Day 2 – Sea Day

Our second day onboard was a lazy sea day, the perfect chance to slow down, explore the ship a little more, and enjoy some of the perks of cruising with Royal Caribbean. While it wasn’t our most exciting day, it gave us a mix of highs and lows—from free drinks at the Top Tier Event to a disappointing dinner that led us to shuffle our dining reservations.

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Morning: Top Tier Event & Breakfast at the Windjammer

We started with a trip to the Windjammer buffet for a late breakfast. Nothing particularly memorable, but it was nice to grab a quick meal before settling in for the day. My plate was simple with ham and toast, while Rob went for a made-to-order omelet.

Then we headed to the Top Tier Event, a gathering for Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society members. It’s always enjoyable to see how has made Pinnicale and hear the Captain speak, and if nothing else, hubby looks forward to the free Bloody Mary (🍹 perks of loyalty programs!).

There was a preview of the aqua show which is always amazing. How they hit that tiny pool from so far up I’ll never understand.

By the time all that was over, it was time for the next meal 😊

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Lunch: Windjammer Buffet Review

Unfortunately, lunch at the Windjammer was a real miss. The buffet options were disappointing—mushy fish, flavorless roast beef, and over-salted broccoli and beef medallions. Even the roasted chicken didn’t deliver any real flavor. Normally, Royal Caribbean buffets can be pretty reliable for variety, but this was one of those days where nothing really hit the mark. Pretty sure we won’t be coming back for lunch.

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Afternoon: Casino Time

We spent a couple of hours in the Casino Royale, continuing our quest for points toward Prime renewal.

• Buy-in: $100
• Cash out: $58.38
• Total points earned: 56

It was a slow churn for the amount of time we played, and the points seemed unusually low compared to past sessions. Still, it was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon at sea, and we managed to stretch that initial $100 over more than two hours of play.

Casino Play Strategy: Why We Stick to Penny Slots

When it comes to casino time at sea, our focus isn’t on big wins—it’s on earning points toward Casino Royale Prime renewal. That’s why we stick to slot machines instead of table games.

• Bankroll Stretching: Slots let us play longer without committing to higher table minimums.
• Point Accumulation: Royal Caribbean tracks comps by coin-in (how much you wager), not your wins or losses. That means every spin helps add to your status.
• Transparency: With slots, you can see exactly how many points you’ve earned, making it easy to track progress. At the tables, point calculations are less transparent and often depend on pit boss ratings, so you don’t really know how much credit you’re getting.
• Casual Play: Slots are stress-free compared to tables, letting us relax and enjoy the experience while still moving closer to our goal.

Within slots, we focus on penny machines, typically in the $1–$2 per spin range. While penny slots don’t always have the best payout percentages compared to higher denominations, they let us churn points steadily and stretch our bankroll—which is exactly what we want on a multi-day cruise.

Today went much better than Day 1 and our overall grade increased slightly to a D – not great but passing!

👉 Cruise tip: Keep track of your casino play. Even small sessions add up over the course of a cruise, and those points can translate into free cruises, drink packages, and other perks. I simply jot down in my Apple Notes every time we put money in and what we cash out.

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Dinner: 150 Central Park Dining Review

For dinner, we had a reservation at 150 Central Park. I was especially looking forward to it because on past cruises we had a fantastic experience – but unfortunately, this time it turned out to be one of the most disappointing meals ever had on a cruise.

• Appetizers: Rob’s scallops were rubbery, and some of the guests seated near us even received undercooked ones.
• Wait Time: Dinner service dragged. We waited over an hour for entrées, while the couple seated next to us (who arrived 15 minutes later) were served long before us. By the time our food arrived, we were so hungry we forgot to take any photos.
• Mains: My halibut was severely undercooked and mushy—I couldn’t eat it. Rob’s dish was okay, but nothing special. The server did replace mine with the lobster, which thankfully was excellent.
• Other Dishes: The short rib was flavorful, but the salad was bland. I don’t recall what we had for dessert or if we skipped it.
• Service: Small oversights added up, like not being given a spoon for iced tea. This was the only restaurant where that happened.

I know the staff works hard and is very vocal about letting them know of issues so they can resolve them and earn a ‘perfect 10’ on their satisfaction survey. And I was very pleased with the alternatives he gave. But I also feel it’s fair to provide an honest review so the kitchen can learn of short comings. I’m not sure who is responsible for quality control, but that fish absolutely should not have been taken to be served, even if the service was running long. But it’s one meal out of my week – not really that big a deal in the big scheme of things.

However, after this experience, we decided to cancel our second 150 Central Park reservation and switch to Izumi Sushi later in the cruise instead.

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Early Night

I wasn’t feeling my best after dinner, so we called it an early night. Sometimes sea days are just meant to be restful, and with a port day coming up, an early bedtime was probably for the best.

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Looking Ahead: Costa Maya

Tomorrow, the ship docks at Costa Maya, Mexico. While many guests will be heading ashore for excursions, we’ve decided to stay onboard and enjoy having the ship a little more to ourselves. That means more time for dining, relaxing, and of course, some additional casino play as we keep working toward our Prime renewal.

✅ Overall, Day 2 was a mixed bag: a relaxing casino afternoon and excellent lobster at 150 Central Park balanced out some disappointing buffet and dining experiences. Tomorrow should be a quieter day for us, but that can sometimes be the best part of cruising—getting to enjoy the ship while most passengers are off exploring.