Royal Caribbean Cruises Reviews 1,227

If I could give zero stars, I would.
Our family (totalling 16 passengers inclusive of all children and partners) were planning a cruise to celebrate the parents' big 70th birthdays. We live around the world and were planning to get together on a Spectrum of the Seas cruise to spend 4 days/nights together. As you can imagine, it was very difficult finding a time where everyone could make it, but we committed and booked our rooms separately. Flights were also booked in advance to accommodate our travels to the departure port and back home.

First, there was a redeployment. Not uncommon I guess, so we looked at our options, confirmed our options with the cruise line within the time limit stated on the email, officially rebooked another cruise sailing the same day according to their options (1 day longer, travelling to another destination, and change of arrival port), then asked for details about arrival, how long it would take (for some members of the group who would have to make it to the airport in the original arrival port). It was a mess coordinating at the start - but this wasn't the cruise line's fault so some of us sucked it up, hoping to keep the atmosphere relaxed and focused on our parents.

A month after the confirmation deadline, we all receive an email saying we didn't confirm (even though we did), and therefore "as per your request your booking for [this cruise sailing x day] has been cancelled and a full refund will be issued within x days..."
We didn't cancel, we didn't want a refund, we just wanted the time we planned together to actually be spent on the cruise and not have to plan extra accommodation or activities if we were to not be on a cruise.
Some of us spoke to the cruise line asking why we were cancelled/refunded the booking - apparently they said "there is no documentation in our notes about you confirming the cruise."
This isn't true because there were calls to Royal Caribbean's customer service about how it was locked in after we already chose [this option] (to travel on the second cruise to another destination and arriving at another port) and that we would not be able to change it.

The icing on top? After we all discussed it further and just said we won't be travelling on this cruise line, one of the group said that Royal Caribbean called them up asking if they'd book another cruise with them!
They just asked why they were cancelled to begin with even though a month prior they were "locked in and already chose this option" - to which RC said they'd call back in the afternoon and never did.

We all suspect RC cancelled our bookings because the rates at which we paid for the first cruise were cheaper than the rates we would've had to pay on the second cruise (the rates were locked at the first cruise's price because of the redeployment) - and that RC wanted "less paying customers" to be kicked off to allow "full price paying customers" to book the cruise.

In saying all this, the customer service were actually helpful when I had questions about the cruise, proceedings, options, etc.
However the cruise line itself is immoral and definitely NOT where anyone should spend their money.

DO THIS FIRST: Dial 1-800-256-6649, choose option 5, and listen closely.
Royal Caribbean actually has a dedicated prompt for people who’ve been double-billed. Let that sink in. This doesn’t just happen — it happens so often they’ve automated the response. They casually say it’ll “resolve itself in 3–4 days,” as if losing $10,000 from your bank account is just a minor hiccup. Manny the so-called “manager,” told me I was overreacting. And even worse — he admitted this kind of overcharging is standard procedure.
Let me repeat that: according to Royal Caribbean management, double-charging customers is normal.
They charged me $12,700 during the cruise. But four days after the cruise ended, they charged me again. No warning, no explanation — they just sucked my bank account dry. I didn’t book two cruises. I didn’t authorize a second payment. This was straight-up theft. And when I called? All I got was deflection, excuses, and indifference.
As for the actual cruise? It was a disaster. The food was revolting — like sad leftovers from a school cafeteria. Even the buffet was a joke. Nothing tasted fresh, and everything felt mass-produced and microwaved.
The ship was overcrowded and loud and pool areas were filthy. Bottom line: This was not a vacation. It was a trap. Avoid this company like the plague. Book with anyone else. You’ve been warned.

HEAD THE WARNINGS

FIND ANOTHER HOLIDAY

I'm genuinely concerned about what to expect from this cruise, given the experience so far. I've had to make eight separate calls, and despite repeated promises, no one follows up. My requests are either ignored or not acted upon. Even something as straightforward as a refund for pre-booked activities—requested with four months' notice—has been unnecessarily difficult to resolve. Perhaps look at other cruise lines if you want service.

We would have liked to have put this in their survey, but you only get 1 week to fill it in.

We've given 2 stars, just because the cleanliness was very good to be fair. Staff were always on hand cleaning the toilets, handrails etc. There was a big emphasis on washing your hands before entering the buffet area.

The onboard staff were also lovely. This is unfortunately where the good bits end.

Smaller issues:

Bought wine as present and handed it to the staff before boarding to be recieved at the end of the cruise, but they affixed the label with masking tape which ripped off the existing wine label when removed.

We were a party of 4 adults with the seapasses linked to a credit card. This had no limit in the casino, but somehow did the arcades, not only with maximum allowances, but also which zones you could play in. This was extremely frustrating and meant we left a lot earlier than we wanted to.

We had 4 people in the room, but the pull out bed wasn't set up. It would not have been so bad, but there was no instructions either, so we had to guess our way through it.

We only attended the main dining twice as the meals were tiny (ironic for an American cruise) and the service was very slow. Out of the two meals, one was completely wrong as well. It wasnt even at full capacity, probably about 1/3 at best. And if you wanted speciality meals you had to pay.

The bathroom had constant issues with not flushing, which lasted almost an entire day at one point. We also had a dodgy sink plug that got jammed multiple times and had to be forcibly removed.

We paid over $300 for 2 devices for 10 days to access the WiFi. That is a lot of money to spend anyway.... but the service kept cutting out, disconnecting us or breaking up, even when using their own app. I get there is a lot of people, but the WiFi needs to be able to support that many if youre going to advertise that people use it. It got to the point were we got excited to be in port so we could get decent signal from our mobile sim providers instead.

Overall, it was just so commercialised and they wanted additional money for everything. Compulsory gratituitites of $18.50 per person (not just adult, per person). A lot of the activities that they advertise were additonal and the proces were astronomical. Over $100 for an hour on the waverider in a group of 8. That's less than 8 minutes of actual ride time. Bingo cost us $54 each for 1 go and had to pay $4 dollars for a dabber.

Anything that was complimentary (and they were few and far between) seemed like it was second class and basic.

In a nutshell, it was extremely overpriced, so money oriented and we just felt like we were there to add to royal caribbeans bank balance. We won't be going with them again.

This is by far the worst company we have ever dealt with. Unprofessional and rude staff, uncaring and in chaos.

The worst company I have ever dealt with. No wonder they don’t have a complaints department!

Left stranded at the Port in Rome, thousands of miles from home, because a scammer accessed my personal account on their unsecured website and purchased drink packages with a fraudulent credit card. No one informed me personally that my reservation in totality had been canceled by them in response. The entire cruise had been paid in full 8 months prior to this incident. This cost me 5000 bucks in unanticipated expenses for accommodations, transport, meals etc for the 7 days we were supposed to be sailing. After hours of arguing, they reimbursed only what we paid out to them and offered a specialty dining experience and 500 bucks towards our next cruise with them. That won’t be happening. Horrible customer service. Beware. They hold the right apparently, to refuse your boarding pass, just because they can, through no fault of your own. A very costly nightmare.

I wish I could give them a 0. Royal Caribbean in which it was close to 100 of us and my son got sick the day of the cruise and even though we were there at the port and had to take him to the hospital in which we did and provided a note as they said and they are still going to keep our money. My husband and I have almost 50 years of service between the both of us and to be taken advantage of as if we have money to throw away. I warn all soldiers to stay away as well as anyone that cant afford insurance but was there the day of but because my son got sick they refused to give us a refund or even a credit.

We have just disembarked from the Icon of the seas, which is our first ever cruise. It won’t be our last- we have already booked another royal Caribbean cruise. Getting on the ship was nice and easy and our luggage taken care of. Our stateroom was immaculate and Dody at house keeping kept it spick and span the entire time. Leaving the cute towels animal which always made us smile. Dinner in the dining hall was 20/10 we felt spoilt for choice every mealtime and we must mention our servers Lalit and Marchisca were incredible and we already miss them. They knew our names by day 2 and always went above and beyond to ensure we had an unforgettable dining experience . We saw the entire ship at our own leisure and pace and we didn’t feel rushed or pestered in any way. Guest services helped print off a special birthday announcement nothing was too much trouble. (concert tickets) internet worked very well all 7 nights. Was a little pricey but we still paid. We loved this trip and are sad it’s come to an end. See you again soon

I am incredibly disappointed by Royal Caribbean's hiring policies, particularly their stance on mental health and physical requirements. Policies that exclude individuals based on BMI or the use of antidepressants — regardless of their capability or qualifications — are not only outdated but discriminatory.

As someone with qualifications in mental health and counselling, and professional experience supporting individuals with various mental health challenges, I find it deeply concerning that a company of this scale would enforce criteria that stigmatise those managing their wellbeing.

Newsflash: everyone experiences mental health challenges at some point — some are just better at managing or masking it than others. We are human, and we are flawed. That’s not a weakness, it’s reality.

People living with mental health conditions often possess exceptional resilience, awareness, and emotional intelligence — all valuable traits in any working environment, especially those involving safety and people-facing roles.

In 2025, we should be moving forward, not backwards. Employers should be focused on a person's ability, not assumptions about their health status. These policies reinforce stigma and unfairly block access to opportunities for many capable individuals

We just returned from a Royal Caribbean cruise, and unfortunately, it will be our last. This isn’t a bitter rant—it’s a detailed, honest account of how a vacation that should’ve been relaxing turned into a frustrating, disappointing experience. Future travelers deserve the full picture—not just of what happens onboard, but how the company handles issues afterward.

Here’s what went wrong:

Dining room service was consistently poor. It routinely took 15–20 minutes just to receive water. The staff never learned our names, never remembered our nightly drink preferences, and frequently placed meals in the wrong spots. For a supposedly premium cruise experience, the service felt like a revolving door—impersonal and inattentive.

Excursion handling was disorganized and dismissive. Our originally booked excursion was canceled. As compensation, we were given a $20 per-person credit. Fair enough—until we went to book a replacement. The app showed a similar excursion listed at a pre-book price of $62.99. But because we had to book in person at the excursion desk (since the app wouldn’t allow rebooking after a cancellation), we were charged the full $79. We pointed out the discrepancy, but the staff refused to honor the lower app rate. They kept insisting the $20 credit brought our cost down to $59.99, but that only works if the base rate is $79—which it wasn’t. This wasn’t just frustrating—it felt intentionally misleading. The credit was compensation, not a pricing substitute.

The drink charge issue was acknowledged and resolved appropriately. My wife ordered an $18 drink. Our package covered up to $14. When she asked if it was included, the staff said yes. Later, we were charged. To their credit, Royal Caribbean admitted the mistake and processed a refund to our card rather than an onboard credit. That was the one thing handled correctly.

We were nickel-and-dimed nonstop. $2.50 for a small popcorn at a theater show? Fine—annoying, but expected. But even the main dining room included upcharges for certain meal options. Not specialty dining—the main dining room. I’ve never seen that on any cruise line. I understand paying extra for a specialty restaurant, but when you're in the core dining room and still being asked to pay more for a better cut of meat or upgraded dish? It felt tacky and excessive.

Stateroom issues were concerning. A glass shelf in the bathroom shattered the moment we opened the medicine cabinet. No USB ports anywhere in the room—just outdated infrastructure. And the air quality? Alarming. I use a CPAP machine and installed a brand-new filter the day we boarded. When we got home, that filter was pitch black. I hadn’t noticed the issue onboard, so I didn’t report it. Yet when I brought it up afterward, I was told housekeeping had “addressed” the issue. That’s impossible. No one should’ve touched my CPAP machine, and no one followed up with me during the cruise. If air quality issues are known, what exactly is being done about them?

Entertainment missed the mark. The comedian was excellent—the highlight of the theater experience. The rest felt dated and awkward. Watching a white actor portray Shaft and another attempt to rap “Men in Black” lyrics was cringeworthy and tone-deaf.

Post-cruise, I gave Royal Caribbean a chance to make this right. I wasn’t expecting a free cruise—just a real acknowledgment that things went wrong and a good-faith effort to win back our business. What I got was a partial refund, a lot of deflection, and a clear message: guest retention isn’t a priority.

Bottom line: This cruise felt outdated, overpriced, and overly transactional. We left feeling like walking revenue—not guests. The follow-up sealed it. We’re done with Royal Caribbean.

Grandeur Of The Seas needs to be retired. My family of five had the worst experience this past week while in the Bahamas. We even had to sleep in a bar one night due to a busted septic pipe, causing our entire floor to smell of sewage.
From the moment you walk on the boat, its age is very apparent. No renovations have been done, including having the lovely shower curtain that sticks to you as you try to shower in the twenty-four-inch space within the interior cabins. Be prepared for your rooms to be so damp due to the lack of ventilation that all of your clothes, including those you've never worn, to become soggy with moisture. If you've purchased the beverage package, you have to keep your Royal Caribbean Souvenir cup attached to you at every moment to ensure that if and when you find a beverage dispenser, you can refill your cup "at no additional charge." (That is if the drink you want is even available as it tends to run out quickly, much like the ice). You will need to avoid 'wet floor' signs as we as watch your head while ordering your coffee at Cafe Latte-tudes, as water continuously drips from the ceiling. You will also need to stay with the towels you have checked out while on deck (since the towels you've brought cannot dry out in your humid cabin) because if left unattended, both your towels AND your chairs will be taken by another guest due to the lack of availability. Towels not returned will cost you $25 per towel. While on the deck, you will be able to memorize all the clips played on the Big Screen as Royal plays the same shows over and over, rather than having a different set of things to view each day. The same goes for the late-night Movies. I urge you to watch your step while on deck, as the majority of the floor grates alongside the pool are either broken or not stable. Also, for non-smokers, do yourself a favor and avoid this boat entirely, as one whole side of the deck has been set aside for smokers as well as the Casino (which has no doors, allowing the entire floor to reek). I'm thankful I brought my son's albuterol inhaler, as he had to use it numerous times throughout the day due to breathing in its harmful chemicals. Speaking of children, there is barely anything for them to do while cruising on this particular ship, especially when the pool is closed due to weather. The Rock Wall is only open during specific hours. The teen center consists of one mini pool table and claw machines. The shops on board contain only expensive jewelry and cologne, and the live entertainment is geared strictly to older/senior generations...much like its food, which lacks flavor. The Windjammer Cafe is basically an all-you-can-eat buffet comprised of reheated items and sauces made of powder and water. My children had to wait until 9:00 pm each night for pizza once the Park Cafe opened, as this was the only consumable option for them. We also spent hundreds of dollars at Chops Grille, simply to obtain a digestible meal, which we were not disappointed with. The most frustrating incident was briefly mentioned before, waking up to the foul odor of feces on June 5th, close to midnight. The smell continued to worsen; therefore, like many others, we were forced out of our rooms to move to higher ground. We ended up setting up camp in the Schooner Bar to allow our three children to lie down rather than stay curled up in a chair like many others did. Some guests were even found the next morning sleeping in deck chairs by the pool. While at Customer Service, we attempted to find out what was going on, but were constantly brushed aside with only insincere apologies. As a group of us gathered at Customer Service, we were eventually told that a septic pipe had busted, causing the incident, and to give them a few hours to work through it. Accidents happen, we all understand this; however, when we asked for blankets or a plan of action as the time was creeping into the early hours of the morning, no accommodations were given. Instead, we were treated as though we were inconveniencing them by not being in our rooms. One worker was even complaining out loud about all of the guests sleeping, stating "we need to get them out of here and back into their cabins," as if we would prefer to be sleeping there. I just love how I paid for two rooms of Grandeur Of The Seas, to end up sleeping in a bar...WITH NO COMPENSATION. Many guests like me filed an official complaint that evening, and I have yet to receive a response from Royal Caribbean regarding the horrific experience.
Grandeur Of The Seas is an old, decrepit boat that needs to be retired. Royal should go the extra mile for their guests and value them above all else. They should want to build relationships, not just transactions. I hope Royal actually acknowledges & listens to customer feedback, as without customers, a company cannot live.

Disappointing Experience – Not Worth the Price

Overall, I was highly disappointed with this cruise and felt my money was not well spent. The price was very high considering what was offered. Most of the shows were heavily geared toward children, with very little entertainment tailored to singles or adults without children. I also found the drink and dinner packages to be overpriced and not a good value.

Customer service was another letdown. While a few staff stood out positively, many others were rude and unfriendly. I especially want to highlight the conduct of our stateroom attendant, Caylohr. He was argumentative on several occasions and made me feel uncomfortable throughout the trip. On the morning of disembarkation, he aggressively banged on my door and told me, “Leave now, my boss said you need to leave now!” His behavior was disrespectful and unprofessional. I strongly recommend that he be retrained. I don’t take complaints about individuals lightly, but this conduct was truly unacceptable.

Cleanliness was another concern. For a new ship, the pools were in poor condition—murky water, floating particles, and what looked like mold near the filters. This raised serious hygiene concerns.

That said, I want to recognize a few staff members who made a positive impact. Phillip from South Africa was incredibly friendly and went out of his way to make us feel welcomed and appreciated. In the My Time Dining area, Randy and his assistant waiter were extremely helpful, friendly, and accommodating. Their service was a highlight in an otherwise disappointing experience.

I hope this feedback is taken seriously, as there are clearly areas that need improvement—especially in staff training, guest service, and ship maintenance.

This cruise company has fraudulent and deceptive practices-avoid this company! I booked a cruise, dining package, key package, beverage package and excursions directly through Royal Carribean International Group. They double charged my credit card without my knowledge or consent. Refused to provide an accounting or a refund after charging more than $27,000 without my knowledge. They claimed a 50% increase for unpublished taxes and gratuities, they never advertised or shared this with me anytime at booking. Their customer care team said this charge is not correct but they’re unable to do anything. The senior officers of their company failed to respond.

I’ve written and spent hopes on calls to their customer care team. I’ve filled a better business bureau complaint, this company has many complaints. They keep referring me to their customer care team and I start each discussion from the beginning as they fail to keep records. I’ve provided a full record of charges to my card and my bookings, after an hour with each call they refuse to share their accounting. They will steal from you

Royal Caribbean has terrible service, not only onboard but off board. Will never go back. Norwegian has my full support.

Extremely Upset-Lied To and Left Without Resolution
I am extremely upset with our recent experience with Royal Caribbean. After fully paying for our cruise and confirming our booking with valid receipts and flying from NJ to Florida , we were denied boarding at the port with no clear explanation. Despite multiple reassurances from staff that everything was in order we were not allowed to board. Staff assured us our luggage with my seizure medication would be returned to us before the ship departed, this did not happen.
We were left stranded, confused, and without our belongings. The lack of clear communication, and accountability was shocking. They refused to give us any documentation that we denied board and a refund was issued ( which they said was done, credit card company said otherwise) Being misled and then left without any support or follow-up is unacceptable. Customer service reads from a script and couldn’t get any answers from them as to way this happened

This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime celebration — my very first cruise, planned to celebrate being reunited with my 13 year old daughter after being separated for three long years due to my critical illness. I wanted everything to be perfect.

When I called Cruises.com to book the cruise, I clearly explained that it was my first time and that this trip was deeply meaningful to us. I paid for the cruise upfront, excited and hopeful. But the very next day, I realized I had chosen the wrong port: I booked the cruise leaving from Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami. The Miami departure was important to me because it includes two days on land, not just one, and that extra time mattered.

I called Cruises.com immediately the next day to exchange my booking for the Miami port cruise. I was shocked when they told me it was impossible and that doing so would be considered a cancellation. I wasn’t trying to cancel — I just wanted to change ports! Same dates, same cruise line, just a different port.

Cruises.com kept telling me it was Royal Caribbean’s policy to call them directly. But when I called Royal Caribbean, they said there was nothing they could do because I had purchased through Cruises.com. It’s been a constant back and forth with no resolution, just repeated "no’s."

My daughter and I were so excited to celebrate our reunion, but now we’re going because we can’t afford to lose the money we paid. Of course, we will have fun once on the cruise, but it’s just not the cruise we wanted or envisioned.

What hurts the most is that neither Cruises.com nor Royal Caribbean showed any willingness to help or make an exception for a customer’s dream and a deeply personal milestone. If they truly cared, they could have made it right. Instead, I’m left feeling ignored and disappointed.

I was on board on the Icon of the Seas from May 17th to May 24th. The ship is new and the facilities are good. However, there were a few things that disappointed me. First of all, we don't have internet on board. To have internet we have to pay 33 dollars per day, otherwise we are uncontactable for 7 days.
Second, we were charged 7.5 dollars for a small bottle of water. Ridiculous and unnaceptable.
Third, we were charged daily 18USD for each of us (2 adults and a child) without prior notice. In other words, we did not knew that this amount was going to be charged. We were not informed of this fact. In the end, 378 dollars was added to our account.
Third, the floor of the bedroom was never cleaned properly.
We paid 4500€ for this cruise. Plus the extras. In my opinion, Royal Caribean has a wrong policy and simply tries to extort its customers.
I also can say that the shows were very very good. But the general opinion is that they overprice everything. Did not like it at all.

Our child had an allergic reaction due to poor protocols and training by RCCL, we had to be rushed to the medical centre for treatment (the staff in the medical centre were brilliant) however guest services and more importantly the officer incharge of the windjammer essentially dismissed our complaints and offered no genuine apology or care.

We have since complained formally and had no response. We have over a 150 nights on RCCL but we are now considering our options