We chose this cruise to see the Suez Canal. The ship is 20 years old and was on its last Royal Caribbean cruise. The ship seemed dated, crowded, and run down. We had 2 days in Dubai before we boarded, and 2 days in Barcelona when we disembarked. Every day all day the staff tried to sell upgrades to the premier restaurants and the spa services.
There were 8 long days at sea on an old ship with a tired staff before the 1st port. We had dinner each night in the dining room with a great group of new friends. The food was always substandard. The buffet at breakfast and lunch was OK, little variety. The service by the housekeeping staff was very good. We enjoyed the entertainment and enrichment seminars. Our best days were going through the Suez and our stops in Malta and Athens. We enjoyed our coffee and fruit each morning in our cabin. The weather was cool so we were unable to swim or suntan. All the chairs were saved by 0700 in the solarium, we managed to get one on 1 day.
Embarkation and disembarkation were very smooth. The frequent travelers on Royal Caribbean were all happy as they got free drinks every evening.
Nice cabin. They were quick to repair the toilet when it plugged and the shower when it fell apart. The balcony doors were very difficult to open.