We were supposed to sail from Southampton to Boston, New York, Port Canaveral and Miami. However, we were called on th Friday afternoon before the Monday cruise and told that due to storms in the Atlantic we would now go to Le Havre, Brugges and then Miami. Not quite the same appeal! We were offered a full refund if we cancelled but as booked the flights ourselves and non refundable hotel rooms in Miami we would have had to claim through our travel agent so we had no choice but to go. Having been to France and Belguim on numerous RC cruises, we were really not looking forward to the cruise even with the $200 OBC for the changes and 20% off what we paid for this cruise towards another. I did ask if there were really storms in the Atlantic or whether it was an excuse to have further repairs to the Ship after last weeks accident with the stabiliser making a large hole in the hull. I was told it was fully repaired. When we checked in on the Monday, I was told it was actually repaired this morning after people had disembarked. However, at the lifeboat drill the Captain said due to a gap in the storm we would now go to Gran Canria, Coco Cay, Port Canaveral and Miami so things looked better. 3 rough days at sea, due to storms was not too bad, have had worse in Iceland! Gran Canaria was ok, then it got warmer as we cruised towards Perfect Day Coco Cay (RC's private island). That morning the sea turned choppy and I had a feeling the tenders wouldn't be able to get us ashore. Unfortunately the captain soon came on and told us the same. We promptly turned around and left what looked like a building site (lots of work going on for next year) and went to Freeport Bahamas. Lots of shops but not much else. Worth noting that RC were charging whatever they could for excursions on Coco Cay, even for floating mat which seemed a rip off. I guess they want us to pay for the island for them. At this point it became a case of guess which port we are going to next. Then we went to Port Canaveral which was great. We had originally booked a tour of the space centre but was then told that due to immigration it would not be possible to have a guided tour and instead they would just take us there and we had to get around ourselves. At this point we were so used to changes we didn't care. So, we spent the day at the Space Centre at our leisure before heading to Miami. Cabin was good, central location which helped make the rough seas feel not as bad. We had to ask for bath robes and toiletries. Surprisingly our crown and anchor free gifts were in the cabin - normally I spend 2 days chasing. I was due a free gift for reaching 240 points on my June cruise so asked the diamond concierge about it. Was told I would receive it later in the cruise but did not. There was no sign of him the last few mornings in the lounge and he ignored the note I left for him. Thanks Ken! Emailed when I returned and it was posted out to me but not a good example of how to treat loyal customers. Food was very good. Slow setting up in the Windjammer for lunch and sometimes food was cold as had been left out whilst setting up. Staff very friendly and helpful. Was disappointed they only had the UHTmilk which tasted awful. Shops were the usual overpriced expensive items and the usual $10 tat sales. Lots to do during the day and evening though. Lessons learnt - never assume where you book is where you are going. Book refundable rooms if making your own plans for the start or end of your cruise Pack a mixture of clothes as some people were caught up with the change if destination and climate. Read Less

Oh, Mr Porter, what shall I do? I wanted to go to Boston and New York and they've taken me on to the Canary Isles....OK, it doesn't rhyme or fit the tune, but it sums up what happened to us on our first experience of cruising. My wife and I decided two years ago to blow our savings on a cruise down the Eastern Seabord of the USA. Royal Caribbean International were advertising a 13 night cruise leaving from Southampton in early November, calling at Boston, New York, Port Canaveral and Miami - all places we had never visited, but would very much like to see. We took a deep breath and booked, then waited as the months crawled by, getting excited at the prospect of the Big Adventure ahead. Two weeks before departure, I went in to hospital and we had to miss the sailing. Insurance paid for most of the financial loss, so when an identical cruise was advertised last February, we decided to tempt fate and book up again. This time we were both fit and well as the day of departure arrived. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the ship wasn't in quite such great shape. Newspapers carried the story of a catastrophic failure of one of the stabilsers which caused hull damage and resulted in the cruise before ours being curtailed for emergency repairs. Then came the storm warnings. Late on the Friday before Monday's sailing our travel agents contacted us to say that because of adverse weather conditions in the Atlantic, the ship would not be calling into Boston, New York or Port Canaveral, but instead would spend time in Belgium and French ports before taking a southerly route to Miami. With someone else booked to move into our house the next day to dog-sit, and goodness knows how much already spent on return air-travel, overnight stays and car-hire, we felt we had no choice but to continue with the cruise, even though we had zero interest in spending time in Bruges or LeHavre. (No offence, Belgium and France, but we have visited you lots of times before.) Our disappointment was utter, and there was little excitement left when we went on board The Navigator for our first cruising experience. Things appeared to look up when, just before sailing, the Captain came on the Tannoy to say that - reponding again to weather changes - we would now be sailing direct to the Canary Isles, then crossing the Atlantic to the Bahamas for a day's water sports and sunbathing on a tropical island before going to Port Canaveral. (Back on the list). Nine happy days at sea allowed us to work up an appetite for the day of snorkling and coral reef exploration we were promised on Coco Cay, the RCI's private island paradise in the Bahamas. Crossing the Bay of Biscay was pretty choppy as the broken stabiliser was still not working, but the seas soon calmed down to a light swell. The crew were magnificent, the onboard entertainment excellent, and because so many people had cancelled at the last minute, we virtually had a waiter each. Life on board was relaxing and fun-packed, and our spirits rose. Sure, we had missed meeting our old friends in New York, and we never got to see Boston, but the sun was shining, the southern breezes were balmy, and there was that delicious day of water sports in the Bahamas to look forward to. The Day arrived, and the whole ship's complement lined up to disembark, larded in sun cream and already dressed in swimming gear. Announcement over the Tannoy: "Because of the swell, tenders are not prepared to put out from the island. We will not now be spending the day on Coco Cay but will divert to Freeport for a few hours on Grand Bahama." More dashed hopes. More cancelled excursions. But still, there was a guided tour of the Everglades at Port Canaveral to look forward to tomorrow, wasn't there? Well, no, actually, becuase later that day, after a rather uninteresting few hours on the quayside at Freeport, we had the message that all guided tours booked for the next day were off because of "immigration difficulties." So far, of the four excursions we had booked, none had or would now take place. As a last ditch effort to have some fun somewhere, we booked a shuttle ride to Magic Kingdom. Been there before, and it costs an arm and a leg, but, hey, we're on holiday. The ship docked in Port Canaveral. The shuttle bus made it to the Magic Kingdom. We had five hours in the park - just time for two rides and a ten-minute show - then back to the ship. Or so we thought. The coach broke down on the way back. We waited forty minutes in a gas station for a replacement bus, and ended up back at the ship seconds before it sailed, missing half of our last meal on board because we were so late back, and having to wear the same clothes we had worn for a sweaty day in the seething Disney park. Short of actually sinking mid-Atlantic, it is difficult to see how anything else could have gone wrong on this voyage. We have never cruised before - is our experience typical? Read Less

Was due to sale to Boston/New York/Florida but with big seas in the North Atlantic the captain decided to change the itinerary(twice).There was a lot of people who decided not to travel,it was mentioned 1000 and i would just like to thank them all.The latest itinerary took us from Southampton to The canaries and on to the Bahamas and Florida with flat seas and clear sky’s 75/80 degrees for the six days at sea across the Atlantic.With only 2200 guests there was no need to change nationality to get a bed and all the bars and restaurants were easy to use.The food was fantastic and the level of service throughout the cruise was superb and on top of clear sky’s,flat seas,stunning food and fantastic service we received £250.00 from cruise 1st,$310.00 dollars on board spend and 25% off our next cruise and missed spending a fortune in Boston and New York.The staff in all departments were properly the best I’ve encountered with a special mention to Sweden and Benjamin our two excellent waiters where nothing was to much trouble.So i would just like to say what a fantastic cruise and thank you to all the people that cancelled which made it such a great crossing. Read Less

We recently took a Transatlantic Cruise on RCL Naviagator of the Seas. We booked an aft cabin (6388). Having cruised many times before in aft cabins we like the ability to see behind us - it makes for great pictures, particularly when leaving a port. Nowhere in any brochure or online does it state that this cabin has an obstructed view. We could not see directly down to the water as there was an extended inaccessable deck outside our balcony which had railings and poles and a crew access deck directly below us. The cruise was completely booked so we could not change our cabin to a regular outside balcony. Upon returning from our cruise I contacted RCL to let them know that overall we were happy with the cruise however our cabin was not was it was advertised as. I even sent them pictures. Their response.......if you can see the horizon of the water, it's not obstructed and therefore should not have interfered with the enjoyment of our cruise. It most certainly did. Our Travel Agent was in agreement with us and will warn potential cruisers of this misinformation. Buyer beware! Remainder of cruise met our expectations. Dining room staff was very good and extremely accommodating. I’m a fussy eater but they always made sure there was something for me on the menu or they made me something special. Couldn’t have asked for more. Loved the fact the Customs was aboard the ship so the day before we docked, we went through customs so upon arrival in Southampton we could quickly depart the ship. Read Less

DH and I had a wonderful transatlantic -our first! Navigator of the Seas is a beautiful ship. Food choices were good, lots of entertainment and things to do, and lots of relaxing while enjoying a week at sea before hitting the first port. We had a promenade cabin which allowed us to watch the parade and disco dancing from the comfort of our cabin. The cruise was a good value, catering to a middle class crowd. Ports: After spending a week at sea, we docked in Ponta Delgada, Azores. We went on a tour of the twin lakes (Sete Cidades)- one green, one blue. We then headed out to a park, and finally a very rushed visit to the pineapple plantation. We had only 20-25 minutes there and needed 45. We did visit the various stations (greenhouses) to see how the pineapple grew, however, there was a huge line to get into the gift shop, so we skipped that and got back on the bus. There were many other buses there at the same time which caused backups at all of the greenhouses. Really unfortunate that the arrival times of the various tours could not have been spread out a bit more. Next up was Lisbon where we did a walking tour, once again booked through Royal. We had a great guide and went on a hike up and down the narrow and beautiful streets of Lisbon. We sampled pastry and fish/potato pancakes along the way. Our next two ports were in Spain. In Vigo, we walked around on our own and visited O Castro. In A Coruna we hiked on our own to the Tour of Hercules and all the way to the top inside for great views of the bay. Fantastic place to visit- how often do you get to explore a lighthouse dating back to Roman times? Our last port was Le Havre, France. We took the Royal excursion to Honfleur and then walked around Le Havre in the afternoon. Honfleur, a beautiful fishing village, was spared the WWII bombings that destroyed much of Le Havre, which earned distinction in the way it was rebuilt after the war, leading Le Havre to become an UNESCO site. The walk from the ship to the train station in Southampton was much worse than I had expected due to all of our luggage. I definitely will reassess how I want to get from Southampton to London next time around. There is a nice Starbucks across the street from Platform One in which to relax while waiting if you do decide to take the train from Southampton to your next destination. Entertainment: The was a big mix of entertainment to choose from: the performers in the theater, ice dance shows, bands, a DJ, singers, and a guitar player. Landry was funny, the production shows were good (although I would prefer seeing Grease and Mama Mia on all the ships instead of the specially created shows for Royal), as well as the special show they did for the transatlantic. The singers from the productions who were featured in their own show one night hit the right notes. The magician, Bill Cook, did one trick at the end of his act which was a show stopper- don’t know how he did it! Jimmy Tamley did a funny ventriloquist act. Stephani Parker did an amazing job with her Whitney Houston tribute. What an amazing voice! DH loved the juggler, Pete Mattews, and all of the funny stuff which involved the audience helping out. Singers Gary Lovini and Darren Day did a great job, and the Beatles Celebration was fab. Our last show was the comedian, Mick Miller- didn’t understand all of the jokes, being American, but he got a lot of laughs. The Ice Dancing show was wonderful and not to be missed! We also enjoyed the special show that was done for the Top Tier evening celebration for the Crown and Anchor members. Food: The MDR remans challenging for vegetarians, however, the head waiter did stop by on the first night to ask if there was anything special that I needed, which I appreciated. There are a number of speciality restaurants- one of which, Johnny Rockets- ended up my favorite place on the ship. One day at sea, it was the only place we ate at all day. Loved it! The Windjammer was a great place to go for any meal because you could always find something. My only cause for concern was the fact that the second time I decided to enjoy some pasta with tomato sauce, it had (unlike the first day I tried it) what looked like peas in it. I ate some of it, and it didn’t taste the same as before. Then I found a tiny piece of bacon in it. Not cool. I did not choose that version of tomato sauce with the peas in it again. Spa: Unlike other Royal ships, this one does not have a Thermal Spa with the typical tiled hot chairs, sauna, steam rooms, aromatherapy room, and scented showers, however, I enjoyed the three stations that were available to use: the oversized whirlpool near the workout area and the sauna and steam room located in the ladies’ locker room. Cruise Critic event: We had a huge turn out for our meet-and-greet. The ship gave away prizes and served snacks/beverages. My thanks to all of the people who organized all of the extra events, such as the gift exchange. (On a side note, one of the gifts I brought, having gone out of my way by twenty miles round trip to buy it at the only place it was for sale in my hometown, was abandoned on the gift exchange table. I guess not everyone participating understood the concept: you bring something unique from your city/town/area that you can’t get elsewhere. Oh, well. Thanks for arranging the gift exchange, even if not everyone appreciated it). My two cents: I’m not going to complain about the food (which was good with the exception of the pizza which tasted like Jeno’s frozen pizza), nor the service (everyone works really hard- from the people cleaning your cabin, to the servers in the Cafe Promenade, to the entertainers). What I will complain about is the uncouth behavior of my fellow passengers. At every show I attended in the theater, people got up and walked out- while the performer was still taking a bow! Even the Beatle Celebration show, which was packed, had people leaving instead of showing their appreciation. Yes, you paid your fare, but does that give you the right to be rude? I would ask if they had been born in a barn, but that would be insulting to the people who actually had been. Are you in that much of a hurry to hit the buffet or lose your money in the casino that you can’t spare one minute to show your appreciation for the performer’s hard work? The uncouth behavior continued in the Windjammer where I witnessed one man take a piece of bread with his hand from the display only to put it back. I took the slice of bread out and set it aside explaining to a crew member what had happened. Another woman reached in to grab a bunch of grapes with one hand while holding the utensil she was suppose to use to select her fruit in the other hand. She then transferred the grapes from her hand to the utensil. Yikes. This was a wonderful trip despite some of my fellow passengers. Royal continues to produce a product which is a good value for middle class passengers. Sure, there are cuts here and there in order to save money (such as in the MDR), but I would prefer keeping fares down and deciding when and where to spend the savings in order to engage in dining and activities which match my needs rather than pay a higher fare in order to enjoy Cherries Jubilee at dinner. Read Less

If you are stopping in Lisbon on your cruise, do not select the tour by Tuk Tuk. We paid almost $100 apiece for what was supposed to be a 3 hour tour. We got barely 2 hours of touring and much of that time was spent sitting and waiting to move from one place to another. Total rip-off! Overall, this transatlantic cruise is a good deal. The stops before reaching Southampton were great even though the Lisbon tour was terrible. Some of the entertainment was great but a lot of it was not appealing (ex. a juggler). Singer in the Schooner bar (Anthony Michael is the name, I think) was fantastic as was the Beatles Celebration band. Also the Whitney Houston tribute singer (forgot her name but can still hear the voice). Food is decent overall but had a couple of bad experiences (inedible entrees) in the main dining room and heard about a couple of others (outrageously slow service included) from fellow passengers. Our stateroom attendant was wonderful and made us different towel animals each evening! Read Less

For a vacation to relax, we took our dance shoes with us, normally on RCCL, there is dance (ball room) music before dinner and after dinner and if you are lucky the bands can play later too ball room music. On the Navigator of the Seas this time, pre recorded music, dancefloor was too small. The big band can play jazz very well, but no ball room music, the waltz was too quick, rumba too quick, only the cha cha cha went well. the other bands was more for latin lovers. We were very disappointed even wrote the Hotel director Cary Davies to draw his attention to this fact but after calling the last day guest service, why he did not answer our letter, it seems that he lost our letter (we gave this letter personally to him, on the Diamond and above event) a lot of excuses, but it was the last day so no ball room for us, only excuses. Overall the food was very good. The ice show was spectecular we enjoy two times one show was specialy for diamonds and above. The ping pong tables were situated on a bad position, only one table was used the whole day by a group they played with 4, so waiting time was more than one hour while the rule is half an hour, this was bad organized. not sophisticated and certainly not sportive to fellow guests. From Southampton nothing was organized to go to the centre 15 minutes walk, no bus shuttle, only taxis. 1608 atlantic cruise no sun shine on the balcony be aware. Read Less

We did the Miami to Southampton trans Atlantic cruise april 2018. The navigator is from 2002 and there are signs of aging but this did not affect our experience. We had an internal cabin and was very small but had everything we needed. A bed, a bathroom and plenty of space to hang our clothes. The bathroom was not very clean because there was some molt on the wall where it was impossible to clean. This is not the fault of the staff, just a design error. The staff was extremely friendly and worked hard. The food was fantastic and the entertainment plentiful. The ports of call where not of our interest and we just walked on our own, which was nicer than expected. The only thing to complain about is the behaviour of other guests. Eating while walking in the windjammer, Reserving seats around the pools, questioning every answer during quizzes and just being arrogant, ignorant, rude and demanding. The pinnacle status is going to their heads. (Pinheads) We are definitely going to cruise with royal Caribbean again. Read Less

Have been on a few other different cruise lines. This was our first on Royal Caribbean. Our cabin steward was brilliant. He informed me that they, and a few other, direct customer facing employees are not paid at all by the cruise line. They rely on tips for their "wages". Ours was definitely worth his tips. Embarkation was very smooth - don't listen to those that say it wasn't. We bought a package and only ate in the speciality restaurants.Whilst the food was generally of a high standard it wasn't really to my taste. I preferred the food in the Windjammer Cafe. As others have mentioned I did find the lack of toiletries and tissues surprising. That is the first cruise line I have encountered a lack of those things. Contrary to what others are saying - there was plenty to do. Quizzes, lectures, dancing, shows, ice shows etc. What more do you want! To the people that complain about lack of smoking space and then complain about the cigar room "stinking!" - what planet are you on! That's what non smokers put up with all the time. Not our best cruise ever. But that's because of penny pinching by Royal Caribbean. But would I take another cruise with them - yes. Read Less

We chose this cruise because the other (Jewel) transatlantic 's destination was Puerto Rico. We were stuck with the dates. Entertainment during the long cold crossing was far below our expectations. Nothing at all of intrest. We appreciated the ice skating show and some evening events. Not all. By far The television showed the same programs on and on... Day by day. Library was almost empty. But....there was a movie shown on the deck every evening....in the Northern Atlantic in November !!!! Not a soul watching but still....every evening There were two or three sunny days. That gave work to the three life-savers in full red regalia standing watch over empty pools. Public spaces were overcrowded since no one could sit outside. We recommend the two waiters of the concierge lounge. Chop's grill was the worst. An example of total incompetence. On two occasions we abandoned our table there to revert to the main sell-service restaurant Read Less

This was a cruise from southhampton to USA. The embarkation was poor at southamption as to waiting times which was due to the way the queues are organised. The arrival at Boston took a minimum standing time of two hours to get off ship with queues stretching more than double the length of the ship to go through US customs; customs were quick; therefore the delays are down to RC. Similar delays were also on final embarkation of the ship. Again this was down to RC and not as claimed by RC due to port and customs. There is plenty of senior staff going around the ship checking on front of house staff and service. Front of house staff and their service was generally very good and the amount of senior staff are not required as standing around on phones/discussions do not assist the front of house staff or the service. More front of house staff and less senior staff would improve the passenger experience. i.e. there was a problem at the promanade cafe which saw 4 senior staff on phones and in discusions with each other. The addition of two front of house staff to serve the customers, then the kitchen could not keep up with the customers queues better if the seniors had actually joined the front line staff and back room to improve the service. Similarly the windjammer, certain dishes were not available for 15 minutes and front line staff having to complain on behalf of passengers. What dishes there were available e.g, sausages you could not get a knife through the middle and the ends were worse, this cannot be edible. At this time there was 3 senior staff checking the service in the windjammer. Possibly checking the product that was being served and assisting with service would have improved the customers experience. Read Less

We have just returned from a fabulous voyage on board RCI Navigator of the seas, embarkation was a breeze and we were aboard in less than 20 minutes. Navigator is a mid sized ship for Royal and she is getting older now, but she is kept spotlessly clean. Our cabin was a promenade view room which was quite spacious, it had a bowed window with a window seat so that you could sit and watch what was going on down below, it also had another small 2 seater sofa which was very comfortable, the beds were very comfy too and there was more than enough floor space. It was also nice to have sliding doors on the shower instead of one of these nasty shower curtains, all in all we had plenty of space and Donna our stateroom attendant was a joy. On our anniversary she decorated the cabin in silk red roses and happy anniversary messages all around the room, we had a beautiful chocolate cake and a bottle of champagne all complimentary, it was really lovely. We had early diner at 6pm in the MDR and went there most evenings. The food was good and our waiters were very attentive, on the 2nd evening we had a smoked fish starter which was delicious and I sent my compliments to the chief and said that I could eat that every evening as the starter, he sent a message with the waiter to ask if I would really like it every evening, and I had this yummy dish served to me every night and it was amazing. I dont eat deserts so I asked for fruit and got a lovely dish of strawberries most nights. The chief and the waiters were the best we have ever had, diner times were very enjoyable indeed. We had very good entertainers on board and every seat was taken at most shows, but for us the stars were the crew shows, this was a new thing for this cruise. Crew members from different nations performed and sang for us in the theatre, it was fabulous they were the real stars of this cruise. The first port of call was Boston which was nice, we had a trolley ride around the city then had some shopping time. Of course the big thing for most people was arriving in New York, and it didnt disappoint, the sail up the Hudson will stay in my memory forever, especially sailing past The Statue of Liberty, it was wonderful, and the city itself was awesome we rode the subway, went up the empire state building ate bagels and hot dogs and shopped in times square,we even sat and watched the skaters on the ice rink at the rockefeller centre, what a day it was amazing., In Port Canaveral we went to Coco beach and just chilled for a few hours, very relaxing. What a wonderful cruise, the best we have had for a while, the ship the staff and ports just made it very special. Read Less

If you want to eat after 10 in the evening and want more then a roll or a burnt pizza. Entertainment was a joke the cruise director needs replacing. Example colouring by numbers as an afternoon entertainment. The cruise seemed to concentrate on people who were returning customers rather then new. Formal nights were a joke, you got dressed up to walk into the dining room for your evening meal which you had done the night before. no captain, no entertainment, nothing special at all. did not bother after the 1st one. If you Smoke you are normally allowed to smoke in casino. Not on this ship on formal days all day, weather was bad so could not go up on deck and had to use cigar room which had such poor extractors and stunk, In the casino ashtray was a floor standing one which staff emptied out the ashtrays from the slot machines into and never got emptied all day. Everyone i spoke to and me included had charges for services not used added to bills. AFter 8 days at sea managed to get 3 hours in Boston. Management of Immigration was a joke we should have been first a 6.30 with people on excursions ( instead approx 1500 in gue, emigration delayed .with people queuing for 3 or more hours, will not go on but all i will say is i saw people crying with boredom, This cruise turned into a prison sentence. so will i use again never twice crew members maimed to music on the bridge on the promenade and that was about as lively as it got. Read Less

This was our first experience of Royal Caribbean but sadly, very likely to be our last. Embarkation and disembarkation went quite quickly and smoothly but that is about it for the positives. We did not choose or cabin as it was part of a package deal but found it to be one of the smallest inside cabins we have ever had, very cramped. It was not very clean and obviously had not been hovered in a while as various items found on floor and in draws (hairgrips, buttons etc). The lack of complimentary toiletries was appalling, not even a shower cap ! Our bedding was not changed at all and turndown service was almost non existent. The food overall was poor and lukewarm and service in the main dining room slow. We felt a general lack of enthusiasm and disinterest from most of the staff. We booked two shore excursions on board, The Kennedy Space centre experience was very good from start to finish, but the New York Hop on/Hop off bus trip was terrible with nobody about to ensure safety or transport back to the ship. Might as well have saved money and booked it on line privately. Not much going on in the way of activities for a transatlantic cruise with several days at sea and sadly the entertainment (apart from the Ice show) was very poor. If I did a transatlantic again (this was my second) it would not be with Royal Caribbean on this ship. Read Less

After several cruises with Royal Caribbean and some prior with Fred Olsen, we have been disappointed and probably will not go with RC again. Service is poor and standards are dropping, see details below: 1 Chops Grille for lunch, poor menu selection, average quality. No sides of vegetables ? 2 No room safe, asked at customer service (twice), eventually turned up after 3 days. It then stopped working on THREE ocassions, complained at Customer Service, response poor and no manager available, showed complete lack of interest. 3 Enquired about transfers from ship to hotel and transfer to airport following day arranged by Royal Caribbean, again not really interested in helping me and made a bland statement that it would be sorted on day of disembarkation. (total lack of information) 4 Main Dining Room - repetative menu with little change. 5 Disembarkation at Miami (total chaos), no help from RC staff on shore who did not have any information and even sent us to wrong bus pick up point. 6 We were intending to book another cruise on board but after several cruises with RC have now decided to try another cruise line. Read Less

We chose this cruise as an alternative to flying out to our families in the US. We won’t do it again! The weather was too rough and cold to be out on deck during the winter, therefore 99% of passengers were inside for 95% of the waking time whilst at sea. The ship always felt crowded and bustling during the day (noisier and less relaxing than normal). Unfortunately Navigator appeared tired and ready for a thorough refit. Where maintenance work was carried out in public spaces (men’s toilets particularly) repairs were shoddy. Furniture in the Star lounge and Metropolis theatre broke and fell apart several times but was just put back in place to fail again. The ships organisation of the US immigration procedure was abysmal, they tried to blame the US but it was clearly RC at fault. After so many, many years and entries into the US you would think that they could make this task easier, every passenger on board had more ideas than RC. It took us 3 hours to get through and to get off the ship standing in 2 queues each virtually the length of the ship. Lastly, it was reconfirmed to us that RC no longer strive to provide the type of food menu and service that we used to receive. It now provides just average restaurant food options and quality as opposed the fine dining experience of earlier days. They clearly want passengers to pay extra to visit the speciality dining options. Read Less

Just back from a 13 night Southampton to Miami trans Atlantic repositioning cruise with stops in Boston, New York City, and Cape Canaveral. ( Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas) I loved it ! That is the quick review ; more long winded stuff is below As preamble, my wife and I are not experienced cruisers, we have done three cruises over the last 15 years. So admittedly, we are likely out of the knowledge base with respect to what is out there and expectations. Our embarkation in Southampton was smooth and efficient. Yes, there was queuing up, but the line seemed to move quickly enough, and before we knew it, we were in our room ; 7th level, middle of the ship, starboard balcony. The room was totally adequate in size with lots of drawers, hangers, and nooks to put stuff. We brought along a few magnetic wall magnet hooks that were handy for hanging Sea Pass Lanyards, hats, and other light things. The bathroom was shower, sink, and toilet. Perfectly adequate in size and function. The room steward we had, projected a quiet and gentle image. Our room was kept in immaculate condition and it seemed like whenever we left the room and came back , it was refreshed and ready to go. Prior to this cruise, I had read of a lot of complaints about the dining and food selection choices. I appreciate that everybody had a different take and perspective on things but I really have a hard time in understanding these posts. The food in the Main Dining Room and in the Windjammer Cafe was amazing in diversity and quality. I sampled fish, beef, chicken, lamb, pork and vegetables in both North American / British styles as well as Indian and Oriental presentations. Appetizers, Soups, Salads were amazing as were the desserts, desserts, and desserts. I am no Gordon Ramsey, but if I had been presented the dishes back home, and I was paying out of pocket, I would have been satisfied. Oh, I could quibble that the Chicken Vindaloo was not spiced sufficiently and the Rice and Beans in the buffet was were not super hot but really … We did eat a lunch in the Chops Restaurant ( one of the pay extra places ) and the food was pretty good but I would likely not spend the money next time. We did pay $10 each for an “upgraded” filet in the MDR and that I would do again. Drinks ( as in alcoholic ) are pretty pricy in my view. My wife had one mixed drink and 3 glasses of wine during the cruise and that tab for that was over $60. I do not drink alcohol so for the most part I was okay. Water, iced tea, and lemonade are included as part of the dinner and some juices are as well. We are both fancy smanchy coffee drinkers so we purchased two coffee cards for lattes, espressos and the like. That was worth it for us. There is also free coffee and tea on the Promenade Deck as well as free fruits, pizza, sandwiches, and sweets. I had a few reasons to be connected to home so I paid the internet fee to have a connection for the entire voyage. Let’s just say it brought back fond memories of the good old days of dial-up. But it did the job and there is something funky cool about in the middle of the ocean and being able to chat with someone in our town. One the reasons that we picked an ocean crossing was because it was an ocean crossing. Lots of time to walk the deck, sit and read, sit and write, or sit and just look at the ocean. That is not everybody’s idea of a good time of course but I loved it. There are also lectures on board ( John Wayne Movies to Six Sigma ), Ice Skating ( spectacular ) , listening to music ( the guitar guy and the ship’s band were very good ) and evening stage shows ( no idea, that is not in my interest scope) plus all kinds of little goofy contests. I don’t really understand Ship Board Shopping - if I want a watch I will buy it on Amazon but I am in a minority, as the shops were jammed. I did not really spend any time in the many bars and nooks of the ship. I am more of a “sitting on a deck chair even though it is late at night and no one else is doing it” sort of guy. I did the tour of the ship ; they call it All Access. Yes, it is a nice little money maker for them but it was very interesting. You even get to go to the bridge. In 2016 posts there were a lot of complaints about the arrival into Boston and dealing with the US Immigration authorities. From the time we lined up ( following the instructions we had been issued ) to our final personal clearance was about two hours of standing in line. Some folks were apoplectic. I took the view that in 2017 anyone entering the United States of America is going to encounter delays, bureaucracy, and a certain amount of hassle. I just went with the flow, chatted to people, relaxed and had a good time. Sometimes, it is just a matter of perspective. Sailing into New York City is something I will remember I think for the remainder of my days. At first you see what looks like a haze on the horizon, then you see it is buildings and not just buildings, but the New York Skyline. Soon you pass under the Verrazano Bridge and by the Statue of Liberty. I think the emotion of doing that was collectively felt by everybody on the ship - truly amazing. The ship docks at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal which is very convenient for trekking into New York. I think the fact that Navigator is in NYC for 28 hours or so was very well thought out. The cruise concludes with a stop at Port Canaveral and then on to the conclusion at Miami where disembarkation was smooth. So would I do this cruise again ? Yes, absolutely … it totally met and exceeded my expectations. Maybe not for everybody, but for me, half of an early 60s couple it was perfect. Read Less

The ship was lovely and our balcony cabin was roomy and spotlessly clean. The choice and quality of food was excellent especially in the dining room where the service was second to none! We loved the different choices of entertainment and was never at a loss for something to do even on the long journey accross the Atlantic . The staff on the Navigator of the Seas went over and above in their service to all on the cruise, nothing was too much trouble for them. Theiy are a credit to Royal Caribbean! We booked excursions in Boston and New York and found them to be informative and good value for money.. The only downside was Cape Canaveral where we thought we'd do our own thing and found there to be no buses or taxis at the port. We ended up staying on the ship that day. All in all we had a fabulous time. We ate too much drank lots of delicious cocktails and probably gained enough weight to wear the next size in clothing ......We was entertained pampered and made to feel that nothing was too much trouble.........just what the doctor ordered!! Read Less

We took Navigator of the Seas in May, 2016 from Ft. Lauderdale to Southampton . We had smooth sailing all the way so booked the cruise from Southampton to Miami for Nov., 2017. Although we had a great time, it wasn't smooth sailing as the seas made up for what we didn't experience the first time. It was all good though as we met several very nice people from Scotland, Wales and England. I enjoyed the morning exercise class with Jenn as well as talking to Lynn and Too (she said "not one, not three but two). Sorry but I don't know correct spelling. Both ladies were fun to chat with before and after class. G who taught the line dance class was funny and patient. We had excellent service in the MDR from Elvis and Austin and our room attendant, Leo, did a great job with our cabin. We couldn't have asked for better service this cruise. Read Less

We chose the Navigator for a change as it was visiting Boston, where we had never been, and overnighting in New York. We have completed many Transatlantics on board Independence and Queen Mary 2 as it’s a convenient way to get to and from Florida. Boarding at Southampton was extremely quick and easy and we were very pleased with our cabin, 9500, which is an enormous family stateroom directly under the bridge so it has a fantastic view. The ship is very nice, just a shortened version of Independence, and the Royal Caribbean ships are the easiest to find your way around with the Royal Promenade in the middle and stairs/lifts at each end. It is however looking a bit ragged around the edges and dated now. There are a lot of gapping carpets in the corridors, chipped paint on the bunk beds in our cabin and the bathroom was quite marked around the shower, in the cupboards etc. It looks in need of a refresh. Everything else was clean and well maintained considering it’s age. We decided to try a 3 speciality dining experience for a change, starting with the Galley Brunch with bottomless sparkling wine; very well presented with an interesting tour of the galley. We made our next trip lunch in Chops which was very disappointing, there is no real ambience in there, not helped by the disappearance of all the fresh flowers in the last couple of years on the line. The restaurant is fairly featureless and the “gigantic “ prawn cocktail arrived with 5 average sized prawns sitting on a pile of ice. Mushroom soup was excellent as were the steaks however the only choice of vegetables was asparagus. After asking for green beans they took more than 10 minutes after the steak was served to arrive. Dessert choice was small but gigantic portions and then staff just seemed to disappear. When we informed the customer service desk that we wanted a refund for the remaining meal the manager of Chops contacted us to apologise and asked us to go back for an evening meal, which we did on the second New York night and were very impressed. The manager was extremely pleasant and helpful and a credit to the company.It was completely different, very good service and all the food up to standard. We then went to Giovannis Italian restaurant for lunch which was faultless, great service and an extensive tasty menu almost the same during the day as at night. These speciality restaurants need to be kept special to justify charging upwards of $25 per head, the meal and service should be even better than the dining room and smart casual dress code observed, also not great to see Pinnacle passengers wandering around with bowls of food from the Windjammer in there! Entertainment and activities were plentiful as always, the daily progressive trivia was disappointing compared to the others we have done in the past, squashed into the Cosmopolitan bar and more like an ordinary trivia. Joff and indeed Jamie on Independence have raised it to cult status with 60 plus teams on all our other crossings. Dining room was excellent in the evenings, slow and disorganised at breakfast and lunch often the same on previous trips. Overall the cruise was very enjoyable but very marred when it came to the immigration process in Boston and disembarkation. We had lots of letters to the stateroom detailing how we were to queue at Boston, including pictures of all the muster stations on cabin cards and allotted times. This letter told us to queue at 6.30am, first in line, two evenings before. The next night another lettter moved it to 6am then the night before it was announced as 6.30 again...I had also booked an early shore excursion having experienced people stuck onboard till 3pm the year before in St Thomas. We went to queue at the correct time of 6.15 to find we joined it at the Star Lounge, the entire length of the ship, when it should only have been people from our muster station there. No one in authority was there to police the line or offer any advice until the Cruise Director told people to go to breakfast more than an hour after we had been standing there. We stood for two hours. There was a system in place and no one bothered to implement it. Total chaos and most of our subsequent walking tour left early as we simply didn’t want to walk or stand any longer. The same thing happens every year and it is not simply immigration’s fault, Royal Caribbean need to organise things from the start and stick to a plan. I ate breakfast in the queue, many people had none. Our early disembarkation (at Port Canaveral for Orlando) was even more of a fiasco. Having paid upfront to get off a day early (yes, really) I spent the next few weeks attempting to confirm that we could stay on the ship most of our last day then pick up our hire car at 3pm when I had booked it. The main desk could only say we would probably get a letter, then a meeting was arranged, bizarrely involving a lot of senior crew and sparkling wine which descended into chaos when we were informed everyone would have to carry off their own luggage. This didn’t bother us but some people had 6+ bags for several months! We were then told that we could stay on board until 3. This changed again the next day when we got back to our cabin at 5pm to a letter saying we must be off by 9am the following morning. To cut an extremely long story short, after arguing with crew about them paying any extra charge for our car hire as we would be so early, let alone missing the whole day onboard, we were escorted off last. If I had been told from the outset that problems can occur with customs and immigration due to early disembarkation I would have planned to get off first thing and booked a car accordingly. I had no information whatsoever from the company and also met many passengers who were getting off early and had not informed or paid RCI in advance. Boston was lovely but spoilt by the disorganisation, New York was fantastic and mooring at Hells Kitchen meant just a 20 minute walk to Times Square enabling a trip to see Chicago the first night. I would make the trip again but not necessarily on Royal Caribbean due to their attitude to giving the relevant information needed for going ashore. We have only learnt through bad experience how to organise ourselves and it spoils the overall cruise. Read Less

Crossing the Atlantic I can now say is ticked off my bucket list. The cruise, food and room attendant were excellent. The only let down was customer services department. Shortly after we set sail my personal wheelchair's front wheel packed it in (despite a preparatory service). It was sent to the ship's engineering department who after I inquired about the repairs was returned unfixed three days later with the comment they couldn't fix it (they obviously haven't seen the TV show Macgyver!). A slow learner, it took me four times to realise that the ship's loan wheelchair did not have any non-tip skids, including a tip over when getting ready to leave the Kennedy Space Centre bus on an RCL excursion (Houston we have a problem!). No assistance was given by staff on disembarkation because I wasn't using an RCL chair? Yet if I had used on of their chairs, I would have been pushed off. Fortunately the concierge at one of our Miami stopovers pursued the repair which enabled us to continue our round the world trip. A wheelchair is a necessity for my mobility, not a nice to have. Really enjoyed the food in the MDR and speed of service. We purchased a drinks card this time as opposed to a drink package. We seemed to get more economic use out of this card this time. Beware of the claim by RCL they have simplified things for our benefit, we simply don't believe you RCL. Speaking of which RCL need to sort out their welcome back party for their loyalty customers. It was non existent for the second year running. We loved the Virtual balcony and we had read reviews that the novelty wears off after the first night. Wrong, we loved it the whole cruise. Housekeeping staff were great as were the shows. Read Less

This was our three cruise ,second with RC .big change since our last cruise with RCThe ship was not totally full so we had more room to spead out.registration was very smooth but we were offered VIP registration but signs directing you to this service were not available.Activities:Movies were offered in an outdoor setting this was fine near coastal waters but when the ship is in the middle of the Altlanticand the Temperature is in the 60's and the wind is blowing 30 miles per hour adjustments may have to be made. Movie offers and time of choices need to be age adjusted. the offering of the early show( LaLa Land and the late offering of the (childrens version of Beauty and the Beast) starting at9:30 PM needs more thought before scheduling.Disembarking for shore excursionswent very smoothly and choices were adequate.The dining in the main dining room was something we looked forward to every evening. The pushing of other food venues to increase revenue streams was not appreciated ,it took away from the pleasure of the cruise.Entertainment: The movies were adjusted to a indoor venue after concerns were read.Other entertainment were top notch and enjoyed . before I can consider RC in the future a will read reviews to see if your practice has improved . Read Less

This was a very crowded cruise and not much was done to make it feel less so. The spaces on the ship were not fully used. Even though it was in the 50's and windy the evening movies were still at the outside pool deck. Why not move them to the conference center area? While it was generally cold outside on the sea days the theater area could have been more fully used for entertainment. The speakers that were scheduled had limited, if any, audio visual support. The theater didn't work for these events. Entertainment was marginal. The only bright spot were the comedians, especially Kivi. The performance put on by the crew felt like forced labor, don't they work hard enough already. These were also a safety nightmare. The shows were so crowded by people looking for entertainment that all access points were blocked with people sitting on the steps. How a medical emergency would have been handled is hard to imagine. Also there was only seating for several hundred people on a ship carrying approximately 3400 people. Note; these Transatlantic cruise generally carry a high senior passenger headcount! Food was OK, much Indian cuisine. The dinning room on multiple occasions described meals that were not delivered as such. One of my table companions finally asked why he didn't get what was described, but there really was no answer. The waiter has no control on this, Our dinning room waiter was very good and professional, but aside from him I felt like I was on a training cruise, maybe I was. As an emerald member of Royal Caribbean I certainly was disappointed on the level of service. Oh I also was without water in my cabin for several hours on evening. This ship is old and tired and it shows! Read Less

Over all the transatlantic cruise was great fun. I do enjoy the "at sea days". I felt the crew was "at a loss" at what to do with this many people on board for so many days. I thought the "meet and mingle" event was a joke...why did they even bother? So many people....cheap door prize drawings, nothing special, why should we attend this? Agree with several of the other comments...Royal Caribbean is really getting "penny pinching". Now charge a fee for room service beyond basic breakfast. Always trying to see something. Wish they would think about changing the menus in the main dining room. These are the same menus we had last year. Food was "medium" at best. Lunch service in the main dining room was haphazard. Our waiter in the main dining room offered good service and tried very hard to make us happy. They offered movies outside by the pool...but most evenings it was too cold to enjoy. The projector in the main theater didn't seem to focus well. Why couldn't these movies be shown on the in-cabin television...this would have been a nice alternative, especially for the rough days at sea. The same TV shows were shown over and over again....what did they only buy the rights to show one show? I'm feeling a real "class system" between the diamond folks and the non-diamond. Read Less

My only small complaints are that there weren't enough variety of games or cards in the game room. And, the special lobster meal for $29.95 was horrible. The free lobster night was 100% better. Loved the duplicate bridge in the afternoon. Was a bit too cold to lay out by the pool. The ports were nice - different than normal repositioning ports. I would have preferred more fun activities scheduled in the morning. The diamond lounge was lovely. The service was wonderful except the crew didn't seem as friendly as on other ships. Overall a great cruise. Read Less