NOTE: We did not overnight at the Rio, but spent the evening in the casino and had dinner.
Overall, the Rio was just OK (2.5 - 3 stars depending on location.) Our experience:
Bar Areas - 2 stars
* The Irish Pub At The Rio - shuttered closed (none of the staff were aware of this!)
* IBAR - loud and obnoxious music and too many videos.
* VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub - should have gone here, but it was too early.
* Masquerade Bar - It was the best of the rest, but seating was limited and table service was non-existent. So, we opted to get a frozen drink from a stand by the entrance and check out the place.
Village All Seafood Buffet - 2 stars
It has many rave reviews, but it smelled fishy and was $48/person. We opted for the main buffet.
Carnival World Buffet:
Food - 4 stars
There were many food choices from the very basic to the fairly stylish. The quality was higher than other buffets I've seen. And, the food was mostly tasty.
Experience - 2 stars
For $39/person, it should have been a much better experience. The wait was ridiculously long. The seating and "service" were totally absurd. It was like eating at noisy & crowded food court in a shopping mall. The host sent us a to table with only 3 seats, yet there were 4 of us. I had to walk around the restaurant pleading for an extra seat from other customers.
Given that The Rio an older property, you'd think they'd have gotten it together by now. We won't be returning anytime soon.