rccl-rhapsody10

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Pat Garrett
Email: garrettp@ipfw.edu
Age: 46
Occupation: Computer Operator
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Rhapsody
SailingDate: 9/12/99
Itinerary: Alaska-Southern cruise
Cabin: 323
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward:
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Jul 2000
Time: 21:50:59
Remote Name: dyn187067.ipfw.edu
Remote User:

Comments

We flew to Seattle and took a bus to Vancouver. We benefitted over those flying by not waiting for
customs. The line to get on the ship in Vancouver took forever. Once on it became a fanatastic
experience. Ours was the last trip the Rhapsody was making for the season. The entertainment was
fantastic. The nightly entertainment was great. But the best entertainment was the daily
entertainment by the staff early in the day. Whether trying to get people to play bingo, line dance or
exercise, they had you laughing. Our meals in the dining room (second seating) were fanatastic. The
waiter and his assistant were great! The windjammer for breakfast was a great way to meet people
from all over the world. We had the cheapest room and it was a great way to save money, but we
never saw our cabin steward and he didn't do anything special in the room. The ship was very clean.
We were amazed at a couple of things. First, people could drink alcohol throughout the day and no
one ever appeared intoxicated. Second, we never heard anyone arguing, disagreeing or saw anyone
upset.Third, we boarded the ship with a lot of families and yet we never saw children or teens
anywhere until a boat took a group of them out to icebergs and on the last day they joined their
families. Those children and teens on the bus with us said they had a great time. We loved the art
auction. We didn't gamble in the casino but had made friends with people who loved it. We had a
table for four at dining and became friends with the other couple, whom we still correspond with. The
ports and tours were fantastic. It was actually warm most of the time. We regret not going to see the
bears, but the best tour was a helicopter ride to a glacier. Amazing. We went with one other couple.
For what we got, this trip was great. It's the best way to see Alaska. Disembarking was slow. The
stores on board were o.k. The ship shape bucks were great. Film developing on the ship was fast
and equal in cost to home. The Sunday church service was nicely done by two crew members. The
beauty saloon people were very nice. I had my eyelashes dyed. The cost was very reasonble. Be
sure and take a camcorder. We only took a still camera and regret that. Their photographers did an
excellent job (even at surprise photographs.) How much did we love this trip? We are taking the
Enchantment of the Seas this year to the Western Caribbean. The only changes this time are seating
at a table for eight for dinner, large groups are so much fun, and my husband wanted an outside
room with a window.

Name: Sharon Devellis
Email: sharon_devellis@hotmail.com
Age: 31
Occupation: Administrative Associate
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Rhapsody
SailingDate: June 3, 2000
Itinerary: Alaska
Cabin: 4057
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 70
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 86
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 70
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 87
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Aug 2000
Time: 10:35:09
Remote Name: smtorfw2.sdbi.ca
Remote User:

Comments

We flew into Vancouver the morning of June 3rd. When we arrived we were directed to the Royal
Caribbean Cruise desk where we received a voucher for a taxi to the docks. When we got to the
docks, we only had to wait in line for approx. 20 minutes and we were in! Compared to the 2 1/2
hour wait when we went on a Celebrity Caribbean Cruise, we were quite hapyy.

We found our room right away and were very happy that we had been upgraded (it pays to book
early). We went upstairs to have a bite to eat and wander around the ship. The food wasn't great
but by that time we were starving.

Our first day was cruising the inside passage - it's amazing how these HUGE ships can sail through
such narrow passageways. At some points we were only 100 feet away from shore - it just goes to
show how deep the water is. The ship itself is quite big. It was 11 stories high, had two pools (one
indoor and one outdoor), 4 hot tubs, 2 restaurants, a mall, a casino, numerous bars, a gym, a
library, a computer room, a game room, a theatre that sat 1500 people. The food was okay - to me,
anything that someone else prepares and cleans up is good food - ha ha.

The second day was our first stop which was Juneau, the capital of Alaska. We had two excursions
that day - the first was a tramway to the top of a mountain. The view was spectacular! We were up
on this mountain top with snow all around and we were in our t-shirts. There were kids sliding down
the snow in the shorts. After that we walked around the city for a bit and then we went white water
rafting. It started out with 8 of us in a rubber raft and we paddled across the Mendenhall Glacier
Lake. It's a huge lake that's fed by this beautiful, blue glacier. The water is an eerie greenish gray
colour because as the glacier receeds, it grinds the mountains and rock into a fine powder that's
the consistency of talcom powder. Because the powder like substance is so light, it never settles
and colours the water greenish-grey. After we crossed the lake, we went onto a river and the white
water rafting began! It actually wasn't too wild but it was certainly wild enough for me. My husband
and I were in the front so we were quite soaked when the trip was finished. After the rafting we were
lucky enough to come across some people from a place called the "Raptors" which is a bird
sanctuary. They take in ill and injured birds and nurse them back to health and release them back
into the wild. Well, they just happened to be releasing a beautiful eagle back into the wild right
then. They found her and she had been starving so they kept her for about 3 months and made
sure she was healthy again. We were literally 1 foot away from her. I wish I could describe how
strong and majestic these birds are. It was awe-inspiring to watch her fly away back into the wild.

The third day we stopped in Skagway, which is a town of 600 people. We got into port early and
were out horseback riding at 8:00 a.m. We went through the forest on some trails and then the
forest opened up onto this gigantic meadow surrounded by mountains. The horse back riding was
pretty cool but at one point the horses got spooked and they took off! My husband and I got ours
under control but one woman was thrown - she ended up with a concussion and lots and lots of
bruises. After the horseback riding, we went back to the ship to have lunch and then we took a
ferry to Haines (which was the ship’s next port).

Haines, to me, was the most beautiful port. Everything in Alaska is beautiful but for some reason
Haines just struck me as stunning. So we reached the dock and met a tour bus and went on a Jet
Boat Tour of a Bald Eagle Reserve. The jet boats are pretty cool – they can actually maneuver in
four inches of water. The scenery was fabulous and we got to see a few more glaciers. But the
most exciting part was seeing the eagles. The guide had fish in the boat and he would throw it out
and the eagles would fly down and grab it. It’s amazing how fast they are! Unfortunately, we didn’t
see any other wildlife other than the eagles – one of the other boats saw a bear and a moose
though.

After the jet boat we had just enough time to get back to the docks and board our bus to go sea
kayaking! Our guide’s name was Joel and he has got to be the most knowledgeable person that we
had run across. He just seemed to know everything there was to know about Haines and Alaska.
Sea kayaking was a blast! They were three-seaters so it was Paul, myself and a girl Tammy that we
had met (who happened to be from Toronto). We kayaked in an inlet between some mountains –
there was lots of beautiful scenery and at least three water falls that we paddled by. Paul was at
the front of the kayak so he determined our paddling pace. I was at the back steering.
Unfortunately, paddling, steering and talking were not conducive to steering in a straight line.
Needless to say, Paul was slightly annoyed with me afterwards – ha ha.

When we finished kayaking, we took a brief tour of Haines and then went back to the ship. It was
10:30 p.m. by then and we were starving (it was still light out) so we ordered room service and
crashed.

The next day was the day we cruised Glacier Bay. It was quite cool and rainy that day but we
stayed up on deck for about 3 hours. The glaciers are amazing and BLUE! Apparently they get
even more blue throughout the summer so I can’t imagine what they look like then! We thought we
were going to have a huge storm because we kept hearing thunder but it turns out it wasn’t
thunder after all – it was chunks of the glacier cracking and falling off into the ocean. The rest of
the day we spent relaxing and working out at the gym.

Our final stop was Ketchikan which was quite a beautiful town as well (although slightly touristy).
We went mountain biking – it was okay – nothing spectacular like the other trips we had taken and I
definitely would not recommend it. We went to a salmon hatchery and by a beautiful waterfall but
that’s about it. Afterwards we walked around town, did some shopping, saw some totem poles and
such.

We saw four of the shows but they weren't that good compared to the shows we saw on Celebrity.

All in all, it was a fantastic vacation and if you ever have the chance, I totally recommend it!

Name: Beth Yadsko
Email: byadsko@home.com
Age: 46
Occupation: Buyer
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Rhapsody
SailingDate: August 19, 2000
Itinerary: Alaska Inside Passage
Cabin: 3005L
FoodDiningRoom: 93
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 94
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 88
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 88
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 86
ShopsOnBoard: 88
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 Sep 2000
Time: 21:55:17
Remote Name: cc307952-a.hwrd1.md.home.com
Remote User:

Comments

My husband and I had a very enjoyable seven-day cruise to Alaska on the Rhapsody of the Seas,
sailing on August 19, 2000. It was our second Royal Caribbean cruise; three years ago, we took a
three-night Bahamas cruise on Sovereign of the Seas.

We purchased our airline tickets to and from Vancouver in May, and then waited for the best deal
on one of the five ships leaving Vancouver that weekend --- Rhapsody of the Seas, Vision of the
Seas, Galaxy, Regal Princess, or Westerdam. We watched the prices drop on all of the ships until
about a month before sailing, when suddenly the ships started to sell out. We booked a run of the
ship promotion – a guaranteed Category Q stateroom at $899 per person, with the possibility of an
upgrade as high as a Category F. We ended up with a Category L (a larger inside stateroom). We
spoke to another couple who paid $630 per person for a Category Q about a week before sailing.
However, we didn’t want to wait until the very last minute to book, and possibly miss getting on one
of the ships.

We spent the night before the cruise in a hotel in downtown Vancouver, and took Gray Line's
three-and-a-half hour city tour (about $28 per person) on the morning before sailing. We booked
the bus tour before leaving home. A Gray Line tour bus will pick you up at your hotel and take you
and your luggage to their central starting location for all bus tours. Your luggage will be transferred
to another bus for delivery right to the ship. At the end of your tour, the bus driver will drop you
right at the cruise ship terminal. A great convenience -- the next time that you see your luggage is
outside your cabin on the ship.

Embarkation was a breeze – it took less than fifteen minutes. Our stateroom was located on Deck
3, which was in a very convenient location. The gangway was located right down the hall at two of
the ports, so we were able to get on and off the ship quickly. The stateroom was quiet and
comfortable and our cabin steward was excellent. He kept the cabin neat and spotlessly clean.

We ate all of our dinners in the Edelweiss dining room. The service and the food were very good.
We ate most of our breakfasts and lunches in the Windjammer Cafe, where the service was
excellent at the beginning of the cruise (when the staff would carry your tray to a table, and
frequently refill your drinks), but definitely slacked off by the end of the cruise.

We were prepared for some rainy and chilly weather on this cruise, but we expected to see the sun
at least once in a while. No such luck. It rained every single day of the cruise. We saw the sun just
once, when we were leaving Hubbard Glacier. The ship got within four-tenths of a mile of the
glacier, and it was really beautiful -- the highlight of our cruise.

The outdoor pool area was usually cold, wet, and deserted. The lounge chairs were rarely used.
The indoor pool and hot tubs were popular. It rained heavily when we were in Juneau and
Ketchikan, and it drizzled when we were in Skagway and Haines. I wore a fleece-lined nylon jacket
with a hood, topped with a poncho in the rain, but I was usually cold and/or wet.

Most cruise books said that there was very little chance of seasickness on an Inside Passage
cruise. Wrong! Although it was smooth when we were sheltered by the islands, I found it very
uncomfortable about four times during the cruise when we were out in the open sea. Several
people were seasick and some had difficulty walking. I would definitely recommend medication for
anyone who might be sensitive to the 'motion on the ocean', as our captain called it. Chewable
Dramamine works well.

We hoped to see whales and eagles on this cruise, but only saw a whale’s tail a few times. If you
are really interested in seeing wildlife, take one of the specific shore excursions, because you won’t
see wildlife in the ports. Plan ahead by requesting the detailed shore excursion list from Royal
Caribbean before sailing. Unfortunately, several helicopter, floatplane and kayaking excursions
were cancelled during our cruise due to the bad weather. In Juneau we took the Glacier Express
bus excursion ($16 per person), which gave us about an hour at the Mendenhall Glacier visitor
center. In Skagway we took the wonderful three-and-a-half hour White Pass and Yukon Railway
excursion ($89 per person). You’ll want to sit on the left side of the train on the way up for the best
views. Although you will trade sides with those across the aisle for the return trip, the great views
can disappear in the fog very quickly. In Ketchikan we wandered around the town, shopping and
watching fishermen pull large salmon out of the water at the Creek Street bridge. In tiny Haines we
walked a few blocks to the top of the town, sampled Alaskan Amber at a local bar, and took photos
of the ship in its most beautiful setting, alone in the harbor. Don’t miss stopping for the ship’s
photographer on the dock in Haines -- our photo turned out great, with the Rhapsody and the
snow-capped mountains in the background.

The public rooms on Rhapsody were very comfortable. We rarely felt crowded, although there were
more than 2,300 passengers on the ship. The comedians and production shows were very good.
We found the cocktail waiters and waitresses too aggressive though, often following passengers to
their seats in the lounge and theater to take drink orders.

We spent one night after the cruise in the lovely ski resort of Whistler, British Columbia, about a
two-hour drive from Vancouver. It was a spectacular drive and well worth the trip. We had a great
one-bedroom condo in the village center for only $60 per night.

This Alaska cruise was very different from my three Caribbean cruises. It was a lot colder and
wetter than I expected. However, the scenery was spectacular, the ship was beautiful, and the
service on Royal Caribbean was excellent. I definitely would go again.

Name: John Randolph
Email: starbird43@msn.com
Age: 54
Occupation: Psychologist
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Rhapsody
SailingDate: 8/19/00
Itinerary: Alaska
Cabin: 8086/C
FoodDiningRoom: 89
CruiseDirector: 87
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 87
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 94
FoodLidoDeck: 86
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 89
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 94
ShoreExcVariety: 94
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 87
GoodForHoneymoon: 94
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 94
LoungeService: 88
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 97
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 92
WheelchairAccess: 96
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 87
OverallPortsofCall: 94
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 92
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 97
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 96
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 94
Stabilization: 94
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 92
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Sep 2000
Time: 18:23:54
Remote Name: 1cust72.tnt27.bos2.da.uu.net
Remote User:

Comments

We did the southeast Alaska-Inside Passage cruise that operates as a Vancouver to Vancouver
round trip from 8/19/00 to 8/26/00. Itinerary was departure Sat afternoon, Inside passage all day
Sun, Juneau Mon, Skagway & Haines Tues, Hubbard Glacier a couple of hours on Wed, Ketchikan
Thurs, Inside Passage Fri, Vancouver Sat AM. Our party was my wife and I (mid 50’s), our
daughter Katie (13) and my mother (91!). All of us but my mother had been on the Disney Magic
for 4 days this April, and that is a similarly sized ship. In Alaska, we were on the Royal Caribbean
Cruise Lines Rhapsody of the Seas (hereinafter just Rhapsody—who gives ships silly names like
this anyway?) Overall, the experience was quite positive. We had two ‘C’ category cabins with
balconies. They were the farthest back two on the port side. The rearmost of these (8086) has a
piece of the superstructure blocking about a third of the balcony at the rail. Cabin 8586 on the
starboard has the same arrangement. RCCL warns you about this in their brochure. It wasn’t a
problem for us, because when we wanted a fuller view, we just went to our next door cabin. People
traveling with just one stateroom should try to get a different cabin if assigned either 8086 or 8586,
though.

We made our travel plans less than a month before sailing, and were pleased to find that our travel
agent was able to get us a rate that was essentially the same as the early purchase deal. (She’s
Iona Harris, McMinnville Travel Bureau in Oregon at 800-648-6502, and she’s really good!) My
guess is that the rates start low at early purchase, go up for those booking at the usual sort of
time, and then go down for those booking late, when there is a concern that space needs to be
sold or will remain vacant.

Boarding was especially easy because we requested and received ‘pier assistance’ in light of my
mother’s age. She’s spry, and not in a wheelchair, but can’t stand in one place for long periods.
We were whisked through, but my impression was that even those who didn’t have this advantage
moved fairly quickly. Finding our cabin was done on our own, but was no problem. The brochure
has a diagram of the ship, with cabin numbers, and if you give it minimal study beforehand, you
should know how to navigate to your cabin.

The condition of the ship was perfectly fine, with only a few exceptions. Hallway carpets are looking
like they could use replacing soon. (We saw them replacing at least one piece of carpeting). They
need to check about elevators, which sometimes bypass your deck without stopping, even though
the call button is pressed. Also, sometimes an elevator door will close even though the ‘hold door
open’ button has been pressed. Otherwise, everything was fine re upkeep. Those reporting that
the interior looks like a Grand Hyatt have it about right.

Staff was uniformly friendly. Staff is quite international, (Turkey, Sweden, the Phillipines, Indonesia,
Scotland, Costa Rica, Hungary, etc.) Some are willing to share observations about their homes and
about life on board. There are quite a number of passengers from foreign countries, too. We found
this diversity intriguing.

One of the things people headed for a southeastern Alaska cruise should be aware of is that the
same general route is used by several ships. It was only at Haines, a small port, that we were the
only ship. For most of our route, Westerdam and Sea Princess shadowed us, and Niew Amsterdam
was in Juneau with us as well. This can mean that there is a lot of competition for shore facilities. A
knowledgeable woman in Skagway told us that there are sometimes 7300 cruise passengers on
the busiest days! Some towns have web pages that tell you which ships are in port which days. It
may be useful to check this ahead. This also means it’s useful to get to the shore excursions desk
as soon as possible if you don’t have arrangements locked in previously. (RCCL will pre-book land
arrangements if you have a month or more lead time. After that, it’s a matter of getting your travel
agent to fax them the request, or wait till you’re on board to handle it via the shore excursions
desk. On Rhapsody, the desk didn’t open till 5pm on our sailing date. Our agent had faxed in our
request several days before, but the RCCL headquarters had not gotten the info to the ship.
Again, the staff was helpful. Some days, rainy and cloudy weather led to the cancellation of several
of the ‘flight or float’ type shore excursions, but this of course would not have been specific to the
Rhapsody. There were some of each type that still operated, and the staff worked at rebooking
people who had selected cancelled trips to something similar in an upcoming port.

We all thought the dining options were better than we would have expected given prior postings on
this board. Although Rhapsody won’t be getting a star from Michelin anytime soon, the food was
good, and in some cases inventive, with nice presentation. Our only real criticism was that service
in the dining room tended to be a bit slow, making for long dinners. This may be one of the places
that the size of the ship was a factor. There are just a lot of people to feed!

We did have occasion to use one of the services most of you won’t have contact with. We had kept
an eye and a hand on my mother pretty much constantly during the voyage, but let down our guard
one morning while the ship was stock-still. She tripped, and sprained her ankle. As a result, we
ended up at the medical facility. It was well staffed, with a British doctor and two nurses (Swedish
and American), who said she needed nothing more than an ace bandage. They also had us speak
with the safety officer, who was delightful. There was no charge for the services, though in other
circumstances there can be. (Buy the travel insurance your travel agent offers you!) Despite this
episode, we all thought that including my mother in the journey worked out very well. She may have
been the oldest on this sailing, but there were others much more infirm, including some confined to
wheelchairs, and they seemed to be getting along OK too, within the limits of their possibilities.

We haven’t been to Las Vegas, but I suspect those who have will find the entertainment familiar. It
wasn’t to our taste, but that wasn’t why we had come in any event. Rhapsody is not a non-smoking
ship, but there may be few on this route that are. Some lounges are smoking country, but most of
these have a non-smoking ‘double.’ Except for these places, the presence of smoke wasn’t very
noticeable. In particular, the room was OK, and we are fairly sensitive about sleeping in rooms that
have been smoked in previously.

There are excellent views ahead from the Windjammer restaurant, the forward ‘casual’ dining room
that operates with a buffet line. Other good views are from the eleventh deck Viking Lounge (can
feel tippy at times due to the altitude!) and the stern lounge on the sixth deck. A room with a
balcony is a definite plus. We were going to get a standard outside room, and found that RCCL
had a special deal available. For just a bit more, they would guarantee that you would get a
balcony, but you wouldn’t be able to specify which room. We came out good on that deal, as we got
category C cabins instead of category D, which are the smallest of the rooms with balconies. I’m
sure this is also how we ended up with 8086, the least desirable of the category C cabins, but
again it worked out fine for our needs. For those familiar with the Disney ships, a category C cabin
on Rhapsody is about the size of a category 6 cabin on Disney. The appointments are roughly
similar, too. One difference to keep in mind though is this: if you’re a couple traveling with a child
who you plan to park on the sleep sofa, from one perspective, this would work better on the Disney
boats. The Disney boats have a full length, full-width privacy curtain between the bed and the sofa.
Rhapsody looks like it has something similar, but the curtain is only a decorative swag, and goes
only a couple of feet. Not a factor in our case, but it might be in yours.

Miscellaneous: the captain’s daily announcements were a hoot. A Victor Borge type presentation of
information. He was better than the stand up comics in the theatre, and he also can run a ship!
Katie was not much impressed by the kids program, and spent little time there. In fairness to RCCL,
even Disney hasn’t quite figured out what to do with 13 year olds. Programs for both the younger
and older kids looked better. My mother had planned to go to the beauty parlor, but passed on that
when she found out the rates were triple what she pays at home. You can make your own shore
excursion arrangements (sometimes cheaper), but if you make the arrangements through the ship,
and the excursion is delayed getting back, you don’t have to worry about it—they’ll hold the ship for
you. The ship has a small but well-stocked lending library, which includes not only topical books
(sailing, Alaska subjects, wildlife, etc) but also some recent best sellers, a bit of non fiction, and
some large print books. It’s a nice idea. There’s a daily AA meeting, another good idea, given that
the ship could probably float in the amount of alcohol that’s on board. Re money matters, bring at
least some cash. Tips can’t be charged to your account, as they can on Disney, so you’ll need
cash for that purpose at least. Keep your receipts from things you charge to your account, it will
make reconciling your bill much easier. Also, check with the purser’s desk and ‘settle up’ the night
before disembarkation. It will help avoid problems. Favorite shore excursion: the White Pass
Railway out of Skagway. We had generally good views on the train despite cloudy weather. The
Juneau Deluxe City Tour is also interesting because of the Glacier Gardens stop (a rain forest
arboretum) and the stop at the Mendenhall Glacier. We had only two hours at the Hubbard Glacier,
but excellent views, including calving, and we were closer than we expected.

If we were going back, I’d go on one of the really small ships (Spirit of Discovery, for instance) so
as to be able to get to smaller ports. However, for a first Alaska trip, or for first time cruisers,
Rhapsody is an excellent choice. The larger ships such as Rhapsody are also probably a better
choice for elderly travelers. They are likely more stable, (we always felt quite stable except for a
slight bit of rockiness in open ocean) and they have more staff with the chance to be more
attentive to needs. Finally, Southeastern Alaska and the Inside Passage are the perfect place to
visit via a cruise. It’s as if they were made for it. We’ll probably be back!

Name: John Clark
Email: johnc@hrhvegas.com
Age: 24
Occupation: Casino Marketing Executive
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Rhapsody
SailingDate: 10-22-00
Itinerary: Mexico
Cabin: Category C -8026
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 93
CruiseStaff: 100
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 91
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 100
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff: 100
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 100
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 97
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 100
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 100
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Nov 2000
Time: 14:57:47
Remote Name: 207.217.44.65
Remote User:

Comments

As this was our first cruise, these review web sites were very helpful in prepairing us for what to
expect. I figured I'd return the favor by writing my own. This was a fantastic vacation and my girlfriend,
Jessica and I have become cruise addicts. In fact, we booked our next cruise while we were on the
ship. From the moment we arrived at the port in LA, my expectations were exceeded. Embarkation was
handled smoothly and we were on the ship in minutes. Our cabin was ready by 12:30pm and we were
very pleased with it. It was a livable room with a Queen bed, a loveseat, 2 chairs, a small coffee table
and a good sized balcony. My girlfriend loved the fact that we indeed had a bathtub and relaxed
almost everynight with a bubble bath. Our cabin stewart, Al, was wonderful and very attentive to our
needs. Coming from Las Vegas and having access to numerous first class shows and dining options,
I'm pretty hard to impress. The food was great for the number of guests they have to feed and the
service was very good. We met with the dining room manager when we arrived and after a little green
presidential convincing, we chose the table we wanted. We were on the second floor next to the
window with a beautiful view. I don't have anything against dining with strangers but, we wanted our
privacy on this trip.

The entertainment was great. We only caught a few of the shows but, really
enjoyed what we saw. We missed the Coasters who were our headline entertainment. You must see
the 'Newly Wed Not So Newly Wed Game'. It was one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. The
Cruise Staff really went out of their way to make this vacation a memorable one. Jessica and I were
invited to the Captain's table for dinner which we enjoyed emensely. We were also invited to a bridge
tour. I really had fun seeing the technology that goes into navagating these massive ships although, I
was a little disapointed that the Captain didn't let me drive the boat. All in all, this was the best
vacation I've ever had. You will never get bored thanks to all of the activities planed. If you want to
relax, thats no problem as well. With a beautiful ship, great staff, and good company to share it with,
you can't go wrong. One last thing. Everything we did on shore we booked ourselves. You must try
Randi's Happy Horses in Mazatlan. We were the only ones on the ride and it was a very romantic few
hours. Randa picks you up takes you at the pier, takes you on the ride, gives you a beer, and escorts
you back to the ship. I highly recomend the tour. It was our favorite. You can reach her at
ranjg20@hotmail.com.

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