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Royal Caribbean Cruise

4 replies

Justwingingit2005 · 09/06/2021 11:47

Hi all

Does anyone have any experience of cruising on Royal Caribbean.
Are they fun for families? Plenty of things to occupy us?
Is the food ok?
I have teen boys and am thinking of taking the plunge and booking a cruise.
Thanks in advance.

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 09/06/2021 11:51

Yes yes and yes but I can't see cruises operating in any sort of normality for a long time. PIL were meant to be cruising in Europe this summer, got transferred to the Bahamas and that has now been cancelled.

Not sure it's a teen boy type of holiday though, more younger kids and then older again.

Justwingingit2005 · 09/06/2021 14:36

@idontlikealdi thanks for replying.

I'm looking at next year but who knows if it'll be normal.... Confused

I think the days we are docked will be ok, just trying to work out if there is enough for them to do on the 2 days we are at sea.

OP posts:
HopeHappy · 09/06/2021 15:59

Please note that currently RCI are only allowing fully vaccinated travellers on board, and that includes children, so I'd be reluctant to book anything just yet unless you were guaranteed to be able to get your money back easily.

Otherwise, I love an RCI cruise (done 4 now), though only as a couple.

There are teen clubs and hangouts so if you're going in the school holidays there will likely be similar aged teens to hang out with.

Otherwise in terms of things to do, there's loads, especially on some of the bigger ships: mini golf, sports court, surfing simulator, pools, gym, climbing wall, ice rink (which often gets converted in to a laser tag venue), arcade, etc.

One thing to be aware of is that the internet packages are really expensive and often not very good, so we don't bother. We just connect up to local data in ports, or grab some free wifi somewhere (follow the crew - they always know where the free wifi is!)

If you have teenagers that are permanently connected to their phones this is either a recipe for disaster, or a golden opportunity to be able to spend some time together!

If you are going in the school holidays it is expensive! While on board we priced up a cruise for my SIL and her family (2 adults + 2 small kids). A 2 week Med cruise in July was over £7k. In an inside cabin. Shock

The food is fantastic. You have lots of options included within the price plus some speciality restaurants that you can pay extra for (there are often deals to be had). Really though, the main dining room experience is great. We had a drinks package last time and it took our waiter all of 2 days to know that I liked a glass of white with my meal and it was waiting for me at my table every night after that.

The buffet is great too - normally a variation on what is being served in the MDR, but in a more casual environment.

They do have dress codes on RCI but they're not strictly enforced like some other lines.

If you do book (or even before you do), head on over to the forums on Cruise Critic's web pages. The knowledge over there is great and there is normally a page set up for your particular cruise so you can start getting ideas together or group excursions booked. We had a fabulous trip booked in Iceland through an independent company, which was organised by someone on our roll call.

We love a cruise - it is the type of holiday you make it. A lot of people will call it "Butlins at sea" but we love the relaxation. You can get involved in as many or as few activities as you like and the cruise planner gives you a heads up on where to be or where not to be, depending on your decision!

I can't wait to get back on a ship!

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SwimBaby · 09/06/2021 16:33

Yes they are great and work really well if you have teens. I’m going on my fifth RC cruise in a few weeks time. My DC are 21 and 22 and have been cruising with us since they were 8 and 10, there’s plenty to do on sea days. We do things all together, on our own or in family combo. One DS and I like to do watercolour art classes and any drama or food related activities. My other DS loves quizzes with my DH. We all like the meals snd shows. You get a news letter each evening with everything that is on the next day. Sometimes on sea days I like to sit on my balcony and do absolutely nothing.

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