On April 30th I sailed Empress of the Seas R/T Tampa with stops in Cozumel, Belize City, and Havana. As this was only Royal Caribbean’s second sailing to Havana most of us were not sure what to expect. I decided to write a review in the hope that I could provide some useful information for future Empress cruisers. I posted pictures from the trip on my web site, if anyone is interested: http://www.kathyhand.com .

THE SHIP:

The ship is small. Darling, but small. At 48,000 gross tons, Empress is the smallest ship in RC’s fleet and the smallest ship on which I have ever sailed. (Prior to this cruise, that honor went to Crystal Serenity, at 68,000.) I love sailing on this size ship. You are never more than a few minutes walk to any location on the ship. (If you have ever sailed on Oasis or Allure, with its seemingly-mile-long hallways, you will appreciate this immensely.) Read more