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Name: Bill & Lu Schwartz
Email: schwartz@GlobalEyes.net
Age: 48
Occupation: Circuit Court Judge
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Monarch
SailingDate: June 29, 1997
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 77
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 50
CabinSteward: 93
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 84
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 91
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService:
TenderService: 94
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 94
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 89
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 91
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 89
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 89
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 79
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 07 Sep 1998
Time: 22:33:00
Remote Name: 209.60.64.205
Remote User:
Comments
This was my third cruise on RCCL and it was my most
disappointing.
We were told to fill out a bunch of forms before embarkation. We
filled it out on the dock in San Juan that is not air
conditioned. Most did not fill out the
forms. No one looked at most of the forms (in fact, I think I
still have them around here). This was a bit disconcerting after
standing in 98 degree
temperature and high humidity for nearly an hour to fill out
forms, wait in line and then have the forms ignored.
Our inside cabin was small but fine. On previous cruises, the bed
was broken down each day into the couch/sofa configuration but
that was not done on
this cruise. The difference in configuration is that with the bed
out, the small room becomes even smaller.
The meals were not nearly the quality of the meals on the
previous cruises. I noticed a big difference in midnight buffets
between my first and second
cruises. The midnight buffets on this cruise were non-existent.
Bologna and fried chicken, if there was any food at all, at the
back of the ship with no
servers is not what I consider to be acceptable and that was the
buffet every night but one! The big buffet did not have
sufficient food for those who
attended the second seating at the entertainment that night. The
food was all picked over and when the staff were questioned, they
said that if you were
not one of the first people in line then you would not have
certain items available.
My wife left her cigarette case on a couch by the purser's
office. We stepped away from the area but for a few moments. The
only person in the area
when we left was a member of the crew cleaning the area. When my
wife returned, the case was gone, the cleaner was gone and no one
else was
present. We immediately reported it to the purser's office but
they could have cared less. Three more inquires (the cigarette
case was expensive and
had sentimental value) at the purser's office returned the same
non-caring attitude by the purser's staff.
The entertainment one night was a puppet show! Can you believe
it? We walked out and complained to the Cruise Director. He said
the cruise line tries
different forms of entertainment in an effort to satisfy a wide
variety of tastes. However, he said that we were not the only
passengers to complain about
the show and that he was noting the complaints and passing them
on. The line really needs to gear the shows at night to adults.
On the positive side, Ben
Vereen performed one night and he was truly superb. He almost
made up for the puppets.
Our wait staff (waiter and bus boy) were superb. We do not think
that they could have been any better which is why we gave them
the score we did. They
sparkled in spite of the head waiter who was more of a nuisance
than a help. He was constantly taking the waiter to do things in
other areas to the
detriment of his assigned area.
Debarkation was as bad or worse than embarkation. We had to spend
hours in the lounge before we were transported to the airport
where we were
summarily dropped off to wait hours for our flight.
I have consistently recommended RCCL to everyone based upon my
previous two cruises with them. After this cruise I will not risk
recommending RCCL to
anyone! In fact, we are planning another cruise but it will not
be with RCCL.
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