rccl-nordic9

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Laura
Email: gotsch@usadatanet.net
Age: 46
Occupation: School psychologist
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: 4/14/00
Itinerary: S. Caribbean
Cabin: 9142 - C
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 75
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 60
LoungeService:
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Apr 2000
Time: 13:11:39
Remote Name: 208.48.41.36
Remote User:

Comments

We were 2 married women, travelling without our mates and kids this trip. We arranged our own air travel and
saved a lot (approx. 250 pp). Did not buy cruise transfers either and had no problems with cabs or baggage
transport. Embarkation and disembarkation processes went quickly and smoothly. This was my 2nd sailing on
the Nordic Empress and on both sailings have noticed that more than half of my fellow sailors were
spanish-speaking (many exclusively). Apparently, this ship is very popular with Puerto Rico's weekend
travellers because of accessibility from San Juan and its short duration. Anyway, because my travelling
companion and I do not speak spanish, we were unable to communicate/converse with many of the other
travellers on board. Because meeting and chatting with new people is part of the cruise experience for me, not
being able to do so with so many of the passengers took away from the overall experience for me. This ship is
small but beautiful and well-maintained.

When at sea, there seemed to be a lot of rocking and rolling on the
ship which made me glad I was taking dramamine! We had an outside cabin with balcony (1st time for a
balcony) and loved having our own private sitting area to watch the ocean and view the ports as we arrived
and departed. I highly recommend booking a balconied cabin, to have morning coffee on and to enjoy late
afternoon quiet times on. The cabins on this ship are otherwise very, very small. I can't imagine housing a
small family or even more than 2 travellers in these cabins. We were on the bridge (top) deck and it was very
quiet here. Our cabin steward did a great job of keeping our cabin in order and doing so when we were away.
We hardly ever saw him but when we did, he was smiling and very friendly. Beds were comfortable and shower
had great water pressure. Dining room food was decent, fresh, served hot and quickly, and offered a good
variety of choices. Nothing too fancy though.

Dining room service was friendly, efficient, and very responsive
to any request. Our 6 dining companions were friendly and we enjoyed their company. We ate breakfast and 2
lunches in the Windjammer Cafe, which is served buffet style. Food there is somewhat mediocre but did offer
a lot of variety of choices. For onboard entertainment, we used the casino, played bingo, saw/heard 2
comedians, and watched some pool games (e.g. belly-flop contests). Onboard activities seemed somewhat
limited. This did not seem like the best cruise for families or children. We only saw a handful of kids at most
and did not see many activities listed for them on the daily itinerary. The ports were St. Thomas and St.
Martin. In St Thomas we went on our own to Magen's Bay (beach) and relaxed in the sun on a rented chaise
lounge and floated in the clear blue waters on a rented inflatable. Very relaxing. In St. Martin, we signed up for
the Pinel Island snorkel trip excursion and went on it, even though the snorkeling part was cancelled due to
rough seas. We heard after that the snorkeling part of that excursion often gets cancelled. The beach there
was okay but we were told later that Orient Beach is a lot nicer and has great facilities so you can beach there
on your own, without having to do an excursion which tend to cost more than what they provide. So that's it for
this review....any questions, feel free to email me.

Name: Kathy Harrin
Email: Snwboardqueen@aol.com
Age: 14
Occupation: Student
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: 6/18/00
Itinerary: 7 day Bermdua
Cabin: 9681
FoodDiningRoom: 99
CruiseDirector: 87
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 89
FoodLidoDeck: 94
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 99
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 91
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 93
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 96
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 94
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 98
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 71
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 93
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 27 Jun 2000
Time: 11:36:15
Remote Name: spider-wg072.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

We chose this cruise because our family had always heard that Bermuda was beautiful and it was a great
place for families to visit. This proved to be true. Air/ Sea Program- We chose to use the Air/Sea program
because we thought that it would save us time. Boy, were we wrong! We went to the travel agent about two
weeks before our cruise and picked up our travel documents. Our air itineraries had us departing from
Dallas, Texas at eight in the morning the day of the cruise and arrive in Newark, New Jersey. This was fine.
But, our air itinerary back to Dallas at the end of the cruise had us departing from Newark, New Jersey at
three in the afternoon, and connecting in Missouri, then finally back to Dallas. With this air arrangement we
wouldn’t get home until ten at night. (add a two hour drive from the airport to our hometown) This wouldn’t
work for us because my dad had to go to work the next morning. So, our travel agent called Royal
Caribbean and tried to get us a new air itinerary. Royal Caribbean told us that they would change our air
itinerary for $70 a person!! The ‘reason’ for this is that computers make all of the air arrangements, and it
would be difficult for Royal Caribbean to change it. Whatever! This little policy really outraged my parents.
We really had no other choice but to pay to the $70 per person, so we paid, and we got an acceptable air
itinerary. But, rest assured that my parents wrote several letters to Royal Caribbean about that little incident.
Royal Caribbean still hasn’t replied… Embarkation-What a nightmare! We arrived in Newark, New Jersey
and we went to the baggage claim to meet a Royal Caribbean cruise rep. We had to wait about five minutes
but eventually a rep showed up. He was really nice. He tried to strike up some conversation with us and
called a Super Shuttle for us. When the Super Shuttle arrived he loaded our bags into the back of it, and we
were on our way! When we got to the pier we unloaded our bags and…there was no one there to help us.
There were no Royal Caribbean helpers there. So, we made our way towards a small group of confused
looking people and asked them if they knew what to do. They said that they had been standing there for 30
minutes and no one had helped them and they had no idea of what to do. Finally, my dad went looking for a
porter and he found one sitting on the curb smoking. The porter loaded up our bags and said, ‘Fix me up
now or you’ll never see your bags again.’ We found that very rude. We tipped him and he went on his was to
deposit the bags to the ship.

After that we went upstairs and got in the long line to check in and activate our
Super Charge accounts. The line moved quickly and soon enough we were walking up the gangway and
onto the ship. Once on the ship the Royal Caribbean staff welcomed us and pointed us in the direction of
our rooms. The Ship- The Nordic Empress is about ten years old, but she looks much younger. She has
been kept in great condition. Throughout our cruise we saw workers painting the ship and replacing patches
of carpet. The Nordic Empress has a nice color scheme with pale pinks and other tropical colors. There is a
lot of brass and glass used on the Nordic Empress to reflect light and make the ship seem open and airy.
The centrum is nine decks high and there are many waterfalls, and fountains. There are tropical flowers
adorning one of the waterfalls. That’s a really nice touch. Also, on each deck with passenger cabins there is
a sitting area with two or three leather chairs and a glass table. There are potted plants (mainly trees and
shrub like things) everywhere on this ship.

The ship had two outdoor pools one of them was for kids. During
the afternoon the pool deck got very crowded at it was difficult to find chairs. But in the morning and evening
it was easy to get chairs by the pool. The Cabin- The cabins were small but the layout was nice. There was
plenty storage space. (drawers, etc.) The beds were very comfortable, but the comforters were beginning to
get a little stringy and dirty looking. The bathroom was tiny. The shower was annoying because the shower
curtain stuck to me while in was taking a shower! Also, there aren’t hairdryers in the cabins, so if you want to
dry your hair, I suggest that you bring your own. Every cabin has a color television with movies playing on at
least three channels twenty-four hours a day. On all of the other channels there were other programs
advertising the spa treatments, or things of that nature. Our cabin steward was quiet, and didn’t talk much. I
guess that didn’t really matter though, because he got his job done. He made our beds every morning,
cleaned our bathroom, and vacuumed. At night he cleaned our bathroom again and turned down our beds. I
tried to strike up a conversation with him, but he didn’t really talk back. Oh well.

Entertainment- There was a
lot of good entertainment onboard this ship. There was a singing group called ‘Splash’ on our ship. This
group consisted of three girls. They sang modern songs and they sang older songs. There was a piano
player in the centrum every afternoon. However, he only played the piano for about an hour everyday, it
would have been nice if he had played for longer. There was a show every night in the ‘Strike Up the Band
Lounge’. There were a variety of shows, from magic, to Broadway shows, and there were plenty of
comedians. The comedian’s shows were family oriented, so they were pretty ‘clean’. During one show, a
comedian was riding a unicycle and he lost his balance. He tried to regain his balance, but it was too late.
He ran into the wall of the stage and his unicycle broke! It really caught him off guard. He went to plan ‘B’
and he finished the show with flying colors! Also, there is a customary game show played onboard all Royal
Caribbean vessels, this game is called the, ‘Newly Wed and Not so Newly Wed’ game. This game is hilarious
and I recommend it to everyone.

Food- Yes, the single most important aspect of a cruise…the food. (just
kidding) Well, the food on this cruise was excellent in my opinion. We ate in the Carmen Dining Room every
night for dinner. The Carmen Dining Room is a very nice, two level dining room. There are plenty of big
windows providing nice views of the ocean. The menu had a nice variety of food, and if nothing on the menu
appealed to you, there was always the backup menu with chicken, steak, and the vegetable of the day. The
food was always served fresh and hot. Yum Yum. Our waiters were the best! Our waiter was Edgar G. from
Portugal. He worked VERY hard every night, and he brought us everything we wanted, or needed. He was
so sweet and considerate. He really connected with everyone at our table. He was especially great with kids.
I cannot explain how wonderful this guy was. If you ever cruise on the Nordic Empress, request Edgar G. as
your waiter, you will not be disappointed! Our assistant waiter was Glen Gilbert from St. Lucia. It was his first
week to work in the Carmen Dining Room and he did a great job. Benson P. from India was a waiter for
another section of the dining room. However, he always managed to find time to come to our table and tell
us a joke, or do some sort of little magic trick. He was really something! Our tablemates were great! There
was a couple from West Virginia and a older couple from Connecticut. Conversation was very easy with
these people. We always had a great time at dinner in the Carmen Dining Room. The Windjammer is where
we ate breakfast and lunch every morning. The food here is O.K., but they do have a great selection of fruit!
The pineapple was the best that I have ever tasted. Also, you MUST attend the midnight buffet. There is
only one midnight buffet on a 7-night cruise so it’s extremely spectacular. Words can’t describe how
awesome it was. Overall, the food and dining room experiences onboard this ship were wonderful.

Ports of
Call- There were only two ports of call on this cruise, they were Hamilton, Bermuda and King’s Wharf. King’s
Wharf was our first stop. It was a little confusing because this place is really the Royal Naval Dockyard.(or
something like that) This place was beautiful. Once we got off of the ship we just explored this little town on
our own. We visited the glass blowing factory, and a place where they make clay sculptures. We went to the
Maritime museum. This place was packed with history, but it’s a little boring for kids. At the Maritime museum
you can go swimming with dolphins for $95. A little much for us, but it was really fun to watch the other
people swim with dolphins. Also, there was a baby dolphin at Maritime museum. It was only three days old!
We walked into the ‘Frog and Onion’ pub. It was really nice in there, and there is a gift shop attached to it.
The food prices at this pub were a little outrageous, so we didn’t eat there. Also in King’s Wharf, we visited a
beach. This beach was just a 10-minute walk from the ship, and it was called the ‘Swim and Snorkel’ beach. I
do NOT recommend that you go there. It is a total rip off. It costs $2 to get in, chairs are $5 each, and a
table will cost you $10!! We didn’t know all of this, so we paid the money and go in. We also paid the money
for the chairs and the table. If you want to go snorkeling, the gear will cost you $17.50 an hour! (per person)
Rip off! Also, there was glass ALL over the beach, which made walking across the beach a pain.(literally)
Once we got into the water, it was much colder than we were expecting it to be.

So, as we were walking out
further into the water, something stung me, or bit me or something! It hurt very badly. I ran out of the water
(watching for the many huge chunks of glass scattered across the beach) and I sat down in my chair. My
foot was bleeding like crazy. I wiped it off and found that there were two, bite or sting marks on it. I pulled the
emergency Band-Aid out of my backpack and bandaged up my foot. It swelled for the rest of the day, and I
almost considered going to the ship’s doctor, but the swelling went down and it was okay. My family left that
beach promptly after that little incident. For the rest of the day we took the local transportation around the
island. We went on a two hour bus ride, and there is only one way to describe a ride on a Bermudian bus; it
was a near death experience! These people drive like lunatics. We were going like 50 or maybe even 60
mph on tiny, little, two-lane roads without shoulders. We would be going steady then the bus driver (female)
would slam on the breaks to avoid wrecks. It was crazy. Also in King’s Wharf we went on a glass bottom boat
tour. The boat was cram packed.

We went out over some coral reefs and the captain stopped the boat.
Then, everyone would cram around about 6 little glass windows that were on the boat’s floor. It was very
crowded, and I do not recommend this tour for people who are claustrophobic. We saw some fish, and some
brain coral, and that’s about it. Also, we went into some small waterways and look at some magnificent
mansions on the shoreline. They were big, but beautiful. Soon enough, this excursion was over and we
made our way back to the Nordic Empress. After two nights in King’s Wharf we sailed to Hamilton, Bermuda.
Hamilton is a small CITY. There are scooters everywhere. I would not recommend renting a scooter unless
you are an experienced motorcyclist. We heard about a woman (tourist) that was on a scooter and hit a car
head on. Not good. Anyway, we did a lot of shopping in Hamilton. The shopping here is pretty good. There a
lot of upscale shops right across from where the ship docks. Hamilton is a very pretty, clean city. There were
no beggars here, and there weren’t any homeless people on the streets. In Hamilton we just walked around
on our own, and explored places where most tourists don’t normally go. We went into a beautiful church and
go some nice pictures. We also went on a horse-drawn carriage ride. The driver was really quiet but he did
point some things out. We went to the Clay House Inn on Thursday night. It was a nightclub type
atmosphere. From the ship everyone is transported to the Clay House Inn via taxi. It was a short ride, only
about 10 minutes. Once at the Clay House Inn we were seated and we ordered drinks. (you get two free
drinks) Then the Bermuda Strollers performed. They had some jokes that weren’t really too ‘clean’ but that’s
O.K. Next the Coca-Cola Steel Drum band performed. They were excellent and really worth seeing. They
are very talented men. The show at the Clay House Inn lasted for an hour and a half. We were transported
back to the ship by taxis at around 12:30 am. The next day, the Nordic Empress set sail back to New York.
Disembarking-Disembarking was easier than embarking. We were the first group called off of the ship. We
claimed our luggage, got a porter, and we went down to the buses which were taking passengers to various
airports. Before we knew it, we were sitting on a plane on our way back to Dallas.

Other ‘Stuff’- On Monday, the day we were sailing to Bermuda the seas were very choppy. Many people got
seasick.. On this particular cruise, there were A LOT of senior citizens aboard. More than half, just keep that
in mind. This shops onboard (the Boutiques of the Centrum) were very limited. Also, once during the cruise
an awful smell swept through nearly half of the ship. It was like nothing I have ever smelt before. It was
disgusting. It smelt like a cross between cigarette smoke, body odor, and horse manure! YUCK! Luckily, the
staff was walking around the ship spraying air freshener, so within about 1 hour the smell was gone.
However, none of the crew knew where the smell was coming from…

Well, that was a summary of my cruise to Bermuda. This cruise was wonderful, relaxing, and fun filled. I
would definitely sail on the Nordic Empress again. I recommend taking the Nordic Empress to Bermuda
because she’s a classy ship and she’s perfect for Bermuda. I hope this ‘essay’ was informative and I hope
that someone out there found it to be useful.

If you have any questions or comments drop me a line a Snwboardqueen@aol.com.

Name: Jean Sidney
Email: jsidney@fmc-na.com
Age: 51
Occupation: Accounting Manager
NumberOfCruises: 8
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: 6/25/00
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 4134- Outside
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 900
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities: 100
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jul 2000
Time: 16:19:19
Remote Name: m1.fmcna.com
Remote User:

Comments

I sailed on 6/25/00 to Bermuda from New York with 11 of my friends. Six of us were single and the
rest were married. We chose Bermuda because of the ease of driving to the port. (we all live in N.J.)
We had a car service pick us up at 11 A.M. and we were at the pier by 11:35 A.M. Embarkation was
very smooth. We were registered in 10 minutes and on the ship by noon! We changed our table and
they do have a maitre'd available right at the pier for anyone changing their tables or dinner time.
This is when you should make any changes as you will have first choice of tables.

Once on the ship, we checked out our staterooms. My friends were excited as they had never cruised
before. I had warned them of the size of the cabins, but they felt the cabins were adequate. The
cabin stewards took such good care of us. The staff could not do enough for us. Whatever we
wanted, we were able to get with no fuss. It seems everytime you leave your cabin, they sneak in and
clean up! We had lunch in the Windjammer and by the time we returned an hour later, our luggage
was waiting for us. We were unable to unpack and be ready for the boat drill. We sailed exactly on
time at 4:30 P.M. What a beautiful sight it is leaving New York and sailing past the Statue of Liberty
and the Verazzano Bridge. The first night was a little rough because of a storm off the coast of New
Jersey, but after that, the sailing was smooth as glass.

The ship is absolutely beautiful. I had sailed on Grandeur of the Seas last June. That ship was also
gorgeous. Even though Nordic Empress is much smaller than Grandeur (48,000 tons vs. 77,000
tons), the Nordic Empress is still beautiful and airy. You enter in the Centrum area which looks more
like a hotel lobby than a cruise ship.

All of the meals were excellent. We had a great waiter, Phillipe Moustakidis, who could not have been
nicer and more accomodating. The meals were always served promptly. Our waiter always made
suggestions which we liked.

Sailing into Bermuda is beautiful. The water is so blue and the houses are all different pastel colors.
We spent two days at the Dockyard and 1 1/2 days in Hamilton. We were advised not to rent the
motorbikes as many injuriese occur (and we did see some people in casts and bandaged on our
ship.) We decided to play it safe. You can purchase a bus pass right on board the ship for $23.00.
This pass is good for 3 days. The ride to Horseshoe Bay is only around 30 minutes by bus. It is fairly
easy to get around. The only negative thing is that there is not a lot to do at the dockyard. I would
have preferred to spend more time in Hamilton. However, we did take the ferry into Hamilton from the
dockyard, so we did get to spend some extra time in Hamilton. The weather was beautiful, 87
degrees every day. The only excursion we took was the Moonlight Champagne dinner cruise which
was $39.00 per person. It was unlimited champagne on a beautiful catamaran. How beautiful the ship
looked at night. The cruise lasts two hours and goes all around the bays. The homes are so
beautiful. We had a singer on board which really lent to the atmosphere of the cruise.

There is not a lot to buy in Bermuda unless you like crystal and chinga. We bought a few t-shirts and
some of the crystal. I had been to Bermuda twice 20 years ago and it was nice to see it had not lost
its charm. There is plenty of entertainment at night, even when you are in port in Bermuda. We had
not expected that so it was a nice treat. Make sure you attend the Quest, the not so Newlywed Game,
and the variety shows. This is the best line for entertainment. The cruise staff was very friendly and
the singers, dancers, and comedians were top notch.

The casino is nice. (A little smoky as some folks insisted on smoking cigars even though there were
signs up everywhere about not smoking cigars anywhere on the ship except in the cigar room) The
slots do not pay out. I mostly played roulette which was fun. The casino is not open while in Bermuda,
so it was very crowded when we were sailing.

There were several midnight buffets and when there wasn't a midnight buffet, waiters would visit all of
the lounges and pass out petit fours, chocolate covered cherries, and little sandwiches.

I am very impressed with this cruise line and will sail with them again first chance I get. The service
was great, the food was wonderful, and the entertainment couldn't be better.

The cruise was really worth the money. We had booked a year in advance as we wanted to all have
cabins next to each other. They were replacing the carpeting when we left and they were always
washing and polishing the ship. Take the bridge tour, also, it is very interesting. Try to go to Bermuda
in June or July as we were told that after those months, the sailing can be rough.

Please e-mail me if you have any questions. We just got back yesterday and are still dreaming of our
love connection drinks they sell. Have one - they are part pina colada, part strawbery daiquiri, and
part mango. We arrived in port at 8 AM but did not get off the ship until 11:30 A.M. You get tags that
are color coded and you are let off by this color. Those who have flights are naturally let off first. The
cruise staff played triva games and really tried to keep you occupied while you were waiting. They
really did try to think of the little things. What a great vacation. I can't wait to go again.!!

Name: John Cuttino
Email: John.T.Cuttino@Lahey.Org
Age: 55
Occupation: Physician
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: JUne 25, 2000
Itinerary: Bermuda
Cabin: 8668
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 97
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 96
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 80
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Jul 2000
Time: 10:19:39
Remote Name: user-89-163.lahey.org
Remote User:

Comments

Family cruise to Bermuda with family of 8 June 25-July 2, 2000 Cruise choice: We chose this cruise
from NY even though there is a ship from Boston (where we live) because we wished to travel with
Royal Caribbean (4 previous cruises-Caribbean, Alaska) and wanted to go by the Statue of Liberty.
Also RCCL runs busses from all over the NorthEast to the ship at no extra charge. Gettin There: Left
from South Station Bus terminal in Boston at 8.15 am on a comfortable non-stop bus (one pit stop at
MacDonalds) direct to the pier. (luggage went directly to cabin). Bus driver was entertaining and
showed 2 movies on board. Check in: Very efficient, were aboard in 30 min. In time for buffet lunch in
the Windjammer Restaurant. Mustering at 4pm. Sail Away: Left on time at 4.30pm One of the
highlights of this trip is sailing by Manhatten, Ellis Island , The Statue of Liberty and Under the
Verazanno Narrows Bridge. A wonderful experience. Timing was such just after clearing the harbor it
was time for dinner (early seating 6pm). Crossing to Bermuda. Very calm crossing. Roughest seas
were 3-4 ft crossing a weather front for about 3-4 hours. As we srrived in Bermuda, they annotated
the sight we passed. Arrived at the Dockyard at 11am. At Sea days: Standard fare activities
(something for everyone). Jogging, casino, Bingo, Pool games, Calypso Band playing all day, Horse
racing by the pool. Great time was had by all. Only negative is too few deck chairs by the pool (this is
a chronic problem on all the cruise ships when weather is good and you are at sea. It is annolying to
see loungers with peoples stuff "reserving" the lounger and the people nowhere to be seen. Cruise
staff and director (Richard Cooper) were entertaining. The Ship: NE is 10 years old but still spotless
and comfortable. Just the right size.(1800 passengers). As other reviewers have said, elevators are
few but the stairs are convenient and you rarely have to go more than a few decks to activities and
meals. The dining room aft is two stories with glass on 3 sides so there are great views as you cruise.
Lounges adequate size and comfortable. Staterooms were good. Small but lots of storage space.
Meals: Dinner in the Carmen dining room each night was good (food good but not great-a little
bland-selection good and seconds for entres and desserts were plentiful. Breakfast and lunch in the
dining room was open seating which meant you did not have your "usual" wait staff. They were all
attentive however. Meals in the Windjammer were buffet amd unless you hit entres you liked
somewhat disappointing though. There was however a hamburger, hot dog bar that ran from 11.30
to 4pm that was good. Midnight buffets: a bit dissapointing. They were not every night. The Gala
buffet except for the desserts was mediocre. Entertainment: Standard fare magicians, comedians,
singers were ok. The singers and dancers were good. Port Days: NE now goes to the Dockyard for 2
days and Hamilton for 1. There were plentiful shore excursions and the Bermuda activities were
outstanding. We did a trolley tour of the DockYard area and a boat tour also they were good. Took a
taxi to Horse Shoe Bay and rented umbrella and loungers. Magnificent beach despite all the cruise
ship people. Since you are docked at night there are evening activities (this is probably why the
shipboard stuff is limited compared to other cruises). We did a Hawkins Island dinner/carnival show
that was good and got rowdy because there was an open bar. In Hamilton we did the CLayhouse Inn
show which I highly recommend. Outstanding local musicians with an island band and the Coca Cola
Steel Band which was truly unique (playing classical music on Steel Band). Shopping: Good shopping
at the Dockyard for crafts and in Hamilton for other merchandise (try Trimminghams). No Bargains
however. Return trip: Left on Fri at 2pm. Were entertained by a couple who missed the sailing and
had to make a tugboat to ship transfer uner way. Weather again was great with calm seas. Signed up
for the Bridge tour (you sign up on Thur am for Sat tours) which was informative. Shipboard activities
returning wer similar to going over except Horse racing had the owners derby. The Belly Flop contes
was fun. Final Bingo got up to $7000 on Sat. Arrival Day: Somehow we were 2 hours late into NY.
They said due to whip traffic congestion and lack of customs officials. This was the pre 4th of July
weekend and preparations for the Tall Ships. This threw off the timing of going by the Statue of
Liberty etc. We were supposed to go by at 6.15 am but did not til 8am. Breakfast the last day is in the
dining room then. It took forever to offload luggage and our group (the busses were the last) did not
get off til 11.15 (we were told normally the ship is emptied by 10.15. Return trip to Boston was
uneventful. Final Comments: A wonderful cruise. Bermuda is a special place and well worth the visit.
We would have liked one more day to see St George. If anyone has specific questions, e-mail me.

Name: Jack Courtland
Email: Jac22k@hotmail.com
Age: 38
Occupation: Editor
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-NordicEmpress
SailingDate: 12/23/99
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Cabin: Cat. F
FoodDiningRoom: 88
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 80
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Jul 2000
Time: 08:50:31
Remote Name: 149.168.4.16
Remote User:

Comments

We originally sailed on the Nordic Empress back in 1991 when it was practically brand new and doing
a Bahamas itinerary. We were pleased how nice everything still appeared eight years later on this
cruise out of San Juan. Upon arrival in the San Juan airport, an RCCL rep was waiting near our gate.
Apparently there were more passengers arriving the same time we did than they anticipated. They
had one bus waiting but had to call for another to come for the extra passengers. This was only a
small glitch, but I wondered if it foretold of more to come. Fortunately, it did not. Our flight had been
delayed in leaving Atlanta and that may be why there were more of us than expected. The check in at
the pier was the smoothest I've encountered. We were able to be in our cabin 20 minutes after
arriving at the pier. Because of our airline delay, we did not have time to leave the ship to explore the
old town in San Juan since the ship was set to sail in about an hour. The view leaving San Juan was
breathtaking. It was wonderful to feel the warm breezes and imagine how cold it was back home. It did
not seem like it could possibly almost be Christmas. We had second seating for dinner and would
have missed this view if we had first seating. Dinner the first night was rough. We had delightful
tablemates at a round table for eight in the Carmen dining room. I was not bothered by the motion,
but one guy had to leave without eating. I think a few other of my tablemates' appetites were
suppressed by the motion but they made it through dinner. Our waiter and assistant were friendly
and competent. And this was the first cruise we had been on where the head waiter helped out a lot.
He, too, was friendly and efficient. The cabin steward kept our room clean and ice bucket filled. Since
this was the Christmas cruise, there were several extra touches for the holidays. The ship was
decorated nice with Christmas trees and other decorations. In the beautiful Centrum area, there were
poinsettias lining the marble steps near the white grand piano. Santa came down in his sleigh
Christmas morning to deliver presents to all the children. The eggnog was delicious. Our biggest
disappointment with this cruise was the entertainment. The big act was an Argentine family consisting
of father, mother, son, and daughter. They did the gaucho thing. The mother did a tired magic act.
The son tried to juggle. The daughter did the requisite black-light puppet show. We did not do any
shore excursions. We enjoyed leisurely mornings by the pool while most of the folks were lining up to
head to shore. Both afternoons we were in port (the ship skipped St. Croix and was at sea Christmas
Day) we did a little bit of shopping. St. Marten was still recovering from a hurricane earlier in the fall.
Our tablemates who did excursions said they enjoyed them but that they cost more than they were
worth. The only other drawback I can think of was having to wait for the dining room to open a couple
of nights. One of those nights they were 10 minutes late. By having second seating, we never felt
rushed.

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