Is Royal Caribbean Getting WORSE? Disappointing Experiences on Independence of the Seas Cruise Ship
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- čas přidán 28. 02. 2024
- Royal Caribbean is one of the most popular and well known cruise brands in the world. Maybe even more so than Disney, Carnival, or NCL. They also recently launched the newest largest cruise ship in the world, the Icon of the Seas. On our recent cruise on the Independence of the Seas, which was "amplified" back in 2018, it became evident to me that not all Royal ships are the same when it comes to quality and upkeep. Check out more details and let me know if you agree! #cruise #cruiseship #travel
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Lol. I love the fact that we have become so jaded that we can complain about the ice show on a cruise ship not using the latest technology instead of being awed by the fact that there is an ice show. On a ship!
We were on Radiance in January and I felt the same way. Like, “man she is looking tired!” Our room had visible rot and mold in the room. It makes me sad they for the smaller/older ships that there isn’t some small capital put into keeping some of the technology and resources current.
Seems Cruise lines in general are spending billions on larger ships while not spending enough to update and maintain their older vessels. They truly need both size of ships as not all guests love the large ships and not every port can handle them.
Every time I see you trying to get a drink out of that fountain, it cracks me up! 🤣🤣🤣
Glad to put a smile on your face!
I hunted mushrooms in the 1960’s (food-type). I love most mushrooms 🍄. Mushrooms are our friends 😳
We haven’t cruised since 2015 and things have changed yet . . . Food was in the top 3 things as to “why cruise it?”
The yellow/orange ball on the deck was formerly the SkyPad virtual-reality trampoline experience. Someone was seriously injured on that "experience" so they shut it down.
Yes we avoided it on Odessy of the seas as it looked dangerous. Im surprised they operated it so long after 2019
I think the major cruise lines like Royal, Celebrity and Norwegian are really focusing the majority of their budget and attention on their new ships. Even Carnival seems like a different cruise line with the Celebration and Mardi Gras. The only cruise line that I've been on that seems to thoroughly maintain their older ships is Disney. Same with allergies, Disney takes it very seriously. Of course the downside with Disney is you have to be OK with literally EVERYTHING being Disney themed and that is just not what some people want every second of every day of their cruise lol
I have traveled on IOTS. Before your cruise you let them know about your food allergies. The first night in the main dining room the head waiter goes to you and specifically gets your dietary issues. The night before they will take your order for the next night and adjust the meals to suit your dietary needs. I’m both gluten and dairy free sensitive. The deserts made for me were pretty amazing and I’ve never had any issues. So your Sisters experience and your comments regarding the lack of gluten free varieties surprised me. I’ve also gone on Freedom and have had positive experiences. Hope the next cruise has more variety for your Sister and she has a more positive experience. Thank you for your great content!!
What is IOTS ?
@@kennethcarnival Im sorry. It’s Independence of the Seas. 😊
In 2011, we were on Monarch of the Seas (now scrapped). The crew were super. The cruise was a ton of fun. However, there was one VERY BiG problem that was also a first time experience. During the night, something bit my foot and I had no idea what it was. However, a few days later, after we are home...we learned what it's like to bring home bed bugs. Yea, bed bugs. And then I thought back to something I saw as we were disembarking the ship. I saw that some other passenger's suitcases were completely wrapped in plastic. It seemed like an odd thing, but now I know. Those passengers must have found and reported the bed bugs, but nothing was said to the rest of us on the ship. They just let us take the bed bugs home. It took us a few weeks to realize that we had them and then it took us months to get them out of our home.
Thanks for telling it like it is Morgan. We just got off Liberty of the seas after previously being on Brilliance, Odyssey and Harmony. The service, shows and food were all good to great. And the cabins were great too. Even though Brilliance was dated , everything was functional, clean and good working order. But we were really disappointed in Liberty. The condition of the hallways and cabin. Our balcony door didn’t seal properly and wind noise and cold air was pretty bad. The furniture and drapes are worn and dated and the carpets in the hallway and rooms had ground in dirt. They are totally neglecting their older ships, which upsets us considering that they are having a record year and the prices are going way up even for older ships. I felt like I was in a Motel Six in the wrong part of town, not a Cruise ship! Keep up the good work and we loved your book! When’s the next one?
I went on enchantment of the seas, it was quite tired but I expected it due to its age. The staff were mostly nice and food good outside of the buffet. What i like about the old ships is the smaller size and layout is quite good.
These videos are so helpful - we usually travel on points or visit family so to us any cruise seems expensive, so learning what to avoid is really important. But mainly because of your videos we booked a VIVA cruise! I am so excited (no cooking or figuring out where to eat for a whole week!) and if they ask how we found out about them I will make sure to give you credit.
Thank you! Please let me know how your experience goes with Viva! When do you leave?
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides June! I am trying hard to lose some ‘fluff’ because I cannot wait to eat all the things in Vienna. We hardly have any good bakeries in South Carolina.
Good luck with your goal!
I agree. It's the same on other lines. Recently went to a kids craft activity and 0 of the markers worked. A pack of markers cost $1 to replace. Or even worse: no sharp pencils for trivia.
Seems like another easy win. What is going on???
We just sailed on Holland America's Rotterdam. I don't have celiacs, but i'm very gluten-sensitive. I've been gluten-free for over 20 years. We sailed with HAL once before, and being gluten-free was never a problem for me. For serious celiacs, they offer a form you can fill out in advance of the cruise so the kitchen is better prepared and you have the option to pre-order items in advance when daily menus are published. I never felt the need to do that, though. At buffets, they would offer gluten-free items and I would just ask to confirm what was gf or if they had gf bread instead. They were always accomodating and I never felt like they weren't taking it seriously. At one venue, they were low on gf hamburger buns but their substitute worked for me. I had my own hamburger panini and had it twice lol. They always had at least one gf dessert that wasn't just vanilla ice cream or fruit. The gf cookies I had on our first HAL cruise were really good, but this last time it was just raw pie dough. Literally the only bad food I tasted the entire 9-day cruise. Of course they have an abundance of non-gf desserts but I never felt like i was missing out on something. It's sad your sister had that experience. Hopefully Royal Caribbean improves. We've never sailed with them.
While I'm not gluten free, some of my friends are. They also struggle with buffets and counter service food on cruise ships. Usually they can make GF options, but they're made in a kitchen behind the scenes and can take 20 to 30 minutes to come out, which defeats the purpose of a buffet. They say the main dining room was much better.
The worst I've ever seen was on Viking ocean cruises. A friend with a serious shellfish allergy was very clear to the dining room staff about it. Twice in one week, a plate came to her with shrimp on it. After the second time, we went to the head server, and he personally took our orders for the rest of the cruise.
They should have nice wooden corn hole games that won’t go bad like that.. you would think the employees would notice those things and say something.. or passengers would complain to customer service about little things like that. Cruise lines do seem to overlook their older ships.. they need to just start building smaller newer ships and selling off their older ones.
I have taken a couple of cruises with MSC and each has had a whole dedicated menu of gluten-free dishes in the main dining room. Even had special plates of deserts and other gluten-free pre-packaged goodies placed in my room each day of the cruise which was totally unexpected, but certainly very much appreciated! Have recommended MSC to a few others who were looking for a cruise with such an option.
Certainly IoTS is getting up there in age. But I don’t think that’s what’s going on here. They have reduced cleaning to one day and the stewards are spinning their feet as fast as humanly possible. There just isn’t time for the deep clean. I watched a video of Tony’s from La Lido Loca and in his video on Wonder of the seas. Still a new ship by any standards the couch he sat on had a huge stain and the carpet had what looked like a red punch stain. They need a crew that goes around and deals with this kind of stuff. You don’t want an ick feel when you’re in your luxurious cabin for a week. The wall in your cabin is pretty bad. Mold grows quick so maybe it’s something that just appeared but non the less. That would send most people in a tail spin! “Black mold-black mold!!!” And at the prices (all time high) they are charging they need to do it. Do they want high dollar money with Motel 6 vibes? I don’t think so, I don’t!
Maybe sea water is hard on game equipment. On my last cruise a lot of people brought their own pickleball paddles. They said with the wind on a ship it is hard to play pickleball. I am totally gluten free. We get the same waiter every night so they can help me. On Princess the head waiter for our area comes to my table and shows me what they can make gluten free for the next night. You have to ask the wait staff and usually they will get a chef to come and talk with you. On my last Princess cruise they had gluten free waffles, pancakes and several types of bread every morning in the buffet. They were better than some of the items I make at home. Yes desserts were lacking.
I'm just guessing but I imagine there are "budget cuts" for the older RCCL ships to offset the cost of the building and financing the newer ships. Plus each "Dept" on the ship doesn't want to spend money on maintaining low priority items for replacement as there might be financial incentives to management to stay under budget. RCCL is still DEEP in debt from the cruise industry shutdown so until they get the books balanced again, I think only the newest ships will get TLC. That ball shaped structure was a bungee VR experience. Then some clown decided to test the maximum limits of the bungee in a reckless manner (the crew should have stepped in when he was being unsafe) which resulted in the bungee snapping. He was injured upon landing on the deck. I think he ended up suing and RCCL simply got rid of that ride onboard.
Well THAT doesn't sound like fun! Why do people have to ruin it for everyone else?
I was on Symphony a few weeks ago and half the arcade was broken. There are plenty of things to do, but it’s disappointing. I’m not sure what Royal wouldn’t overlook unfortunately.
I am a fan of Celebrity, but I feel as though some of their Solstice Class ships are getting a bit tired. We love the Equinox and been on her for 8-9 cruises. She needs some TLC. Some rust and chipping paint on the balcony .
I have done two cruises recently with RCL and one was on the brilliance and I must say I struggled with Gluten Free in the Buffett until I spoke to a chef and then every day they helped me out. I even got gluten free cookies delivered to my room with out asking. They were all pre wrapped and lasted all cruise. On Quantum though completely different story, very sad.
we were on rhapsody of the seas, one of royal's oldest (if not the oldest) in july 2023 and absolutely loved it (we all cried as we left the ship!!). And by the way, we did win the disney name that tune game!! It wasn't our first cruise - we've been on all the disney ships as well as Royal's radiance and allure. i was worried we wouldn't like Rhapsody but we did. And it was in fantastic condition.
We were on Vision in August 2023 and were mildly annoyed at the disintegrating yoga mats in the gym...so cheap to just replace those.
Have mostly cruised Royal and loved every cruise, but the older ships are really showing their age. Was on Explorer for 15 nights last spring. Yes, loved the skating, but main theaters sound system is just antiquated. Only one small included cafe that also had the only pizza on the ship and not nearly enough seating. Was on Rhapsody for 14 nights last Nov. Love the size, layout and crew, but she is looking very tired and in need of a refresh. Even when Royal does “upgrades” they install extra cost recreation or food venues, rarely anything included. Going on the newer Anthem next for a back to back followed by Princess. Was looking at Independence transatlantic and Norway cruises for next year, when she replaces Anthem at Southampton. The only difference with the Voyager class is she is longer, with more people. Indy has a separate Sorrento’s from Cafe Promenade, but that’s it and more people to serve. Even the Fish and Ships you commented on is a paid venue. No pool grill or pizza on the pool deck. Can’t see paying more than Anthem for an older ship with fewer venues.
My husband and I just cruised Indy 2 weeks ago. This was his very first cruise but I have cruised RC several times. I can say that we had no issues with anything on the ship. We had a wonderful time. I do see your very valid viewpoints on the stained sofa and molded wall. RC really needs to address those issues as well as food better choices for those with dietary restriction/choices. As far as the area for cornhole, that used to be a virtual bungee game up until about 6 months ago.
I'm glad you enjoyed the ship!
Just cruised Allure of the Seas last weekend and had a great time. Our couch was older and a little worn, but the rest of the room was beautiful. I don't have any dietary restrictions, but all the food I had from the Main Dining Room (The Grande), Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's Pizza, El Loco Fresh, and Windjammer Buffet, were all excellent. I will definitely cruise on the Allure again! I'm so sorry your sister had a bad first experience. 😥
We sailed on Indy OTS back in 2022, and after that trip, I resolved myself to only sail newer ships. Nothing more than 5 years old.
Being on a low sodium diet is also difficult while cruising. Always try to find the maître D after boarding to discuss what is available. Sometimes this helps, however on several occasions I have left the MDR.
I’m allergic to wheat not just gluten. I’ve never had problems finding food to eat, without wheat in them lots of meats, vegetables, fruits, desserts, with no wheat.
I'll stick with HAL for food, service, and cabin quality, even though there's always a tradeoff. I'd probably still do a Pacific Coastal on Celebrity, or try Virgin Voyages, but that's the end of the line for us in the mass market with the neverending lowering of the bar.
I was on Navigator of the Seas over Christmas and I found it very clean and well kept, but some areas, especially in the cabin, were very worn. Nothing dirty thankfully. This was my first cruise so I also have nothing but land hotels to compare to...and RC did way better than most of the hotels I have had to stay in. We'll see in a week when I board Adventure, then in October I have a surprise honeymoon cruise on a much newer ship so I'll have better perspective on old vs new.
PS, I like mushrooms lol
Can you answer a question for me? We are booked on the Celebrity Ascent sailing out of Rome in May of 2025. I have been trying to find out on CZcams if you close the folding doors on the infinite veranda stateroom does the AC continue to run when the window is down? Thank you in advance
I'm pretty sure the answer is: no!
WE are going on Quantum of the Seas in Feb 2025 (for our second time) because we loved it. In 2026 we're on Voyager of the Seas (which is older) so I'll be taking note! 🙂
As a sidebar, the iPhone video and sound appears to be higher quality than your camera's. Just an observation.
We did that activity in the ball 2 years ago. It was bungee jumping with or without VR. My husband did without and liked it. I did it with and the headset was very uncomfortable and didn’t stay on my face well. I hated it. It was almost painful. The video I was “jumping “ along to was just a city and I didn’t quite understand the point. It’s no big loss in my opinion. Yard games would be way more fun!
OK, good to know!
You scared the heck out of me when you switched from recording with your regular camera to recording with your phone 😂
I think a few of the ships need a thorough cleaning and update. As for the recreational supplies, no excuse for not replacing. They are cheap!
Nine years ago, I was visiting a friend who is strongly affected by gluten - as in is has put her in the hospital. Every restaurant we went to had excellent gluten-free options, and at one place, the gluten-free bread was close to the best bread I've ever had. That was a long time ago and options have exploded since then, so I'm surprised there weren't many options on the ship.
I'm in no way vegetarian but sometimes, I'm not in the mood for any meat. But I can't eat raw vegetables (read that as any vegetable that isn't cooked into oblivion) so I can see your problem from the opposite side. I bring as many V-8s as they'll let me so I can at least get some of those nutrients in but there isn't that sort of option for you!
Thanks for this, never notice such details, or ... I do notice, and then avoid. Older ships indeed have things I won't use, remember the golf spot of NCL Sun, very old, no appetite to use it... Believe it to be in old ships in general this rundown... Which is odd, the ships are used for how long? 20/30/40 years? Maintenance is really required, it can't be like rent-a-car which just resells the car after 18 months...
Hi Morgan: Love your channel! First time poster. We just finished a 6 day RC Symphony of The Seas cruise. I'm vegan and was personally disappointed in the vegan options available in the buffet. Each night in the main dining room there was one vegan option available in each category, so I can't complain about that. But the buffet was extremely disappointing. I concur that RC is out of touch with providing options for diet types. The food is a major plus on a cruise and I was disappointed and felt really let down. Also, what good does it do to signify your diet type pre-cruise if they don't accomodate you onboard.
I will also say that being vegan I also do not drink dairy milk. It's a pain in the rear to have to request non-dairy milk from an employee. I end up standing for several minutes while they go search it down. They provide carafes of regular milk and half and half. How hard would it be to also provide at least one non-dairy alternative? RC is really out of touch IMHO.
Thans for the video. I always enjoy listening to you :)
Thank you for your very first post! Sorry you didn't enjoy the food, and I can totally understand why. I guess other cruise lines are just a little more up to date, and it took me to cruise with my sister to realise that!
Wow really interested that so many people are saying RCCL isn't doing well on gluten free food. I've spoken to the chef each time I've cruised both in the MDR and the Windjammer and they have made sure I had gluten free food which was also garlic free - my other allergy. This is the only place I've ever got food that was OK to eat including some 5 star hotels. Variety and good quality every time. Quantum of the Seas sailing from Brisbane Australia Edit: just one more thing they made anything I asked for on the menu for me. Almost every main course could be made gluten free and without garlic. They made puddings and other lovely desserts. Amazing. Independence has an issue!!
We’ve always cruise, Princess and my husband‘s vegan with gluten allergies plus many other allergies. We pre-list his allergies before we leave and we haven’t had an issue with food. He’s always been well fed. A Friend of ours is gluten-free so she eats more of the gluten products, then my husband 1and she’s been very happy with them too. But we do notice that some cruises have more gluten products than others but we’ve only travelled with Princess.
I was very surprised by the condition of your stateroom, which I would say was far from met the minimum standard of cleanliness & hygiene that a guest should expect.
With respect to the food, I am again surprised and shocked that 2 dietary restrictions (vegetarianism & gluten sensitivity) which are now far from unusual or uncommon, were so poorly catered to throughout the ship.
It has been decades since a Caesar salad was generally the only vegetarian item on most restaurant or buffet menus (land or sea), and gluten issues are unfortunately quite commonplace these days, and another far from obscure dietary concern.
It sounds like RC is either hiring 2nd rate staff to cook for, clean and maintain their ships, or they are nickel and diming repairs & updates to a sufficient degree that it is negatively impacting on their reputation.
Having had only 1 cruise some 20 years ago (on Royal Caribbean coincidentally) I came away quite impressed with the calibre of the food and environments.
If I ever get to cruise with them again however, I fear I shall be greatly disappointed.
Thanks to you and your sister for your candour and straight talk about the kind of basics that can make or break the overall impression of a cruise vacation.
as for gluten free, i haven't found that to be a problem on radiance, allure and rhapsody. I can't speak to what your sister experienced, but i didn't have that issue. As for gluten free packaged cookies, they had them in the cafe promenade and in the one in the solarium (can't remember the name). Also, there's tasty gluten free pizza at sorrentos and the solarium. I also special ordered food in the main dining room that was gluten free.
Hi Morgan. I am gluten-free due to an allergy and I am VERY sensitive and get sick within minutes of consuming gluten. Please note firstly that gluten free in AMerica is nothing like in Europe - I can only dream of eating so freely as you can GF in Europe. I have cruised with Royal out of the states many times. I’m sorry you had a negative experience with sailing Royal Gluten-free. I try and help anyone GF when crushing because there is so little accurate information floating around on the internet. I have seen so many hungry Gluten free ( among other allergies) walking around the ships. I was once one of them… so here it goes for your sister’s next cruise …They have signs in the buffet indicating gluten free items. If you don’t see them ask a chef or crew member. Breakfast, lunch and dinner I am always spoiled in the buffet on the smaller ships and on the oasis class ships. Of course main dining you will have even more options but also prefer the buffet. Cafe Promenade has ready made (or will make you) a gluten free sandwich and will give you gluten free cookies ( pre packaged by Udi’s) but you have to ask and the pizza shop on board will make you a gluten free pizza ( it is quite tasty!). The gluten free breads on Royal are top tier, only bested by Virgin Voyages. I’d be happy to go into more detail with you and not fill up your comment section with this…. Also the older ships with Royal seem to have been forgotten in favor of the bigger ships… sadly… Most are in dire need of updates and a good deep clean.
The best cruise line for gluten free is, in order, Virgin Voyages, Royal and then Princess… I have been told that Celebrity is really great, too. We sail them next year to try it out. I’m happy to help out if you want more info. Hugs!
Thank you for that very detailed comment! I will pass it onto my sister, too!
Morgan, someone may have answered this but the big yellow ball had mini trampoline jumping in it and you could do it with a VR headset. I was very labor intensive, not all that fun and I also believe someone got injured on it and a lawsuit ensured. It was not one of RCCL's better ideas. Keep up the great videos. All the best.
Thanks!
Just was on the enchantment of the seas… the movie screen on the pool deck had a tarp over it and it never was removed… also the mini fridge in the cabin was removed.. why does royal not fix these issues?
Holy crap! That sounds shady at the least!
I just took my cousin on her first (my 10th) on HOTS in January and the ship was used and abused. It was horrible. From the MDR to the cabin steward. She had no clue things were wrong. We went to the mdr 1 time had my time dining with reservations and took us 2hrs to get in. Only 3rd fl dining room was open. For all those people. I did send an email to RC also told my TA. I never saw a ship so poorly maintained. I'm loyal to royal and wanna give them another chance. I love the liberty 3x on her. I think someone isn't budgeting correctly
I hate mushrooms as well.
That's my girl! Wootwoot!
We were less than impressed with Radiance of the Seas too. Run down ship, food was really hit and miss, general cleanliness was lacking (hence why a bunch of people got C). Then the quarantine cabins were DISGUSTING. My husband got C and was put into quarantine and his room hadn't been cleaned from the last person. It really soured our first Royal Caribbean experience.
When it comes to gluten free, there was a lack of options on this ship too. I sat next to a family who 3 out of the 4 of them were celiac and they were having a really hard time finding food they could eat. I felt so bad for the kids. 😢 She ended up having to bring food on board from port so her family had food to eat. So wrong!
T
When booking the cruise, there is an option to advise RC of allergies and special dietary needs, and when eating in the main dining room, they will have suitable options available to you. This was my family's experience on Ovation of the Seas sailing from Australia.
Our experience with the dietary crew were not so much they prepared something for you but told you what you could eat from the menu. I have very little experience with this other than a couple occasions but that’s what I found.
I just left vision of the seas. The staff amazing. The food, horrible. It lacked sufficient salt, and I don't use salt.the included beverages apart from (apple, orange and cranberry) were approximately 20 percent juice and 80 percent water. I did tell Royal Caribbean my thoughts.
Mushrooms are fungi.
I was talking to a Chef family member about the gluten-free food option thing recently - I am not a no gluten eater but the subject came up another way. He said that in his kitchen it has been a very frustrating situation as there are, of course, some people with Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, but the majority of people choosing to eat gluten-free in the past several years actually do it thinking that there is a weight loss or other health benefit to this diet. (There is no health benefit other than NOT causing distress to those with these specific illnesses) The problem became very obvious over time when orders came into the kitchen frequently requesting gluten-free bread or something, but also containing another food that HAS gluten. When the customer is informed of this, or when they have claimed to need gluten-free and even when told cross contamination is likely they still want that order, it becomes clear that they have no illness. This causes delays as the servers have to go back and forth double checking orders that have gluten-free AND items containing gluten on the same plate. It also causes big delays in the kitchen as certain sections of a grill, all utensils and surfaces the food might touch need to be cleaned and prepared, etc. All of that is absolutely fine for a customer with an actual gluten health issue, but they are the minority, and it’s a huge inconvenience for a kitchen and servers to have to go through all the extra work for someone who doesn’t actually need it. (Same for people who claim lactose intolerance but then order ice cream for dessert!) I realize cruise ship kitchens are different, and if they have an area dedicated to gluten-free preparation they should be able to use the space to create more options, but this problem kitchens have on land may be somewhat of an issue there too. 🤷🏻♀️
That's a really interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing!
I think for special diets such as gluten-free, one has to be prepared to creatively hack the menu a bit, such as relying on rice pilafs, corn, or roasted potatoes to provide the starchy component of the meal, taking advantage of meat carving stations, eat the fried/poached eggs (avoid the possibility of wheat flour in scrambled eggs), maybe go for a cheese and fruit plate if they don't have the mozzarella with tomato/watermelon available. Creamed spinach, steamed tomatoes, grilled asparagus should all be fine. If flourless chocolate cake or creme brulee is on the dessert menu, go for it!
I agree!
Holland had good gluten free items. On RCCL on Adventure had good gluten free also. Maybe it's just the chef. Ewe on your cabin condition.
Is it becoming the motel 6 of the seas?
I hope not!
This has not been my experience at all. I find a multitude of gluten free options and the crew has been very helpful in pointing options out.
I don’t think the state of the equipment is necessarily a minor thing. Even though that’s an older ship the equipment should be in great shape always. There’s really only excuse. I’m on Wonder of the Seas and I’ve noticed even though it’s a new ship a lot of the seats are worn and past needing to be replaced. I was really surprised by the poor condition of the seats. You would love the food on this ship. They have a lot of gluten free foods as well as a large variety of vegetarian foods. But as someone who can eat gluten and who is not a vegetarian I may be wrong. I really enjoyed the content with you and your sister and wish her first cruise ship had been a little better.
Which cabin did you stay in? That's mold and I would never stay in a cabin like that. In 2022 we got offered to upgrade to a cabin on Voyager of the seas, the bathroom smelled like mold and I said NO THANK YOU! They did give us another cabin, that didn't smell.
I also am gluten sensitive like your sister. We cruise exclusively on Celebrity and their gluten-free options are similar to Royal Caribbean, little to none!
My husband is gluten intolerant. We have found that Disney world and Disney cruises do the best with food allergies.
When it comes to cruising older is definitely not better unless the ship comes fresh out of drydock. We've done some great RCL cruises but the Jewel of the seas was not one of them. We were on it about 15 months ago and what a dump this ship and our cabin was. The cabin had stains on the carpet rust on the balcony. The balcony door could barely open as the tract was very corroded. We kept hearing a hissing sound and traced it to a return air vent in the bathroom. It was plugged with mold. Not just the ship was disappointing but they had a comedien that was not funny at all and a juggler that kept dropping balls. Their buffet soups were disgusting. They were all just broth. The chicken noodle soup had no chicken and no noodles. We've been on some great RCL ships but Jewel OTS is not one of them. Needs a dry dock bad.
What a strange family situation... one sibling must not eat everything, the other one does not eat everything voluntarily.
And wait until you meet our brother...
My family are all vegan here in Ireland because my grandparents family came from a farm (i now own one of them which obviously has no animals anymore and my cousin the other and also no longer traffics animals) therefore we do not agree with the murder of animals now. So its very common in Ireland for people not to eat fish, seafood or animals as we do not agree with the murder of animals when we can eat vegetables and live over 40 years with zero health issues this way
RCCL is definitely going down hill. I wish they’d provide all that they used to and charge more, rather than nickel and dime us. I know all lines are struggling after the enforced shutdown, but this is not the way to go imo.
We found Virgin Voyages great
Have to agree that RCCL has gone downhill. Been sailing with them since early 90’s and definitely not the same cruise line.
As someone who does actually spend time in the cabin, I hate that they update the common areas but leave the rooms looking like relics with hideous outdated curtains. I know it doesn’t matter to most people, but I really hate the curtains.
I hate them too. I can’t cruise the old ships. I’m excited for the newer small ships they are building.
We usually end up on older ships.
Why?
Because we don't want to be on a ship with more than 4000 other people (experienced that on December on Costa Smeralda, besides the usual Costa deficits it was sooooooo packed!!!) and because we don't want to pay the crazy prices the cruise lines call up for them.
We are Diamond plus on RCL and that gives us exactly the perks we like.
We never buy a drink package, 4/5 drinks a day are more than sufficient for us. Neither WiFi or even a speciality Restaurant.
It is not worth all that extra.
We will be doing a b2b on Jewel of the Seas end of March, have been on her several times already and booked it because of her!
Greetings from MN. So far we have had a total of 5 inches of snow that melted in 3 days. Temps in the 40-60 range. Love your Midwestern views. We only cruise yearly, but usually love the food. If I don't have to cook it or clean up after it, I am a happy camper. We are lucky tho. No allergies or food restrictions. Hope your next adventure goes well. Love mushrooms.
Hello Minnesota friends!
This makes me sad. I just booked this ship for memorial day weekend. 😢
It will be my first cruise ever too.
It’s still a great ship!
Why did you choose an older ship for Her first cruise?
We had a very specific time range and budget. This was the best option.
Hi, I’m a GF patient and Diamond Plus in the Crown and Anchor program. The Gluten Free options in Royal Caribbean cruises is low.
They have GF Pizza in Sorento’s “Need to be ordered” and in the main dinning room the head waiter will take your food order in advance to be able to create the food you would like prior you get into the dinning or in breakfast.
The Windjammer have very few items that are advertised as GF but are limited.
For beers they have Daura Gluten Free that is amazing.
Thanks for your videos.
See. Sorry it was a bit of a disappointment for your sister‘s first cruise! Replacing equipment when it gets old doesn’t seem like it would be that big of an expense, but would definitely make a much better impression on the guest and of the ship!
Maybe gluten free has not been highly requested. I don't go on RC that often. Independence of Sea is an older ship of course it's tred...lots of kids, lots of wear and tear. You have to request items. My daughter has dietary issues. We travel Celebrity and there has never been a problem. She should have put in a request for the items. That's on you.
Sounds like they want to run the ship into ground then scrap her. A bit sad really. Good presentation.
Answer to this is not to cruise on old ships.
There was lots of gluten free offerings on my last Celebrity cruise
I think the cruise lines and other places just look at the numbers and accommodating actual Celiac patients is a very edge case vs the >99% or other guests.
A Minnesota girl should be ok with jello. It is a staple of potluck church meals!!!😅
Right? They did not offer any tater-tot casserole, though, either.
In Sept. 2025 machen wir eine Kreuzfahrt auf der Independence ab Southampton. Bis auf mein Bruder der zum 1. Mal eine Kreuzfahrt macht, sind wir anderen Kreuzfahrterfahren.
Bin sehr gespannt ob sich bis dahin an der Einrichtung der Kabinen etwas ändert, ist schon etwas outdated! Auf der Rhapsody war es ähnlich, aber sehr sauber und gepflegt.
Die Preise sind mittlerweile ridiculous........ 3 Solokabinen mit Meerblick und 1 Balkonkabine, aber man gönnt sich ja sonst nichts! 😅
Waren auf der Harmony und auf der Quantum u a. und lassen uns mal überraschen!
Uhi, 3 Solo Kabinen klingt wirklich teuer! Wieso habt ihr nicht geteilt?
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuides Das würde bei uns nicht funktionieren!
I don't like mushrooms either.
Welcome to the club!
Morgan I love mushrooms 😭🤣
That's ok. Someone has to! ;-)
Dont get me started on RCL as a ship in terms of quality...the cleanliness is always below marker...I know it is not the wait stafd. RCL is notorious for understaffed based off the ratio of the capscity of those on the ship. I have spoke to crew they are over worked and have limited supplies.RCL places a bandaid on alot and ICON is green lighting rhe smoke & mirrors of RCL. I spoke with one of the cooks he and ogher confirmed that they purposeful inform staff to make food subpar to drive guests to pay for paid itemsand food. Also they informed me the are yelled out if they do not reuse stale bread for main dishes and presented to be fresh that is why they were notoriously known for food poisoning outbreaks. I get indian bc rhe staff are majority of the wait staff and he mentioned that RCL had to surrender to giving them fresh inigredients and let experienced cook the meals bc that is what they eat and they would cause a comotion of their food from the homeland was presented to them as the food is presented to us..i have verified this on multiple ships. Once again I have low expectations for RCL it is just mode of transportation. In terms of food NCl & carnival always wins fresh & tasty meals i cant wait to try Virgin. Anyone who tells rcl food is delcious its CAP....other than olivers restauranta which i believe they switched over who they failed at adequately copy the receips to make a horrible knockoff of giovannis..RCL. cash grabs their guests with shiny object that is medicority at best plus they treat their employees bad. I have seen rcl emplpyees say they are leaving to go to virgin or ncl or going back to carnival.
C'mon on, Morgan.... you are being WAY too generous in making excuses for Royal. Although I am a well-seasoned cruiser, I am booked on my first cruise on RC in April. I have always said I would never cruise on a ship the size of a city block, but here I go on the Ovation of the Seas! I'm hoping, with fingers crossed, that she won't be showing her age too much and I won't be disappointed in my balcony cabin. Royal had better step it up! PLEASE!!! 🤞🤞🤞
Go pay more for the newer ships then. I'm vegetarian too and they need more meat substitutes besides veggie burgers. A field roast stadium dog would be nice and sofritas for el loco fresh. Mushrooms are a key to longevity man!
Virgin Voyages have plenty of vegan and vegetarian options
Or maybe Royal should up their game, they charge you for more and more things but they deliver an experience that's FAR from what it used to be. I have 128 nts onboard Royal ships so it's not that I doesn't have any experience.
It's not just Royal Caribbean. It's all the major cruise lines, and it is a huge problem. The Gap between the newest ships and the oldest ships is gigantic. They are selling high-end modern resorts at sea and have at least twenty old and poorly kept ships. If the first ship you sailed on was the Grandier of the Sea and you thought it would be like RC's commercials, it would be a huge disappointment. Its a brand failed that becomes a bait and switch.
Rest in Peace my friend!
Yes! Thank you for this. Royal Caribbean has been my LEAST favorite for gluten free for ALL of the reasons you stated. I will say that they stepped it up on Icon of the Seas and that's the only Royal ship I would sail....if it wasn't so darn expensive. Celebrity and Carnival are tops for me for gluten free options....gluten free bread and buns for burgers, fried chicken, pastas, signature dishes, pancakes, french toast, fried shrimp, calamari, CAKE, cookies, muffins.... MDR and buffet labeled for GF and other food allergens/choices. I never have to repeat a meal on these two cruise lines unless I want to. And I don't understand why Royal ships can't do good gluten free when Celebrity has nailed it!
Wow. I think many people would be surprised that Carnival does a better job than Royal when it comes to gluten-friendly dietary needs!
@@VeryunOfficialTravelGuidesCarnival has a lot of options for gluten free standard American and comfort foods. Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, all deli sandwiches, cakes, and more. My experience with Royal was very limited and often zero to ONE gluten free option at an eatery outside of the MDR. Yes, very surprising!
Virgin Voyages have good vegan and GF options. I know you have to compromise on your "broadway" style shows on Virgin - but the overall package is great. We dont mind the shows but i know they are not broadway enough for you. I think your sister would enjoy a virgin lady ship
The Voyager of the Seas, out of Galveston was absolute garbage!
I have not cruised with RC for several years. Their smaller ships are so dated and look terrible. Their newer ships are way too big and too tacky-looking (crazy colors everywhere). Not a brand associated with class and style.
Ok so yeah the couch looks pretty gross. On Celebrity there are lots of gluten free foods. My question is how do you know you need to eat gluten free food. I never even heard of gluten free diets until the last 15 years or so. What did people do before they had gluten free foods everywhere? I'm just curious as to how you would know you have a problem with gluten? I loved watching you and your sister having fun together and you both made me laugh.
Yes i often think this too unless someone is diagnosed for crohns disease. Majority of irish people have the genes for a bad gut!! However i think alot has to do with consuming processed food, not enough probiotics and prebiotics
@@traceymarshall5886 agreed. I take probiorics for my gut because I have MS and it hits parts of me one by one. Cruise food can be very rich and upset some people's guts. Thankfully I don't have any food allergies.
Rice and beans!
You have so many new ships leaving from Florida why did you take her on a 2007 ship. You have Wonder, Symphony or Odessey there to choose from all of which would have given a completely different experience. WE cruised on Indy for our first two cruises in 2017 and 2018 and again on 2024. We were very disappointed with the general state of that ship and are very disappointed she's coming back to our home port of Southampton next year. She's not suited at all to colder climates and feels very cramped on cold wet days. Even more so now they took out sections of the ship to squeeze more cabins in. Try to get a seat inside on a cold wet sea day. Impossible :{
The Freedom class used to be the best class, but they got greedy...
We had a very specific time range and budget. This was the best option.
Those unclean things are very unpleasant and need to be addressed and that few of GF options in today's world is not ok.
You know me. I am strict carnivore. I had the same issues. On Liberty in January. I would tell the wait staff I was gluten free because it's easier to explain why don't wet breads and other things at our meals. But yes we found quality had really gone down.
Hey Joe!
Besides your video put in surveys after cruise
They don't read them.
As a gluten sensitive person I can tell u a lot of cruise lines are not great at proving GF options. It’s a pretty common thing now so u would think the cruise lines would step up with GF foods.
Just back on Radiance of the Seas out of Tampa and MDR menu was missing lobster and tenderloin. Brunch was also bad in the MDR a long wait and food was not up to previous Royal cruises standards. I believe the chefs were taken off the older ships to be used on the newer ships. The shows I could not enjoy because the volume was so high. After sailing on Royal about 7 times my next crise is on Carnival.
We found that on Brillance two years ago we had Symphony just arrived in Europe as well as Wonder for a season and we felt like brilliance was a cadet ship for new staff. I felt sorry for the more experienced staff as you could see them training the younger staff. We noticed a few bar staff who already had just given up. Probably their first and last contract and had decide to do the minimum just running down their contract.
My last and prob final Royal cruise was on Brillance and it was in horrible shape. Rust and dirt/grim couldn’t be missed.
Disney Cruise Lines does an absolute fantastic job with gluten free.
This was not a video to let the audience know what to expect from this ship. This was a video explaining your bad experiences of this ship. I would highly suggest to try a more expensive cruise, then you will see the difference. This video might be quite misleading for new cruisers despite of the fact that you explained some true facts.
This was my personal opinion about your video.
Take care