Back to Royal after six years..the mostly ups and some downs.

[ljk76]

Back to Royal after six years...the ups and downs

 

A great price and the chance to cruise with some fun cruise buddies had us on the Adventure of the Seas on Valentine's Day. More recently we've been cruising on Celebrity, Azamara, and last year Windstar and we've grown to enjoy the small ship experience. But we had a great week and it's fun to mix it up now and then and it keeps the cruise experience fresh.

 

Up...embarkation went very smoothly. A short wait outside the terminal but no lines inside, so we were lunching in less than an hour. Antipasto from Windjammer did the trick, but ok, we were missing the table clothes and free pouring wine and smiling service of Azamara. Hey you get what you pay for and we were happy paying less this particular trip.

 

Up...the room was fine, we liked the circular shower doors! No clingy curtains. Room was clean, typical layout. Due to the age of the ship the balcony had that closed in feeling.

 

Down...never had any idea if we even had an assigned room steward. No paperwork telling of benefits, no pen and paper to leave a note, always a late reset on room. A note on the back of a receipt took care of some of this but we missed the personal attention we've had on other cruises.

 

Up...diamond benefits rock! We loved the lounge or preloaded drinks. No drink package was needed. We enjoyed a pre dinner drink or two, brought in a glass of wine for dinner, and sometimes still had time for a post dinner drink. We brought home two fun photos we probably wouldn't have paid $45 for. We did eventually get our robes for our room. Sorry to be a brat, but we have grown to just expect them...

 

Up...dining room service in my time dining was great with Jesus and Dashan. We were able to sit in their section each night even though our times sometimes varied and we sometimes sat in different configurations. Somewhat less flexible than walking in with smaller ships, but fun to know you had the same servers each night.

 

Down...food quality was quite hit or miss. Hardly ruined our cruise and we definitely gained weight! But you have to know, and we did, on this size ship you are going to get banquet food...a wedding quality banquet, but not much more. We wished there were some other dining options available, even for an up charge.

 

Up....entertainment options. There were some great individual performers, comedians and musicians. We were blown away by the quality of the ice show...not to be missed! It was definitely unexpected. And let's just say you won't experience "the Quest". On Azamara's Quest. Man, people will do anything for attention!

 

Down...you don't need to look for attention on smaller ships. The hotel director isn't going to stop poolside and ask if the temp is to your taste on the Adventure. The captain isn't going to ask to join you for coffee. But Up...you do pay for that in its way.

 

Down...disembarkation. Too many people, too much luggage. Ours was nearly lost in the terminal but eventually found. A smaller ship is much more civilized in this area.

 

Bottom line...for a week in the Caribbean Royal is a fine choice, and value. But when we want pampering during an intensive European cruse we will be back to smaller ships like Azamara who can also park in very handy spots! Very glad we gave Royal another whirl, and will likely do so again, but only in certain situations. Please don't flame me Loyal to Royal enthusiasts. We obviously found lots to like!

[DarthGrady]

Fair review, thanks for posting. I tend to agree with that Royal is an all around decent experience for the money. I keep going back for the past guest perks, those nightly drinks you mentioned are a nice touch.

[JimAOk1945]

Thanks for the review and welcome back to RCI!

[Merion_Mom]

Back to Royal after six years...the ups and downs

 

A great price and the chance to cruise with some fun cruise buddies had us on the Adventure of the Seas on Valentine's Day. More recently we've been cruising on Celebrity, Azamara, and last year Windstar and we've grown to enjoy the small ship experience. But we had a great week and it's fun to mix it up now and then and it keeps the cruise experience fresh.

 

Up...embarkation went very smoothly. A short wait outside the terminal but no lines inside, so we were lunching in less than an hour. Antipasto from Windjammer did the trick, but ok, we were missing the table clothes and free pouring wine and smiling service of Azamara. Hey you get what you pay for and we were happy paying less this particular trip.

 

Up...the room was fine, we liked the circular shower doors! No clingy curtains. Room was clean, typical layout. Due to the age of the ship the balcony had that closed in feeling.

 

Down...never had any idea if we even had an assigned room steward. No paperwork telling of benefits, no pen and paper to leave a note, always a late reset on room. A note on the back of a receipt took care of some of this but we missed the personal attention we've had on other cruises.

 

Up...diamond benefits rock! We loved the lounge or preloaded drinks. No drink package was needed. We enjoyed a pre dinner drink or two, brought in a glass of wine for dinner, and sometimes still had time for a post dinner drink. We brought home two fun photos we probably wouldn't have paid $45 for. We did eventually get our robes for our room. Sorry to be a brat, but we have grown to just expect them...

 

Up...dining room service in my time dining was great with Jesus and Dashan. We were able to sit in their section each night even though our times sometimes varied and we sometimes sat in different configurations. Somewhat less flexible than walking in with smaller ships, but fun to know you had the same servers each night.

 

Down...food quality was quite hit or miss. Hardly ruined our cruise and we definitely gained weight! But you have to know, and we did, on this size ship you are going to get banquet food...a wedding quality banquet, but not much more. We wished there were some other dining options available, even for an up charge.

 

Up....entertainment options. There were some great individual performers, comedians and musicians. We were blown away by the quality of the ice show...not to be missed! It was definitely unexpected. And let's just say you won't experience "the Quest". On Azamara's Quest. Man, people will do anything for attention!

 

Down...you don't need to look for attention on smaller ships. The hotel director isn't going to stop poolside and ask if the temp is to your taste on the Adventure. The captain isn't going to ask to join you for coffee. But Up...you do pay for that in its way.

 

Down...disembarkation. Too many people, too much luggage. Ours was nearly lost in the terminal but eventually found. A smaller ship is much more civilized in this area.

 

Bottom line...for a week in the Caribbean Royal is a fine choice, and value. But when we want pampering during an intensive European cruse we will be back to smaller ships like Azamara who can also park in very handy spots! Very glad we gave Royal another whirl, and will likely do so again, but only in certain situations. Please don't flame me Loyal to Royal enthusiasts. We obviously found lots to like!

 

This was a very detailed and well-considered review. Thank you for taking the time to write and post it.

 

:)

[Iluvcruising2]

Well written.

[GUT2407]

Thanks for that haven't sailed RCL yet but the comparison to X and Azamara helps

[Philly Steve]

Glad you had a good time, all things considered. ;)

[Big_G]

When you listed Azamara and Windstar, I was expecting the worst but that was a very fair and balanced review. We've yet to sail Adventure. Thanks.

[BillOh]

Well written.

 

Except for the part about not getting flamed. If an opinion is well informed and well state, bring on the flame! ;)

[uncle John]

Nice review about the ship. I am will admit the food in the WJ was not up to par. The food in the MDR was excellent 5 out of 7 meals but the 2 were just food. The ship is in need of refurbishment but still in great shape. We were Lucky and had a fantastic Cabin Attendant, Bruce, who kept everything neat and clean with a smile everyday and made sure we had ice, shampoo, conditioner, robes, shower caps or whatever was needed.

It was very nice meeting you and hope to see you again on another cruise, maybe on X or RC if you ever decide to ;)

[Cindy]

Back to Royal after six years...the ups and downs

 

 

I really enjoyed your comparison. We're planning on Celebrity for Europe in 2017, but we're also thinking about Azamara. It's nice to read comments from someone who's also sailed on other lines and big ships. Thanks for sharing!:)

[Life is Good Cruising]

Enjoyed your review and we're also thinking of taking an Azamara cruise. Thank you for the comparison.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I think that loyal Royal cruisers likely agree with much of what you have said. . . . even if they have not sailed other smaller ships. I have not found many that feel the WJ experience during lunch is relaxing or elegant. but, we often go there because we are doing other things and just want a quick bite. [i actually likel the Park Cafe best for lunch]

 

Disembarkation is my least favorite part of the cruise [and that is more than just having to leave the ship :rolleyes:] It is often little more than chaos.

 

But, I agree that you get what you pay for. We are Diamond now and will be D+ sometime in 2016. We will not live long enough to get to Pinnacle. :p

 

So, we have a Celebrity cruise booked in 2017 and we are looking to book other cruise lines, too.

 

But, I have never been on a bad cruise. :D

[Paulette3028]

Back to Royal after six years...the ups and downs

 

A great price and the chance to cruise with some fun cruise buddies had us on the Adventure of the Seas on Valentine's Day. More recently we've been cruising on Celebrity, Azamara, and last year Windstar and we've grown to enjoy the small ship experience. But we had a great week and it's fun to mix it up now and then and it keeps the cruise experience fresh.

 

Up...embarkation went very smoothly. A short wait outside the terminal but no lines inside, so we were lunching in less than an hour. Antipasto from Windjammer did the trick, but ok, we were missing the table clothes and free pouring wine and smiling service of Azamara. Hey you get what you pay for and we were happy paying less this particular trip.

 

Up...the room was fine, we liked the circular shower doors! No clingy curtains. Room was clean, typical layout. Due to the age of the ship the balcony had that closed in feeling.

 

Down...never had any idea if we even had an assigned room steward. No paperwork telling of benefits, no pen and paper to leave a note, always a late reset on room. A note on the back of a receipt took care of some of this but we missed the personal attention we've had on other cruises.

 

Up...diamond benefits rock! We loved the lounge or preloaded drinks. No drink package was needed. We enjoyed a pre dinner drink or two, brought in a glass of wine for dinner, and sometimes still had time for a post dinner drink. We brought home two fun photos we probably wouldn't have paid $45 for. We did eventually get our robes for our room. Sorry to be a brat, but we have grown to just expect them...

 

Up...dining room service in my time dining was great with Jesus and Dashan. We were able to sit in their section each night even though our times sometimes varied and we sometimes sat in different configurations. Somewhat less flexible than walking in with smaller ships, but fun to know you had the same servers each night.

 

Down...food quality was quite hit or miss. Hardly ruined our cruise and we definitely gained weight! But you have to know, and we did, on this size ship you are going to get banquet food...a wedding quality banquet, but not much more. We wished there were some other dining options available, even for an up charge.

 

Up....entertainment options. There were some great individual performers, comedians and musicians. We were blown away by the quality of the ice show...not to be missed! It was definitely unexpected. And let's just say you won't experience "the Quest". On Azamara's Quest. Man, people will do anything for attention!

 

Down...you don't need to look for attention on smaller ships. The hotel director isn't going to stop poolside and ask if the temp is to your taste on the Adventure. The captain isn't going to ask to join you for coffee. But Up...you do pay for that in its way.

 

Down...disembarkation. Too many people, too much luggage. Ours was nearly lost in the terminal but eventually found. A smaller ship is much more civilized in this area.

 

Bottom line...for a week in the Caribbean Royal is a fine choice, and value. But when we want pampering during an intensive European cruse we will be back to smaller ships like Azamara who can also park in very handy spots! Very glad we gave Royal another whirl, and will likely do so again, but only in certain situations. Please don't flame me Loyal to Royal enthusiasts. We obviously found lots to like!

 

I always appreciate hearing the opinions of those that have cruised on other lines....and you know you can't expect an Azamara experience on the Royal or Celebrity brands. It just wouldn't be realistic with the size of ship difference and price.

 

I am surprised you did not know who your cabin steward was....we have always been approached by them to introduce themselves, even on our cruise last week on Independence (same class as Adventure).

 

Diamond benefits are nice....but I am surprised it took until day 3 to get your robes. If our robes are not in our cabin upon arrival, they have generally been there before the muster drill on the first day. Of course, we also have met our cabin steward to mention that our robes were not in the cabin.

 

Food is always subjective....and yes on a ship with 3000 or more passengers it will have a 'banquet style' feel....but I have always been able to enjoy what I order or I order something else. You mention that you wished there were other restaurants even if with an upcharge.....well, on Adventure, there should have been some Specialty Restaurants to try out. Specialty restaurants are not usually of interest to us...unless it is a ship with Izumi (Japanese restaurant) -- unfortunately for us it wasn't on Indy....but others were.

 

Disembarkation -- is what it is .....when you have the sheer number of passengers getting off within a very small window of time, you will have a less than perfect experience. A smaller ship, of course will have a less passengers and less luggage and less lines.

 

Overall I enjoyed reading your comparison.....and glad that it sounds like you will return to Royal at some point.

[LetsGetWet!]

Well written and informative. I'd agree with most everything based on our recent Independence cruise, except that we were fortunate to have a truly outstanding cabin steward. He introduced himself when we first went to our cabin on boarding day, and asked if there was anything special we'd liike. We asked that the ice bucket be kept full through the day, and it was - refilled several times every day! He went above and beyond in other ways too - we had an oversized oceanview on deck 9 forward on the curve, and there was enough space that we moved the glass coffee table and the desk chair over by the window - upon request he found us a second desk chair and we had a lovely space to enjoy room service breakfast every morning in front of the window!

 

He was probably one of the best if not THE best we've ever had - and a great steward like that can make a real difference in the cruise experience.

[uncle John]

I always appreciate hearing the opinions of those that have cruised on other lines....and you know you can't expect an Azamara experience on the Royal or Celebrity brands. It just wouldn't be realistic with the size of ship difference and price.

 

I am surprised you did not know who your cabin steward was....we have always been approached by them to introduce themselves, even on our cruise last week on Independence (same class as Adventure).

 

Diamond benefits are nice....but I am surprised it took until day 3 to get your robes. If our robes are not in our cabin upon arrival, they have generally been there before the muster drill on the first day. Of course, we also have met our cabin steward to mention that our robes were not in the cabin.

 

Food is always subjective....and yes on a ship with 3000 or more passengers it will have a 'banquet style' feel....but I have always been able to enjoy what I order or I order something else. You mention that you wished there were other restaurants even if with an upcharge.....well, on Adventure, there should have been some Specialty Restaurants to try out. Specialty restaurants are not usually of interest to us...unless it is a ship with Izumi (Japanese restaurant) -- unfortunately for us it wasn't on Indy....but others were.

 

Disembarkation -- is what it is .....when you have the sheer number of passengers getting off within a very small window of time, you will have a less than perfect experience. A smaller ship, of course will have a less passengers and less luggage and less lines.

 

Overall I enjoyed reading your comparison.....and glad that it sounds like you will return to Royal at some point.

 

Paulette on the Adventure which is a Voyager Class not Freedom Class ship, there is only one specialty restaurant which is Giovanni's. There are plans to add some when the ship goes into dry dock for refurb. Also ljk has Diamond from being on Celebrity so the Cabin attendant may not have had her listed as such since they do make some errors at times with benefits, but yes I to am surprised the attendant was MIA which has happened in the past to myself on one trip. The staff in the luggage area at San Juan was a bit short handed on departure as there were some just getting to work at 8 am almost 2 hrs late. They only had 2 custom agents until that time also.

[Paulette3028]

Paulette on the Adventure which is a Voyager Class not Freedom Class ship, there is only one specialty restaurant which is Giovanni's. There are plans to add some when the ship goes into dry dock for refurb. Also ljk has Diamond from being on Celebrity so the Cabin attendant may not have had her listed as such since they do make some errors at times with benefits, but yes I to am surprised the attendant was MIA which has happened in the past to myself on one trip. The staff in the luggage area at San Juan was a bit short handed on departure as there were some just getting to work at 8 am almost 2 hrs late. They only had 2 custom agents until that time also.

 

Yes, when I relooked at my list of ships, I realized that I glance too quickly and wrote that Indy and Adventure were in the same class and they are not....but there is a Specialty restaurant on Adventure....and the poster made it sound as if there were none.

 

I often wonder what makes some cabin stewards better than others....since they all get the same training.....and it is my guess/opinion that cabin stewards who have had better interactions with past cruisers become better cabin stewards for all the future cruisers they encounter......so remember cruisers....be nice to your cabin steward, treat them respectfully, and when you receive the kind of service that takes them above the rest, give them some extra compensation for the effort they put forth.

[George C]

Thanks for the review, we had a 5 year gap between RCCL also, our shock was dress code or lack of .

[ljk76]

Yes, when I relooked at my list of ships, I realized that I glance too quickly and wrote that Indy and Adventure were in the same class and they are not....but there is a Specialty restaurant on Adventure....and the poster made it sound as if there were none.

 

I often wonder what makes some cabin stewards better than others....since they all get the same training.....and it is my guess/opinion that cabin stewards who have had better interactions with past cruisers become better cabin stewards for all the future cruisers they encounter......so remember cruisers....be nice to your cabin steward, treat them respectfully, and when you receive the kind of service that takes them above the rest, give them some extra compensation for the effort they put forth.

 

I totally agree! We still remember Hazel on the Enchantment very fondly from our cruise with Royal six years ago. I really think we didn't have a particular steward...so strange! In the end it all got done, but we never had a clue of who or when. We asked for a pen and paper and I felt like someone had made an effort...a spiral bound pad and papermate pen someone must have had to find, but we never knew who to thank. After a note we got our robes. It certainly didn't ruin our cruise...no such thing in our book, just different experiences. We had lots of fun , met lots of great people, and got out of snowy Boston for a week! I'd go back in a heartbeat!

[Royal Caribbean International]

Back to Royal after six years...the ups and downs

 

A great price and the chance to cruise with some fun cruise buddies had us on the Adventure of the Seas on Valentine's Day. More recently we've been cruising on Celebrity, Azamara, and last year Windstar and we've grown to enjoy the small ship experience. But we had a great week and it's fun to mix it up now and then and it keeps the cruise experience fresh.

 

Up...embarkation went very smoothly. A short wait outside the terminal but no lines inside, so we were lunching in less than an hour. Antipasto from Windjammer did the trick, but ok, we were missing the table clothes and free pouring wine and smiling service of Azamara. Hey you get what you pay for and we were happy paying less this particular trip.

 

Up...the room was fine, we liked the circular shower doors! No clingy curtains. Room was clean, typical layout. Due to the age of the ship the balcony had that closed in feeling.

 

Down...never had any idea if we even had an assigned room steward. No paperwork telling of benefits, no pen and paper to leave a note, always a late reset on room. A note on the back of a receipt took care of some of this but we missed the personal attention we've had on other cruises.

 

Up...diamond benefits rock! We loved the lounge or preloaded drinks. No drink package was needed. We enjoyed a pre dinner drink or two, brought in a glass of wine for dinner, and sometimes still had time for a post dinner drink. We brought home two fun photos we probably wouldn't have paid $45 for. We did eventually get our robes for our room. Sorry to be a brat, but we have grown to just expect them...

 

Up...dining room service in my time dining was great with Jesus and Dashan. We were able to sit in their section each night even though our times sometimes varied and we sometimes sat in different configurations. Somewhat less flexible than walking in with smaller ships, but fun to know you had the same servers each night.

 

Down...food quality was quite hit or miss. Hardly ruined our cruise and we definitely gained weight! But you have to know, and we did, on this size ship you are going to get banquet food...a wedding quality banquet, but not much more. We wished there were some other dining options available, even for an up charge.

 

Up....entertainment options. There were some great individual performers, comedians and musicians. We were blown away by the quality of the ice show...not to be missed! It was definitely unexpected. And let's just say you won't experience "the Quest". On Azamara's Quest. Man, people will do anything for attention!

 

Down...you don't need to look for attention on smaller ships. The hotel director isn't going to stop poolside and ask if the temp is to your taste on the Adventure. The captain isn't going to ask to join you for coffee. But Up...you do pay for that in its way.

 

Down...disembarkation. Too many people, too much luggage. Ours was nearly lost in the terminal but eventually found. A smaller ship is much more civilized in this area.

 

Bottom line...for a week in the Caribbean Royal is a fine choice, and value. But when we want pampering during an intensive European cruse we will be back to smaller ships like Azamara who can also park in very handy spots! Very glad we gave Royal another whirl, and will likely do so again, but only in certain situations. Please don't flame me Loyal to Royal enthusiasts. We obviously found lots to like!

 

Hi there, we're happy to hear you gave us another try! Thank you for all of your insights, positive and constructive. It's feedback like this which allows us to improve the services that we provide all of our guests. We have forwarded your thoughts to our operational teams for review, and will be sure to make improvements where needed. Thanks again, and we look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon!

[ljk76]

Hi there, we're happy to hear you gave us another try! Thank you for all of your insights, positive and constructive. It's feedback like this which allows us to improve the services that we provide all of our guests. We have forwarded your thoughts to our operational teams for review, and will be sure to make improvements where needed. Thanks again, and we look forward to welcoming you onboard again soon!

 

Thank you for following CC. I thought only the "little guys" did that, and that's the kind of personal attention we all love!

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your review.