Never again........cost does not equal value......not for kids under 3 years old !!!!

[Ashland]

Waiting for the FAN-BOYS! (y)

That's FAN-LADIES ! :D:D:'):')

[ElaineKeagy]

I'm sorry you had a less than stellar cruise, but I think some of your expectations were too high.

 

 

 

I'm speaking from experience -- we have 2 children and have been cruising with them since the oldest was only 7 months old. You have to realize, even if you are in a suite, that you still have to "adult" while on vacation, moreso when they are that young. We've recently hit the "sweet spot" where ours are old enough to toilet themselves, bathe themselves, feed themselves, go to kids' camp for extended periods, and still want to spend time with us. Cruising with children is a completely different experience compared to cruising as a couple. It's not going to be a quiet time with romantic dinners and moonlight strolls. Even now, with a 9 year old and a 7 year old, my wife and I rarely get time alone. I do have to give it to Royal, though -- with Family Time Dining, they serve the kids first and the kids' camp counselors pick them up from the dining room 45 minutes into dinner service so the adults can enjoy a longer, quieter dinner.

 

 

 

I think that’s an unfair statement. It does not sound like the OP was trying to avoid “adulting” or parenting while on the cruise. They had been told babysitting services were available as a service when they are not available at all times. There is nothing unreasonable about wanting to hire a babysitter for a few evenings after the kiddles are in bed.

 

 

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[Bloodgem]

Sorry you feel you had a bad experience. Please don't let that colour your view of RCI. The newer ships are better. As bad as the dust on the phone cord was it you could have found something much worst. We were on the Indy in May and found medication packets on the floor between the bedside cabinet and the wall.

Thank you for a balanced review.:*

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Our first cruise with the offspring was on RCCI when DS was 3. It was great! It was on Independence, so it wasn't ancient (you get what you get when you pick an old fart of a boat), but it wasn't brand new either. It was still clean and shiny.

 

DS does not do kid's club or babysitters, so the entire cruise was family time galore, and thankfully, there is plenty to do for a family on RCCI ships (unlike Princess).

 

We had an inside room and paid a reasonable price for it. We expected to be treated just like anyone in an inside room gets treated, and our expectations were met and exceeded in a positive way.

 

We are looking forward to being in an inside room once again on the Allure next year. So much to see, so much to do!

 

We are now limited to school breaks, but do not sail during summer (hurricane season and it's too hot).

[KimA75]

I hate that you were misguided by whoever you spoke with on the phone. However, I have unfortunately found that I need to do research instead of relying on them, as several people have been given incorrect information. I don't fault you on relying on what you were told. You should be able to.

 

My only advice is to use this board more frequently to research before booking your next trip. The majority of the issues you cited I was already aware of because of this site. There is some great information on here. There is a lot of information about the kids clubs, baby sitting services, pools, slides, meals, etc. I already know when we go on Adventure in November I will have to take swim diapers for my 4 year old to use the slide even though he has been potty trained for quite a while now. I would have hated to learn that while on board. I also understand how the babysitting service works so that if we want it we will try to call and reserve anything that first day. We will also be pulling the kids out of school for a week to avoid some of the rush of kids on school breaks.

 

I'm sorry you did not get to enjoy the cruise as much as you were hoping, but maybe next time you can get some better measures/expectations. I think if you can get the research done to understand what is actually possible versus what they may say is possible then you will have an amazing time.

[suesnake2002]

Well I'm glad op found cruise critic. Here you will find more true facts.

Unfortunately, from past reviews i have learned that calling customer service is totally useless.

They have not a clue, and it seems they promise the world.

Maybe you would have been more happy on a larger ship with better suite benefits eg: oasis class coastal kitchen.

But from what i understand suite breakfast is in one of the specialty restaurants on adventure. Did you utilize this perk??

 

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[Grandma Dazzles]

Really sorry that you had a poor experience. Agree with other posters that there is no excuse for the dirty cord.

 

Some of the other complaints could have been avoided with research.

 

Pack and plays are provided not cribs. I believe RC website even gives height and weight requirements.

 

Cabin, regardless of whether a suite or not, have coolers not refrigerators. If you want a refrigerator you have to request from special needs - e.g. For medicine.

 

No swim diapers and no kids in pools is standard on cruise ships, unless you are sailing on a ship with a separate baby splash area.

 

In-room baby sitting (private baby sitting) is dependent on staff volunteers and availability. Better to choose a ship with a nursery.

 

Overall RC is a good family cruise line with excellent programs and facilities for kids. I do hope you will try again and check the ship's programs and activities closely before booking.

[ryano]

 

Cabin, regardless of whether a suite or not, have coolers not refrigerators. If you want a refrigerator you have to request from special needs - e.g. For medicine.

.

 

I too, was going to point this out but I didnt know whether or not suites had actual fridges. The ones in the regular cabins are nothing more than glorified coolers and its imperative to keep the cabinet door open that the cooler is behind.

[Grandma Dazzles]

I too, was going to point this out but I didnt know whether or not suites had actual fridges. The ones in the regular cabins are nothing more than glorified coolers and its imperative to keep the cabinet door open that the cooler is behind.

 

Not sure about OP's particular suite, and when posted I wasn't actually thinking of the bigger suites, I usually have a balcony cabin or junior suite so perhaps I over generalized, but I think it's true for a large majority of cabins.

[LMaxwell]

Sorry, I'd been upset about not clean room but phone call "should" take care of that.

 

You would think. cleaner than navigator or enchantment was.

[AUDRAA928]

We will not rule out RCL and we have learned to do better research for the next one! We will go with a newer ship next time..we take one big vacation a year - and I plan to take my kids out of school as long as I can versus going with the larger crowds! thanks for your comments

[AUDRAA928]

Thank you, yes you are right. We were not looking for free babysitting - I was told it was a service. I had called twice about this because we were going to bring our sitter with us and pay for her cabin too! Next time I will come to the boards and do more research before I book......I was relying on customer service to guide me ......

[Mikeandliz]

We were on Adventure of the Seas from July 6-13 2018.

 

 

 

We chose this cruise because of the convenience of it leaving from Bayonne. It was our first trip with our 2 kids (3 and 14 months) and we were looking for something easy in terms of travel. We had heard good things about RCCL and the last time I was on RCCL was in 2002 (Radiance of the Seas).

 

 

 

We have so many regrets and will do things VERY different next time, if there is a next time! For what we paid, we did not feel we got the value. I plan to also write a letter to RCCL.

 

 

 

Cabin: We had the Grand Suite - 2 bedroom. It is an older ship and it showed. The sink drain had corrosion and the telephone cords had dust intertwined, it was GROSS (PICS ATTACHED)

 

 

 

Given what we spent on the cruise, we did not feel like we were in a suite or treated like we paid "suite" rates. We were told we would have a crib in the room - I had to call for it when we got there (since it was nap time) and when it arrived it was a pack and play and VERY small. My daughter who is 14 months old, was head to toe and didn't fit. The refrigerator wasn't cold, and I had to call maintenance. And even when they say they fixed it, it never got cold enough for drinks. Be prepared, there are LIMITED outlets in the room. Again, for a suite, I was really surprised. We have traveled Celebrity on OLDER ships and the Royal Suite was 100 times better than what we had on RCCL.

 

 

 

CONCIERGE service is a joke and non-existent. Mine was not helpful at all. Do not count on private babysitting services after hours in your room, they made it sound like it was a service. IT IS NOT !!! The crew does this on their own time. I called twice and was told NO twice. My husband and I did not go out once together in 7 days. I was totally misled. Guest Services was just as bad. I didn't find them helpful and the lines were always long.

 

 

 

The suite lounge and perks were nice and a great way to get some quiet time when the pool was overcrowded. Having a section by the pool was also nice but we needed shade so we couldn't use it.

 

 

 

Windjammer was just OK. Finding a high chair for the baby was a challenge EVERYDAY. It was so crowded on sailing days that we went to the dining room to feel a more civilized. They would rope off a section of the buffet which made no sense !!! Lacked waiter service and you cannot get your own drinks, you need to walk up to the drink area and someone will hand you what you want. I could not even get my own cup of coffee, I had to wait on line for coffee !!!! It also lacked waiter service in the morning and dishes would pile up.

 

 

 

Pool Area: There was only one place to get towels and to drop off towels - for the amount of people on the cruise they need more places to do that! Why wouldn't they have a towel bin on each side ---- the lines were crazy.

 

 

 

Splash Away Bay was the only place my 14 month old could swim since she is still in diapers. (note, babies in diapers or swim diapers cannot use the pools). They had it open limited hours which means when they closed it, we all could not be outside together as a family. None of this was explained when we booked (yes, i spoke to a RCCL a rep when I booked).... how can you limit hours on the only place they can hang out on hot day!? Many parents had the same complaint.

 

 

 

Dining Service: We had no issues. Food was good, dining room service was wonderful. My husband has allergies and they paid close attention to that. They always had the high chair set up for when we came to dinner.

 

 

 

Photography: OMG, what a disaster!!! My pictures wound up in another family account, I had other people pictures on our account. Every time I went to complain, no one wanted to help me. "I understand m'am" is all I heard. We only bought ONE picture - normally I would have bought more. Terrible customer service overall.

 

 

 

Medical: We had to use medical services for my 14 month old as she came down with a bad cold and needed her nebulizer. The ships DR was amazing and so caring. We had brought our own equipment and mask from home but my daughter wound up with bronchitis so they gave her an antibiotic. He checked on her again at no charge. I am thankful for that service. You hope you never have to use it but since we did I wanted to mention the wonderful care we received.

 

 

 

Overall, we had a good time because we were together as a family but given what we paid (over 10k) and what we were told the cruise would be like, we did not get our money's worth and we will probably go back to Celebrity to the newer ships when my kids are older or try a new RCCL cruise. We are undecided.

 

 

 

I need to take a for forensic approach to the 2 pic’s.

1- the grand suite would have granite countertops. So why is the phone on a cream colored surface? I also doubt all the dust could accumulate shortly after a complete multimillion dollar refurbishment.

 

2- sinks in the GS. Are white porcelain, they appear to pinkish hue to them.

 

If I am wrong, Please accept my apology in advance. However, we had friend in a GS right after its refurb. So 8m going by their photos.

 

 

 

 

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[AUDRAA928]

We were in a grand suite - 2 bedroom. The phone in the pic was on the nightstand in the bedroom. There was NO granite in my bedroom !!! The bathroom counters were white - I don't know why you see pink/blue hue !

 

There are 2 bathrooms in the GS - 2 bedroom - this pic was in the master bathroom.

 

The room number was 9694 if you want to verify !!

 

 

 

 

 

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[vacationlover_mn]

When your kids are older, they will love the Oasis class :)

 

 

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[Cindy]

I need to take a for forensic approach to the 2 pic’s.

1- the grand suite would have granite countertops. So why is the phone on a cream colored surface? I also doubt all the dust could accumulate shortly after a complete multimillion dollar refurbishment.

 

2- sinks in the GS. Are white porcelain, they appear to pinkish hue to them.

 

If I am wrong, Please accept my apology in advance. However, we had friend in a GS right after its refurb. So 8m going by their photos.

 

 

 

 

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The “2 Bedroom GS” used to be called a Family Suite. They have a lot of space, but the decor and furnishings are closer to a balcony cabin than the other suites.

 

 

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[RSLeesburg]

The baby sitting service is voluntary, and it is not guaranteed - this is clearly stated on the RCI web site. Also, it also states that children must be 1 years old, but both of yours were over that age. When we used the baby sitting, we were not told that we could get baby sitters until 4pm the evening we wanted it. It was very frustrating. It is a shame that adventure does not have nursery - I would have thought that one was put on when it was upgraded.

 

 

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[skid10]

I also doubt all the dust could accumulate shortly after a complete multimillion dollar refurbishment.

 

If I am wrong, Please accept my apology in advance.

 

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We were on Adventure in May, only 3 months after the refurb and can vouch for the dust. We were in a refurbished balcony cabin. Not only was there dust in every corner cabinet corner, but most places on board. You were able to carve your name in the dust on the piano in the Schooner bar.

We loved our cruise, but the dust factor is real. We gave generally good scores on the survey, but did highlight this in the comments. Complaining on about it on board did help a little.

Audra--so sorry for your issues and hope you have a great next vacation, whether on land or sea.

[Tracy Po]

We were on Adventure of the Seas from July 6-13 2018.

 

We chose this cruise because of the convenience of it leaving from Bayonne.

 

Can I ask why you didn't choose Anthem? It has much better services for a toddler (kiddy pool, nursery).

[actuarian]

We were in a grand suite - 2 bedroom. The phone in the pic was on the nightstand in the bedroom. There was NO granite in my bedroom !!! The bathroom counters were white - I don't know why you see pink/blue hue !

 

There are 2 bathrooms in the GS - 2 bedroom - this pic was in the master bathroom.

 

The room number was 9694 if you want to verify !!

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I believe that 9694 is one of the 2-bedroom Grand Suites that was formerly classified as a Royal Family Suite (RFS). Before the reclassification, the only Grand Suites were the ones now called 1-bedroom Grand Suites. The RFSs had different furniture than the GSs (more geared to Children) and, when they were reclassified, the furniture stayed the same. Hence the lack of granite.

[Robo1098]

We will not rule out RCL and we have learned to do better research for the next one! We will go with a newer ship next time..we take one big vacation a year - and I plan to take my kids out of school as long as I can versus going with the larger crowds! thanks for your comments

 

I think your complaints are fair. It seems like the phone cord and the sink would not have been a big deal if you weren't already somewhat mislead on the babysitting service and crib.

 

Maybe next cruise you know what to ask about and you can have a more enjoyable cruise next time.

[shippmates]

Sorry you were mislead on your cruise. It seems the customer service reps do not have all the correct information and wondering if they have ever been on a cruise. You may want to use a travel agent next time as they may have better answers or suggestions for you.

[DeeDee316]

Adventure does not have a nursery?? I swear I read that it did.

[ma23peas]

We have only sailed Disney (more than 5 times) but hitting RCI this December. I selected a ship that had a recent refurb and the room we booked is a brand new room that was created..because it does bug me if a room is lived in and dusty.

With Kids your ages and what you paid, get a balcony on Disney, they are amazing and if you can travel last minute have nice deals! Otherwise choose a newer ship or one that has been refurb’ed recently. I think we need to try Celebrity! I just thought it would not have college aged kids on it..our kids are all in college and love cruising Disney but they have a hard time finding kids their ages.

[ElaineKeagy]

I need to take a for forensic approach to the 2 pic’s.

1- the grand suite would have granite countertops. So why is the phone on a cream colored surface? I also doubt all the dust could accumulate shortly after a complete multimillion dollar refurbishment.

 

2- sinks in the GS. Are white porcelain, they appear to pinkish hue to them.

 

If I am wrong, Please accept my apology in advance. However, we had friend in a GS right after its refurb. So 8m going by their photos.

 

 

 

 

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WOW.

 

 

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