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Oasis of the Seas

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Poor food but otherwise good

There’s been an overall decline in RCCL service since we started cruising with them almost 2 decades ago.  From checkin, to room stewards, to food it’s just not the same.  We’ve amassed quite a few points and now have a high loyalty status with RCCL, and that used to be worth something, but now you can buy most of what our two decades of sailing has earned if you buy the “key” program. Our loyalty benefits have been reduced to a few free drinks and a discount on some purchases over the Key program.  Nice having your loyalty made worth less it seems every cruise.  We used to know our waitstaff and room steward by name because they introduced themselves and would schmooze a bit, and anyone somewhat important would stop by the regular dining table to say hi.  Now the room stewards say hi, but it took a couple days to figure out which one was ours.  The destinations were fine, Coco cay and Atlantis, kids enjoyed that quite a bit and seeing as it was off season it was pretty quiet. Can’t argue with coco cay, our fourth visit there. We always have a good time with all the great rides.  Atlantis…meh? Fun, but you’re done pretty quickly.  Not all the rides were available when we went.  The Wi-Fi on this ship is horrendous.  I would give negative stars if I could.  The only thing worse than the Wi-Fi is not having any at all. Completely Unusable in our room after 8 pm. Kicks you off randomly most of the rest of the day.  I’d say it was unusable easily 60% of the time.  Marginal for 30%, and functional 10% of the time. Absolutely awful.

Not what we’ve been used to from RCCL

We decided to take this cruise after spending 4 days in Jerusalem and a trip to the Dead Sea. The old city is very awe inspiring and well worth visiting. The cruise left from Haifa which we reached by train, cheaply and efficiently even though the train was crowded and the ticket system not tourist friendly. We had read the reviews here of the ship so were prepared to be underwhelmed but it’s in pretty good shape. The room was comfy, there is good space and everything worked. There was no problem getting a lounger, or somewhere quiet to sit. However, the food in the main dining room was awful. It seemed as though it had been, cooked, plated and kept warm for hours. Breakfast wasn’t waiter service, but a buffet. After a couple of days we gave up using our preset reservation and eat in the self service, which I don’t like because of over crowding and the feeling of it being like a fast food outlet. Not a relaxing dinner. But at least there was a lot of choice, no restrictions on quantity and you could see food coming out freshly cooked. The quality there was superior to the main dining room, even if the environment wasn’t. Then there were the drinks. Everyday for weeks prior to the cruise we had been inundated with offers to buy over priced drink (and internet) packages. Which were ignored because we aren’t big drinkers, just enjoying a glass or two of wine with our meal. We have cruised Marella before where everything is included. When we asked for wine with the meal we were told it was $20 per glass. Beer was $10 for a small bottle. Really stupid prices than meant we didn’t drink anything on board and it seemed no one else did either, as the bars were deserted and without atmosphere. The entertainment was spotty. Some ok but some no better than a local talent show. The bands and other musicians looked bored and just going through the motions. The only daytime entertainment I saw was on the sea day, which was billed as the highlight of the week. It was a belly flop contest!!! Really. So bad it was embarrassing. There is worse though. Cruising from Haifa had the consequence that the majority of our fellow cruisers were all from one country. Without wishing to be disrespectful they were collectively some of the least friendly people I have encountered anywhere in the world. Never saying a word as they passed you. Speaking in their own language to each other and blanking everyone else. Not able to queue, pushing and shoving to get in front. We didn’t engage in a conversation with anyone but ourselves or with a crew member in a week. The ports of call were all interesting though.

Nice ports. Fellow cruisers not so.

20 years ago for or honeymoon me and my wife went on a 7 day French and Italian rivieras on Royal Caribbean. On our 20th anniversary we decided to go back to the Caribbean.  This time we went to Greece.  When we arrived at the Haifa, Israel port we had to walk 2 miles going through the sign in process.  Our room and room attendant was great!  Our waiters at the fine dining was thoughtful and remembered small things like bringing a bowl of lemons.  The food served was terrible.  We only enjoyed one of appetizer the escargot.  We went to all the shows but we walked out of two of them because they were so bad.  We paid for six days of excursion.  Our excursion of RHODES was canceled .  In Athens we load into the bus to find out the tour of the Acropolis was canceled because it was to hot.  That was the main part of the tour.  On our tour of the island of Delos we were dropped on an Island for 1 1/2hour with no access to water or shade.  Overall we were very disappointed.  The standard for Royal Caribbean has gone way down!

Bad 20th Anniversary on Greek Cruise 

It's a smaller ship so go with the right expectation or you will be disappointed. We have traveled with Royal Caribbean many times, therefore, we have experienced their level of entertainment, glamorous vessels, tasty food and overall professionalism.  With the Rhapsody of the Sea being considered one of their older and smaller ships, you could definitely notice the quality discrepancy. Even with the shortcomings, we ended up having a great time.

Cons: 

Old ship that needs improvements.

Food didn't meet my expectations.

Very minimal entertainment/shows

Pros:

Great excursions

We loved the Owners Suite.

Most of the staff that we came in contact with was nice, informative, and helpful.

We understood that the Rhapsody of the Sea is a much older ship; therefore, we decided to spend the additional money and get a suite.To say the least, I'm so glad that we did.  The suite had a full bathroom and a separate family room area.  There was more than enough room for my husband and I.  In addition, the room service was incredible.  I really wish that I had similar reviews for the food in the Windjammer and the entertainment,  Both areas need a serious overhaul.

It's a smaller ship so go with the right expectation or you will be disappointed. 

The Windjammer was JAMMED with people. The poor staff at the doors were threatening to call security as people pushed passed their roped off doorways. Smokers convene at the entrance to the buffet so it is necessary to pass through a cloud of smoke to enter. Long lines to get on and off the ship, long embarkation process, near the end of which they force passengers through the entire length of a duty free shop just to board the ship. Talk about a terrible first impression.   It took five hours for luggage to arrive. Zero point in getting off the ship in Santorini or Athens in summer. Ship advertises excursions but doesn't tell you that if you don't book one in Santorini, you will spend all day waiting in line for the cable car. 2-3 hours wait for a sixty second ride - BOTH WAYS.  There were four cruise ships sitting in the harbor at Mykonos. Why go there with 12,000 people? Imagine what that looks like in a small "charming" village?

The pool is ridiculously small for the number of guests. My kids got in it once and said it was gross.

If they kept the buffet open all day or at least in the middle of the day, there might be less people clamoring to get in at meal times. The place was overrun and totally unpleasant. Could NEVER get an elevator.

Angry arguments at the host and long lines at the main dining hall. Mass confusion. The main dining breakfast is "open seating" but you must wait to be seated and oh - it, too, is a buffet. So wait forever to sit at one of the zillion empty tables but then get up and go get your own food. Just let everyone seat themselves!!

My kids were interested in the arcade but the attendant couldnt figure out how to load their crds with 20, 40 or 60 bucks to play. He would only take their cruise cards which were directly linked to my checking account. The place had a solution for this but no staff understood how to use it. We paid for internet that was so bad, they refunded my money - and canceled the plan so I had to purchase it again just to keep trying. Waste of time.

There is no shop on board for incidentals, only a tiny display of toiletries behind the liter bottles of scotch.  Three dollars and fifty cents for an 8 oz bottle of water, twenty bucks for nail clippers, and fifteen for a pina colada at the bar.  You know there is something wrong with a cruise when your guests are hauling gallons of water on board after a day in Cyprus.  Like camping!  

Everything about this cruise supposes the guest is a fool. Never again.

Cattle Call

Rouen

We (my sister and I) chose this cruise because of the itinerary, with each of us coming from a different continent this made a change to meet and cruise in the Med rather than the Caribbean.  If we had known that embarking in Cyprus was an additional embarkation port we might have not chosen this. If we had known that Haifa was themain embarkation point we would definitely not have chosen this cruise.

The ship was ok, very similar to the Grandeur we sailed on last year, however the atmosphere onboard was unrecognisable.  It ws horrible.  It was bad enough for those of us who had paid to be there, but we felt so sorry for the crew who have to put up with this every week.

RC let us down as EVERYTHING was geared to those who boarded at Haifa.  By far the majority, this would be understandable, if we, who boarded in Cyprus, had been aware that we would be treated as second class citizens. We were unable to book excursions or have access to the app etc.  However, the worst problem was not realising that the whole cruise was geared towards a certain clientele.

Those clients were horrendous, with a lack of manners recognised by everyone else.  We saw so many 'disagreements' when people with manners objected to be pushed (literally) around.  The Windjammer was pergatory as people were pushing and shoving and being rude to other passengers and crew.  Even taking refuge in the adults only spa was limited as these 'entitled' folk brought their children in and nobody felt able to challenge them.  When I finally gave in and told a huge, able bodied bully on the last evening that he should get to the back of the queue his 'bodyguard' showed me his ID (meant nothing to me as it was not in a language I understand).  I told him I was not impressed (actually went a little Shania Twain :-) )  He pushed in front of the people behind us and my 5ft sister gave him a telling off.

The crew did try their best but they were so mistreated themselves by these clients that a smile and a kind word would light up their face.

RC need to look at their vegetarian offering.  A lot of meat eaters will eat vegetarian dishes, but vegetarians cannot eat meat dishes.  So a more varied vegetarian menu could benefit them.  In no way is it acceptable to have only one dish a day.  It cannot be considered a choice.  In the mayhem that was the Windjammer, there were the occasional bean dishes but labelled vegetarian dishes were not available and vegetarian burgers were on request.

Japhet on guest services and our cabin steward (Imongetaran apologies for the spelling) were lovely.

If I had known before .....

I have to say I am now 57 years old and this is the worst holiday I have ever had. One positive note was the boarding process which was pretty slick. After that we had Breakfast on the first day in the Wind Jammer restaurant which was disgusting, filthy dirty, food all over the floor, no tables available and when they were they weren't cleaned. People walking around eating their breakfast, pushing and shoving to get a limited choice of food, I hope I never have an experience like this ever again. We ate at the Edelweiss restaurant that night which was slightly better but still very limited choice of food, my brother was looking at the wine list and I asked to look at another one but was told they only had 1 wine list for the entire restaurant of over 300 people. We brought some Champagne on board with us and needed an ice bucket, on the first night this took an hour and a half to arrive, on the second night it took 1 hour 45 minutes and I was told that nobody was in room service on a ship with 2,000 people. Additional charges on the boat were extortionate so be prepared to be ripped off, wifi was 25 dollars a day each so a total of 50 dollars per day, drinks packages were 84 dollars a day each so a total of 168 dollars per day, fines for not returning towels, 28 dollars for one game of bingo rip off rip off rip off ! We decided not to buy a drinks package and were charged 30 dollars for 2 drinks ! In our cabin our toilet was blocked every day ( cabin next to us was shut off ) and the staff were not bothered, we couldn't use the toilet and only on the last day of the cruise when I reported the problem again as I did every day at 7.00am did they fix it at 2.30pm but only when I threatened to pour contents in corridor on ship so we could use it. Pool area was very small and not enough sunbeds round the pool, we had one day cruising without a stop and the pool was closed all day. If I never see a Royal Caribbean ship again it will be to soon.

Worst holiday I have ever had

We recently embarked on a cruise departing from Haifa in Israel, expecting an unforgettable experience with Royal Caribbean Cruises. While the journey had its highlights, such as a comfortable junior suite and outstanding service, there were several aspects that left me disappointed and frustrated.

Let's start with the positives. The cabin assigned to us, a junior suite, was nothing short of delightful. It provided ample space, elegant décor, and a stunning view of the surrounding ocean. The attention to detail and the overall cleanliness of the cabin were commendable. I truly felt like I was staying in a luxurious home away from home. Our attendant was great. Another aspect that stood out during the cruise was the exceptional level of service provided by the onboard team. From the moment I stepped foot on the ship, the staff went above and beyond to ensure my comfort and satisfaction. Their professionalism, attentiveness, and friendly demeanor enhanced the overall experience and made me feel like a valued guest.

During the voyage, we had the opportunity to visit Rhodes and Limassol in Cyprus, and both destinations proved to be beautiful and captivating. The scenic charm, cultural richness, and historical significance of these locations added an extra layer of enjoyment to the trip. Exploring the streets, tasting local cuisine, and immersing myself in the vibrant atmosphere made these port visits truly memorable.

However, not everything went as smoothly as I had hoped. The disappointment began with an unexpected change of port from Mykonos to Chania, Crete. While Chania is undoubtedly an OK destination in its own right, it wasn't what I had initially planned and looked forward to. The lack of communication or clear reasons for this change left me feeling unsatisfied and let down. We specifically booked this trip to go to Mykonos.

The dissatisfaction continued when we arrived at Santorini. The organization of the visit to this renowned island was poorly executed. The tendering process was chaotic and disorganized, resulting in significant delays and frustration among passengers. Unfortunately, this mismanagement meant that many people, never had the opportunity to step foot on Santorini!. The poor tendering experience was a major disappointment and significantly impacted the overall enjoyment of the cruise.

To make matters worse, my follow-up with Royal Caribbean Cruises regarding the issues faced during the trip was incredibly disheartening. The interaction was one of the worst exchanges and least professional experiences I have ever encountered as a customer. The lack of empathy, the dismissive attitude, and the apparent apathy toward resolving the concerns reflected a problematic approach at the highest levels of the organization. Regrettably, this encounter has left me with little desire to return to Royal Caribbean Cruises in the future.

Despite these setbacks, the exceptional service provided by the onboard team was a notable highlight throughout the cruise. Their dedication, friendliness, and willingness to go the extra mile helped salvage some of the disappointment caused by organizational shortcomings. Their professionalism and attentiveness were truly commendable, and I am grateful for their efforts in making my experience onboard as enjoyable as possible.

In conclusion, the cruise departing from Haifa had its ups and downs. While the cabin, junior suite, and the outstanding service onboard were truly commendable, the organizational issues and extremely disappointing customer support left a sour taste. The abrupt port change from Mykonos to Chania and the poorly organized visit to Santorini were significant letdowns. Royal Caribbean Cruises' unsatisfactory response to my concerns further added to the disappointment. Considering the problematic experience and the lackluster customer support, I am hesitant to choose Royal Caribbean Cruises in the future.

Mixed Experience on RCCL: Impressive Cabin, Exceptional Service, but Organizational Issues and Disappointing Customer Support

As a longtime cruiser with Royal with platinum status, I was expecting more of the same from the ship. I was very disappointed with the customer service , maintenance was done only once a day, we couldn’t get fresh towels after room cleaning in the morning, we were not notified that “crew appreciation “ is mandatory, toiletries were not provided, buffet meals hours were shortened, customer relations officers couldn’t be reached 3 out of the 4 nights we’ve tried, and generally our requests for answers were answered generically that “nothing can’t be done- it’s corporate new policy. So after more than 20 years and dozens of bookings for our friends and us- this would be Goodbye Royal Caribbean. Our July cruise is with Princess. I think that this treatment was “special” for Israeli cruise, as I’ve been on the same cruise leaving Limassol last year and it was a great experience!

This will be my last cruise with Royal Caribbean 

Wellington

We needed a transatlantic ride to the Greek Islands, where we disembarked.

Cabin care was excellent.  The steward worked 24/7, which indicates low staffing.

Fixed time dining service was excellent.  The wait staff were in rapid motion all evening, again low staffing. 

Breakfast and lunch in the dining room was quite poor.  The staff seemed to have little knowledge of American and British food preferences. 

Except for salt, pepper, butter and sugar on the table nothing except water, juice and coffee was offered.  Every thing else had to be asked for.  Server response was slow.

In general all food quality seemed to be diminished,  compared to previous cruises. 

The menu was redundant.  Same items appeared time after time.

The buffet was unappetizing.  Golden Coral offers better selections.

Entertainment: I think the ship’s song and dance company would fare poorly in a High School competition.

Cost cutting was apparent everywhere. 

Unfortunately the cuts take a lot of the enjoyment away from the cruise.

The ship provided the minimum required.  Compared to preCOVID cruises it appears cost cutting was the  most important part of the ships operation. 

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