Navigator of the Seas Review (Western Caribbean 1/22 - 1/29/05) with comparison to Caribbean Princess (6/04).

PERSPECTIVE. My wife and I are in our early thirties and traveled with a group of 5 other relatives ranging in age from 30s to 70s. We are infrequent cruisers (by necessity, not choice) but somehow managed to squeeze two cruises within 7 months. When planning these trips, we relied heavily on various cruise reviews and specifically sought comparisons of ships and cruise lines. We would like to return the favor and hope to make this a review of the Navigator of the Seas (NOS) with comparison to the Caribbean Princess (CP).

DOWNTOWN MIAMI HYATT HOTEL. This was a decent hotel but not up to the standards of Hyatt Hotels in other locations (food in the bar was bad and the room was somewhat worn with prominent carpet stains). The staff was accommodating and we would stay there again for the $60.00 rate we obtained via Priceline (apparently others have obtained rooms through Priceline with even lower bids). The location of the hotel is convenient with easy access to and from the highway. Self parking appears not to be available and the valet cost is $20.00/night plus tips. The hotel is about a mile from the cruise terminals and is also near the Bayside Shopping/Restaurant complex that can be easily accessed via the free "people mover" elevated train. There were a lot of police in the vicinity, presumably for a reason, and it seemed like a place where traveling in a group at night might be prudent. Read more