kingkopes

Johnny Rockets

Stateroom

Grilled Cheese Menu

Crab Cakes

Pool on Day 2

2018 Royal Cruise Review:

Hi y’all from Maddison and Connor!:

I (Connor) am 24 and my fiancé, Maddison, is 22, and we are from Arizona. We have cruised quite a few times and I like to be able to give us younger cruisers a voice on the forums and reviews!

We are a very active couple who loves adventures, participating in events, tons of food, and good times with each-other!

Here’s a pic of us! (most other pictures will be added because Cruise Critic doesn’t allow more than 6 photos in a post!)

We did not do any specialty restaurants, but we do the MDR every night. (Menu for each night at the end of the review. I must’ve missed one night..sorry! lol)

We do not drink, but I do enjoy soda and Red Bull galore, so I get the Refreshment package. Red Bull was readily available at pretty much everywhere I asked. (This was a big problem on Liberty last year.)

We had room #14558 which was an ocean view balcony. The room was a great location because it was about 3 doors from the elevator (no noise issues). The room was actually directly below the overhanging hot tub. It did obstruct our view a few times, but it also helped with shade. We normally do interior cabins because we really don’t care for anything more, but we were upgraded to this room for only $50 total. We enjoyed the balcony, but only used it a handful of times. No problem going back to an interior. We’d rather spend the extra money elsewhere!

Pre cruise:

We flew in from Arizona the Saturday before and arrived around 5:30pm. We stayed at a new (6 months old) Comfort Suites 5 minutes below the FLL airport. They had a free shuttle to and from the airport. They also had a $10pp shuttle to the cruise port. (We ended up just getting an Uber for $8 or so to the port.)

The hotel had free breakfast with the basics and we enjoyed the gym as well.

Since we eat very healthy when not on a cruise, and we were on an extremely strict diet the past month, we were looking forward to a fun dinner that night we flew in to kick off the vacation! We found this super cool place on Instagram called New York Grilled Cheese just north of Ft. Lauderdale. Wow, just wow. All the grilled cheeses are made with a waffle iron and they have the most elaborate fries for sides. If you don’t eat enough on the cruise, we highly suggest this place! Haha

Weather:

We got lucky with weather the entire trip. It sprinkled for less than a minute one sea day and it did the same on St. Maarten. Other than that, it was mostly sunny!

Interest fact: there was a “haze” in the sky throughout the trip. It was actually sand that comes over from the Sahara and causes this “haze”.

Favorite (new) drink:

Strawberry Lemonade with Sugar free Red Bull. (Add vodka if you want it spiked!)

Favorite food:

Pizza

Favorite dessert:

Warm chocolate cookie with Vanilla Ice Cream in MDR

Old time favorite:

Coconut Ranger Cookies

Bonus Favorite:

Chorizo quesadilla at Park Cafe

Embarkation:

We arrived really early at 9:20, in preparation to get on the ship ASAP.

Seated and waiting by 10.

Starting the review off with a big kicker, as soon as we got in line outside the cruise terminal, the family in front of us had a small (“service”) dog in a stroller with them. We asked if the dog was going on the boat and they said yes. I told them that supposedly RCI was not allowing any type of dog on board, but they told me that they had numerous recent conversations with RCI and it was going to be fine.

*Spoiler* - They got on with no problem and there were also 3 other dogs on board that we saw. We did not see any problems caused by any, but definitely interesting considering the recent news.

Expedited check in was quick, but it seems unnecessary.

We did not end up getting on the ship until 12:15. This was much later than we are used to. Supposedly they were having some delays on the previous cruise, as well as coast guard inspections.

Once we were on, the Promenade was packed with people boarding, but we walked around the ship and it was quiet everywhere else. Staff were around trying to sell drink packages and specialty restaurants, but they weren’t being too pushy.

Sea passes were waiting on our door number at 1pm. Pretty easy for someone to take your keys, which I don’t like. Also really weird with getting drinks before being able to get to your room. Some bartenders just asked if you had a drink package and gave you the drink, and others were hand writing room numbers which seems hilarious.

Speaking of that, there were other times where bartenders were hand writing drink orders (cart in front of windjammer and at bars on Labadee). Seems extremely annoying and not efficient.

The promenade was playing cool “party” music. Remixes of popular songs. We really enjoyed that.

Day 1:

The promenade was crazy packed after muster. Sorrentos and cafe promenade could just not keep up. (Common theme throughout the trip).

There were lots of good flowboarders, and most of them knew each other from previous cruises, or they always cruise together. Since that is where we spent the majority of our time, we ended up becoming great friends with them, eating with them at the MDR, and will probably plan cruises together in the future! We always tend to meet amazing people at the wave and this cruise was a great example of that!

The pools were quiet today actually. We were able to get chairs in the beach pool in the water. People are still boarding and it tends to be a good time to hit the pools.

The pizza was so so so good this cruise and we ate pleeennttyyyy of it! Haha. We believe it was far better than previous cruises, and we liked it then too. We loved the pizza of the day each day.

We go to the MDR every night and enjoy the service. I will say up front, that we were disappointed with the menus in the MDR. Most nights my fiancé did not even get an entree because none of it sounded appealing to her. We are not picky people either. We understand that we are on a ship trying to feed THOUSANDS of people and we do not normally complain about the food. Unfortunately, the MDR was not impressive this cruise.

Crab cakes. Antipasti. Chicken salad. And more crab cakes. Is what I had for dinner. I liked them all. Crab cakes pictured below. Didn’t really take many food pics.

Oceanaria was amazing. I could watch that multiple times. The hand balancers are crazy impressive. I have so much respect for those guys and I don’t think people understand the strength necessary for that.

The weather was great and I don’t think any of the shows were ever affected.

Late night around 11pm was packed at promenade cafe again..

Day 2: Sea Day

First time trying out donuts on the Boardwalk and there were 6 or so types of donuts. I liked the cinnamon sugar ones which are normally pretty good and the sprinkle ones were pretty good this trip too.

Like I was saying about all the good riders, there were about 10 advanced flowboarders there in the morning for the advanced session. Way more than any previous cruise I’ve been on, but like I said, we became great friends with them.

My fiancé and I are big time gym rats and we enjoy going on the ship. The gym is smaller than I remembered, especially the free weights section. Seriously so small and crammed. There is also no cool view like on Freedom class ships. Nonetheless, they had good Hammer Strength machines and it definitely works for getting a good lift in.

Headed to the The Windjammer for breakfast. It seems small and poorly designed (compared to liberty). You walk right into the first buffet station and it causes a crowd.

Hash browns were really good throughout the entire week!

Pool (beach) was really packed. Only got 1 chair in the water area. Barely any room to stand in the pool, or even sit on the edge.

The band was good though with the reggae jams and we enjoy just hanging out.

Johnny rockets wasn’t busy at 2pm. Good food, but nothing crazy special. It was about $23 after service charge for 2 of us. Milkshakes are 100% included in the refreshment and deluxe drink package. You can also just stop in and order a milkshake to go.

*Pro Tip* you can order a chocolate peanut butter shake... thank me later!

Only 7 people showed up for adult dodgeball, which was very surprising because on all my past cruises you have to get there super early to get a spot on a team. The 7 of us just played best 3 out of 5 and had a good time anyways!

Flowrider was busy in the late afternoon, which is normally the case.

Snack time!! Caribbean dream? Pizza was amazing!

I’m pretty sure we went to adult karaoke tonight and it was pretty good. It’s normally pretty entertaining. It seemed like they did it too often and it wasn’t as “exciting” if you will, because it was never a packed venue.

Day 3: Sea Day

We tried breakfast at park cafe.. bagels station, euro breakfast sandwich, fruit, yogurt, oatmeal, assorted pastries.

We wanted more, so we got donuts haha More different donuts at boardwalk today. Different frostings and fillings.

We also went to wipeout cafe for more food... I guess we were hungry! Made to order eggs at wipeout cafe. Good enough choices. Basic eggs, bacon, sausage, pastries. Juice, milk.

Only the freestyle machine for soda. I asked a worker and he like secretly took my cup and filled it up in the back because I didn’t have my freestyle cup. Seemed odd to not have a hose fountain at Wipeout.

Same lots of riders at the flowrider in the morning.

Gym still packed and tough to find room in the free weight area. Literally bumping weights with people.

I did the World's Sexiest Man competition again and it was very “extra” haha. It’s at the aqua theatre, so they used all the fountains and water was spraying everywhere. I ended up getting 2nd, but it was hilarious and fun to be a part of.

Went to the pool in the afternoon and it was busy, but still enjoyed the music playing and the sunshine.

Love and marriage was hilarious as usual. Cruise director was so so good. He reminds us of Jack Black. Couples had some ridiculous answers as usual. About 15 honeymoon couples auditioned.

Day 4: St. Maarten

Windjammer for breakfast, which was packed. We Couldn’t find a table for about 10 minutes. Nothing special breakfast. Hash browns are still awesome.

We don’t normally do many excursions, we normally just do our own thing or bring our own snorkel gear to a beach, but I surprised my fiancé with the Rhino rider tour. It was so much fun! You (single or double) drive your own little dingy boat with a 30hp outboard engine in Simpson lagoon and out into the open ocean up to Creole Rock to snorkel. It was a blast to drive! It was very interesting to see different parts of the island, especially after the hurricane last year. We drove right next to tons of yachts and sail boats sunk, destroyed, or abandoned and just left in the water. Much of the land on the island seemed to be a abandoned as well, which was sad to see.

Our guide also mentioned that the coral and sea life around Creole Rock was destroyed during the hurricane. It is just now growing back and fish are coming back.

I booked directly with Rhino Rider and we basically got a private, extended tour. (See pics to see the cruise excursion vs our excursion). It was just us and another couple.

We did transport through Twin island excursions, and it was $32 round trip for 2 people.

Cruise excursion briefing

Private excursion briefing

After the excursion, the downtown beach area was very low energy. Not much going on. Sort of a ghost town feel. We paid for a few chairs to relax on the beach and chill in the water.

Many places were closed, including Diamonds International, for Yom Kippur. This was the case on Puerto Rico as well.

Taxi driver ripped us off taking us back the 5 minutes to the ship. Demanded more money once we got to the port. Not a big deal, just one of those things that can happen.

Good flowrider time in the afternoon once we got back to the ship.

Warm chocolate cookie in MDR is amazing. Like a pazookie. MUST order!!

Comedy show was hilarious. Sat up front and both comedians were messing with us and using us for jokes. We loved this intimate setting of Comedy Live! Much different than in a theatre setting.

Day 5: Puerto Rico:

No morning flowrider, not even advance.

Johnny Rockets breakfast. Cooked to order, and it’s a la Carte. Very good. No milkshakes in the morning. Lol

I believe we were in port from 7:30-1:30. We got off around 9:30am and many things were still closed in port, even after 10am. The fort that is closest to walk to was closed and you could only look from the outside. The whole port seemed very Americanized.

Came back to the ship early and enjoyed a quiet pool and chatted with another couple for a while.

Chorizo quesadillas at park cafe are awesome. (And we love good Mexican food coming from AZ).

Was going to buy chips and guacamole from Sabor (yes you can just buy that and get it to go. I believe she said $8), but I checked the windjammer before we did to see if they had any.. and they did!! I made an awesome plate of nachos with quac, white cheese sauce, and refried beans. It was surprisingly good!

All afternoon on the flowrider.

We also did the 10-11pm 18+ flowrider. Only 4 of us. We got some amazing practice in! And it was really fun to ride under the party lights at night!

Day 6: Labadee:

Early flowrider until 10:30.

Donuts were great at the boardwalk.

We wanted to grab more food, but there was no food in the whole promenade because of breakfast/lunch transition. Never seen that before, but we just decided to get off the ship and get lunch on Labadee.

Boat ride to Columbus cove was quick and easy. I know many people on there did not believe them when they told people it was only a 1 way trip... it was indeed a 1 way trip! Something to remember if you were counting on it.

Grabbed our own chairs and put them underneath the waterslide for shade. Had that whole section of beach to ourselves.

Lunch on the “island” was good, but the basics. Hot dogs, burgers, chicken, ribs, sides and desserts.

Walked back to the ship and it really isn’t far at all. Probably only 10 minutes if we didn’t stop and enjoy a super comfortable lounge section made out of a boat.

Virgin labadoozie was awesome.

Went back to the flowrider for the afternoon.... typical.

Tonight was Quest! If you haven’t done Quest before.... GO! You will laugh yourself to the floor and see things you may or may not have wanted to see! Haha

Parents beware, there was full female and male nudity multiple times, as well as plenty of other inappropriate jokes, moves, thrusts, etc etc haha. Always a highlight of the cruise!

Yes, that is me and my “buddy” from the flowrider dresssed as my “date” hahah

Day 7: Sea Day

Had buffet breakfast at the MDR and we thought it was much better than at other locations. Much calmer too. No crazy lines or problems with seating. The waffle section was awesome with all the fun toppings including sprinkles and chocolate chips!

Went to the flowrider and we were there alllll day.

Grabbed lunch at the wipeout cafe which turned out to be super convenient for how much we rode this cruise. The hot dogs were awesome all beef dogs and the fries were seriously good. I only wish they had cookies available!

My fiancé and I both placed in the Best of the Best flowrider competition. (She just learned this week and did amazing and is now hooked!!)

The international flow show was right after and it was a blast. The staff was super awesome and really helpful all week. They gave everybody a few shots each turn (even us advanced guys to try another trick) and really helped a lot of people improve over the week. Diego, Max, and a guy from Portugal with a name starting with Y (also looks like Marc Andre Fleury’s twin.. NHL fans will know) were names that stuck with me as awesome guys. The whole staff was really cool.

Sadly had to pack up our bags and put them out my 11pm for the next day.

We actually ate at a friends table this night, as well as a few nights ago. The staff was extremely accommodating and had the table set for us as our friend told them that we would like to eat with him.

We went to the Perfect Couples Game Show and it was really fun! We had never been before, and honestly had never even heard of it (which was surprising because we love all the stuff like this.) We were one of the couples competing and I know it was much funnier for the people in the crowd! It was in the comedy club, so it was small and intimate. 4 couples compete in 3 inappropriate challenges. Each challenge is worth a different amount of points (1,2, or 3) and then there is a winner. Kind of weird in my opinion because 3 different couples won each challenge but the couple that won the challenge worth 3 points won the whole thing just because it was worth more. We got 3rd because we won the first challenge worth 1 point. This was also at 11:30pm, so a pretty late event!

We grabbed a few last late night snacks and headed to sleep.

Day 8: Disembarkation:

AC seemed to not be working starting in the middle of the night/early morning. Never too hot, just stuffy and not like the other nights.

There was a wait to get a table in the MDR breakfast. Today the waffles were very soggy and did not have the options like earlier in the week.

Our group was slated for an 8:15 disembarkation, but our flight out of FLL was at 5:30pm, so we were planning on staying on the boat as long as possible.

There was actually a random charge on our account that we had to wait in the crazy long line at guest services to get sorted out. It was a couple of mojitos, which definitely wasn’t us because we don’t drink and I have the refreshment package. They quickly refunded the money.

We also had to ask about a photo question. My parents were actually on the September 6th sailing and they ordered a USB with 6 pictures on it, but ended up forgetting to pick it up, so they asked if we could try and get it. We have always been told that after each sailing, actually starting on day 7 of the cruise, they delete all of the photos and information from the previous cruise to make room for the new cruise. They told us to wait until 10am to see if it would be possible for them to find it. They also said they would refund us their money if they couldn’t find it. They ended up finding it and giving it to us. Great customer service!! Another reason to love Royal!

We walked off the ship right after 10am and the baggage claim was extremely quiet and there was no line for customs, which was very nice.

Pickup area was pretty crazy, but our Uber was able to pick us up easily and off we went...

Killing Time in FLL:

We got to the airport and paid the $8 per bag to have our luggage stored at “Bags to Go”. It’s on the baggage claim level.

We then took the free “Sun Trolley” which takes you up to a cool little area in FLL. There are free water taxis there, as well as others you can pay for. There are also other Sun Trolleys which are $1 per ride or $3 for the day which take routes along Las Olas BLVD or to FLL Beach. We took it to the beach and walked around a bit, but we were done with the sun. We shopped in a few local surf shops and ended up at Jimmy Johns. We grabbed a cheap and quick Uber back to the airport and waited for a few hours before the flight.

FLL airport is pretty nice. Security wasn’t busy at all.

Final Thoughts:

We had an amazing cruise as usual! We truly love cruises and the WOW that RCI delivers. Their ships are top notch and I don’t think they can be beat!

We really loved Allure and all that she has to offer, but we have to be honest and say that we think we prefer Freedom Class.

Allure seemed to be far too crowded and crazy in too many places. Sorrentos, Cafe Promenade, bars, pools, etc. it just seems like they can’t keep up on peak times.

Even on peak times, we never ran into crazy crowds on Freedom class ships.

We also heard people mention there wasn’t as much of a personal connection with the staff as there can be on smaller ships. I think that is partially true. It just depends on where and when you go.

For us, coming from Arizona, the cost to get on an Oasis class ship just doesn’t put it as our #1 option. We have family in Texas, making Liberty out of Galveston far more affordable.

If we lived in Florida, or at least closer to Florida, we may feel different and be ok with the sightly higher cost of an Oasis class.

My fiancé and I spent a TON of time at the flowrider. I have always loved it, but she got the “bug” this cruise and is obsessed! She was so determined to get good at it this week and she did so amazing.. I mean come on, she made it to the Best of the Best competition!

Oasis class ships are great if you want more Flow time. One side is always boogie, and the other always stand up. (I’ll post a pic of the schedule.)

Customer Service throughout the ship was exceptional. We sat at Table 654 on deck 4. We had Zhi as our waiter, and Suarsana as our assistant waiter. They were both great. It was a table for 2 in a great location looking over deck 3. Kenta was our stateroom attendant and she was great and very nice!

I commend you for reading this far and I hope it was helpful to someone out there! Please feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer!

I will try to add photos to this thread, but if there are problems, I will put them on a Dropbox or Google Drive and share the link!

Here is the link to view the Cruise Compasses, Showtimes, and Bingo Schedule!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1s35JrPzpiB9ZR_hL4AI_MqmKL2aom_m4

Sea you on the next one! 😉

God bless! 🌵🛳🏝

The additional pics will be added!

The peace of mind and freedom is worth it for me. (I only get the refreshment package since I'm not a drinker).

Morning Red Bull

Morning Specialty coffee

Soda(s) with lunch

Virgin drink(s) by the pool

Soda(s) with snack

Virgin drink before dinner

Soda(s) with dinner

Virgin drink(s) for shows

Water for the room and for port days

That's a minimum of 9 drinks a day that I would be paying for individually without the package... WORTH IT! haha

Where did you get that corndog? It looked amazing and I must know lol

Where was that corndog from?? Looked amazing lol

And I thought I was the only one thinking about the early morning flow rider experience.

Oh I knew I wasn't the only one based on how many other people show up... sometimes ;););)

Love seeing other young people on here! My fiance and I are 22 and 24, and have done multiple cruises together...did a full write up of ours last year on Liberty! We will be on Allure on the 16th and you know I will be gathering all the info to do a review! Not doing live though, because we love putting our phones on airplane mode and cutting off from the world for a week!

Enjoying your review so far and enjoy the rest of your trip!

PS - Coming from a flowrider addict lol... I do the advanced Stand up early every morning. On Allure since their are two waves, they have boogie going early in the morning as well... lines are shorter... just don't share my secret! haha

I am trying to figure out what to do on our stop in St. Maarten. I stumbled across a few of these small boat rentals (for the lagoon?), but have not found any reviews on the boards here.

We are an active couple looking for something fun! We would love to snorkel, but do not want to pay for a snorkeling tour with a bunch of other people, as we have all our own gear and love exploring on our own!

Any advice on either topic is appreciated!

I always bounce back and forth before each cruise on getting the Refreshment Package (non drinker) as well.. trying to see if it's "worth" it.

As a few have already said, I always end up getting it because...

- Try anything at anytime.. does not matter if I finish it, or don't like it!

- I am cheap, and I know if I had to pay for each individual drink, then I would buy FAR less, and therefore not have the true "all inclusive vacation" feel

- Takes the stress out of the situation for me!

My only complaint is the lack of inventory of Red Bull last time I was on Liberty. My drink of choice, Red Bull, is a main reason for purchasing the package. So, if a bar does not have it, it is quite frustrating! Once, I walked to 4 different bars on the way back to my room trying to find one...

Enjoy!

I am also looking for feedback on this... We normally beach snorkel since we have all our own gear and love exploring alone! Let me know if you find anything!

the only people that can tell you to sit in the chairs without buying something is the person/bar/restaurant that owns them-

 

 

 

Do you really think the town or federal government is going to pay to put out loungers and chairs on the beach for people to sit in for free instead of driving money to the local business that owns/rents the beach front property.

 

when you see a side walk dining area outside a restaurant do you think the city put those tables and chairs there or do you assume the restaurant did it for their paying customers?

Woah there... Get those panties out of a bunch.. jeez.

what you were told was wrong and you expect the locals to abide by it?

 

the beach is free-

the chairs are not,

Well, then there were a lot of people with the wrong information... including other locals

So so sorry for the delay! Just found these while I was moving things around!

148= day 1

142= day 7

We have gone out of Galveston twice now. One time parking our vehicle at a close by lot, the other being dropped off up front by family. Both times we got there pretty early, I would guess around 9am.

Parking ex. - We parked at Cruise Park. Small little lot with cheap prices. Close enough for about a 5 minute walk over to the ship.

- Everything went smooth. Nothing chaotic really except that they were in the process of re-doing the port. Still didn't seem to cause problems for us.

Drop off ex. - Traffic starts backing up right around the ships. Took about 10 minutes probably. Walked right off and right through all security, check in, etc. Much nicer now with no construction.

Overall, we have had a great experience going out of Galveston. Maybe getting there early is the trick?

One comment on Costa Maya, down on the beach by the bars and restaurants we usually visit Steve at Tropicante where the "rule" is that yes the loungers and tables are free as long as you buy your food and drink from the establishment that those loungers belong to. I have heard that the same applies as a courtesy to all of them on that strip.

Totally. I get that they are basically all that way, but the way that this guy was handling it just set us off.

It’s also just unfortunate when the cruisers are told one thing, but the locals do not abide by that. Puts a bad taste for the port in our mouth at least!

Great review, thank you. We sail for the first time on LOS and out of Galveston on february 4th. Could you share the Cruise Compasses??? Thanks again

I’ll have to try and dig them up as this was last year!

We just got off Liberty yesterday and I agree with several of your observations. Most all bar staff we encountered were just going through the motions and extremely annoyed with any specific requests. The only place we were able to get Red Bull consistently was the cupcake shop. They also had Evian water which was hard to come by as well. Overall we were disappointed in this cruise. Time to try something new.

 

 

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Very frustrating indeed! I think I have decided to just do the soda package on our next cruise!

On your next cruise just bring your on Red Bull the first day 6 to 12 cans should do the trick.

I’ve definitely thought about it! Does every ship really let you bring on your own case of soda??

Please, please tell me the name of the taxi company you used at Roatan! We've used Bodden tours 3 times, but really just want to get to West Bay beaches, no island tour needed.

I wish I remembered... it was first stand on the right hand side of the aisle of tours, taxis, etc!

This review is coming from a young (21 and 23) and active/adventurous couple’s view. I know that I spent hours looking all around the forums and found some extremely helpful info, but sometimes it is hard to relate to the people writing the reviews. I hope to give maybe a little bit of a different perspective with this review!

Apologies in advance if I write and ramble too much!

This was my 7th Royal cruise and 3rd for my girlfriend. Always pick the big ships due to my love for the Flowrider! Neither of us drink, but I did get the Royal Refreshment drink package (non alcoholic cocktails, coffees, juice, red bull, soda, etc.) We had an interior cabin on deck 2, first time ever having a cabin that low and I was a little nervous, but we loved it. GF and I discussed the positive and negatives between a higher deck and a lower deck, but we really came to the conclusion that lower is better for some things, and higher is better for others. I did like the layout of this room better compared to the new rooms they added on deck 12, which we had last year.

Main Points:

• MDR every night - Loved it
  
• No scheduled excursions
  
• Flowrider broke on Day 2 (One pump for remainder of cruise, no stand up)
  
• Loved the Cruise Director, but never knew his name
  
• Food was overall better than I remember (Especially Sorrentos pizza and cookies)
  
  • Food highlights- Pepperoni pizza, coconut ranger cookies, chocolate pound cake, Lobster tail, Shrimp Ravioli, Shrimp Dumplings, Sugar Free Pineapple Blast, Carrot Cake
    

  [*]I buy the Refreshment package purely so that I can get Red Bull in the can, or in mixed drinks. But every single day I had trouble finding a place that had Red Bull available. Multiple times I walked to 4 different places to get one and eventually gave up. I find this extremely frustrating when I spent a large amount of money for the drink package.

  [*]Certain bartenders seemed to be emotionless. Some were super awesome and I even have contact info from Mark at the pool bar. But I feel like a lot of the time the bartenders just acted like they were annoyed to be dealing with me. Not sure the reason.

  [*]Hard Selling was much more prevalent than last year, especially the first day. It did seem that they were pushing everything more than usual. Not a problem though, just say “no thanks”.

  [*]Had a drain problem in the shower the first day, but it was fixed immediately after notifying our room attendant.

Saturday Before - Drove down from the Austin area in the family's RV and stayed in a nice RV park on the island. It was nice to relax and know that we are so close to the port for the next morning. When we cruised out of Galveston last year, we just got up super early the morning of and drove down, which worked out fine as well, it is just a lot more hectic.

Day 1 - Embarkation Day - Our family drove us to the port in the RV to drop us off curbside. We got to the port area at about 9:45am, waited about 10 or so minutes in traffic on the street, and then quickly dropped us off in front. Dropped our bags at the porter area. Walked right through security with no lines and walked right up to check in. We were in the waiting area, anxiously waiting to board within minutes. The whole new security, check in, and waiting area are very nice, especially compared to last year during construction. We were walking the Promenade, enjoying some cafe snacks right before 11am. Hung out by the pool which was quiet. Went over to the Flowrider just to get our wristbands, but there was literally nobody in line, so I had the wave to myself for about 15 minutes (boogie only first day), and then stayed in line for a while with only about 5 people. Met Charlie from the sports team and he was AWESOME the entire cruise. He helped me learn a new style of riding and was just tons of fun. Muster went as usual.

Day 2 - Sea Day - I get up every morning to go to Advanced Flowrider at 9am. Only about 6 people there. Always a great time. GF and I workout after on sea days. Gym is pretty great, except always pretty crowded on that first day. Lunch in windjammer was great this day as they had the shrimp pasta. Headed out to the pool. It was crowded of course, but still found chairs on the pool deck level. Caught the tail end of World's Sexiest Man contest. I didn't participate this time, even though I had the previous 3 cruises. Always draws a big crowd and fun to be a part of. After some time at the pool, we always head down to the Promenade for Pizza and cookies. Back to the pool for a bit and then get ready for 1st formal night. I did stop by the flowrider to check the times and saw the sports team practicing, and one of the pumps broke while I was there. (was hoping it would be a quick fix.) We always dress up, at least a suit for me. Personally I wish that the dress code would be enforced in the MDR. I do feel like when someone walks in with a t-shirt, that it kills my “this is a nice dinner” vibe. But we just enjoy ourselves. Ended up at a table for 4, but the other 2 never showed up once. 5th floor, table 589. Fabian (Head) and Miguel (Assistant) were our waiters and they were phenomenal. Great service every night. Late night 18+ comedy was awesome, we were laughing throughout.

Day 3 - Sea Day - Get to the flowrider at 9am and the one pump is still broken. They do not allow stand up on one pump, so boogie it was. (Some passengers were very angry about not allowing stand up). I decided to just make the best of it considering I only ride while on a cruise. I had the wave to myself for 15 minutes again, and then only a few people in line for a while. Enjoyed a workout and then headed to the pool. We got some quick snacks before the pool and got a late lunch at Johnny Rocket’s which was awesome! Who doesn't love unlimited fries and onion rings?! Today was the belly flop contest, which is always an awesome show. We made sure to grab a seat on the edge of the pool in the water. Cruise director was great and there were some great flops! Battle of the Sexes was tonight and I love participating. Always some competition and laughs. Overall fun time. One thing to note is that Battle of the Sexes was held in the Star Lounge (and has been held in Studio B) and it was pretty crowed and made it harder to enjoy to the fullest.

Day 4 - Roatan - Flowrider at 9am and had the whole thing to myself for 45 minutes. Breakfast in the Windjammer, which is the GF’s favorite. Every time we went, I had an omelette made for me and they really loaded them up, which was awesome. All the basic breakfast foods available, plus more. Casually walked right off the ship around 10:45am. Went right to the cab area and went to the same company we used last year. We have our own snorkel gear and fell in love with West Bay. About a 20 minute drive. $30 total, round trip. It is a public beach and completely FREE. Ignore anyone that tells you different. We just walk all the way to the end next to the rock cliff, set our stuff in the shade, and enjoy the view. Awesome snorkeling. A couple we were sitting near saw a sea turtle when they were out there. Plenty of beach vendors walk the beach selling all the junk, as well as activities. We stayed for about 3 hours and our cab was waiting for us exactly when and where he said he would be waiting. Didn’t waste our time at the shops in port and got right back on the ship, no line at all. Love and Marriage show was hilarious as usual. If you haven’t gone before… GO!

Day 5 - Costa Maya - Flowrider at 9am and it was just me and another guy for 45 minutes. Same breakfast again in the windjammer which was great. Easily off the ship around 10:30. First time at this port and I was impressed with the shopping area right at the port. We were able to find some very nice gifts for family at cheaper prices than at places “off the beaten path”. Really interesting designs with the buildings and with all the restaurants. We took the $3pp flat rate shuttle into town. About 10 minute ride. Once in town we walked along the “boardwalk” between the beach and shops. You are definitely hassled by every single person you walk by for a massage, food, junk, etc. We were also told by the shuttle people that this beach is completely public and FREE. We found a quieter area of chairs and snagged two of them right on the water, which are all supposed to be free as well. The water looked gorgeous. There was seaweed, but that didn't ruin anything for me. We weren't planning on snorkeling. After a while of chilling we kept getting harrassed by this one guy saying we had to buy food or drink, which we were clearly told we did not have to do anywhere on the beach to use the FREE chairs. He was so annoying that we just grabbed our stuff and left to go walk around the shops. We ended up back on the beach just setting a towel down under palm trees and we loved it. Bought some mangos and just enjoyed our time relaxing. After a few hours we caught a taxi back to the port for the flat $3pp. Overall, I thought the port was extremely weird. There was no true town. I just could not get a grasp on the place. I really did like the shop area right in port though. Went to the afternoon session for the flowrider either today or Day 6, can't remember, but the line once again was only like 6 people, so I stayed for a bit. Quest was tonight and so much fun! I got roped into dressing up as a woman for the last “Quest” again! Haha Our team ended up winning so it was worth it! Once again, if you haven’t gone to Quest… GO!

Day 6 - Cozumel - Flowrider at 9am again and this time it was just me and two other guys for 30 or so minutes, and then about 6 of us for 15 minutes. WJ breakfast again was great. Easily walked off the ship around 10:30. We planned to just shop and eat this time in Cozumel. Took the $8 cab downtown. Walked around all the shops, junk, diamonds, watches, etc. Cozumel is always enjoyable to shop around. We ended up eating again at Las Palomas and I will never go there again and I would recommend nobody else go there. My GF and I love Mexican food, we are from AZ and Texas and we know good Mexican food. We ordered queso and got a big bowl of nacho cheese sauce like from a gas station. The chilaquiles I ordered barely had any chicken on them, the cheese was barely melted, and the green sauce tasted sour or something. Their chips were good, I will give credit where it’s due. A bummer to our day for sure having subpar Mexican food. Continued on shopping and just took a taxi back to the ship after a bit. This was 2nd formal night, aka, lobster night. Food was awesome! We ended up just relaxing in the cabin and watching movies later that night… and of course snuck out for some late night snacks at the Promenade!

Day 7 - Sea Day - Flowrider at 9am and I had it all to myself for about an hour. Truly amazed at how much awesome time I got on the wave this trip. Enjoyed a nice workout and then snack/lunch in the windjammer. Headed to the pool and we watched the women's cannon ball contest, which was really lame. The staff that ran it were not entertaining. Then I played adult dodgeball which I love doing. Just joined a random group of guys and we got 3rd! Enjoyed some sorrento's and cookies of course. Went back to the pool to cool off as it was a hot day. Band was jamming good today and we had a great time! Played mini golf later, which is always just fun to do. Sadly had to pack our bags to get them out before 11pm, and then enjoyed our last MDR dinner with the great staff. We went to the Karaoke Superstar Finals and it was great! There was some great talent and truly fun to watch.

Day 8 - The Day we never want to come - Went to the Windjammer right before it was closing, which I think was 8:30. We forgot about that, wished they would have maybe made that more well known. Still had a great last breakfast. Pretty sure we were group 15 and not supposed to get off until 10:15 or so, but we went to our meet spot (Star Lounge) and asked if we could leave. Walked right off the ship around 9:15, had our bags and were through customs right around 10:00. I think there were some computer problems at customs, only delayed probably 5 minutes. The family easily picked us up out front and as easy as that, our amazing vacation was over….

Final thoughts - We always love cruising. A vacation is only as good as you allow it to be. Guaranteed that the different problems, or inconveniences that we incurred throughout our trip would have been enough to ruin another’s vacation. No need for that! We had an amazing time and we cannot wait to cruise again with RCI…. Currently planning for an Oasis class!

Any questions or comments, please let me know! I did keep the Cruise Compass from each day if anyone is interested! I hope this was somewhat insightful and from a different point of view! God bless and we will see you on the seas! :ship:

Does anyone know if the prices on board for the Refreshment package are ever cheaper than pre-board online? It is currently $26 on cruise planner. Thanks!

That has been the onboard price.

Thanks! Really hoping for that discount to come back before we sail! :o

Sailing on Liberty 5/14-5/21, very excited!

My question I guess is in regards to customer service...

A few months ago I had the refreshment package in my cruise planner "cart" for the sale price of $18 per day. I went to pay the following day and the price, including the one that was already in my cart, had raised to $26.

I have contacted RCI about my concern, which is unfair in my opinion, and have gotten zero help. They just say that $26 is the new price. They aren't honoring anything, or offering any sort of help. I don't think that is fair at all. As a loyal RCI cruiser, I feel as though we should be treated better.

Does anyone have any advice how to possibly get that lower price? Discounts? Anything?!

Thanks in advance!

Is the on board cost for the Refreshment package also $26 now? Been checking constantly for the $18 sale, but no luck. We sail on Liberty 5/14-5/21.