Royal Caribbean is our favorite cruise line. We like the product and feel RCI gives you the best value for the money. While there are both cheaper and more expensive cruise lines, RC provides a level of service that we find more than adequate.

That’s not to say that RC is perfect – it’s not. We have our complaints but overall we’ve only been tempted to change lines once and that cruise was a disaster so we’ll stay with RC for the foreseeable future.

With the exception of the older ships, the newer RC ships are usually immaculate, very modern, and wonderfully decorated. Compared to other cruise lines the cabins are large. While RC bathrooms tend to be rather small, the space saved is added to the generous cabin space. Though the cabins are the same width as with other lines, they tend to be a bit longer.

Service is, with rare exception, usually quite good. A few times we’ve been treated with less than maximum respect but we just reminded ourselves that we’re dealing with poorly-paid employees who work very hard.

 

RC food is usually quite good also. I can still remember a half dozen of my past RC meals which tells you something about their food quality. While we loved our RC cruise of Alaska on the Radiance of the Seas, the food fell well short of RC’s usual standards. In fact, the food was so bad that by the third night several couples from our dinner table left to dine at restaurants onshore. But that was an isolated incident.

On two occasions our dinner table assignment was botched, but these situations were quickly and efficiently corrected. As soon as you detect a problem – immediately bring it to the attention of the head waiter.

Changing money on a Royal Caribbean ship can present a problem. You have to get into line at the Purser’s desk (which can involve a long wait particularly early in a cruise). Then you ask if you can convert some money and in our experience it’s a fifty-fifty chance that they will have to cash on hand. Several times we’ve been turned away disappointed after a half hour long wait on line.

Celebrity and other lines often have "banker" windows where you can change money at very favorable rates at any time you choose. The Celebrity window was open all day and evening which came in very handy. Toward the end of our cruise we were able to easily switch our money back into greenbacks before our arrival.

When you book your dinner table, the tables in the middle of the open floor are to be avoided as conversation at these tables can be difficult due to the considerable background noise. The tables around the edge of the floor that are under an overhang are much less noisy as are the tables that are removed from the waiter stations. Tables near the waiter’s stations can be very noisy.

Cruise Tip: When you choose your dinner table, avoid those out in the middle of the open floor area. Also avoid those tables too near the waiter’s stations as they can be very noisy.