Take us back! We just got back from sailing on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas cruise ship and came home to….. SNOW. If you are thinking of booking a winter escape, do it! If you’re considering a cruise, this will give you some insight into Royal Caribbean.
Before we dive in, it may help to get to know us a little bit better. As teenagers and young adults, Frank and I both spent several years waiting tables. It’s one of the ways we paid for college and even how I was able to purchase my first home during my senior year at Millersville. So for us “service” always outweighs “product” and it’s something that we truly appreciate. Shifting gears a little, Noah, our 6 year old is lactose intolerant. He is really good at knowing what he can/can’t have and a complete trooper when everyone around him is enjoying something that he unfortunately can’t. That being said, we go out of our way to make things from scratch at home or find alternatives when we are out so that he can feel included as much as possible. After booking our trip, we did call Royal Caribbean (866-562-7625) to make sure they were aware that Noah would need lactose free alternatives. He is a sweet, outgoing social butterfly that smiles and talks to everyone. Leah, our 8 year old, is a leader and often shocks us with how observant and aware she is for her age. She knows what she likes and prefers consistency (change and new people are not her jam). She is guarded and takes a lot of time to warm up but once the walls come down, she loves fiercely.
Now let’s talk Royal and the service experiences that caught out attention:
Room Attendant
Our room was ready a little before 1:30 and our luggage was already outside of it. We met Benny (Benedicto Victoria) in the hallway after changing for the pool. He came right up to us, introduced himself, asked if we needed anything and marked down our preference for when he would attend to our room. Each time we saw Benny in passing, he greeted us by name, asked how our day was going and made sure we were happy with our trip. He would ask the kids if they found any ducks and give them tips on where to look for them. They did each find two ducks during our trip and the first comment they made was “I can’t wait to tell Benny!”. They loved bumping into him in passing to/from our room. We picked evening service and it was so nice to come back to the room after dinner or a show to a clean room with freshly made beds after a long day! Our last cruising day was my birthday and we came back after dinner to a decorated room with balloons, towels made into a birthday cake and a Happy Birthday sign.
Main Dining Room Staff
We did My Time Dining and were in the Main Dining Room on Deck 3. We were always greeted with a warm welcome and smiles as we headed to our table. Donesha, our Assistant Waitress, was always a warm, friendly, patient presence letting Noah share his day while always making sure to ask Leah a question or two so she felt as included as she was willing to be. She paid attention to the little things…Noah asked for extra lemons for his water the first day so each day after that when she came over for the first time to fill up our water glasses, she already had lemons with her. Their highlight was her asking them to dance with her and the staff on Caribbean Night. Ashutosh our Waiter was polite, professional and very focused on ensuring he provided a high level of service. He was prompt with taking our orders to make sure our food came out quickly, especially when he knew they were pausing service for Staff Participation with dancing for a theme night. He truly cares about the service he provides and is someone that RC will want to continue to invest in and grow.
Deepak – this man stole our hearts. Deepak visited our table every night to check in, make sure everything was top notch and went through the menu with me to plan Noah’s starter, entree and dessert for the next night. *This was NOT limited to only selecting Vegan options. We went through what Noah picked out on the menu and talked about how they would prepare it separately/alternatively to ensure that he could have it. Our kiddo lived it up! He got to try food that he had never been able to experience and did not at all feel left out, limited or not included…he pretty much felt like he had an entourage all week. One night, he spotted us waiting in line at the MDR to get seated and immediately pulled us out of line and put Leah (our little leader)in charge of escorting us to our seats bc he knew our table was ready. On top of that, when were in the Windjammer (completely unplanned) Deepak spotted us almost every time and immediately came over to make sure Noah had what he wanted to eat. A few times we saw him scope out Noah’s plate, disappear into the kitchen and come out with freshly made scrambled eggs, french toast or a dessert that we didn’t even know was an option. He spotted Frank heading to grab coffee at the and came around the corner with a fresh coffee in hand before he even got to the coffee attendant. Noah called him “the boss” and looked for him each time we entered a dining area…they chatted about kids sports, trip highlights, bonded over Noah being the same age as his son and became vacation besties.
Our MDR Staff put the service we experienced on other vacations to shame – they were outstanding. I know the moms reading this will relate – As a mom, I am blessed to have some amazing people in my life. People that truly love and care for my kids…my tribe…my village (bc we know it truly does take a village). And those people, they have a special place in my heart. Deepak, he earned a spot there with how he went out of his way to care for my kiddo and ensure our family had an amazing RC experience.
So, book the trip! And if you’re thinking of cruising and quality service is important to you, check out Royal Caribbean. We booked our next cruise while we were onboard. š¢