Empress of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise based on where it was sailing and what we thought was a good value. The ship is definitely the smallest I've ever cruised on (approx 1600). During the entire cruise there were issues with the air conditioning throughout the ship. The casino and the theater were the worst. We walked out of the theater on two separate evenings because we were suffocating. The air conditioning was not working yet they didn't place fans to circulate the air at all.
Four out of six mornings we were awakened before 5:00 am by horrific shrill noises that turned out to be maintenance (powering washing and scraping the side of the ship). We called guest services the first and third mornings. They apologized but it continued to happen so it became useless to call. They offered a 25% discount on our next cruise but based on the value of this cruise.
There were limited amounts of activities on sea days, way too many promo deals for their spa. Many of the more interesting activities were held in the Centrium (center of the ship) and on the platform of the stairwell, leaving little room to participate or watch. This included teaching line dancing. We found ourselves looking for things to do because there was nothing interesting offered. The final sea day was the only one of the three that had activities throughout the day.
Cabin Review
The layout of the cabin was okay. More floor space than usual which could be used for drawer space as that was very limited. Minimal outlets, including none by the bed so you couldn't plug in your cellphone if you were using it as an alarm. Dated but fine.
Port Reviews
Costa Maya
The cruise line did not provide enough information about this port so we did not realize what would be involved in getting around. The beach and water was beautiful but you had to deal with locals selling goods every few minutes. You could sit for "free" but you felt obligated to buy drinks and food which were pricey.