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Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Oliver Magri
Email: omagri@melita.net
Age: 41
Occupation: Airline Purser
NumberOfCruises: 9
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: November 21,1999
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 8246/D8
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 79
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 85
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Nov 1999
Time: 13:32:20
Remote Name: 194.177.32.5
Remote User:
Comments
Having cruised 6 times with RCCL on Nordic Empress/Splendour/Enchantment and Sovereign of
the Seas, great things
were expected of 'Voyager of the Seas'. We were a group of 23 friends who booked way back
in September 1998. Some
of the group booked inside cabins while others opted for cabins with private balconies. I
was lucky enough to be upgraded
to a category D8 cabin with a private balcony. Group was quite satisfied with the cabins
especially since shower space has
been markedly increased on this ship (no more shower space jokes during the whole cruise).
We had originally opted for
the Nov21 departure thinking it would be the ship's 3rd cruise. When it transpired that
Nov 21,1999 would be the inaugural
trip, I had mixed feelings about the cruise. I need not have worried. Despite having
booked almost 2800 guests, RCCL
handled the whole thing admirably. Checking in went smoothly thanks to the spanking new
terminal built purposely for the
'Eagle' class ships.
VOYAGER OF THE SEAS :
The ship is 'awesome'. I have always liked the classy interior design of RCCL's vessels
and the trend has been continued
on 'Voyager'. Upon boarding everyone naturally rushes to view the 'Royal Promenade' from
the various vantage points. It
is truly incredible. During the cruise, this promenade proved to be a focal point for
various activites. It also proved handy
when meeting friends for coffee etc. La Scala theatre is also purposely built with a
proper stage. Various columns
throughout the theatre made it difficult for a small number of guests to have an
unobstructed view of the stage. The
'Shipshape Centre' is also fantastic. As on 'Splendour' it has a 'Roman' motif with
various statues adorning the place.
Sauna and Steam room are huge, however the former was always too hot whilst the latter was
cold.We were all curious to
see what the ice-skating rink would look like. Although at first sight the place looks
stark, it is truly a magnificent show
room with a vast array of lights and a multipurpose screen. Windjammer Cafe and Island
Grill were the two buffet
restaurants. The first franchise at sea, 'Johnny Rockets' served burgers and the like 24
hours a day. Portofino restaurant
was the intimate setting for serving Italian food. However, the jewel on this ship must
surely be the three interconnected
dining rooms - Carmen, La Boheme and Magic Flute. These were visually stunning with a huge
chandelier illuminating all
three floors.
THE CRUISE:
We were a bit disappointed that RCCL does not put on anything special for an inaugural
cruise. Perhaps we are still
influenced by what we see on 'The Love Boat' TV series. Ship left a bit late and followed
Carnival's Destiny out of Miami
harbour. Ships saluted each other by blowing their horns ( I could detect a tiny hint of
jealousy on Destiny's part). It was
incredibly smooth sailing for the next 7 days however the ship shuddered everytime the
azipods were used to turn the
vessel. Since seas were very smooth we could not judge how the ship would handle rough
weather.
THE FOOD :
Food was good in the dining room (lobster a bit tough) and Cafes. Food was excellent in
Portofino. During the stop in
Cozumel, very little food was provided in Windjammer/Island Grill restaurants for those
who remained on board. Basically it
was salads, bread and luncheon meat (build your own sandwich) I thought this to be
unbelievable coming from RCCL !!
SERVICE :
Cruise director probably had a lot to do since he only appeared for official functions and
parades. As with the feeling of
the whole ship he came over as efficient but cold. Purser's Desk staff were mostly helpful
and accomodating. Cabin
Steward was efficient but was not into making designs with pillows !!. Our dining room
waiter and assistant waiter were not
up to usual RCCL standards. They served us efficiently but were hardly warm and friendly.
Some of this could have been
due to language problems. On most of my other cruise I wanted to take the staff home. Not
after this cruise. Special
mention must however go to our head waiter who was constantly in our area and saved the
day for our table. He always
had time for us and also accepted our complaints and suggestions. Waiters did not sing on
this cruise. There was a
problem with the audio system in the dining room so we hope that the singing returns
A.S.A.P. Flambes have also been
discontinued following an accident however I hope RCCL reverses this decision.
SHOWS:
The shows on 'Voyager' were either excellent or mediocre. The wave Revue dancers were
certainly very professional but
the shows tried to put a modern touch to everything, even beloved tunes from Broadway.On
the other hand the
'Dreamscape' show was excellent. The farewell show was pathetic except for the Chinese
juggler Guiming Meng. Again the
crew made a token appearance and everything was over before it had begun. On 'Splendour of
the Seas' the crew sang a
'We are the World' type of farewell song which brought tears to everybody's eyes. Ben
Vereen was also a disapponitment.
The three parades down The Royal Promenade were an innovative touch however the 'Millenium
Parade' was not worth
waiting up for.The Mardi Gras show was very colorful with some nice costumes. Something
must have gone wrong prior to
the laser show since the screen went up as fast as it came down. The best show on board
was definitely 'Ice Jammin' in
Studio B. RCCL have a winner with this ice rink. Shows were very professional,colorful and
upbeat.
CRUISE IN REVIEW :
Would I cruise with RCCL again ? Definitely. I still think they offer a good product for a
reasonable price on the most
beautiful cruise ships. Would I cruise on an Eagle class ship again ? Probably. The cruise
itself was O.K. Although the
ship is beautiful it is not for those who seek warmth and a homely feeling. As stated the
crew were efficient but did not
seem very friendly. I might have been conditioned by our own waiting staff and the lack of
singing in the dining room. Once
these problems are ironed out I hope to cruise on Voyager/Adventure/Explorer of the Seas
without any qualms
whatsoever.
Name: Debi B.
Email: voyager 112199@yahoo.com
Age: 30s
Occupation: academic
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: 11/21/99
Itinerary: Labadee/OchoRios/Cozumel
Cabin: DB
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 80
FoodLidoDeck: 99
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 99
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 40
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff: 85
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 99
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 85
BeautySalon: 85
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 85
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 96
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Nov 1999
Time: 20:49:29
Remote Name: 1cust247.tnt5.dfw5.da.uu.net
Remote User:
Comments
Embarking/Debarking - Very efficient. We were on the ship 3 hours before official boarding
time began!
Cabin - nice, neutral decor. Immaculately clean. Cabin amenities were NOT as advertized,
though. The 'refrigerator' was a
minibar which could not be used for any personal items because of a sensor that
automatically added charges if any items
were removed. The 'radio' was a switch on the wall to provide elevator music. The 'clock'
was a digital time readout on the
phone that could not be seen in the dark and could not be used as an alarm (and wakeup
call didn't work consistently). In
our aft cabin, the engine noise and vibration were pretty strong, though this is not a
problem anywhere else on the ship.
Ship layout - Very easy to get around, even at 137,300 GRT (yes, I know RCCL advertizes
142,000, but that's a little bit of
an exaggeration, according to official records, such as can be seen posted near the front
of the ship). The completely
circumferential promenade on deck 4 was wonderful for a stroll each morning and evening.
Elevators were a little
crowded.
Ship decor - Very modern and innovative, but not too bizarre. Some areas such as the pub
and the dining room were very
classic. The casino was ultra-glitzy. Others, like the disco, were post-modern. Very high
quality, including 12 million dollar
artwork collection.
Deck/pools - Beautiful. Not crowded at all, with only 2855 passengers on the first
sailing. Deck monitor kept chairs clear of
towels! Whirlpools were always full of kids and teens, though.
Entertainment - We skipped most of the main shows, but the two we did see had very
impressive special effects. There
was very enjoyable live music of different types playing in several different venues
nightly throughout the ship. We were
disappointed, however, that RCCL had advertized on their website that 'world champion
figure skaters join Broadway
legends on maiden voyage' and had gotten lots of newspapers including the Washington post
to report this, but it never
happened. They only had one 'Broadway legend', i.e., Ben Vereen, but their version of
'world champion figure skaters'
was a pre-recorded video of Peggy Fleming introducing Voyager's professional skaters, and
a pre-recorded TV video of
K. Witt naming the ship!!!
Activities - Didn't offer all the traditional shipboard activities, such as galley tours,
trivia contests and dance lessons, that
I'd heard of. Many of the listed 'activities' were just advertizements for the cigar
lounge, spa, etc. However, there was
always lots to do on the ship!
Service - Same as at a resort or fine restaurant. It seemed adequate, though I don't have
any other cruises to which to
compare it.
Food - The buffets had an excellent variety and quality. Dinners provided good to
excellent food.
Passengers - Mostly ages 40s-60s. Some families, but this is not really a family ship. The
life-sized adult nude statues
complete with genitalia around the atrium pool don't create a child-friendly environment.
The 'St. Tropez' sunbathing area
is not clearly marked, and I heard someone complaining that adults were 'exposing
themselves' to children. And the
in-cabin information states that evening shows shouldn't be considered appropriate for
children.
Ports - Signing up for excursions was done in just 5 min using the interactive TV in our
room. Labadee was relaxing,
though the sand was a little muddy and the water was murky. Those renting jetskis seemed
to have the best time. Waiting
for tenders for a couple thousand people was excruciating. Dunn's River Falls at Ocho Rios
was a fun adventure. The
Tulum ruins at Cozumel were well worth the long bus ride, though we wished we'd gotten a
chance to swim in that crystal
clear water.
Name: Sandra Noto
Email: snoto8399@aol.com
Age: 32
Occupation: Medical Sales
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: November 21, 1999
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 6264 Cat. D6
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 100
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 75
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 100
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 100
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 100
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 01 Dec 1999
Time: 10:54:53
Remote Name: spider-tl051.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
The November 21, 1999 sailing was the inaugural voyage of this tremendous ship. I had
cruised out of Miami only one
other time and was shocked at the changes made. Checkin was smooth and easy. There must be
30 stations for checkin.
That made the process go really fast. I arrived at the pier by 11AM and was on board by
1130AM. Once I got on the ship I
was speechless. She is gorgeous! The centrum is beautiful and goes all the way to the top.
I went immedicately to my
cabin to see what it looked like. I was quite impressed when I opened the door. It was
spacious and decorated well. I was
impressed by the decor. Soft shades of blue.
The balcony was smaller than I've had on other ships, but seeing this ship
has more balcony rooms available then other ships I could understand. I went to the
Windjammer for lunch. Good food
and a good selection. Attached to the Windjammer is the Island Grill where you can also
get hamburgers and other grilled
delights. It is a very nice addition to the buffet lunch. Next door to the Windjammer is
the Portofino Restaurant. Though I
did not have the opportunity to dine there, others said the food was great. Service was a
little slow. It was not staffed
properly in the beginning of the cruise, but the problem was fixed by the end. There is a
$5 service fee per person to dine
there. If you choose to eat there, make a reservation early. It fills up fast. The pool
deck is the same as on others. I will say
they managed to add a few more chairs.
Johnny Rockets is also another place to eat. A traditional 50's diner and the
burgers are great. I also had the best milkshake ever there. Give it a try. Food is at no
charge, but a gratuity is
appreciated at the time of service. The artwork around the ship is unbelievable. Total
value is about $12 million. Take the
time to look at all of it. For those inernet buffs out there who can hardly leave home
without it, don't panic. There is
internet service available to check and send email, and surf the net in the library. Be
aware it is not free! .50 cents per
minute! It is worth it if you have to check that mail. There is also a business services
department for those that need to fax
ect. The casino is great. There are a lot of different machines to choose from, and tables
abound.
The promenade is the
center piece of the entire ship. A 24 hour cafe to get food and beverages, jewelry store,
a small casino with slots, a sports
bar with many TV screens, an old English Pub called the Pig and Whistle, the traditional
RCCL merchandise store, a
clothing store with perfume and cosmetics, and finally the shop to buy liquor and
toilettries. The promenade is constantly a
source for entertainment. there are small shows going on all the time. Comics walk around
entertaining. Performers sing
and dance. There is entertainment nightly in the Pig and Whistle. The one thing I will say
is at night this area gets very
crowded. It is extremely difficult to get from one end to the other. The Captains cocktail
party is also held in this area. Very
crowded that night! For those of you who have children, the Adventure Ocean program is
great. There is a whole section
devoted just for kids. Many passengers were impressed with RCCL's commitment to kids and
families.
One of the best
programs I've seen yet. The showrooms is gigantic. It was nice to be in a very large
theater. Studio B is where the ice
shows happen. You can also skate there yourself during the day for a nominal fee. There is
an all skate program for
beginners on up, and then an advanced skate for those who brought there own skates and can
show some ability. It was
very fun to be able to say I skated on a ship in the middle of the caribbean! I did not
take advantage of the rock climbing
wall, but the people using it were having a great time! Golf was fun. There is a nine hole
putting green and a simulator for
those who really want to play. I would tell you to try both. I did not use the excersize
facilities. I can work out a home! I did
go in to see what it looked like. Great place! I wish my gym at home looked like this! The
spa and beauty salon are the
same high quality as on the other ships. A little expensive, but they know what they're
doing.
The dining room. It took my
breath away. It was open the first day for those that wanted a peek. I started on deck 5,
the Magic Flute. It was done in
very light colors, and was very well organized. The giant chandelier hanging from the
center was one of the most beautiful
I've seen. From here, you can look down in the center all the way to the Carmen dining
room on deck 3. The grand
staircase at the back takes you all the way to the bottom. It will just take your breath
away. I have cover quite a bit, but I
am sure I am missing some details. It was hard to take it all in in one week! There were
some things I was disappointed
with. For those repeaters who enjoy the dining rooms on other RCCL ships you will notice a
difference. The food has been
upgraded in the dining room. That is a good thing. They are trying to get the food up to
Celebrity standards. Kudos for
RCCL. However, no more sing by the waiters. I personally liked it when they did, and it
was something I missed this cruise.
The dining room experience is becoming more elegant. I also have to say that I was
disappointed with the nightly activities.
For those of you familiar with the games played on the ship, you will either be
disappointed or happy. There aren't any on
this ship. The only game played was the not so newlywed game. I missed the scavenger hunt
game. I have played it every
cruise. It has different names on different ships, but you get the idea.
I was quite upset every night to read the cruise
compass and find no games. They were my favorite part of the evening. I will also say that
I am not happy with the
itinerary. Labadee is not a favorite of mine and neither is Ocho Rios. I wish they would
have put the ship elsewhere, but I
can understand the logic. they want you to enjoy the ship more than the ports of call. I
did not set foot on land for the first
5 days of the cruise! I really did take the time to enjoy what Voyager has to offer.
Cozumel was the only port I touched
down in! The Voyager is an experience I would highly recommend to take. I would, however,
wait a few weeks or months
for the staff to work out the kinks. There were some small problems, but I am willing to
overlook them seeing it was the
maiden voyage. I'm sure they will have everything running smoothly in the next few weeks.
I hope so, because I am
booked back on the ship at the end of January! I am looking forward to discovering the
things I missed, and enjoying the
things I loved. Thanks for reading!
Name: patrick harvan
Email: pjharvan@yahoo.com
Age: 30
Occupation: banking communications
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: 11-28-99
Itinerary: western caribbean
Cabin: D7
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: na
CruiseStaff: 80
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 90
FoodMidnightBuffets: na
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: na
CasinoStaff: na
PrivateIsland: na
GoodForFamilies: 80
LoungeService: 85
TenderService: na
GoodForSeniors: na
BeautySalonStaff: na
EntertainmentLounges: 80
WheelchairAccess: 85
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 80
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: na
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: na
AirSeaProgram: na
MedicalFacilities: na
ShipCleanliness: 85
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 80
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 08 Dec 1999
Time: 12:05:28
Remote Name: psis103.advanta.com
Remote User:
Comments
My review will be brief and only highlight special details and things out of the ordinary.
Plenty of others
write about the generics.
This is my second cruise with RCCI. The first was is April on Grandeur.
Hands down, Voyager is a stunning ship. An absolute marvel of science, technology and
entertainment.
Kudos to RCCI for not cutting any corners and sparing no expense. If you spent the whole 7
days on
board, you'd have a great vacation. Ignore those who nitpick.
Embarkation/Debarkation - more points for RCCI. I was dreading the whole process, but it
was as easy as
checking out at the grocery store.
Food - Food was excellent in the dining room. I was very disappointed with the lack of
quality and variety in
the Windjammer for breakfast and lunch. Miss the dining room shows, regardless of who got
torched and
where.
Service - Biggest disappointment of the whole cruise, with the exception of the pursers,
who were markedly
better than my Grandeur experience. Overall, service was very average - nothing
outstanding or stellar.
The ship and crew are too new, and there is no sense of teamwork or camaraderie on the
ship. Crew
members didn't even say hi when passing them in the hall. Dining room service was above
average, but
not excellent. Hopefully this will improve when everyone is more at home.
Royal Promenade - Loved the shops. Many items priced comparable to deals found on shore.
Very happy
with the sports bar & continuous ESPN. The parades (especially the first one) were
very good.
Pool/Sun areas - very happy with expansion of quality deck seating. "Reserving"
chairs at 7am no longer
necessary to get a good place in the sun.
Itinerary - I strongly recommend spending the day in Cozumel at Chankanaab (spelling?)
National Park -
the beach and snorkeling were all satisfactory, especially for the price. The itinerary is
weak, and with good
reason. I think I'll prefer the Explorer and its eastern Caribbean stops.
Biggest Disappointment - All the pools and hot tubs are closed by 7:30 - 8pm ----WHY??? I
understand the
need to clean them, but there are those of us who like to use the facilities after the
sun's gone down. It
would be nice if at least the Solarium was open until 9 or 10pm.
In the end, the cruise was worth it and I would go again, especially for the $1100 I spent
for a D7 balcony
cabin.
Name: Adina Pierce
Email: adina_pierce@hp.com
Age: 26
Occupation: Web Engineer
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: December 5, 1999
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 1645, Category M
FoodDiningRoom: 80
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 60
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 50
CabinSteward: 80
ShoreExcVariety:
FoodVariety: 60
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 100
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 50
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService:
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 70
OverallPortsofCall: 70
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities: 80
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 26 Dec 1999
Time: 16:58:39
Remote Name: palwebproxy1.core.hp.com
Remote User:
Comments
Background This was the third voyage of Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas, December 5
to
December 12. My husband and I are both 26 years old. This was our 3rd cruise, the first
being on the
Monarch of the seas in May 1997, and Costa Victoria in January 1999.
Ship The Voyager of the Seas is the most amazing and beautiful ship in the world. They put
a lot of careful
thought and planning (and money) into every aspect of the ships design. The dining room is
just
spectacular. Photos really don’t do it justice. You just have to see it to be amazed!
The Royal Promenade
is also amazing. You don’t even feel like you are on a cruise ship when you stroll
down the aisle.
The pool area was very nice, and there were literally thousands of lounge chairs
available. It never felt too
crowded by the pool. They also had many large hot tubs, which were very popular. They had
a separate
children’s pool at the rear of the ship with a slide, but I never saw it in
operation.
We tried miniature golf one day, and it was very challenging! We never had time to try the
rock climbing or
ice-skating, but people that were participating looked like they were having a good time.
Room We stayed in stateroom 1645 on Deck 10 (inside cabin). I thought it was very
spacious, and their
was more than ample storage for our luggage and clothing. I never felt too crammed in this
room.
Entertainment The entertainment was pretty good on this ship. I highly recommend the ice
show. It was
excellent! What they don’t tell you in the beginning, is they show the same ice show
5 times during the
week. I talked to a few people that saw it twice! Rain also performed 1 night, and they
were pretty good.
The lighting and sound system in both the La Scala theater and the Studio B ice rink were
state of the art.
You can tell they spent a lot of money in this area.
Food Our dinner table was 510, in the Magic Flute dining room, deck 5 – main seating.
Our waiter was
Hector from Jamaica and our assistant waitress was Sirin from Turkey. The service was
pretty good, but
every night it took over an hour to get our dinners. Hector kept apologizing for the food
taking so long. He
also kept apologizing about the quality of the food. He admitted that its not as good as
it used to be (on
other ships). Everyone on our table agreed. I think the food was always good, but
definitely not great like it
should be. Coke, diet coke, and sprite were free at dinnertime along with iced tea,
lemonade, juice, coffee,
and tea. This is the first time that I have seen sodas free for dinner.
We were planning on trying out the Portofino restaurant one night for dinner, but I talked
to quite a few
people about it, and they all said it was horrible, save your money. (There is a $8 pp
charge to eat there).
Everyone I talked to said the food was bland and the service was horrible (it took over 2
hours to get their
meals!). Hopefully they will get their act together soon!
I think Johnny Rockets was an excellent addition to the ship. We at lunch there twice, and
stopped by a
couple times for a late night snack. Around lunch time., there was always a wait to get
in. The waitresses
were very friendly., and they frequently started singing and dancing to the music. (YMCA,
etc) It was
definitely a fun place to eat, but plan on waiting a while to get your food. I don’t
think they expected the
place to be so popular! The food is free (hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese,
etc.); but
milkshakes and sodas were extra.(3.75 for a shake, $1.50 for soda). The hours open were 8
am to 2 am.
We never tried breakfast there, but we heard it was really good.
Another great place to eat for a snack any time was the Cafe Promenade, which was open 24
hours a day.
They serve various desserts, cookies, pre-made sandwiches, and pizza.
The place on the ship that had the worst food, in my opinion, was the Windjammer Café and
Island Grill. I’m
not a big fan of buffets, and these made me dislike buffets even more. The selection of
food was horrible,
and the warm entrees were always cold. They also didn’t plan the menus very well. For
example, they had
someone carving roast beef, but they didn’t offer any gravy or mashed potatoes to go
with it. I highly
recommend eating at the dining room or at Johnny’s for lunch.
Miscellaneous: This sailing had 3111 guests according to Captain Petterson. Most of the
cabins were
booked, but since there weren't that many children on board, we did not hit the ships
capacity of 3800. I
heard that the Christmas cruise will have 600+ children on board!!
Royal Caribbean has cut down on a lot of things since my last cruise with them. There was
only one
midnight buffet (Gala Buffet). I guess with the 24 hour Café Promenade and Johnny's, they
felt they didn't
need the midnight buffets anymore. The food offerings at dinnertime were not as varied,
lobster was only
served one night, and it was only ˝ a lobster. Also, the waiters don’t do any kind
of song and dance
routine after dinner anymore, they cut-out flaming cherries jubilee and baked Alaska
(apparently they
caused the sprinkling system to go off on another cruise) You also can’t take a
galley tour anymore,
because someone fell in the galley on a previous cruise, so they don’t want to deal
with the liability. Movies
in the stateroom cost money, a whopping $8.95 per movie!!! This used to be free, so I
think this high
charge is ridiculous. There is also no movie theater on board.
Despite all the people on board, the ship never felt too crowded. I would suggest using
the stairs as often
as possible though, because the elevators seemed to take forever.
We signed up for the Open Water Certification course on the ship, which was an intense 5
day course.
There were only 4 students in our class, so it was perfect. We did 4 of the dives in the
ships pool, 2 dives
in Jamaica off a boat, and 2 dives in Cozumel at Playa Corona (a shore dive). Back home,
it generally
takes about 4-8 weeks to become certified, so this was a big time-saver for us. Sure, we
had to study a lot,
but what better thing to do while laying out on deck!
Ports Miami: Miami is very scary at night. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, Downtown Miami
which was a
pretty nice hotel. We decided to walk to Bayside Marketplace and had dinner at
"Hooters". I would not
recommend walking, even though it is only 10 minutes away. There are a lot of pan-handlers
in the streets,
and they harassed us. I did not feel safe at all.
Labadee: The ship had to tender in this port. I didn't think Labadee was nice at all. The
beaches are pretty
small. We wanted to go snorkeling in the water (we have our own equipment) but they
required you to pay
$5 to rent a mandatory snorkeling vest. I saw 1 fish, my husband saw zero. Visibility in
the water was
horrible. I would definitely not recommend snorkeling here.
Ocho Rios: We got off the ship to go on dive boat for scuba diving. When we got back, we
went straight to
the ship, since it was too late to do anything else.
Cozumel: Excellent Scuba Diving at Playa Corona. We went shopping downtown afterwards.
Split $5 taxi
cost to get from pier to downtown. This port has the nicest people from any port we have
ever been to. The
shopping was also great. Went into Carlos and Charlies to check it out, and had the
obligatory Corona
beer.
Disembarkation: This was the smoothest disembarkation I have ever experienced. They called
our color
before 8 am (we were still waiting for our breakfast to be served). After eating we walked
down the
gangway with our carry ons, showed our passport to the official (there was no line at all
for this) went to the
orange luggage area and saw our luggage right away, checked in with TWA which was a few
steps away
(again, no line at all) then proceeded to the bus outside, where we just waited 5 minutes
for it to fill up, then
on our way to the airport! I was amazed at how efficient and fast everything went!
Overall, this was one of the best vacations I have ever been on. Scuba diving was a blast,
the ship was
incredible, the food was decent, and all the people were so nice. This was also one of the
most exhausting
vacations that I have ever been on. There was so much to do, I never had time to relax!
Admittedly, that is
my favorite kind of vacation though. After going on this cruise, I don’t think I
could go back to a smaller ship
like the Monarch. I think I would become bored to fast. Explorer and Adventure of the
Seas, here I come!
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