We are overly stressed professionals in our early 40's, who love the peace and quiet that cruising gives us.  This was our first cruise out of TX, and our first time going to the Western Caribbean.   We flew into IAH (Bush International Airport) on Saturday, 4-11-09. We recommend flying in the day before departure in order to avoid any travel day glitches.  We took a 2-1/2 hr direct flight from Tucson to Houston, on Continental Airlines.  We'd booked transportation from IAH to Galveston through Matrix Limo service (Ibrahim is the owner and driver.) He quoted me $109 online each way, but then said $115 when we spoke on the phone to confirm, due to toll fees.  We arrived and gathered our luggage, and Ibrahim arrived at the baggage claim to pick us up a few minutes later.  He directed us out to the car nearby; it was a nice Lincoln Towncar.  The drive to Galveston was said to take 90 minutes; Ibrahim had us there 65 minutes.   Overall, Matrix Limo was fast and efficient, without any glitches. Due to road construction, the traffic slowed down to a stop only momentarily; after that, the traffic was light.  Ibrahim was very pleasant, professional, and efficient.  My only complaint, if I had to say, was that I was a bit anxious with him driving while conducting business on his cell phone.  He was never reckless, but turning pages and taking down appointments in his schedule book while driving made me kinda nervous.         We originally had reservations for the Holiday Inn, but after reading what great rates everyone was getting thru Priceline, we bid and won a room at the Hotel Galvez for only $4 more.  The Hotel Galvez is an old, elegant hotel...old world Spanish-Victoria style, if there is such a category.  The rooms are small (as I'd heard about on CC), but they were very clean, and we had a view out to the Gulf of Mexico.  The bed was a double bed (smaller than a queen sized bed), which was very small for 2 people.  Despite that, I would definitely recommend the Galvez simply because it's beautiful, and a destination in itself.  Incidentally, we figured out that a couple seated next to us were people we'd been blogging with on CC.  It was pretty cool to meet them in person.    For dinner, we walked down the seawall to Fish Tales.  The prices were moderate and the portions were huge.  My husband had the gumbo and I ordered the catfish.  Both dishes were good and there was plenty to share.  Sitting along the front windows, it was sad to see the old businesses that are closed or no longer there, due to the hurricane.  It was emotional to see the messages written along the sidewalks of the seawall, from people who were trying to rally and express their love for Galveston. Sunday morning (Easter Sunday) we had coffee at the Hotel Galvez before boarding their complimentary shuttle to the pier.  Traffic outside the port was mayhem because the Voyager was delayed in letting the previous group disembark.  There were people being dropped off and picked up, all at the same time.      Check in at the counter was a breeze since we had all of our documents pre-completed and printed.    Although we'd arrived at 11:30 am, we didn't start boarding the ship until 1:30pm.  RCCL provided a variety of cookies and soft drinks while we waited, which was nice, and things were about as organized as they could be.  We read books and watched a movie on our laptop to pass the time.  As frequent travelers, we have adopted a mindset that things may go wrong, and complaining or being mad won't help the situation.  Once onboard, our room was ready and we dropped off our carryon luggage.  Lunch at the Windjammer was good (more on the food later) and we set off to look around.  The ship is huge and there is so much to see and do.  Despite her age, the Voyager was clean and in great shape.  If you look for the wear and tear, you'll find something, but overall...it was beautiful.  There was of course the immediate hawking of drinks from the bar.  Drink prices have increased about $1 or $2 each; I'd say the average drink price was about $8 or so, plus there is an automatic 15% gratuity.  I think they are kinda small for the price...filled with ice too, of course.  But, hey..."it's all irie, mon."  At 5pm, we could see people still boarding the ship.  We sailed about 2 hours later than scheduled, but the sunset on deck while leaving Galveston was beautiful.   CABIN: We booked a Balcony Guarantee room.  The cabin we ended up with was #7640, portside, mid-aft.  The cabin was bright, clean, and airy.  We love being able to sit on our private balcony and watch the water.   The room attendant was Edward, and he was fabulous.  He was often in the hallway and always greeted us...asking if we needed anything.  He was never intrusive, yet always gracious and available if necessary.  The room was spacious and the bed was very comfortable.  The A/C worked very well (I was cold) and we didn't have any problems with the bathroom.  One night, the water was shut off due to maintenance, but we were notified in advance.  The bathroom is small, but adequate and the shower is nice.  The water gets very hot and has good water pressure.  My husband is very tall, and he appreciated the adjustable shower head; he could raise it to his level and I could easily adjust it back down for my height. FOOD :  We ate all of our meals at the Windjammer buffet, except for one dinner in the dining room.  We were assigned early seating for diner (5:30), but given all of our activities, we never seemed to be ready at 5:30.  I know for our next trip to book the late seating.  The Windjammer's food was always good and there was a vast variety of dishes to choose from.  There were plenty of fresh salad greens, cut fruit, and vegetables.  We always started with a large salad, and then sampled the hot entrees.  A few of my favorites:  The chicken & mushroom pie, grilled minute steaks, sushi, blackened tilapia...and the coconut cookies were OMG!!!  I don't even like coconut, but after having one, I looked for them all over the ship for the last 3 days.  I actually brought some home in a ziploc bag! Lobster night in the dining room is not to be missed!  The lobster was delicious and I had 2 tails.  Our server, Andrea, and her assistant, Agnes, were wonderful.  The service was prompt and the food was hot.  Lobster night is the 2nd formal night onboard, and most in the dining room were dressed accordingly.  We saw a mix of suits, gowns, tuxedos, and folks dressed in their Easter Sunday attire.  I can't say I saw any jeans or flip-flops that night.  ACTIVITIES:  We came onboard to relax and decompress from our hectic jobs.  We found plenty of places to relax.  Although the ship was full, we found lots of intimate quiet places.  The hot tub in the Solarium was one of our favorites, as well as the bow of the ship.  (Think of the scene from the movie, Titanic, when  Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslett are at the very front point of the ship.)  You can get there from Deck 5, just go outside and keep waking forward.  It is the most amazing feeling to stand at the bow, and when you turn around, the view of the ship and bridge is awe inspiring.  We went up there twice and there was never anyone else up there.  I don't think people realize it is a public space. Cozumel, Mexico:   We pre-arranged an all-inclusive day at Nachi Cocom.  This is exact beach where one of the Corona beer commercials was shot.  The place is gorgeous...white sand, thatched-roofed umbrellas for shade, and the blue Caribbean sea.   Occupancy is limited to a maximum of 100 people per day... we had maybe 20.  It was like having a private ocean-front resort all to ourselves.   A three course meal is included, which is way too much food than anyone can eat, and the open bar provided plenty of frosty drinks.  The drinks are so cool and fruity that you don't realize the alcohol creeping up on you.  For the price of $49 per person, Nachi Cocom is well worth the experience.  Taxis are readily available; $15 each way for 4 people.   We will definitely do Nachi again. George Town, Grand Cayman:  We pre-arranged a jet-ski stingray and snorkel tour through Ebanks Watersports. The owner Shawn Ebanks met us at noon and drove us to the docks.  Our tour consisted of only 4 people, so we had an exclusive guide (Camilo) to ourselves.  Camilo took us out into the middle of the ocean to Stingray City, which is on a sandbar.  The water was choppy and the ride was rough, but the promise of holding a stingray was worth it.   After anchoring the jet-skis, we stood in the waist-high water while Camilo went to get us a stingray.  A minute later, he came back and placed a live stingray into our hands.  It was the most amazing experience, and the whole thing felt surreal.  We took pictures holding the stingrays with our digital camera that I'd stashed in a Ziploc bag.  It took some careful handling to make sure the camera didn't get wet, but the pictures are incredible!  I will definitely be prepared with a waterproof camera next time.  After leaving the stingrays, we snorkeled on a coral reef.  There were not many fish, but the ones we did see were large and colorful.   Ebanks Watersports was very professional, and they are a top notch company. Montego Bay, Jamaica:  The weather was perfect and we decided to relax and wander around.  We purchased the all-day wrist bands for the Hot Spots shuttle ($15 pp), which was a great value.  We were able to hop on and off the passing shuttles all day for the set price.  We went to the open markets, the "Hip Strip"...ending up at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.  The restaurant was very busy but the service was good.  The drinks and food were good, not great or memorable, but tasty and filling.  The beach was beautiful and we took many nice pictures there.  We purchased lots Jamaica shirts and Blue Mountain coffee (lots and lots of little shops!) before heading back to the ship.  It was a very relaxing and leisurely day. Disembarkation:  It was crazy...long and very congested.  The port was closed upon our arrival back to Galveston, TX, due to the fog.  Our ship did not dock until 10am, and disembarkation didn't begin until about 10:45 a.m.  Despite being in the first group off the ship, we just barely made our 2:20 pm flight out of Houston.  Ibrahim from Matrix Limo picked us up promptly.  With the congestion at the port, traffic delays, and the long security lines, we almost didn't make it.  Another 5-10 minutes, and we'd have missed our flight.      If I had to complain about anything, it would be the tender tickets.  RCCL needs a better system for handing out the tickets.  Tickets were to be given out at 8:30 am in the La Scala Theater.  At 8 am, there was a line forming for tender tickets.  Those of us arriving early organized a line, but when the crew member with the tickets arrived at 8:30, she announced that the tickets were 'first come, first served' basis.  Needless to say, the masses rushed her and those of us who had tried to organize ourselves (to make it fair) were not recognized.   People were pushing and shoving, and those who had waited the longest were upset.  It was handled very poorly.    Overall, this was a fantastic trip.  There were some glitches along the way, but nothing that would spoil our vacation.  Many of the problems were out of RCCL's control, and they made the best of each situation. The crew was fantastic...very polite, accommodating, and gracious.  We met some great new friends (Hi, Chad &Erica...Mark & Eva.)  The week-long trip went by so fast.  We are already looking forward to our next cruise in September.