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Name: Larry Powell
Email: im-taz@home.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Air Traffic Controller
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Sovereign
SailingDate: August 17, 1998
Itinerary: Nassau, Coco Cay, Key West
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 65
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 83
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 78
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 92
EntertShowLounge: 92
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 96
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 50
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 72
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Aug 1998
Time: 12:42:11
Remote Name: 24.2.3.34
Remote User:
Comments
This was my fiancé and myself first cruise, however we have a
total of 5 previous cruises between us. This was our first cruise
with Royal Caribbean cruise
lines.
Overall it was a disappointing cruise. We have been told that
Royal Caribbean was a top-notch cruise line and was expecting the
best.
The Negatives:
Food-Room Service: The room-service menu sates that the Full
Dining room menu is available until 9:30 p.m. each night. Around
9:20 I called room
service to order diner for us. She initially said that the menu
was no longer available. After I stated the time, she said she
would do what she could. At
10:00 p.m. room service called and said that the Clam Chowder I
had ordered had already been disposed of and asked if I would
like something else. I
said no. At 10:23 p.m. our order arrived in our stateroom. In
place of the Chowder were 5 packets of Chicken broth, a carafe of
hot water and an
apology. All other room service was acceptable.
Food-Midnight Buffet: Un-spectacular. Generally the same cold
cuts each night with a few ‘specialty’ items each
night.
Shops On Board: Mostly very good. Only one exception one
afternoon the liquor store which also sells personal items
(Toothpaste, band-aides, feminine
products etc.) was suppose to open at 9:30 AM. Myself and at
least two other guests waited until 9:40 AM before the crew
person showed up, then
waited an additional 5 minutes for her to get the shop ready for
customers (she wouldn’t let us in until it was ready).
Cruise Staff: Most acted as though they didn’t want to be
there. Just fake smiles (if they smiled at all). On one occasion
while exiting the ship to board a
tender for Coco Cay, refused to give me a second towel that I had
requested. Absolutely refused! I have never been told no for
something so miniscule
as a towel on a cruise ship.
Dining Room Service: Our waiter was excellent and funny. Very
personable and a pleasure. Unfortunately the assistant waiter was
just the opposite.
Refused my fiancé’ a cup of coffee because he wasn’t
ready to get it yet. Could not remember that myself and only one
other guest at our table got milk
each night for lunch and dinner. He would bring two glasses of
milk over and ask who was supposed to have the milk. After 4 days
this became a joke. He
dropped a dirty fork on my back. Gave another guest coffee with
cream when she said she didn’t want coffee to begin with.
Removed plates before we
were finished eating.
Cabin Steward: Excellent accept for one occasion. Made our bed
up, then never returned. Forgot the little chocolates on the
pillows, no shampoo,
conditioner, soap or tissues. When we returned to the room around
10:30 PM and noticed the missing items, called housekeeping and
was told we would
have to stay in the room (could not deliver if we were not there)
until they could find someone to open the supply closet and that
our cabin steward was
‘Off duty’. When the supplies arrived, they could only
provide a box of tissues and bar soap. Could not get the shampoo
and conditioner until the next
morning.
Ship Cleanliness: A passenger near us ordered room service for
every meal. The trays would normally be left outside the cabin
for hours. One day there
were 4 trays from their cabin and another tray from the cabin
across the hall left all day. With such small walkways, this was
not only ugly, but also unsafe.
The crew was also replacing carpet throughout the entire cruise.
Blocking areas and tearing up old carpet, then laying new carpet
using VERY strong
smelling glue. The odor did not offend me so much, but could have
been a hazard to some passengers. The worst was during
Disembarkment. With over
2500 passengers in one area waiting for nearly 2 hours to
disembark, they were replacing carpet just outside the elevators
in the waiting area. This had
to be the worst time to do this for both passengers and crew.
After taking an elevator up to the 7th deck to say goodbye to
some new found friends, I
was told I had to go down one floor then climb the stairs. Then
while waiting to go back down, a crew member delivering Champaign
to rooms for the next
group of cruisers was told by the carpet installers he
couldn’t get off on that floor in that area. I felt for the
young man because there was literally no
other way to go because of the passengers waiting to disembark.
If the carpet installer had only waited 2 hours longer, they
would have had enough time
to install this segment of carpet after we disembarked and the
new passengers embarked. This was ridiculous.
The Good points.
This was the smoothest ship we have ever been on. Could barely
tell we were on the water. I wish I could say more.
This will not deter us from cruising again, however I will write
a letter to Royal Caribbean about the service. We expected a lot
more from a cruise line with
such a good reputation.
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