We chose this cruise based on the airfare availability and price. We would have preferred a departure from Florida but it was way too expensive. We wanted a short cruise to introduce our children to cruising. My wife and I are Emerald C&A members with RC and were anxious to get back to cruising after a break to raise the kids. To say the experience was poor would be an understatement. We got on the ship and went for lunch - I thought it would be nice to have a Red Stripe which was a custom for my wife and I - apparently you can't have that now until you are 12 miles out to sea?! Okay - how about a Mojito? No sir - sorry we ran out of mint on the last cruise and still don't have any. Mind you we paid for the upgraded beverage plan! From there things continued to go downhill. The crew was not as friendly an energetic as we have experienced in the past. Mind you there were some bright spots - Jay who was providing beverage service in the dining room was fantastic! Our waiter and assistant were also very good. The food however was not as good as we remember. We took our girls to Adventure Ocean to get them registered and went back once for a family activity. The girl who was running it was apparently not having a good day so we didn't really feel good about leaving the kids there. The cabin attendant did a fine job and our cabin was clean - although on the third day there was a faint sewer odor in the bathroom. We went to one of the shows but for some reason they did not close the doors to the theater - we could smell the smoke rolling in from the casino and one of our girls was coughing so we ended up leaving rather than disturb anyone. Overall the girls loved the cruise and did really well so we will continue cruising. We may just have to go try Disney or another line though. I'm very disappointed because our prior cruises with RC have been great - I just hope this as an anomaly. Maybe we'll be back - but not to this ship. Read Less

We chose this cruise as a get away for rest and relaxation after a crazy January and February. The good: Embarkation was a breeze! We chose a later arrival time (1:30 pm) and were in our cabins before 2:30 pm. Our luggage was all carry on, so unpacking was easy and fast. Of note: I travel with a CPAP machine - security confiscated our extension cord and power strip. (Guest services did supply another extension cord, and distilled water for CPAP) We ate most breakfasts and lunches in the Windjammer...the food was always hot and plentiful - finding a table was no problem. There is an egg station where you could order eggs cooked to order and omelets. Dinner in the dining room was great, we enjoyed our Waiter (Arkie), Assistant Waiter (Filannie) and our Head Waiter (Randy). They remembered our preferences each night and were happy to oblige. The food was as expected. We were always able to find a table in the shade to people watch and read. As expected: We had sailed the itinerary before, so chose not to get off the ship. It was very peaceful. Cabin service was 'as expected' our room steward did nothing to engage with us and still did not know our names by the end of the cruise. Not what we expected: There are always items on the dining room menu that did not come out 'as we expected.' The beet salad appetizer - a salad with very tiny pieces of beets. In my mind, if the title was beet salad, the main component would have been beets. That said, it was still a delicious salad. Our cabin (3083) while centrally located was located right below the centrum dance floor. Sometimes, late at night when there was a dance party in the centrum, we could hear the noise through the ceiling. The shows...we had second seating dining and got to see the shows first. During our designated show time, the theater was mostly only 1/4 filled. Breakfast in the dining room - maybe we just got somebody who was having a bad day. On the first morning of the cruise, we ate in the dining room. The waiter told the table at least 3 times that most menu items were on the buffet (a small buffet set up in the dining room) and seemed annoyed that everyone ordered from the menu. The meal was 'assembly line,' and never mind asking for something extra...it was either forgotten, or needed to be requested more than once. Cost saving measures: No longer are chocolates on the pillow the norm (maybe if we were a higher level in the Crown and Anchor Society), there were lots of carts in the dining room - I'm sure this also saved on worker injuries. The show floor seemed empty (fewer dancers and singers) and some of the costumes seemed ill fitting. Debarkation: We did 'self assist' the line was long but very organized and moved quickly. We were able to pick up our extension cord and power strip as we got off the ship. I did notice that they also confiscated people's heating pads as well. Read Less

This ship is just the right size for us. Everything is easily found and without a lot of walking. The Windjammer and the Dining Room were fantastic. The food quality and the service is top flight. Our room man kept the room spotless. Looking forward to our next trip. We have been on the biggest ships with Royal Caribbean and we can honestly say we prefer this smaller one. Just an easier cruise and less crowded. We like the Solarium because it is enclosed and cut off from the wind. The food bar in the Solarium was fantastic.We really like the comfort, service, and view from the Schooner Bar. Very comfortable. We played trivial games there alot. The entertainment was great. We saw all the shows and enjoyed them all. We took the Vision in a Hawaii trip and across the Pacific to Vancouver for 11 days in 2002. It was great then and since it has been updated. Read Less

My family and I sailed out of Galveston, Texas. This was the first cruise for everyone in our party. Parking at the port was relatively cheap and embarkation was very smooth. My in-laws are from China and they were pleasantly surprised to be greeted in Mandarin when coming on-board and to find that we had a Chinese server in the Windjammer at lunch. The interior cabins we booked were snug but very clean and had ample storage. Our cabin attendants were very friendly, attentive, and thorough. Every part of the ship was cleaner than most nice hotels I've stayed at. The Royal Caribbean app was great for seeing all the events and booking dining reservations. However, it couldn't fully replace the Cruise Compass, which provided much more detail and was delivered to our cabin every day during turndown service. We didn't use any of the specialty dining options onboard, but the food and service in the main dining room was excellent. The food at the Windjammer buffet was, obviously, not as good but still great. Service in the Windjammer was far more attentive than I would expect from a buffet and, as previously mentioned, the staff members there went out of their way to make my Chinese in-laws feel comfortable and welcome. The two other food outlets we used, Café Latte-tudes in the Centrum and the Park Café in the Centrum were fine for snacks and, most importantly, open late. My five-year old daughter loved going to Adventure Ocean in particular, but staff throughout the ship lavished her with attention. The arcade was, unfortunately, the only blemish on the ship, with only a handful of expensive, not-particularly fun machines, of which only half worked. We didn't get off the ship in Progreso at all, due to the daunting 4-mile-long pier, and elected to explore Cozumel on our own. Perhaps it was a mistake not to sign up for a shore excursion, because we found the port area of Cozumel to be an utterly charmless tourist trap of shops and chain restaurants. The cruise director's staff onboard was great, and all the events in the Centrum such as the Parade of Nations, Thriller performance, and crew disco extravaganza were a lot of fun to watch. We skipped the Broadway-style productions, but the comedian and variety act they had in the theater were both fun shows. There was a married-couple game show in the theater one night that I found cringe-worthy but my wife thought was hilarious. Disembarkation was, unfortunately, a bit of a mess. We were encouraged to not check our bags so we could be "among the first" to disembark, but the reality was that it seemed everyone else received the same advice. The line for just our "first group" to disembark stretched all the way from the theater (or assigned assembly point), through the casino, and three times around the Centrum. Line cutting was rampant and tempers flared. Luckily, once the line started moving, it went relatively quickly. Customs was a breeze, but there were very aggressive state of Texas revenue officers beyond interrogating people about tobacco and alcohol. I've reentered the United States at a variety of ports-of-entry and never seen anything like that! So the is your duty free cigarettes and alcohol may not actually a good deal: my father-in-law had to pay $1.50/pack on cigarettes he'd bought in Cozumel. In summary: great experience overall, but it's the ship's crew that was really exceptional. I look forward to taking another cruise with my family, and will definitely choose Royal Caribbean. Read Less

Cruised RC before and loved every minute of it...this time not so much. Great food and beverage service! Desmond and Ohla took wonderful care of us at My Time Dining. They were attentive and fun! Bar service was quick and friendly. Only negative was no self service beverage stations like other RC ships and had to wait at bar just for a soda. Entertainment was really good for a small ship. Stateroom attendant was poor at best. I drank a bit too much day 1 and went to bed with full makeup and it rubbed off all over pillows...sheets and pillow cases were never changed entire trip. I had to hunt down an attendant day 4 to ask for toilet paper and tissues since we were out of tissues for 2 days. Floor was never vacuumed, we came back to made bed but dirty glasses and empty water bottles left. Never provided with new bar soap and two days our day planner was left in room after dinner which is kind of pointless. We were not enamored with the 2 ports either... Progreso and Cozumel. We did excursions at both and they were fair at best. Descriptions sounded wonderful but they sounded better than they turned out to be. All inclusive resort in Progresso had a sea shell covered beach you could barely walk on with a freezing cold pool that no one went in due to cold temp of water and sunscreen film floating on top. Small 2 stall bathroom with long waits to void. Watery drinks and greasy food. Cozumel excursion was ATV and beach. ATV in "jungle" was very misleading. It was a rocky path in contained area that we felt like we were going in circles. Very slow! Didn't break 20 mph. Not our idea of fun ATVing. Beach after ATV sucked! Small, overcrowded beach with pushy sales. Sand looked and felt like panko bread crumbs. Your feet would sink 6 inches with every step so you couldn't even walk it. However, the tour guides were fun and helpful and were the best part of the excursion. Read Less

We chose this trip for an adult-family cruise. We wanted to leave out of Galveston and have an itinerary that was in line with spring break. This was my first time on Royal Caribbean, and I was left very satisfied. We even tried the new "Key" feature, which included priority embarkation and debarkation, 1st day brunch at Chops, and last day breakfast at Chops, internet, and other perks, like prime seating in the theater. I felt the Key upgrade was worth it, especially if you're already planning to buy the Voom internet package. We also bought the specialty dining package for 3 nights, which included dinners at Chops, Giovanni's and Izumi. We loved all three of those dinners as they were both unique and special. Though I'd say Giovanni's kitchen was the last night of our cruise and it really left us with a great memory. We ate at the main dining room the other two nights, and all the food there was really delicious as well. As for other dining, the Windjammer was your pretty standard buffet. Nothing too exciting but it got the job done. We also had a late night in the casino and wanted to grab a bite before the Park Cafe closed, and although they had already cleaned up the food station, the servers there were kind enough to cook a hot pizza for my family to take back to the stateroom. I regret only seeing one of the showtime productions, as the first one I saw was very good. But spent most of our time in the casino, on a lucky streak! As for cruise excursions, we booked directly through RC. In Costa Maya we did the Mayan Ruins and Blue lagoon. Transportation was easy and comfortable in a well air conditioned bus with bathroom and waters. The guide was nice and knowledgeable and able to answer any questions. The Blue Lagoon was a nice escape, almost like a private beach with good lunch buffet and drinks. In Cozumel, we went for the 4 hr Catamaran Snorkle and Beach Break. This was soo fun! Would totally do it again. The snorkelling is brief, but you do get to see a lot of cool fish. The beach was a great time for the whole family, even as adults we enjoyed climbing on the inflatable rafts and acting like kids again. We rounded out the day at Mr. Sancho's, which was a bit crowded but we still enjoyed our lunch and drinks. Can't wait to go on another cruise! Read Less

We cruise out of Galveston several times a year, and this is our second cruise on the vision. If you are looking for a large ship with all the kids amenities etc etc, this is not for you!!! if you like a small intimate ship with all the nostalgia older cruisers like, this ship is for you. The ship is in great shape for a 20 year old ship.....we were in a grand suite and had new carpet drapes and i believe a new couch. Everything ship wide was very clean, and all personnel went overboard to take care of us. Most of the complaints I see on this ship are from people who rented the cheapest cabin, and ate every meal in the buffet, and griped about everything. The buffet is a buffet. Food was good...variety, but dont confuse with the dining room or specialty restaurants....Chops was great, Giovannis very good, as was izumi. RCL need to get out of the menu pricing in Izumi....people dont understand it, and they dont trust it....one price just like Chops. Dining food and service was very good. A special shout out to Isabel, Joel, and Roberto. If you are Diamond or Diamond plus....Jorge and Rayno are top shelf concierges. Gabriella is one of the most educated future cruise agents we have had the pleasure to work with. Ikake for the cabin steward. One complaint....breakfast one morning was cold....I mentioned to the room service steward the next day, and the overall room service captain contacted me twice over the problem, and took care of us for the rest of the cruise. That is first class service. Again...if you liked rhapsody, and splendour, you will love the vision. Ps...small ship...70k tons....there is motion...we love it, some people might not. It was not bad..just saying Read Less

Greetings All! This was our first time on Royal. We've done Disney and Carnival multiple times. We wanted to try a different crowd and a smaller ship. !. New Orleans is within driving distance, so we again departed from this port. We were off to a rocky start, as our pre-planning missed the fact it was Mardi Gras!!! ooops. Luckily we drove down the night before, intending to hit the Quarter for an evening, but unexpectedly endured the traffic and blocked streets due to parade. We toured, but only in circles until the streets opened. :( I'm just happy we went the night before!! 2. Royal parking and luggage drop off is different from the others we've done. Parking is uncovered. And we missed luggage drop of as their process is different--- (so again, our pre-planning missed something). This was not a pleasant surprise, but it quickly recovered. Because of #3 3. Embarkation was seamless. No lines, no waiting, no nonsense, no problem! Immediately to our room--- and luggage within an hour!!! WOW! The bars were open--- (something we indulge when we 'check out' of real life) and taking a deep breath, our adventure began! 4. Our room. A scary decision, but one of our nervously anticipated new choices for a new cruise line. Ultra Spacious Oceanview ---- for two :) . I put pics on cruisedeckplans.com with this feedback: This cabin was a pleasant surprise. We have always had a balcony room, but this room was a different kind of choice-- because of the 2nd bedroom. The cabin sleeps 6, but it was just hubby and myself. It was our anniversary--- and he romantically ordered the anniversary decor. It was soooo charming for the week. The second bedroom... we used for a closet!!! (7 days worth of clothes/shoes! And we always dress for every dinner and/or event.) For us, having an out-of-site area for luggage/belongings made the room so cozy and tidy. The bathroom was good. Plenty of room for us, along with the over the door (shoe) organizer for our brushes/jewelry/personals. We also took magnetic hooks for lanyards/sunglasses. Every surface seemed magnetic! Plenty of power outlets for us--- on the vanity as well as one in the bathroom. We took plug converters just in case. WARNING: DO NOT TAKE A POWER STRIP! Disney and Carnival didn't seem to mind our power strips, but Royal does not play! We were called to the "principal's office", and were all but body searched and fingerprinted because of this!!! They kept it during the voyage, and we didn't even bother to pick it up afterwards because it was an unpleasant memory. (Shame on us for testing the the rules). Temperature was great, with two thermostats. TV with limited stations (take your players, as they DO have apps and ports to access your personal movies, etc. on the TV) Despite some of the blogs I've read, there IS indeed a tiny refrigerator. Our steward was always available for our needs. But we are we are very low maintenance--- sleeping late, and staying out till wee hours. We requested ice one time, and it was always there for us. The cabin was perfect for us. There are very few of this floor plan so grab it quick! 5. Overall ship was quaint and well maintained. The crowd was different, as we expected, and actually HOPED. We're reaching the 50yo mark, so it was nice to be a part of the younger 1/3. Not the party/rowdy group of Carnival. Not the helicopter parents of Disney (There were a FEW children/families). It was quiet and peaceful. I must say: THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM people-wise. We NEVER had trouble finding space at tables/pool/bars/deck... I loved this! Our "personal space" is important to us, and this was GREAT! No lines at the buffets, no worrying about tables, no worries of rudeness/getting bumped going through doors/hallways/elevators. A huge difference from Carnival and Disney. 6. Food--- We're not picky. Buffet was ample/variety. Menus in dining room were nice. All typical of a cruise. One thing we did not like, there is no 24 hour snack availability. We could have done room service after hours, but there is a delivery fee. Snacks available until 2am at one area, which we learned to grab something there before 2am. 7. Service --- No complaints at all, (except the Customer Relations and Security listed above as I embarrassingly cringe). Dining staff was superb (we had a table for two). Bar staff was superb and SPEEDY! There is no dilly-dally like the other lines. Alcohol flows freely. Steward was happily available. 8. We did not do excursions this time--- we walked the ports at our leisure, and got our token souvenirs as we do at every stop (ALWAYS a Harley-Davidson Pin for hubby's little "Harley Davidson Christmas Tree"). The ports were clean with a gentle crowd. 9. We did not attend the shows this time. (Boy, we sound boring. But we were very much enjoying our personal time together- wink). There were many to choose from, with a variety of events scheduled for participation. They do have the daily "Compass" similar to the "Navigator" and "FunTimes". The phone app is sufficient. 10. Disembarkation --- Very organized and seamless. Dismissal groups were smaller and well planned. We rolled right off the ship. Customs was a simple walk through (NOTHING like the cattle herding on the others). I was wow'd. Luggage was waiting. Porters were a bit hard to flag down--- but we got the RIGHT one -- he cleared the lobby and took ALL of our luggage ALL THE WAY to our vehicle in the distant parking lot. WOW AGAIN. Overall--- YESSSS --- we will do Royal Caribbean again. Next to test out a bigger/newer ship--- but selectively. Our social/personal space is very important, and this one will be hard to match. So a 5000 passenger ship is now very intimidating-- but I want to see the "Central Park" set up on one of the new ships I hope this wordy review helps. Read Less

This was a small ship with great staff and activities. Steve, the cruise director, was easy to understand and added energy to the events. There were two comedians and a juggler in addition to the singers and dancers who put on productions. There were several game shows, a guest talent show and the zombie Thriller dancers. We are dinner at the main dining room each night. There was always a good selection to choose from. Lobster was served on the second formal night. The room steward was accommodating and got us anything we asked for. There was a main pool that usually had some type of music playing and many contests were held here on sea days. For some peace and quiet, we usually visited the adults only Solarium. The roof is retractable in this area so it can be enjoyable rain or shine. Check in was a breeze. Many guests began to line up for self debarkation prior to any announcement stating the ship was cleared. They let the people in line off of the ship prior to making an overhead announcement that the ship was cleared. We had an enjoyable vacation and Royal Carribean made sure to see to that (however check the charges on your account, we had to get some corrected). Read Less

I have been on this ship many times and have always considered it one of my favorite smaller ships in the line. However things seemed to have changed a bit in the last year or so. This trip consisted of two one week cruises back to back. Midway through the first cruise the female cruise director was replaced by a fellow named Steve. Fairly soon thereafter the atmosphere on the ship seemed to change a bit. Most notably was the fact that the volume levels on almost all venues of the ship seemed to increase to a level that was actually painful. It became necessary for the doors leading to the cabin corridor to be closed when he was using the pa in the centrum and even then it could be heard in the room with the door closed. Even the bands playing in the centrum and pool deck got louder to the point it was uncomfortable. Other people made comments as well but nothing changed. Perhaps this was coincidence but the crowds during events in the centrum got increasingly more rowdy as the cruise progressed. I have seen the production shows in the theatre many times but on this cruise the dancers were not as polished and singers were the poorest on any RCI ship heard in a long time. The lobster in the dining room was inedible which is not typical on Royal ships. No key lime pie anywhere. Same limited desert choices at lunch and dinner in the buffet every serving. However pancakes and French toast was the best in a long time, but no chocolate breakfast day in the dining room. No full size muffin choice anywhere. The Concierge Club was closed to Diamond Plus level Crown and Anchor Society members even though this is a benefit. The remaining lounge space was so packed during happy hour that there was never anyplace to sit after attending the appetizers table. It was interesting to go to the little visited port of Trujillo, Honduras even if the tenders were slow and there was not a great deal to see there. Dining room and cabin steward service was great as usual. It was nice to visit New Orleans independently between the two cruises. It is within walking distance of the port and the streetcar stops in front of the terminal. Price is $1.25 and exact change is a good idea. For those who would rather shop there is an outlet mall in the terminal. Much to my surprise there is a branch of the famous New Orleans institution Cafe du Monde right in the mall. Who knew! And while there was a substantial line, it was much shorter than the block long one at the original location in the city center. The beignets were the same and as good as ever. Departing from New Orleans and cruising down the Mississippi to the gulf is fascinating with all of the riverboats and the other ocean going ships. All in all a decent cruise but not up to previous standards. Read Less