We had taken a Mediterranean cruise last year on Splendour of the Seas (now sold to another cruise line) and had such a great time that we decided to look for an itinerary that would take us to some different locations on the Mediterranean this year, so it was the itinerary that drew us to Rhapsody of the Seas.

Unfortunately, this trip was a totally different experience in more ways than one. The two ships were about the same size, with roughly the same setup so no surprises there. The cabin was fine and we were in a new port nearly every day so really didn't spend tons of time on the ship.

To compare the two Royal Caribbean cruises within a year of each other was an eye-opener. Whereas we were able to relax and enjoy sailing past some of the Greek islands for a couple of hours after leaving ports last year, on this cruise we were taken almost immediately out to sea where no islands could be seen. I could have taken an ocean cruise if all I wanted to see was water. Read more