Back-to-Back:  Redux (After a B2B2B on the Jewel in June 2025, we did it again.)

Royal doesn’t always get it right.  Here’s what didn’t work.

• No special instructions were delivered to our stateroom on the final evening of the first cruise.
• We mentioned the cabin change to our attendant, and he didn’t have this information on “his” list.
• We visited the Customer Help Desk - and were assured that everything would be fine.
• On the morning of the Change (9:00, Main Dining Room) our new Sea Passes were not immediately available to be handed out.
• After being instructed that we could go to our new cabins at 11:00am, the new cabin attendant was very surprised to see us - and we were Not on Her list; therefore our cabin had not been given priority for preparation.
  • Of course, our luggage and clothing on hangars had not been moved to the new cabin
  • A specially requested Hot Water Kettle had not arrived

After lunch (a special seating in the MDR for “Repeaters”) with our limited group, and a special menu, we returned to our new cabin about 12:30, and all was in order - but not before gently lodging our disappointment with the Customer Service Supervisor who had assured us the night before that everything was in order.  Our reported inconvenience was met with an offer for small compensation (onboard credit and a meal at Johnny Rockets), which we accepted.

Overall

Our entire trip could best be described as calm, with a sprinkling of children.  The weather was pleasant throughout - not too warm for us.  Some pool dwellers may have had to adjust their schedules to obtain the best warmth, but we never saw an empty pool, even as We chose to just walk by.

The ship has been plenty busy, but not arising to the level of “crowded” very often.  Maybe we just chose our venues well.  We attended a lower number of shows than usual, and seating was easy to obtain.  (Again, a low sample size to accurately describe everyone’s experience.)

The most crowded space I saw was El Loco after returning from Coco Cay.  The food is tasty, relatively quick and catches folks hungry, too far from dinner, after getting in some steps and multiple activities on the Island.

Utopia #7:  1/5 - 1/9/26 (4 nights)

• Cabin #8182 Ocean View Balcony (Mid-ship, portside, which is left while facing forward)
• This location was very good; close but not too close to the elevators.
• No cabins across the hall; relatively low traffic in the hall.
• Every evening, there was sure to be 15 minutes of noisy children, but never very late, not constant, and subsiding well before our bedtime.

Utopia #8:  1/9 - 1/12/26 (3 nights)

• Cabin #10696 Ocean View Balcony (Aft and starboard - right side while facing forward)
  • It is bound to be confusing after we switch cabins - which occurs due to late planning, and a piecemeal approach (my bad!)
  • After the first day, I can report that we pretty much know our way around and have not often gone the wrong direction.
• The vibe on this weekend’s cruise is different; there’s a different “party” atmosphere, and the casino is busier.
• Elevator wait times significantly increased; we were less likely to take the stairs from level 10 to the Promenade on level 5, than we had on the just-previous cruise (from level 8).
• As I write this early on Saturday 1/10 (the hall noise was moderately high until midnight, with some lingering conversations noticeable from the outside balconies, but…not a significant issue).

Dining Highlights

• Embarkation day - lobster lunch in the Windjammer - we were fortunate to board early, complete the muster process and be seated for an 11am lunch.  I’m no lobster expert, but we have previously (and on this day) enjoyed the seafood offerings.
• Giovanni’s lunch - Thus remains a favorite, with great service and an outdoor/indoor seating - that is, outside the air conditioned restaurant, but a balcony overlooking Boardwalk - so, breezes with occasional overhead zip-line activity.
• Mason Jar for dinner on Saturday - we’ve been to this venue for music and drinks but this is our first meal here.  Our 5:00 seating was not busy, and the service was excellent.  Lots of tasty choices, from the cornbread to gumbo to ribs - with a heavy dose of “St. Louis” bbq sauce.  Too much food offered (and eaten) to truly enjoy the dessert offerings.  Maybe next time.
• Johnny Rockets - We visited the diner in the Boardwalk Neighborhood for the first time.  We started with Malts, which were very filling and tasty.  The burgers were fine, and the special fries with cheese and bacon were enjoyed - but not finished.  Again, it seems every dining option provides more than enough, and it takes restraint to know when to say when.
• Windjammer - We didn’t often dine at the buffet, usually opting for a heavier lunch and only light dinners.  But on our last night, hunger overtook later in the evening and we went up for a bit, only to find that there was some pretty good lobster on offer.  In addition, I like to select some cheese and olives as my appetizer, and I finished with warm blueberry cobbler (and ice cream).

Entertainment

Many options were available, including the All-IN! Signature production show (first 2 nights), AUQUA80 and YOUTOPIA Ice Spectacular (each offered twice each, on two nights - so 4x total) - very popular and often crowded.  Name that Tune is a fairly new offering, which we also saw in November.  On the first of the January cruises, we enjoyed it once again.  Cruise Director Mark is superb (and a favorite C.D.).  It’s a smooth operation with high quality dance, singing and band accompaniments.  The crowd gets excited; 8 carefully chosen participants do their best, and the choice of songs is fun!  Mark keeps things moving at a brisk pace.  Elimination rounds are fun, too, as those with low point totals are “sung off” cheerily.

Note:  See other Utopia reviews for many photos of the Auqua and Ice Shows.