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Vision of the Seas Review

3.5 / 5.0
1,209 reviews

VOS Not Up to RCCL Standards

Review for Transatlantic Cruise on Vision of the Seas
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ojainel
6-10 Cruises • Age 80s

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Cabin

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Sail Date: Sep 2012
Cabin: Junior Suite

The VOS is one of the older RCCL ships and is scheduled to be refurbished soon. It is quite attractive and its overall appearance is good. We enjoyed its smaller size, making it easier to negotiate than the mega ships. It is maintained impeccably clean in every public area and in the cabins, although it is somewhat shabby in places and clearly showing its age. Some of this is to be expected, such as the frayed edges of carpeting, and does not interfere with functionality or with our enjoyment. But other evidences of wear are unnecessary and result in discomfort, such as the lounge chairs on Deck 10. (Deck 10 is where passengers who do not wish to sit near the noise and crowds of the pool sit.) These chairs are old and worn with webbing that is ripped or stretched so that one finds all their weight resting on metal crossbars. It becomes necessary to "try" many, many chairs in order to find one that is comfortable, then move the usable chairs order to position several together. The chairs around the pool (Deck 9) have been replaced and are fine. There are sufficient chairs for all guests, but many of them are unusable.

Ventilation throughout the ship was a problem. During the first five days the entire ship, public areas and cabins were excessively warm. I am usually cold, always needing a sweater and even I was too warm. Thereafter, we found most of the ship adequately air conditioned and comfortable, although some people in neighboring cabins still complained of the heat. Toward the end of the cruise, the theater and casino were, again, uncomfortably warm. Air conditioning workers were very active and visible in many cabins.

Most of the crew was hard-working, conscientious, and eager to please. Despite their efforts, the quality of service was lacking due to severe understaffing and lack of supervision. When a request was made, "the buck was passed" to someone else. For example, when we received an erroneous charge, I went to Guest Services and was told to contact Housekeeping, who told me to contact Guest Services, who told me to again contact Housekeeping. Eventually the Deck Supervisor became involved and our bill was corrected. There were several such incidents, especially in Dining Services, and almost all problems were resolved, or somewhat resolved, but it did take much of our time and effort. It also required much time and effort on the part of already overworked staff. Being so under-staffed, one can understand why several of them tried to pass things off to someone else.

Cabin Review

Junior Suite

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