We arrived at the port a little before noon and boarded the ship within 10 minutes. Embarkation was quick and easy. We enjoyed a drink in the Viking Crown Lounge and rooms were ready by 1:30. Luggage delivered by 5:00. It’s a small ship and very easy to get around. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Everything was clean and well maintained Food in Main Dining Room was very good with different choices every night. Windjammer buffet had lots of different choices and was better then other Royal Caribbean ships we’ve been on. Main pool area was a little busy at times but never had a problem finding deck chairs. The adult only Solarium was always crowded but provided a quiet place to relax. Entertainment was good with evening shows and daytime trivia and family games. The also had late night adult shows with comedians and games like the Quest. The Vision is an older ship without all the bells and whistles of the newer “mega” ships but still had plenty for all to do. We would definitely do it again. Read Less

The ship was old and the rooms were small, especially the restrooms. The decoration was old and tacky. I was afraid yo walk bare footed on the floor. There was no turkey bacon. The arcade was tiny with about 4 games, boring. Lane 12 during checkin back yo the U.S was slow. So much for a peaceful vacay. We went to Progresso where the locals asked you to purchase things while trying to relax at the beach. I don’t even know why the ship would take someone there on their vacation. It’s the same as taking a trip to the hood. The dolphin encounter excursions place wanted an arm and leg for keepsake photos. $40 per sheet! That’s a total rip off. Overall the trip was Terrible. If the staff wasn’t so perfect, I’d give Royal Carrot 0 stars. Royal Carribean wasn’t so royal. I won’t be choosing that place again. Read Less

This cruise left out of Galveston. The nearest airport is 40 minutes away, and the major airport is 70 minutes out of Houston. It wasn't a problem taking an Uber to our hotel or from the hotel to the port. (I think we paid around $60 from George Bush Airport to Galveston.) We stayed at the Comfort Inn, which was across the street from the beach and one block away from Walmart. It worked out great to walk there and purchase soda to take onto the ship. There were several restaurants within walking distance. We enjoyed walking on the beach and playing frisbee. We chose this cruise because we were looking for a 4 day cruise while our teens were on spring break. The dates lined up with our schedule. This ship doesn't have all the bells and whistles, but we found enough to do to enjoy our time on the ship and have fun. Our only complaint was being the only outdoor activities they did offer (shuffleboard, ping pong and rock climbing), the upkeep was poor. The shuffleboard sticks were missing the round ends, and there were not enough sticks at each location, so we had to share sticks. The ping pong table was warped, and one of the paddles was broken. It doesn't seem like it would take that much to update their equipment since this was basically all they offered. What they lacked in outdoor activities, they made up for it with their service. Service everywhere on the ship by far exceeded my expectation. Food was excellent. Staff was friendly and they were constantly cleaning. The ship was not crowded and we didn't have to wait in lines for anything. Most of our time was spent reading, playing trivia games, ping pong and shuffleboard. In the dining room, our waiters noticed my daughter used the lemons from her shrimp cocktail each night to add to her water. By the third night, there was a plate of lemons waiting for her at her seat. Also picking up on how much she liked shrimp, it seemed as though there was extra shrimp in her seafood linguine. They were very attentive to food allergies and pointed out items to avoid. They were constantly making sure we were satisfied in every way without being overbearing. The Windjammer food offered a wide selection everyday for breakfast and lunch. There were so many choices, it was hard to choose. The cruise entertainment staff were very friendly and quick witted. We could always find a chair by the pool or in the lounges. Staff members were always interacting with guests in a positive way. We participated in their trivia games, scavenger hunts, ping pong tournaments and egg drop challenge. Their planned activities were fun. The SuperDad game was hilarious. Our embarkation was FAST! So was the disembarkation. Our shore excursion in Cozumel was the Three Reef Snorkel booked through RCI. I would recommend it. The guide was pointing out a lot of different types of fish. We saw an eel, stingray, starfish and barracuda in addition to many other types of fish. There was one man who was keeping an eye on the tail end of our group and making sure people were safe and together. The main guide was pointing out all the fish and the third gentleman was feeding fish and taking great photos of us surrounded by fish. I would book another cruise on the same ship, but wouldn't mind if they put a little $ into the shuffleboard/ping pong. :-) Overall-it was a great experience. Read Less

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