We'd never been on this small of a ship before, but we loved it. Prior reviews commented about the age, but overall, the ship was in good shape. What impressed me was the staff. Our housekeeper, waiter and assistant waiter were outstanding. Being a smaller ship, we saw more of the Captain, the main staff, and the Cruise Director and Assistant Cruise Director, who are husband and wife, than we normally do. Having a cabin on Deck 7, it was only 2 floors to the Windjammer to get coffee, and only one floor to the Diamond Lounge. You didn't have to walk far to get anywhere. I didn't expect much of the entertainment, but was pleasantly surprised. Earl Turner was an all-around entertainer. Perhaps geared towards the older crowd, but he put on quite a show. If you ever get to see Ivan Pecel, you are lucky. Very funny while juggling an axe, bowling ball and an egg. We we're were not overwhelmed by the comic, but we were tired and the theater was half empty. as it was for most shows. The late night comic show was the last night, and we didn't make it. The production shows are so-so repeats, but the musicians and dancers are very talented. Its not their fault that RCL keeps recycling uninspired material. We were not used to the Centrum being used for so much. They held some of the silly competitions there, which were well attended. The pianist was very talented. I got up and took some short runs most mornings. The ship's track on Deck 10 is almost 1/4 mile, which was a nice surprise. The equipment in the fitness room was not in great shape, and not too many machines. Food was surprisingly good, given the reviews. It was mostly hits, and a few misses. The misses were the crab cake Eggs Benedict (mostly breading) and most of the dishes made with salmon. I don't know what they did to ruin it, but all of us agreed that the cooked salmon dishes were "pungent". My personal peeve was that the beef on weck in the Park Cafe was served only as a snack, and they didn't have horseradish. (They did hunt some down for me the last day, and then delivered the sandwich to me at my deck chair. I wanted to give a WOW card for that). Some hits were the crab cakes as an appetizer, the escargot and the Steak Diane on Day 7. Breakfast in the MDR and Windjammer was the same menu each day, but generally good. They had omelets made to order in both places. Lunch in the Windjammer did mix it up, and better than some other ships. They had a Mongolian stir fry to order where you picked your own ingredients, and a cook stir fried it for you. We went to Chops one night, and were not disappointed. Embarkation was the fastest I've ever experienced. They have a new system, which worked for this ship. Debarkation was also easy. We took a post-cruise tour to El Yunque and then to the airport, so we were off very quickly. Being a small ship, there were fewer bags in the terminal than we're used to seeing. For ports, we went ashore at Punta Cana via tender, and most of the shops at the port were closed, as it was Sunday. We didn't go in to town or a beach, so I'll reserve judgment. They did have decent entertainment and cold beers. We shopped at St. Thomas. We actually had a good time with the Colette and Bianca, the shopping guides from the ship. I'm usually turned off by the ship's guides, but they were a fun couple. For Martinique, we walked the town on our own and ate at the open air food market. Lots of fun (it was for me) when you don't speak any French, and they didn't speak English. St. Lucia got cancelled over the Corona scare. They replaced the stop with Dominica. We took a taxi tour, and had a good time. Recommendation, that if you ever go, don't take the first taxi you see. They were much cheaper 1/2 block away. We paid $120 for 6 of us in an air conditioned van vs. $200 the first guy said was a bargain. The last port was Barbados, which was our favorite. We went through Calabaza (booked on our own), and it was a 5 star day of snorkeling. Saw turtles up close, sting rays on the sand below us, 3 ship wrecks and lots of fish. Happy to see that the coral is still in pretty good shape. Crew and food were outstanding. Read Less

We had room 3512 which is an ocean view. It turned out to be two portholes. The room was OK but very noisy. At night you could here the main theater even though we were on deck 3 and it was on deck 5. Every morning we were at a port the noise in the morning was crazy. Thrusters and anchor. Our cabin steward was excellent. Walls were very thin. Overall the service on the ship was excellent. Great bar service. Great entertainment. Windjammer service was also above average. Our big disappointment was the food. Dinner was really hit and miss. A few nights were great and a few others left us going to the Windjammer after our formal dinner because we were still hungry. We are older (late 50's) so we do not need large portions. But the portions on this ship were ridiculous. We ate in the main dining room for breakfast one day. My wife ordered a "side" of corned beef hash. It came in a ramekin that was the size you use for ketchup. We had a back to back lunch. Which was nice. They had "shareable" items. Much like Chops. We ordered the asparagus. It was 4 small pieces. So we each had two slivers of asparagus. now we joke when we see 4 pieces of asparagus. "That is a shareable". The Windjammer was also pretty much hit and miss. Good pizza. Good burgers and hot dogs and french fries. Everything else was hit and miss. Which I think is pretty typical for cruise ships. The big disappointment for us was the MDR. Crew was great. Really good service and friendly people. We love the size of the ship. Never really felt that crowded. We did not do any specialty restaurants. Lots of kids on this cruise. The curfew for kids was 1 AM. On both of our back to back cruises we had kids running up and down the halls laughing at 11 PM at night! I guess parents do not care what their kids are doing? Overall a nice cruise but would probably pick other cruise lines if the price was similar. Read Less

The room was fine very small closet for a Junior Suite, Ship is small and felt a lot of movement, cabin was very noisy do not stay in cabin 8026 food was OK not as good as in the past. The bartenders overall were excellent. Room Steward was great and so was the dining crew. The food I felt was not as good as in the past. I feel the cruise line are starting to get more focused on a certain age of cruisers the 30 to 40 year olds. The music was not very good a lot of Spanish music and salsa dancing music. We loved the Karoke and we did the chefs table which was very entertaining and the food was excellent. I think the ship needs more updating and the internet was very slow. I would never stay on this small ship again. Also they went to canned water which is terrible. There s sodium in the water and it taste horrible. It was just not what I thought it would be for what we paid. Read Less

We chose this ship based on ports. This was our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We have sailed with NCL, Celebrity, and Carnival. Pros: we arrived at the port, checked our bags, and within 15 minutes we were on the ship. The food at the windjammer was delicious. Same with the main dining room. Very flavorful. Our cabin, 4045, was always spotless and quiet even though it is located down the hall from the R bar. Our cabin steward was very friendly, called us by name, and asked what we were doing that day and/or how was your day. We went to see the comedienne (hysterical), Travis Cloer (jersey boys, very good), and a show with the VOS dancers (just ok). Chairs were always available by the main pool and the adult pool. Alexa, the bartender at the adult pool solarium, was awesome. She remembered names and favorite drinks. Always had a smile on her face. We took 2 shore excursions through Royal Caribbean. Both were excellent and timely. Cons: service in the MDR was just ok. We sat with 3 different waiters. Only once were we asked if we would like another glass of wine. You had to wait for them and then ask. This seemed to be reoccurring throughout. Bartenders and servers had to be ‘flagged’ down. At times, they still ignored you. My DH and I like to snack after 9. Unfortunately the only option is burgers, hot dogs, pizza, premade sandwich, and french fries, nothing healthy. Soup, salad, antipasto would have been nice. Most nights, Latin music or piano player were offered. A variety would be appreciated . The gym seemed to be an after thought. Additional space to use the free weights would be appreciated. Overall we enjoyed the cruise. Maybe next time we’ll try a different ship. Read Less

Accessible junior suite was nice, out cabin steward was very attentive to our requests. The room service was always on time, but never properly delivered what we ordered. We ordered a banana each morning, never received one and instead we got an apple. It was impossible to find a banana anywhere on the ship, curious given all the ports we visited that grow bananas. I even asked the dining manager in the Windjammer about that. He said he would check and get back to me, I am still waiting. The Windjammer was undoubtedly the worst buffet I have ever been to. Tried to eat there for lunch twice and the offerings were poor at best. Never had breakfast there after walking through and seeing what they had to offer. How does a buffet not have bacon? My time dining in the main dining room was awful, ended up leaving and going to specialty restaurants on all but one night. The host and dining room manager provided no customer service at all. The specialty dining was hit and miss as well. Izumi did not have any Sapporo beer in stock. One night we went and ordered, they delivered something completely different than what was ordered. Chops was good with the exception of the night we went after we left Izumi. We ended up leaving there before we received our mains since service was so lacking. Giovanni's was spot on every time we visited. Bar service in the main bars was excellent. Service at the pool deck was awful. I decided to sit there one afternoon to see how long it would be to see how long it would take for a server to ask me for a drink. After 90 minutes with no luck, I gave up and decided to go to guest services. I asked them if I should lower my expectations for service and treat it as get your own drink. I also told them that there were plenty of people walking around trying to up sell drink packages and dining packages, but nobody to take a drink order. Their response was pretty much yes. This made it easy for us to decide this was the first and last time we will cruise Royal Caribbean. Shore excursions St. Thomas – We booked with Royal to go to St. John. It was a great excursion. Martinique – Royal canceled last minute, saying logistical issues. It was really that not enough people signed up for the tour. So we booked our own version with a local cab driver. Ended up saving money and having more options. St. Lucia – We booked with Royal, was a nice tour of the island with a stop at a local Batik shop. Barbados – We Got off and hired a cab for the day. Ship excursions offered were lacking. Read Less

Went for a seven day Caribbean cruise. Casino was right in the middle of ship, column went up five floors. Stench from smoke in casino filled at least 70% of ship. Couldn't walk anywhere without getting nausea. First day of trip led you to Punta Cana which was locked down for the Sunday. ONly one store open. So what do you do ? Go to the mall which is half empty and only sells products residents want. There were a couple of decent restaurants there. Nothing else to do for the day. Why start you trip in a dead town ? Royal Caribbean stock is up from excess profits they make. Everything has an 18% gratuity attached, even if no service rendered. And they expected you to tip as well, all the time. Find services less than sister Celebrity line. Any excursions you got outside the ship, you were on your own. A minute late and they would sail without you. Cabin service was fine, but you received no afternoon treats. Try to reach your attendant and no one there. Entertainment was fine, but auditorium is larger in Celebrity. Staff was friendly, but this was a family ship and you could hear all the young children. Much prefer Celebrity line, will not travel again on RC. Read Less

We left San Juan on Jan 18th for a seven day Eastern Caribbean tour. It included Tortola, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia and Dominican Republic. We did excursions in Antigua, Barbados and St. Lucia. We had a beach break excursion booked for Tortola but it was cancelled on account of the high waves. Antigua was also a beach break, it went ahead but again, the waves were much too high to make it worthwhile. Our excursion in Barbados was the best of the bunch, easily. It was a snorkel trip that included lunch and an open bar not he beach. Fantastic value and fortunately the ocean and the weather behaved. It was 27 Celsius and the ocean was just wavy enough to make it fun but more than safe for our two year old to play in alongside us. We arrived early to embark, right at 1000 even though our embarkation time was later in the afternoon. This worked just fine, and it was nice to be on the ship so early. The process to get on took only about 30 minutes or so. Disembarking was also quick and relatively easy. They gave you tags for your luggage the day before, you put them outside your room and they picked them up and took them downstairs throughout the night. In the morning your disembarkation time corresponded with the # on your luggage tag. This was convenient since you could be sure your luggage would be out there waiting for you. My only feedback for RC here, is to do with their airport transfer shuttle. We paid for this from the ship but after collecting our luggage outside the ship it was not clear at all where we needed to go to catch this. It was only after asking a few different people that we understood where to stand in line. It would be helpful to have a big sign hanging from the shelter so that people knew where to go. I don’t know how much a taxi / Uber would have cost, but the transfer was 53.95 USD on a large bus with many other people. Generally that was fine apart from what I mentioned above. The ship itself was a bit underwhelming as far as activities and amenities go. There was no waterslides, skating rink, zip lines etc. It did have two pools and a few small spa tubs adjacent to the pools. We were quite disappointed though as our toddler wasn’t yet potty trained so he wasn’t allowed in any of the pools. There was no toddler splash pad or similar facility available. For entertainment there was a very nice theatre that spanned two decks. We saw a comedian / magician there who was a bit amateurish compared to a professional Vegas show but it was entertaining none the less. There was also a very entertaining program in the main centrum area of the ship each evening, live music and the like. There was a few bars around the ship all with separate entertainment. Our favourite was the schooner bar which had a grand piano with a fellow playing and singing nice chill music for us while we sipped our drinks and stared out the window as we chugged along. We stayed in a panoramic ocean view cabin, it was adequate, if a bit small for the two of us and our toddler. My wife enjoys travelling heavy so it was a constant chore to try and keep everything stored properly. The shower had very good pressure though and was quite hot, both important to me. The sound proofing was amazing. Our room was right next to the centrum area, where there was a party happening when we went to bed every evening and presumably lasted late into the night. Even though in the hallway it was so loud you couldn’t speak to a person right next to you without yelling, with our door shut it was a barely audible murmur. When they closed the extra set of doors at quiet time ( I think that was 2100?) that separated the hallway from the centrum, you couldn’t hear it at all.... really amazing, lots of big budget fancy hotels could learn something there. So, the reason I’m giving this a 5 star review is simply because of the folks that run the ship. They seem to be, by my estimation, some of the most professional, kind and happy people in the service industry. From the moment we boarded every member of the crew was extremely helpful and friendly. Our waiters Al and Lorianno, ensured that our toddler had a bowl of fruit sliced to my wife’s exact specifications as well as a glass of lactose free milk (intolerance) as soon as we sat down. They were really very interactive and conversational with us, by the end of the cruise they really didn’t feel like strangers. Also, speaking of my son, so many members of the crew stopped to coo over our son and interact with him throughout the voyage, a great many of them remembered his name along the way. Part way through the trip we had the pleasure of getting toured around the ship’s galley by the head waiter Hans, what a cool guy. He was very knowledgeable and witty. This cost is 69 USD each and included a special lunch and supper and one of the specialty restaurants, Giovanni’s table; well worth it. Also excellent was the tot/baby area of the Adventure Ocean child care service. We used them twice, once for an hour and once for four hours. Both times our son seemed to love it. The ladies that took care of him seemed very happy and according to their posted bios were also very well educated. We will definitely use this service again in the future. The food was a high point as well. The options include the Windjammer all day buffet and the main dining room. We ate at the Windjammer most mornings and at the main dining room each evening at 6. The main dining room was more of a time investment (at least 90 minutes) but was always well worth the wait. My favourites included the French Onion Soup, Roast Chicken, and lamb. On the last night I sprung for the fillet minion which was 25% off it’s usual 16.95 up charge. The Windjammer food was quite good, lots of variety and well prepared. The dining room food though was excellent, as good as I’ve ever had anywhere. I think that my bottom line is that this was a very good experience. My only real concern was that the boat wasn’t exactly equipped with a toddler in mind. I probably wouldn’t have chosen it for that reason, but it was booked by my wife’s grandparents who were with us. With that said, our toddler will soon be potty trained so we would definitely go back. Read Less

I had a great time on this cruise. What drew me in was the low cruise price, the fact that Royal Caribbean could handle a group of almost 200 Canadians and the amazing ports of call including Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. There isn't a ton to see and do in Tortola. It was going to be a beach day but because the sea was rough, all beach excursions were cancelled. Service: The service on the ship was fantastic. Every employee smiles and says hello to all the guests constantly throughout the cruise. I don't just mean your room attendant and your dining room server but every room attendant, server... Cabins & Cabin Service: The downside of a lower class of ship is that the cabins are lacking some amenities we normally expect. There is no mini-fridge in the cabins. So if you bring wine onboard, you can't put it in a refrigerator in your room after it is opened. There are no bathrobes offered. We got around this by requesting them from our cabin attendant. I'm not sure if all the cabin attendants are as quick to please or if we just got really lucky with Allan Sousa from Costa Rica. There was no moisturizer offered but once again, we asked and he left THREE for us almost immediately. Some friends complained they didn't get a box of tissues in their cabin wheras we had two boxes tucked away in a drawer when we boarded. Food: The first several days, breakfast in the buffet was lacking my favourite, smoked salmon. Later in the cruise, it was available each morning. The portion sizes in the dining room aren't consistent between guests ordering identical meals. My lobster tail was the smallest at our table. When I pointed this out, the server was quick to bring me a second lobster tail. I was impressed with all the dining room meals including every dinner and the lunch offered on the sea day. Breakfast in the dining room wasn't my favourite. I'm not a scrambled egg or eggs benedict lover. For some reason, they couldn't just bring me a poached egg. It had to be covered in the hollandaise sauce. Read Less

We chose this ship because of the itinerary which included Barbados Grenada Dominica St Maarten and St. Thomas. All of these islands are beautiful and a must see..Our disappointment is in the ship how poorly run down it is dirty eg bed bugs on the 4 floor and the overall service . Our first two nights we ate in the dining room. We found that the menu selection was very limited. If you do not like seafood or have an allergy the dining room is not the place for you. We had to send our food back two because it was not cooked or it was cold. The rest of the nights we ate in the Windjammer which is the Buffet . The food was OK again very limited compared to the other ships that we’ve been on. On to the cleanliness of the ship The windows in the dining room were so filthy that you could barely see out of them.People who had room service overnight their plates With food still on it were left out in the hall for hours into the morning which started to smell. We stayed on the second floor as far as our room and our room Attendant was fairly good however our shower leaked onto the floor. One morning my feet swelled and I had called room service for ice they told me to call my room attendant the room tenant said I needed to call room service so I never ended up getting the ice. Also people were complaining that on the fourth floor that rooms had bedbugs . The entertainment by the pool side was OK sometimes after coming back from our excursions we would head back to the pool around 4 o’clock there would be absolutely no entertainment no band playing at this time .The band did start at 5:30 and was playing love songs. I didn’t think it was appropriate for being on vacation by the pool side and by 530 most people were headed back to the rooms to get ready for dinner. I would not recommend this ship to people who have kids still in diapers ,There is no pool especially for them and they would not allow them in the main pool.I felt bad for them as they were screaming most of the time because they wanted to go into the pool,Overall I would not recommend this ship to anybody it needs to be refurbished .Because the ship is a smaller ship and it does not have all the bells and whistle’s I think that they have to be excellent in something for example the entertainment food etc. this shipped and give any of that. Read Less

We chose Royal Caribbean cruise line because our friends wanted to go on their first cruise. 15 yrs ago this cruise line was fine but not in 2020. Starting off the cruise had a Spa raffle, our friend entered the raffle and won a $100.00 gift certificate. (the certificate was on a smeared ink piece of paper) They booked another Spa service with this "Won Certificate" to find out when they went for their appointment the Spa service told them they did not honor the "Certificate" and the Spa service wanted to changed a $250.00 cancellation fee for cancelling their appointment for this "Certificate" When we complained about this certificate, they said that someone forgot to tell the 3rd party Spa Company. Real nice. Then the 24 hour the 2 self service ice cream machines were not working for 6 days, Complaining after the cruise they made a excuse " one machine should be running at all times". When our friends brought up their excursions to the excursions desk, the manager told them that they did not purchase from Royal Caribbean even though the website stated it was Royal Caribbean, when they asked for his help researching the excursions the Excursions Manager just said he could not help them and walked back to his office. A nice lady came up and helped my friends to work out the excursions. When we complained to Royal Caribbean after our cruise we were told that they would being up this in his next review, oh great, his awful attitude can continue on each weekly cruise. Both our steward for our rooms did not pick up towel, they just did not look around. Sewage backed up in our friends shower because a back up in the hall, no one came to their room to inform them of this. They had to call for their bathroom to be sanitized. First cruise where the breakfast in the dining room and in the buffet was terrible. 7 days of the same food. We complained about the eggs that taste like cleaning agent, we were never contacted as we requested. Also during the night several bathrooms were closed with no signs, instead of staying at the Casino we left to use our cabin restroom. This was the week of New Years Eve where our friends paid extra for a picture package. Both nights that picture taken was available, photographers did not show on time or did not show at ALL. I have written three times back to Royal Caribbean and all three time all they could day they will look into my complaints, when they came back they stated they will review their ship policies with the ships crew. Not Good. There were several items but it just goes back to poor management by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Beware Royal Caribbean is owned together with Carnival Cruise, Princess Cruises and Costa Cruises. We sure will consider another cruise ship besides these in the futures. Read Less

We chose this cruise to be asea for Christmas. It was most definitely disappointing in that aspect. My wife mentioned and I had to concentrate to try to find actual Christmas music. It was as if RCL went well beyond making this an apolitical, secular Non Christmas cruise. Every song played in the centrum was ordinary Christmas pop music. But not one religious Christmas song was played. Even while strolling around the ship the absence of actual Christmas music was missing. Sad that RCL is jumping on the PC bus even while marketing this as a Caribbean Holiday. Attended the Centrum 'Christmas Music' Guessathon. I'm not particularly religious, but it would seem that Christmas is not allowed to be celebrated (unless its in a separate venue, and not out in public).Sad. There was a Menora on display, so it is not as if NO religious artifacts were allowed, just a prejudice towards Christianity. That said, onto the ship. Boarding in San Juan was an absolute breeze. The 'pre check in' system on the app was the best check in we've ever experienced. Unlike other companies, there was NO line at embarkation unless someone had not used the pre check app. The Vision is old, smaller than the new Glitz ships. There is no water slide or mini golf. We were all reminded that other cruise lines have different 'feel'. However the combination of being on an older smaller ship brought back our first cruise memories of 20 years ago. We ate in MDR for all breakfasts and Dinners all days. Food is excellent. If you doubt the food quality take the Champaign dining tour. Takes an hour and a half but is an excellent way to gain appreciation of all that goes on in prepping 2500 meals 3 times a day! (and the Champaign is great too!) The Windjammer Buffet up on deck 9 was good for afternoon snacks after returning from the beach. They do officially close at 3:00 but would often be open a little longer to get a snack for lunch after a beach day. The Solarium snack bar pizza and deli sandwiches was a seemingly excellent (but underused) venue. We saw three shows, two comedy shows, a good juggling show in the main theater. In spite of the age of the ship, The crew works their behinds off to make the cruise excellent. Disenbarkation was easier and faster than advertised. Read Less

I had the following complaints about Royal Caribbean: 1. not much to do on the ship - too small. No boardwalk either! 2. Spa folks messed up my billing many times - there were multiple cancellations and recharges for three items! It was confusing to me as to why they did this - I asked and did not get an explanation. 3. Giovanni's: Food quality was bad - no taste. A simple Caprese salad was not done right! 4. Security took me to customs and immigration upon disembarkation, and had them "randomly" search my luggage after disembarkation! they said that there were items missing after my spa services in the room I was treated in. They also asked me if I purchased any jewelry on abord or anything else! of course, they didn't find anything. 5. Also I do not care for those automatic gratuities so I've asked for a refund after the cruise ended today. Royal Caribbean cruise line will rot in hell for all this. Read Less

This ship could be so much more if they bothered to plan a bit better. Luggage check in was very disorganized. My luggage was lost for over an hour and when i inquired about it, i was i was informed i probably took alcohol or an in iron on board so to go to the security area. My bag wasn't there, but was later found in a different spot on the ship. Thankfully the Room steward was excellent. Most of the entertainment was LAME big time, especially the line dancing and annoying Karaoke open mike singing in the Centrum area. If the band had performed in the lounge, people could have danced and sat but instead it was crowded and uncomfortable in the Centrum. One night, confetti and streamers were dropped down on us and stayed on the dance floor making it slippery. Also, young children were on the dance floor trying to gather it up while people were trying to dance. I believe the cruise director is a smart guy but should rethink the entertainment. Not much going on in the pool area either. Since no open dining was available, the later seating prevented the guests from attending most shows in the Masquerade Theater. The ship's excursions were so so. You can do better with a private tour group. I called and emailed every few days for a month before departure and was told the tour provider will probably add to the diving excursion. We gave up and went with a local company for a lot less money. A few service issues in the dining room until Hans the manager took over our table. He was great and the staff hard working. Food was mostly meat and very salty and could have been more varied. The Windjammer dining area was okay. I witnessed ripe strawberries being dipped into the chocolate fountain and seeing the chocolate run over the guests fingers right back into the fountain. I made the manager aware of the issue and he quickly provided an attendant to spoon out the liquid. No one was monitoring the gym so people stayed on the workout equipment longer than the 20 minute limit. The spa was okay but pricey. The doctor who did botox and juvaderm was a know it all and rude. I told her i go to a plastic surgeon and she insisted her way was the correct way. I do not recommend this ship mostly because of the entertainment. Most of the people in the 45 to 65 year old age group that i spoke to felt it was BORING. Read Less

The only good thing about this cruise is the excellent crew it has. Room service was exceptional. All crew members were friendly and and did their work with an excellent attitude. Otherwise the ship did not offer free WiFi, and the cost if was $19.99 per day. If you take your cellphone and use it on, or near the ship, the cost per call is $5.99 per minute. At no time was this mentioned by anyone on the boat, or by the Tour company. In my case, it resulted in extra charges to my cellphone for the amount of $545.00. which I believe is abusive and excessive, and the FCC should do something to disapprove this practice by the cruise lines. The food was at best, mediocre, even at their sit in restaurant. Entertainment was almost non-existent, program selection on TV was mostly their own channels, and a lot of old, and repeat movies.The port selection on .sojme cases was not the best ports. Charges for tours are about twice what local tours offer. The best por of call was San Juan, P.R. Overal, I do not recommend Royal Caribbean. Read Less

I'm loyal to Royal and wanted to do a Panama Canal cruise. I have been on about 40 cruises with Royal and this was by far the worst cruise I've been on. 1) Embarkation was delayed due to an unknown issue and the communication was non existent. The disembarkation from the ship was fine but waiting for an hour for our luggage to arrive at the airport was frustration 2) The ship is old but in general pretty good shape. 3) The cabin was fine and the room attendant did good job 4) Service in the main dining room was good but the food was poor, overcooked and mostly tasteless. It did get better as the cruise went on. Food in the Windjammer was poor, selection was very limited and seating cramped. Two meals at Chops were at best average. Rack of Lamb was tough, overcooked but the filet was good. 5) Entertainment was repetitive and of less than normal standard quality 6) Shore excursions were fine and entertaining 7) Thank God for Reynoldo the server in the Diamond lounge he was magnificent and kept the glasses full 8) We have 7 more cruises booked and hope this cruise was an fluke Read Less

We chose this 16 day cruise for it’s itinerary, value and breadth of activities. The ship was a manageable size, offered plentiful activities and many meal and eating options. The cruise directors and activities staff provided many entertainment and participant activities. We were amazed at the friendly and helpful staff. Each staff member went out of their way to make sure we had the best cruise possible. It seemed to be a happy staff that were truly wanting to provide exemplary service! The quality of food was somewhat standard. There was plenty of options both in the main dining rooms and the buffet dining. On a long cruise like this more variety on a day to day basis could have been offered. Vision of the Seas offered a great itinerary with exemplary staff to make this a wonderful cruise! The only improvements we could suggest would be a daily variety in the windjammer and a fridge in the room. Read Less

We chose this cruise because the timing was good, it ended up in LA where we could drive home to Phoenix and we needed 15 days to make Diamond level. We arrived in Fort Lauderdale 2 days ahead hoping to do some sightseeing but a cloudburst stuck with us for much of the 48 hours until we boarded which dampened our plans. We were glad we were staying in an Embassy Suites and had the extra room while we holed up indoors. Overall, we thought the ship was well maintained for an older vessel. It was very nice that management worked to replace the Grand Cayman port that had to be skipped for weather with Huatulco--another Mexican port. The theater is beautiful, Centrum was very nice and cabins in good shape. This was our 20th cruise, on multiple lines, and this was probably the worst design we had ever seen for the buffet. The dining area is pretty but suffers multiple bottlenecks. Food lines are on each side as you enter the buffet so people coming, going and trying to get food items are all competing for limited space. Getting all your food items is kind of a scavenger hunt. Two of the 4 food lines were gluten free which I thought was excessive. Also, items like hard boiled eggs were in the GF line so you had to go through the regular line first and then back track if you wanted a normal item which happened to be also gluten free. I was very happy they had toasting stations because I like fresh toast. Lox plates and bananas were available on demand which was helpful. Biggest disappointment was that they eliminated the baked ham at breakfast--none for ham and eggs, none for eggs benedict--oh no! The Asian girl making omelettes is a wizard. Breakfast is hard to mess up and choices were pretty good. Service was very good and tables cleared very quickly. We thought the buffet lunch was disappointing. Since hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza have no other home on the ship, they are on the buffet. Salad bar was well stocked and bread was great. Sandwich fixings were available daily. There were often a couple of Indian dishes which were pretty good. Hot and crispy French fries (especially the cajun) might have been the best I ever had on a ship! Hot food choices were very limited, quite bland and appeared in too many locations--more variety would be good. There was a carving station but meat was often very dry due to over-cooking. Desserts were very underwhelming and we were saved by chocolate chip cookies and the soft-serve machine. My time dining food was pretty good. We had a couple of different dining teams that took good care of us. Food was usually served at a good pacing, Most of the beef dishes and the lobster were very tasty. We thought the Chicken Kiev entree was a bit weak for one of the formal nights. Desserts in the dining room were vastly better than the buffet. The apple pie and the chocolate cake were winners. We attended some trivia sessions and enjoyed them. Evening shows had several winners--our favorite was Mark Preston and the later show he did with his wife Michelle Murlin. Hayden Smith and Alexa were very enjoyable also. Most of the comedians were good and the Chicago section of the Broadway production show was super. The theater worked well for movies on a few days. Steve Davis was a good CD. We did not travel with children so cannot evaluate that. I have never had a bad cruise and would go again if it met my desired timing, and destination. They are always fun despite the pros and cons that all ships have. That being said, a somewhat larger ship would be my first choice. Read Less

The ship is wonderful. I love how small and easy to navigate she is compared to her bigger competitors and sisters. Not high-tech, which is fine with me. I'm happy with just music and trivia and silly games and reading by the pool. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I thought the ship was perfect for my wife and I. Solarium space is wonderful. Quiet, great view. Staff were wonderful. Steve Davis and his staff did a great job at keeping us entertained. I'd easily put Steve up there with my favorite cruise directors. I can't say enough good things about he and his staff. The musicians and orchestra were good. I really enjoyed the Broadway style dance and singing shows, and wished they had more of them (only had 2-3 in 16 nights). Also enjoyed Paul Boudrie and The Modern Gentlemen. Ships bands and pianists were good, too The bar staff were great. Friendly and quick. Our steward was excellent. The main dining room was good, but Windjammer buffet left a lot to be desired. Lunch and dinner were repetitive. For some reason they had dal & rice and a 2 curries at every meal, even though the passengers were primarily American retirees. The desserts, in particular, in the windjammer were disappointing. The pies were more like cakes that had been baked in a pie crust. A lot of cupcakes and cakes looked a lot better than they tasted. The ice cream, both regular and soft serve, were good. The little Park Cafe in Solarium was very good. Fewer choices, but well done. The Kummelweck roast beef sandwiches were EXCELLENT. I recommend them with the horseradish. I must have had one almost every afternoon. Overall the phone app is good, but has some glitches. Minor stuff. The app lists the Park Cafe' as having a 24 hour drip coffee station, but they don't. It's only there in the morning or late night. The times given in the app for the Solarium bar to open were often wrong. Other minor inaccuracies, as my kid says, "first world problems." Really wish there was somewhere to get a Diet Coke for breakfast. That's my personal morning drink of choice, but the first bar doesn't open until 9:00 a.m. The bartenders are happy to bring you a Diet Coke. Eugenio in the Solarium and Fiorina at the pool bar were delightful. BUT the cocktail wait staff won't. There were several times in the Schooner Bar and Masquerade theater we ordered them from passing cocktail waiters (we had the soda package). The staff acknowledged us, but never came back. I thought maybe it was because they get higher tips for alcohol, so didn't want to bother. If they're only supposed to bring alcohol, that's fine, but I wish they'd tell me that so I could get it myself, instead of nodding at me and never returning. Happened too many times to think it was just a mistake. Overall, though, we really enjoyed the cruise. Ship is beautiful, staff is entertaining, enthusiastic, and overall very friendly. Lots to do. I wish the Windjammer lunch and dinner were better, but that seems like a small point compared to how much we enjoyed the trip. Read Less

My husband and I chose this cruise to transit the Panama Canal. We got so much more. This is a beautiful ship, easy to navigate and it has the best cruise director in the world, Steve Davis, who can make this cruise fun for everyone. Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance was the highlight for me. The energy on this ship is non stop. There is always so to do. The entertainment was varied and fun. The late night dancing was always fun. What a great trip we had. We ate in the MDR every evening. Our table was fun with the best new friends we could have hoped for. We had great service and the food was delicious. Our cabin was perfect for us too. It was a panoramic ocean view with a huge floor to ceiling window. There was tons of storage even for a 16 day cruise. The bed was very comfortable. The shower was small, but the water was always hot and there was a vent in the bathroom that made it comfortable and smell great. Read Less

Never ever been treated like second class citizen since I have been cruising for over 27 years with this pathetic company. It does not matter what happens on this ship as nobody cares and nobody listens. The noise, food, officers were pathetic and overall I wish people would avoid this company like the plague. An officer actually snatched a spoon out of my hand and I wish I would have handled my reaction differently. Had it been the other way around, I would have been kicked off the ship at next port. There is no customer service at sea nor stateside. All was offered was 10% for future cruise and when I told RCCL I was not happy after everything that went "south" they offered an additional $100.00 room credit. Don't hurt yourself. I declined again and have decided I will no longer cruise with this poor excuse of a company. How these people sleep at night is beyond me. I have told multiple people to just stay away and that is exactly what I'm doing. Loyalty means nothing. I would also advise try hiring people where English is required for an intelligent conversation. Breakfast was horrendous and always cold. Dining was nothing exciting and hope your not in a hurry because they aren't either. Entertainment borders on pathetic and people nobody ever knew existed. The days of real entertainment are long gone. Guest relations is non-existent and officers are always unavailable because they are in meetings. Pathetic. The overall service onboard was average at best but NEVER AGAIN as I AM DONE. The only positive and I mean only 1 was the Canal itself. No excursions were take because of no interest. The ship is a rust bucket and needs refurbishing for about a year. I've had a better room at Motel 6. From start to finish there is nothing nice to say, PERIOD. I'll make this clear one last time, NEVER EVER again will I cruise with this pathetic organization. Case closed. Read Less

Completed 16 night panama canal cruise. Major problem was room noise, every night and every day. Complained to ship staff only to be told no one has ever complained about noise problems and the noise was from the pool above us. Sorry but there was no way it was coming from the pool above. If you are booking a room on this ship do not book this room, or one near it. It was a real shame as we like the inside room and everything on the cruise, the staff were fantastic. Steve the cruise director and his staff out did themselves, just fantastic. Park West staff were also fun to deal with, thanks heaps. Loved the ports of call always fun to experience different cultures and the Panama Canal was what the cruise was all about and did not disappoint. It was a real shame to have the room problem because the Cruise was fun. Read Less

Embarked in Miami - was on board quickly and cabins opened by 1.15pm. We tried the assisted boarding as my dad has bad arthritis and struggles to walk far now. We waited in an area with an awful lot of others in the same position and after 15 minutes were taken up an escalator and basically it cut quite a bit of walking out. Deck 3 Oceanview 3096 and 3094 - nice big window with blackout blinds and net curtain. Cabins right by the lifts and stairs at the back of the ship. The bed in 3096 was so hard - my steward got me a soft top for the mattress but I still had a bad back most mornings. No coolers (fridges) in these rooms. We were advised we had to request them prior to the rise (nobody told us) or we needed them for medicines. Anyway by day 2 they did manage to find us some. Bathroom looks like it has been refurbished with new sink, cabinet and push button toilets. I did find the spy hole on the door annoying at night as it let a lot of light in so I used the do not disturb magnet to block this off at night. The door was also a poor fit and let a lot of light in at night to the left but this was not too noticeable as the bed was right by the window. The shower head would not stay still, it kept twisting to the left which was annoying. The sink smelt like it needed a good plunge and a clean of the overflow which was dirty. Unfortunately 3096 is right below a room on the floor above before you head into the dining room. Whilst this is not a cabin, it is used by the crew etc. For rehearsals late at night. It sounded like a heard of elephants above and one night I went upstairs and asked them what they were doing. I was told they were rehearsing and would be another 20 minutes - basically didn't care less attitude. This was my first cruise since obtaining diamond plus status and I was given an option to go on a bridge, galley, theatre tour or lunch with an officer. I ticked the bridge tour and took this to the loyalty ambassador who asked me to put it in the box. One day we had lunch in the main restaurant next to an Australian couple who were pinnacle status said they were going on the bridge tour in the afternoon. I just assumed there would be a few tours as numbers on the bridge would be limited. Anyway, on day 9, having tried to find the loyalty ambassador the day before (turns out she was sick) I went to the Diamond lounge to see Norma who advised someone else had also not had an invite and that she would investigate to see if there would be anymore tours. A few days later I did get an invite. Future cruise desk was not that busy as offers were poor - 30% off when normally 50-60% off. Prices was far cheaper in June when I sailed on Adventure. I got a few prices, most people were helpful (apart from one person). A few days before the end of the cruise there was a new offer on the website with 60% off the 2nd guest and OBC. when I enquired, I was given a much higher price. In fact, they always gave me a higher price than the website until I queried it. Not happy! Eventually we booked it as knew we could price match when it comes down. In fact, it is £84 cheaper a week later I notice already. Windjammer - a lot smaller than some ships but more of less the same selection of food. Different theme every night such as Caribbean and Spanish but you didn't really notice! They had a lot of trifles and mousses for desert so wasn't always great selections. I was in there on my own one evening so put 2 drinks down on the table whilst getting some food. When I came back a very rude couple had stolen my table. No apology! In fact this cruise was quite bad for poor manners. Whilst watching the Panama Canal crossing 3 people were sitting on deckchairs on deck 5 and each had another chair for their feet. They refused to give up one chair for my Dad who could barely walk. I was furious and reported them to Guest Relations who promptly made them move. Manners cost nothing! Day 3 - Cartagena, Colombia - we wanted to see the fort but all the ship tours included other sights and were round $55-70. We therefore booked a trolley tour of $20 outside the terminal. The trolley was air conditioned but only really near the front! It was so hot and humid. This was a 4 hour tour and stopped at the fort to take photographs and other areas and included a walking part near the end. We also visited an emerald shop and places to shop. There is a bus to take you from the ship to the terminal (5 minute walk if not) this takes you to a cafe and through a giant aviary. They have flamingos, peacocks, loads of birds and Macaws all very tame. You could spend an hour or 2 here. There were lots of people selling tours as you exit the terminal. Also, everywhere we went people were trying to sell you things, such as hats and jewellery. This was annoying. Also on day 3 the ships's wifi stopped working early in the morning and was off for 3 full days. They never announced this, instead left everyone to either go down to the wifi desk or guest relations and ask. They provided no updates which was very poor. I understand wifi can be dodgy especially at sea, but at least keep guests updated. Their wifi is very expensive so I did ask for a refund. They were crediting everyone individually so it took days to resolve. Why not just the full 3 days full price back, it would surely have been cheaper than the wifi lady having to go through everyone's account individually! I chased a few times and then was told as we were from the UK she wasn't sure how to refund it so had to ask! Eventually I saw a credit on the account. No Jonny Rockets on this ship so no BOGOF milkshake offers. However, we did discover they did milkshakes at Ben & Jerry's ($5.31 each). It would have been rude not to try one. Very nice! At this counter they also do special chargeable coffees but free cakes for all, no obligation to purchase. They had pastries for breakfast and sandwiches and cakes throughout the day. Park Cafe- deck 9 was handy as it was straight up from us at the back of the ship and as we don't eat a cooked breakfast, we didn't have to walk across to the windjammer. We could get juice, cereals, pastries, egg and bacon muffins etc. From here instead. At lunch, they have sandwiches, soup and the beef roll everyday. They do need to sort their dishwasher for their cereal bowls here though! Dirty! Main Dining room - slow! Couple next to us walked out on day 1. Our head waitress had a new assistant who had never been on a ship before. She was in trouble with her all night! Food wasn't great and we ended up in the Windjammer most nights. Shore excursions - very overpriced as usual. Tours far cheaper on the piers. I did think about the Aerial ride tour at a whopping $140 but there was no one on the desk when it should have been open that morning anyway. Colon, Panama - we wanted to do the rainforest aerial tram tour but it was very expensive at $140 each and as it started to rain we decided to explore the local shops instead. In hindsight we should have done the tour with a local company as the sun came out although it did rain at lunchtime. As you exit the ship you are met with ENDLESS people trying to sell you tours and taxi rides. It became very tiresome saying no thank you to everyone. Having said that we could probably have negotiated a tour to the same place we wanted to go for half the ship's price. Just ashore are free wifi areas but although I got connected I couldn't get any emails or iMessages to send, just the Facebook app worked. Nice cafe's just along here also. But again, endless people selling things, mainly taxis and tours. There really should be some better organisation of these sellers. They would sell more if they were not so in your face. Panama Canal - we went through the locks in the morning for about 2 hours from 7-9am and then again in the afternoon 2.30-4.30 in total. My tip unless you have a balcony, would be to get a deckchair on deck 5 at lunchtime as there were none spare at 2pm. We followed a large cargo ship through on the other side of us. Very interesting to see the locks and as we moved down. For some reason I thought there would be more locks to go through. Puntarenas, Costa Rica - very long walk from ship to shore. If you are on an excursion they reverse the buses up nearer the ship. Loads of men selling tours as you exit the checkpoint at the end if the pier, there is a tourist information building just there which had air conditioned room you can sit in. Most tours are 4-5 hours and $25. However, we got offered a tour for just $20 as they were ready to go an needed two more people. Initially we were a bit dubious as they were quite persistent but the information man said they were there every day so should be genuine. We drove a short distance and picked up a banana, then around the corner we stopped by the road and under the trees were monkeys that happily jumped on us for the bananas. We also went to a very large souvenir shop which had free drinks and fruit. I think they had gardens but it poured with rain as we got there. We stopped at a bridge and walked over to see the crocodiles and also went to the top of the hills in the rainforest abs stopped at a restaurant for drinks. They also serve lunch which looked good. Coke and Pepsi were $4 and beer was just $3. We just missed the native large birds as another tourist had just got a picture he sowed us. The guide tried to find them and the macaws in a wooded area but they were not out to play today. Restrooms at a couple of places which were clean also. Good tour in a small minibus 10 people and far cheaper than Royal c. Worth mentioning it's in the rainy season now and October has a lot more rain. It was also very humid. The guide said the rain stops in December. Note, they were also selling aerial tram rides through the rainforest at this port on the shore. Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala - couple of minute walk across a bridge from the ship to shore. You walk straight into a building selling tours. Didn't see the prices as looks like stopped selling them earlier in the day. But I imagine far cheaper than onboard. Also selling tours and taxis just outside. Loads and loads of market stall type shops selling same type of thing - bags, jewellery, rugs, belts etc. Didn't look like much in the port area, there was a harbour and garden to the left of the bridge. To the right is cargo. We got here at 6am and people left at 6.30am. There was a lot of noise from 4.30am onwards and a very loud noise at 5.30am so no lay in here. Huatulco, Mexixo - arrived at 11am - pulled straight in forward as the island is only really on one side. There is a walkway to the end of the pier - a good few minutes walk. I didn't actually leave the ship here, and from the ship there didn't look that much here. Those who went ashore may say otherwise of course. Nice beach but unfortunately I can't take much sun. Puerto Vallartos, Mexico - no long walkways, straight off the ship and they are selling tours and also there are a dozen or so stalls selling souvenirs. One stall is a pharmacy/drug store and even a massage stall. Just over the main road is a large shopping centre and just behind this large building is a Wall Mart store which the crew were using to stock up with things from here. It was a very hot day 85f but the forecast said felt like 94f which it did, the humidity was terrible. Taxis from here to town is a about 3 miles away $5-10 max - agree price first. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - tendered port here. need to get tickets for the tenders if you want to get ashore early. They used their own life boats and some boats from ashore. About a ten minute walk to the main town area. Los Angeles - cruise ended here but we booked the tour of LA and drop off at the airport as out flight was just after 5pm. However, due to the wildfires near LA, Malibu was under evacuation so they decided to take us to yet another beach. We didn't want to spend the day at beaches so we cancelled. However, the transfer only to the airport was all full up so we had to take a taxi which was $60. If you booked just the transfer to the airport from the ship it was $24.95. Entertainment - Horizon group were very good, very energetic got everyone up on their feet. Wasn't so impressed with any of the others to be honest. Departure - nightmare. They stopped people getting off on about ticket number 12. There was an announcement to say there were experiencing delays. An hour and a half later they let more off. We were due to get off at 10.40 and it was about 11.05 so they didn't lose that much time in the end. However, when we got off the Ship's walkway we literally queued for over half an hour to get into immigration. Someone eventually asked my Dad if he needed a wheelchair and we then bypassed the rest of the queue, otherwise it would have been a good hour wait. Guest relations advised this port always delays them. My advice would be to get off early. This is the worst port I have ever been to for getting people through Customs. Not much of a queue for taxi's at midday though! 5-10 minute wait. Read Less

Mediterranean Cruise on Vision of the Seas September 2019 This is my review of our most recent cruise. It was our twenty- ninth cruise, and our first in Europe. We prefaced the Barcelona departure with two pre-cruise days in London. Approximately half of our cruises have been on Royal Caribbean, however, we have cruised with Norwegian, Disney, Princess, Celebrity, and Carnival as well. This booking was made a year in advance, and all cruise amenities and/or add ons were prepaid prior to boarding. This is significant and worth noting. All European cruises that leave from a European port are subject to a 21% VAT Tax from the European Union. This means everything from drinks to souvenirs, to excursions and any packages such as Internet, Dining, or Beverage that are purchased onboard. So, to save, pre- buy these items prior to boarding. Our flight arrangements and transfers were all booked via the cruise line through their Choice Air connection. The rates were competitive and we were kept informed of all changes that occurred prior to departure. In reference to changes, there was one pre boarding change made to our itinerary. The port of Malta was changed to a stop in Crete instead. Also during the cruise, the port of Mykonos was cancelled due to high winds and a second day in Athens was substituted. Our eight- and one-half hour flight to London was on British Airways and was uneventful. Taking place in the middle of a British Airways pilot strike we were worried about this leg of the trip, but it went smoothly. Service was adequate, seats in Premium Economy were not particularly comfortable, and the food was mediocre. We stayed at the Heathrow Hilton T4 which is connected to Terminal Four by covered walkway. There is also an Underground Tube station at the terminal. The hotel was nice and food and service was very good. Taking the tube into London using our pre-purchased "Visitor Oyster" cards was easy, however, on both occasions that we used the tube to return to Heathrow from downtown London the cars were overcrowded to the point of absurdity. There are no words that adequately describe the amount of mass humanity that can jam into a London subway car. Very unpleasant, but unavoidable. We managed to see a surprising amount of the iconic London landmarks, and even took a Thames River cruise from Westminster to Greenwich during our one- and one-half days in London. The high point of our London visit was the tour of Buckingham Palace. We had been very lucky to obtain these hard to get tickets in the months prior to our departure. It was an amazing visit and the gardens were beautiful. In the course of our London visit we walked just under sixteen miles. Our flight from Heathrow to Barcelona to catch our ship departed at 6:15am and required that we take a taxi from Terminal Four to Terminal Three. It was arranged by the Hotel Concierge and went smoothly at a cost of Eighteen British Pounds. This flight was also on British Airways and went smoothly. The Barcelona Airport proved to be a miserable place, and getting through Customs took almost as long as the flight from London. A prime example of inefficiency this place has inadequate signage, rude people, and absolutely nothing to recommend it to anyone. The transfer from the airport to the cruise terminal was slow and not without minor issues, but was accomplished after a short wait. Due to the number of ships in port the Vision of the Seas had been relegated to an industrial dock far from the cruise terminal. The bus from the Airport took us to the terminal for check in which went quickly, and a second bus then took us to the ship for boarding. Again, not very efficient but it did get the job done. Upon boarding Vision of the Seas which we had sailed on previously we made our way to the Windjammer Buffet for lunch. Finding a seat was easy and the food was good. The food at the Windjammer proved to be very good during the entire cruise. Service in the Windjammer was very poor during the first couple of days, but did improve as the cruise went on. Our cabin, an inside stateroom on Deck 7 forward was ready by 1pm and we found it to be in good order and more than adequate. Our Cabin Steward, Alexander provided exemplary service during this twelve-day cruise. One caveat, our cabin 7513 was directly over the Theater where live performances take place and from time to time could be a bit noisy. The ship does show some age, but for the most part it seems in good condition with ample seating in and around the Atrium. The cleaning of tables around the seating areas was for the most part non-existent. Very poor job of housekeeping in this area. As far as the running of the ship, it did seem that it was being operated efficiently. It arrives and departs on time, and the Captain keeps passengers well informed. The ship also seems to ride very well, and is for the most part very comfortable. Entertainment in the Atrium was pretty standard with small combos, and piano players making regular appearances. We did not sample the main theater, or the main dining room on this trip. We ate exclusively at the Windjammer and were never disappointed. It seemed that the main dining room was not attracting as many people as in the past, and the Casino also rarely seemed crowded, although we didn't really check it out during prime hours. The shops were the usual basic Royal Caribbean fare, and the Photo Gallery still prints pictures bucking the recent trend of going all digital. Our first stop was Cannes, France. Cannes is a tender port, so you must take a tender boat to and from the ship. We did not have a shore excursion and simply went ashore and walked along the waterfront and among the shops and street side restaurants. It is a very pretty little place, and did not seem too difficult o get around. Of course, we had to buy the usual souvenirs that tourists love so much. We stayed ashore long enough to get a feel for the place and appreciate its beauty. Crowds were not bad, and overall it was a pleasant experience. Our second stop was Livorno, Italy which is the port nearest to Florence and Pisa. We had an excursion to Florence that include the Piazza Santa Croce dominated by the Basilica of Santa Croce which is the burial site of Michelangelo, Machiavelli, and Galileo among others. We also visited the Galleria dell'Accademia to see the renown statue of David by Michelangelo. We also saw the Duomo, and many other historic sites as we walked through Florence. This was a walking tour, and it included lunch. Overall a beautiful place and a worthwhile visit. Be aware, this tour required that we walk over five miles over uneven and often slippery cobblestones and roadways. Also be aware that like all popular locations the crowds will be ever present, and often daunting. A sea of humanity all jostling for position and trying to keep up with and in sight of their tour guides. When multiple ships are in port the crowds number in the multiple thousands. One member of our tour became confused about our time of departure and missed our return bus. Fortunately, she was able to get help from shop owners who got a taxi which she took back to the port on her own. This error cost her two hundred Euros, and she just made it back to the ship in the nick of time. Beware. Our next port was Civitavecchia, Italy which is the port town serving Rome. Our excursion to Rome included visits to the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain and the Vatican. The Colosseum is amazing and awe inspiring, however, it is also crowded beyond belief. Ours was a special small group tour and we got to go inside and up to the second level for good viewing, but there like so many of these places the overwhelming amount of people make enjoying the sites problematic. Walking to the Trevi Fountain was a beautiful walk with many photo opportunities along the way. But again, at the fountain it is almost impossible to get to the site because of the crowds. We had a very good Pizza near the Fountain and then headed to the Vatican. The Vatican is always crowded. We went through the Vatican Museum, The Sistine Chapel, and Saint Peters Basilica. All were beautiful, and all were packed with people. A member of our group got caught attempting to take a photo in the Sistine Chapel and our entire group was removed as a result. We had been warned. But overall the Vatican was well worth the visit and putting up with crowds and their antics. After these stops, we had two sea days to rest. Believe me they were welcomed. The ship being a bit smaller than many did not seem overcrowded and moving around was very easy. Our next stop was the Port of Piraeus, Greece. This is the port that serves Athens. We booked two excursions, one for each of our two days at this port. On our first day we went to the Acropolis and Cape Sounion. The Acropolis is absolutely unbelievable. It is well worth the walk and climb to see. However, be aware that the walk and the climb are both significant. If you have any mobility issues or breathing issues, do not attempt it. The crowds here were among the worst of the trip. Old stairs with no handrails, uneven stone walkways, and slippery marble all must be contended with. It is, however, worth the effort if you can make it. After a provided lunch buffet at Hotel InterContinental Athenaeum which was very good, we made our way down the coast to Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. Beautiful place, with high winds, slippery walkways and a vertical climb. Our second day in Athens found us on a basic downtown sightseeing excursion that included an extended shopping time in the Plaka Shopping District in old Athens below the Acropolis opposite Hadrian's Arch. The shopping was good and the area is picturesque and lively. The next stop was Santorini, Greece. First, it is as beautiful as the pictures that we have all seen. The one main problem it has is accessibility. You must tender to the dock to catch your excursion and the only way back is down a 600-stair stairway shared with Donkeys or a hopelessly overcrowded cable car system. our excursion took us to the amazing ruins of Akrotiri where you can walk among an active archeological dig and see the civilization that has been recovered. We also toured the island and Oia we had lunch at a small pizzeria overlooking the caldera that forms Santorini's bay. It was just a breathtaking setting and pretty good pizza to boot. The last stop was the capital of Fira. Catching the cable car back down to the dockside was a nightmare. You stand in line in the sun for one to one and one half hours to reach the ticket window. The line moves painfully slow and snakes through a shopping area. As you near the stairs into the cable car house people sneak out of the shops and begin to cut the line. This happens continually and everyone is aware and grumbling but no one does anything about it. This can and does lead to unpleasant encounters between those who dutifully stood in line and those interlopers who think nothing of cheating their fellow passengers. Later this was the number one complaint made by passengers on our ship about their visit to Santorini. Our last stop was the Greek island of Crete. There is not a lot to see, but it is a very pretty place with an interesting history. The story of the Battle of Crete during WWII alone is worth noting. We saw the remains of an Ancient Roman wall and an Ottoman fortress. Crete also is home to the only deep-water Mediterranean port used by the U.S. Navy. A pleasant stop, and a pleasant place. Our next two sea days brought us back to Barcelona. Disembarkation was smooth with only a slight problem in finding the correct transfer bus to that terrible Barcelona Airport. It seems that in Spain when Person A directs you somewhere, then Person B at that location will not have the slightest idea as to why you were sent there. Our flight home was with Delta Airlines and went smoothly and without incident. A few items of note. First, money. We did bring small amounts of British Pounds, and European Euros, and we did use them with no problem. However, our credit cards with chips were used without any trouble as well. We were never asked for a Pin#. We simply used the card and then were required to sign, hence the term, "chip and sign." Second, restrooms in Europe are another story. They are not plentiful. They often charge you to use them so always have some Euro coins handy for the attendant, and they are often not clean, or have no toilet seat. Some see this as "old world charm”. I don't. Third, if you are used to having ice in your beverage don't go to Europe. Again, "old world charm." Fourth, crowds. As I have pointed out in many parts of this review crowds in Europe are ever present, unyielding, often rude, and always overwhelming. Fifth, theft. You will be warned about pick-pockets everywhere you go in Europe. Take these warnings seriously. A fellow cruise passenger had her wallet lifted from a zippered compartment in her backpack while waiting in that Santorini cable car line, and she never felt a thing. Take precautions, and consider how you carry your valuables. And finally, sixth, filth. European cities are often dirty and smelly with garbage piled along the street and graffiti covering literally every surface in sight. One gets the impression that if you stand too long in one spot you run the risk of being "tagged" by some young Michelangelo "wanna be". In conclusion I am glad we made this trip and what we saw was absolutely worth the effort, but I don't need to see it again anytime soon. Also be aware that according to my wife's Fit bit we walked 65 miles during this trip. Be prepared. If you are interested, we did VLOG this trip. You may find our videos on YouTube. Simply search for our YouTube site, "Cruise Views and other Stuff." Please subscribe if you like the videos. Thanks. Read Less

I chose this cruise as wanted the 12 days round the med and also Croatia and Montenegro. Frankly I was disappointed reasons being... had my time dining in the main dining room, which suited but found the food was far better in the windjammer, we ate there at lunchtime sometimes and were tempted to go back In the evening but did not want to have to serve ourselves as to me part of the cruise is getting dressed up in the evening. There was also a noticeable absence of a wine waiter, a ship with no wine waiter??? The ship, for me was far to casual, there were 2 formal nights where not many people bothered to dress up, there choice I know,, but on the other nights which were smart casual people turned up in shorts! Which I dont think is acceptable, that is not the ships fault. On the days we were in port, for me, there was not enough going on to keep us entertained, we didn’t get off the ship because had been to most places before. Not even a film, there was a small quiz which lasted max of 10 minutes. Upon reading this back it seems I have been a bit negative but I really think the ship has been cutting too many corners. Cabin was fine and most of the crew were very attentive they did there best. I am not ruling out another cruise with them but this time will choose a larger ship with hopefully more going on. Read Less

We chose this cruise for the itinerary (Greek isles). We travelled as a family of four with two children aged 10 and 7. We stayed in the Royal Suite a truly beautiful room. We were concerned having read some of the reviews about the ship but can honestly say this is one of the best cruises we have done. Yes the ship is older and smaller and shows some signs of wear and tear in places but what she lacks in size she delivers in personal service and atmosphere. We have done all the other class of ships in the RCI fleet. Vision is much smaller than the larger ships and therefore doesn’t have the amenities of ice rinks, flow rider, bumper cars etc. However her staff are all happy and being smaller you get a much more personal service. Our children were not disappointed having less activities . They loved the rock climbing wall and the swimming pool was never too overcrowded even though this was peak summer holiday cruise. They never visited adventure ocean as we were so busy doing other things. Vision has ample bars and the service at all was exceptional. We ate in chops, Giovanni’s and main dining and all were brilliant. The food was outstanding as was the service. There was plenty of activities held across the ship for all ages and the entertainment in the centrum was fab. Particular mention to Steve cruise director and Marcus from the entertainment team who were super. The ships theatre performance was a little disappointing compared to other ships but there was always something else going on in the centrum that it didn’t create a problem. Concierge lounge was exceptional. Jorge, the concierge was very good as was his bartender jay who made our trip so memorable. We could always get a seat in concierge and the views from the top were lovely. We visited Barcelona, Cannes, Rome, Pisa, Athens, Mykonos, Santorini and Malta. We loved all the ports and took shore excursions with RCI at Athens, Mykonos and Malta. All were well organised and delivered well. I would not hesitate to return to Vision. Read Less