mcmry5

Thank you! This is the exact comparison I was looking for! I'm glad you tried Seascape because I was leaning toward it but wanted to find an actual recent review!

Thank you! This is the exact comparison I was looking for! I'm glad you tried Seascape because I was leaning toward it but wanted to find an actual recent review!

As a grandparent, I resemble that remark!

I would say that overall Royal Caribbean provides the best experience for everyone in the family. Everyone of my cruises with Royal has been a multi-generational trip with young kids to grandparents. I have always enjoyed the fact that Royal does a great job to catering to each generation in the family. There are plenty of things for the kids to do, as well as enjoyable things for the grandparents. Plus having grandparents onboard was great when we wanted someone to watch the kids if they were not at adventure ocean. 

1. The crew
2. The Quantum and Oasis Class ships (I haven't been on others)
3.  Chops Grill
4.  Most of the Entertainment (not Cats)
5,  Most of the Food, especially the dinner rolls
6.  Most of the other passengers
7. The Windjammer for breakfast
8.  The Solarium Bistro for dinner. 
9.  Most of the Ports of Call (However, I'm worn out with Coz)

It's the combination of great service, tasty food, fun cocktails, amazing shows and fun port visits all packaged together at a reasonable cost that makes RC so much fun every single time we sail. 🙂 

All the fun things there are to do onboard.  Dining, activities, attractions..it’s the complete package. 

I love the value for the vacation dollar.
And the food.
And the shows.

With our cruise coming up in just under 2 weeks, we've been sharing our excitement with friends in conversations and I always talk about how, when we cruise with our kids, we will only ever sail RC. My husband and I started with Princess (and do still love to sail with them when it's just the two of us), and also have tried DCL. But, we are loyal Royal Caribbean fans, especially when our kids are involved. For us, we love how much there is to do for everyone at every stage of life. It started me wondering, what do other people love about sailing with Royal Caribbean? Would love to hear others' thoughts!

So that cruise lines can market cruises with lower numbers.  
Ultimately it is about marketing and the competition.
If Royal bundles it in but Carnival does not then on the surface Carnival can advertise a cruise at what appears to be a lower cost.  
"Cruise from $149*"  versus "Cruise from $199*".
Which ones looks cheaper?  The first one.  But if the first one doesn't include service charges while the second one does, the second could actually be cheaper.
Until the government requires all cruise lines to include it it will always be about comparing prices between cruise lines.  One will always try to look the lowest by excluding the daily service fees and then the other's have to follow or else they'll appear to have a higher price.  Many people will fall for the lower apparent price, particularly new to cruise who don't understand how it works.
"Resort fees" when booking hotels are similar.  Often the $20 to $55 daily "resort fee" can only be found once your are far into the booking process.  It's all about making one resort look cheaper than the competition.

Yes, the Ice show is really good on Mariner. Gallery of Dreams will be hit or miss, I saw it in 2019 and the performers had nicely blended voices. I saw it in Jan of this year, and it was like cats arguing; I walked out after 15min. I spoke to someone who say it and thought it was great, but I would personally skip anything that isn't the ice show.

Just got off ABC cruise.  Recommend ice show, production shows, and headliners.  One special show (Singer Showcase) was two lead Royal singers (Flavio Tallini and Maria Donna).  This was the BEST show even though the crowd was sparse.  I felt I was in the presence of true greatness.  If they are on your schedule, do see them sing.

The Ice Show was great, and your kids will enjoy the Juggler 

Agree with @Neesa..the ice show was great on Mariner!

Just sailed on Mariner.  In my opinion, the RC singers are not that great so after their first performance, we decided to skip their performances for the rest of the 8 day cruise.  However, we very much enjoyed their Headliner show which is a tribute to Elton John.  They also had a magic show and a juggling/comedy show on the other evenings.

The Ice Show Under the Big Top
 
 

Putting this here in case you haven't seen it yet
 

You can review the Cruise Compass from previous cruises right here on this site:
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass?ship=279
While the available cruise compasses may not be the same itinerary it should provide an idea of they types of events offered for entertainment.  Caveat - some recent cruises may have modified entertainment offerings based on pandemic issues for that particular cruise.
 

The Bamboo room is a Tiki bar that offers some limited food items.  They are fun items but pretty limited in terms of choices.
Playmakers is a sports bar with a deeper bench when it comes to the food items.  
Depending on your group you may find it hard to find something for everyone at the Bamboo Room.  
Drop by with your team and see what they think.  Playmakers and The Bamboo Room are a short walk apart.   

Nachos! Beware the nachos! They are piled high, dangerously addictive and eating them will force you (yes FORCE you) to drink more than you planned…but what a delicious way to go! Love Playmakers!😜

Hi everyone, I know we get heated debating which dessert is the best one to order, or if a balcony room is worth it, but let's keep these basic rules in mind when chatting here.
No profanity No personal insults No political discussion This includes tropes about politicians and generalizations about political parties No debating religion Keep your posts relevant and accurate to each specific thread. We can all have our little fun within each thread but please make sure the information you're putting out there is correct and current.   Topics not related to Royal Caribbean may be removed. Posts or comments encouraging cruisers to break any Royal Caribbean policy is not allowed and will be removed.