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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Craig A. Garner
Email: 110234.1170@compuserve.com
Age: 40 something
Occupation: Systems Analyst
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: 08/15/99
Itinerary: St. George, Hamilton, Bermuda
Cabin: 8013/K
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: n/a
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 80
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 75
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 80
BeautySalonStaff: n/a
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: n/a
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: n/a
MedicalFacilities: n/a
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 88
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Aug 1999
Time: 13:16:56
Remote Name: athm-209-219-xxx-67.home.net
Remote User:
Comments
This was our fifth cruise to Bermuda and we were really looking foward to it since we had
not been there since 1997.
Our reluctance about going again was based on the fact that our regular ship out of New
York, the Norwegian
Dreamward, was removed and replaced by a refurbished cruiseliner, Norwegian Crown. However
we found out about
the Nordic Empress this year and were told that it was a very beautiful ship on par with
the Dreamward so we took a
chance. Upon entering the ship it was clear that we made the right choice. There was an
elegant staircase adjacent
from the Purser's desk, a glass elevator, and a gentelman playing a white piano as we
boarded. As soon as we
reached our floor there was someone to give us our keys and our luggage was already
upstairs. This is unheard of
on NCL. We normally don't see our luggage until eight or nine o'clock. My wife was able to
get one of the "limited"
Saftey deposit boxes while I put up our carry on luggage. We were also able to change our
main seating to
arrangement to the late seating without any difficulty so my wife was very pleased.
Our first meal was in the Windjammer Cafe up on the Sun deck and although there were
limited selections (no
Chicken breast/wings) the food there was palatable. However we would eventually discover
the the food in the
Windjammer left a lot to be desired once you missed the main course. The Burgers were
usually over cooked, the
bread was usually hard, no soda was available unless you paid for it from the bar via your
Super charge, and you
usually had to hunt for a spoon.
The Dining room meals however were a special treat. Our waiter and bus boy surpassed our
expectations. Although
the portions were small if you want more all you had to do is ask and it was delivered. My
wife and I ate three lobster
tails one night and they always gave us extra after they realized that we would probably
ask for it since I'm a pretty
big guy and so was the gentleman that we met at our table of four. The waiters also sang
for us on two occasions
and pretty much provided anything that we wanted. The only negative was that there were
only two nights that had
the mid-night buffet.
The entertainment was decent, especially the Comedians in the lovely Strike Up the Band
lounge. However if you
didn't get a seat downstairs, most of the seats in the Upstairs section of the lounge were
obstructed by the people
sitting in the seats in front of you. It was apparently very poorly designed so only the
people in the front row could
see and they had to look over the railings. My wife and I did not attend one night of
entertainment since it seemed to
be very bizarre. It was entitled the Quest and involved some very bizarre behavior e.g.,
men putting on their wives
bra's and taking off their pants.
The excursions seemed to be limited to going off on boats to do something or others like
scuba diving. My wife and I
did not want to get on any other boat after spending a day and a half of the ship. So we
were left with one excursion
to attend at the Clay House Inn. It cost about forty bucks but turned out to be the best
show we have ever seen in
Bermuda with the Coca Cola Steel Drum Band. These guys were incredible. They received
three standing ovations.
My wife and I tried to buy their CD afterwards but they were sold out so we had to by it
in Hamilton the next day.
The beaches were beautiful has always except our standard beach at the Elbow Beach Hotel
no longer allowed
guest from the cruise ships. We always went to Elbow Beach instead of the popular
Horseshoe beach because it was
private, clean, and most of all not crowed. I pleaded with the towel/umbrella guy to
please let us stay and he finally
relented with a warning that we would have to leave if Hotel guest needed the Umbrella and
chairs.
We visited the Nave Dockyard for the first time and it wasn't as great as the litereature
would have you believe. We
didn't have time to visit the Museum but saw the rest of the place and were not impressed.
All in all we had a very pleasant experience except for Friday when we were leaving and
the Air conditioning went
out. This was a very bad situation that lasted for almost eight hours. The captain ordered
free drinks for an hour and
then relented and let it last for a few more hours but this in no way made us feel any
better. Needless to say we did
dress up for that evening and there were a lot of unhappy campers regarding this mis-hap.
But when I look back on
the entire trip it was wonderful since the weather was fine, my wife found some excellent
sales in Hamilton, and we
ate some wonderful food.
Craig & Veleria Garner
Name: Sharon Scobert
Email: tops@vernonmartin.com
Age: 53
Occupation: Real Estate broker
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: 12/23/98
Itinerary: 4 day Christmas Cruise
Cabin: I can't remember
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: Yes
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: Yes
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: Yes
BeautySalonStaff: 98
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon: 98
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 98
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 31 Oct 1999
Time: 11:47:21
Remote Name: nas-3-156.boston.navinet.net
Remote User:
Comments
This past Christmas I took a lovely 4-day cruise aboard the Nordic Empress with my son
(age 22) and my daughter (age
28). This probably was one of the more enjoyable cruises I've been on. I had been planning
this "Family" cruise for
some time and we were all eagerly awaiting the holidays to embark on the Nordic Empress.
One word of caution about
traveling around major holdiays: always plan on arriving to your destination at least 1
day ahead -- 2 days ahead is
even better! We've had bad experiences missing the ship due to weather, so I can imagine
how traveling is on the
holiday or on the day you are expected to cruise! It's worth the extra money to stay at a
nice hotel for 1 day, 2 days if
it's in your budget! In our case, our plane from Boston had engine problems and landed in
Miami instead of flying to
San Juan where I was meeting my daughter! We didn't arrive in San Juan until 11:00 that
evening. She was already at
the hotel waiting for us. We enjoyed the next day at the pool and went aboard the ship.
Our cabin was a superior ocean view with a balcony, which was a bit tight for 3 adults but
we managed. My daughter & I
slept in the 2 beds and my son go the pull out sofa, which really is a single bed. I can't
say enough for our cabin
steward -- Kenneth. He folded our clothes every day and night and neaten up our room as
best as he could. We had
extra clothes and suitcases because we were also staying in San Juan a few days after the
cruise. We had plenty of
souvineers to bring home, which always fills up your cabin. But Kenneth took good care of
us!
This was my son's and daughter's first cruise. They were perfectly delighted with all the
ship's activites, food and
accomodations. They loved the shore excursions! They went snorkling off a catamaran in St
Martin and did the
America's Cup sailing in St. Thomas. We shopped til we dropped between excursions and my
son won $226 at Bingo!
Christmas is a nice time to take a short cruise especially if you have family with you who
have never cruised before.
This gives them a taste of life aboard the ship and in case they don't like it, the cruise
is short.
Our captain was more than pleasant and we got a private tour of the bridge. (I sent a
letter to the captain requesting the
tour).
All the cruise ships use Steiner from London for their beauty and spa salons. In this
respect, you always get the same
quality and most often the same excellent service. My daughter & I enjoyed manicures
the day of the formal evening.
My son frequented the casino and had a blast! My daughter and I played the slots once in a
while. I like the slots
because I really don't understand the other games. I'm not a gambler, I don't ebven buy
lottery tickets, but on the ships I
like the slots! The casino was nicely decorated as well as the ship in whole. My only
complaint about the casino and
lounges is the smoke. Since I'm not a smoker and hate the smell of my clothes after I've
been in a smoke filled room,
this is always a problem with me.
The entertainment on the Christmas cruise was good, not outstanding, but very good in
general. The staff even sang
carols one evening in the atrium. Santa made an appearance on his special day by sliding
down the smoke stack! I'm
sure many youngsters were delighted with this! During the first 2 days of the cruise, we
heard announcements from the
Captain who had spotted Santa on the radar. They were tracking him every moment!
The ship was very decorated for Christmas which added a festive feel for the cruise. We
have many photos, both
professional and from our cameras that reflect the holiday. Speaking about the photography
-- there isn't enough said
about how talented this group of photgraphers really are! When you think they take several
thousand photos each
cruise and often make duplicates for you and get all the photos developed within the day
for you to view, this in it's self
is something of a wonderful accomplishment! My hats off to the photography staff!!
The food on most cruise ships is pretty standard. Lots of it, good variety, nicely plated,
meticulously served, and in
general pretty good. We've never been on a cruise when all meals were spectacular.
However, most of the meals were
very good on the Nordic Empress. There is always something on the menu that will appeal
even to the most picky eater.
Also, if you have special diet needs, tell your travel agent when you book the trip. The
cruise will have some special
meals for you. I've heard of gluten free meals being served to one passenger, and the
brochure tells you they can have
"Kosher" meals delivered to the ship. I especially like the Breakfast and Lunch
buffets. Casual eating, you can go back
for seconds and you can try a lot of different meals.
I read in someones review that this ship was older and not very clean. I have to say that
I've never been on a shabby
cruise ship, nor one that wasn't clean. The Nordic Empress was a spotless and beautiful
cruise ship. I would definitely
book another cruise with them again.
Our cabin was perfectly lovely, very quiet, very pretty and filled with nice colors. The
bathroom was a trifle small, but ok.
We love the balcony and my children were awe-struck with the accomodations!
I felt I got a good value for the money it cost for this cruise and the pre and post hotel
stay as well. Please remember
you pay a premium for the cruise because of the holiday.
All in all, Royal Caribbean is a great value for your money. I highly encourage travelers
to consider this cruise line!
Name: Patricia
Email: triciapg@yahoo.com
Age: 48
Occupation: self-employed
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: 5-23-99
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 7622
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 89
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 89
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 89
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Jan 2000
Time: 14:24:32
Remote Name: nycmbb04-21.splitrock.net
Remote User:
Comments
I have cruised with RCCL in the past and just wanted to express my satisfaction with this line, noticing
no changes since becoming RCI and its recent bad press.
RCI continues to offer an overall excellent value because the entertainment,waiters and cabin stewards
always give great service. On this particular sailing, the waiter (Mustafa) we had in the dining room was
one of the best we've ever had. If ever on this itinerary again, I'll be sure to check for him in the dining
room.
We were travelling with my mother who was using a wheelchair. The only problem we encountered was
in the dining room. Upon booking, we made note of this but it was not taken into account by the head
waiter. I tried to change the seating--but it was not possible as the room was full and booked with
several large groups.
Embarking and disembarking has much improved since I last cruised out of New York. We actually got
home by 9:30am to Springfield; that's record time!
Bon Voyage!
Name: Tom Kanitra
Email: tkanitra@worldnet.att.net
Age: 49
Occupation: Assoc. Director, Engineering
NumberOfCruises: 10
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: January 14, 2000
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean
Cabin: 7018, Cat F
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 70
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 70
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 99
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 50
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Jan 2000
Time: 11:58:34
Remote Name: 76.newark-05-10rs.nj.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:
Comments
My review of our winter weekend get away cruise in January 2000 on the Royal Caribbean Nordic
Empress is the first of my 10 cruise reviews that will actually have a title:
It's 'The cruise that separated Mere Mortal Men from Navy Seals. Or those Navy sailors who've
spent 45 years on an Iowa class battleship.'
But, more on that later.
We had originally booked a weekend getaway on the Norway in December 1999. The Norway was
sailing a special 3-night short cruise because of the upcoming millennium itinerary. But a month or
so, prior to sailing, we decided that the timing (the weekend before Christmas) wasn't right. It was
too hectic a time. So we canceled the Norway and booked the Nordic Empress on short notice. We
were able to get an outside cabin; there were actually 2 available. We booked one, and I quickly
called a friend from work and asked if they were interested in joining us. They were planning to go
with us later in the summer on the Century - it would be their first cruise. Well, they decided they
needed a weekend get away as much as we did, and they took the remaining cabin. We picked the
weekend of Martin Luther King Monday, so the kids would only miss one day of school.
This was our 10th cruise. And actually, our third time on the Nordic Empress. We have also sailed
on the Celebrity Century, Royal Majesty, NCL's Leeward, the Grandeur of the Seas, the Norwegian
Wind, the Celebrity Galaxy, and the Celebrity Zenith. Our first time on the Nordic Empress, we went
on the three night Bahamas itinerary that left from Miami. The second time we took the four-night
Caribbean itinerary, which left from San Juan. This time, we went on the 3-night itinerary out of San
Juan, going to St. Thomas and St. Maarten. We were a party of four with Linda, our two children,
Jonathan, 13 and Lara, 10, and myself. Traveling with us were John and Maria and their 2 children,
Briana, 8 and John, 5.
The Nordic Empress is a really gorgeous ship. It is a very aesthetic ship for a first cruise. Moderately
glitzy. Enough to look very dramatic, yet not so much as to go overboard. Lots of glass and brass.
It's a mid size vessel, about 48,000 tons. Our sailing had approximately 2,000 passengers. All
cabins were taken. Roughly half of the passengers were from Puerto Rico, which made for an
interesting passenger mix. All the shows and many of the announcements were done in both English
and Spanish. The ship was in excellent condition. They must have put a lot of work into it, to have it
in great shape for the Bermuda sailings this past summer. It still looked great.
To get the package at a more reasonable price, especially since it was only a 3-night cruise, we
booked air separately from the cruise line. Our agent was able to get us significantly cheaper fares,
but the flight times were a bit tough on the sleeping schedules. We left Newark at 6:30 in the
morning. That meant rising at 4:30 am, and leaving for the airport by quarter to 5. We arrived at the
airport only to find that our flight had been rescheduled to depart at 7:00 am. If we had only known,
we could have gotten an extra half-hour of sleep.
Our flight to San Juan from Newark was good. We flew in an A300 Airbus, and had 4 seats together
in the center of the cabin. During breakfast on the plane, we took our first Bonine tablets. For us, it's
a normal ritual, something we do every morning. Upon landing, we gathered our luggage (we didn't
have transfers) and took a van style taxi to the pier. We played the mandatory game of 'I can see
the ship first', which I won, but I had an unfair advantage with a front seat in the van. Our friends
were amazed at the size of the ship as we pulled up to the pier (wait till they see the Century this
summer).
Embarkation went extremely well. When we arrived at the pier, around 1:00 p.m., there was no line
at all. We were met initially by an agent outside the terminal, who looked at our tickets. She
immediately sent us inside, where there were idle agents waiting for embarking passengers. We
were immediately taken care of. They also set up our on-board account there. Within 5 minutes we
were heading onto the ship.
After our obligatory embarkation photo, we proceeded to board the vessel. We were met on the ship
by attendants and kids counselors, and given directions to our cabin. No escort by a white gloved
attendant. It's kind of similar to Linda's theory about getting fresh ground pepper on your salad. She
doesn't even like the pepper, but loves the attention. Same with the white glove escort. We knew
where to find the cabin, but missed the attention. Prior to heading toward our cabin, we arranged
with John and Maria, both still a bit wide eyed checking out the ship, to meet for lunch in the
Windjammer Café in about 15 minutes.
Previously on the ship, we had an obstructed view cabin and a verandah cabin. This time it was a
standard outside view cabin on deck 7. The cabin had the normal quad configuration, 2 lowers and
2 uppers. We sure did like the verandah last time though. Oh, well, we'd make due.
We quickly changed into shorts, which we packed in our carry-on bag, and went up to lunch. We
stopped by John and Maria's cabin and picked them up on the way to the Windjammer Care.
The food in the Windjammer Café didn't seem to be as good as it was the last time we were on the
ship. There was a nice carvery item offered, but the array of items seemed a bit limited. Maybe
we've just done too many Celebrity Cruises, and have gotten spoiled, since our last time on the
Nordic Empress.
In the afternoon, the kids all decided that they wanted to go swimming in the pools and hot tubs. We
got lounge chairs near the pool and had a quiet afternoon, recovering from our 4:30 am wake up.
We spent the afternoon in port in San Juan, since the ship wasn't scheduled to sail until 8:00 in the
evening. There were no other ships in port with us. A bad day for ship spotting.
By 5:30 or so, we decided to go back to our cabins and change for dinner. We picked up John,
Maria and the kids and went to the Carmen Dining Room. We were assigned a table for 8. It was in a
great location on the lower level, back against the large windows overlooking the stern. Our waiter
Murat, from Turkey was great as usual. He brought samples of the appetizers and desserts to the
table for us to view. He also offered recommendations for dinner. Many of us went with is
recommendation for the Prime Rib that evening, although Linda opted for the chicken. The kids
ordered from the children's menu.
Near the end of dinner, they sounded the alarm for the Muster Station Drill. It was before our
dessert was brought out. Murat suggested that we finish dessert, and that we would still have time
for the Muster Drill. After we finished dessert, we went to the cabin, and were told by our cabin
steward Pemba, that we missed the drill, but she said it was OK. Pemba was great. She was from
Tibet. She's the only person we ever met from Tibet.
After missing Muster Drill, we went up on deck to watch us sail out of port. I unpacked my GPS
(global positioning satellite) unit and started it up. I tracked our location and the ship's speed as we
sailed out of the harbor and out into sea. As we passed El Morro, we noticed a cargo ship along the
side of the fort, with a lot of action going on. There were welding torches going. The whole area was
lit up. I though that perhaps they were doing repairs of some kind to the sides of the sea wall. We
later found out that a Russian freighter had run aground in strong winds.
When we had gotten out into the ocean, Linda decided that she wanted to go to the evening show.
John, Maria and their gang went back to the cabin, where the crashed, after the early start and long
day. We went to the show and really enjoyed the magician. He was great. After the magician, a
Spanish singer came out. After a song or 2 and a few insulting jokes, we left. While Linda and the
kids went to sleep, I walked around on deck for a while. After a while, I headed to the cabin for the
night.
We awoke early on Saturday morning. We were already docked in St. Thomas at the Havensight
Mall pier. We called Maria and made arrangements for breakfast, before getting off the ship.
Breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe was good. Not excellent, but good. The omelets they have are
pre-made. We commented to our head waiter on our last cruise on the Nordic Empress that we
thought they should make fresh omelets. He said they used to have them, and they were planning to
start them again, but having fresh omelets always causes a line, and people complain about the
line. A no-win situation. But, this time, still no fresh omelets. Service in the Windjammer Cafe was
good, with the exception of our own little pet peeve. No one from the staff will help children with their
trays from the buffet line to tables. Staff members were standing around to clear tables, but no one
would help children with their trays. Well they did on all three Celebrity ships we've been on, and we
were impressed. So that is our benchmark. While our kids are now old enough to handle a tray,
Maria's kids weren't so a few times Linda helped them. During breakfast, we again took our daily
Bonine tablets.
After breakfast, we packed our snorkeling gear and we all took a van taxi to Red Hook. From there
we took the ferry to St. John, and then took a taxi to Trunk Bay. Since we are going back in April, we
purchased the US National Park family pass. There were signs at Trunk Bay that the surf was rough,
but it's a permanent sign. The water was actually much calmer than the last time we were there,
when Linda was knocked over by a wave, and injured her hand. We found a spot on the beach,
which we quickly moved from when a wave came to about 6 inches from our towels. After moving our
towels and bags further back, we put on our snorkeling gear. Some of us explored the underwater
reef for about 2 hours, while others just played in the light surf. It was a great day at one of the most
beautiful, pristine places in the world.
After we changed back into our dry clothes, we took a taxi back to Cruz Bay, but this time decided to
try the ferry that goes to Charlotte Amalie. We thought it would save us a taxi ride. We were wrong.
The ferry goes right past the ships, for a great photo op, but heads into the center of town, near the
Hard Rock Café. We had to take a taxi from there to the ship anyway, and the traffic was horrible. It
would have probably been quicker going back through Red Hook, but the longer boat ride was fun.
After getting back to the ship, we had some afternoon snacks since the lunch buffet was already
closed. We took things easy until we changed into our formal clothes for the Captain's Cocktail Party
and Formal Night in the Dining Room. Linda and Lara wore black cocktail dresses. Jonathan and I
both donned formal shirts and bow ties with our dark suits. We were dressed to kill.
We stood in line and shook the captain's hand, and proceeded into the show lounge. We met John,
Maria and the kids, who were already there. John was in a tux. He explained that, somehow,
someone (I won't say who) had forgotten to pack a white shirt. So he rented a tux on the ship. I've
got to admit we all looked pretty good. Ready for all the formal night photos.
After the cocktail party, we went to dinner. Murat recommended the Beef Wellington, which most of
us ordered. It was really good. The kids again ordered from the kid's menus. That evening they had
cherries jubilee AND the Celebrity Cruises Swan Thingee for dessert. A little cruise line larceny
there. I had to have the cherries, but also had to have the Swan Thingee, so it was the guilt of
double dessert that evening.
After dinner, everyone was pretty exhausted from a long day out at the beach. And we were still
recovering from our 4:30 am wake up the previous day. The John and Maria gang went off to bed.
We walked around the shops for a while, bought our embarkation photo (we have an almost
complete collection) and then Linda and the kids went off to bed.
I stayed up a while longer and watched as we sailed side by side with a Crystal ship for an hour or
so. Eventually we passed it by. Then I headed for the cabin for the night.
That's when things began to turn interesting. Things went from GOOD…
to BAD.
During the night, we awoke to tremendous rocking of the ship. It wasn't a side to side roll, like you
find in mildly rough seas. The front of the ship was crashing into serious waves. Linda saw white
water hit our window up on the 7th deck after one big splash. The ship was in terribly rough seas for
over 2-3 hours. I awoke a few times, but Linda was up much of the night. At least, the Bonine
seemed to be working.
When we awoke in the morning, we were already anchored in St. Maarten harbor, our second port.
The Captain announced that a massive cold front had entered the Caribbean and that was the
cause of the rough seas. He said we experienced 12-14 foot waves and 45-mph winds during the
night.
Again we had breakfast in the Windjammer Café. And our daily Bonine tablets.
Since we anchored in St. Maarten's harbor, you have to use tenders to get to shore. There were no
other ships anchored in the harbor when we left. Last time in St. Maarten, we took the Pinel Island
snorkeling excursion. But it was pretty expensive. Rather than book a ship's excursion again, we
decided to take a taxi to a snorkeling beach on our own. We though we might go to Orient Beach.
When we spoke to some people at the dock, and asked them where the best place to snorkel would
be, they again recommended Pinel Island, since the snorkeling is on the Leeward side of the island.
They said that huge waves were hammering all the other beaches. We took a taxi to Cul-de-Sac,
and then the small boat to Pinel Island. It was a bit cool, but once in the water we were comfortable,
although getting into the water was… well it was interesting. Again the snorkeling was good, but at
Pinel Island you had to go out into water over your head to see fish. Maria stayed back near shore
with young John, but the rest of us ventured out toward the reef. It was an absolutely wonderful
location, with many islands around us. We caught the 1:00 boat back to the main island and came
back to the ship for the afternoon.
After getting back to the ship, the buffet in the Windjammer Café was still open, so we had lunch.
The Costa Classica was also now in port, so we took seats outside the Windjammer Café
overlooking the Costa ship. Both ships were moving around so much in the harbor, that the Costa
ship didn't stay in view for long. Linda and the kids had tacos at the outside taco bar. We all had ice
cream.
Shortly we left the Windjammer café and went back to the cabin. Some of us took a catnap. While I
was asleep, Linda purchased one of our formal night pictures (which is now hanging in the center
hallway of our home). After they got back to the cabin, I hopped in the shower, before getting
dressed for dinner. While in the shower we started leaving port. I started getting thrown around in
the shower. The ship was again rocking. The Captain came on the speaker and announced that we
would again experience very rough seas, up to 15-17 ft. and winds up to 65 mph (75 mph is
hurricane velocity). He said that FREE Bonine was being given out at the Purser's Desk. [How often
do ships give away anything for free?] As I ventured out, I noticed seasickness bags placed all
around the ship. [Not a good sigh.]
When I got back to the cabin, Linda and Jonathan were sitting in the window area. Jonathan was
already complaining that he was feeling sick to his stomach. Before we had a chance to get a
seasick bag to him he got sick. Lara and I ran around getting towels to help clean up. Then she and
I went up on deck to get some fresh air for a few minutes. Upon returning, Linda said that she had
also gotten sick, but made it to the bathroom. She also said that Pemba had been a great help in
helping clean up.
Lara then said she was hungry, so she and I went to the dining room where Maria and her gang
were having some dinner, although I don't think the elder John was eating. Still they seemed to be
doing better than we were. They offered us a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that was made for
their sleeping son John that we gratefully accepted. We took it up on deck where we got deck
chairs. Lara ate while I successfully avoided turning green. By now, Linda and Jonathan had
abandoned the cabin and were lying on blankets in the forward atrium, closer to the center of the
ship. Our cabin was way up front, where there is more motion. Later, Lara wanted to go down to be
with them, while I stayed on a deck chair up on deck. I slept for a while. But amazingly, there were
people walking round the deck that evening, totally unaffected by the rough seas. Candidates for
the Navy Seals.
Around 11:00 at night, the seas calmed down as we sailed on the Leeward side of St. Thomas back
toward San Juan. It was quiet for about 2-3 hours. I actually walked around for a while up on deck,
and then returned to the cabin where Linda, Jonathan and Lara were all asleep. I had some
left-over rolls and a Sprite for a light, late dinner. During the night, after we came out from the
Leeward side of St. Thomas, the seas again turned really rough. While I slept, Linda, who was
awakened, said she was mentally working on our obituaries, while Maria said she was doing 'Hail
Mary's' down in her cabin. There were times when I would awake to various creaking sounds, and
the cabin would fill with light, from the outside ship's lights shining on the white water as the ship
crashed into waves.
I think that a big complaint would be that the captain announced the anticipated rough seas and free
Bonine only after we had started sailing out of St. Maarten harbor. I think by then it was too late. He
should have made announcements all afternoon, as passengers arrived back on the ship from port.
Bonine works best to prevent seasickness. But it must be absorbed in the blood stream. Taking it
too late didn't work for many people. And, since we take only one half the normal dosage at
breakfast (we take 1 tablet and the kids take 1/2), it would have probably helped us to take a full
dosage. Perhaps we would have avoided any problems. But by then, it was too late for us. We later
learned that Maria and John had taken the full dosage, and it seemed to work better for them than
the half dosage had worked with us.
When we awoke in the morning, we were starting to sail into San Juan harbor. We were arriving
about 2 hours late. Pemba said that it took us 2 tries to make it into San Juan harbor, because of
the strong winds, the huge waves and the Russian freighter that was run aground at the side of the
channel. We called Maria and arranged to have breakfast in the Windjammer Café. But upon
arriving, there was almost no food there. Just small Danishes, coffee and juice. It was now too late to
catch early seating in the dining room. So we waited for about 20 minutes until the late seating
people took their places. We were then led to a table by our Asst. Maitre 'd. He was really a big help
that morning, pretty much serving as our waiter and assistant waiter, since the dining room was
undermanned. We upped his tip that morning. We handed out the rest of our envelopes that
morning, having missed dinner the night before. We also significantly over tipped Pemba, our cabin
steward, who went 'above and beyond' the night before, while she also was feeling lousy, even
though she took Dramamine.
Disembarkation went smoothly. We were off the ship by approximately 10:30 a.m. We split up from
John and Maria, who wanted to spend the day walking around Old San Juan. We picked up our
luggage, got in line at the American Airlines booth at the pier. We wanted to find out if we could
catch an earlier flight than the 6:30 p.m. flight that we had booked. We were told we had to go to the
airport to do that. So we took a taxi to the airport. At check in we were told there were no seats
available on any earlier flights, so we checked our luggage and went to the Caribe Hilton Hotel for
lunch. The surf was really pounding while we were there. We quietly walked and sat around there for
a few more hours until it was time to head back to the airport.
As we sat in the airport, we watched as a Royal Caribbean agent escorted around new passengers
for that night's sailing. We were thinking, 'those poor people'. We wondered if we should tell them
what they were in for. Watching the pounding surf at the Caribe Hilton all afternoon, we know that
the ocean would be as rough for them as it was for us.
Overall, how would I describe our cruise? There were parts that were wonderful, and there were
parts that will be the stories of future cruises. While I can talk about the ship, about dinner, about
sailing with friends on their first cruise… the weather, the 17-ft. waves, and the 65-mph winds
overshadowed everything else. It was indeed the cruise that separated the Mere Mortal Men from
the Navy Seals.
Now it's time to set the wallpaper on our computer to a picture of our next ship, the new Ocean
Princess. We sail the Southern Caribbean during Easter Break 2000.
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