Rhapsody of the Seas Review

Great ship and fantastic service

Review for British Columbia Cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas
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franl24fan
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Apr 2009
Cabin: Interior Stateroom

This was my first repositioning cruise so I didn't know what to expect. The ship had come up from Australia, arriving in Honolulu then going on to the Hawaiian islands for five days and across the Pacific for five days to Vancouver. I have sailed on the Voyager class of ship and therefore I thought I'd find this ship to be less desirable, however that was not the case. The Rhapsody is older but is impeccably maintained, every public space and the cabin were spotless. I loved all of the glass used, especially the Centrum. The two story dining room was nicely set up and the Windjammer Cafe was easy to access. For this particular cruise all of the inside spaces were non smoking, including the casino. Smoking was allowed on the outer starboard decks only. I found the non smoking casino to be such a pleasure I spent more time than I expected there,  happily playing the many penny slot machines. This was the first on board casino I've seen with so many new video penny slots, and they paid off in a reasonable manner. There were many places on the ship to curl up with a book, or just watch the water go by. I had an inside cabin, which was more than adequate in size, including a small loveseat, and plenty of storage.The crew and staff were the best I've encountered on a cruise, starting with the captain (who just took over the ship) and down to the cleaning crews. The captain was very visible around the ship, including at the CC Meet & Mingle. I never passed a crew member without them smiling and saying hello. My cabin steward was a young woman who was so bubbly and energetic it was contagious. Dining room service was superb, the waiter and assistant waiter learned your preferences within a day and always provided your favorite drinks. Food was excellent, both in the main dining room and on the buffet. My only complaint (which I mentioned to the chef) was that the pizza and other Italian dishes were not very tasty. Entertainment was the usual production shows, plus some very talented comedians and singers. The five sea days were filled with a reasonable amount of activities, including recent movies. Embarkation in Honolulu was fast and efficient. It was a little odd to not get under way the first day, we stayed over until 11PM on the 2nd day.  However, Vancouver was chaos, never seen such a messed up port. The various cruise lines were all merged into one long line, with baggage check in at one central point inside the terminal, would be a miracle if your bag made it on the right ship. Waited 2 hours to get a cab.

Cabin Review

Interior Stateroom

Cabin M

Great location, a little noise from some motor, lots of storage, very comfortable bed. Good reading lights.

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