We needed a break, and since our youngest was celebrating her 21st birthday the week before the cruise, we decided this was a perfect time. This was Navigator's third trip after her recent yard period, and she didn't disappoint. On this cruise we had me (59), SWMBO (54), our son (26), our daughter (21), SWMBO's sister (59) and her husband (68). We travel often with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and will continue to do so as long as they will have us. We always have a great time with them. Embarkation: Normally, embarkation is quick with little to no wait. Not this time. It seemed the folks from the cruise before ours were slow to leave the ship, so we were standing around in a crowded embarkation center for quite some time. We arrived around 1030 and didn't board until between 1200 and 1230. There was a large group that had been corresponding on social media and here on Cruise Critic and we were able to meet up with some friends of ours while waiting to board. Meals - Windjammer: The food in the Windjammer this cruise was up to its usual standard - decent, not outstanding, but it filled the void. Some was very good (especially the desserts) and some not so much (avoid the Eggs Benedict - the toughest English Muffins I have ever seen). As usual, the staff in the Windjammer was great, and overall it fit the bill. Meals - My Time Dining: Before cruising, we booked My Time Dining for 1800 each night of the cruise. First night - no problem. We were promptly seated and had a great table - first table on the left as you enter the dining room. The table has a decorative wall surrounding it that made it feel more private than the other tables. We really liked it. The second night, the computer system had our reservations at a different time 1715, but having booked everything for 1800 before leaving, we arrived at 1800. Of course, our table was given to another group, so we got moved to a new table with a different waiter and assistant waiter. It all worked out great though, as our waiter, Francisco, and his assistant, Shuzhen, were wonderful. Shuzhen is from China, and she told us some folks have trouble pronouncing her name, so she told us to call her by her family name - Moh. They were so friendly and attentive - absolutely terrific. The food was very good, except for one night when a number of us ordered the Braised Beef Short Rib - it was so bland. As for the rest of it - truly excellent. Bars - we all had the drink package and, as usual, it did not disappoint. The bar staff on the Navigator make killer Frozen Mojitos, Bushwhackers, and Mudslides. Their Moscow Mule could use some work though - theirs is basically vodka and ginger beer with a lime garnish. Ports: we hit Labadee, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao on this cruise. We only booked excursions thru RC for Labadee - the Jet Ski excursion (we love this one), and my daughter loves the Zip Line. As for the other ports - In Aruba, we booked the JetLev (the water jet pack) for our son and daughter thru a local company (Red Sail Sports if I recall correctly - SWMBO did the research and booked it). Our son took to it immediately and loved it. Our daughter had a face-plant in the water and got a snoot-full of ocean, so she decided that was enough for her. The folks at Red Sail were outstanding. They meet you at the pier and drive you to their location. The driver gave us great tips for using the bus system in Aruba as the plan was to go to Arashi Beach after the JetLev. We grabbed lunch with our friends from NJ (whose son also did the JetLev) at a small joint by the beach - nothing special there. Afterwards, my daughter wanted to go back to the ship, so she and I took the bus back to the port while the rest took the bus in the other direction to Arashi Beach. Aruba is beautiful, and everyone had a great time. In Curacao we walked around town and did some shopping and sight-seeing - took it easy that day. We ate lunch at the Iguana Café along the canal next to the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge. We got to see the bridge open and close a few times while we ate. Pretty good food there - we pretty much dined on the appetizer menu and really enjoyed it. It is an easy walk from the ship. In Bonaire, we rented golf carts for the day from Bonaire Cruisers, and that is definitely the way to go. They are two blocks from the dock, and they gave us great directions and maps and off we went to explore the island. From the salt flats, flamingo sanctuary, the old slave quarters, the lighthouse, the windsurfers and all the divers, we really enjoyed the leisurely trip around Bonaire. Highly recommended. Disembarkation - things ran a little slowly as the escalator that takes you from the ship to customs broke down. There was about an hour delay getting off the ship as a result, but we got our bags and got thru customs with no problems. Overall, we loved this cruise and were ready to get right back on the ship when we disembarked. I highly recommend this itinerary Read Less

We chose this cruise based on price and intinerary. It was our first on RCCL and third cruise overall. Traveled as a family of four, with kids ages 9 and 11. We thought this cruise and ship were outstanding. We didn't realize upon booking that it was going in for refurbishment, so that was a great surprise. Embarking and disembarking for us went well, but we were there very early at 11:30am. My understanding is that those that arrived even a half hour later waited for quite some time to board. The staff was outstanding, especially to our kids. The Flowrider and waterslide assistants were particularly helpful! Dining room staff and stateroom attendant were all very good, though I'd stop short of saying excellent. We were never nickel and dimed for anything. Just a few offers from staff for the specialty restaurants, but nothing beyond that. The photographers are there of course, but tolerable. Elevators were a struggle throughout the cruise. Waiting times were long and even when a car arrived, it was often full. Elevators were sometimes marked out of service. It would be improved if able bodied people who were only going one level would just use the stairs. For reasons I don't understand, the aft starboard set was the most reliable for us. We took great advantage of most of what the ship had to offer: - Waterslides: excellent. The single rider one is a bit fast for adults so I only rode it a few times. The double slide, where I could go with my kids, we did dozens of times. It was busy from 11-2 or so, and we avoided those times. After 4pm, we had the place to ourselves and took advantage! Great fun! It was usually open until 8pm. - Flowrider: My kids did this many times. Staff was outstanding in helping them! - Mini golf: Very well done and the best mini golf I've seen on a ship. Only complaint is that it is VERY poorly lit at night and it mostly unusable after sundown. - Basketball courts, table tennis, etc: your standard stuff. Equipment in great shape. - Pool loungers and pool: While the pool area was often crowded, away from the pool it never seemed too crowded. There were always plenty of chairs available somewhere on the ship. The areas by the mini golf course were usually available and well designed with wind blocks. The round sofa loungers are excellent and I want some for my backyard! A hidden gem is if you go to the Flowrider, on the starboard side is a staircase that goes down one level - there were 30 or so chairs down there that no one knew about. I usually had the whole place to myself, though it was sometimes shady depending on how the ship was oriented. The pools were excellent and never too crowded. My kids enjoyed them. - Laser tag: average. Music was painfully LOUD!!! We didn't go more often just because of the noise level in here. Bring earplugs. - Ice skating: My daughter loved it. Very nice setup and not crowded at all. Food: Windjammer: It's a buffet with standard buffet food. Desserts were excellent. I usually opted for whatever was on the carving tray and it was quite good. Music again too loud in here, and on too short a loop so that you hear the same songs over and over. By Day 5 of 10, it was irritating. It was well laid out and the all you can eat seafood buffet on the last night was excellent. Main Dining Room: We did My Time Dining and it worked out pretty well. We dined here 5 of the 9 nights. (The rest of the nights we were busy doing other things and just wanted a quick bite in the buffet.) One night they sent us to a table that was already occupied, but otherwise it was flawless. Service and food were very good. Prime rib on Night 1 was excellent. Same thing on Night 7 was disappointing. Not sure why. But otherwise, pretty good. Service was just as quick as an American restaurant. Loco Fresh: We loved this place for a quick bite to eat for lunch. Freshly made and great taste. No clue what to do with my dishes afterward though? We did not do any of the specialty restaurants or Johnny Rockets as the "included" food was plenty good for us. Entertainment: I thought it was excellent. We saw almost every show. The ventriloquist and hypnotist were our favorites. The Showgirl show was excellent, but the follow up Ballroom Show was very disappointing and slow. All other shows were above average. Live music throughout the ship was pretty good although there were some hits and misses mostly based on personal taste. Cabin: Small, as expected. We booked very late so we were on level 2. Not so bad 90% of the time, but there were two nights in which there was excessive noise (maintenance or machinery) from below, which woke us up, sometimes for an hour or so. I would try to avoid this level, though if it was all that was available, I'd still book it as the rest of the cruise was great! Temperature was perfect (although the rest of the ship was warm.) Shore excursions we did all on our own or third party. Haiti: beach (food provided on the beach is average to below average.) Aruba: horse riding with Rancho Notorious. Curacao: wandered Willemstad and visited the Maritime Museum, local shops, etc. Bonaire: glass bottom kayaking and (first time) snorkeling. Despite the few hiccups (noise, elevators) we would absolutely do this same cruise again. The staff were fantastic and the ship was immaculate. Read Less

The ABC islands were beautiful! We enjoyed our excursions, and the Sunset Cruise in Curacao was amazing! Great music, beautiful scenery, and excellent staff. Our Stateroom attendent, Tri, was very attentive and extremely nice. Our waiter and attendent in the main dining room (Stephen and Olinad) were the best!! Every aspect of this cruise, from the balcony room to the activities and food was awesome. I was celebrating with my mom on her birthday, and we decided to try Chef's Table. The cuisine, wines, and deserts were delicious. The games and entertainment were top-notch. I suggest going to see "Love and Marriage". The couples chosen for the game we saw were hilarious! There were several standup comedians. One was very funny, and the musical shows were professional and entertaining. There is so much to do on the ship that there is no way you can do it all. Never a boring moment...with that said, there are several places on this ship that one can find some peace and quiet, while viewing the beautiful scenery of the open sea. I've enjoyed all of my cruises with Royal Caribbean, but this one has been my favorite. Read Less

Wow, what a great cruise. The best of times start at Decks 11 and 12 around the pool. The cabanas were a joy to sit in--like box seats at a ball game. The 3 level Lime and Coconut bar is the perfect place to hang out, people watch and party. Soft serve ice cream on 11 now has an attendant. He kept the lines moving and eliminated the usual mess and germ sharing. El Loco Fresh (also on 11) is a free Mexican style buffet walk-up. Food was good, but the cheese was way thin and you had to open up the pre-wraped burritos to add some of the available hot sauces and assorted other condiments. That really backed things up. The new water slides are amazing. Tried em both and loved em both. If you want entertainment, hang around and watch people try to get out of the 2 seat blaster after their first trip. Best times could also be found at the Bamboo Room and Playmakers, both on 5. They are bars with good bar food; but at an extra cost. More on that in a minute. Deck 4 has $2 Mimosa's at the casino on the sea days. Best drink deal I've found since the 2 for 1 margaritas at the On Air bar on Freedom! Deck 3 has the entertainment. The shows at Royal Theater were varied and entertaining. Something for everyone. Studio B has a new ice skating show that is even better than the old one. It also has free skating and lazer tag. Good stuff. Now for the ok...the music was loud. I'm going deaf because of the way I played my music in the 60's and 70's. But most of the music onboard was way loud. Royal spent many millions renovating the pool area, so why on 4 different nights did we have late night parties on deck 5? They did have one on deck 11 one night, but the shrill electronic music that was playing drove us downstairs. Main dining dinner is at 5:30 or 8:00. It takes close to 90 minutes to finish. So why were some 60 minute shows scheduled at 5:00 or 7:00? Last, but not least, the Windjammer closes for the evening at 9:00. Which means that the only free food to be found after then is at the Cafe Promenade on deck 5. At busy times the wait would be 10-15 minutes for something to nosh on. Good business for the Bamboo Room and Playmakers though. And they do have good food. But those are just nits, the ship is great. Read Less

We had a wonderful time on the newly refurbished Navigator. We chose this cruise because we had always wanted to see the ABC islands and this was a nice 9 day out of Miami, saving us airfare to Puerto Rico. We had sailed on Navigator before and were excited to see her after this impressive refit. We booked a balcony and travelled with my sister's family who has kids the same age as ours (10 and 12). We had adjoining rooms and were able to open the balcony door to share the space. As with anything there were some hits and some misses that I will summarize: Hits - the new water slides are great. By far the most fun we have tried at sea. The two person raft slide was perfect to go down with our kids. - the addition of a splash pad for the little ones was appreciated by several families - the new El Loco Fresh was a hit. Great tasting Tex Mex fajita style food that was included at no extra charge. Nicely located by the pool for lunch or a snack - the new sports bar was very popular - they actually had a professor of astronomy on board giving lectures. They were fascinating and our oldest loved it - the new ice show was a great production with some effects I've never seen before - The evening shows were entertaining. The Royal productions shows had very talented singers and dancers. The comedians were hysterical. - this itinerary was all we hoped for. We thought Aruba would be the highlight, but snorkeling at Bonaire was simply like swimming in an aquarium. Truly an unspoiled gem Misses - the new Johnny Rockets Express was disappointing. The food was good, but it is now an open area next to the pool. You lose the charm of dining in a 50's diner and no more dancing and singing staff. The pool noise was so loud that the manger actually had to unplug the speaker near Johnny's so that the staff could hear what people were ordering. - speaking of noise, I lost count of the number of people wearing noise cancellation at the pool deck. Someone had it turned to "11" ! - our cabin was disappointing. Our glass door to the balcony had a wind leak. We had maintenance out twice to fix, but they could never get a good seal. For a ship just out of dry dock, they had not fixed some of the basics. Also, the door that lets you merge two adjoining balconies would not latch and would bang around if you didn't keep it closed. Definite design issue here. - the ship definitely is more crowded. The staff told us that with the additional cabins and 3rd or 4th person bunks, they could cram an additional 1400 people on Navigator. You noticed it at show times, dinner seating and elevators. Not horrible, but definitely noticeable. - the crew as a whole seemed to be finding their feet. Not sure if it is because they came out of dry dock 2 weeks prior, but there seemed to be a lot of scrambling. Two of our dinners took 2 hours+ for no really good reason. Our cabin steward was simply the worst we ever had with Royal. Barely was seen and often didn't get to our rooms until lunch time and around 9:00pm at night - we wanted to do the Escape Room but had to pass. They charge $20 per person regardless of party size. If the 8 of us signed up it would be $160! We could do 4 escape rooms back home for that much. Also, no children under 12 were permitted, so we passed. I never talked with anyone that had done it the entire cruise. I'm guessing it won't be around long. - the Main Dining Room was good most of the time. My concern is that the menu choices seem to be fewer and fewer with each cruise. For all that, we had a wonderful time. I don't want to give the impression that I'm one of those people that complain they are on a cruise! Just want to give you an honest assessment. The ship is beautiful with lots of great spaces and features after this refit. The ABC's lived up to their billing! Nine days was just right for us!!! Read Less

This was a group cruise our travel agent put together that she was going on with her family and friends. We have sailed with her before, and had a wonderful time so we thought we’d book again. We sailed on the Adventure of the Seas a year ago and loved the ship, which was similar before the renovations. We knew the Navigator would be extra nice, and we were not disappointed. We did not know about the planned refurbishment until a year or so ago, so we were pleasantly surprised with all of the wonderful additions!! We were all very happy our cruise was not cancelled, as the previous planned cruise was. We were excited to go back to Aruba and Curacao, and were happy to see Labadee and Bonaire, new islands for us. Bonaire was wonderful for snorkeling! We walked down to the Divi Flamingo, just a 5 minute walk to the right of the port, paid our $20 Day Pass, Fee total for 2, and chose a great location on their pier, full of empty chairs and umbrellas surrounded by rocks and coral, and tons of colorful fish!! It was a wonderful day!!! We rented our snorkel mask and fins from their dive shop for $12 each, enjoyed a pina colada from their bar, and totally relaxed. We were entertained by crabs walking around, and spoke to nice Norwegian guests staying at the resort, surrounded by many empty chairs. We were the only cruisers from our ship and had the place to ourselves. I rained that day for a good hour but we were totally protected under the grass umbrellas. In Aruba we took a cab to Eagle Beach for a change, recommended by the cab driver, but should have went back to Palm Beach. It was VERY windy and not an expected fun day at all. It cost $40 for 2 chairs and an umbrella, and we will never go back to that beach again. We should have left and went to Palm Beach, where there is food and shopping, a Dunkin Donuts and none or less wind. In Curacao we had a nice day. We walked around the town and had a delicious soft ice cream cone at Kentucky Fried Chicken. Yes, shocking. Lol! There was a big picture of an ice cream cone outside and we decided it was worth the risk. Ice cream at a chicken place? Go for it! it was delicious and refreshing! In Labadee we enjoyed a delicious bbq lunch provided by the ship. We had paid for the cabana umbrella and 2 chairs for $38 total for 2, but we left after we realized it was not what we wanted. The ocean was joy smooth and relaxing. It was rocky, had tons of coral to dodge and not get cut (without beach shoes), itchad a strong current with an undertow and a dip in the sand I had trouble getting in and out of the water without falling. Just not my idea of a relaxing day. We left and walked a short distance to Nellie’s Beach. Nellie’s Beach is on the Caribbean side. It had free chairs, calm clear water, no coral or rocks, no dips Gerri g in and out of the water, and trees to put your chairs under for shade, if you wanted. They offered umbrellas for a cost hutvwecwere totally fine where we were. It was a much better spot for what we wanted for our day in Labadee. Overall it was a great cruise! My hubby went down the one slide open (after the refurbishment) and we played mini golf. The shows were all fantastic in the theater! The band was terrific, especially the piano player who would be seen olying in the elevators on many occasions! Too funny! He could play anything and give it 110% The band by the pool was terrific, as was the DJ and entertainment staff! Hugo, the DJ, was fantastic! Lol! So much energy!! Where he gets it, I do not know! He truly loves his job! Talks way too fast but okay. We got used to it. Our cabin steward Davis was excellent, and very accommodating! He always greeted us by our names and asked how he could help us the first time we met him. He brought us extra hangers, extra towels daily and filled our ice bucket 2 times a day. Much appreciated!! Our waiters in the dining room o were outstanding!! We were at table 413. They were very nice and served our meals very well and were so nice and friendly!! We wanted to take them home with us! Atish and Sasicha were two of the best waiters we’ve ever had in our 14th cruises! The fried eggs in MDR and in the Windjammer were always underdone and runny. They sadly just never got it right. Oh well, everything else was terrific, especially their soft rolls and the carving stations! Loved the roast beef, ham and pork! I wish the gift shops sold post cards of the ports we were going to so we could write a few on the ship. Other lines have them in their gift shops onboard. Just my suggestion. Go to the shows! The comedians were too funny!!! Some nights we went twice to laugh again! The singers and dancers were very talented, as the bad was! Loved the music in the promenade, especially the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s music themed dance parties!! All in all we enjoyed our vacation on the Navigator and hope to sail her again! Happy cruising!! Any day on a cruise vacation is a Happy Hour! Read Less

I was looking for a Royal Caribbean cruise to Aruba, Bonaire, & Curacao, and the Navigator of the Seas, sailing out of Miami, had just the itinerary I was looking for. My wife and I booked one of the two new panoramic suites above the bridge. We found the accommodations spacious, and the view out the floor-to-ceiling windows spectacular, which overlooked the helipad at the front of the ship. The suite perks were excellent, and the Suites Concierge, Grecia Guillen, was exceedingly helpful, energetic, and always smiling. She assisted us in getting dining reservations one night when we were previously told the time slot was full. For all suite guests, she also arranged a luncheon and tours of the Galley and Studio B, the ship's ice rink and multipurpose venue. As a suite guest, we were given priority embarkation and disembarkation processing, which went smoothly both ways. The entertainment quality was world class, featuring a different show each night of the 9 day cruise. One of the favorites was the Royal Caribbean produced ice skating show starring some current and former Olympians, and other top-notch professionals. Other highlights included world renowned ventriloquist Ronn Lucas, "Diva of the Seas" Stephanie Baker, juggler Adam Kario, with comedian Ralph Harris closing out on the cruise's final night with a hilarious routine. Additionally, there were three Royal Caribbean original production shows.featuring the Navigator's in-house orchestra. They were amazing, performing nightly at all of the shows in the main theater and at other locations around the ship. Off of the ship, on port days in Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire, we participated in bus tours of each of the three Islands. The bus drivers and tour guides were professional and courteous. We found all of the tours to be interesting and informative, and were started and ended in a timely manner without incident. Prior to those islands, the ship docked at Labadee, Haiti, which is Royal Caribbean's own private resort. We had been to Labadee on a previous cruise and did not book any shore excursions at that port of call. Read Less

First cruise after it being refurbished. We chose this cruise because of its itinerary and it being 9 days. The renovations to the ship are very nice. Unfortunately some were not complete so, therefore, we didn’t get the full benefit. If I would of had children along I would have been disappointed because one of the slides was not operational yet and the children’s play areas were not complete. For 70 year olds that didn’t care about those things it was great. Food, service and entertainment were all excellent. We were traveling with a group of 12 and everyone had a great time. Small complaint was the first couple of nights were slow in the main dining room but it got better as the week went on. Also, the only movies offered in the cabin you had to pay for. There should be at least one or two movies a day you don’t have to pay for. About the only TV was MSNBC and Fox News. I know you are not on a cruise to watch TV but sometimes you like a little quiet time away from the crowds and music. They showed movies out on the pool deck but you couldn’t hear and who wants to sit in the hot sun to watch a movie. We did feel that the ship felt a little crowded. I don’t know if it was because some venues were not open yet and everyone was pushed into the areas that were but at times it was crowded. Read Less

I loved this cruise. I would first like to say how great the staff were. Our waiters in the dining room were a joy to talk to and the stateroom staff were also very nice and made you feel welcome. There was never a time where we didn’t have something to do on the ship. I enjoyed lounging on the poolside and in the hot tubs for times where we wanted to relax. As for the entertainment, there’s so much to say. The comedy shows were amazing, the game shows are a blast to watch, and live music and karaoke was fun. We also enjoyed mini golfing, ice skating + an ice skating show, the arcade, family bingo, and ping pong. As for the food, everything we ate was complimentary and it wasn’t bad. Most of the things were delicious, and only a few things could’ve been better. I loved going to the Windjammer every morning for breakfast, grabbing a bite from the Cafe Promenade, and dining at the Saphire Dining Room fo dinner. The gym had lots to do. I had tons of fun on this ship, even if it’s an older ship. I wouldn’t have been able to tell it was built in 2002 if I didn’t find out. New Year’s eve was also a great time, despite our balloons being stuck, but that was all joy and laughter. The days at sea were mainly lounging but if we had “nothing” to do, we could always go exploring around on the ship or the Star Lounge was a great spot for entertainment. For the ports, Nassau and Labadee were great experiences, and we were always on time. This was a great experience for my first time cruising. I think it’s great for all ages. The only negatives would be some rocking on the ship but I got used to it. Thank you Royal Caribbean!! I will miss this ship a lot. Read Less

This was a cruise for our 5th anniversary and it was one of the BEST!!!! Loved the Navigator. Ship was beautiful, cabin was terrific, food was terrific, entertainment was awesome....especially the matinee starring Deana. She is an amazing talent. The production shows were great as always. Staff was awesome and we never fail to have a terrific time in the DL. We did the specialty restaurant package this time and were so glad we finally gave it a try. Chops, Giovanni's and the mexican restaurant were all extremely good. Food and service were top-notch. We will definitely do this again. Ate breakfast in the WIndjammer each morning, lunch was varied..sometimes Windjammer, other times Promenade Cafe. Main dining room had good food as usual, We have been traveling on Royal for many, many years and as usual, couldn't ask for any better. Best service and our cruises are always "top notch" thanks to Royal Caribbean. We will remain loyal to Royal!!!! Read Less