We chose this cruise for the itinerary and value. Only problem is that on this small vessel the only balcony cabins are mini suites and above. The ocean view cabins and inside cabins are pretty small. No couch or easy chair, only the bed and vanity chair to sit on. However, if you are out of your room enjoying the activities and only need to use the bathroom and the bed, it's OK. The ship itself is really nice for the smallest ship in the fleet. The crew does an outstanding job of keeping it well maintained and very clean. It only has one specialty restaurant; Chops, but that's OK too. The bar hubs are the Schooner, and Boleros, with the casino bar handling that area. Viking Crown lounge is not the greatest when comparing to larger ships but it is a very nice area to relax in during the day, unless it's being used for a kids activity or something like that. The fitness area is above the lounge on a balcony that runs around it, accessible only by stairs in the back of the lounge. No criticism, it is what it is. Food: Our service and food in the main dining room was outstanding. We always choose my time dining so we can eat early, and we got the same table, same waiters and outstanding service every night. We didn't go to chops this time because we always enjoyed the menu the chef selected. Only downside was windjammer lunch. it was good but not outstanding. My breakfast is light, simple and was always good. One huge exception: Chef Kennedy on two days set up a hot dog station. Amazing!!! He makes the best sauce I've ever eaten in my life. Shows: The production team does two shows. Baileros and Three. Don't miss them. The singers and dancers were amazing. I hope you get this crew. They sing with passion and power and don't scream. Costuming and choreography are perfect. the band is terrific. Our headliners were outstanding. Cruise director and staff. Steve (from Canada) does a great job. He is experienced, funny, and very well prepared and informative, His activities director Tanya is in a word: "Special." Not short bus special, but she's crazy, fun, wild, outgoing and a great lady. She will make a great cruise director. One team member, Andy, from Great Britain does an Elton John show that will astound you. Hotel Director John and his staff are to be highly commended for their efforts on keeping the ship clean, safe and sanitary. No one on this cruise came down with so much as a case of indigestion much less a virus. He and his officers were accessible and available for any questions or concerns, no matter how dumb. And believe me, on this cruise I did hear some dumb questions. So to RCCL, the staff and crew of the Empress of the Seas: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! Read Less

We truly enjoyed the staff on this ship. Last sailing for a month due to covid19 virus. The ship took extra measures to keep us safe. Yes the pool and bathroom is small but how much time is actually spent there. Cruisers seemed to mingle more maybe because it is smaller. I only wish there was a designated room to iron. You can send out to be done for a fee but needed to be done by second day. Downey wrinkle release to the rescue. Our room steward was awesome. We chose any time dinning but ate the same time every night, so we had the same waite staff. Our young ladies were spot on. Remembered our names and what we liked. Comedy shows were good . Offered a good selection of movies under the stars. Wish they had popcorn. I need ten more words to be able to post....was a great vacation with a great crew all around. Would definitely sale on this ship again Read Less

So many people have written about the size of the cabins and bathroom and how cold it is in the cabins, and I always commented saying " come on you're not moving in you'er just staying for the week", how right they were! I have 51 cruises under the belt, with that said, I had to ask the cabin steward to separate the beds just so we could get in the room and have room to move and store our suitcases under the bed with ease. The smallest, coldest cabin at sea for sure, and lets not get talking about the bathroom size, it was like an RV and the tiniest shower as well. If you are size challenged please keep this in mind (I had an inside cabin). The ship is definitely for people who want to sit around and relax. If you need constant simulation then you need to get on one of the larger more active ship on the RCI fleet. The Bands were great, the food and service in the main dinning room were great. The buffet food during the sea days was tasteless and lukewarm at best. It is a very good looking ship on inside, but not up to Royal standards on the outside as it resembled a rusted Carnival ship on the outside. There were a lot of smoking areas which ruined beautiful outdoor areas for the 90% non smokers. I had fun meeting really nice passengers on board as well as interacting with really friendly staff members throughout the ship. Again bands were great, shows and comedians were great, people seems happy overall. A zero for outside look of the ship, and a zero for daytime buffet food. Remember you may experience a much different cruise so cruise with an open mind always no matter what you read. Read Less

Well, I suppose you get what you pay for...See my review about the cabin size, however the rest of the cruise was a bit of a let down. The entertainment on board was to say the least poor apart from a comedian on the second night. The production shows would have bee great for my dad in 1970 but not for today's family audience and as for the magician things went from bad to worse when he got a nine year old girl up from the audience to act as his stooge. Positives.. The Argentinian music and dancing group, they saved the best till last. The bar prices on board are the same for all RCI ships( expensive) however the bartenders on this vessel must be under strict orders to dispense the bare minimum of alcohol into any cocktails, you've herd of bang for your buck...This was more a whimper for your buck! Out excursion to Amiga island at the port of Labadee, was value for money, but this was the only ship excursion we took, striking out on our own for the rest of the ports of call. The crew were the highlight of the cruise most of them in a happy and positive mood. All in all, if you want to recreate a cruise from the1980's this may be for you... However we will never book a cruise on this ship again, that being said, we're looking forward to our RCI transatlantic in April Read Less

Traveling with 13 others. All age groups. This is my 31st cruise. This is the worst ship I have been on. As I write this I am on my 3 rd day on the Empress of the Seas. My sister booked this cruise. Based on reviews. Not sure what she was reading! The buffet food is so horrible you can’t eat it.. my 82 year old mother with dementia even commented how bad it is. The ship is small which is a plus. Shows good. They have activities but done with not much enthusiasm from the staff. Cabin old. Shower curtain moldy. Cabin attendant trying hard. Main dining room food is better and staff very attentive. If you can find another ship that fits your travel time frame. Book that one. Royal Caribbean is usually a safe bet. I’m not sure what happened with this boat. If you want luxury book a Celebrity cruise ship. You won’t be disappointed. Read Less

We have always cruised with another company wanted to try Royal. We chose this particular cruise for an anniversary trip, it was priced well with all the ports we wanted to visit in one ship and in one trip. Getting on and off was very easy. There are at least TWO dress to impress nights and the rest are casual. We had no idea what nights to expect what so had to play it by ear would like to know that info in advance. The Pros: for a small ship... she seemed sturdy only felt movement one of the days. The upgrades looked nice and refreshed and I didn't feel like i was on a 20 year old ship at all. The service: Great and Positive. Most of our servers, bartenders and attendants were always smiling, happy and helpful. one or two here or there meh they might have had a rough day that day. Carlo in Schooners was our fav bartender and Sanjay in the main dining room. Ying-Ying is a great conversationalist. Dining: Dining Room and Chops were very good... we ate there or ordered room service most of the time. service was fast and efficient. Entertainment: All of the shows we saw were great. from dancing to a Juggler to comedians. belly flop contests and other pool deck contests, Trivia was not well explained the time we decided to go and participate but perhaps we were running late for instructions. The same team won all of the trivia's we went to. Trivia Quest was very entertaining to watch we didn't have enough to form a full team. Ports: WE LOVED THEM ALL Excursions: only in two of the 4 ports but both were fun. All of the ports were easy to get around in. The cons: The stateroom: TINY TINY TINY but if all your doing is sleeping and showering it was fine... i couldn't imagine having more than 2 people in the room thou! The food was GROSS at the buffet- i tried it twice and decided to eat in the main dining room or not at all the rest of the time. Not only was the food gross but it was very crowded and confusing. there were passengers reaching over me to get food and the directional of the buffet was ALL over the place. it was hard to find a table to sit at in the windjammer we ate on the pool deck area. The average age of the passengers on the ship was a much older crowd then our previous cruises but still had a good variety of ages and everyone we encountered was friendly. Entertainment: There weren't enough things to do on board. Pool Deck: not enough loungers and the pool is small, the hot tubs seemed to be always crowded. The upper deck was nice to sit and read.... if you are lucky to find a seat not next to very loud talkers. All in All we had a GREAT time, met some really great people, shared a ton of laughs and made new memories, even with the cons we would absolutely go again. However for us we would like to try one of the larger ships that has more options to keep us entertained. Family members booked the same cruise on the same ship next year. Read Less

Overall a great cruise. It’s smaller and older, but it has great charm. It’s obvious it’s an older ship by the decor, but I kind of enjoyed the decor unlike most. I think it shows character. Staff is phenomenal! They have the absolutely best hospitality I’ve ever experienced. They were friendly, helpful, and personable. I only told a worker my name once and then they remember it and greet me every day. Our room attendant made towel animals for us every night. He was beyond sweet. I’d come again just for the service received. Food was okay. Some things were REALLY good and others fell a little short. I am culinary arts student so maybe I am a bit more picky than the average person. They always had fun, free activities available. Very family friendly. Mostly families and older couples on this ship. Everyone is nice and talkative. Would recommend. Read Less

We choose this cruise for our January girls cruise based on itinerary and price. Mainly because the Empress was scheduled to go to Virgin Gorda (notice the word "scheduled"). Upon arrival at the pier at check in we were informed that due to high winds and rough seas we would not be going to Virgin Gorda but to St. Croix instead. In addition, they changed our day in St. Thomas from Thursday to Wednesday which complicated the fact that I had a rental car booked for St. Thomas. After several attempts to reach the rental car company I was successful in changing the booking by one day before we ever left Miami. The ship is very small but very well kept, the furniture and rugs were in good condition, the bedding was also good. After boarding with very low expectations we all came to love the Empress over the period of our 8 night cruise. The amount of public space was wonderful and we loved the little lobbies with furniture outside the aft elevators. Since the rooms are quite small we spent extra time in our personal lounge but by mid trip others were taking advantage of this great space. The food and service in both the windjammer and dinning room were excellent - way better than we experienced on the Explorer just a few months ago. Even with such a tiny space the windjammer offered a great selection of food. The omelet station was wonderful and you never waited more than a few minutes for a great omelet - once again very unlike our experience on the Explorer where a wait of 15 min was short to get your omelet. We had rough seas and high winds the first few days so the deck was pretty empty and many people were sick. It didn't bother me, I guess I was one of the lucky ones. We had one sea day then we visited Labadee, a personal favorite of mine. We spent the day at Columbus Cove and had a great time. It was a bit crowded since the Independence was also there that day. When we left Labadee heading towards San Juan once again the seas and winds started up - according to the captain we were experiencing 5m waves (or about 18 feet) not choppy but very large swells coming at us at an angle. The captain slowed us down to 14 knots to try to ride it out a little smoother but the ship was really moving around. We didn't see very many people out and about. Due to the slower speed we didn't arrive in San Juan until 6 pm rather than 3 pm. The one thing we wanted to do was the Forts and they were closed before we could get off. There were five ships in San Juan and the street right along the piers was packed. We sailed overnight (much calmer) to St. Thomas - we docked at Crown Bay right next to our biggest sister - Symphony of the Seas. It was kind of neat to see the smallest ship in the fleet next to the biggest. We explored the island with our rental car and ended up at Brewer's Bay because everywhere else was packed (once again five ships in port!!). If we had arrived the next day as originally scheduled we would have had only 1 other ship in port with us. We spent the next day at St. Croix, the ship docked in Fredrickstad. With such little notice we didn't really plan on anything that day just took the shuttle to Rainbow Beach, it was crowded but we had a great time. We all wished we had more time to spend and wished we had rented a car there so we could have explored a little more. The two sea days back were great. Still a little choppy (2m) but not bad at all. The cruise director Steve was great and all the staff on this littlest of RCI ships is excellent. Best service I've experienced on Royal for awhile. It is like the staff is all family and they work hard and work together really well. The only disappointment (beside missing Virgin Gorda - which I understand was necessary due to weather conditons) was the lack of Diamond Lounge on the ship. I knew this before choosing this ship but if this ship continues to be part of the fleet - Royal Caribbean needs to add or designate a space for the Diamond Lounge. Was skeptical at first but would sail on her again anytime. Read Less

We have sailed on just over 50 cruises. We are Diamond members on Royal Caribbean. The price for this ship was a real value and we live in Ft. Lauderdale so we decided to give it a try despite some negative reviews. Empress of the Sea is well worth your time and money. It is well maintained, run by an excellent crew and a ship you will feel great about upon conclusion of your trip. The entire crew wants you to be there. It is obvious and energizes all the passengers aboard. The food is very good, the shows are well done and our cabin (inside) served us well. It is always a mystery to me to read negative reviews about a ship and see none of them during my cruise. We have been on all the 4 giant ships of Royal and a sampling of the other sizes. Empress of the Seas hold its own against them in these ways. The ship only has 1600 passengers so no waiting for anything. It is a good starter ship for young families. Many were on board. It is a value price for the young marrieds, singles traveling in a group and middle aged and seniors looking for a cruise for their hard earned money. The ship has no flow riders, sliding water tubes, race tracks, or garden to walk thru. But it has a crew that provides numerous activities thruout the day that you will find worth your time. We were lucky to have Steve from Canada as our Cruise Director. He is a dynamo and keeps everyone engaged. Our cabin steward Jose Fernandes was possibly the best we ever had with his hard work, attention to detail and enjoyable daily interaction. We came across a staff member that we met on the Symphony of the Seas. She now works in the Empress Windjammer restaurant. She told us I just love being on this ship. You will find the entire crew feels that way. The Allure, Oasis, Harmony and Symphony have problems from time to time. That is life. But you still have a great cruise. The same will occur on the Empress. Give it try. You will be pleased you took that action. Read Less

I chose this cruise for the ports of call. Specifically for Puerto Rico and Virgin Gorda BVI. Two places I had never visited on the 12 previous cruises I had taken. I always wave the Royal Caribbean flag and tried Carnival ONCE and went back to Royal for all future cruises but this cruise was only HALF my dollar value. I get that weather can't be predicted BUT Royal KNEW that the weather was bad in the areas we were heading BEFORE we sailed because the moment we arrived, they had changed our ports of call due to "weather". So BVI was out. Weather was horrific. People were sick all over the ship and we never had access to the upper deck of the ship until the last 4 days (of an 8 day cruise). For two days we didn't have access to the pool. At one point the pool was completely empty. Then we arrived at Puerto Rico 3 hours late which meant it was now NIGHT. No chance we are roaming around Puerto Rico at night with only two women. St Thomas was ok but my excursion which was a Snorkel and Beach excursion turned into snorkel only and the cruise line only gave me a 10% discount even though I only received HALF of the excursion experience. Called Royal Caribbean customer service to inquire about compensation. Even a credit towards my next cruise. The answer was basically "go away". Wow. I did not get my money's worth and they won't even give me a credit towards another cruise to keep my loyalty. Airlines now have to compensate travellers that experience more that 4 hour delay or if they are stranded. The same thing should apply to cruises. So disappointed. Read Less

We decided to try RC again after a VERY BAD experience in 2015. I am happy that we did. Most of the staff weref friendly, welcoming, and professional. The only exceptions were the guest relations desk who felt the need to tell me that the question I had asked they had answered two days before - clearly I didn't remember; one of the cruise director staff members - he was a little snarky, and one bartender at Labadee who told me that the drink hut that I stopped at was only for the other RC ship in port (another bartender apologized and said that all huts were for all RC ships). Cabin had a beautiful large window on deck. One con was that the movie pool side was difficult to view due to pool cabana set up and they had the prime seats blocked for their cigargs and cognac promotion which no guests were attending. Another con was ice cream was stopped at 6pm - I lke ice cream with my movies. Food was teriffic and wait staff was as good as a 5 star. Bathrooms incredibly tiny - toilets set at an angle due to small space. I just wish that on sea days there were more things to do on ships during the day except sitting in the sun or gambling - this one and all cruise ships Read Less

I think the empress of the seas is perfect for anyone looking for a smaller ship with a great itinerary. I think the only way you could be disappointed being on the empress of the seas is if you expect the big ship amenities. The ports of call were great food was amazing and shows were fun to watch. We stayed 2 nights in Miami Beach before the cruise and took an uber over to the terminal the morning of. Easy embarkation process. Really love the new app to help with embarkation and to explore the daily itinerary. The staff was some of the best I've ever gotten to cruise with and the ship was very well kept up for being the oldest ship in the fleet. The ship is small compared to any other ships I've been on however since its size there are fewer guests onboard so it all evens out. The ship shows its age and size in my opinion in some of the walkways in the dining room and theatre. They are very tight and not as accessible for older cruisers. We stayed in cabin 8167 which is an inside room. It was very small which is to be expected but It honestly was one of the most comfortable rooms I can remember being in. We really enjoyed the cabin. In all even though I do enjoy some of the features found on bigger ships we LOVED the empress of the seas. We always found a place to sit by the pool, dining room and at a show. I loved the small ship feel. The ship did feel old but It was never an issue. Read Less

We choose this cruise because of timing with families schedule. The idea of a small ship was appealing. Pros - super nice, fun, helpful crew. Trivia’s in the Scooners Lounge was an everyday thing. Getting on and off the boat was super easy. Pool band was awesome! Ports Of Call- Labadee was awesome. Set up camp at Nellies Beach. Explore the area but stay away from the market. There is a donation drive if u want to help the locals. Get to buffet early it was good. St. croix don’t explore alone if female. Men on Frederiksted Pier will ask u to drink and smoke weed. Don’t go to Frederiksted Beach by the pier rocky, loud music and shady men. St. Thomas Crown Center pier is better than the other one. It’s next to the Marina where u can hop water taxi $10 round trip to awesome Honeymoon Bay. Drive to Brewers Bay and snorkel e sea turtles and rays. Cons- food was terrible and this WAS NOT THE WAIT STAFFS FAULT. Management went over board addressing the complaint every single night. I should have lied when they asked how it was. Cabins are very very small and out dated. No fitted sheets, bedding constantly came off and it was old. I thought this ship had a makeover recently, if so it didn’t show. Constantly bombarded by Chops sales people, annoying. Can’t enter the tiny pool without everyone starring. Pool games were lame, they didn’t show on the big screen. Shows were not good. No grandeur of a promenade. No pizza shop . Late night eats were in Windjammer with flocks of people at the pizza station. Read Less

Overall Rating = 4.5 We have been on a total 19 cruises on many different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Disney, and Carnival. This was our fourth cruise on Empress, beginning in her inaugural season in 1990. Reviews never cease to amaze me. Reviewers will complain about everything. Do these people eat gourmet style dishes with scrumptious desserts at home? Are they constantly waited on and cleaned up after? Do they have a variety of activities and entertainment choices every day? If you think the world revolves around you and you have expectations that can’t be satisfied; Stay home! Cruise experiences are very different depending on the cruise line, ship, destinations, and time of year. Do your research (Cruise Critic is a great resource); know the cruise line; know your destinations; and, most importantly know your ship, its’ restaurants, entertainment options, amenities, and it’s age and renovation history. NEVER pay attention to any reviews written before your ship’s last refurbishment. Ship: Empress is 30 years old in 2020, was last refurbished in 2016 and had a routine dry dock in 2019. It is less than half of the size of most cruise ships in service with the major lines and 1/5 the size of Royal Caribbean’s largest ships. At that size, there simply isn’t room for all of the amenities you see on larger ships. Some view these facts about Empress as limitations, while others view them as positives. The cruise experience is quieter, slower, and more intimate than others; this doesn’t make it better or worse, just different. You should know what experience you prefer and choose your ship accordingly. Empress is maintained like other Royal Caribbean ship, clean and inviting. Restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, shopping area, and the casino may be smaller in scale and not as shiny and new, but the quality is still up to Royal Caribbean standards. Embarking and Debarking: With Royal Caribbean’s infrastructure set up to accommodate much larger ships, getting on and off of Empress was a snap. We docked in Fort Lauderdale and were off the ship and in the Miami airport by about 9:30. Cabin: Empress doesn’t have the myriad of cabin choices of larger newer ships. The only balcony cabins are suites. We had an ocean view cabin, #8156. It was smaller than similar cabins on newer ships, which was most noticeable in the shower and closet space. The window was a large picture window with a clear, unobstructed view. The cabin was cleaned twice per day by our excellent steward, Sethko. He was virtually invisible and never disturbed us for any reason. Dining: We had dinner in the main dining room at one of the standard seating times. Empress also offers “my time” dining and I believe three specialty restaurants. Our food and service in the dining room was excellent. We did not visit any of the specialty restaurants, but a filet from Chops Grille was offered for $15, much less than a full meal at Chops. This is the first time we had seen an entree from a specialty restaurant in the dining room. It was a good, thick cut that was cooked absolutely perfectly. We had buffet style breakfast, lunch and late night snacks at the Windjammer Cafe, which offers a wide variety Hot and cold items and desserts. The Cafe was always clean and the old hot and plentiful, but Hey Folks, this is a buffet not a gourmet menu. Entertainment and Activities: Empress offered Las Vegas style shows, as well as two guest comedians, a guest singer, and a guest juggler. The production shows were of smaller scale than larger ships, but the quality of the entertainers was very good. All of the guest performers were excellent. Each comedian performed a “family show” one night and a late night “adult” show another night. All of these shows were hilarious. Many other entertainment and participatory activities were offered, including bingo, several game shows, live music, trivia games, karaoke, competitions, Christmas caroling, pool games, cooking demonstrations, slot machines and casino table games. We participated in several of these activities and enjoyed them all. We most enjoy relaxing in the sun which we were able to do as much as we wanted. Service: Service was excellent, from our cabin steward to our waiter and assistant in the dining room, to bar service around the pool and at shows. Ports and Shore Excursions: The ports for our cruise were Coco Cay, Cozumel, Costa Maya, and Key West. The transformation of Coco Cay is amazing. We first visited Coco Cay 30 years ago when it was literally a deserted island. Now your visit to Coco Cay can be as relaxing or adventurous as you want. There are now multiple barbecue venues and bars scattered around the island, as well as the water park, a massive pool, a protected lagoon for swimming, and multiple beaches. We lounged in some of the free loungers with umbrellas, swam in the ocean, layer in loungers on the pool’s tanning ledge and played some lawn games. The barbecue lunch was excellent, providing many options for your main course and desert. We did not visit the water park. There is a wide variety of things to do at Cozumel. We went on our own and chartered a private 35’ catamaran through an operator called “Deluxe Private Boats Tours”. It was for a half day and cost $1,200, or $120 each for our group of ten. It included food and drink, a nice cruise along the coast, a stop for snorkeling and a stop at a beach. It was one of the best island experiences we have ever had. I would highly recommend a private charter if you are traveling in a group of six or more. We did not book any activities at Costa Maya or Key West. Both stops offer shopping and dining options right off of the pier. Children: We did not travel with children. Summary: We vey much enjoyed our cruise on Empress. It offered a quiet, relaxing experience with plenty of entertainment and activity options. Empress does not have the options and amenities of a new mega-ship, but the cost of our seven day cruise was only $550 each for an ocean view cabin. Do your research, know what your ship has to offer and you will not be disappointed. Read Less

When I booked this cruise I immediately had buyers remorse after seeing the reviews about the boat. I recently went on a Norwegian Cruise that was smaller and I hated it: so I was worried this would be the same. WRONG. This cruise was fantastic. I originally got an inside cabin but was upgraded through the Royal Up program which I highly recommend doing because I’m so glad we for a window view instead. The room in my opinion was perfect size for two people. We had plenty of space and storage. The bathroom is very small, but an average size person can fit in there fine(idk about larger people). I even brought an over the door shoe rack hanger because people made it seem like there was no space but there was plenty. The food was amazing. Yea the windjammer had the usual adequate food but welcome to cruising people. The starlight dinners were spectacular. Highly recommend the French onion soup and prime rib. Lobster night was ok the lobsters are very small so my friend and I split a second entree. Vikki and Ignacio took care of us and I can’t brag about them enough. Entertainment was crazy good. They had a comedian the first few nights that had me almost peeing my pants. I would pay to go see him anywhere. Now unfortunately the second comedian wasn’t as good. The game shows were absolutely hilarious. Such a good time. Cococay is my new favorite place. I would seriously take a cruise just there and back lol. We got off the boat early and got on ALL the slides within a half hour because no one was there that early so def recommend getting off the ship the second they let you. Once we did all the slides we paid by some pools. We laid in the pools. They have amazing food for lunch. Taco stations, salad, burgers, everything. Highly recommend going here, also they’re expanding so it will just keep getting better and better. The gym was smaller and upstairs from the dance club but it has everything I needed. And the treadmills face the water so that’s a nice perk. They also provide too with towels The crew on this ship are awesome. It is a small ship but it’s a comfortable ship. Easy to navigate and never too full. I will say tho if you get sea sick easily do not go on this boat. You feel EVERYTHING. We were on deck 8 and I could feel the boat shake when it was slowing down. It rocks a lot so just be ready for it. Again you’re on a boat so if that bothers you then don’t go on a cruise. Embarking was horrible because they were running behind and everyone was complaining so instead of doing sections they basically let the entire boat get off at once, which you can just imagine how horrible that was. But that was the impatient people fault not the boat. Overall I would 100% recommend going on a cruise on this boat. My 7 days were perfect and I already miss it. Read Less

Let me start by saying this ship was supposed to go to Cuba but now that port is closed to ships from the US. I'm hoping that if Cuba reopens RCI will give this ship the facelift it deserves. At this point the ship really damages the Royal Caribbean brand. We choose this sailing because it was convenient embarkation around some business meetings. We knew it was a small ship but did not expect the poor condition, low quality accommodations and poor quality and inadequate food choices. The dining room was very pretty and had a nice piano player during dinner. We met some amazing people who we have become fast friends with. The Windjammer was horrible: dated and worn furniture, horrible line management, and overall poor quality food. The staff in all facilities were wonderful, especially the entertainment team. While we're didn't attend the ship performances, the headliner and comedian were very good, the piano bar player was spectacular and we went to schooners every night. The entertainment facilities were outdated, in need of repair and uncomfortable to sit in and took away from the great entertainment. The silent disco was fun however it would have been better with two DJs battling it out instead of one DJ and two channels with preset playlists. The most disturbing thing was the muster drill where attendance was done on paper, the crew member doing the life jacket demonstration couldn't even put the lifevest on and the muster signal given by the bridge didn't match the signal we were told it should be. The gym is located above the Viking lounge on a upper balcony. The equipment is jammed into the space obviously not designed to be a gym. The equipment looked to be in poor condition. The running deck required people to walk / run through a large smoking area. The casino was smoke-free, which was very nice. However, during the learn to play session, no one was available to teach me how to play craps. I would not recommend this ship for children as there is only one small pool and not a lot of other activities available for kids. I would not recommend this ship for anyone who's interested in a newer ship as the ship is very old, worn-out, and outdated. If you're just interested in getting away and you don't care about ports, or quality of the ship, have at it. Read Less

My wife, her sister and I have taken a Thanksgiving Day cruise for the last few years. In planning this year we planned on Cuba and Grand Cayman and found the Royal Caribbean had one aboard the Empress of the Sea. We booked a suite and were looking forward to it. Then the US Government banned cruises to Cuba. Royal contacted us and asked if we were interested in a full refund or take a new itinerary at half price. Although the new itinerary was not inspiring, Key West, Grand Cayman, and Labadee, we chose to stay with it since my sister in law had never swum with the Sting Rays. Day one in Miami was well organized and we were on the ship in no time at all. The room was nice and had two balconies and a spacious, for a ship, bathroom. We had chosen anytime dining and the food and service were very good. The next morning I got up early and went to the Windjammer for some breakfast. It is small and was quite crowded. I am not big on breakfast food so I had some bacon and fruit. During the cruise, we ate breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer except for one day when we ate breakfast in Chops. The food in Chops was better than the Windjammer but the service was very slow. By and large, the food in the Windjammer, breakfast, and lunch was lacking. It was often cold to slightly warm at best. The second day we had room service breakfast on the balcony. We stayed on the balcony for a couple of hours and went inside. We soon discovered we had a black substance on our clothes and we had tracked it inside as well. It was soot from the ship’s stack. Apparently, this was known to happen but we were never informed that the suite we had was one where it was best not to use the balcony. Not to be deterred however, we were given a large number of pool towels to put over the chairs when we wanted to use the balcony. Our clothes were taken to the laundry and cleaned complimentary. Or so we were told. Funny, there is a charge for laundry on my bill. The real problem began early on Thanksgiving Day when the toilet became inoperative. Three visits from a plumber to no avail. We were forced to go up two floors or down two floors to use the facilities. At 4 am Friday morning I got up and dressed to go down two decks to use the facilities. When I went to wash my hands I discovered there was no water. I went to every public men's room on that ship, no water. I went to our cabin and sure enough no water. About 7 am there was water. However, while there was water, there was no hot water. I went to customer service and reported it and was told they would tell maintenance a couple of hours later, we had hot water. Around noon we received a call from the Diamond Ambassador apologizing for all the issues. He informed us that they were still working on the toilet issue and would be giving us “a 20% discount on our next cruise”. Later that evening we received this discount offer in writing. It had become 20% of the cost of this cruise toward a future cruise booked within a year. That is less then what I spent on wine. Thanks but no thanks. About 3 pm the toilet finally was operative. Thankfully disembarking was very well organized and we were off the ship by 8:30. There is more that could dwell on, such as the lack of enforcement in rules such as dress codes in the dining room or food in the hot tubs, but why? My wife and I quit counting the number of cruises we have been on when we hit 50. This will go down as one of the worst, Read Less

The price of this cruise was unbeatable. We had cruised this ship 2 years ago to Cuba and loved the size and intimacy of this ship. It is very well maintained and very easy to find your way around. Unfortunately the price also attracted a lot of families. The size if the ship left no where to get away from the kids. They were EVERY WHERE!! Wat too small of a ship and not enough to do for that many kids! Could not get any where near the pool or hot tubs. Teenagers played their own loud music on sunning decks and were not cooperative when asked to turn it down. The staff did an excellent job putting on a nice Thanksgiving celebration. If anyone should go to Grand Caymans I would avoid the excusion touring the island. We spent 5 hrs inside a van viewing schools, churches, houses, banks....everything we could see at home and literally nothing of the beauty of the island. Loved Labadee Haiti. RC has done a fabulous job creating a tropical paradise for their cruisers. Wish we could have spent more time there. Read Less

I chose this trip on November 15th, 2019 after my booked September cruise was during Hurricane Dorian. We went to Key West, Cozumel, Costa Maya and Grand Cayman. I was disappointed that I was on the smallest of the fleet after not being able to sail on the Allure, but surprisingly it was not as small as I had expected. I travelled with 3 other adults.The embarkation was smooth. The only downside about this was the tight space in the ocean view bedroom. I had a porthole, how ancient is that? Dining was great in the Starlight Dining Room, our waiters Kevisen and Adarsh at table 414 were great. They were quite knowledgeable about the dishes being served. The host at the Windjammer where the buffet was Washy-Washy was quite entertaining. He made sure that hands were cleaned before entering the restaurant. This service was great overall. This cruise had a lot of elderly people onboard. I thought I was on a Golden Oldies cruise. Entertainment was alright but I think scheduling should be better for dining customers who want to see the headline shows. The Director was funny and quite suited for his job. Service was great and the crew really do a great job keeping the place clean at all times. I got better deals on land than via the cruise suggested excursions. Dining was fine in the Windjammer and the Starlight Dining Room was alright, more variety needed on the menus in the dining room. I would travel this again for the price but otherwise I prefer more variety of things to do and more comfort in the cabin. Overall it was a good time, despite the senior age of the majority of the other passengers. The ports visited were okay, I had cruised to a few before. Disembarkation was smooth and quite impressive to me as I dread this time on other cruises. I would recommend the Empress if you want a really good wind down time for your money. Read Less

11/15/2019 Embarkation went smoothly. Everyone on the staff of the Empress was always friendly and helpful. The ship is of the smaller variety which we find to be better for our needs. Everything is always close by. Very relaxed feeling aboard. Service by staff was outstanding. Our stateroom was adequate. It had a nice size TV with a sleep timer. You did not have a TV guide list of what was being shown. It was the luck of the draw trying to find a movie. There were news Channels to keep you informed, children’s’s shows for the kids and shopping channels. The beds were a little hard so they added some padding for us to make it more comfortable. Our cabin lacked a refrigerator. First time we ever had that happen. They supplied an ice bucket upon request but no tongs to lift the ice. Finally obtained some tongs thru a housekeeping request. The tongs were huge and the ice bucket was small. Our cabin steward kept our room neat. We hardly ever saw her. The life boat drill was held in an area where you had to stand. Since we are unable to stand for more than 5 minutes we asked if there was some place else we could go to sit and we were directed to the Royal Theater in the balcony. It seemed strange that the main level of the theater was completely empty. They could have saved many of the cruisers from standing by using those seats. The food on board was excellent. Our favorites in the dining room was the beef tenderloin. It was so tender you hardly needed to chew it. Wonderful flavor. Next best was the coconut shrimp and the crab cake appetizer. Lobster night was a real treat. All the lobster tails you could eat. French onion soup was excellent. The shrimp cocktail was chilled to perfection. In the buffet each night we were greeted by Jess, the washy, washy host. He was everyone’s favorite. Wonderful personality and so helpful getting everyone to clean their hands so they would not contaminate the buffet. Our favorites were the hot dogs reminiscent of Costco’s hot dogs. The London beef pie was excellent. The chocolate chip cookies were the best ever. Our waitress in the dining room was excellent. She was from India and her name was Minakshi. She remembered everyone’s name and welcomed us each night asking us about our day. She went out of her way to please us. We had asked about the blueberry muffins that were on the room service menu that never appeared when we ordered them. She went to the cook and found out they were only prepared on a certain day and had the chef send us a big plate filled with blueberry muffins to our stateroom the next day. They tasted great. It was a pleasure to see Mina every night welcoming us with her warm smile and her wonderful personality. The trivia games were great and held often. Their staff made the games even more fun including Andy, Kacy, Michael and Bonita. The prizes were repetitive, a pen, a key chain or a high lighter. Rarely given was a cap. Everyone was up for the challenge of winning. A tee shirt or an RCL lanyard would be our suggestion for a prize to help advertise RCL. The Quest game was a lot of fun led by Elvis, the Cruise Director. We had a Meet and Mingle Party on the first sea day led by Orlando. Only a few officers attended. They had a table of refreshments. We had 41 cruisers who registered for the party. It was a nice way to meet everyone. Following the party about 20 Cruisers on our roll call went to the casino for a Slot Pull. Shawn, Casino host, was very helpful in setting up the Slot Pull. We all had fun. Free drinks for all who participated as well as a gift bag for the 4 top winners which included a Royal Casino tee shirt, a room key holder and some free slot coins. The shows were okay. Nothing spectacular. There were movies on the big screen by the pool as well as in the theatre. Our favorite was Strange but True. It was a movie from 2019 that we never heard of but it was excellent. One problem we had on the ship was that my husband developed a cough which seemed to be related to the pillows in the cabin. Evidently they were not hyper allergenic pillows. When we asked for a replacement pillow that might help they said they only had the one type of pillow. I tried rolling up a blanket and covering it with a fresh pillow case but it seemed to help a little but not enough. We found that if we went on the pool deck under the stars he was able to stop coughing. As soon as we went back to the cabin his cough would return. We tried taking Benadryl which seemed to help a little. But whatever it was causing the cough is still in our cabin. He was fine everywhere else on the ship. Really surprised they only had one type of pillow. On our last night on the cruise an announcement was made but only heard it in Spanish. There was no English translation in the main dining room. It was relayed to us later in the theater that a cruiser was taken ill and we were heading back to Key West to take him to a hospital for treatment. We thought that was very thoughtful of the Captain to do this to help save the passenger’s life. Debarking was a mess because we arrived late in Miami due to stopping off in Key West to drop off the cruiser who was in critical condition. We thought they would go full speed ahead to make up for the time loss but I guess it would cost too much to go full speed. We were told that we had to be out of our cabins by 8:30AM so the stewards could make up the cabins but since we did not arrive in Miami until 9 AM Deck 5 was a mob scene with not enough room for all the people waiting with their luggage to walk off. I never realized so many people did walk off. The line went from one end of the ship and wrapped around into the photo gallery. We were waiting for wheelchair assistance and it seemed like they were very short on pushers and we did not get off the ship till around 11AM. Then there were not enough porters to get the luggage. The only thing that went right was the Lyft driver who arrived in 5 minutes. It was a great cruise except for debarkation. Read Less

We chose this ship as it was a very economical choice. We sailed two back to back cruises. The cabin had plenty of storage space for our belongings even though it was small. A bit of a struggle to get into bed at nights but doable. The food was fine, much better than stated in many reviews. We enjoyed sharing a table every night during My Time dining. We never waited more than a few minutes to be seated. We found the hot tubs and pool easy to access. The ship was very clean. We found the entertainment mediocre with the exception of a juggler who was an excellent comedian also. We found the "washee washee" employee in the Windjammer very irritating. I think adults know enough to have clean hands without being greeted every time with him. The staff was excellent - very friendly and efficien. We won a bottle of champagne on the first cruise. Our room attendant found a champagne bucket and kept it filled with ice until we finished it. We found the music (too much reggae) much too loud at the pool so we escaped to the sixth floor to sit outside in a quiet area. If you were a musician you would know what I mean by boring 2-chord "music." Overall the cruises were a very pleasant experience. Read Less

It was our first cruise experience. We were a little disappointed with the food. The food from Windjammer Cafe was okay and sometimes it's salty. Although it claimed to be a different theme for each night, I found the variety of food didn't change much. We also tried the starlight dining room and chop grill restaurant. The foods were nicer there. My 5-year-old daughter enjoyed the kids club very much. The teacher invited her to join ball games but she preferred to do quiet activities. The teacher gave her lots of coloring pages and she loved doing it very much. I do not have much to say about the entertainment and activities. We only spent 30 min at the theatre during our stay because our younger daughter was only two and she was too young for the kids club. It was a hilarious talk show and we enjoyed it very much during the 30 minutes. Our best memory on the ship was the "washy washy" guy at the front door in Windjammer Cafe. He was the landmark on this ship. He welcomed everyone entering the cafe. He entertained us and we laughed so hard with his famous phrase "Go washy washy, no sicky sicky. Get foodie foodie and make your tummy happy happy." I think everyone on the ship loved him. The service was the best ever. The crewmembers greeted us and provided lots of information about the events on the ship. Overall, we enjoyed staying here very much Read Less

Embarked Miami - we spent 2 nights there, one them a full day and night to explore - that was good and I enjoyed Miami for the day / evening and I think this was maybe enough time too. We stayed in the Hotel of South Beach and the food there was good. Overall, very nice. Embarkation was pretty easy and I don't recall any issues at all. I was a little concerned as I’d read a fair number of bad reviews. To some extent I needn’t have worried, but it did also have some negatives as well. So, for those that might be interested I thought I’d just share my own personal opinion. Pros: for me, was that regardless of the size of the ship, the areas I was most interested in (eg the bars / public areas etc) was mainly the same as on a bigger ship, albeit less of them and less busy. There are nice sitting and quiet areas. The waiters and service staff are superb. The main deck has lots of shaded areas which is great if like me you need shade. Overall it’s a good ship with lots going for it. MDR was lovely and I enjoyed the food and service. Shops: Only a couple but some little bargains to be found on the rails if you suddenly realise you forgot your beach cover. Excursions: $85 for a snorkeling trip to Star fish island, Belize - was a great day over all. Cons: There was a few negatives for me. The first was the low temperature of many public areas. I was perishing in the Royal Theatre for example. Many women had wraps and even jumpers on. I’ve been cold a LOT and I’m from UK too so am used to a colder climate yet I found this uncomfortable. My second issue was much of the food in Windjammer was barely warm. Also on Buffet area: The washy washy guy annoyed me and there was no let up - not being able to go into the dining room without being accosted by someone singing washy washy and prancing around eventually gets tiresome - some love it.. but I hated it. Ignoring it made me feel rude... I don't like feeling like that but less in your face might be nice. Theme night entertainment team - terrible. The theme nights 100% orchestrated - eg on the Caribbean night the dancing was ALL follow the leader style dancing in lines copying the staff... not just some of the night, the whole time! Now, the following night was 70’s night in Viking and being a 70’s teen myself looked forward to it. However, this was the same with the young team doing current day line style dancing the entire time. I’d have loved a proper 70’s freestyle / do what you want dance floor. I stayed the entire evening and this concluded with no 70’s music which was mainly rap and suchlike. So, the entertainment team, including the boss, need a few tips of how to ensure the paying customers actually have a nice time - because they sure as heck don't know. Dress code: In addition to the above the formal night was basically none existent which is a personal choice I know. I like them and on the Indy earlier this year (UK/Italy) the ship was strewn with tuxedos and suits. This time I saw not one. This may be usual on Caribbean cruises from Miami so I’m not sure why and it’s only a personal thing but seeing people walking out of the dining room in flip flops and tees was unexpected for me. I think formal should mean that in the dining room at least - here, it didn't. Spa / Hair etc: We went one visit - I was happy... my sister had to come back and rewashed and restyled her hair because they 'finished' it with 'oil' - Now, bear in mind she has straight reasonably thin to medium thickness hair and was having it curly - so how on earth do you finish that with an oil?? She didn't complain - I thought she should... anyway, that was yet another let down... although, it was just one of those things and not necessarily a reflection of the usual service there perhaps. But at $93 it wasn't a cheap experience for nothing, for her! So there are definitely pros and cons but for your average middle age to older couple wanting a smaller ship this might be a good choice. I’ve done it now and I’m glad I did but I wouldn’t return. We originally booked for Cuba and the itinerary changed. All the stops were lovely though. Oh, I remember some have mentioned the sewer smell and it definitely does exist on some decks. Overall a nice cruise as far as the staff and the ship stand. However, it did leave me a little wanting... I think 3 stars is fair. Read Less

Small ship experience at modest prices...I would give Empress an A+ for guest services , housekeeping, dining ( limited venues) , spaces to chill/ relax, best Schooner Bar space, superior shore excursions and activities staff , spacious Shops area Our room was a junior suite with a balcony. It was clean with excellent lighting especially for reading in bed HOWEVER if one wants quiet rooms/ junior suites on Deck 9 are a BAD choice. One deals with extensive pool noise from bands or movies shown on pool deck10 or pounding of little feet from Adventure Ocean with very bad sound attenuation We did not do our homework to see what was above us. Would we return to the Empress? Certainly... but we would get a Deck 9 suite far aft or suites off the aft part of the ship or even settle for a smallish ocean view (136sq ft) The Empress has wonderful public areas although the Centrum is small(but well utilized ) The ship is showing its age. We love this size ship but RCI seems to be moving to LARGE ships. Read Less

Was originally scheduled to go to Cuba, but due to recent changes by the US government, the itinerary was changed. I followed the reviews for this ship for a few months and was very leary about going anywhere on this ship. Put your mind at ease, the ship was great! It is small, but it is personable. The crew is great. You could not ask for a better wait staff. The servers were very friendly. Basically, I did not encounter any bad personalities. The guest were just as friendly, and very respectful of the staff. I have been on many cruises where that was not the case. As for the odor that some folks complained about, there is a whiff of a sewage smell on certain decks, but it is not overpowering or unbearable. Did not experience any plumbing issues in the cabin. I had an interior room and no roommate so space was not an issue for me. My sister and niece shared a room and they appeared to be able maneuver in the room without any issues. Entertainment was good. For the 8 days they had a nice variety. Juggler, violinist, Celine Deion impersonation, comedian, production show. Small casino with decent machines. Was cruising during Halloween and RCCL really did a nice job with the decorations and entertainment for that night. Had a blast at the 70’s party. Food was typical cruise food, but I would say one thing, best hot dogs, burgers and fries I have ever tasted on a cruise ship. Better than the Guy Ferier burger stand on the Carnival line. Caribbean night is also a good night to eat in the Windjammer. Very good oxtails....yummy! Did one excursion through RCCL in San Juan. Tour of old and new San Juan with a 2 hr stop at the mall. Two hours is not enough time for this mall. You need at least 4 hrs. This is a huge mall. All in all, this ship is the little ship with a big heart. So book your cruise and have a wonderful time. Go with an open mind and enjoy! Read Less