.....Royal Caribbean - Voyager of the Seas

Voyager of the Seas - Cozumel, Mexico

A few years back, I cruised RCI’s Voyager of the Seas!  It was a 7 day cruise out of Galveston, Texas!  The Royal Caribbean cruise line has some very cool ships that appeal to many people.  The layout of the ships is also different than other cruise lines.  Our particular ship had the rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, mini golf, royal promenade (with parades and shopping), Ben and Jerry’s, and Johnny Rockets.  Personally, I don’t need all the bells and whistles; Give me a lounger, sunshine, and a drink of the day, and I am happy. When you cruise in January, be aware that fog is a problem in Galveston!  We were not able to board the ship until 5pm.  RCI gave each passenger $25 on board credit for the delay!   Again, I made a list of likes and dislikes……

The Royal Promenade

Voyager of the Seas

·        The royal promenade had a very attractive design.  Certain inside cabins actually had windows with a promenade view.  They put on very entertaining shows during the evening.  We saw a Mardi Gras show that was amazing. 

·        The Solarium pool is an adult pool!

·        The workout area was really large and had a lot of options for those that want to exercise.

·        They did not make it easy to fill your glass with water – anywhere!

·        There is a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream that costs money, but there is also free self serve ice cream all the time! 

·        You can get lemonade in the buffet, when the buffet is open. Oddly, it closed at 10pm when we cruised!

·        There was an interesting curtain between the bed and couch in the room.  You could pull is closed to separate the room.

·        Royal Caribbean has a lot of areas accessible to the handicap.  We did see a lot of people using scooters on board.

·        There was a large putt putt golf area for adults and kids.

·        This may sounds strange….but there was an ice rink on the ship.  There were certain hours that passengers could put on skates and glide around the rink.  In the evening, they had the most amazing ice shows.  That was a highlight for me!  Keep in mind you have to get tickets for the show.  The tickets are free, but there is a limited number.

·        Like many of the other cruise lines, the pools had salt water.

·        There was no grill by the pool on the Voyager.  To get a burger and/or fries, you had to cover up and go into the buffet.  The fries were not always fresh.

·        We really enjoyed Eric the cruise director.  He was very entertaining and visible all around the ship.  He would drive a Segway up and down the royal promenade.

·        Johnny Rockets offered alternate dining for a fee….When we cruised, there was a $3.95 cover charge per person plus charges for any ice cream.

·        They have a fun pool and activity area for the kids!

·        During the captain’s party, they allow guest to ask questions.  This is a great idea, but it gets out of control, and it was too long!

·        We did notice a lot of smoking around the ship. 

·        The rooms lack closet space and storage areas compared to other ships. 

·        The boutiques in the royal promenade offered great shopping.

·        If you want to watch a movie on the TV in your room, prepare to pay for it!  They do not show free movies like other lines.

·        There is a nacho station in the buffet where you could make your own!

·        Champagne was served at the captains welcome party.

·        They do not have self service laundry facilities.

·        Some cruise lines have hand sanitizer EVERYWHERE!  It was a bit surprising not to find it as you enter the buffet.  There was a sign reminding guest to wash their hand with soap and water.

Keep in mind, these are my own observations and opinions!  More to come……

Cruising.....Princess

I have been fortunate to travel to many different places.  Some of those trips have been by plane or car, but many of them have been by cruise ship.  I have cruised on Princess, Carnival and Royal Caribbean.  When I cruise, I like to make lists of things I like and dislike about the particular ship and compare it to the others.  Obviously each ship varies within the cruise line, and upgrades are being made on ships all the time.  Keep in mind this is my own personal opinion of ships I have sailed on.

Dawn Princess

 

Dawn Princess - Atrium

Princess (Star, Golden, Grand, Tahitian, Dawn) - Many years ago, we sailed on the Tahitian Princess (now the Ocean Princess) to Tahiti, Moorea, Marquesas, Raiatea, Rangiroa and Bora Bora.  It was a much smaller ship, and we liked the idea of fewer people on board.  We got to know people everywhere we went.  We had an inside cabin, but our friends had a balcony where would enjoyed breakfast one morning. The Grand Princess was an amazing ship.  We sailed on the Grand through Italy and Greece.  It was outfitted with MUTS (Movies Under the Stars) where you could watch movies while sitting out on the lido deck.  At the time, this was new for cruise ships.  When we sailed on the Star Princess to Alaska, I made a detailed list of likes and dislikes….

Star Princess Santuary and Celebration Party

Star Princess  (and most of the other Princess ships)

·        Princess used to serve ice cream free of charge only between 3-4pm in the buffet.  This cruise, it was free in the ice cream parlor from 11am-6pm.  You could also buy malts and shakes.

·        If you wanted lemonade, you had to ask you server.  There was no self serve lemonade.

·        On our Alaska Cruise, we paid extra ($10 per person for half the day) to go in the Sanctuary.  The Sanctuary was a serene area with thick cushioned chairs and nice warm blanket, perfect for view the cruise up Tracy Arm to the glacier.  They also had free hot chocolate and yummy pastries.

·        They served Panini sandwiches and fresh baked cookies in the International Café – free!

·        The wine bar served specialty appetizers, including sushi, for free if you bought a glass of wine.

·        They had recently upgraded to flat screen TVs in the cabins

·        They offered homemade waffles with toppings as a snack in the afternoon buffet.

·        There was a thermal suite (hot stone beds, several different saunas and steam rooms) for $20 per day or $149 per week (per couple).

·        Free popcorn was available during MUTS!

·        Servers came around the lido deck in the afternoon with cookies and milk.

·        Princess has coin operated laundry facilities (with ironing boards), but you cannot do laundry and dump gray water while cruising in Alaska.  It’s only allowed in ‘international’ waters.

·        Juggler’s performed during the day in the plaza.

·        They have a champagne fountain for the captain’s cocktail party (before dinner) and servers offer free champagne and mimosas. 

·        They also offer a past guest party where there serve cocktails – you can request your drink of choice.

·        They do give you tickets for embarkation.  You need to wait till your group is called.  It was still easy to walk off when our number was called.

Grand Princes                                            Tahitian Princess (Ocean Princess

As this particular blog is getting lengthy, I will continue another day with more……