Vision of the Seas Review

3.5 / 5.0
1,211 reviews

A wonderful family vacation on the Vision

Review for the Mexican Riviera Cruise on Vision of the Seas
User Avatar
dmg1631
2-5 Cruises • Age 40s

Rating by category

Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Cabin

Additional details

Sail Date: Jan 2015
Cabin: Large Interior Stateroom

This was my third cruise, and my first with Royal Caribbean. Our party consisted of 6 of us, a family trip of my wife and I, my parents, and my sister and brother in law. Overall, our experience was good to excellent, from wonderful excursions, above average service, entertainment which seemed to improve throughout the cruise, and activities which seemed to strike the fancy of the different interests of our family. Was it perfect? I'd have to say no. The first night's aerial act was cancelled due to rough seas, the adult comedy show was a bit too adult, and our cabin (and cabin steward) were adequate but not spectacular. Also, the ships layout was difficult in ways to navigate, and seemed somewhat lacking. With no aft staircase, with an awkwardly placed shopping area, and with no complimentary food option in the centrium, I was not overly impressed. That being said, there was also a lot to really, really like about this cruise, and RC deserves much commendation for the many things it did well.

Beyond day 2 the entertainment seemed to improve exponentially from day to day. The ventriloquist (Jay Johnson) was really, really funny and wholly entertaining. The Magician from America's Got Talent was also very good (bringing both his talent, and his personality into his show), and the comedian who closed out was among the funniest I've ever heard. I thought the second of the Singers and Dancers numbers (tribute to Broadway) was the better of the two... though I'm not sure how one can have a tribute to Broadway, and ignore the contributions of both Andrew Lloyd Webber and Schönberg & Boublil? Somehow, having a Broadway tribute without a single number from Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express, Les Miserables or Miss Saigon?

Overall, my wife and I were both impressed with the three specialty restaurants, the Aquarius dining room, and with the Windjammer. The food at all venues was very good, the highlights being Chops Grille and Izumi. The issue, I thought was the lack of other complimentary food venues, especially in the centrium. My study of more recently launched RC ships has shown that the cruise line has largely corrected this problem, but on the Vision, there are no options apart from Ben & Jerry's, which is not included.

Cabin Review

Large Interior Stateroom

Cabin K

Our cabin was very small, and (as cruisers before us warned), lacked some of the basics one might expect to find during a stay at a land based hotel. It didn't really bother me as much as it might bother some, but expecting guests to bring their own shampoo seems a touch petty of the cruise line. That being said, the bed was comfortable, the TV worked, and the room appeared adequately soundproofed against outside noise. I found it's location to be unexpectedly less then ideal, as the Vision lacks an aft stairwell, which would have made the ship easier to navigate from stateroom to aft public areas directly above.

previous reviewnext review

Find a Vision of the Seas Cruise from $389

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.