I recently returned from a 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard the Symphony of the Seas with my family of 7, and wanted to share the experience so others can know what to expect when sailing the largest ship afloat. I’ve always been an avid cruiser and big fan of Royal Caribbean, but this time they missed the mark… BY A LOT.

Starting with the check-in at the terminal, there’s no help desk. I needed to make a change to my drink package and switch people’s room assignments and was told I had to do it once on board the ship at Guest Services (GS). This didn’t seem like a big deal at the time until I realized they direct 6,800 people to one line at Guest Services for questions and changes. I just boarded the “coolest” ship afloat and get to wait in line for over an hour to speak with a GS agent. Great start.

Additionally, no one explains where to get your room key, make reservations, or collect your bags during the check-in process. For frequent sailors, you may know this, but for some of my family who was cruising for the first time, they did not. It should be standard etiquette to explain to customers that your room key will be outside your room, you’ll want to make show and dinner reservations once on board, and your bags will arrive at your stateroom. This just shows the level of disconnect they have from their passengers. The ultimate goal is to board and deboard as many passengers as quick as possible, with little regard for providing useful information. Read more