One of the newest venues to hit Royal Caribbean International ships is the Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade. We have sampled this venue on a few other occasions including on Symphony of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas. During our recent cruise on the newly amplified Navigator of the Seas, we stopped in once more for some food and drinks. We are now back to give you our honest review of Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade on Navigator of the Seas.
Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade on Navigator of the Seas Review
On Navigator of the Seas, Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade is located on the Royal Promenade, Deck 5. Located on the portside of the ship, the lounge is directly across from the Cafe Promenade coffee shop and cafe.
During our three-day cruise onboard the ship, the venue opened at 11 am daily. This makes it one of the few inside bars that is open during the day. Based on our experiences, the venue tended to get busy late afternoon, and again after dinner.
There are tables that are first come, first serve as well as bar seating. Select tables are also available outside the venue in the promenade.
Inside Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade
The venue has a warm, clean decor with a large central bar. The setup is reminiscent of a pub that you would find back home. When compared to the similar venue on Mariner of the Seas, this venue had more table top games such as a pool table, shuffleboard, and giant Jenga to challenge your friends and family.
Different from its predecessors, Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade on Navigator of the Seas has a small secluded room at the back of the venue called the VIP Owners Box. During our few stops into the restaurant, we did not see anyone utilizing this space.
Virtually every wall in Playmakers is covered with flat-screen televisions broadcasting various sports games. During our June cruise, most of the sports were international games.
Royal Caribbean must have heard our pleas as there appeared to be more waitstaff in the restaurant on Navigator of the Seas. In the past, bartenders had doubled as waiters. Now, there were plenty of dedicated waitstaff for servicing tables.
Still, the friendly bartenders were also there to offer drink recommendations and to serve up drinks to cruisers who were at the bar.
Drinks at Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade
The drink menu (which you can download here) consists of a wide selection of beers. This makes complete sense as it is a sports bar, and most fans like to throw back a few while watching a game. That said, there were also a few specialty cocktails on the menu, so the Princess was happy too!
While I am a big beer fan, this time around, I decided to try a mixed drink. The Princess ordered the knockout, and I went with black and gold. While the drink was better than the beer I had last time, we tend to think the food at this venue is better than the drinks.
However, all of the drinks are covered in the Royal Caribbean Deluxe Beverage Package, except for the bottles of wine and the pitchers of beer. For those paying a la carte, the beers were priced between $6-8. All of the specialty cocktails were priced at $13.
Food at Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade
The food menu (download here) is the same all day long and consists of a variety of different snacks. All of the food is priced a la carte. Now, the Royal Caribbean Unlimited Dining Plan is accepted at Playmakers. The package gives each individual a $35 credit. In our experience, that is more than enough to order a starter, meal, and dessert, with funds to spare.
Related Post: Review of Royal Caribbean’s Unlimited Dining Plan
For our test run, we popped in to the venue on embarkation day for lunch as we had the Unlimited Dining Plan. There was no host or hostess. Quickly, a waiter told us we could sit wherever we wanted and gave us menus. He returned a few moments later to take our drink order.
Once he returned with the drinks, we placed our order for lunch. Again, we tried the nachos as an appetizer. I did the Buffalo wings as a meal, and the Princess tried the chicken sandwich.
Unfortunately, all of the food came out at once. While the nachos are solid in flavor, this was the second time that our dish was cold.
On the other hand, the Buffalo chickens wings were hot, slightly spicy, and crispy. They are by far my favorite version of these popular pub favorites on any cruise line.
The Princess also enjoyed her chicken sandwich and Playmakers fries. These French Fries are coated in a light sauce, so I passed on sampling them.
Recap of Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade
This venue is quickly becoming one of our favorite places to hang out on Royal Caribbean ships. Now that the venue is included in the Unlimited Dining Plan, it is not only a great place for drinks but for food as well.
Still, if you are not on the package, the a la carte pricing is reasonable. Of course, depending on your food preferences, you may not feel the venue is worth the up-charges.
Given the location, you can always stop by for a drink during the Royal Promenade events like the parades and parties.
The venue did get busy in the mid-afternoon, with fellow cruisers drinking and playing some of the games. The tabletop games were a great way to take a break from the Bahamian sun.
Overall, we really enjoy this venue and its food. We can’t wait to get back to Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade on future Royal Caribbean sailings.
Comments
Have you tried Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade on Navigator of the Seas? What are your favorite menu items? Drop us an anchor below with your review of this restaurant and bar.
Me and my family are taking a cruise on the Independence of the Seas in may 2020; just seeing what kind of drink specials are on the cruise