Royalcarribean Reviews 36

11 night cruise tokyo to singapore with 5 stops; nagasaki, South Korea, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh and Na Treng. Within a few months of booking they had dropped Na Treng for unconvincing reasons. Then a weatger event (not their fault of course) meant we couldn't board the ship until 2 days later than planned so our cruise was now 9 days. Despite having already dropped a port stop, they announced that they would be dropping two further ports to make up time so no stopping at nagasaki and S Korea. Then the day before we were due to stop at Ho Chi Minh, a tannoy announcement that we would instead be stopping at Da Nang. We couldn't research what to do there given the extortionate cost of Internet access. There was a stampede to book trips meaning 2+ hour queues.
So we lost 2 days of a cruise, 2 days of a drinks package, 5 stops became 2 of which only one was as advertised, the 2 extra nights we stayed in tokyo cost us dearly as we had to book a hotel room at short notice and to oay for food that would otherwise have been included on the ship, and the trips we had booked with external companies doe ports we didn't stop at were lost at considerable cost.
The Royal Caribbean customer service response? Just disgraceful. They refunded part of the hotel cost leaving us significantly out of pocket. The lost trips? Sorry but no refund. The extra food? Nothing. The loss of 2 days of the cruise and the drinks package, they offered an on board credit. I had no reason for a credit as I had nothing I needed to spend on board so wanted a cash refund. Nope, not budging. I have been with RC on several occasions and have now cancelled my crown and anchor membership and will never sail with them again. The measure of a reputable company is how they respond when things go wrong not when things go well and RC showed their true colours. Avoid at all cost

I went on the cruise a few weeks ago. The food was excellent. They have a buffet with all kinds of food ranging from steak, burgers, pasta to Indian curry.

Vinod Mandrekar, did a great job. He was attentive and helped us feel comfortable. Food quality was excellent. You'll enjoy it.

We also had our own table. Ika was our waiter. He was excellent. Great service. Great conversation. These were more formal dinners and the environment was really nice. Ika is from Indonesia.

Last but not least, we had a walking tour Nassau, Our tour guide did a good job showing us around Nassau. He was quite funny and helpful.

The ship was in great shape. I didn't feel anything the whole time we were sailing.

This was my first cruise. I also noticed the different types of people that were on the cruise. People were courteous. There were older people, families with young kids, groups, single travelers you name it. There are so many activities and that gives you unlimited options: comedy shows, surfing simulation, bars, art museums, running track and concerts.

I'll be back, it's a great way to wind down and be around alot of nice people.

Vision of the seas was good. The food was mediocre even at the speciality restaurants but the crew was amazing. The spa was worth the money and I can’t wait for my next cruise!

DISGRACEFUL AND ABUSIVE. The most horrendous supposed celebration where family kidnapped and denied human rights and thrown out after three days in a foreign country after helping with a mh crisis.
Victim abused, denied rights, food, change of clothes and was a ViCTIM!!!
This company’s procedures are abusive, unlawful and WILL be challenged in court . He was even called a wife beater n he hadn’t done a thing wrong! Port transport told he beats his wife!! No he doesn’t!!!
They threw a young couple and their young baby out with no way of getting home, for an event that was beyond her control. Totally ignorant .
Sledgehammer process and abusive.
After years of travelling with them, no more.

See you in court.

Update…Then after a traumatic and expensive way home with a young baby, they were faced by police at their door who agreed it was a total disgrace and fault of RC. Police were very shocked.,No case to answer.,big boys trying to cover their tracks for their massive abuse to a family. Totally out of order !

Ovation of the Seas, May 2025, China, South Korea and Japan.

Unfortunately, on boarding we were given the wrong cabin, which turns out to be the fault of the travel agent, not RC. We were charged £300 for an upgrade to the room we had actually booked, a cabin with a balcony. It took us a few hours to sort this out, including a long telephone call to the travel agent in the UK from China.

Our cruise ended with a great disappointment as 4 designer shirts were taken and will not be returned. I didn’t realise this until we got home. The 3 shirts that I had worn were on the sofa with other used clothes, ready to be thrown into the case when we departed. One shirt was in the drawer. I have now had it confirmed that they were not ‘found’, so cannot be returned. I have never had an issue like this with the 2 other cruise companies that I have sailed with.

The ship is huge with many great amenities and attractions to keep you occupied. The cabin was spacious for 2 people.

The staff were very polite and hardworking. Some of the entertainment was excellent and there was a good choice in the various bars and theatre.

The restaurants were very good with a varied selection of food, which was all prepared and presented very well. At times service in the a la carte restaurant was slow.

Some of the trips were, in our opinion, a bit of a rip off, especially as they are so costly.

One major issue was the daily service charge and the additional service charges which are automatically added when you order drinks. The daily service charges alone were over £300 but, after speaking with some Australian travellers, we challenged this and they were reluctantly removed.

We would have considered sailing with RC again but, due to the lost clothes, will almost certainly not.

Carribean cruise aboard the Icon of The Seas. Brilliant staff who can’t do enough to help - our usual experience over the last 20 years. On this new ship we’re in a cabin near the back of the ship.

Have to say that the engineers got the design of this ship badly wrong - we and other guests experience engine vibrations and can’t sleep property. A real nightmare. Hope they somehow resolve this but be aware before you finalise your cruise on this specific ship !

Again brilliant staff , great facilities , brilliant entertainment and excellent food with high focus on cleanliness. Mechanical engineers- please get your thinking caps on 😀!

First cruise on board the Utopia of the Seas cruise ship. Most staff members were exceptional with the odd one being extremely rude which did dampen the mood.

My main reason for a low score is because my teenage son was booked for jet skiing in the Bahamas, which you can imagine being the highlight of his trip! This was cancelled minutes before due to the weather which was fine for this duration and I was informed by staff this is the norm! Had we been informed earlier we could have attended a morning session. Royal Caribbean are clearly used to this complaint as they refer you to their T&Cs – yet their website promises: 'experience the thrill of a lifetime....', which is untrue! If you want to avoid children being disappointed, I suggest a trust worthy provider.

Got off of enchantment of the seas today what a joke horrible food rooms outdated AC didn’t really work. TV had 3 channels plays the same stuff. Lines going through it go to guest services they don’t do anything to fix the problem The seas wasn’t even that rough but the ship was shaking side to side so bad The buffet is on the pool deck me and my fiancé walk in there to get a bite and was told can’t enter cause she had a bathing suit on but there is no sign stating bathing suits are not allowed other people in there sitting eating dressed the same but yet we got told not to enter so I had the rundown get a shirt elevators are extremely slow and 1 out of service entertainment was the only thing to do on the ship and it wasn’t even that good. Can’t even hear the people when they talk. through the speakers went to Cozumel told our excursion was 9 hours and we only had 5 hours there booked through Royal Caribbean on the ship it’s sad that they put a better image out of a ship and you spend quite a bit of money for an experience like that just want to give people a heads up before entering that ship you tell the front desk your problems and call the number they basically take your money and it is what it is

Do NOT SAIL WITH ROYAL!!! My heart aches as I recount my experience on the 3-day cruise to the Bahamas on 11/8/2024. The Allure of The Seas, a ship draped in beauty, promised so much more than it delivered. Arriving to find my bag damaged was just the beginning.

It felt as though the staff were lost themselves, amidst the very ship they were meant to be guiding us through.

I had poured my heart into planning a romantic surprise for my boyfriend—chocolate-covered strawberries, wine, and cheese awaiting our arrival. But as I walked into that room, my excitement turned to disappointment when the surprise was nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, when they finally presented the covered dishes, they carelessly placed them on a small table next to the couch, as if it were just an afterthought.

The activities felt stifled, confined to cramped spaces that robbed us of the joy of participation. Wandering the ship became a frustrating endeavor, as I was misdirected time and again about the locations of shows and restaurants. Even the app, designed to simplify our journey, betrayed us with incorrect information about the comedy show’s venue. It felt surreal that the guests appeared more informed than the very staff meant to assist us.

As for the food—my culinary expectations plummeted to the depths of disappointment. The buffet offerings lacked flavor and enthusiasm; my scrambled eggs were runny, and the smoked salmon was unappetizingly slimy. After an agonizing wait for dinner, drinks, and to place an order, I was presented with a vegetarian option that was little more than mushrooms in a sad marinara sauce, crusted with breadcrumbs. I couldn’t bring myself to eat it. When I asked for an alternative, it came in the form of mushy white fish, another culinary misstep. In the end, I was left with nothing but bread for dinner and later felt compelled to book a specialty restaurant, a decision that only felt like a desperate attempt to find something worth savoring.

The cruise line seemingly forced us into a corner, where we had to pay out of pocket for decent meals after being disheartened by the dreadful complimentary fare. To top it off, my boyfriend and I were obligated to purchase the deluxe drink package—even though, due to medical reasons, I could not drink most of the items on the deluxe list, I was told I had to purchase. Only to sit next to a random couple that told me they were not force to both buy the $134 per person package.

I made five calls to customer service upon returning home, each time feeling more frustrated than the last. I spoke with Bell ID# 1010646, who gave her hollow apologies, and the offer of a measly $55 to offset my $110 gratuity which felt like an insult. I was denied the right to speak to someone above her and Royal closed out my case.

Lastly, the cruise took their full charges at the end of sailing and still placed a hold on my card, which may take up to 14 business days to clear. $1000 hold even though they have been paid in full! Of course when I called I received the same Customer Service Rep Bell ID#10106456 that offered me another apology with no resolve.

It’s evident that Royal Caribbean is accustomed to complaints like mine; the lack of genuine care was palpable. Please spare yourself the heartache and the expense! Save your hard-earned money and precious time—choose a different cruise line and pursue an experience worthy of your dreams!

My wife and I were on the new Celebrity Ascent, Mediterranean Cruise. First thing done was to call at Customer Services and ask for the 20% Gratuity to be removed and was told this would be done but would take a couple of days. I noticed that when buying a drink 20% gratuity as added. At this time the ship was berthed in Ajjacio and subject to the laws in the jurisdiction of France. I pointed this out to the Ass Bar Manager but he could not give a reasonable explanation and kept repeating "Its Company Policy and it won't be removed". A day or two later I made the same complaint to the Deputy Manager Drinks, she also could not give an explanation and also kept saying "Its Company Policy" Tips and Gratuities on this side of the Atlantic are Discretionary and NOT Compulsory. This is an ILLEGAL practice that should be stopped!

A fall from grace…our most recent transpacific cruise aboard the Ovation of the Seas was a far cry from only 2 short years ago. The ship was tremendously over crowed as evidenced by spot shortages of common food and beverage products, jam packed galleys, inconsistent food quality, and never ending lines at the customer service desk. Shore excursions were primarily sold out pre cruise leaving little to occupy the travelers time when considering the laughable quality of on board entertainment highlighted by ongoing sessions of karaoke. A clueless or at the very least untrained cruise director was unable to bring any order to a random collection of subpar activities and events.
The process of boarding tenders or even exiting the ship was a long and drawn out process that regularly jammed the hallways of the lower staterooms making it difficult, or impossible to access cabins for extended periods.
Cleanliness was a problem in common areas accentuate by episodes of drunken passengers vomiting on the pool deck. Dirt encrusted hot tubs highlighted the solarium experience and stacks of discarded beverage containers could be found on nearly every empty surface throughout the craft.
Onboard shopping was limited primarily to trinket quality jewelry, discount quality clothing in an ongoing “rummage sale” . Crew members were undertrained and mercilessly over worked, and the customer serve unit were delightfully unconcerned. Beverage packages were overpriced and the very act of accessing over crowded bars made it difficult to obtain the product cruisers prepaid for.
Uniformed security personnel roamed the venues but did little to discourage intoxicated patrons from languishing in bars and public areas. Smoking areas were consistently teaming with patrons unwillingly or unable to relocate for nearly the entire cruise.
This was a cruising experience I would expect aboard a Carnival ship but with a much higher price tag.

I recently booked a cruise to the Greek Islands but had to cancel as I broke three ribs. I had paid for the cruise in full but was informed I could get no refund.
I fortunately had Holiday insurance and was refunded in full.
I'm a member of Crown and Anchor, Royal Caribbean's loyalty Scheme. So after all the upset they refused to credit me the loyalty points even though I paid in full for the cruise.
Absolutely disgusting, I will never travel with them again.

23/8/24 we took the ovation of the see cruise from Seattle to Alaska . Outside staff was very rude and not helpful

Problems encountered.
Excessive queueing, meal times, embarking and disembarking, tours. And the restaurant close 9 .30 and buffet close 9.30 aswell.
I am gluten free( celiac) I couldn’t find the food in buffet and the restaurant food also wasn’t good .
On supplying your credit card details you are advised that;-
1,You will be charged a gratuity charged, per person per day.
2, You will be charged a gratuity charge for every drink you order.
3, Drinks are charged at twice the local uk pub rates, to then be charged not only gratuity again but also VAT. No duty free on this ship.
4, Cabin staff and waiters give a fantastic service, but other staff are not helpful. If they don't know they just tell you something to get rid of you.
5, Entertainment (Shows) were of a poor standard. And there is no many shows .

Will never book on this company again, feel as if ive been totally fleeced and screwed.

There are two very different levels of service on the anthem of the seas ship.

The people at customer services are awful. They are condescending and make every effort to make guests feel stupid. A simple request for a daily magazine is met with distain, as if it’s too much for them. The queue is always long. We asked for help downloading the app, the lady serving us was clearly so irritated that she couldn’t even look at us. She snatched the phone and tossed it back with no manners at all. When the app was working she didn’t even say goodbye!

Many guests have told me that the customer service teams only purpose is to sell additional services, and I agree. Any comment is met with either “it’s not managed by us, we cannot help, it’s an external provider” or “let me fill in a form and investigate”. Todd from England is apparently a manager, when I complained to him about a shuttle service, he encouraged me to write and complain as “it will never get you anywhere”. He, and a member of his staff, spent over 20 minutes writing down my comments, and promised to get back to me. 24 hours later, I have heard nothing.

The rest of the staff on the ship, however, are a stark contrast. They are amazing!

The welcomer gentleman (maybe Rajeev) at the restaurant on deck 4 is outstanding, he welcomed us every day with a smile and found us a great table. It was a joy to see him every evening.
Waiters Noor and Sanjeev are frankly amazing! They go over and above to make sure that everything is beyond expectations, no matter how busy they are they make you feel special. The two restaurant managers we saw every night are also so attentive (shawshank even found us soup when it was not in the menu). When an incident happened, the restaurant staff could not have been more fantastic. Faultless.

Our room was cleaned every day by Rajev, who often left towel sculptures on the bed - which really made us smile!!

The bar waitress with shoulder length black hair in the music hall is super friendly.

Ibby in the flight area was patient and made our sky dive such fun.

So, overall, if you avoid the customer services desk, your holiday will be great!!

Excrement!!!
My family and 2 friends,(me, husband and daughter, daughters friend and my friend) all adults, went on a cruise for a week to France and Spain in May 2024.
Biggest, unbelieveable issue, happened on the third day of our cruise. We had been out in the morning, came back to our cabins, my friend went to the toilet,
as she's sitting there (as you do!) she sees a lump of what she thinks is foundation make up, touches it, and realises it's not! How did a lump of excrement get on our folded bath towels. We could not believe it! Was it our cabin cleaner? Did one of the staff come in while we were out and do it? If so, why?
We called customer services, they came down, offered us a free cocktail as we were so shocked, big mistake! Apparently, because we accepted the free drinks, that ment we were compensated for this incident. We went to customer services, they said that they would 'investigate', but they told us as we had accepted the drinks, that was considered compensation.
We had been on a cruise with RC last year 2023, for a week, they only had 2 shows, well on this holiday they were showing the same shows! The other shows were guest based, such as 'Mr & Mrs' etc.
I'm afraid their standards have gone down and we will not be going on a cruise with them again.

We are Gold status guests on Royal Carribean and previously had very positive opinions of this cruise line. No more. We booked a GUAR balcony cabin some weeks ago on the Quantum of the Seas out of Brisbane on the 29th January. Since then, the cost of the cabins has gone down very substantially, indicating that the cruise is far from sold out. Yet when we looked at our cabin allocation we found that we were allocated the lowest level of obstructed view cabin, even though the higher cabin categories are still available at a much reduced price compared to what we paid. Although strictly speaking this is consistent with the GUAR provisions, in reality this shows extremely poor customer relations - give your loyal returning customers who paid a higher price the worst cabin when better cabins are still available at a much lower cost? This shows no appreciation or loyalty to your returning customers. When we asked our agent, Cruise Guru, to look into the matter, we were advised that will do nothing.

We booked and fully paid for our Cruise (April 2024) but Royal Carribean have NOW informed us that parts of the ship and not working (and will not be working in April 2024) and that some of the Islands we were to visit have been cancelled meaning that we have to spend 8 days (out of our 10 day cruise) at sea.
They are making it impossible to cancel and refuse to offer any compensation.

Please be very careful, drinks packages are more expensive that the cost of the cruises.

Boat was beautiful and activities and shows were great but I am giving them a 2 star due to the food that was very low quality. Didnt eat any BEEF products, cause they seemed off...taste and texture not right. All the food was prettied up to cover up, sad!!

Pains in the butt? Sometimes. Mix up of rooms? Yes please. Nice ship experience and some island hopping? Uhhh...Duh. Yes I like it