The SEATAC airport to Pier 91 is approximately 35 minutes away by taxi. Since the long anticipated car rental offices are still not available at this pier for rental drop off, our party of five adults had prearranged car service to transport us from The Comfort Inn to the pier for $75.00 plus tip. Following the advice of former cruisers, we arrived at the pier just prior to 11AM, and encountered no lines. Although we forgot to check-in on line and print our boarding passes in advance, the check-in process was exceptionally quick and smooth and we were permitted to embark immediately.

A member of the older Vision Class, Rhapsody of the Seas was built in 1997, and though relatively well maintained, it hasn't been refurbished since 2002. Compared to subsequent RCI classes of ships we've experienced, it is smaller in size, which is said to be best for navigating thru the narrow Inside Passage. Unfortunately, a constant vibration is felt that is absent on the larger vessels. Another disadvantage of a smaller ship is less protection against the potential volatile ocean swells at sea, which caused most of the passengers on our Alaska bound voyage to be seasick. I witnessed in disbelief, a teenager at the Solarium who vomited where he was standing at the moment, and then he casually walked away. The few teenagers aboard hung out mainly at the Solarium, dominating the jacuzzi tubs, and were a bit loud. Visible security would have been welcome.

We had comparison shopped the prices of balcony staterooms on line for many months and RCI was consistently hundreds of dollars more expensive than their competitors. At one point the pricing for the Junior Suites was slightly less expensive than the deluxe balcony staterooms. Ultimately, RCI was chosen anyway based on the positive experiences of two previous cruises to the Caribbean. On board, the Rhapsody offers no more amenities than those to other destinations. In fact, it is minus the spectacular promenade RCI is famous for. However, the Alaskan destination seems to appeal to more senior patrons and it appears that the inflated prices are higher simply by virtue of the demand of a population which tends to have more expendable funds. Read more