We just finished our fourth Christmas cruise, the second with Royal Caribbean, a seven-day trip on the Vision of the Seas out of Tampa cruise port #2. We have embarked/debarked at both of the Tampa cruise ports, and find #3 to be more orderly and easier to get through. Embarkation this time was further complicated due to some type of computer glitch during check-in. Once aboard, we set about exploring the ship. The Vision is a little smaller than the previous ships that we have cruised on, and lacks some of the amenities of the other larger ships, such as miniature golf, basketball court, and outdoor adults-only area. The overall appearance of the Vision is good, and the crew kept it quite clean. I understand that it has fairly recently undergone a significant facelift, and the décor is about what we expected. We traveled with our two grown daughters and had adjacent large ocean view cabins on Deck 4. The cabins were in very good condition and comfortable with plenty of closet and drawer space. With the exception of children running the corridor on our first night (there was a large group just forward of us), the cabins were quiet with little transmitted ship noise even though we were close to the Centrum, which on the Vision has its main level on Deck 4.

The housekeeping team did an outstanding job keeping the cabins clean and stocked with fresh towels throughout the trip. We did notice that on this trip Royal Caribbean did not provide shampoo, conditioner, ice, terry cloth robes, etc unless specifically requested. Also, we had to ask for additional soap mid-cruise.

We were concerned that this being a smaller ship, common areas would be more crowded but found this not to be the case. We were always able to find places to sit and relax inside and outside. The Centrum would get crowded during many of the activities held there, but with a little planning we always found good vantage points. I do have to comment on the rude and selfish behavior of some of our fellow travelers during Centrum activities, the ones that arrive late and push their way through the crowd and stand in front of those who have been waiting patiently. The production shows were more amateurish than what we have typically seen on the cruise ships, although the performers were enthusiastic and put forth a lot of effort. The ship’s band was outstanding. Guest performers were all very entertaining. Read more