rccl-vision6

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: maryanne roesler
Email: mroesler@dlj.com
Age: 42
Occupation: Programmer
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Vision
SailingDate: 4/12/00
Itinerary: Panama Canal
Cabin: 8548 - Category C
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService: 92
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 89
DiningRoomService: 93
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 94
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 92
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 92
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 89
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 89
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 93
CruiseActivities: 91
Casino: 91
AirSeaProgram: 91
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 96
Stabilization: 96
ShopsOnBoard: 92
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Apr 2000
Time: 08:40:15
Remote Name: ns1.dlj.com
Remote User:

Comments

We are two female friends travelling together age 42 and 50.

Arrived San Juan at 1:30 pm. Had to wait on long lines to board the ship. They moved quickly but it still took a
while to board the vessel.

Our luggage started to arrive on our deck around 8:30 pm. After waiting till 10, one piece was still missing –
my garment bag with all my formal clothes, bathing suits and underthings. I filed a report with the purser’s desk
and they said their agent in San Juan would trace this in the morning. They said it could turn up in St Thomas.

We arrived in St Thomas and had a great day shopping and at Megan’s Bay. Jewelry shopping is great –
bought some Tanzanite in Cardow Jewelers. Tanzanite is my personal favorite. Megan’s Bay is reported to be
one of the 10 nicest beaches in the world. It is definitely worth seeing. When we arrived back at the ship, still
no luggage. I was devastated. I had to purchase two bathing suits at the Gift Shops and some Formalware but
I had a hard time overcoming my disappointment. RCCL gave me a $150 credit in the gift shop which helped.

After a day at sea we arrived at Curacao. After a great trolley tour of the island we shopped in the downtown
area which was really nice. We then did the Beach Tour and a fun day at the beach. We returned to the cabin
and my missing luggage was there. I never found out what officially happened, but I think that when we
boarded the ship, the Galaxy was also boarding in San Juan. In Curacao, we also saw the Galaxy in port. I
think my luggage was mistakenly put on board the Galaxy. The missing piece did not have a new airline sticker
on it but did have an additional Vision of the Seas luggage tag. I think RCCL goofed up when separating the
luggage. Lesson learned – pack half of the stuff in the garment bag and half of the stuff in the suitcase so that
you always have part of everything you need.

On to the Panama Canal. This made the whole cruise worth while. What a spectacular site. I can only imagine
what it is like to see this from land. The Vision is the biggest ship to sail through the canal and it was a tight fit.
It is amazing to watch the whole process and to see how quickly a ship goes through the three locks. Bring
binoculars, especially if you plan on a tour in Costa Rica.

Then, on to Puntarenas, Costa Rica. I wasn’t sure I would like this port but it was great. The tours the ship
organized were of a long duration and required a lot of time on a bus, so we decided to stay local and shop at
the pier. This was fun shopping in an open air market. It had local souvenirs and wooden carved boxes.
Others who did the tours said Costa Rica is beautiful and the tours were great. The shopping tour was 5 ½
hours but only had 1 hour of shopping at Sarchi, the rest on the bus.

Our final destination was Acapulco. Again, I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful port and beautiful
hotels. Unfortunately, there was also a lot of poverty and hardship next to luxury hotels. We took a tour in
Acapulco and saw the cliff divers, local scenery and the Mayan Palace hotel. If I ever take a land vacation
again, I would definitely want to stay here. It was the most beautiful hotel I’ve ever seen but I’m told the
Princess is nicer. Definitely recommend the tour if you have an afternoon flight. Otherwise, you wait on the
ship for hours to depart and then waid hours in the hotel. And, the Acapulco airport is a disaster. There is no
flight info available and no PA system. I think the volume of people from the cruise waiting to get flights out
overwhelmed them but it was still a bad experience.

The trip home to Newark NJ was exhausting. After getting up at 5:30 am, we had a tour, then to the airport for
a very disorganized wait for our flight, Then, fly four hours to Atlanta, had a 3 hour layover and then another
two hours to NJ. We had to claim luggage in Atlanta, go through customs, recheck the luggage and board
another plane. We arrived home at 12:09 am and I slept for 16 hours. I think, in hindsight, doing the reverse
itinerary would have worked out better – flying home from San Juan instead.

Reviewing the week on board, the following are good things and bad things:

Good:

- The outdoor pool was great. There were two sections, one shallow and one 5-6 feet deep. Surrounding
these was a ledge with about 4 inches of water and a bench to sit on surrounded the whole pool. Sitting on the
ledge with the water swishing around your legs and waist was pure heaven.

- Itinerary was really relaxing – had quite a few days at sea and the ports were all great. The canal was really
exciting to see.

- We had a beautiful suite with a balcony which was really great. We watched from our balcony when we went
through the first lock which was really neat.

- The ship was beautiful. The Masquerade Theater was gorgeous. Two level dining room was really special
and they had live music in the dining room some nights. We had the Main seating and had plenty of time
before we had to go to the show. The Viking Crown Lounge was beautiful – the highest part of the ship with
great views.

- Everyone we dealt with on board was great. Service was excellent from the Cabin Steward to the Waiters.
We also had the best table for dinner. There were 4 other couples and we hit it off on the first night. Every
dinner was filled with lots of laughter and sharing of the day’s experiences. We also met at the shows and the
pool.

- The TV had some good features. They played videos of the talks on the Ports, the Shopping and the
Debarkation talks. They also played a video of the Newlywed/not so Newlywed Game which we had missed.
One channel had news from the bridge which included temperatures, weather conditions and distance
traveled and distance to next port.

- The ship had a daily Times Fax and trivia in the library.

- One other interesting and helpful feature was that the carpets in the elevators were changed daily and had
the day of the week on them. Everyone who has traveled knows that you forget which day of the week it is and
this was a fun way to remember.

- There were lots on pool seats but you had to reserve them early. Plenty of towels too.

Bad:

- Dining room should only have tables of no more than 8. The larger tables made it difficult to have a
conversation with everyone at the table.

- There was no karoake. The machine broke on the first night and that was the last we saw of it. Very
disappointing.

- The phone in the room was by the desk. I like it better by the bed.

- The shows by the ship dancers were way too loud. It hurt my ears and I actually

had to leave one show. The theater was beautiful but the acoustics were bad – it you sat under the balconies,
there was a feedback from the microphones.

- Speaking of microphones, we went to the wine tasting and a faulty mike made a fun Event into an irritating
experience. The same thing happened at dinner (same room) when the live band was planing Phantom – kept
fading out.

- Bingo. Now I know it’s supposed to be fun, and a little silly. But this crew took this to new heights of inanity. I
don’t think they realized we were all adults and we were there every day. The childishness of the jokes (and
the same ones every, every, every day) was unbearable. The caller had a little name for every number called.
One example was – “here’s those two little ducks back to back – I 22 – give us a quack”. I dreaded this
number being called, but it was the same for each and every number. Bingo should be fun and a little silly but I
beg RCCL to rethink the Vision’s Bingo routine.

- After my luggage was missing, I wondered why cruise ships don’t check the luggage in when it arrives on
board so that they can determine if a piece was on board or not. This would have helped in the search for my
missing piece. They told me that it could be in someone’s cabin but they really had no idea if it was on board
or not.

- Dinner – food was good but I’m not fussy. I did have one complaint. The other cruises I’ve been on had
sections on menu for Soup, Salad, Appetizers and Main Course. However, the Vision had “Starters” which
grouped cold appetizers, hot appetizer and soups. Then they had salad and Main course. The implication was
to choose one starter, salad and main course. However, not really wanting to have salad which I can get at
home, I wanted an appetizer and soup. So, this is what I ordered. Sometimes the soup and appetizer came out
the same time and although it didn’t happen, there is the possibility for the soup to get cold. I just think they
should separate these.

- One of the photographers had a problem when taking portraits and kept us waiting While he tried to fix the
camera flash. He finally did something and continued, but the photos came out terrible.

- There were several instances where we smelled sewage smell while going back to Cabin. This could have
been something out of RCCL’s control but is was annoying none the less.

- As far as activities, we found plenty to do. We did, however, enjoy just laying aound the pool. Some other
passengers said there were not enough activities, most were fitness activities but we were happy with what
they had.

Overall, the ship was beautiful and it was a wonderful cruise. However, our fellow passengers told us not to
judge RCCL by this cruise because the other RCCL cruises they had been on were so much better. It could
be because the ship just left dry dock and was still getting things back in swing. We compared this cruise to
our others on the Dawn Princess and the Celebrity Century and found them all equal. RCCL didn’t blow us
away.

Name: chris melanson
Email: mom@coolnet/net
Age: 38
Occupation: homemaker
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Vision
SailingDate: 10-1-99
Itinerary: hawaii
Cabin: family suite
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 75
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 50
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 70
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 60
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 80
EmbarkDisembark: 50
DiscoNightclubs: 75
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 04 Jun 2000
Time: 13:03:06
Remote Name: 216-164-200-11.s265.tnt4.atn.pa.dialup.rcn.com
Remote User:

Comments

Well, let me preface this review by stating that this was a freebie. We were initially booked on Celebrity's
Mercury for a panama canal cruise. We were asked if we woud be willing to give up our cabin in exchange for
a hawaiian cruise and a full refund. Who could say no to that? So we changed our plans and went off to
Hawaii. The cabin we had selected on the Mercury was a Panarama suite. It was slightly larger than a
standard cabin but had a divider between the living area and the bedroom. This was important because the
cruise was 17nights long and we were taking our two kids ages 12 and 10. Because Royal Carribean does
not have a similar cabin they gave us the family suite. Also since the cruise from Hawaii was 3 days shorter
they gave us a pre-package in Honolulu at the Hyatt for free. Airfare was also free. Still sound good to you?
Just remember the old saying There is no such thing as a free lunch. This may become apparent to you as I
tell our story.

First of all, our flights. We left from the Philadelphia airport and went to Memphis. From Memphis we went to
San Francisco. From San Fran we arrived in Honolulu 15 and a half hours later. Most flights departing Phila
for Honolulu take between 11 and 13 hours. They usualy go Phila to San Fran or LA and then onto Honolulu.
But it was free right? Who cares if we went in a capitol N instead of a straight line. Royal Carribean was right
there when we arrived at the airport and took us to the hotel, The Hyatt was lovely. We enjoyed our stay so
much my husband's fantasy is to move there some day. If staying in Honolulu the Don Ho show (skipp the
dinner) and the Polynesian Cultural Center is a must. Since we booked the visit to the Cultural center on our
own we opted for the VIP package. Well worth it! You do have a choice of the formal resturant or the luau.
Pick the resurant. All luau's are over priced and the food is poor. We heard many many complaints about the
luau that was part of a shore excurion in Maui. The cruise line also had reps that did all the paperwork and
gave us our sail and sign card (it's your room key too) so when we arrived at the pier we just walked onto the
ship. This was the first cruise I had been on that there was no one available to escort you to your cabin. But
since we are seasoned (lightly) cruisers we had no problem finding our cabin.

Our cabin was beyond our wildest dreams. It was spacious (our first apartment was smaller) and clean. It
looked like it had it's share of guests ( stanins on the couch and carpet) but it was magnificient to us. As you
entered the cabin on the right hand side was a large walk in closet with a chest of drawers. Next to it was a
small bedroom with two beds and a night table. That was it. Across from the bedroom and on your left hand
side was a very nice sized bathroom. As you pass the bedroom you enter a very spacious living room with a
picure window. It had a tv, a couch (that I assume folded out to a bed) two chairs an entertainment center and
coffee table. Off to the left of that was the master bed and bath. We had a queen sized bed, large closets,
and beliveve it or not a full size bathtub in the bathroom. The bedroom also had sliding glass doors that
opened onto a small but very nice balcony. We were totaly overwhelmed. We felt like the luckiest people in
the world. We met our cabin stewardess Lina and she was such a doll. Nothing was ever too much trouble
and she kept the room looking wonderful the entire voyage. Trust me our kids can be real pigs.

We explored the ship and checked out the kids club. There were not many kids on the ship but the club was
still in operation and our kids had a great time. Other than for meals and shore excursions we never saw
them. This is a ringing endorsement. The ship did not sail for two days, and we already had seen what we
wanted in Hawaii on our own, so we stayed on the ship. We immeadiately began to feel uneasy because of
the lack of activities on the ship. We were assured by the cruise director (I have blocked his name) that all
would be well once we set sail. Also we noticed we had a problem before we ever set sail with something that
had been charged to our room as well a something that my husband had arranged for me as a surprise with
their Crowning Touches packages. The pursors office was extremely rude. My husband was so furious when
he went in a very good mood to try to resolve the problem. The women pursor was so hostile and rude that
my husband had the need to seek the hotel manager out and we had not even left port. The hotel manager
was very sympathetic and corrected the problem, however, my husband got the distinct impression that her
behavior was somehow tolerated. Later in the cruise this same pursor nearly knocked my daughter off the
dock jumping in line to catch a tender back to the ship. The water was very rough and the tender was
bouncing up and down wildly (two passengers had already fallen). She didn't even say excuse me. She
laughed as my daughter shreiked. My husband again talked to the hotel manager and got the same
sympathic but patronizing attitude. Feeling like we were wasting our time, this was the last visit to the Hotel
Manager we made.

The Shore excursions were a bit limited but we assumed it was because it was Hawaii. We took the river
cruise to the wedding cove and that was fun, but kids get bored. We also took a snorkeling adventure to
Lanai. I failed to realize that it would be snorkeling off the side of a Catamaran. I was fine until they anchored
the boat and became violently seasick. There was no way for me to get off the boat and the operators
refused to let me get off before they went looking for dolphins (although we were just yards from the same
dock we left from). While looking for dolphins I puked and passed out. I heard they actually found some. My
kids saw them before they puked on my husband and then passed out. I took comfort in the fact that we were
not the only ones. When we returned to the ship (took me 2 hours to get the courage up to get on the tender)
we promptly canceled a similar excursion and recieved a full refund. The last shore excursion my husband
and two kids went on without me. The helicopter ride over the volcano. I personally would not fly on a
helicopter because they ask you how much you weigh. If everyone lies as much as I would, we would crash.
They had a great time and is the highlight of their trip. They actually got to see the volcano active. Memories
for a lifetime.

While we visted the islands (oahu,maui,kauwai,and hawaii) very little was going on. Even in the evenings.
They had one show a night that all 2000 passengers had to squeeze in to see. There were no production
numbers. They did have John Davidson (I thought he died,looks that way too) and Carol Lawrence. We didn't
get to see the John Davidson show because it was so crowded. We sat in a bar and drank because other
than the show there was nothing else but that to do. This was the main problem throughout the cruise. If you
can believe it, for the most part (even at sea) there was only one activity going on at a time. This meant that
all 2000 passengers shuffled from one area of the ship to another. everything was always crowded.There was
no variety. As I mentioned before, we spoke to the cruise director about this and he said that basically this
was an older persons cruise and they didn't have to plan a variety of activities. We were so bored we
considered crashing the kids club for something fun to do. Give me a ship where I complain of there being too
much to do. All of this when we were at sea for 5 whole days! Even the nightclub closed up on some nights at
1am because there were few people in there. Now I understand the demographics on a cruise like this (there
were more people celebrating 50years plus of marriage than honeymooners) but most of the complaints
came from the older crowd. Bingo was THE highlight of the day and night. We wound up finding a few other
malcontents towards the end of the cruise and made our own fun.

The food was so-so. The menu was so-so but it was fun trying to get the kids to eat escargo. Our waiter Lubo
was very pleasant but a bit green. Our busboy made up for that. Lubo was excellant with the kids (I think my
daughter developed a crush on him). They ordered whatever they wanted. Our table mates were great two.
There were four ladies from Baltimore who travel together often. They were a lot of fun. There was a mother
and young daughter at our table who were conspiculously absent at tip time. Poor form. The wine stewart was
fantastic and chose well for us after inquiring what wines we enjoy at home. The guy who came along with the
fancy shooters after dinner was great too. My husband tried them once and I emphasize once. They were
sooo strong.

Disembarkation seemed okay. They made us disembark in Ensenada Mexico and then ride a bus for two
hours to the San Diego Airport. The ship was going through the canal after our trip and was boarding
passengers in San Diego. The ship arrived in San Diego before we did. When we got to the airport two of our
bags were missing. It was a nightmare trying to get them back. When we got them one bag was completely
ruined (someone had used duck tape to fix it and hoped we didn't notice-wrong). Royal Carribean says it's
the airlines fault and visa versa. We took the hit.

All and all we had a good time but have learned a valuable lesson. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually
is. Also you are responsible for your own fun. We have many happy memories from our trip, however we also
canceled another cruise we had planned with Celebrity this fall. We are going to try Carnival this time. At least
we know there will be something to do.

By the way Royal Carribean's response has been No Comment. They have never even acknoweldeged our
letters. Although we didn't lose any money we lost time. And that cannot be replaced. It took years to save up
vacation time from work to be able to free up three weeks. It is unlikely that we will ever be able to do this
again. That is what bothers us the most.

Feel free to contact me with any questions Chris Melanson Mom@coolnet.net

Name: Stewart Cohen
Email: unkey@webtv.net
Age: 43
Occupation: Contracts Assistant
NumberOfCruises: 6
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Vision
SailingDate: 06/04/00
Itinerary: Alaska Inside Passage
Cabin: 3020
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 85
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 92
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 92
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 13 Jun 2000
Time: 14:08:15
Remote Name: mail.wma.com
Remote User:

Comments

After 2 Princess cruises which were both spectacular, I wondered if Royal Caribbean would be anywhere
near as good. Especially since the ratings for its dining have been low of late. So why book in the first
place? I was offered an excellent rate and the destination, Alaska, was more important to me than cuisine,
for once. All I can say is that all of my reservations were needless. This is one gorgeous ship and even
surpassed the Dawn Princess and Grand Princess in decor. The Centrum is a design marvel that is as
functional as it is beautiful. The same goes for the lounges, dining room, buffet, spa, and solarium. Only the
main theatre did not come up to Princess' standard. I prefer the stadium seating as opposed to having 2
levels. The cabin was an outside on deck 3 towards the front of the ship. We experienced very little rocking
from the sea and know pitch (up and down movement) at all. True, we were in the Inside Passage which
most of the time was liking sailing up the Hudson River (in other words, land in sight on both sides). The
cabin seemed large for its 155 square feet. Since we were forward, the window was not as large as the
midship ones, but more than ample. The beds were very comfortable and there was room underneath for
the luggage. There was also plenty of storage place. The closet had a full length clothes rod on top and
another half rod below. The vanity/bureau had drawers as well as cupboard with shelves and a safe which
was controlled by a combination you select, tiny shelves behind the side mirrors by the vanity, and 2 side
tables by the bed. The only thing missing was a hair dryer. The bathroom had plenty of shelf space behind
the mirror, underneath the sink and also a corner shelf above the toilet. There was a retractable clothes line
in the shower (which dind't retract). Unfortunately the water pressure in the shower wasn't strong, although
the sink water pressure was fine. Our cabin steward, Alester, was perfect, like all stewards I have had
before. He was very obliging and entertaining as he made very amusing "dummies" out of the bed billows,
sofa cushions and whatever hats, shoes, walkman headphones lying around the cabin. He even slipped a
life jacket over a pillow one evening. It was truly funny in spite of the fact that I landed up having to put
everything back before going to bed. I returned the compliment on the last night by creating my own dummy
and used my gloves to hold his tip envelope. The dining room staff was excellent as well. We had a table for
4. The other 2 people were a honeymoon couple, and decided to go for maining seating, so we had the
table to ourselves, which couldn't be better. We felt spoiled, especially when we went to open seating
lunches and breakfasts and had to share our waiter with 6 other people. Not only was the service excellent,
but the food quality in the dining room exceeded my expectations, especially during lunch which turned out
to be almost as extensive as dinner. The other dining facilities were not up to the same standards, though.
We only ate lunch in the Windjammer Cafe on the first day when the dining room is not open. That was not
impressive. I didn't eat breakfast in the Windjammer and the people in the dining room who did, said the
dining room breakfast was superior. The Shipshape Actviites were excellent. We enjoyed morning stretch
classes, walk-a-thons, tai chi classes to mention a few. I used the treadmills in the gym a few times, but why
walk on a treadmill when the deck was wonderful? The other equipment in the gym looked and included
weight machines and bicylcles with animated videos.

Entertainment on board was plenty. I did not particulary care for the headline entertainment. However, the
lounge entertainers were excellent, especially Marilyn Wood, who held court at the piano in the Schooner
Bar every night. I very cordial entertainer who plays beautifully and was happy to make up lists of requests.
The dining room had live music every night.

Ports of call were the standard Inside Passage towns: Skagway, Haines, Juneau & Ketchikan. Hubbard
Glacier was visited (most cruises go to Glacier Bay). Hubbard is situated inside Yakutat Bay. It is 1 mile
across. Right next to it is Turner Glacier, smaller, but more active when we visited. Seals and bear were
spotted in addition to the calving glacier. In spite of all of the ice in the bay, the Captain managed to
navigate the ship fairly close. It was an amazing experience. The ship also visited Misty Fjord which wasn't
misty at all the day we were cruised her. It was bright and sunny. We spotted bears in the grass, which were
an extra. Now, this is by no means a close encounter and even with binoculars, they still looked like specks,
but it was fun to know they were there.

We were scheduled to take a flightseeing tour in Skagway but the the weather wasn't good and we weren't
guaranteed to get to the glaciers. So we cruised to Haines instead on the ship and took a boat ride on
Chilkoot Lake. We saw a bull moose, lots of bald eagles, including a family in a nest. In Skagway, we took a
walking tour offered by the National Parks Service for free. They also present slide shows in their theatre.
The one we attended involved a disaterous trip over the glaciers in the late 1890's. The ranger's delivery
was fun. And all for free. So if you don't feel like spending money on a tour, just head over to the Visitor's
Center.

In Juneau, I took the Mt. Roberts tramway to the top and hike for a few hours. I loved it up there and the
weather was beautiful. Saw lots of bald eagles fly by and also a red tailed Hawk. Only had time to get to the
State Museum. Would have loved to get to Mendenhall Glacier but time was limited and the Hubbard Glacier
was so wonderful. Ketchikan was the least interesting stop, in spite of all the hoopla about Creek Street. It's
a bunch of shops on a boardwalk. But the fishing out of Ketchikan was wonderful. People were returning to
the ship with 40 pound salmon.

For shopping, make certain you pick up the Visit Alaska packets distributed in the cruise terminal in
Vancouver. They include a book of coupons which had some real bargains. I picked up a 1 1/4 lb. package
of smoked salmon for $14.99. This normally goes for about $22.

In addition to the shore visits, you will see plenty of sea life on board the ship. Whales were sited a few times
and the captain announced this. I also spotted dolphins during the first day at sea.

This was truly an amazing cruise. The combination of a beautiful ship, excellent facilities, good food, and a
destination like Alaska put this one on the top of my list.

Name: Paul Nock
Email: pwnock@gate.net
Age: 58
Occupation: Retired
NumberOfCruises: 12
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Vision
SailingDate: 22 April & 3 May
Itinerary: Hawaii
Cabin: 7116 D
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 92
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff: 95
EntertainmentLounges: 98
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 98
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 85
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 Jun 2000
Time: 11:02:59
Remote Name: tsbrk2-139.gate.net
Remote User:

Comments

My wife and I took back-to-back cruises to Hawaii beginning 22 April and ending 15 May. We flew to
Acapulco on the 21st and spent the night at the Hyatt Regency Acapulco. Accommodations and food were
very good.

RCI had a representative at the hotel to answer any questions and to give any assistance needed. RCI also
has representatives at the hotels the day of embarkation to check you in. It took about 5 minutes to get our
combination boarding pass, shipboard credit card and room key.

We then got the city tour with a stop to see the cliff divers on the way to the ship. We arrived at the dock
about 2:00 and walked right on the ship. Two pieces of luggage were already in our cabin and the other 2
pieces arrived shortly.

CABIN: The cabin was category D with a balcony. We have had this category before, so we knew what to
expect. There was plenty of room and hangers for all of our stuff, even our golf clubs. The cabin was very
quiet and comfortable. We had no problem living in it for 22 nights.

CRUISE ACTIVITIES: The first 6 days were at sea. There were many activities planned. Exercise, dance
classes, lectures, pool games, horse races, bingo, etc. (all the normal things). There was also something
new since we were so many days at sea called “Academy at Sea”. You could sign up for 2 of the 5 offered.
They were: Beauty, health & fitness, hospitality & beverages, photography and theater production. We
signed up for theater production. It consisted of an hour a day for 4 days. Day 1 we went backstage to see
the (very small) changing areas for the singers and dancers and the control room for scenery changes
(mostly computerized). Day 2 covered the lighting and sound systems. We were shown how the lights were
set up for a show (again, mostly computerized and automatic) and the control panel for the audio. Day 3 we
met the dancers for a Q&A session. They told us their backgrounds and how they got into the business and
answered questions. Day 4 was the same with the singers and we got a photo (free) with the singers and
dancers. If you ever get the opportunity to go to one of these Academies, do so. You won’t regret it. The
theater staff took the time to do it right.

FOOD: Dining Room: We ate most of our meals in the dining room and overall the food was very good. 3
appetizers, 1 hot soup, one cold soup, salad, pasta, fish, chicken, beef and vegetarian with a choice of 4
desserts (one sugarless). You could also get a strip steak, chicken breast or salmon if you didn’t want any
of the other 5 entrees. Windjammer: We only ate a couple breakfasts there. Typical buffet line: pancakes,
french toast, potatoes, sausage, bacon and scrambled eggs. If you didn’t want scrambled eggs, there was
always a choice of 2 omelets. Solarium Cafe: Hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken and pizza. The hot dogs were
big and juicy and the pizza was good.

ENTERTAINMENT: By far the best of any cruise we have been on. Champagne Terrace/Centrum: Moe
Keale Trio – Hawaiian music. Very good. When they played, that area was always full of people sitting and
standing around just listening. Champagne Terrace/Centrum: Verosa Strings – Classical/easy listening.
Ditto above. Pool Deck: Hot Sands – Calypso: Also very good. Always had people dancing on the pool deck.
One of the best calypso/steel drum bands I have heard. Theater: Vision of the Seas Orchestra. Excellent.
Played backup for the headline singers (sometimes with very little rehearsal) and never missed a beat.
Wave Revue Singers & Dancers: In conjunction with the orchestra, far and away the best we have seen on
any cruise ship. All the comments we heard from other passengers supported this assessment. The music,
choreography, costumes, singing and dancing were outstanding. The Masquerade Theater: Very well
planned. Only a few seats behind columns. The acoustics were excellent and included surround sound (you
could hear the helicopter coming and going). There was also an excellent special dance show on board the
ship in Honolulu by local school children.

CRUISE DIRECTOR & STAFF: The cruise director, Allen “Bobby” Brown was one of the best. When he
wasn’t busy with other duties, he was walking around the ship and always had time to say hello and talk for a
minute. Shore excursion staff: Again, excellent. Allen Herring, the shore excursion manager was always
available to answer questions and was always ashore to make sure everyone got on the right bus and
everything went smoothly. The rest of his staff was also very knowledgeable and helpful. Purser’s Desk:
Always ready to help and answer questions. One example: We purchased the “Luxury Romance” package
for the 2nd cruise. The package included a bottle of Perrier Jouet Flower Bottle Champagne in our cabin.
What we got was a bottle of Moet & Chandon. I went to the purser’s desk and explained the problem. The
correct bottle of champagne arrived in our cabin shortly after that.

SHORE EXCURSIONS: We got all of the excursions we planned on. We played golf 4 times thru the Golf
Ahoy program and everything worked as advertised. All other tours were thru the ship’s excursion desk with
Roberts of Hawaii (Grey Line). Robert’s is excellent. The buses are new, air conditioned and comfortable.
The drivers/tour guides are knowledgeable (they knew the history of the area, the flowers & trees, and
generally answered all questions). They were also good drivers (this is important on Haleakela Crater tour).

DINING ROOM SERVICE: Our waiter, Dodjie, was so good that when our head waiter asked where we
wanted to sit for the second cruise, we said wherever Dodjie is. That request was honored, so we had the
same waiter for all 22 nights. One example: a gentleman on the 2nd cruise requested papaya for desert the
first night. From then on, Dodjie asked if he wanted Papaya for dessert. That’s just one example of the
service Dodjie provided.

CABIN ATTENDENT: Our cabin attendant, Suzanne, was also excellent. The cabin was always spotless and
she kept us supplied with ice, soda and bottled water. When we saw her in the hall, she always had a smile
and a hello.

THE SHIP: Well organized deck plan, very easy to get from place to place and plenty of elevators. Lots of
public areas, we never felt crowded, even with so many days at sea (6 to Hawaii and 5 to Vancouver). The
ship was very stable. We had 50-60 MPH winds and 13’ seas one day on the way to Vancouver and it was
still a comfortable ride.

We would do this cruise again and we will cruise RCI again. We have been on RCI nine times, HAL
(Statendam) once and NCL(Norway) once and we still like Royal Caribbean the best.

Name: Rich Ryba
Email: popaone99@yahoo.com
Age: 57
Occupation: Supervisor
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Vision
SailingDate: 06/25/00
Itinerary: Vancouver-alaska
Cabin: 4552 F
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 93
DiningRoomService: 98
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 98
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 88
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 94
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 75
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 92
EmbarkDisembark: 88
DiscoNightclubs: 87
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jul 2000
Time: 19:47:29
Remote Name: proxy1-external.wodhvn1.mi.home.com
Remote User:

Comments

Just returned from 7 day cruise aboard the RCCL Visions of the Sea from Vancouver to Alaska.
Along with two other couples my wife and I experienced a wonderful and memorable cruise and would
recommend this trip to everyone. We are 5 time cruisers, first time on RCCL.

Our group picked the pre-cruise package which was a day before sailing in Vancouver. This package
allowed us to see some of the city as well as rest up from our air travels. I would like to mention here
that we were not too pleased with our air itinerary furnished by RCCL because we needed to make a
layover stop in Minneapolis then fly to Seattle and bus from Seattle to Vancouver which was a 3 1/2
hour bus ride. After some heated phone calls we were able to change the front end of our air trip
which allowed us to fly direct to Vancouver after the Minneapolis stopover. Make sure you get the
type of air travel that will be easiest for you. Our pre-cruise package also allowed us to be checked in
for our cruise portion at the hotel which eliminated the need to stand in the long lines at the Dock
before boarding.

The entire cruise was packed with adventure. The inside passage to Alaska is just filled with beauty
and breath taking scenery. Each mile we seemed to travel just proved that Mother Nature does know
best.

Well when you cruise you have to eat and boy the food was good. Breakfest, Lunch & Dinner was
great each and every day. Our Dining room wait staff was, I think, the best we have had on any
cruise to date, there was never an empty glass or cup during dinner, we were treated like royalty. If,
on the other hand, you wanted buffet style dining the Windjammer cafe was the place to go, very
orderly and once again plenty of good food.

All our ports of call, Skagway, Haines, Juneau & Ketchikan just brought you much closer to the
beauty of this state. The shore excursions were somewhat pricey but many included seaplane tours
and boat tours which account for the expenses. The shore tours are a great way to see the wildlife
and marinelife prevalent in this area. We were, however, disappointed with our stop in Haines. This is
a very small community with not much happening. In my opinion, it would be better to eliminate this
stop and allow more time in the other ports.

Our cabins aboard ship were very adequate,and clean, and our cabin steward was always around
both during the daylite hours as well as in the evening and ready to assist if needed. Our
accomodations met our needs very nicely.

A variety of entertainment is always a plus on a cruise. RCCL did in fact have great entertainers to
keep everyone happy. Top names such as comedian Rondell Sheridan and Bowzer of SHA NA NA
Fame highlited the evening shows. Each and every show was something special and enjoyable.

Last but not the least was the daily on board activities to keep both old and young alike busy.
Children and teens had their own area where they could hang out and be themselves,of course
supervised by the RCCL staff. And the older folks had bingo, a variety of show games, and of course
the Casino Royale to keep them quite busy throughout the day. But if you so chose, weather
permitting, a good book and lounge chair on deck or in the solarium was the order of the day.

I could go on and on about this cruise and never paint the picture that it truly conveys. all I can say is
'If you are looking for a great experinace' then by all means this is the cruise to take.

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