to make you buy internet. They cancel shows and move shows around just like everyone sais...we had 2 shows booked. One was canceled and one was moved forward which we missed because they didn’t announce it. My 4 year old was in tears because we booked the final showing and they canceled it. Soda machines out, no ice, no waiter getting you drinks during buffet meals, ice cream machine broke, HORRIBLE. If you’re an experienced cruiser, prepare for dissapointment. Awful awful ship. Very misleading and everything’s broken. Read Less

We went on this cruise to go to Bermuda. To start our cabin was 9692 right across from the service elevators. There was noise and the cleaning cart outside our door everyday! We booked our room through RC and was told by the travel agent was a great room! We tried to change rooms but were told they were sold out. The food was not good! So disappointed in the windjammer for breakfast. We tried all the other restaurants for breakfast and they were all mediocre. The entertainment was not what we had hoped for. Most of the shows we have seen on other RC ships have been fantastic. The best show was the comedian Kiwi Rogers! The “Gift” was an odd show and hard to follow. The only thing that was good were the special effects. Spectra’s Cabaret was way out there! Left the show after 15 minutes into it. The show “We Will Rock You” started out with a modern twist. It was long, one hour and 50 minutes. Too long in my opinion. It was good in the end with all the great songs from “Queen”! The last show we saw was “Revoiced”. This was good but too long too! The shows were geared more for an age group of 20’s to 40’s. The age range on this trip was 50’s to 70’s. The ship seemed crowded even though it is a smaller ship then Allure. The Allure ship didn’t seem crowded and the food was much better! Read Less

Day of Cruise Philly to Port Liberty Left home at about 7:45 AM and headed up the NJ turnpike to I-95 N towards NY. Following the car's GPS, got off at the Bayonne exit. After a short drive with just a few turns, arrived at the terminal at around 10 AM. After dropping off our one large bag, parked inside the main parking garage right next to the terminal. It was just a very short walk to the terminal with our two wheeled carry on bags. Check in was the easiest of all cruises we've ever taken! Check in, from start to finish, took only about 15 minutes. Since it was still rather early, we sat in chairs till it was announced we could board. Boarding started at about 10:45. Everything was so organized! One row of seats was called at a time. Therefore, there was no pushing, shoving, or bumping into others. Naturally, everyone made a bee line towards the Windjammer for a bite to eat so the elevators were rather crowded. That’s just the nature of Day 1. Muster drill was at 3:30 and just as soon as it ended, the lines were cast off and away we went. I have to mention that the skyline of NYC was awesome and seeing the Statue of Liberty was breathtaking. It was way cool passing under the VN Bridge! Lots of applause after we “barely” made it safely through. My wife and I started to explore the ship but it was set up a lot differently than every other Royal ship we've sailed on. The Allure was like that when we first sailed her but we got to be good friends after a few days. As time goes on, we will have seen a great deal of what this ship offers but by then, it will be time to end our vacation. Dinner on Day 1 was at Chops. What else is there to say except that the food was simply the best. Tomorrow night's dinner will be at Jaimie's Italian and we're really looking forward to that. Day 2- sea day After breakfast, hung out at the Solarium for most of the day. It's such a restful and beautiful place. We explored more of the ship and what we saw was amazing. Bumper cars at sea? Who would have thought? Although we didn’t go on them, it was fun watching everyone else really enjoying themselves! Dinner was at Jaimie's Italian. Could it top Chops? A very tough comparison, but they were both really great! We had a meat AND a veggie plank for starters and they were delicious. Our main dishes were crab fettuccini and another equally yummy pasta dish but the name escapes me. The lemon meringue cheesecake, for dessert, was out of this world. Day 3: Arrival at Bermuda. After breakfast, left the ship and grabbed a shuttle to Horseshoe Bay. It was only $7 per person which I thought was very reasonable. It was a very scenic drive of about 25 minutes from the pier. Upon entering the beach area, we took a right turn and stayed at the rock protected area where the water was like glass and only about waist high. Although slathered with sunscreen, the sun, in a cloudless sky, was extremely hot. After about an hour, we decided to leave before being burnt to a crisp. Our shuttle driver said the water temp was 83 degrees which sort of felt like being in a hot tub Tues. Day 4: Bermuda Spent most of the morning exploring the Royal Naval Dockyard. In particular, we concentrated on The Keep, a place steeped in so much of Bermuda's history. The Commissioner's House offered probably the best view of the port. There were old cannons pointing directly at the Anthem which was kind of scary even though they were inoperative. After that, off to the Dolphin Quest. Although we didn't participate, it was awesome to watch these magnificent animals perform for, and with the tourists. The hot sun had been beating down on us for a few hours now and was beginning to take its toll. Naturally, I forgot to put on sun block and didn't think to wear my baseball cap. Before we burnt to a crisp, we headed back towards the ship before noon. First, we stopped at a little pub for some ice cold beer (me) and bottled water for my wife. The A/C on the ship was very welcomed! Tuesday's dinner was probably the best of any cruise we've ever taken! It was prime rib and lobster night! First of all our six tablemates were the greatest and funniest people we've ever sat with! Nothing but jokes, laughs, and good conservation all night. But the best part was that after we began eating our entree, our server brought out a huge plate with three extra lobster tails per person! To say we were in heaven would be an understatement! It's tough to decide which was better- the specialty dining at Chops and Jaimie's or the MDR with the prime rib/ lobster combo. Day 5: Wed. Sea day Calm seas and smooth sailing on the way back to Bayonne. A bittersweet day knowing all this is coming to an end. We had breakfast at the Solarium and have decided that it's much better than fighting the lines at the Windjammer. At about 9:14, the captain came on the PA system and announced if we would all observe a moment of silence to commemorate the 18th anniversary of 9/11. You could hear a pin drop during the minute everyone thought back to that tragic day on a beautiful September morning. When the captain came back on the PA to thank everyone for their cooperation, there was still silence and people were still quiet as they reflected on the darkest day in our history. A very poignant moment aboard the Anthem. Back to our cabin where we saw those dreaded green luggage tags for Thursday’s debarkation. The reality that a great cruise was about to come to an end. We sat at a table for eight with some really great people! I remarked that Royal threw “all the bad apples in the same barrel!” Every night, we laughed so hard while sharing all kinds of stories. On Tuesday night, prime rib and lobster tails were on the menu. We all got the surf and turf. Our waiter, without being asked, brought out a huge plate with three extra lobster tails for each person! To say we left stuffed would be an understatement! All of us had so much fun that we were always the last to leave the 5:30 PM seating. Day 6: Debarkation. We opted for self-carry off since we were parked at the garage next to the terminal. So, at about 8:00 AM, we sadly walked down the gangway to the customs area. There wasn’t much of a line at customs, but we used a porter to save a little time. Customs was such a breeze! They used facial recognition which took all of .001 seconds and we were out of the terminal! I didn’t notice if there were agents or the facial recognition for those waiting in line, but it was sure a pleasant ending for a fantastic cruise. Final Thoughts and Observations: Port Liberty has things down to a science. It was the easiest and fastest boarding process I’ve ever had in my 16 cruises. Everyone who works there deserves a round of applause! All the other ports should use Bayonne’s model. Leaving the ship was just as easy with no stress at all. Most of the people I encountered were from PA (like us), NJ, NY, and other nearby states. Everyone, without exception, was fun, pleasant, helpful, and mannerly. For instance, people held the elevator doors for others, always had a “good morning” or “how are you?” for their fellow cruisers, and on and on. The September 7th sailing of the Anthem wasn’t just a good cruise. It was a GREAT cruise! Can’t wait to leave from Bayonne again! Read Less

I chose this particular cruise to take my son for his birthday/Christmas combined as his present. I had also booked him to do the deep sea fishing in Bermuda. We were both super excited as neither of us had been to Baltimore (so we arrived a day early to see some sights) and neither of us had been to Bermuda. We arrived on 8/30/19 and checked into a hotel, walked to the Inner Harbor for dinner and see some sights. The next morning we got to the terminal to check onto the ship and so far so smooth ... I had also purchased "the key" for us which expedited our wait with other perks as well. We were on the ship around 11 am. We had taken a tour of the spa area and had both booked services for that day. The ship was set to leave port at 4 pm, which is did. Once away from the dock I noticed that we appeared to be going in circles then we went back to the dock. We were told the propulsion system was not working properly and that it was being looked at. Fast forward to approximately 8 pm. The captain came over the PA and stated that the ship was broke and the cruise was cancelled. We had two choices leave the ship by 11 pm that evening or we would not be allowed to leave until 6 pm the following evening but all must be off by 9 pm the following evening. Our mouths dropped open .. like is this seriously happening??? Yep, it sure was. We were told there were letters in our stateroom explaining what their compensation would be, they would be reimbursing each guest up to $200 per person to change their flight plus up to $200 if you needed a hotel the evening of 8/31/19. I immediately went to our room and began calling the airlines to see about changing our flight and explaining what had just happened to our cruise. The airline we flew in on wanted $383 per person to change our flight! I went to guest services and they stated there was nothing they could do that everyone was getting the same amount and no exceptions would be granted. I went back to our room and started looking at all other flight options. Around 10:30 pm I told my son we either get off now or we're stuck until the following evening which would potentially mean we wouldn't get home until Monday as there were no evening flights to get us home the following evening. We decided to leave the ship. At that time we did not have a flight booked nor did we have a hotel for the night. I had been on the phone for approximately 45 minutes with Travelocity at this point. We walked off the ship me with my suitcase in one hand and my phone in the other. There was a park bench outside the terminal that my son and I sat on while we made arrangements for both flight and hotel. To reschedule our flight for the next day cost $349 per person (trust me I tried to find a cheaper one but it didn't exist!) and we found a hotel near the airport for just under $140. Remind you at this time I was still out the cost of the cruise, shore excursions we had booked, the drink package we had, the "key" we both had, spa services we both had done prior to the cruise being cancelled, our hotel the night before, our original filghts, etc... totaling nearly $3000! So on top of this I am now out an additional $850 (rescheduled flights, hotel, Uber) that needed paid that day! So far I have received some of the money but not all that they have agreed to reimburse me. RCs ship broke, 100% their fault 0% my fault thus I should have $0 out of pocket for this. I shouldn't have to wait 2+ weeks to be reimbursed nor do I feel I should be out any money at all on this. If I tried to find cheaper flights and couldn't I feel I should be reimbursed the entire $349 per person, not just the $200 per person. I am not very happy right now. I feel like I was abandoned and left to fend for myself with zero help from RC. While I would love to comment on the ship, cabin, dining, entertainment, ports, etc... I cannot as there was not much open during our few hours aboard the ship. Read Less

I choose this cruise for convenience as I live in Maryland and it was close to my birthday. Me and my girlfriend are both in our 30s and had a great time. Service on ship was excellent wether your talking about the MDR our room stewards etc.. We ate at chops and it was delicious we’re on the other royal ships we have been in. Izumi was also good we have eaten on other ships and then experience there was by far the best. I read a lot about this shop draws a older crowd and I could see that but it might just be when you go and your itinerary. Also read before we went that the shop shuts down at 10 or 11 o’clock which in my experience is also not true. They had live music in the centrum until at least midnight and one of the nights we went to the night club on board and people were still dancing partying etc and it was past 2am. The ship is small and for a young active couple I think 5 or maybe 7 nights max would be the perfect length on this ship as I think any longer I would have started to get board. Bermuda was awesome and beautiful and hopefully will be able to go back soon. Overall I had a great time and at the end of the day your vacation is all about what you make it. Read Less

My family selected this cruise because we did not need to fly to get to NJ and because we did not want a long cruise. The ship was nice, but many of the characteristics of other Royal Carribean ship were missing. For example the Schooner Bar was a stripped down version and lacked the normal boat. Kids pools were not separate from the other pools and children were always in the hot tubs. The emergency drill was not well done. It was a childish video that did not easily communicate what to do in an emergency. Many people simply did not watch. The food was just ok in anytime dining. Service was good except for in the pool area where workers consistently did not give way of the paying guests, instead the guests needed to give way to staff. Ifly was outstanding. You likely have guessed by now that this was not my favorite ship. All this said, we had a good time and remain loyal to RC. Read Less

My daughter and I had cruised Anthem 2 yrs ago on the 4 night to Bermuda and while there were some issues on the cruise, we decided to try the 5 night to Bermuda. Overall, I was very happy with the cruise. Room- We again had a room with the large balcony at a good location near the elevators. The room was spotless and our steward, Carlton was very nice and provided me with extra towels when I asked for them. The issue with the horrible beds continued, though we did ask for and get toppers for them. For the first time though in a while on RCCl we had very loud and obnoxious neighbors blasting music . Key program -We had The Key program- I was not sure how it would work out, but in the end the benefits we used were great and I would do this again. We got there at 11 so missed the early embarkation but the Key had a designated check in anyhow. We had lunch when we boarded in one of the dining rooms from the Chops menu. We left a carry on near the dining room when we boarded. During the cruise we got a fruit plate. We did not use the priority time for Bermuda. We were able to book North Star through the Key, though in the end cancelled but could have used Stand By. (It had not been available on the Cruise Planner). We got a discount at Izumi. We did not see any shows this time. Best was the departure. We had breakfast and getting off the ship was super easy, as the Key employee guided us off, through the pier , to the luggage and got us into a fast customs line. I would definitely do The Key again. Internet and Drink Package- I booked the Deluxe package with internet before I realized I had booked the Key months earlier ( forgetful sometimes....) and because I did not want to cancel and rebook, we ended up with 4 internet packages. This actually worked out well as I could use my phone and computer at same time, and daughter her iPad and phone. No, I would not do that again, but it worked well this time. The drink package is totally worth it. Food- there were some issues here but they related to booking only. I had booked the Chefs Table and 3 night dining package through the Cruise Planner. We generally only eat in specialty restaurants and before I always booked pre cruise, but decided to save money this time. I did not really like running around on the first day to get the restaurants booked. We went to a gentleman in Chops first to check on the 3 nights, and the first night he claimed we were in Jamie's at 9.30 when I had booked for 8 pm times but we switched it to Wonderland and then Jamies and Chops at the end of the week. However, when I checked several times before the second to last night when we had Jamie's, and even that day the reservation was either lost or at a wrong time. I will say that the food in all the restaurants we ate in was excellent. In fact, Wonderland, which had been disappointing 2 yrs ago, and on the Symphony in Nov., was fantastic and we ended up eating there the last night again instead of Chops. Our server , Gabino, was great. We had him as our server both nights. Instead of eating in Hamilton on the night in Bermuda, my daughter ate in Izumi and I joined her for a salad as I dislike sushi. Our server, Jofel, was also super. When I said I wanted a burger he went downstairs to the pub and ordered one for me and brought it back to me. He also brought my daughter back from that deck the special pineapple drink. I got room service in the morning as I like to drink coffee on the balcony. It came promptly each morning. We also ordered from the room service menu at the pool as we booked the sunbeds, and I thought the Greek salad was very good as well. Chefs Table was exceptional and food allergies and preferences were easily accommodated. Shows- we did not see any this cruise. Last cruise we walked out on Spectra's Cabaret as we both thought it awful. Bars- on this cruise, Boleros was definitely the best . The bartenders were friendly and helpful. I enjoyed the music at night also. Schooner Bar had one of the rudest bartenders. Pool- I splurged and we enjoyed the sun beds outside the North Star Bar area on the sea days.I had seen them 2 yrs prior and knew to book them as soon as I got on the ship. For us, this was the best deal on the ship. Though expensive, we had great service throughout the day from Abraham, bottles of water, a bottle of champagne ( which I took home), and lunch from the Room Service menu. The pool was jammed on sea days and the chair hogs were out. We were told that some people were out at 4.30 am putting towels on chairs. For the first time, though, we did see a pool worker confiscate towels and put peoples' possession in plastic bags after a long period of time had gone by, but that was only on the first sea day. Bermuda- we were not overwhelmed. The island is very expensive and because I knew transportation by taxi can be costly, and difficult from some areas, we had made plans to be in Hamilton one day and possibly a beach the second. We ferried over to Hamilton but were underwhelmed . My daughter had hoped to buy a pair of sandals at the specialty sandal shop where they are hand made for you while you wait. However, the clerk was very unfriendly and dismissive. We decided to go back to the ship and went to Snorkel Park. That too was expensive for 2 chairs and an umbrella ($40). Beach was tiny and dirty. When we left we went shopping in the Clocktower and had lunch at Frog and Onion which was expensive. The second day we did the ship excursion to Clearwater Beach which involves an hour ride to St George and back. The tour was ok, but not worth the cost. I was not impressed by the beach. The host for the beach, though, was very nice. Parking- drop off of bags and parking was not difficult. The crowd is predominately from the tri state area- NY, NJ Pa , and surrounding states. That said, some were very rude, some teens were horrible, some people cut in front of you , some just very unfriendly, ( ie. at Chefs Table where in the past we found people were usually friendly, one group of 6 moved their chairs so they could all sit at one end, and never spoke to the other 6 of us), but overall we just dealt with it and in fact, booked another cruise over the holidays. Read Less

Our first cruise on the Anthem!! This is our biggest ship we have been on and absolutely loved it! The style and decor is so wonderful! The pools are beautiful and the solarium so pretty! We had an ocean view balcony on deck 8 but would recommend higher as the life boats were just below. The stateroom has so much storage and modern decor. We loved wonderland but missed the grand feel of the main dining room with the smaller dining areas. The food was excellent in the windjammer- better than previous ships. We were only disappointed with Jamie Oliver’s dining and that we never met our stateroom attendant ! In the past they always come and introduce themselves. We loved the overnight stay in Bermuda and would definitely return there! Embarkation and debarkation were a breeze! Cruising out of the Cape Liberty port gave us a great extended trip in NYC! Read Less

So, my parents decided that they wanted to see Bermuda again, and wanted to take the rest of us - so we were a group of 10 (7 adults, 2 teens, 1 kid). My husband and I live in Baltimore, so my parents decided we should go out on the Grandeur. This was our third cruise, the first two were one the Carnival Pride (so fair warning, there will be some comparisons). The best: The solarium is an amazing place on this ship. A glass enclosed adult-only section with a little food counter and direct access to the spa with the sauna and steam room. It was amazing, and WAY better than the Pride's adult only section. We almost always were able to find lounge chairs, and the pool is a real sized pool! Actually, both pools were real sized - which was a definite step up from the Pride's pools, with way more hot tubs. We ate at Chops one night and it was delicious! (on par with the prides steak house) The staff is all very friendly and sweet and helpful. Comparing to the Pride: Embarkation and departure were a dream on the Grandeur - Easy and fast. (the Pride was a nightmare both times) The Good: The windjammer was delicious for breakfast and lunch. The great Gatsby was mostly good for dinner. The spaces on the ship (south pacific lounge, centrum, schooner bar) were beautiful. The bad: Dining: Not one dinner meal did everyone get their food at the same time - and my mom is a stickler for 'no one eats if everyone doesn't have a plate'. We received poorly done meat (seriously - who eats well done prime rib?). And breakfast in the main dining room was disgusting (cold eggs benedict two mornings in a row . . ugh). Maintenance: 2 of the 9 elevators were broken from day 1. 2 of the remaining were on/off throughout the cruise (luckily it's a small ship). Entertainment: The Schooner bar piano guy (andy?) needs to retire. No voice, not familiar with all the words to songs and very low energy. the beautiful south pacific lounge was bad karaoke multiple nights of the 5 night cruise. The ship basically closes down except the one night club room and an outdoor movie playing by 10pm each evening. Room: the beds were cots shoved together. Lumpy and hard. Verdict: I wish this ship could get a revamp - better food, better entertainment - because the ship itself is lovely and had a lot of promise. But, as is? I won't be choosing this ship over the Pride. The RC cruises typically are more expensive than Carnival, and the pros weren't enough to sway me. Read Less

This cruise was to celebrate my friend's anniversary which was on a Royal Caribbean cruise 5 years before. On that cruise we had around 60 people. As well as celebrating an anniversary, 3 of us were celebrating our 65th birthdays on this cruise. My birthday actually fell on the day we were in port in Bermuda. This cruise was a debacle almost from the minute we arrived at the port. Some things were minor and if they were the only problem, we would have just let it go. We understand that things happen and don't nitpic over every little thing. But this cruise was one problem after another and even the resolution offered by the cruiseline turned out to be yet another fail. So I am going to include most of the problems we had, large and small, so that you can understand the frustration we all felt. This cruise left from New Jersey. We arrived around 11 am and got in line. We range in status from gold to diamond. It was pretty disorganized and some Gold passengers ended up in the Windjammer 20 minutes before we even got on the ship. Minor issue, no problem. After lunch we went to the pool and there were no towels. So we went to ride the bumper cars. They were having a problem because 2 of the cars that people were already in were not functioning and they had to get out and get back in line. Unfortunately, some of their families were already in cars that worked. We went back to the pool and had a few drinks , went to the room and unpacked. I have to say, I loved the room. We met some of our group for dinner. The restaurant was a bit of chaos because there are 2 restaurants but your card does not say which one to go to so people where standing in line at the wrong side which caused a backup in the area.At dinner everyone got a menu except my husband and I. We had to call him back over. When my meal came out, they gave it to someone else before it finally made it's way to me. This is just nothing I have ever experienced before. I guess I had been spoiled, but that is kind of what you expect when you pay the price we paid for this cruise. After dinner we went to look for the karaoke. Unfortunately, it is only open for an hour and it was already full, We went to the room, filled out the card to have coffee delivered in the morning and went to bed. Coffee was never delivered, I have never had this happen before. So we got up and went to breakfast at the restaurant. After breakfast we went for a walk around the ship to look around. We went to the pool for some of the contests. We went back to the room to get ready for dinner, which we were thought was lobster night. When we got there we found out lobster night was going to be on the second formal night ( which we were surprised they would have lobster night on a shore day?) We had already booked a dinner at the specialty restaurant which meant we would miss lobster night. Had we known earlier we could have switched the reservation around instead of missing one of our favorite things. Again, the service at the dining room was a bit of a shambles. Next day a large group of us were going to Horseshoe Bay Beach. A few of us were meeting by the pool to watch our friends get on the North Star. My friend had paid for her grandchildren to go on this cruise and planned to spend the day with them at the beach. We were all supposed to meet there but the grandchildren and their parents never showed up. When we got back to the ship we found out that their safe wouldn't open and they had to have their passports.They were stuck sitting in the room for well over an hour before anyone showed up. By the time the safe was opened it was too late for them to try to get to the beach. That night, 10 of us had a tour that we booked through Royal Caribbean for a pub crawl. This was the worst tour I have ever been on. The driver was terrible, didn't even talk to us. When he got us to the first stop, he said we could get off if we wanted!!!! I will be posting a whole separate review on the tour. It would take way too long to share that here.The next morning we had a tour that was booked with a private company and it was wonderful! When we returned, the group coordinator from my group and I went to guest services and told them about many of the problems. There were more than what I have even posted here. They promised to resolve the problems and they said they were going to do something very special for our group like something at lunch etc. We had to end it there because it was time for our reservation at Wonderland. Wonderland was WONDERFUL! Food and service was excellent and I hoped this would turn things around. After dinner my husband and I went to the Bionic Bar. We had stopped here earlier in the week but nothing was working. Well nothing had changed. In 20 minutes we saw at least 10 drinks that were only half full or made incorrectly. The next morning at breakfast we did get some fruit for our table and fresh squeezed orange juice( which most of us got already) . We did not know that was the "special" thing they were doing for our group.We did receive a half credit for our tour but as bad as it was and since we did not get the discounts we were promised and we were not taken to the bars as promised I expressed to Louis that I did not feel that was enough. I took it up with Post Guest Services after returning home and for the last month I have been trying to get a resolution. Today they told me that Royal Caribbean does not take any responsibility for tours you book through them. (P.S. I forgot to include that another person in our party also had a problem with their safe, and one of the shows had to be stopped in the middle of the show for technical difficulties) I understand that things happen, but it seemed very little was working properly on this ship, The public areas were small and this ship holds a lot of people so everywhere was crowded. We are not unreasonable people. Things happen but it is the way the company deals with the issue that matters. This company chose to not care whether we were happy or not. We travel with a group, usually anywhere from 12 to 60 people but I guess that no longer matters. I have always loved RC but if this is where they are going I do not know how I feel about sailing with them again. With as much money as we brought to this cruise and with as many problems as we encountered I would not think refunding at least a little more of our tour price would be that big of a deal . We had I think 48 people on this cruise with many of them purchasing drink packages so if you do the math you will see it would not have hurt them to resolve this issue. My review for the tour will be about their Pub Crawl In Bermuda. Read Less

First cruise on RCL after cruising NCL, Carnival, and Princess. Young 40's couple. This was a family get together cruise, so this itinerary was selected for us, but we did note that it was the most expensive I have ever paid for a cruise at $608 per night (for 2 people in the cabin including all taxes and fees and less our OBC) for a Junior Suite (which was priced only about $20 per night over a regular balcony). The itinerary was 4 nights at sea and one night at Bermuda. The ship is very small and was built in the mid-90s, so well past her prime. However, there is something quaint and nice about such a small ship that you get to know quickly and can get to places without a real effort. Nice large open walking promenade on the lower deck. But, overall, it is old and while still maintained and pretty clean, it feels old too (thin and discolored bed sheets, rust on edges of areas, ragged carpet/ window corners, etc). There were literally 2 total outlets in our Junior Suite, and they were nowhere near the bed. I suppose getting a bathtub is an "upgrade" in the JS but having to step over the shower and dodge the curtain was more of a pain than a perk. Inconsistent towel animals, ice had to be requested, and the kleenex/ tissue slot in our bathroom was never filled at all in the whole cruise (same for our other cabins, who also said their soap was often not replaced). The JS size was nice and wide with a big balcony (on which they stuck the world's tiniest 2 little chairs on.....so small you couldn't stretch out or lean back). Our Junior Suite (but not our other rooms) also had a weird and large Pillar in the middle of the room, right by the end of the bed - what I would call an obstruction. Also, we were on the 8th floor, so every night from about 10PM-midnight people and staff would rearrange the chairs and tables on the pool floor (9) and raise such a racket (ever heard of chair pads for the legs? - get a hundred for $10 at Amazon!) that all of our cabins had to wear earplugs ever night to get to sleep. The food was below average. The buffet had decent options but the area is small and there is very little outdoor dining on the whole ship. The main dining room (GREAT servers, very friendly and helpful) had a small menu every evening, half of which never changed - probably half the size of menu of every other ship we have sailed. Probably because they have advertisements and table fliers all over the ship trying to get you to buy "premium entrees" with your meal or upgrade to specialty dining. All of the appetizers and desserts arrived cold to lukewarm (seriously, how can you have a LAVA cake if it is cold?). The drink package was a pretty good value at the discounted rate of $49 per person/ day (plus gratuity) rate we got since it was good for all alcohol but also coffee (at Cafe Latte-tudes which serves Starbucks) and sodas and bottled / sparkling water. The Schooner bar and staff was great but all the others were slow and often made drinks that weren't even close to what was ordered. The gym was OK but definitely small for the number of people interested (all treadmills were always full). The pool was an OK size, but it was hard to stay out there very long because they blare the music so loud we couldn't talk to each other. The entertainment options are limited and the quality of performers was definitely the worst we have seen (I guess the talent scales with the ship size). This is definitely not a partying ship as not much is happening after about 9PM and most bars are closed by 11PM. The adult pool area has a nice and quiet Park Cafe (which curiously has no coffee) with small snacks/ sandwiches, as well as a bar that is often less busy but was staffed by one of the grumpiest bartenders I have encountered. Multiple times after asking him how he was doing, or how his day was going, his response was "What do you want" or "Are you ready" - and this was with no one else in line at the bar. Also, they broadcast next to nothing into the cabins - the bulletin said we would dock in Bermuda at 1PM and could disembark at 2PM so we waited to be called down. Finally we went outside at 2PM to see what was happening and they told us that they started letting people go at 1:30PM and you need to stand in the public areas to hear the announcements because they don't announce in staterooms (which was proved consistent upon return to Baltimore, where they also did not announce anything either). Cruising is great, and we had an overall good time on this ship, but for the premium that this ship is priced, I expect a whole LOT more. I guess they can charge this premium because people would rather drive to Baltimore than fly to Florida....but paying such extravagant premium rates for subpar amenities isn't for me. I do see the attraction of the smaller ship and should they ever start pricing this ship more in line with the experience on board, I would definitely consider it again. Read Less

We are loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers and we were happy to reach Platinum Level. we have sailed with Princess and Disney also in the past but a majority with Royal. We have cruised on the Oasis and Freedom class ships but first time on the Quantum class. We are very easy going cruisers and know things happen, but due to our experience with this ship we are questioning our loyalty and may decide on cruising with another cruise line. Here is my comprehensive review: Embarkation: We arrived at approximately 11am, traffic into the pier was horrendous as Cape Liberty is going through some major construction. Traffic entrance into pier was down to one lane. Entered cruise terminal which was easy and not that crowded. Entered the designated line for check-in. lines separated for general guests, Gold, Platinum-Emerald, Diamond and above. This is where the confusion started as terminal staff just funneled passengers into any line regardless of status, then let Diamond members ahead of all the other passengers waiting for designated check-in desks. Also you do not receive your SeaPass card until you get into your stateroom, so we could not do the Flowrider until we had the Seapass card and we could not get Starbucks coffee. Cabin: Balcony Room 6680 rear starboard side. Immediately upon entering the room it smelled of smoke. Thought great, prior cruisers were smokers. Unfortunately when we walked out to balcony we were greeted with a strong smoke smell and discovered the smoking atrium was just below the cabins on deck 5. Also people sitting in atrium can look up and see into cabin. Our daughter experienced a passenger looking up at her as she changed in the cabin. Kept shades closed for a majority of the cruise. Ship: The ship is beautiful full of technology, however technology broke down several time. The Royal Promenade is not as open as the Freedom and Oasis Class and not as easy to get around. It is poorly designed as most of the balconies do not have a view straight down to the water and there is a smoking area designated below some balcony cabins. Food: We did enjoy the food in the MDR but it did start to repeat itself on the 4th day. Wonderland had an eclectic selection of food but is priced at around $60 per person, I guess your paying for presentation. Windjammer always busy and food leaned heavily on Indian Curry spices, except for breakfast. Solarium Cafe was the place to go instead of windjammer but limited selections. Sorrento's Pizza was great and so was Cafe two 70 for the roast beef sandwiches. Staff: Wait staff and room steward were top notch, they worked hard to get things right. Guest Services staff mostly pleasant but couldn't make decisions. Bermuda: Very nice Island beautiful beaches. Hamilton's businesses were closed due to holiday and parade. Shipyard area was nice. Horseshoe Bay beautiful beach, but was busy. Also Bermuda is expensive. Entertainment: The Gift started out slow but finished great. Cabaret was no that great lots of use of light and technology. The music was not that great as the performers butchered the familiar songs. We Will Rock You CANCELLED due to hydraulic issues. It was replaced with the performers singing (not bad). Activities: Bumper cars were nice. IFly was the highlight of the activities a must do. Northstar looked nice but did not fit into our schedule. Flowrider also nice but too busy since there is only one. Sport activities staff were great. Disembarkation: Not too bad, we did not have to fill out Customs Declaration Forms. First time not having to do this. Wait time for car service back to hotel was over an hour due to the traffic issues at the port. We are still trying to resolve issues with cabin and our TA has gotten involved. Going on 2 weeks with no response from RCCL. I will update with resolution. Read Less

My mom and I cruised Anthem to Bermuda in June. We cruised RCCL to Bermuda about 7 years ago and wanted to go back on a newer ship. Being that we live in NJ, the convenience of leaving out of Bayonne was great. Checking in was easy - we got to the port at 10:30 and boarded soon after. Cabins are not available until 1PM, so we wandered around the ship and then headed to the Windjammer for lunch. It was utter chaos there. We ate quickly and waited until we could get into the cabin. Our seapasses were waiting for us. We had a junior suite - it was great! Very spacious and laid out well. A nice sized balcony too. There were upgraded toiletries in the bathroom. I think the cabin was the best part of the trip because when the ship felt crazy crowded, we had a quiet balcony to retreat to. BTW - I was offered an opportunity to upgrade with a bid on 3 other types of cabins. None of my bids were accepted. I was a little bummed, but again, was happy with the cabin we had. In general, the pros: * The ship was clean * Service for the most part was good * Lots of fun activities all day * Several no extra fee dining options * Bermuda is gorgeous * The cruise port is very easy to navigate with parking located close by * We rented an electric car from Oleander to cruise around the island - great customer service and lots of fun Cons: * The disembarkation process was a pure disaster - no clear directions, and was running behind schedule. Passengers were cutting in front of others, just so much confusion to end the trip on. * The Bermuda Triangle Nature Preserve excursion - do NOT waste your money! The excursion is nothing like the description. For what it cost, you could go to Horseshoe or one of the other nearby beaches, and get lunch and beach chairs for less with a prettier view. * A big ship has a lot of people and you can tell there are a lot of people. * Technical difficulties kept us from being able to see "We Will Rock You" twice. * Same food was served in the Windjammer every day. * The sales they offer are a joke. * Extra fee dining - as if it didn't already cost a lot to go, so why pay extra for food * The thermal suite doesn't come close to what NCL offers * Cabin 13236 is right under The Living Room and was quite noisy overhead We had a good time and will sail RCCL again, just be mindful of the pros and cons. Read Less

This was great! Our whole family went. We had four adjacent ocean balcony rooms. My husband and I in one. My three daughters (early 20s) in the next. My one daughter and son-in-law in the next, and my oldest daughter, son-in-law, and 2 1/2 year old granddaughter in the last. Our cabin attendant, MC, opened the dividers on the balconies, so we could all sit out together. It was great! Also great for using bathrooms when yours was occupied. Great for 9 adults and one child! We drove from PA to Bayonne, NJ. Two short hours and we were there. Parking was easy, and the embarkation process was quick. We were on the ship in less than 20 minutes! My husband and I were on a cruise last year so we told our kids to wear their bathing suits and enjoy the pool while there would be less people and lots of space to move around. They loved the deck area. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a spray park (?) play area for kids that weren't fully potty trained yet. My granddaughter only had the tiny pool area to play in, which was such a small space. She kept asking to go in the big pool with the other kids. I thought I had read there was a spray area for kids when I was researching this ship. I guess I was wrong. On a positive note, the children's babysitting area called Royal Tots was wonderful. We only used it 3 times for a few hours each time. We were all able to see the shows together while our granddaughter went there. We registered the first day, and were told spots fill up quickly. They will only take 8 children under three in this area at a time, so register early. She had fun, and the staff was very attentive. My daughters (5) and son-in-laws (2) went on NorthStar on Day 2 and took great pictures of the ship from above. They said it was awesome! One night we saw Matt Ye, a performer at Schooner's Bar. He did an interactive "adults only" show with everyone . We had a great time! He was very funny. We had dinner in Chops one night which we enjoyed. My daughter and son-in-law ordered the seafood tower and it was devoured very quickly. The food was very good, and the service was great! The other nights we ate in MDR. We really enjoyed the food, and many of us ordered 2 appetizers most evenings. Our server, Agnelo, was very attentive. The woman that did our drinks was great as well. She remembered what we liked and had it ready as soon as we arrived. "We Will Rock You" was great! It was a mixed aged audience. The middle-aged crowd (like myself) were singing right along with the Queen songs. My younger daughters liked it too, especially since seeing the "Bohemian Rhapsody" movie. The singing was amazing! The band, especially the guitarist, was great! The only issue I had was the timing of the show. It was at 6:30 which made dinner a problem. The dining rooms open at 5:15, and Windjammer opens at 5:30. Usually we like to get to the show 30 minutes before to get seats together and order drinks. My daughter was also dropping my granddaughter off at Royal Tots at 5:50- so pizza night it was. If the show was at 7, I don't think dinner would have been an issue. This was a 5 day cruise with an overnight in Bermuda--days 2 and 3. I would recommend an overnight, then you don't feel rushed to get back to the ship on the first day. We decided not to book an excursion through RC, we just went off the ship to the pier. Right at the pier, there are many, many taxis, and mini-buses to take you places. We took one for $7 a person to Horseshoe Bay. So it was $7 there, and $7 back= $14 per person. RC's excursion to the same place was over $35 pp. Loved Horseshoe Bay! The water was beautiful, but there was a lot of seaweed. This didn't really matter after awhile--we just enjoyed being in the beautiful blue waters. Again, going on our own allowed us to stay as long as we wanted. When we decided to leave, we walked to the parking lot, and there were the minivans/buses to take us right back to the ship. So easy! The second day in Bermuda, we decided to do some shopping, right next to the docks. We just wanted some souvenirs, and to look around. It was a beautiful day--the weather was great! As a family, we always had dinner together, but then at night we did whatever we wanted. I went to the comedy show, which was really funny. I forget the comedian's name, but he was very funny. It was a show meant for the family, and he appealed to many ages. My 20 year old daughter, was lost on some of the jokes, because he referenced things she didn't know about, but I was laughing so hard that my jaw started to hurt. My daughters and son-in-laws loved the pub and the guitar player there. There were either there or in Schooners most nights. They loved IFly, the sky diving simulator. They raved about it, and I got some hilarious pictures. Make sure to book this as soon as you can. I didn't see it up on cruise planner, but after browsing Cruise Critic, I learned that you should book it as soon as you get on the ship on Day 1 through Royal IQ app or go to guest services. It booked up really fast. You can always go to standby if you can't book it, to see if there are some no shows. I am sure there must be. One of my daughters was a no show to to some rocky seas on Day 5 which made her queasy. Overall, we really enjoyed our cruise, and would certainly sail again. Read Less

Background information: My husband and I are in our 80s, and I use a small mobility scooter to help me get around. This was a cruise to celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary with our four children. This was Bob's 19th cruise and my 30th cruise overall. It was his fifth and my sixth cruise on Royal Caribbean. We booked this cruise everyone could get off work on those dates and because it went out of Baltimore to Bermuda, and we always love to go to Bermuda. None of our children had seen much of Bermuda, so it was pretty new to them, and two of them had never been on a cruise before. Embarkation - One daughter came a day early and stayed an inner harbor hotel. She Ubered to the port. One daughter was driven by her husband. The third daughter's family flew in and stayed in a hotel near the airport. Our son drove up from SC and stayed in the same hotel. He took them all to the ship. Bob and I drove up from southern Maryland and arrived at the cruise terminal about 11. Check in was pretty quick. But we could not get into the room until 1:00 and the dining room was not open which meant everyone had to eat lunch in the Windjammer with all their luggage. This was NOT a good experience. I was supposed to have on-board credit, and it was never added to my account I thought the muster drill was kind of sketchy. They held it out on the deck (which meant that only about one in eight people could see because most people were behind another person). It was outside even for the people in wheelchairs, walkers and scooters. Unlike some ships who do the muster drills for the mobility challenged inside. Some people have a problem standing for that period of time. Ship: We have sailed on this ship before and it is a nice smaller ship, although it is quite noisy. There is always loud music in the atrium. One of the girls did the climbing wall and that was fun. There was a group on board and some of their meetings would close the Solarium or other venues. Two of the elevators were out of service for the entire cruise. The internet was the worst I have ever had on a ship. I could not post any photos because it was too slow. I could not even play a game of solitaire without having to turn the modem back on and log on again. We wanted to play dominoes and could not find a table anywhere that was big enough. Activities: There were scavenger hunts. We did trivia and had a good time with that. They had Harry Potter Trivia, Friends Trivia, and Pub Trivia in addition to regular general trivia. There was also Pictionary. Some of the group did Karaoke, and that was fun. My son-in-law tried to play Bingo, but he missed marking one of the numbers and then when he marked it and had Bingo, they said it didn't count because he didn't have the last number called. The Family Feud game was very poorly done. We didn't go to any shows and those of us that did weren't very impressed. Service was good. Our children commented that the bar service was particularly good (they had the drinks package) Our cabin steward did a good job and kept the cabin clean. We had a group photo that were taken on the first night. I decided that one of the group was good and we should get one for everyone. Everyone was good except one daughter who had her eyes closed in one of them. So I ordered four of the good one and one of the one with her eyes closed. They put that we should come and get the photos at 8 the next night and they were closed then. When we actually got the photos, they had done it the wrong way. 4 with her eyes closed and one with her eyes open. Dining: The Windjammer buffet was absolutely not an option for me. The labels were over my head and I could not see them from the scooter and I could not reach some of the food. Occasionally someone would offer to help me, but usually I had to get my husband to get me food. There were some times when it was not possible to get any food. For example, earlier than 6:30 am, or between breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer. They did a good job with the various allergies in our group (gluten, peanuts, lactose). In the main dining room, we had a nice round table for all of us on the first night (My Time Dining). We went to Chops the second night, and we were never able to get that good table again. We would get to the dining room as it opened and there was already someone seated at that table. Instead we had to have a long table which meant that we couldn't really talk to the people on the ends of the table. We mostly ate breakfast and lunch in the Great Gatsby. I like the chopped salad at lunch, and one afternoon, Bob had just shrimp and ice cream. The dinner at Chops was good - they did the sides family style. Port & shore excursions: I did not take any excursions because I have been to Bermuda eight times previously and I had booked a private guide. It was absolutely ridiculous to keep people not on excursions from getting off immediately. My children liked the Hidden Gems Tour and the Crystal Caves Tour, and one of them (who brought her bicycle) did some of the Railway Trail. Disembarkation: Very quick and easy Summary: We were able to do a lot of family activities and we had fun together. Bermuda was, as always, beautiful but our time there was too short. A five day cruise is just not long enough. I think two of our daughters are coming back by airplane and staying on the island Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the ship (wanted to try a quantum class) and the fact that it was two solid days in a great port (Bermuda). Side note, Bermuda itself is amazing. Five stars. This was our 11th cruise, 2nd with royal caribbean. Most of our previous cruises were with the sister company Celebrity. We were two adults and our 7yo son & 4yo daughter. We opted to book two adjoining interior staterooms for the same price as one balcony. We don't spend a lot of time in our cabin and having the extra space and a second bathroom was fantastic. I would highly recommend this if you're traveling with kids. Pros: Bermuda is great and it was nice not to feel rushed. The ship itself is very pretty and kept clean. Staff is nice. The entertainment is plentiful and you can tell that RCL puts a lot of money into it. Very talented musicians and dancers. The production shows themselves were odd (especially Spectra's Caberet). Cons: This was not a cheap cruise by any stretch. And while I have been feeling this way for a few years, this cruise felt like the line was crossed where crusing no longer feels like a good value for my money. While there is great technology on the ship, its often broken. The virtual balcony in our room is not nearly as cool as it sounds and they could not find a remote control for ours that would allow us to turn it off at night so it was like having a tv on in our room. The rooms never felt comfortably cool and the beds are very hard. The ship felt horribly crowded. I know this is a complaint that runs through most reviews but its getting worse as cruise lines take away more of the common spaces to put in money making spaces to add to thier bottom line. The two swimming pools were always packed to the seams which was dissapointing to my kids. The elevators were always a long wait (and its common to need to go from floor 3 to 15 so stairs are not always a practical option, especially with little kids). The buffet (windjammer) was always so busy that it was hard to find a table and felt chaotic to get your food. The food in the buffet and the main dinign rooms was mediocre at best. Portions are small, food was bland and overcooked. Often room temperatutre. Dissapointed with the food in Chic, we tried Jamie's and Wonderland. Neither knocked our socks off and it did not feel like a good value for the extra price. Generally, we love the speciality restaurants on cruise ships and feel like its a special meal. So in sum, I feel like the cruise industry is finally crossing that line in thier quest to make as much money as possible by offering less and less in the price of the cruise. It felt like everything was extra (even the popcorn? Come on. That costs nothing to make. Why are you charging people $3 for popcorn?) and it no longer feels like a good value. We got off the ship feeling dissapointed and ripped off. We will be taking our vacation money elsewhere next year and going to a high end all inclusive resort for a week at the same price were it actually is all inclusive. Read Less

We chose this ship due to it sailing of of Bayonne New Jersey which is about a 4 hour drive from us. It was our first cruise ever and our 5 year anniversary trip. It was only my husband and I who went. We got a balcony room #12672 and the view was absolutely stunning! We thought the location was pretty good. Originally our trip was supposed to be a 5 day cruise with 2 days in Bermuda. However our trip was cut short due to someone having a medical crisis on the ship during the preceding trip and then having to turn the ship around to go to the closet port. We were suppose to depart New Jersey Saturday may 18th at 4pm but ended up leaving Sunday May 19th at 11pm. We decided to make the best of it and stayed in New York overnight visiting the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 memorial was amazing. I felt RCCL did a lot for us to make up for it. They refunded us 2 nights cruise fare, plus drink package and key and any other add one you had purchased, plus refunded use up to $250 for the hotel stay the night before, and a 25 percent credit towards a future cruise. Those who did not want to do this were given the option of canceling with a 100 percent refund. Due to this I felt the ship wasn’t crowded and actually made it more enjoyable for those of us who went. We purchased the key for $25/pp per night and felt it was a good value for just my husband and I. We loved the priority check in, and choice departure as well as the farewell breakfast and lunch at chops. Bermuda was beautiful and the highlight of the day was definitely Hartley’s helmet dive! A once in a lifetime experience. This is a must do if you’re in Bermuda! Greg Hartley was very knowledgeable and took his time with us. Words can’t express how amazing this is! The shows were good especially liked “we will rock you” and the comedian that was on was prettt funny. Cons: The internet was awful and spotty barely worked! Even the Royal iq app wouldn’t work on the tv or the iPads or anything. Not much choice for food late night. Trip was too short. All in all I highly recommend this ship :) Read Less