 |
 |
|
Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Jerry Stephens
Email: pastorjs@columbus.rr.com
Age: 45
Occupation: pastor
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 9/2/00
Itinerary: Labadee; San Juan; St Thomas; Coco Cay
Cabin: 3106
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 70
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Sep 2000
Time: 13:04:07
Remote Name: dhcp9592232.columbus.rr.com
Remote User:
Comments
We celebrated our 25th anniversay aboard Grandeur. It was a great way to celebrate. We had the
time of our lives. We'd heard horror stories of embarkation/disembarkation. For us, both went
smoothly. We were aboard within 15 minutes of arriving pierside and we were ashore in even less time.
We actually had longer waits for bus transportation to/from the airport (about 20 minutes each). We
had an outside cain on deck 3. It was just around the corner from the elevators; therefore, it was
convenient to just about everything. The room size was 'cozy' (i.e., small) but it wasn't a big deal. The
bathroom was on the verge of being too small--the shower stalls were very small and became the butt
of several jokes by comedians in their evening routines.
Our cabin attendant was a nice guy but we
didn't see him much. I was mildly annoyed that he (and others) on the last day pointed out to me where
to mark 'excellent' on the satisfaction response card. On the other hand, the airline crushed a bottle of
champagne we brought to celebrate; our cabin attendant arranged for a bottle of the ship's most
expensive wine to be brought to us--gratis! So I suppose he deserved that excellent rating! Meals were
excellent and our waiter, a wonderful young man from Turkey named Cem (Sam), was a big part of
what made the cruise so special. He was delightful (in spite of being reprimanded by the head waiter
for being overly friendly toward us one evening when we stayed a bit longer than the head waiter
liked). My wife & I originally asked for a private table. We were initially disappointed to be seated at a
table of ten people. The other eight turned out to be some of the coolest people in the world and we
spent a lot of time together other than at meals. We've even arranged to try to pull off a reunion
sometime in the future. OH, by the way, we both indulged ourselves at the table but were pleasantly
surprised that we each gained only 4 1/2 lbs during the week. We didn't do any of the excursions
offered by the ship--too expensive and we'd heard that we could do better on our own. So we did
self-guided tours. It worked great.
Labadee was great. The beaches are wonderful. Sadly, the best
area for snorkeling is off limits due to sea urchins. The vendors are VERY aggressive. I've been
around third world street vendors before and rather enjoy it but my wife was totally intimidated for the
first half hour. She gradually got into it though, and by the time we left she was quite proud of some of
the deals she pulled off (between me and you, I think the vendors were just as proud!). If you're up to
some good natured haggling you can get some decent deals. If you're not a good bargainer you'll walk
away with a few neat souvenirs and the vendor will dance away with your money! San Juan was fun.
The old city is very hilly and it was hot & humid the day we were there. After an hour of sweaty hiking
we were willing to pay $3.50 each for two scoops of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. The fort and old city were
impressive and there is a good variety of shopping. In St Thomas we shopped downtown for awhile
then took a taxi to Sapphire Beach for snorkeling. It was well worth the effort.
The snorkeling on the
south side of the beach is excellent. Tons of tropical fish and lots of coral. I even saw a moray eel and
a lime green sea slug! We returned to the pier and shopped at the pierside market for awhile. Turns
out they had as good a variety and prices as in the city (in fact, many of the shops were branches of
those in town). The shop called Fascinations had the best prices by far. At Coco Cay we were
disappointed that the beaches were virtually shut down by jellyfish. A handful of us decided to give it a
try anyway. I ended up getting stung about 25 times--it wasn't pleasant but wasn't as bad as I thought
it would be either. Frankly, I'm surprised I only got hit 25 times--there were bazillions of jellyfish! At any
given time there would be as many as 50 within ten feet of me. I finally went outside the the breakwater
into the deep snorkeling area. There were fewer jellyfish out there in the morning but by afternoon it
was as bad as in the bay.
Nonetheless, I got some great shots with my underwater disposable camera
(available for purchase on the ship or ashore--$17, 27 shots). I had a 3 1/2' barracuda swim to within
3' of my face, then turn and swim away--totally COOL! I also saw a couple fish (3') that looked like
some kind of shark that seemed to be very curious about us and followed us around for awhile. I saw
several sting rays and a grouper that must have been about 50 lbs. Oh, I also saw an octopus! I also
forgot to put on any sun screen--after three hours of snorkeling the backs of my legs were toast!
Fortunately, I was wearing a shirt due to the jellyfish. Shopping on Coco Cay was a bit disappointing.
There were only about ten shops in a little open air market, the merchandise was identical to what we'd
seen elsewhere and was more expensive--and they weren't willing to haggle. We can hardly believe it's
all over. It passed so quickly. But we've decided we WILL do this again-- SOON! We had an absolutely
awesome time. Hope you do too!
Name: Curtis Williams
Email: curtwil@ibl.bm
Age: 24
Occupation: Business Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: Sep 2-9
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: 4507/N
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 88
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 90
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 92
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 92
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Sep 2000
Time: 19:55:04
Remote Name: ppp-net-asc-tnt-a-231-118.ibl.bm
Remote User:
Comments
This was my first cruise, and definitely the first of many to come. I travelled with a group of 25, and we
boarded the Grandeur in Miami. Upon arriving at the pier, we were greeted by a RCCL agent who
proceeded to accommodate us by taking a group photo. This was done using over 15 cameras, a very
tedious task, and she did it with a smile. Then we entered the building and checked in. This process
went very smoothly. It was approximately 2 pm when we boarded the ship. We were directed to our
cabins where we went to acquaint ourselves, and place our carry-on equipment. At 2:45 we went on a
tour of the ship which began in the casino. We toured the library, shipshape center, palladium, and
many other points of interest on the boat. The boat left Miami at approximately 5 pm, and we watched
the departure from the pool decks. Following this, we danced on the deck with a calypso band. Upon
arrival back at our cabin, our baggage had arrived. The next day was an at sea day, so we had
breakfast and basically chilled by the pool all day. That night was to be a formal night and we
proceeded to go and prepare for the night. It was then that I discovered that my dress shoes had been
removed from my luggage. However there was nothing to be done at this point, so I made do and went
to dinner with a pair of borrowed shoes. Prior to dinner there was the Captains Cocktail Party, which
was fun. There were free alcohol there - champagne, rum punch, and some other drinks. Following the
cocktail party we went to dinner, as we had the second seating (8:30pm) every night. On Monday we
were in Labadee, Haiti. This was a private area leased by RCCL. This was beautiful, as there were
beaches, volleyball, and snorkeling to be done. Our group predominantly swam, and played volleyball
here. After this, I returned to the boat to have a massage in the ShipShape Center. Definitely worth it.
Tuesday found us in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We went on a tour with a bus driver, who also took us to a
Puerto Rican restaurant for lunch. We had fun during this tour, however I was getting sick with a bad
cold so that somewhat hindered my enjoyment. We shopped a bit in San Juan, and then proceeded
back to the boat. Wednesday had us in St. Thomas. This was the best port by far. The people were
friendly, we saw many jewellery stores, and souvenir stores. Also we went on a tour of St Thomas. We
went to 'the mountaintop' and were able to get good views of nearly the whole island, plus the
neighboring islands. On Thursday we were at sea all day, and this was spent, by the pool, relaxing and
exploring the boat. Friday we were in Coco Cay, Bahamas. Our experience here was not good. Maybe
it was just the season, or some other reason, but as this was a private island like Labadee, we
expected the same. We couldn't really go swimming because there were way too many jellyfish to feel
comfortable. Also the beach areas offered too little shade from the intense heat. Many members of our
group retired to the boat early, and the others enjoyed a jet ski tour. The debarkation in Miami was
fairly uneventful. Everyone was given colored tags for their luggage and this made for a easy
progression off the boat.
All in all it was a good experience. My waiters, Nikola and Ozzie were the best, and basically the whole
RCCL staff did their best at accommodating our needs. The ship was clean at all times, and the food
good. I will definitely be cruising again, and intend on RCCL at least another time!
Name: Tiffany Ross
Email: Tiffany.Ross@hq.doe.gov
Age: 25
Occupation: Clerk Typist III
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 09/01/00
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: 4029
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 99
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 87
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService:
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 60
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Sep 2000
Time: 13:22:38
Remote Name: doegate.doe.gov
Remote User:
Comments
This was my first cruise but it definately will not be my last. My adventure started out on a Saturday in
Miami, Florida. We arrived at the ship around 2:00 pm where we were registered and boarded the ship.
This was a very smooth and uncomplicated process thanks to the RCCL crew. After we got on the ship we
went to our rooms to settle in, I must admit that the bathrooms were a little smaller than I had imagined but
that was something that I quickly got over. We settled in and then participated in a tour of the ship, so
many things to do, oh my God! Then we were on our own to explore the ship by ourselves and find
something to get into before dinner. While I was walking around the ship trying to familiarize my self with
my new surroundings I checked my cabin periodically to see if my luggage had arrived. It was getting late
and close to dinner time and my luggage was still no where to be found. I went to the purser's desk to find
out what was going on. At this point my luggage went from 'it's coming' to 'we'll start our tracking process
on it', of course by now I was very upset. Basically all I could do was fill out the papers, wait, and pray that
my luggage made it on the ship and would be returned to me that night. I wasn't satisfied with this so I
decided to take matters into my own hands.
With the help of a good friend I walked up and down that ship
looking for my luggage. Finally after about 45 minutes of looking I found it up on the 7th floor (my cabin
was on the 4th) someone had crossed out the CORRECT cabin number and replaced it with the wrong
one. At this point in time I was relieved but highly upset that I had to go throught all of that just to get MY
THINGS! I wondered if this was just a preview of things to come but I am happy to say that the rest of the
cruise was nothing shy of a wonderful, pampering experience. The only time I had to lift a finger was to
put a quarter in the slot machine, and something tells me that if I had asked a crew member to do that for
me they would have!
The food was wonderful, I would advise putting any diets on hold until AFTER your
trip. The waiters who served my table were the absolute best! My cabin stewart was nothing but a
sweetheart who made sure that everything was always perfect! The whole experience was just wonderful!
I would recommend that everyone at sometime in their life take a cruise. The service was wonderful, the
different ports we stopped at were great for lounging and/or shopping. I guess the best thing about it was
that you could do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. The only bad thing about my whole trip is
that like other good things it had to come to an end!
Name: Paul Vivian
Email: paul@frontiercom.bc.ca
Age: 42
Occupation: Accountant
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: Sept 2, 2000
Itinerary: Eastern Carribbean
Cabin: Category M-Inside
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Sep 2000
Time: 10:54:05
Remote Name: pm3-20.pacificgroup.net
Remote User:
Comments
Overall, this was an enjoyable cruise offering great value for the price we paid. It's a great ship, well kept
with lots of amenities. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights):
Embarkation and Disembarkation: These were very fast and efficient-very much the best we've
experienced on a cruise. In fact, when disembarking we deliberately planned a late breakfast, anticipating
a long wait, and were shocked to get a call to disembark before sitting down to breakfast. As a result, we
were about the last to get off the ship!
Food: The food was average at best, the dining room food being much superior to the casual dining,
which was at times not much better than a high school cafeteria. If you stick to the red meat in the dining
room you'll be fine-the other entrees (pasta, chicken, seafood) we generally found to be rather bland.
Service: The service was again the best we've ever experienced on a cruise. Our dining room servers in
particular well deserved the premium gratuities that we offered, and this was the first time we ever had
any service at all from a head waiter. The staff on the ship genuinely appeared to enjoy what they were
doing and as a result made our vacation that much more enjoyable.
Children's Program: Our son (12) and daughter (9) gave a huge 'thumbs up' to the children's programs,
particularly in contrast to the dismal performance of the kids programs they experienced on the Norway
last year. The variety was great-they couldn't wait to participate- and the staff were extremely
enthusiastic.
Shore Excursions: We typically prefer to do 'self planned' shore excursions. This time was a bit of an
exception, as we had just acquired our scuba certification and were anxious to use it, so we booked two
scuba trips through the boat (St Thomas and Coco Cay). We did some checking on the Net and found
that the prices were in line with what private operators charged in the area, so the value was OK. St
Thomas was fine- one reef dive and one wreck dive. Unfortunately the Coco Cay dive was cancelled
(much to our chagrin) due to the quantity of jellyfish in the water. That wasn't the cruise line's fault,
although my wife would claim that the dive staff were just being wimps. We were prepared to dive
notwithstanding the jellyfish-the staff were apparently not.
Ports of Call: Initially I wasn't that keen on the cruise itinerary, with two private islands included along with
St Thomas and San Juan. Ultimately, it turned out to be just fine as each port offered something a little
different. One tip in San Juan- you leave the boat at about 1 pm. That offers just enough time to walk up
to San Cristobel and take the 2 pm tour of the fort in the city centre. For the $6 total it cost us, the tour
and the fort were excellent value, and left plenty of time to wander the streets of Old San Juan afterwards.
Cabins: For the first time when cruising we booked just about the cheapest cabins available, interior
category 'P'. We got upgraded to an 'M', an interior on the lowest accomodation deck in the middle of the
boat. We wouldn't hesitate to do that again, as the cabin was fine in all respects. One does miss having a
window, but it was good to know that even the lowest grade of cabin is still quite acceptable.
Fitness Programs: This was a bit disappointing, compared to our experience on the Norway last year.
There were a fair number of them, but most were very low key, offering very little true exercise. There
were a few high intensity aerobics classes, but my wife, an aerobics buff, tells me they were too high level
for a class that wasn't used to the instructor.
Shops: My wife tells me that the prices in the shops on board were pretty reasonable. The only tip I have
is that if you are touring the duty free shops in San Juan or St Thomas for liquor, grab their advertising
flyers. The duty free shop on board (which of course was higher priced) gladly matched the prices
advertised. Incidentally, the ship seems fairly lax about passengers consuming their own liqour on board.
Anybody (and there were lots) who wandered around the decks with 'cabin glasses' were obviously
drinking liquor they'd bought on shore or in the duty free. You feel a bit conspicuous, but nobody ever
mentions anything about it.
All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this cruise to others.
Name: Peggy McKenzie
Email: dreamchaserwem@aol.com
Age: 52
Occupation: Administrative Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 11
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: Sept. 23, 2000
Itinerary: East Caribbean
Cabin: 2538 - outside Cat. I window
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 84
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 82
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 92
CabinQuietness: 82
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 82
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 84
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 78
OverallPortsofCall: 92
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 75
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness:
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Oct 2000
Time: 13:39:06
Remote Name: lms.laspbs.state.fl.us
Remote User:
Comments
I am a seasoned cruiser! This was my first cruise on RCL. The ship was beautiful, plenty of open areas
and easy to nagivate! We live in Florida and were able to use the Cruise Connection bus - FREE. This
eliminated our worry about traveling to and from the port, tolls, parking, and room for 6 people's luggage.
Getting on and off the ship was the easiest I have ever experienced. Carinval could take lessions from
RCL on this!!
We prefer outside cabins. We were on the lowest passenger deck, outside. We thought we were to have
a porthole and were surprised to have a nice window. We also had requested a window table in the dining
room and were able to have it too. Remember to ask for this early when you book your trip and ask for
dinner seating.
There were some things I was disappointed about. The shows were not up to the quality I expected. The
best activity was the Newly Wed/Not So Newly Wed Game! Carnival does a much better job. The
production shows were not up to the Las Vegas quality I expected. Not much variety either. The casino
was smaller than expected. No nickel machines for us small time gamblers. There were a few machines
that took quarters and gave you five plays. I never could figure them out! I did not see many winners
either!
We had expected the cabin to be much smaller than it actually was. We had a couch and small table in
addition to plenty of storage space, a safe, and nice dressing area.
Another thing I really enjoyed was a dedicated channel on the TV that showed the ship's position, and a
camera showing the view from the front of the ship. Very interesting! Current movies available on TV too!
There was an excellent card/game room. Our group played games and cards on several occasions,
excellent view too!
Captain's cocktail party was disappointing. I only saw one tray of food during the 30 minutes we were
there. Carnival has this beat hands down!
We had good sailing weather, showers in San Juan and St. Thomas, but heavy rain in Coco Cay. They
ship is very comfortable, no sway!!
Food was good but not exceptional. I would say that most of the cruise lines offer the same types of food
with theme menus. The alternative dining in the Windjammer Cafe (very similar to Lido Deck on Carnival)
was good. Some of the food items on the dining room menu available in the Cafe. Check the menu board
outside the Cafe.
Overall, I would sail on RCL again. Good value for the price!
Our next trip will be either Alaska or Hawaii!
Name: Doug & Keli
Email: kelib@prodigy.net
Age: 42
Occupation: Service Manager
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Grandeur
SailingDate: 09/23/00
Itinerary: E. Caribbean
Cabin: 3134
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 98
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 60
DiningRoomService: 25
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 60
DeckService: 63
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland: 100
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 40
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 30
CruiseActivities: 30
Casino: 45
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 73
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Oct 2000
Time: 09:23:22
Remote Name: a010-0389.tuls.splitrock.net
Remote User:
Comments
Grandeur of the Sea Sail Date: Saturday, September 23, 2000
Embarkation We boarded the ship early - around noon. Porters and personnel outside the terminal to
help make sure all documents were in order were all very friendly and found them to be very helpful. The
lady that checked us in must have been having a really rough day though, or very unhappy in her job.
Just acted putout that she was even there. Pleasantly surprised that the cabin change presented no
problem. Everything was in order just as we had been told it would be.
Our Room 3134 was very pleasantly surprised to see room we had. There were four of us in one cabin
and with the little sitting area made it very nice size to share with another couple. Our room steward Clyve
and his assistant Dick were always very helpful and friendly. It was nice almost like little cleaning elves
came in and picked up after we were gone.
The ship is much cleaner (sanitary) than Monarch, with the exception overflowing ash trays. But still glad
to see that I was not sharing the ship with roaches as before.
Not a smoker friendly ship at all. Ashtrays very hard to come by in the Windjammer area, not to mention if
you can find one it appeared to have never been emptied.
Age limits not enforced. Often there were so many small children (range of about seven or eight years
old) in the main hotubs labeled "Adults Only" using them as common swimming pools that adults could not
even get in them. Also Viking Lounges was to be for "Adults Only" Always saw small children in there.
Shops Very impressed by the price guarantee, Cabin-mate had purchased cigarettes on board ship then
found them at a lesser price in St. Thomas. When we took the ad to the shop there was no problem the
just refunded her card the difference. Young man in the jewelry store was very helpful and very pleasant
and knowledgeable. Only thing is we were unaware of the fact that every time you made a purchase you
had to inform them that you were crown and anchor members to receive the discount. Is there not a way
to differentiate the cards somehow to receive this without having to remind them every time?
Casino Once again as far as Royal Caribbean goes all we have it to compare to is Monarch. Again very
pleasantly surprised. Most anytime we were in there we found it to be fairly clean and staff helpful except
barmaids, they were very hard to come by. Most of the time you had to leave your machine or table for
bar service. Upon your return to find your machine had been taken.
Windjammer the biggest part of the food appeared to be recycled, if you enjoyed last nights dinner you
were in luck, because you would have the opportunity to eat it again for lunch the next day in the
Windjammer. Heard someone sum up Windjammer breakfast really well, Tasted like you were eating the
"Grand Slam" at Denny's. First day lunch onboard in Windjammer, was very tasty, seemed to be recycled
bacon and such from breakfast and left overs from night before.
Dinner in the Windjammer was nice, it was nice to have a pleasant meal in nice atmosphere was not sure
if I would care for alternate dinning but it was nice. The chef who would take the pasta or steak orders
and cook them was very nice and did a wonderful job.
Main Dinning Room we only ate there three times because the service was so bad. This is the first time
that we have ever had service like this. We noticed it was not just our table, one evening at a nearby
table, a couple had been waiting and waiting for something and finally gave up and shoved their plate's
back, shook their heads, and got up and left. Based on our table experience it was probably waiting on a
glass of tea. Out of the three nights we ate in there, every meal someone went without a drink even after
it was ordered. To try and get a refill without having to chase down the waiter was a joke. One evening
one of our table mates even had to get up and get it for himself.
Also questioned when I chose to order the New York Strip is that what I really wanted?? Wouldn't I rather
have something else off the main menu? I asked for New York Strip again and baked potato (I did not
think this to be out of the ordinary as it was on the menu) and received the Steak and whatever potato
was being served with dinner that night not the baked as asked for.
Entertainment in the Palladium found the dancers and singers to be a pleasant surprise. The shows were
very well presented.
Entertainment Pool Side All I can say is I wish that I could work the hours these guys do. We heard more
canned music than anything.
Entertainment in General Would like to see more of a variety to do on the ship. Also in past cruises it was
announced when a new activity was about to start so you did not have to carry your daily paper with you
and check it every little bit to make sure you were not missing something.
Cruise Director Greg Maxwell found him to be one of the highlights of the whole cruise. Always went out of
his way to speak and to be friendly (you would think he was bucking of a tip he was so nice!) Always had
a smile on his face anytime you saw him in passing. Very pleasant man. Great asset to Royal Caribbean!
Pool Waiters I never got the man's name, but was one of the best I have ever seen. I believe him to be
Cuban, maybe in his 40's rather short and a bit stocky. Again always pleasant, friendly, smiling, and
always had a cute saying to go along with that day's drink. In fact when we were at Labadee and
everyone saw him coming over with the drink of the day and started to sing a bit, the whole beach
applauded that he was there.
Schooner Bar Waiters There were three that we dealt with over the week, a young lady (once again do
not have a name) but I do know she was from Poland, and two young men from Jamaica. Both young men
were also very pleasant. The one we found to most efficient was Junior Brown. He impressed us with his
total attitude and the fact that he took the time to actually look at your name on the card and call you by
name. Amazing things to us was that he would remember your name (out of the hundreds that he had to
deal with daily)when you came in there and had such a positive and upbeat attitude all of the time. If he
took that much interest in people that were not frequent guest in his lounge, I can imagine what he did for
the ones who were. Very pleasant young man, once again a great asset to Royal Caribbean.
Room Service Was some of the best service we received onboard. Very courteous on the phone and
very prompt. (Although not much to choose from) Only question is tried to order a turkey sandwich. They
called back and said out of turkey??? Funny how it was offered for lunch the next day. Food presentation
for room service was wonderful. Everything arrived hot and was very tasty. In fact the dinner we ate in our
room everyone agreed was some of the best food that we had onboard ship.
Pursers Everyone always seemed to be very helpful was not annoyed to answer any questions you may
have. Big difference from Monarch.
Rainy Days... Boy can, and you tell they are not prepared for these! Breakfast dishes had never been
cleared from Windjammer tables, there was not one coffee cup to be found nor tea glass, just plenty of
left over ones from breakfast. And if you wanted to get in the hot-tub you might as well forget it because
there was not one towel to be found anywhere on deck. Once again Greg Maxwell came to the rescue
and tried to make light of the situation and announced they would run movies in the Palladium.
Photographers All was very pleasant, just wish that there was a posting somewhere where all they were to
be located other than it just generally saying that they were going to be on level five. Same with the
pictures with the waiter in the ocean at Labadee. We had seen these pictures before, but I guess as we
were on one of the first tenders to the island we missed the chance. The early bird did not get the worm
this time! I heard a lot of people express their disappointment in this phot opportunity. Neat idea but need
to advertise it more or not just stay at the first beach or wherever he was located. Or possible offer it
again in Coco Cay.
Shore Excursions Husband and friend traveling with us booked the scuba excursion, stated that the
person that represented Royal Caribbean was rather hateful but that the Dive Master that took them on
the dive was very pleasant and it was well worth the money spent.
Ports of Call When we booked the cruise, we were hesitant about the private island thing. Boy we were
very wrong! Labadee turned out to be one of the most beautiful places we had ever seen. Found the
Beach staff was very helpful and pleasant. Only thing is $8.00 bucks to rent a floaty? My goodness that is
a bit unreal. Lunch was very good. Very well prepared and nice variety. San Juan Very interesting, Rich in
history. St. Thomas Great Shopping! Coco Cay Pretty much same impression as Labadee, from what we
could tell it rained that day. But lunch was very good.
Disembarkation: I must say this is the most organized and speediest I have ever seen. None of the
everyone crammed in one room waiting for their color to be called. Nice change.
Overall Impression: Very classy looking ship. Easy to find your way around after the first day or so without
having to constantly look for a diagram of the ship. Food is way over rated and personnel seems to be
over worked. One cook said his hours were from 4:30 a.m. til 11:30 p.m. with a 2 hour lunch(said he had
been lucky that day). Possibly that is what was wrong with our main dinning service.
Private Islands are wonderful, would do them again. The Market in Hati had enough of the Haitian's and
native crafts to give you a taste of it without having to go on into the towns. Beautiful Island.
I know that it was not just our opinions that were like this after speaking with fellow passengers. This was
our second experience with Royal Caribbean. Would we travel with them again? Our answer would have
to be possibly if we were to receive assurance of better service and quality.
Doug & Keli
Want to book your cruise at a great rate?
Click here.
Questions or comments? Mail to webmaster@cruiseopinion.com.
Copyright ©1996-2001 CruiseOpinion.com. Last modified: October 24, 2000.