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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Robert Griscom
Email: griscom@banet.net
Age: 57
Occupation: Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: 8/9/99
Itinerary: British Isles/Europe
Cabin: 2092/I
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 92
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 92
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 92
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 97
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities:
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 20 Sep 1999
Time: 10:30:08
Remote Name: ss03.ny.us.ibm.com
Remote User:
Comments
I read many reviews here prior to booking our cruise, and so I feel the least I can do is
return the favor to both
CruiseOpinion and its many contributors. Basically this cruise was good with one major
exception (missing a port,
discussed later). We are not sure we are cruisers at heart, and I will try to separate
those opinions from more objective
ones. For example, I do not understand how folks can sleep through tours, or sit at lunch
in Paris and talk about their
last trip to South America. In the end, our best experiences were when we broke away from
the busses and the mobs
and experienced places on our own, the two day extension in London being, overall, the
best part of the whole trip. But
this is not the fault of RCI, just a personal feeling that evolved.
We thought RCI did a great job of handling reservations, confirmations, tours, air/sea
tickets, ground transportation,
and hotel post-stay. Everything fell into place as advertised. We did hear from some
others, who lost luggage on the
airlines and felt RCI did not try hard enough to recover it; and folks who wanted to
change reservations and felt RCI
was not too responsive. But for us it was handled well enough.
Splendour of the Seas is beautiful, clean, and well maintained. We had an outside room on
the lowest passenger deck
(deck 2). There was some creaking on rough seas, but nothing really annoying. If our
neighbors slammed doors or
bumped walls we heard it. But getting a good night's sleep was never a problem. Although
we asked for a small table
(4) we were put at a 10. Fortunately everyone was very compatible and it was like family
from day one. We were all in
the same age range, except for one couple's parents, who fit in with the rest very well.
The dining room service and
table wine service were excellent. Once in a while the progression from one course to
another seemed to be really
slow, but usually not. Food was pretty good, but although there were always numerous
choices, sometimes I felt like I
was settling instead of choosing. Desserts were great, and the best part of the buffet
lunch on the Lido deck, which
was otherwise unexceptional, was unlimited numbers of desserts leftover from the previous
night's dinner! Oh, and the
revue shows were excellent. There were a series of four of them, and they were the only
entertainment we attended.
When we arrived at Heathrow we were told to wait in the concession area for a half hour or
so for our bus. When this
approached two hours we converted some money to buy a refreshment. This phase was not
handled really well.
However in general moving people onto or off the ship, and onto and off busses, checking
in and boarding shore
excursions, etc. were handled as well as possible, and bus departures mostly commenced on
time much to our
surprise. Bus arrivals were not quite so timely, thanks to traffic jams in England and
Ireland and to some extent
France. The drive from Heathrow to Harwich took over 4 1/2 hours, instead of 3, due to a
huge traffic jam on the
highway, and no rest stops were made available.
Notwithstanding the tedium of the busses, and passengers snoring or talking through
narrated tours, the shore
excursions were all pretty good. In France, we took the all day tour to Paris, which was
helped by the fact that most
Parisians were on summer holiday. This was a 12-hour tour, 6 hours of it being on the bus
between Paris and the port
of le Havre. Ironically, we learned later that you can take the Chunnel Train from London
to Paris in 3 hours. But then
it wouldn't be a port call any more, would it? The second day, at sea, we experienced the
total eclipse of the sun.
Although the sun was blocked by overcast, the passing wave of darkness was quite an
experience.
At the first port in Ireland, Cork, we took a tour of Blarney Castle. Although we had
heard this was a tourist trap, it was
actually really neat. The moss covered battlements were fun to climb, whether or not you
kissed the stone. Everyone
received an Irish coffee at the woolen mill before reboarding the bus, although the time
had to be extended because of
an earlier traffic jam while getting there. This change was unfortunately, conveyed only
by word of mouth. The second
port in Ireland, Dublin, afforded us an opportunity to explore Dublin some on our own.
After a great lunch of Bangers
and Mashed w/a pint of Guiness at a sidewalk pub, we shopped on O'Connell Street, before
taking the shuttle bus
back to the ship. It was on this shuttle that we were stiffed an extra pound each, the
driver claiming that the published
two pounds was a 'misprint.' Of course the price had also been given to us verbally that
very morning. Greenock,
Scotland, was next, where we chose the Stirling Castle tour (site of filming of
'Braveheart'). This involved a couple
hours of driving through beautiful Scottish countryside. Our guide was a lovely older
Scottish lady, who spoke of the
many benefits of a wee dram of Scotch whiskey. Also, the port city of Greenock had some
great souvenir bargains,
which hardly anyone on ship seemed to take advantage of.
The next three stops were along the Norwegian coast. In Bergen we travelled to Edvard
Grieg's home and heard a
piano performance of some of his works. Geiranger brought an almost scary bus ride to the
top of an overlook of the
fjord, with our shipped moored there. And Flam was a very scenic railway trip up
switchbacks, although the Norwegian
countryside and farms were actually the more interesting part. (Most folks payed no
attention to that.) Norway was
friendly, and all the trips were fine and very scenic, but similar to Alaska. Personally
we were looking forward to
Amsterdam, our last scheduled port.
Amsterdam was a sea day away from Norway. The morning we were to have docked in Amsterdam,
we awoke and
were still in the ocean, treading water and wallowing in the chop. And then disaster: the
captain announced we could
not port there because the winds were too strong 'for a ship this size.' We then turned
tail and returned to home port in
England, 15 hours ahead of schedule. Needless to say most of us were devastated. Why
couldn't we have waited a
few hours to see if weather would improve? Could we have gone to an alternate, such as
Rotterdam? Why is this port
advertised if Splendour has marginal capabilities of making it? (We heard that it only
succeeded 1 time in 3 this
season.) RCI did hustle to provide shuttle busses into Colchester, England, as a
consolation. People who went said it
was fine (Colchester dates from Roman times). But even folks who didn't care about
Amsterdam were disappointed,
because the on board stores and casino close an hour out of port. They were all closed up
for our last evening on
shipboard, when they should have been open. And our farewell dinner was enjoyed while
snugly moored in Harwich.
We had only our London two-day post-cruise visit to look forward to.
The St. Ermins is a great little hotel in London offered by RCI. It is right in the middle
of Westminster, within walking
distance of Buckingham Palace, Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. We took the Underground
to Harrod's, a bus
tour to the Tower of London, and explored everything else on foot, enjoying pub lunches
and real Londoners instead
of fellow American ship cruisers. We were awestruck by the history of all the Kings and
Queens, scientists and poets,
buried at the Abbey. In all, it was a great finish to the trip.
My recommendations: All in all, RCI did a pretty good job. But just be sure a cruise is
what you really want, complete
with crowds and busses, rather than the freedom and time to explore on your own. And be
sure you are prepared to
miss a port. We could have gotten into Amsterdam by almost any other means that day, but
not by cruise ship. This
was a major disappointment, one that certainly tainted what would otherwise have been a
very satisfactory vacation.
Thank goodness for London!
Name: David Via
Email: viadave@ibm.net
Age: 49
Occupation: Logistics Management Healthcare
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: 9/26/99
Itinerary: New England /Canada
Cabin: 3591
FoodDiningRoom: 50
CruiseDirector: 60
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 25
CruiseStaff: 25
CabinAmenities: 60
FoodLidoDeck: 50
DiningRoomService: 25
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 25
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 50
DeckService: 45
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 10
CasinoStaff: 25
PrivateIsland: 0
GoodForFamilies: 0
LoungeService: 50
TenderService: 60
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 60
EntertainmentLounges: 0
WheelchairAccess: 0
ExerciseFacilities: 0
EntertShowLounge: 0
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 60
EntertainmentPoolside: 0
CruiseActivities: 30
Casino: 50
AirSeaProgram: 60
MedicalFacilities: 0
ShipCleanliness: 35
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs: 20
DeckSpace: 50
Stabilization: 98
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 25
OverallCruiseValue: 40
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 10 Oct 1999
Time: 20:47:02
Remote Name: slip129-37-90-100.tx.us.prserv.net
Remote User:
Comments
Having just finished the Canada / New England cruise on the Splendor of the Seas I wanted
to express my
disappointment in this vacation package. While overall we were able to make this an
enjoyable vacation, it was not
due to the efforts of Royal Caribbean International or the ship's crew. I would compare
our cruise experience as a
stay at a cheap hotel. There are three main reasons for this comparison. The first was the
staff’s inattention to
guest needs. The second was scheduling of activities by the staff. The third has to do
with the overall design of the
ship.
The staff’s attention was definitely not on insuring guest needs were being met.
Three examples of this are: - Not a
single diner meal went by without a missed order. On one occasion, the waiter was asking
the other table how their
dinner meal was in yet he is not served my plate that was sitting on the waiter stand.
This may have not been, as
irritating if the rest of the table had not already been served. - The Cabin
Steward’s lack of attention to detail
amplified the poor for service. We drank bottled water in the room and had to request
three times that a new bottled
the put in the room after the previous bottle had been finished. We would have drunk more
than the three bottles
but we gave up on asking after the third time. - This is a first cruise I have ever taken
for the staff does all the
cleaning during the day. Many times outside sections of the deck were closed during the
day so the crew could
clean.
The scheduling a ship board activities and the publication of the times of these
activities was very poorly executed.
Two examples of this are: - Times published for shore excursion tickets did not match
times published on other ship
publications. - The dinner times had to be adjusted twice during the cruise. Due
scheduling many passengers a
dinner in the Windjammer cafe. This just created other scheduling problems if you were
trying to see an after dinner
show.
This cruise was fully booked and demonstrated how poorly designed to Splendor of the Seas
is for a great vacation
package. Two examples are: - We where not able to see one after dinner show. The reason
for this was that you
had to get into the show 45 minutes early to be able to get a seat. Several times, we
walked in 15 minutes before
the show and were unable to get a chair. This was not uncommon for other activities as
well. The Captain’s
reception was another example of the overcrowded facilities. - The last example of this
poorly designed ship is the
fact that the gym could not opened until 8 o'clock because it was placed over cabins. This
late opening did not
provide an opportunity to exercise before breakfast.
While we have been on several other Royal Caribbean International cruises and would rate
the experiences as
good to excellent we can only rate this experience as fair to poor. If it had not been for
several of the shore
excursion companies having an excellent customer focus, we would consider this cruise a
poor vacation value. This
is the reason that our next vacation will probably not be a cruise. The rating for this
ship should be reexamined and
lowered to reflect the poor service and design. Many other passengers made comments to us
that the ship’s
appearance looked tired. The itinerary of this cruise was great!!
Name: Art Friedman
Email: settle2000@msn.com
Age: 56
Occupation: Attorney
NumberOfCruises: 14
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: 10/6/99
Itinerary: Canada
Cabin: 7595 inside
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 60
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 100
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 100
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Oct 1999
Time: 15:34:53
Remote Name: 199.115.11.212
Remote User:
Comments
Although we had a dreadful experience on Zenith (Celebrity cruise line also owned by RCI)
we booked this trip
anyway. We were very pleasantly pleased. It had by far the best service we have
experienced on any cruise line
including first class on the QE2! We found the ship and staff to be absolutely outstanding
in most all respects. We
have only a few negative impressions that should be balanced in light of our overall
rating. You will read elsewhere
that this ship is absolutely spectacular and it is. But, for a 3 year old ship, it shows a
great deal of wear, e.g. hall
carpets, cabin carpets, nicks and scratches on walls and woodwork etc. We traveled on the
Sun Princess a year
ago when it was the same age and it was like new. That is not true for the outside. The
outside was near perfect.
Must be a different department! My only complaint about outside was the windows. The ship
seems all glass and
generally is in public areas. With the exception of the upper dining area, the glass was
left dirty for long periods of
time and appeared to be cleaned more by rain than by crew. Second, the ship was sold out
and it was always
croweded.
The layout is inferior to Sun Princess that never seemed crowded. Leaving the 42nd St
theatre you face
the incoming crowd, a casino that is ridiculously tightly packed and a narrow hallway thru
the shops that have all
their stuff out in the walking areas. It struck me as downright dangerous in the event of
any kind of emergency.
From a strictly personal note, my wife and I are dancers and on our last 2 cruises -
including the dreaded Zenith -
there were many opportuities to dance. On Splendor, about 1/2 of the dancing was during
our 2nd seating! Also,
the only area used for dancing, The Top Hat Lounge, was the only area used for any other
activity and those often
superseded dancing. This was even more painful the night that the Splendor of the Seas
Orchestra played dance
musice. They are one of the finest orchestras of their size (15) we have ever heard and
played an eexcellent dance
beat. Unfortunately on the 10 day cruise they played only once! The other entertainment
was absolutley fabulous.
The Wave Revue dancers were also the best ship's company we have ever seen!
The commedians, Larry and
Shane (Ithink) were also on our last Sun Princess cruise. Even though the routine was
identical, I laughed even
harder and cried during their whole performance. They are histerical! (old time borsht
belt comedians have been
together 50 years!). But the piece de resistance was Brooks Aheren. He is a British
pianist that is one of the finest
in the world and probably one of the finest showmen in the world as well. See him anywhere
you have the
opportunity and go even if you don't really like piano players!!!!!. He is truly one of a
kind and gave 4 standing
ovation performances during the trip. Even though we had 75 mile and hour (hurricane
force) winds and 35 foot
seas, it was one of the best cruises we have ever been on. I think RCI may follow the
policy of Nordstrums because
no matter what you asked for the staff finds for you. No one ever said no to any request
we made or heard made on
the ship. It was unbelievable. The dining service was incredible and as soon as you sat
down in a bar, lounge or
show, a waiter was at your side and returned periodically. I cannot recommend the ship too
high!
Name: Marco Sassoon
Email: marco_sassoon@yahoo.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Clergy
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: 11/29/99
Itinerary: 11 Night Circle the Carribean
Cabin: 7614/D
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 96
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 96
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 60
FoodMidnightBuffets: 40
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 50
FoodVariety: 50
DeckService: 80
ShoreExcValue: 30
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 95
PrivateIsland: na
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 30
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 98
EntertainmentLounges: 60
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 96
EntertShowLounge: 40
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 98
EntertainmentPoolside: 65
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino: 89
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities: 80
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 10
DiscoNightclubs: 50
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 80
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 22 Dec 1999
Time: 17:09:44
Remote Name: haw-207-182-231-45.vel.net
Remote User:
Comments
We went on the Splendor with a lot of high expectations. In celebrating our 10th wedding
anniversary, we
wanted a longer vacation. Our cruise was good, overall, but not fantastic. RCCL has some
ways to go in a
variety of areas. First, embarkation was a disaster. We were put up in a hotel in Miami,
and the next day we
were promised our boarding passes. After a 2 hour wait in a long line (The Sovereign of
the Seas was
boarding as well), we did not recieve our passes. We got temporary passes, and had to wait
in line again at
the port. That was not a good thing!
The ship was decorated nicely, and the art was fantastic. The cabin
was nice, with a balcony. It was very noisy and it creaked during rough seas (which we
encountered every
day, up to 18ft swells). The food in the dining room was lacking. No flavor. Everything
seemed to be the
same. It sounded great off the menu, but really lost something in presentation and flavor.
The desserts
were extremely disappointing. The service was good. The buffets were horrible, and in an
11 night cruise,
you'd expect more than 3. The entertainment was lacking as well. The featured guests were
good (like
Charro), but the house bands needed more refining. The average age here was around 65, so
big band
music was the thing. The lounges were dead at night. The shore excursions were not
organized. If you
didn't book a tour, no one was there to answer any questions. We wanted to do our own
thing since we've
been to some of the ports before, but we had to resort to our own resources to get
anywhere. On the tours
we did book, exact meeting times and places were innaccurate and confusing. Also
overpriced for what you
got. The worst thing was the food schedule.
Basically, between 10am-noon and 3:30-6:00 there was no
food service save for room service. The Windjammer provided a tea time, which were small
flavorless
sandwiches and cookies. This did not bode well for late risers or those coming back from
shore excursions.
In fact on one day, passengers literally took plates from covered tables to serve
themselves what was left
over from the afternoon's lunch offering. Needless to say, going hungry on a cruise is the
worst thing that
can happen. Luckily, my wife and I just laughted it off, but I doubt I would sail with
RCCL again unless this
changed. The Spa was great! I would recommend a massage to anyone! The staff was friendly
and it was
very relaxing. The casino was adequate (a bit small), but friendly. The onboard shops were
great. The
overall layout of the Splendor wasn't as smart as other ships we've sailed. We did enjoy
the golf course
and the Solarium was a God-send! Absolutely beautiful room and perfect for windy weather.
It was a rough
cruise as far as stabilization goes. We missed Key West due to rough seas, and every day
at sea (and
night between ports) were very rough. Many people got sick, but not us. Dramamine was our
friend! The
ship was also very smoke filled. I'm thinking about sailing on the Paradise next! For
anyone who has had a
bad experience on RCCL, let me know. I'm interested to hear your opinion. Cheers!
Name: Robert Watson
Email: rcwatson@dot.state.wv.us
Age: 33
Occupation: civil engineer
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: 12/10/99
Itinerary: circle the caribbean
Cabin: 6596/F
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 84
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 82
DeckService: 87
ShoreExcValue: 82
GoodForHoneymoon: 92
CasinoStaff: 89
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 82
LoungeService: 88
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors: 89
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 89
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 81
CruiseActivities: 78
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 79
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 75
Stabilization: 92
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 89
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Dec 1999
Time: 06:58:56
Remote Name: 129.71.250.231
Remote User:
Comments
The Splendour is a wonderful ship very spacious and comfortable. As with all vacations
some things are better than others.
We had an early flight into Ft Lauderdale and hoped embarkation would be quick. This was
not the case. We were on the
first bus to the pier, but when we arrived a long line had already formed. It took about
an hour to get on the ship. Our room
was great! We had booked an outside guarantee (cat I) and had been upgraded to a cat F
located in the middle of the ship.
The room was spacious and comfortable and my wife loved the picture window.
The food in the main dining room was very good. Sometimes too good. My wife and I made a
habit of getting 2 desserts
each evening. Our waiter and asst waiter were great and always took time to speak with us.
The food was slow in comming,
but we didn't really mind. We enjoyed lingering over coffee and talking with our table
mates. We were seated at a table of 8.
The honeymoon couple that sat with us didn't like to dress up and only came to dinner on
casual evenings. Another
assigned couple never showed up at all so they moved an unhappy couple to our table after
4 nights. Lucky us. They
complained about everything. I was a little dissapointed that lobster only made on the
menu one night. I had expected the
food to be a little more extravagent.
The breakfast in the Windjammer was great. Everything was hot and fresh. Finding a table
was sometimes difficult.
The only things I found dissapointing on the cruise were 1.)If you didn't get to the show
room at least a 1/2 hour before
showtime, you might as well not go. Two evenings we arrived 15 minutes before showtime and
all the seats were
gone.2.)Similarly around the pool deck chairs were limited. People would place books or
other items on deck chairs before
they went to breakfast to hold them forcing them to remain empty for hours at a time.
I highly recommend a trip to aruba. It by far the cleanest,friendliest,most affordable and
lovliest place you could ever go to. I
highly recommend Royal Caribbean to anyone.
Name: Gregory McGinity
Email: gmcginity@hotmail.com
Age: 34
Occupation: Political Consultant
NumberOfCruises: 4
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Splendour
SailingDate: November 29, 1999
Itinerary: Caribbean
Cabin: 7500 D
FoodDiningRoom: 79
CruiseDirector: 75
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 97
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 98
FoodVariety: 86
DeckService: 92
ShoreExcValue: 82
GoodForHoneymoon: 92
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 82
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 94
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 89
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 94
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 93
DiscoNightclubs: 83
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 93
SpaceRatio: 96
OverallCruiseValue: 93
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 19 Jan 2000
Time: 22:16:44
Remote Name: 229.los-angeles-08.ca.dial-access.att.net
Remote User:
Comments
OVERALL: After significant research, my wife and I elected this cruise for our honeymoon. With
apologies to Marco and his review, we had a more positive experience. I have been on three previous
cruises; my wife had been on none. She had been to the Caribbean; I had not. We were looking for
something restful, with some adventure thrown in. The cruise met all of our expectations. We were able
to rest and relax after our busy wedding weekend. We also got some adventure in the ports of call.
Lastly, we picked up some new skills (duplicate bridge). All in all it was a very good honeymoon
experience that we would both recommend.
EMBARKATION: We were traveling from California and had a choice of a Sunday morning or redeye
flight to Miami. Given that our wedding was Saturday night, we took the redeye. The friendly and
attentive Royal Caribbean staff met us at the gate at 6:30 a.m. Since we were not allowed to board
before noon, we decided to rent a car and see a bit of Miami. We had breakfast at the News Café at
South Beach. We spent most of the day at the beach with a short look around in Little Havana.
Following the advice of other reviewers, we picked up some provisions (beer and cokes) for our cabin
refrigerator. In addition, we chose to board the ship at 4:00 p.m. There was no line and it was very
smooth.
FOOD: We had room service virtually every morning. While the order was usually not exactly correct, it
was close enough. We had lunches on shore, in the cafes, or room service. Lunches in the
Windjammer Café were always a buffet and always had good, solid, filling buffet food. Not gourmet, but
it was fine for us. One tip to pass on. If you are interested in meeting lots of different people, I
recommend utilizing the breakfasts and lunches in the King and I (Main) Dining Room. Since seating
there is not assigned for these meals, you have the chance to mix, mingle, and make some new friends.
We didn’t realize this advantage until the end of the cruise. We had the late seating dinner, which
worked for us. It is generally a younger crowd. The service was friendly. The food (taste) was adequate.
I would agree with most reviews that Royal Caribbean has advantages other than its food. However, the
variety was good and it was available at all hours of the day. At dinner, the appetizers were always very
good, and there were an excellent variety of very tasty soups and salads. The desserts were always
very good. It is the main courses that are just adequate, although they look great on the menu. I would
imagine trying to cook gourmet meals for 1800 is tough. We utilized the Champagne Bar before dinner.
Over the course of the cruise, we bought three bottles of champagne. We usually had a glass before
dinner, and the bar kept the rest of the bottle corked for the next night. It was something we greatly
enjoyed. We were disappointed with the Margarita Madness in the Schooner/Piano bar. The margaritas
were very average and the chips and salsa were very poor.
ACCOMODATIONS: We were in Room 7500 (Starboard side, all the way in the front.) We spent the
extra money for the private veranda. It was well worth the cost. While the cabins are quite narrow, there
was enough storage space to put away four suitcases of stuff. Given how far forward we were, I was
concerned about the combination of the rough seas and my wife’s propensity for motion sickness.
Despite the 8-12 foot swells, she did not get sick and she did not take any medicine for motion
sickness. I believe having the sea air and the large veranda window help her get adjusted to the seas.
Our cabin attendant, Mario, was excellent. Everything was always clean and tidy and well kept. In
addition, he was an artist with the way he made up the bed every night.
PORTS OF CALL: Our trip was supposed to cover Key West, Cozumel/Playa del Carmen, Grand
Cayman, Jamaica, Aruba and Curacao. While we got a good number of ports in and covered several
thousand miles, the drawback was not having enough time in the ports. Generally we were off the ships
between 8 and 9 in the morning and left at 5 or 6 in the evening. Also, we waited a day before
submitting our shore excursion requests. We received tickets for everything we requested. While this is
probably not the best way to go, it was not a problem for us. We did not make it to Key West. The seas
were too rough to ‘tender in.’ (Tendering is the process of taking a shuttle boat from the ship to the
shore.) In a very classy move, the Captain delayed the ship at Key West so two couples, who had
planned their weddings for Key West, to take a fishing boat to shore to have their ceremonies and
receptions. We were going to be stuck on the ship anyway, so I give great credit to the Captain and
Royal Caribbean for taking care of the couples’ needs. Additionally, because we missed Key West, the
Captain announced we would stay to midnight in Aruba. This was another nice bonus. At our first stop,
my wife and I exited the ship at Playa del Carmen in order to take the tour of the Mayan ruins at Tulum.
While not as big as some of the other ruins on the Yucatan Peninsula, it was still very much worth
seeing. Upon the completion of the tour, we took a boat to Cozumel. We rented bikes on our own to
explore the island. We spent the rest of the afternoon at Playa de San Francisco beach. (It was about
an hour each way by bike.) It is a very nice little rest stop with a fairly uncrowded beach. At Grand
Cayman, we had scheduled the Stingray City excursion. Unfortunately, due to rough seas, the
excursion was cancelled. The staff was helpful in switching us to a snorkeling excursion. It was excellent
swimming with a wide variety of fish. (I highly recommend to all, young and old, taking a snorkeling
excursion at one of the ports.) We had lunch at Captain Rackams Pub. The food was adequate, but the
service was atrocious. With only a few hours left, we participated in one of the activities Royal
Caribbean specializes in – shopping. RCCL had a shopping instructor on board to give passengers the
scoop on where to shop. It is mainly for those looking for big bargains on expensive merchandise. (This
was not for us after our wedding expenses!) There were many good deals to be had. In the end, we
had no luck completing our china or stemware that we had registered for. We did pick up some
knick-knacks and rum cakes, which are very tasty. The stop at Ocho Rios was probably our least
favorite. There just isn’t much there. However, it is not as bad as some reviews and other rumors might
suggest. We did not find the people to be obnoxious or unfriendly. (Try New Dehli, India for that
experience!) We skipped the shore excursion and walked the two miles (about one hour) to Dunns
Rivers Falls. The walk is fairly easy. (After walking down the dock and away from the ship, turn right on
the main road.) We would highly suggest doing the hike of the Falls without the excursion crowd. If you
are in passable physical shape, you can climb it and do so at your own relaxed pace. We had lunch at
the Falls. (We highly recommend the Jamaican Meat Patty.) We then hired an unofficial cab to take us
to St. Anne’s. (Our very accommodating cab driver was ‘Cheap Charlie.’) While there wasn’t much
there, it gives you a sense of what most of Jamaica is really like, particularly the local market. We
stayed 2 ½ hours. It probably isn’t worth more than 1 hour. The shopping malls recommended by RCCL
were very stale and ‘touristy.’ Lastly, Ocho Rios was the only place I could quickly find a place to check
my e-mail. Aruba was excellent and the beaches really do look like the postcards. We took the De Palm
Island snorkeling shore excursion. While it was good, the water was a bit choppy. By all accounts, I
believe the other snorkeling excursion was better. However, my wife won $15 on the crab races. After
returning to the ship, we shared a cab out to Palm Beach. We had lunch at the Wyndam Hotel and
stayed on their beach. Some of the other hotels are very persnickety about keeping non-guests out
and off ‘their’ beach. Wyndam was not. If we go back, that’s probably where we will stay. We missed
shopping at the main mall near the ship. Despite the fact that there were two ships in port and that we
were staying in port until midnight, all the stores closed at 5:30-6:00. That was frustrating, particularly
since we were in port until midnight. We decided to skip the nightlife on Aruba, and returned to the ship.
Curacao is a jewel. This snorkeling excursion was the best of the cruise. The port of Willemstad has a
great feel to it. It was a port town, but it felt like a real city. A little like Georgetown, Washington DC. We
had lunch at a café on the water. (I recommend the kroquet sandwich.) We spent the rest of the
afternoon shopping, which was the least ‘touristy’ of the cruise. The cruise out of Willemstad is
something not to be missed.
SEA DAYS: There are plenty of activities to keep you busy all day long. As a very amateur player, I
participated in the duplicate bridge tournaments. Despite being the youngest in the room at 34, I greatly
enjoyed myself and improved my game. My wife, a beginning player, played as my partner one day. We
had a great time, although some people take their bridge a little more seriously than they should. The
shops on board the ship are a good resource if you need some vacation clothes and some forgotten
amenities. (My wife was able to buy two new bathing suits from a fairly limited selection.) The fitness
center was excellent. Although it is small, it has everything you need to keep in shape while on the
cruise. It has several bikes, stair master, treadmills, weight machines and a few free weights. The also
had some aerobics classes that we tried. We utilized the gym almost everyday. Generally, we were able
to use the machines we wanted, when we wanted. It is great working out as you look out over the vast
ocean. My wife and I also had a couples massage. My wife said that, while it wasn’t the best she’d ever
had, it was pretty good and very relaxing.
ENTERTAINMENT/ACTIVITIES: We very much enjoyed the production numbers that the ship’s
professional entertainment staff put together (The Wave Revue Singers and Dancers). We were less
enthused about the guest entertainment, like Charo, although the pianist Salci was very good. The
shows for those with the late seating dinner were usually at 10:30 and ran for about 1 hour. The casino
is adequate, although the smoking in there can kill you. As we enjoying dancing, we enjoyed the big
band swing dancing in the Top Hat Lounge. The band was usually open to requests, and was very tight
musically. We also stopped by the Viking Crown Lounge (discotheque) on more than a few nights. (You
can always pick up a few late night sandwiches in the VC Lounge.) Generally, I would have to give poor
marks to the DJ. He played way too much techno music. Like many others, I don’t understand charging
passengers to utilize the miniature golf course, which we did. There is nothing quite like putting on a
moving ship in 8-12 foot swells. As I believe it is against the rules of cruising not to play at least one
round of bingo while on a cruise ship, I did play in the final ‘Big Bucks Bingo’ tournament. I had no luck,
but the winner of the final jackpot took home $6500. While it was $20 to play, I had fun.
STAFF: The staff at all levels was very friendly and helpful. My wife believed that the cruise director was
a bit over the top and talked too much.
MISCELLANEOUS: We did utilize the ship’s laundry service and it was excellent. If you get a chance,
make sure you take a midnight or post-midnight stroll around the deck. The stars were absolutely
amazing. There were supposedly 1800 people on board. I say supposedly because it didn’t seem like I
saw two-thirds of them. We never felt crowded or cramped by the other passengers on board.
DEPARTURE: A cruel experience. The voice over the intercom wakes you at 6am, whether you like it or
not. As I am not an early riser, it was a painful experience. Our departure was very smooth. Because we
fell asleep in the lounge chairs by the pool, we were literally the last ones off the ship. We picked up our
bags and were on the bus to the airport.
FINAL NOTE: I am always happy to answer any other questions you might have about our cruising
experience. You can contact me through my e-mail address at gmcginity@hotmail.com.
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