rci-voyager6

Note - this page contains multiple reviews.

Name: Chris Zenchenko
Email: zenchc@dnr.state.wi.us
Age: 38
Occupation: State Technology Access Coordinator
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: 01/23/00
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 3608/H
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 60
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 87
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 75
ShoreExcVariety: 82
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 77
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 93
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 75
TenderService: 97
GoodForSeniors: 85
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 78
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 93
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 65
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 89
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 98
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 85
Stabilization: 97
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 83
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 23 Apr 2000
Time: 14:09:40
Remote Name: usrpri-4-102.inwave.com
Remote User:

Comments

After being back from my cruise on Voyager of the Seas for a few weeks I am now ready to make comments
on what worked and what didn't.

First, I likely would not cruise with RCCL again. I certainly would never cruise with them for the same price I
paid to travel on Voyager of the Seas. Our tickets were around $1,350 for nice outside cabins on the third
deck. The ship was everything—and more—than people have been saying. It was comfortable and filled with
interesting places to visit and things to see.

The cabins we had were in a quiet hall on Deck 3. There were only a few cabins on this deck and all were in
small halls that you had to know were there, or you would walk right on by. The rooms were not as big as what
we had on Destiny, but I liked them as well or better. The shower had good water pressure, and the cabin was
small without being crowded. The mini bar/refrigerator was never used because we didn't want to run the risk
of accidentally moving one of the items and getting charged for it. The TV was only used for making shore
tour reservations, and was placed so that you couldn't watch it in bed. Not a problem for us, but many people
might have a problem with this. The beds were easily moved around and were comfortable. Because the ship
is so new, the carpet was clean and did not yet smell too strongly of smoke. RCCL should consider at least
making a few cabins on each deck non- smoking.

Now, let's go back to the beginning.

We were booked on the 10th cruise of Voyager of the Seas. We did not do an air/sea package, but arrived
the night before by train. We got to the port about 12:45pm, and the check in was fast and easy. We were in
our cabins, and then to the Windjammer to find food well before 2:00pm.

The first meal was okay, but we had no idea that for the rest of the week, things would stay the same or get
worse. I had some carved roast beef that was almost cold and only a few minutes after I got mine, it was gone,
never to be replaced with more.

That's the way it went all week in the Windjammer. They would serve something, and once it was gone they
replaced it with other items or nothing. The usual food on the lines was leftover food from the night before in
the dining room. We couldn't know this the first afternoon, but it didn't take long to figure out what was going
on. Leftover dessert is one thing, but left over lamb! After our first meal we set out to explore the ship and
some of our group hit the interactive TV to get signed up for the shore tours we wanted.

We promptly got lost exploring the ship. Ducking through doorways and down halls, we moved forward on
deck three from our cabins to find the theater. We found it and then tried to return. We couldn't do it. Finally
asking a crew member we were told, ‘You can't get there from here.’ You have to go up to Deck 4 or 5, and
then back down. We always carry our video camera and audio equipment, so we knew we couldn't go through
the casino on Deck 4. This was probably wrong, as I will explain later, but for the time being we were faced with
going up and through the crowds on Deck 5 (Promenade). We ducked back through the halls and doors we
found before, this time noticing that many were labeled ‘staff only.’ We never tried that route again.

The theater spans three decks, but you can't get down front on the main floor directly from Deck 2 (the level
it’s on). We found that you could enter from Deck 3, and walk down the aisle, but the trip was always an
adventure. We could go up to Deck 4, and go outside, past the lifeboat stations and shuffleboards but later in
the week, wet paint, work crews, and locked doors turned that route into quite a challenge. Going up to Deck 5
is fine, but the bottlenecks on this ship can be a bit much just before a popular activity. Deck five is one of
those bottlenecks, if you are on the lower decks, aft. You have no real choice but to go up to Deck 5 and
forward.

The first afternoon, before leaving port, there is always a mandatory lifeboat drill. After that, just enough time
to hopefully find your luggage has been delivered to your cabin. You can then settle in and get ready for your
first evening in the dining room. We were a group of eight, and our table was #473. It was on Deck 4, just up
the stairs from our little hidden hallway. The table was up on a platform in a corner with two large picture
windows that looked out on the ocean. Nice spot for watching the sunset and checking the weather. We like
the first seating so that we have the rest of the evening to see the shows and get hungry for any midnight
offerings. The service in the dining room was good, but there were too many people working with you. First
your waiter, then the assistant waiter, next the bar service waiter, then the wine steward. The head waiter also
might put in an appearance.

At least soda was included with the evening meal in the dining room. We were not happy to learn this was not
true at breakfast or lunch. Your waiter or his assistant handled the soda orders. With five people stopping by
during the meal, things were not as relaxed as I would like. Most of our group doesn't drink and the bar service
guy tried every evening to interest us in something, but with no luck. I will say he was quite polite and nice.
Must have been discouraging.

On the issue of the dining room we come to the first of my major complaints. When we were on Destiny we had
our table for every meal if we wanted it. We always ate in the dining room for breakfast, and so figured on
doing the same on Voyager. The first morning we headed for breakfast with part of our group. We were met at
the door and sent to a different table with about 20 places set. We sat and waited for several minutes before
we were asked what we wanted. There were enough empty places for the rest of our group, but when they
arrived at the door they were told there was no more room and they would have to wait. Knowing they were
there via radio, we told them to come on in because we had room. They were not allowed to join us. Finally
one of us had to go to the door and bring them in to our table. That first morning was our last in the dining
room for breakfast. The service was slow, and we soon learned the food was exactly the same as in the
Windjammer and Island grill. Also, there was no trouble about tables up there. Because of our experience at
breakfast, we never tried lunch. Several people reported similar problems at noon.

RCCL was not off to a good start with me, and things got far worse before the week was over. The dining room
problems were a sign of things to come. The company has always been ranked high for service. That may be
true on other ships, but not even close on Voyager.

I have to say a word here about the cruise director. His name was Ken Rush, and he may have done his job,
but what that was, I am not sure. We had, in my opinion, the best cruise director on any ship, with any
company, when we sailed on Destiny. After him, there is no way anyone is going to ever come close. I would
add that if our Destiny cruise director were cruise director on a raft, I would sail with him. So with that in mind, I
guess I was expecting more then Ken could deliver. He was there to introduce only the main shows. He was on
the ship-wide PA to urge us to play bingo. He may have worked well with his staff, but we never saw the results
of that, or him. When he or his staff did games, they seemed to like to hear themselves talk. The instructions
were always too long and complicated. It made watching or being a part of the games a strain.

As long as I am on the director, I might as well mention the shows and our next major gripe. The shows were
one hour or less. They ran to the same format every night. The staff introduced the cruise director, who then
introduced the entertainment. Many nights it was comedy, and usually good. Still the shows were not
captivating. Good and ok to be at, but nothing you would miss after the cruise.

We always record audio and shoot video. It's for home use and to remember the trip. On Voyager, we were
ordered not to tape by the crew and in some cases, the orders were aggressive in nature. On Destiny, we
taped everything and also bought the videos produced by the staff. There was one for each day. On Voyager,
there was only one tape for the whole week. It was only about 30 minutes long. For a ship with TV studios and
technology everywhere you expect them to be better than that. They were not, and the tape is average quality
at best. The video of passengers is so short you might miss any pictures of you or your group, and the audio
that went with the tape was just music. No interviews with passengers or greetings from people to folks back
home. In a word, boring!

Because the tape we bought was so poor, our own video became even more important. Getting that tape was
not easy, and RCCL made it rough and stressful. I am sorry, but for us, having the taped memories of the trip
is important. It's homemade video and has no value but personal. RCCL has not earned any points with us on
this matter.

During our cruise, there were perhaps 500 kids on board. They were completely out of control for the entire
cruise. They ran everywhere unsupervised, and I do mean every where. They were in the elevators, the bars,
the night club, the adult pools and spas, and even in the casino gambling. They ran between people on the
stairs, cut lines in the cafeterias, and stayed up until all hours of the night running around the ship. The cruise
director and his staff, rather than enforcing the rules apologized to the parents of these same kids for remarks
made about the behavior of children on the ship. There is a place for kids to go but the charges for using it
are not part of the price to cruise. I can understand why parents might not be happy about paying for their
kids to be entertained. Still, consideration for the rest of the passengers has to be there, and if it is not, then
the company is responsible for enforcing the rules.

This issue of charging for everything needs more comment. Our most direct experience came when, near the
end of the cruise, we decided to try a shake at Johnny Rockets. We had read about how crowded it was
during the first few voyages. Not a problem any more. They charge for everything at Johnny Rockets. A shake
was $3.65. It was good, but later in our trip we saw a Johnny Rockets in the train station at Washington D.C.,
and the price for the same shake was $3.25. Seems funny that in a place like a public train station the price
would be cheaper than on a cruise where people have paid thousands of dollars already.

On the issue of service, I mentioned that Voyager staff were not up to standards. This requires some
explanation. On Destiny, we never saw our cabin steward. He introduced himself, and then for the rest of the
week did his job. We would leave for a breath of air on deck, and in only five minutes he was in and out,
cleaning up towels or touching up the room. Clothes were folded and put on tables and chairs. Towels were
clean and back on the rack. Beds were made or turned down. Never did we come back to find him working in
our cabin. On Voyager, several times during the week, we had to stand around or wait elsewhere while the
steward cleaned or took care of our cabins. This is not my idea of service. When I return to the cabin I don't
want to wait or sit out of the way while the beds are made or the bathroom cleaned. The only service on the
ship that was good was the evening meal in the dining room.

Work on the ship needs to be done, I’ll admit. Still, painting rails and changing air filters seems like activity that
should not go on during afternoons at sea. The smell of paint in several areas was strong, and no effort was
made to alert the passengers. If anyone had health issues with paint, he/she could have been made seriously
ill. While they were painting the railings on Deck 4, they locked doors and moved through areas in use by
passengers. The ladders and boxes from the filter-changing task were left out, and in public use areas for
most of a day. The ship was in port, but unattended equipment is never a good idea.

Not all on the cruise was bad. They had three good ports of call. Even better than the choice of ports was the
timing. We arrived around 8:00a in the morning for each stop, and left around 6:00pm. This gives you a nice
full day ashore for your favorite activities.

But, with every plus on this trip came a minus. They handled ship activities and meals poorly during shore
days. Food was hard to find, and limited. There were almost no activities.

In general, there were fewer activities than on Destiny, and scheduling was poor at best. Many activities
overlapped, or were scheduled so that you could not get there on time. The crew almost never started on
time, partly because of the scheduling. If you had come from other activities, the delay in getting started
helped. If you showed up from your cabin or other location the wait was silly. The lack of good games and only
one game show type event was disappointing. The trivia game was a notebook in the library. You picked up
the questions, when any were left, and then checked your answers at the end of the day with an answer sheet
placed in that same notebook. What a thrill!

I did not drink, but people who did said the drinks were very strong. The prices seemed a bit lower than on
Destiny. If your goal was to get drunk, they were a good value. If taste was your goal, most people seemed to
think they were a bit much.

The kids play a part in this next comment as well. We tried for several weeks to confirm with RCCL that Family
Service Radio was allowed on their ships. According to the FCC rules, the ship's captain must approve of their
use when the ship is in territories controlled by the United States. This would also be true in international
waters. RCCL contacted me after several e-mail messages, and said the radios were not a problem. Well,
radios can help you stay in touch with your traveling companions—at least on ships without hundreds of kids.
Almost half the kids we saw had an FRS in their fist. They were behaving like normal kids. They switched
channels constantly and yelled, made noise, cussed, and deliberately interfered with communications between
the adults on board. By the end of the week, it was better, as some of the radios were broken or lost.

My advice is to make sure you have a plan on how to use your radios. They are very helpful, if you can hear
each other. The ship was large, but we found that we could talk from almost anywhere to anywhere. The
problem was the kids on the channels. Listening before transmitting, and choosing and staying on a channel
is your best defense.

Earlier I mentioned the kids in the pools. On the subject of the pools, is the pool hours. They were 7:00am to
7:00pm, and there is no excuse for this. The hours were terrible, and for this reason alone, I would not come
back to Voyager. I like to relax in the evening in one of the hot tubs. There is no reason to close them, or the
pools. One of the hot tubs was closed for cleaning. Closed the entire week. Now, on a new ship, this is beyond
understanding. With the limited hours and the kids, the pools and hot tubs were not available nearly enough.

Also on the subject of pools, is the poolside entertainment. Throughout the week, Heat Wave made regular
appearances, poolside. The band apparently had access to only five or six arrangements, and played the
same five or six reggae tunes every chance they got. The tunes were repetitive, boring, and sometimes lasted
15 minutes--each. Poolside entertainment should consist of more than reggae tunes played day and night.

As I said, service was, in some cases, good. I have to mention that room service was fast. We ordered juice in
the morning and it came in about three minutes. Because soda was hard to get before 9:00am, we also
ordered it in the morning and got the same fast response. This, after trying to get it at breakfast one morning,
and waiting ten minutes for the waiter to search the ship for a bar before 9:00am that had some.

The Explorations desk that handles the shore tours worked well for us when the interactive TV system failed to
reserve a trip we wanted. They were easy to work with and reasonably fast. The same cannot be said for the
Purser’s Desk. It opened and closed when they felt like doing it. This left people standing in line. When it
opened again, they took people at random from the line. This did not sit too well with people who had been
waiting for half an hour or more.

Many people have mentioned the shaking and noise from the ship. We found, where we were, that this was
not a problem If you cruise, you need to always keep in mind how important your location on the ship is. If
noise or motion is a problem, you need to be extra careful.

Finally, leaving the ship on Sunday morning was incredible. We had people in our group with a flight at
11:10am that morning. We filled out the survey on the TV, and were placed in the first color group. They want
all baggage outside your door by midnight, Saturday. We got up and had breakfast, and were in a waiting
area by 6:50am. We were called, off the ship, through customs, and at the airport by 8:15am. Remember,
there were 3500+ passengers on this ship. We were sitting at the airport marveling over the speed, and
wishing we had taken more time with breakfast on the ship.

Some final comments to place things in perspective. On and off was fast and well handled. Service was not
anything as good as we expected. Food was good in the dining room, but average, at best, elsewhere.
Enforcement of ship rules concerning kids was nonexistent. Video taping policy is silly and made us very
unhappy. RCCL is hard to contact and slow to answer e-mail questions. The ship is fantastic. I would not be
likely to sail with RCCL again unless the price was about half of what I paid. They have lots of issues to work
through with the Voyager staff. Most people we talked with would not sail again on Voyager, but would gladly
go back to Destiny or Paradise. The cruise director makes more difference than people in these reviews ever
report.

Finally, any cruise is as fun as you let it be. We had lots of complaints and issues. Still, cruising is the best
darn vacation I know of, and Voyager was a great vacation. You can still have fun and note things you would
change if you could. If your vacation were perfect you would probably never return to work.

Name: Nancy Pang
Email: nanpang@hotmail.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: March 12, 2000
Itinerary: Western Carribean
Cabin: N-6471
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 90
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 80
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon: 95
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland: 95
GoodForFamilies: 95
LoungeService:
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 95
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 99
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 02 May 2000
Time: 17:10:54
Remote Name: ch2smc.bellglobal.com
Remote User:

Comments

This was our second cruise with RCCL. We were thoroughly impressed by RCCL the first time aboard the
Monarch that we wanted to sail them again, but this time on the Voyager! I think that it is safe to say that we
will definitely sail them again. We sailed during the height of Spring Break. I was a little concerned about
traveling during this time, but as a teacher, you have very little choice as to when you can travel. This was
Voyager's 17th sailing and its first to sell out completely. There were 3573 passengers and another 2000 plus
crew. Although there were a lot of college students and children, we rarely noticed them except when on the
pool deck. Unlike other cruise reviews I've read concerning the negative behaviour of young passengers, I can
honestly say that the ones on this sailing were overall, very good.

ARRIVING IN MIAMI: We booked our cruise through a tour company so they arranged our flight and transfers.
We got off to a bad start at the airport in Toronto at 6:45 am. There was a mini snow storm all morning and the
snow delayed us 2 hours at the gate while we waited to be assisted to the runway and then had to go through
the de-icing procedures. Our three hour flight turned into 5 hours! This is the risk you take, traveling during
the winter! It took another 30 minutes to fill the bus to take us to Miami. It was about a 25 minute bus ride to
the pier in Miami. There were two other ships at port, Enchantment and a Carnival ship. Of course, the
Voyager dwarfed the other two ships!

EMBARKATION: The new terminal in Miami is absolutely amazing. We arrived there around 1:00 and there
was a short line that moved incredibly fast. We were amazed at how quickly we checked in and got our cruise
cards. A short walk led us to the ship where the photographer was waiting. The whole procedure was quick
and painless!

CABIN: First things first, check out the cabin! We booked our cruise using RUN OF SHIP 5 months prior to
sailing. We got our documents 3 weeks before the cruise and found out we got a Category N cabin (inside) on
deck 6, aft (6471). I was worried about getting an inside cabin because of the whole notion of claustrophobia.
However, I would certainly be willing to book inside again if it meant saving a few dollars (hundreds!). The
cabins in these newer, larger ships are also larger themselves. We had 3 neighbours surrounding us, and one
above us. I never heard a peep from any of them. The walls are incredibly sound proof. The beds were
pushed together to make a very comfortable king sized bed. The mattress and pillows were very comfy! The
bathroom was huge compared to the one on the Monarch and the fixtures were really nice. The shower was
really nice and big too with the curved sliding doors. It had a nice sized medicine cabinet, but no outlets. The
phone has a tiny black LCD display for the time, so it would be handy to bring a clock that you can read in the
dark. The closets had ample space for a week's worth of clothing and we stored all our luggage under the
bed. I really liked the safe they included which is located above the TV (19 inch!). The fridge is not a fridge,
but a mini bar. Our cabin steward, Esther, refused to take the contents out for us. We were able to squeeze in
2 cans of pop above the other cans in there. If you remove something, there is a sensor that automatically
charges your account. We got charged $2.00 twice for something. But when we spoke to Guest Relations,
they simply removed the charges. Esther and her assistant did a great job at preparing the room twice a day
and included neat pillow structures for day time, and really cute towel animals at night. They look all over your
cabin to try and find your sunglasses to use as props. My husband had put his away in a cabinet and they still
managed to find them to use! Don't leave anything in the ice buckets for cooling because they take them away
to refill and you may lose the contents. There is a hair dryer located in one of the vanity drawers. There is
also a very comfortable 2 seater sofa in the cabin.

POOL DECK: I feel that it is important for me to mention the pool deck on Deck 11. There are 2 pools, side by
side, and 4 whirlpools. 2 of which are big enough to seat 12 or more depending on how close you like to get to
one another. There is also a band stand area. The solarium has a smaller pool and a large whirlpool too. The
lounge chairs in there are nicely padded. It is a lot quieter here, but also less sun. The first day at sea I went
up to the pool deck at 8:00 AM and a few of the chairs were saved as people placed a towel on the chair
signaling that it was theirs. I managed to find a really nice area to spend our first full day at sea. It really
bothered me to see that a man had put 4 towels on the 4 chairs next to me and then disappeared for the next
3 hours. Some people decided that this was not fair and took the chairs for themselves (GOOD FOR THEM!).
Needless to say, when he came back he was upset, but then again he shouldn't have left them for 3 hours
unoccupied except for the towels. There was a man's sexy legs contest and the horse races started. They
auctioned off the horses at an average of $775 per horse. On our second day at sea, I went up at 8:30 and I'd
say that 90% of the chairs were already 'saved' by then. We were really lucky to find the chairs that we did on
the upper deck (12). On the last day at sea at 8:15, we got the last 2 chairs on deck 12 facing the pool! I
guess people were learning as the cruise went on about saving chairs. I'm sure these people went up at 7:00
and put towels on the chairs and then went back to bed!!!! Don't get me wrong, there are enough chairs all
over the ship for everyone, but if you want one by the pool, you have to get there really early! The ship really
needs deck chair monitors! Children and young adults overtook the whirlpools. I didn't even have a chance to
get in there…not that I would really want to considering the number of people in there all day long!

ENTERTAINMENT: La Scala theatre is certainly an amazing sight. When you are in there it is hard to believe
you are on a ship. The seats are very comfortable. There is a large balcony row of seats, and the main floor
of seats. The cup holders can't hold very much! Majority of the glasses do not fit in the holes as they are too
small. We didn't have to go to the theater 45 minutes early to get a good seat. We walked in with 10 minutes
to spare and we always managed to get a good view. The show the very first night was hilarious. The
Dreamscape show was interesting, but not the best in my opinion. One night, the Knudsen Brothers
sang…they are AMAZING!!!! We also saw the ice show, ICE JAMMIN', in Studio B. That was awesome. There
were 4 performances for this show, 2 for main and 2 for late seating. The Studio is really small and if you want
to see the show, you HAVE TO get there minimum 30-45 minutes early. It fills up really quickly. People tend to
save a lot of seats too. It's amazing how much these skaters can do in such a small rink. I'll talk about the night
club here too. The Vault. We visited it a couple of nights for a little bit of dancing. I found the club to be filled
with very young looking people….sure didn't look 21 to me. Some of the music was OK for my taste, it varies
quite a bit depending on the time you go. The casino was great too. Plenty of slots and tables. Donated quite
a bit of money here during our nightly visits. There were poker and slot tournaments all week. BINGO was a
blast the entire week. It got so big that they played the final jackpot games in La Scala! The jackpot grew to
$15,000!!! 4 people had to share it.

AMMENITIES: You can never get bored on Voyager…there is so much to do, so little time! There is a mini putt
course, (I forget the charge), a rock climbing wall, a very tiny inline skating rink ($6 US per hour, $3 if you
bring your own skates- same charge for ice skating), full size basketball court, the Ship Shape Centre-
amazing equipment, never too busy. The 2 floor library was stocked well with books. We made good use of the
library for our days at sea. There were plenty of computers for Internet services. However, in my opinion, it is
quite expensive (50 cents per minute). If you have children, watch out that they don't go nuts at the computers
with their own charge cards!

FOOD/DINING: We had a nice table for 4 (our party size) in the Magic Flute dining room (highest deck dining
room) overlooking the 2 other dining rooms. Apparently there was a lengthy wait list for late dinner seating
and tables for 4. So we felt very fortunate to have a table for 4. We purposely chose main seating too. We
were never rushed for dinner, and had plenty of time afterwards to relax. It also prevented us from snacking
before dinner! Our waiter, Richard, from the UK, was great. He had a great sense of humor and kept us
laughing throughout the entire cruise. Our assistant waiter, Julio, from Portugal, was still in training mode, but
he tried his best the whole week and his efforts were appreciated. He learned our drinks by the third night. We
felt that the food was good (not superior, but what do you expect when the galley has to prepare a 5 course
meal for over 3500 people!??!?). The lobster tails weren't to die for, by any means. The escargots were really
yummy. And we each ordered 3 crab cake appetizers! The portions are small, so don't be afraid to ask for a
couple of helpings! When we asked Richard to bring an extra tail, he brought 4. So, he was really good about
bringing extra orders for us. We ate at the Windjammer every day…good cafeteria style food. The sandwiches
were really good too. We reserved a table at Portofino's AS SOON AS we got in out cabins. Didn't want to take
any chances! We went Wed. night as we were told the Mardi Gras dinner selections weren't very good for that
evening. This was a nice alternative to the dining room. Very intimate dinners. We also made a trip to Johnny
Rocket's for a milkshake. It was the best tasting milkshake I have ever had, but we certainly paid a heavy price
for it! Apparently, they STOPPED charging for the food the cruise after ours! I wish they would just make up
their minds! The 24 hour ice cream bar (Sprinkles) was OK too if you like soft serve ice cream of frozen
yogurt. The Café Promenade had some nice snacks depending on the time of day you visited it. This is where
you can have pizza, little sandwiches, cakes, cookies, and coffee or tea.

EXCURSIONS/PORTS: Labadee was a great private island retreat. It was our first port, so we were looking
forward to a change in scenery. We tendered over to the beach at around 9:00. We walked right onto the
tender, no line ups. We had our choice of beach chairs on Columbus Cove Beach. There were beach
attendants everywhere willing to help you find the perfect spot. But when you're one of the first ones on the
beach, it's very easy to do it yourself. There were plenty of shady spots too. RCCL provided a very nice BBQ
lunch. Everything was brought over from the ship including the ice. The restroom facilities were quite clean too
with showers. There are 4 main beaches to choose from and also a marked off snorkeling area. We never did
make it to the marketplace. By noon, the beach area was getting quite crowded. We left at around 1:45 to
avoid the crowds tendering back. We signed up for beach horseback riding in Jamaica. A must do! Also if you
have any desire to do this, sign up for it the minute you get in your cabin, using the interactive T.V. We waited
until 5:00 Sun, and the morning tour was already sold out. The entire excursion was sold out by dinner time. It
is a pricey excursion, but well worth every penny. Make sure you wear your bathing suit underneath your
riding clothes and bring a towel!! You ride a very gentle horse down dirt path roads past sugar plantations to
the beach. There is a covered area where you can relax, have a drink, and watch the others ride in the water.
There are also restroom facilities and showers. The guides take you out in groups of 15 or so and you go
swimming with the horses in the ocean. The horses run through the water (as you ride bareback and hold on
for dear life!) and it is a real exhilarating experience. Our guide, Dale, was great and he took care of the 4 of
us from the beginning. He offered our friend 2 rides in the ocean! In Cozumel, we did our own thing. We made
a bad decision to walk to the downtown shopping district. We didn't think it was far and thought the exercise
might be good! Wrong! It took us 50 minutes to walk there! Needless to say, we took a cab back for a measly
$5 plus tip! We had a quick lunch and took a cab to Chankanaab Marine Park, $8. The cab driver told us it
was only $7.00 to get in as we pulled up, only to find out that they raised the price to $10.00 that day! There
were 2 cruise ships in port that day, and I'm almost positive they raised the price just for us! I was a little upset
by this. We saw the dolphins here. You can pay to go in the water with the dolphins. We just tried the
snorkeling here. There were plenty of free beach chairs for you to use. No snorkel gear? No problem, you can
rent it for $5. There is also a beautiful lagoon and garden with plenty of free roaming iguanas.

DEBARKATION: This is always the worst part of the cruise. They force you out of the cabin at a ridiculous
hour and you have to find a waiting spot somewhere on the cruise ship. It happened to be raining the day we
arrived back in Miami so we had to stay inside. Luckily we found some somewhat comfortable chairs in the
Royal Promenade where we waited from 8:00 - 10:30. Practically one of the last groups called off. Immediately
after getting off the ship, you line up for immigration/customs. The non US citizen line was incredibly long,
Retrieving luggage was easy since it came out on a carousel, versus finding luggage placed on the floor in a
big room. Our flight was at 12:30, didn't leave Miami until 11:15, so we were cutting it pretty close, since we
had to bus it back to Ft Lauderdale.

OVERALL: We thoroughly enjoyed the large cruise ship experience. Sure, the service isn't as personal, but I
don't really need to be hounded by people at all hours of the day. I enjoy good food, but I don't expect it on a
cruise ship this size. If I did, then I would definitely choose a smaller ship. My only negative comments about
this ship are the numerous extra charges they impose for the different activities and food (Johnny Rockets),
and the poor handling of deck chairs by the pool (allowing saves). I would love to try the sister ship Explorer
when she goes to the eastern carribean!

Name: Shirley Bray
Email: sbray@shirleysmail.com
Age: 41
Occupation: retail
NumberOfCruises: 1
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: April 16 2000
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: 2324
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 90
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety:
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 85
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 100
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 09 May 2000
Time: 10:51:40
Remote Name: atlnb202-10.splitrock.net
Remote User:

Comments

This cruise was great. Being a first time cruiser my anticipation level was very high. From the moment we
arrived at the airport and was greeted by a representative, to our arrival at the port, I was assured of a
pleasurable experience. The boarding was smooth and hassle-free. We were on board by noon. We did get a
little turned around when we first started to find our room but we just asked and were directed properly. The
onboard activties were numerous. The only regret I have is I wasn't instructed to read the daily compass from
the beginning to fully enjoy all the Voyager has to offer. The ports were nice but Jamaica was dissapointing.
The drug dealers are attracted to the tourists and you really have to be firm with them. There were alot of
uniformed personnel and we were told they were there to protect the tourists. I didn't feel very safe there.
Cozumel was very nice. Clean, hassle-free. Good shopping. Carlos and Charlies is a must-see. The food on
board was great. Although we found the dinners to be quite lengthy and we opted to only go four of the seven
nights. I missed most of the sunsets because of the length. The Captain was very friendly and his greetings
were warm and sincere. Voyagers loss is Explorers gain. How neat that he rides a scooter around the ship.
You can see it parked next to the bridge from the peek-a-boo bridge. Johnny Rockets is great. By far the best
milk shakes and burgers. Only drawback here is they seem to have an alloted amount of tokens for the nickel
juteboxes and by the end of the week they were out. The teen area is right outside but the crew keeps the
teens from loitering there. The staff working there were very friendly and had us dancing in the aisle with
them. We were never bored or hungry. The interactive TV was a big help but every time our party ordered
room service through it we never got it. The telephone was the way to get room service or leaving your
request hanging on the door for breakfast. We did that most of the time. Overall, this was the best value
vacation for the investment. I will definitely go again but now I have been spoiled and only want to cruise Rccl.
Now I must choose Voyager or Explorer and then Adventurer. Tough choice.

Name: Anne Bopp
Email: wingmeyer@hotmail.com
Age: 48
Occupation: Speech/Language Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: 4-16-00
Itinerary: Labadee, OchoRios, Cozumel
Cabin: 5919
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 85
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 98
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 98
LoungeService: 95
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge:
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 65
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 98
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 98
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 May 2000
Time: 20:38:36
Remote Name: 206-57-106-224.nas2.roc.gblx.net
Remote User:

Comments

My husband and two children, ages 9 and 15, were thrilled with this cruise. Boarding was a huge
mess...apparently, they had lost power that day and everything was delayed. It seemed like forever before we
got on the ship. The ship is amazing! We easily found our inside cabin. The beds for our children were
pushed into the ceiling so they weren't visible. This small cabin also had a couch, coffee table and desk. It was
difficult to find space for all of our luggage and clothes. Basically, the kids left their clothes in their suitcases
and stored them under the beds. We explored the ship before we set sail. At dinner, 2nd seating, we were
seated with a family who also had 2 children. What a great match! Our waiter was outstanding. He
remembered special orders of french fries and strawberries for the kids. One evening, he spent quite some
time showing the kids how to fold the napkins in the various patterns. We thought the shows were
outstanding..we never missed one. The ice skating show was also remarkable.

My younger child had a great
time ice skating..no fee for rental. My older child met kids from all over the world and still writes to them. We
really didn't see him too often during the day. Thank goodness for walkie talkies. At night we tucked our 9 year
old into bed, placed a walkie talkie beside her, and my husband and I went to the casino for awhile. She could
easily reach us if needed. Snorkeling at Labadee was not a good idea..there was nothing to see underwater.
That was a relaxing, however, not favorite, stop. In Jamaica we went on a plantation tour and then on to Dunns
River Falls. We had a great tour guide. That was a fun day. My daughter had her hair braided. She was
thrilled. At Cozumel, we went on a jeep tour. That was the best. There was a short stop at one of the Mayan
ruins and then a stop at a private beach. They had locals come in and fix lunch...very good Mexican food. We
had time to swim and relax. The beach and water were beautiful. I could have easily spent the whole day
there. Our days at sea were relaxing. I went to an aerobics class and then usually walked early in the morning.
The health facilities were outstanding.

We went to Johnny Rockets once..there was always a line. There was
no charge for food, only a charge for drinks. We all enjoyed the free ice cream, and my son was thrilled with
the restaurant that was open round the clock where he ordered pizza in the wee hours of the morning. It was
very sad leaving this ship. We had a great time and have already booked another cruise for next
year...different cruise lines. I would be happy to answer your questions, if I can. Happy sailing!

Name: Randi & Mike Newman
Email: codykatz@aol.com
Age: 42
Occupation: teacher
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: RoyalCaribbean-Voyager
SailingDate: May 14, 2000
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
Cabin: DB-6296
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 95
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck:
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 100
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 100
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland: 80
GoodForFamilies: 100
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 100
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 May 2000
Time: 10:57:28
Remote Name: spider-wd063.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:

Comments

We just returned from The Voyager, this being our second cruise with Royal Caribbean. We did an air/cruise
package out of Philadelphia, and we had no problems with anything. Upon arriving at the airport, we were met
by a Royal Caribbean rep and boarded buses to the port. Embarkation was extremely easy and stress-free;
by 1:30 pm we were in our cabin. The ship is absolutely incredible, like being on a floating city, a bit
overwhelming at first! The first thing we did when we got into the cabin, was to make a reservation for
Portofino's. The line was busy, but they have this callback feature, if you would like them to return your call
when the lines are open. Within 10 minutes they called back, and we made our reservation for Friday night.
We also booked our shore excursions on the interactive tv in the cabin. I will try to summarize as many things
as I can think of, in as orderly a manner as I can..there is so much here to talk about though! The cabin size,
for us, was great. We were on Deck 6, with a balcony. The new shower stalls are wonderful, and there is
plenty of room under the bed to store your luggage. The beds were pushed together, and we thought, made
for a comfortable night's sleep. Our cabin steward was wonderful, always had our cabin made up right away,
leaving us towel sculptures wearing our sunglasses! As for the food, we were a bit skeptical after reading
some reviews of the cuisine on this ship.

We are lovers of good food, we know good food, and we found the
food to be quite good. We ate breakfast in the Island Grill; we found the atmosphere in there to be nicer, as
compared to The Windjammer. Breakfast was standard fare, with smoked fishes included, cereals, and
sufficient food to get you through to lunch. We did order room service twice for breakfast, and it was promptly
delivered. For lunch we also ate at The Island Grill; they had a good selection of diverse lunch foods. One
lunch we ate at Johnny Rockets, as the line was not too, too long that day. All of the food there is free, except
for beverages, and we found the hamburgers to be very good, and filling. We ate our dinners in the dining
room. We were in the Carmen dining room, on deck 3, and our waiter and assistant waiter were wonderful.
They learned our likes and dislikes, and they tried to anticipate our needs before we were able to voice them.
Our waiter gave us his recommendations each evening, for appetizer, soup, entree, and dessert. We had a
table for 8, and had an enjoyable time each night at dinner; we had second seating, as we enjoy staying out
at the pool a bit later, and not having to rush to get ready for dinner. With the second seating dinner, some of
the shows were pre-dinner shows, starting at 7:15, then going to dinner at 8:30, and some were after-dinner
shows, starting at 10:30.

We ate in Portofino's on Friday night, and found it to be quite good. The lobster
ravioli appetizer were to die for, and the berries with zabiligone sauce, for dessert, were wonderful! I also
forgot to mention that late afternoon, the Windjammer has snacks; sandwiches, nachos and lots of toppings,
etc. There is also an ice-cream machine in the Windjammer. The Promenade was awesome, and quite a sight
to see! The pizza there was quite good, and again, another ice-cream machine, which made walking down the
Promenade very inviting. The shops along the Promenade were nice; the Pig & Whistle is a nice English-style
pub, and Scoreboard is a cute sports bar. As for the entertainment, we thought that it was wonderful! We had
3 comedians the week we were onboard. There was also a singer, and the Wave Revue dancers put a really
nice show on. Dreamscape was nice and interesting.

The ice show in Studio B was very, very good. I found it
amazing to remember that we were watching an ice show, in the middle of the ocean! Get to this show a bit
early, so to assure yourself of a good seat. I cannot say enough about the young people who work on this
ship. You see them wearing many, many hats throughout the week, and always having a smile on their faces.
The pool deck was nice, and it is multi-tiered, which was very attractive, and made finding a deck chair easy.
There have been many comments written about people saving deck chairs for long periods of time, and that
certainly does happen. Just remember to be considerate of your fellow passengers, and don't attempt to save
chairs for long periods of time. We would go out and find 2 chairs before breakfast, put our things on them,
and be back out 30 minutes later.

The service at the pool was good; waiters and waitresses were always
walking around peddling the drink of the day, which were quite tasty, especially the Love Connections! They
did not hassle you, though, to buy a drink, they were very friendly and accomodating. There was a band that
played around the pool twice a day, but only for a short period of time; we would have liked to have heard a
band playing a bit longer than they did. There are 2 parades during the week; the first one is on Monday
night, the first formal night, a welcome parade, which was quite good and so, so colorful. The second one was
on Wednesday night, the Mardi Gras parade, which we also thoroughly enjoyed. The nights are themes,
Monday and Thursday nights being the formal nights. There are photographers stationed at various spots for
formal pictures. You can view all of your pics at the photo gallery; I suggest waiting till the end of the week to
purchase your pics though, so you can have a good selection to choose from, and so as not to be buying a
pic a night, as they can become pretty pricey!

We took lots and lots of pictures, as what did we have to lose,
then we had alot to pick from! Formal nights are wonderful, such a nice way to dress up in gowns and tuxes,
or suits, whereas we don't normally dress up like that at home! On Monday night, there was also the
Captain's Welcome Aboard Party, in all of the lounges and the Promenade. Drinks are free; they say it's a
champagne party, but if you ask, all the drinks, I believe , are free. As for the ports of call, they are ok; it will
be much improved in April 2001, when they add Grand Cayman to their itinerary, and remove Labadee. In
Jamaica, try Evita's for lunch, and in Cozumel, try the Passion Island Escape excursion, lots of
fun.Disembarkation was a total breeze, we were off the ship and on the bus to the airport in record time.
Overall, this was a wonderful trip, an amazing ship, an awesome time, so much so, that we want to go again
next Spring!!

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