I also have that same problem with the Wonder and have spoken to the cruise directors about it. The problem is, that on Nassau and Castaway Cay day, the cruise staff are in charge of organizing excursions and escorting guests off the ship, so there is no one available for entertainment. They have started trying to add more activities in the afternoons now. They were doing art auctions, trivia, pool games, sports challenges, Mr. Toad's race, etc. on Nassau day. On CC day, no activities are scheduled because on average 97% of guests disembark the ship, so there is no need to schedule activities. On 3-night cruises, they found that activities in the afternoon onboard were scarcely attended, as guests were trying to pack and get ready for dinner. So that is DCL's reasoning. It doesn't mean there are any more activities, but it at least makes sense. Which Royal ship were you on? We may have just hit bad ships, but we found on both the Navigator and the Celebrity Infinity, that there were often stretches of hours with not one organized activity.
I just checked the Navigators for my Dec. 6-10, 2009 cruise on the Wonder. On the Nassau day, there were activities throughout the day for families, including Mr. Toads Wild Races, Art Auction, and Cruisin for Trivia. However, I don't cruise with kids, and I'm not interested in the family activities.
This is what was available for adults before the dinner hour:
- Friends of Bill W./Abs Class (8:30-9:00)
- Group Cycling/Secrets to a Flatter Stomach (9:00-9:30)
- Books and Magazines available all day in Cove Cafe/Sports Court open (9:30-2:00)
- Open Air Yoga/Beer Tasting (2:00-2:30/2:45)
- Live Music with Island Groove at the Quiet Cove Pool (3:00-4:00)
- DVC Presentation (4:00-5:00)
- Detox for Weight Loss (4:30-5:00)
- Singles Mingle/Martini Tasting (5:00-5:30/5:45)
Maybe I should start drinking so I can go to the beer and martini tastings...then to the Friends of Bill W. meetings!
Castaway Cay day had the same morning activities, with Yoga on the beach instead of at the spa. The afternoon offered another DVC presentation at 4:00, and the Eat More to Weigh Less seminar at the spa at 4:30 - and that was it for onboard adult activities. I filled my afternoons watching the movies in the theater, then went to the evening shows and late dinners.
The only adult trivia on my cruise was on the sea day, and my team won!
I have no complaints about activities on the sea day. I also understand that most people get off the ship at Castaway Cay, and I did, too. But a few hours at the beach plus lunch was as much beach time as I desired.
My RCI cruises were on Splendour, Jewel, Monarch (once from CA and once from FL), Adventure, Explorer, and Grandeur. I will be on Mariner of the Seas in April and Adventure again in November. RCI's Voyager-class ships are nice, but I prefer the smaller Radiance and Vision-class ships. We were on a 14-night Transatlantic cruise in September on Celebrity Constellation (sister to Infinity), and there were almost too many activities from which to choose.
