Empress of the Seas Review
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We chose this cruise because we wanted to go to Cuba. We were disappointed when we learned we would not be able to go to Cuba, but Royal Caribbean really went above and beyond for us. The 50% refund was extremely generous. While I was on this new itinerary, I never once felt that I was missing out on anything. In fact, it was the best vacation I've ever had.
Since I'm a planner, I had done a lot of research on the Empress of the Seas, and I was a little nervous about the ship. That was all for nothing! The ship is amazing! Yes, it is a smaller ship - the smallest in the fleet - but guess how many lines we waited in during this vacation? None. That includes our embarkation. We walked in, went right up to the counter and were on the ship in a matter of minutes.
When we got to our cabin, we noticed that it was small, but we knew it would be. We had plenty of room in our cabin. I did bring magnetic hooks with us and that helped to provide some additional space by hanging things on the walls. Bringing these hooks was probably the best tip that I got from my research.
Cabin Review
Ocean View Stateroom
Yes, the cabins are small, but they are very functional. We had two adults and a teenager in our cabin and we managed just fine.
We took magnetic hooks to expand our storage to be able to hang some things.
The beds were comfortable and had plenty of space for storage under them.
The bathroom was also small but I loved that I could use the bathroom, wash my face and shave my legs at the same time! :) It was compact and functional. It provided us with togetherness. And, as they say, you're really only in the room to sleep and shower.
We did find that it was easier to get ready in shifts, so my husband would shower and change and then go wait for us in the lobby of the 8th deck. Then I got ready to go and joined him. Last, our daughter got ready and joined us. It wouldn't work to all get ready at the same time.
Port Reviews
Miami
Fun and relaxed tour of Bayside. It was really cool to see the homes of the rich and famous.