Navigator of the Seas Review
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Summary: Had a wonderful time getting away. Ship was beautiful. Service was mostly good. Food was terrible (except for Giovanni's). Cabin was great. Would probably book with RCI again, but for different ports of call.
My husband and I are first time cruisers and came with a large group of Texans. We had high expectations and were not disappointed with the ship. One thing that made our experience unique to most others, is I was about 4 months pregnant at the time, so we did not do a lot, but just nap and relax by the pool. It was wonderful. I read just about EVERY review on this site, so I will chime in with what to really expect, and what some reviews overdramatized issues (although I know everyone's experience is different).
Embarkation: We pre-paid parking online with a coupon code with EZCruise Parking (got $15 off - came to $54.12 total). We were nervous about leaving our truck in a parking lot, but it was great! The lot is fully barb-wired fenced with security. Not covered, but you can get a car cover, if you want. Quick shuttle trip to the port (the guys load your luggage for you). Only problem is they dropped us off kind of far away, and their last cart was fully loaded, so we had to haul our luggage ourselves to the front. Not a big deal normally, but was a strain being pregnant or if you are elderly / handicapped. Arrived at our designated time. Took only about 45 minutes to get on the ship. Lots of people complain about lines and line jumpers, etc., but don't be concerned. It's just like going through airport security. Not a big deal.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony
The room was PERFECT. Whoever said don't spend the money on a balcony is an idiot. We spent a LOT of time relaxing and reading on the balcony, enjoying the views at sea and at port. It comes with two chairs and a table. I can't imagine having a room without one. There was plenty of space to unpack and put suitcases under the bed. Bathroom is plenty big enough, with great water pressure and hot water. However, the bed was EXTREMELY uncomfortable for this pregnant lady (very hard mattress), but our steward put some soft foam mattress pads on and all was well (ask for this right away - like call housekeeping as soon as you get in your room because they do run out of these things). We brought our own pillows, so that wasn't a problem. One negative - the TV situation. Yes, we are TV addicts, so this was kinda a big deal. It's a great flat screen, but there are hardly any channels! There are 40 channels (ok, that's good) - BUT, about half are devoted to the ship and shopping (think QVC type channels solely for shops on the ship). Ten are devoted to Spanish and kids channels. So then you're left with about 2 news and 2 ESPN channels (we lived on those), and TBS. There was a Food network channel, but they looped the same episode over and over and over again. Sooooo.....bring lots of reading material or download movies to your tablet or phone before you leave. Speaking of that, know that they charge an outrageous price for WIFI (like $300 for the week). We ended up not getting it, thank goodness, because we heard it was spotty and you can't even stream Netflix, etc., much less download an email in less than 30 minutes. At that price, you should be getting the fastest WIFI around.Couple of random review tips that I read that worked great for us: Bring magnets for your itineraries (walls are metal), so they don't take up valuable space in your cabin. Bring an EXTRA long extension cord for your phone chargers, etc. There's only ONE plug in the whole cable, including the bathroom, and it's kinda far from the bed. Bring a small, soft throw blanket for sitting out on the balcony. Pack plenty of $1 bills for the random tips you give out each day (room service, etc.) - our steward got a couple bucks each time he brought ice, etc. We brought about $200 in one dollar bills and spent about $150 (and we're big tippers). Tip your steward an awesome amount the first time you see him, and he'll do just about anything for you the whole rest of the trip. It shouldn't work this way, but it does make a huge difference in service. Don't bring a travel water container (you get those for free when you get the beverage package). For the guys, pack a couple pairs of pants because they are very strict with the no shorts dress code at dinner - why RCI does this to people is beyond me. Formal nights are a big deal too, but we always ate at a specialty restaurant, or Johnny Rockets on those nights to avoid the silliness. Don't bring beach towels for excursions, you can get some from RCI when you leave the ship. Ladies, go to one of the shops on the first day and get one of those cute necklaces for your SeaPass card. They're only $12 and you'll be thanking me later.