Rhapsody of the Seas Review

Rhapsody of the Seas - Western Caribbean

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas
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Diana
First Time Cruiser • Age 20s

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Sail Date: Oct 2006
Cabin: Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Traveled with children

This was our 2nd cruise on the Rhapsody of the Seas. Our first cruise on this ship was 5 years ago (Oct. 2001) on her first sailing from Galveston. We loved the ship the first time and decided to go on her again. We had a great cruise but this ship is showing her age in some areas. This was our 9th cruise and we have been on 5 different cruise lines and in almost every cabin category. We almost always cruise in Sept/Oct. because of the prices. We try and schedule it during a week in school where our kids don't miss too many days. We have done this 4 times and the teachers are always nice and very accommodating. We live two hours from Galveston so we left our house at 9:30am and were there by 11:30am. Since the Rhapsody sails on the same day as the Carnival Conquest (we sailed on this ship in Sept. 2003) we thought there would be mass crowds there. This was not the case. We parked our car at EZ Cruise parking lot one block over from the ship. They shuttle you and your luggage to and from the ship. Very fast and cheaper than lots we used here in the past. We were on the ship in 15 minutes and were allowed in our cabins at 1:00pm. We usually travel with a group of friends and family. We had 4 balcony cabins in a row on deck 7. We have 3 children ages 17, 13 & 11. The youngest a girl. This was our kids 4th cruise and 2nd on this ship. Kids Program - EXCELLENT! My oldest does not participate but the two youngest did. They have been on Carnival & Princess and do not like their kid programs. It had been 5 years since they had been on this ship and since they didn't like the programs on the other 2 ships they had been on they told us they were not going to participate in this one. They changed their minds by that evening! My daughter was in the 9-11 group and my son was in the 12-14 group. They kept them busy all week with fun things to do for their age level. Royal Caribbean has the best kids program in our opinion. Food - We ate at table #226 & #224 second seating. There were 14 in our group. Out of 9 cruises we had the BEST waiter, asst. waiter and head waiter (who you usually meet once)that we have ever had. All 3 knew all 14 of our names on the first evening and never asked us again what they were. My daughter eats only shrimp cocktails for an appetizer which are not on the menu and they brought her 2 every night without her asking. Our diet coke was always there right after we sat down. The food was fine in the dining room. I was disappointed in the Windjammer buffet. Our first time on the ship it was good. This time it was terrible and I am really easy going. The food was always luke warm. My big thing with every cruise is to go to the "Omelette Station" to get my freshly made omelette. Not on this ship. They have pre-made plain ones in a steamer along with all the other eggs. I was told by someone on the ship they stopped that for health reasons????? I guess that is why we didn't see the waffle station either. Those were in a steamer too. The pizza in the solarium is very greasy and not very good even though the kids ate it every day. Carnival's is the best. If you do not eat at a reasonable hour you will not have access to food on this ship except for room service. We were used to getting food whenever the urge hit us. Isn't that one reason to cruise so you can eat 24/7 and gain 10 pounds!haha Cabin - We had a D1 category balcony cabin that sleeps 4. There are 5 in my family. First time on this ship we had the family cabin on deck 4 which sleeps 6. It has 2 rooms and a window. (nice) We love the balcony so it is hard to go back once you get one. My oldest child is always listed on my parents cabin but sleeps in ours (daughter sleeps with us). In the past this has not been a bad sleeping arrangement. This time it was a little tough. We had plenty of room in our bed for the 3 of us but the bed is in severe need of being replaced. It was like sleeping on boxsprings the entire week. All beds on that floor are like that from what we heard. The boys slept on a fold out sofa. This was a first for them. Usually one has had a pullman and the other a sofa bed. 2 teenage boys trying to sleep on a foam mattress was a nightmare in the beginning!! This cabin is a quad but I do not see how 2 adults could sleep on that foam sofa bed. We are small sized people and it was tight for them. Other than the beds the cabin was fine. We took 7 suitcases and had room to unpack enough for 5 people plus store the suitcases out of sight for the week. I do not drink coffee but do drink diet coke instead. I always take a case on every ship with me plus a case of our own bottles of water (cheaper) and not once have I ever been told I couldn't take it on. I have the cabin steward take out the ships sodas/water from the fridge and put ours in. We buy the coke cards but it is still nice to have a coke right there when you get up!haha Overall the ship is still nice. The entire crew is very friendly. The ship is clean. You never see dirty dishes lying around like I have on other ships. The games are fun and the Qwest game is a must for all adults to play or at least watch others make fools of themselves!(Like my husband haha) The guys that worked the bar by the pool were very nice and always quick to wait on us and not once did I get anything but sodas with my soda card. By day 3 I didn't even have to tell them what I wanted, they just got my diet coke. (No I don't drink that many!ha) Ports - We went to Key West, Grand Cayman & Cozumel. We chose this week because it had been 5 years since we had been to Key West and we have only been there once. As luck would have it we went during "Fantasy Fest" Week. We were there 3:00pm to midnight. The excursion we booked was cancelled due to rough seas so we got to walk the streets. Last time we were on this ship we were there from 7:00am - 3:00pm and again our excursion was cancelled because Hurricane Michelle was behind us the entire week! Since this was "Adult Halloween" week which we didn't know, this was not the place for kids. It was funny seeing, sorry guys, old fat men walking around in pumpkin thongs and women with nothing but paint covering their top part of their body but sometimes people that are pushing 300lbs walking around in a thong on the streets is not a pretty sight.haha It was not real rowdy and everyone was having a good time but Mardi Gras in New Orleans was a walk in the park compared to this. I am sure my kids went to school this week telling their friends all about Key West! Grand Cayman - Great Place! We have been here 5 times and it is wonderful. We have done Stingray City (the best excursion ever!)Turtle Farm and the Wreck & Reek Snorkel (good for the price). This time we took someone's advice from this site and took a cab to Sea Grape Beach. This is actually on 7 mile beach and is a free beach. The chairs are free. It is $5.00 a person for a taxi one way. It is $10.00 for snorkel equipment and $10.00 for an umbrella. The sodas are pricey (2.50) for a very small cup. We met a couple that was there from the Conquest and they had purchased an excursion from Carnival to go there so they paid one price and got the rest "free". SURE THEY DID.ha We got the better deal on this one. It was a nice stretch of beach. It is not very wide but it is beautiful. Cozumel- We have been here about 10 times so we know this place well. We decided to buy the Playa Mia Beach Break excursion. We decided not to buy the deluxe that included food and transportation because since you are buying 4 adults and 1 child ticket you try to save a buck when you think you can. WRONG IDEA HERE!! We have been here before. Once 5 years ago when it was Playa Sol and then just last year my husband and I were on a cruise for our 20th anniversary which happened to be right in the middle of Katrina! WHAT A RIDE THAT WAS FROM GALVESTON!haha We like this excursion and it has all you could want here for one low price. (EXCEPT FOR THE CAB RIDE!) This is where we messed up. Last year (pre-Wilma)the cab ride was 20.00 round trip for about 4 miles down the road. OK a little steep when it used to be 4.00. This time it was 60.00 round trip for it. 30.00 one way!!!!!!! I flipped out! We love the nachos at this place so we not only paid 60.00 for the cab ride and for food (drinks are free) plus the 130.00 for us to get in we would have been better off buying the "Beach Break Deluxe". Big families keep that in mind. Still a great place for everyone. Royal Caribbean does dock at a pier here even though it said on their website we were tendering (because of hurricane Wilma damage). Mariner of the Seas was there and was docked at another pier. Norweigian was next to us at the Downtown pier. Carnival still has to tender here. Our cab driver said it would be at least 10 more months before Carnival's pier is finished and it used to be a very nice pier. (Best one here) They give you the option of taking your luggage with you and leaving the ship or putting it out the night before and waiting the next morning for your color to be called. We have done the "do it yourself" before when it was just the two of us and I think 3 quarters of the ship did too so that was a nightmare. This time since there were the 5 of us with 7 suitcases and tons of misc. things to carry we waited for our color. Listen up people. Deck seven was off by 8:00am!!!! Deck 2 is the last to be called. They start at deck 8 and work down. Those with flights of course go first. They called for those that were carrying their stuff off themselves at 7:00am and I think most of the ship vacated. We watched the masses of people from our balcony walk off then. We were back to our car driving away by 8:30am! This was a great cruise. I heard the ship will be getting a "makeover" next year when it leaves Galveston. It needs new beds for sure. Other than that Royal Caribbean is a great cruise line. We are already booked on the Rhapsody's replacement - Voyager of the Seas for Jan 2008. I hope this was helpful. I don't have a favorite line because they each are different in their own ways. Some are better in some areas than others. We have sailed on every ship out of Galveston, Texas because flying 5 people someplace is the cost of a cruise for 2!!!!!haha We are looking forward to the Voyager coming. We have always seen it in ports and only dreamed of being on it.

Cabin Review

Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony

Cabin D1
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