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Adventure of the Seas

Kona (Kailua Bay)

First let me say this trip was great. This was my third cruise and everyone enjoyed it. I've read a lot of complaints on this board about this ship. All I have to say is that if you want to be miserable on your vacation, you will be if you nit pick everything thing that does not go your way or is not exactly the way you think it should be. 
Embarkation - Unfortunately this was a disaster. The ship was late coming in from Bermuda and instead of boarding around 1:00 pm on Friday that we typically would have been able to do, we did not board until around 9PM. This terminal at Bayonne is simply not able to hold 3000 people at one time and it was mass chaos. Numbers were given to each person as they entered and you were boarded according to those group numbers. They could have arranged the seating by number which would have made it easier to get people out of the terminal as the numbers were being called. Food was served (sandwiches and hot dogs) but the lines were about an hour long. Ditto for the bathrooms. I read a post on the message board from some guy who was so happy to be given some extra time on the ship on the cruise returning but I'm sure it caused much inconvenience for the passengers returning as it did for those of us trying to get on. 
Food - We ate in the dining room every night and the food was good. Not spectacular but very good. I guess some people don't realize that if you don't like what you order, you can ask for something else. You can also order multiple appetizers if you want. For lunch we ate in the dining room all but one day. The menus had a good selection and again the food was good. One day of lunch in the Windjammer was good. Breakfast every day was had in the Windjammer/Island Grill. Food was fine. I don't expect breakfasts to be spectacular. We did not go to Portofino or Johnny Rockets. I really can't see spending extra when the food in the places we ate was fine. The pizza and snacks in the Cafe Promenade was good. The one item I though was lame is that they had two midnight buffets and they were both on days when we were scheduled to be in port. With early morning excursions, this seemed to be a way for RCCL to save money. Even my waiter commented on that. These should be held when the next day is a day at sea. 
Service - I thought it was great. Everyone was willing to go out of their way to get you what you needed. A few times the waiter made a mistake but he quickly corrected it and he was always willing to bring out extra deserts for the kids. Stateroom attendant made towel animals the last 5 nights. My daughter celebrated her birthday on board and I ordered the birthday package. When we came back from Labadee, our state room was decorated and a cake was waiting on the bed. We also had arranged for a cake at dinner and a group of waiter sung to her. 
Excursions - In Labadee we did Lucs Splash Bash which the kids enjoyed. It's fresh water so it was a good change from the salt water. I also did the water park with the kids. That was okay. The kids liked it. The beaches are nice. We were on the first tender and got a nice shady spot opposite where you enter. If I go to Labadee again, I would walk further down where the crowds were a little less. Overall we liked Labadee a lot. 
In Jamaica, we took the cruise to Dunns River Falls and then a bus to Dolphin Cove. I highly recommend DRF's. Yes it's difficult to climb but it's nice. Water was cold but refreshing. It poured rain for most of the day and kids got their hair braided at Dolphin Cove. They wanted $50 for each kid for full braids but we got them for $40 and one of my daughters has thick hair. It was much more expensive in other places including the falls. 
Grand Cayman we did the Butterfly Farm and the Nautilus Semi-sub. These were just okay. 
Freeport we booked the Dolphin Touch Encounter in advance which was good because it sold out early on. The kids really liked it. Overall though Freeport is not a very appealing stop. 
Next time I cruise, I am going to look into booking my own excursions. You can save money by doing this. 
Ship/Room - We cruise on Adventure of the Seas before so we knew the layout. We had balcony rooms and everything was fine except for a toilet flushing problem that we had to call maintenance on a bunch of times. They came quickly each time. The rest of the ship is in good shape. You may see some wear and tear here and there but overall maintenance was good. I've read complaints about the beds. Maybe we had new beds but all of us slept very well and beds were comfortable. The elevators during rush hour (meal times, etc.) were difficult so I suggest either walking down when you can. It's amazing how lazy some people were using the elevator to go down or up one flight. A tip of courtesy - when you see other people waiting for an elevator and you show up after them, you should let them get on first. I can't tell you how many rude people pushed onto elevators ahead of us when we had been waiting 3 or 4 minutes (packed elevators would pass us by). Unfortunately we had a stroller so walking many times was not an option. The kids loved the rock climbing wall and ice rink. Kids clubs were okay. One complaint I did have was the lack of Karaoke for kids. Last year Carnival had it almost everyday for anyone to sing. For some reason RCCL thinks it should just be for adults. On the 2nd to last night they had Family Karaoke and had allotted one hour from 10-11pm. The place was packed and I'm guessing many people that wanted to sing did not have a chance. This should be a hint that they should do this more often. 
Shows/Entertainment - We went to most of the shows. Comedian Sal Richards on Day 3 was very funny. Day 4 Dreamscape RCCL singers and dancers was okay. Day 5 ice show was excellent. Day 6 - Magic and Grad Illusions by Laraf was very good. Day 7 - Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme was good. I can't remember the name of the African American singer but she really could belt out a tune - excellent. Day 6 - Comedy of Wilde & Haynes was probably the best of all shows. It was very comical and the kids loved it. Day 9 - Farewell Variety show featuring the comedy of Jim David was okay. Did not stay for all of this. The shows did not see were Day 1 - Welcome Aboard Show missed for obvious reasons ( we had dinner at around 10) and Day 2 - Vibe logy. Overall they get an "A" in my opinion. 
Disembarkation - We were lucky and were first off the ship. The way the bags were arranged was a bit of a free for all with people scrambling and tripping on each other. They could probably improve this. My bags were spread all over the place. Make sure you use a bright ribbon to tie onto your bags and tie on lots of it. You will be glad you did. 
Overall Opinion - The family had a great time and frankly not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow. Unfortunately I had to hear too many people complaining on the trip about petty things such as Bingo lines that were too long. 

Voyager of the Seas - Western Caribbean

Review of My Cruise ~ 11/4/05-11/13/05 On Board Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas 
11/2/05 - Days till cruise 2: 
I found out through Cruise Critic that Voyager was delayed in Bermuda, and not expected to arrive on time for our Friday 5pm departure. 
11/3/05 - days till cruise 1: 
I finished my day at work at 2pm, came home, finished packing, making sure I had my shoe rack door hanger, used several different techniques of packing, including rolling and folding, and alternating which way the clothes lay. We went to fit and pick up Dh's tux (Men's Warehouse, 2 vests, 2 ties, 2 shirts, a jacket and trousers for $150 for 11 days! Great deal) Got a call from RCCL that boarding would not begin on Friday until 6pm, and to show up between 6 and 8pm. 
11/4/05 - Day 1 of Cruise 
Got up, got the dogs and bird ready for their vacation at my in-laws, got a gift certificate for them for watching the dogs. Loaded up the car and took off. DH had to stop on the way to his parent's house to do a quick service call, but by 1pm we were at their home. We watched the dogs play for a little while, and then went to Dinner at the Harth near Clifton NJ, best plan we ever had, we didn't know what we were in for at the terminal. We arrived at the Terminal at 7pm, off loaded our luggage and tipped our ported who moved our luggage to a dolly. We then moved to the line, which was about 400 people deep. At 7:30 we were informed that the boarding process had begun, ok, se we are running really late... at 7:45 we were given folding chairs, we took this to mean we were going to be there a while. At 8:15 or so, we were given bottles water, still not looking good. At 9pm, we were let into the building, through security, and checked in. At least now we weren't cold. We got to wait inside the building now , it was a mess, but I guess 3,000 people will do that. There was no food left, but they were continuing to order pizza, I got us each 2 slices of pizza after waiting in line for an eternity. At about 10:15 we moved from one set of chairs to onse closer to the bus queue. After sitting there for a few minutes, looking at our boarding/bus number 74, a woman took pity on us, and called us to her, she went and got our sea pass cards, and had our pictures taken. By 10:30 we were on the bus! A short 3-4 minute bus ride later and we were on board the beautiful Voyager of the Seas (referred to from now on as VOS). And now we wait for an elevator, and we found out that of an elevator stops at the floor you are on, it locks that floor out to all other elevators, so we wait and wait, and eventually get and elevator and have an uncomfortable ride up to deck six. 
We are now officially on VACATION! 
We found our cabin, and after falling all over the luggage that the room steward moved inside we quickly dumped our carryon luggage and went down to the Royal Promenade, grabbed a quick sandwich, bought the coke card and I ordered a coffee drink! Yum! We made our way to the bow of the ship for sail away, while I was annoyed at leaving so late, and not getting much time on the ship that day, I have to say that leaving at night with the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline all lit up was quite impressive! About 12 midnight we were sailing under the Verranzano Bridge, after watching us go under, we headed back inside as we had turned into popcicles. Back up to the Promenade for hot chocolate, then into Cleopatra's Needle and listened to the last 30 minutes of the "Liza Hendricks Band". At 1am, went up the step to our room, and watched as they turned out the lights in the promenade, and went about unpacking. I cleaned everything with with Clorox wipes and Lysol, then sprayed the fabrics with Febreeze anti-microbial, just for my own anal satisfaction. 
11/5/05 - Day 2 of Cruise; Sea Day 
We were so excited about being on the ship we woke early and finished unpacking, the best thing I brought with us was the show rack, it held everything from my hair spray and curling iron to sunscreen, medication, ties, belts, and even a few pair of shoes! I then left a note for Preston our room steward, thanking him for moving the luggage in, and asking him to move the glass table, empty the fridge, and also asked about foam for the bed. And I left him $10 on the mirror. Then went to breakfast! While the colors in the Windjammer were not terribly appealing, I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of the seating was bench seating, and my hubby and I didn't have to be uncomfortable while eating. Upon returning to the room, the $10 was still attached to the mirror, but the table was gone and the fridge emptied. I went out in the hall to find Preston, he came in and showed us the foam on the bed, I was so pleased! And had to insist that he take the $10. 
We didn't see Preston much, but I left him some friendly notes over the days. We think he did a fantastic job, though we rarely saw him, he did a great job at keeping us happy, we finally go to speak to him on the last night and Found out he was from Trinidad, and that most of his family works for Royal Caribbean 
We spent the day picking up our Ice Show tickets, playing chess, taking some pictures and getting my hair done for the first formal night. We also made reservations for Portofino. It was kind of cold this day, so not many people were on the pool decks, amazingly this ship sucked people into it, nothing was ever very busy, but the people were actually hard to find. After getting dresses we went to the Carmen Dining room, and found our table, #286, and introduced ourselves to our servers Judas and Neil. 
Both Judas and Neil did a great job at keeping us happy, although the first few nights service was quite slow, we were still having dessert at 8:10. Judas was friendly, but not very personal, but we did find out that he is from India and his contract is coming up soon, and will then be transferred to the New Freedom of the Seas. Neil was wonderful, although he occasionally called me sir, and dh m'am, but we just overlooked it, he made me an origami shape each night, a frog, a bunny, a bird and talking lips. Neil will be on vacation stating next week, and is renewing his contract with RCCL on VOS. 
We were sat a table for six, and ate with Mark, Mindy, Matt and Brian, this was the first time that conversation wasn't forced, I really got along well with Mindy. After dinner we changed (I hate pantyhose!) we went to the show "VIBOLOGY" it was ok, not the greatest I had seen, but not the worst either. Then listened to the Liza Hendrick's Band. Then to bed. 
11/6/05 - Day 3 of Cruise; Sea Day 
Breakfast in the Windjammer, we found that the food was better in the front part of the Windjammer, as the turnover rate was faster, but seating was less crowded in the back. We had a rematch of Chess and DH kicked my butt again. Then we went to the wine tasting in the afternoon, our gold member coupon books each had a coupon in it for a free wine tasting, we had a lot of fun! Met some new people, and discovered that not all wine is gross. We then took a short nap in the cabin, and got dressed for dinner, and then went to the Welcome Back party, I had several Rum punches, and a few Whiskey Sours J. Dinner was not memorable, but I did enjoy myself. We Played Broadway trivia at the Schooner Bar, some people really take some things way too seriously! Then we went to the show, the Comedy of Sal Richards, he was hilarious! The only complaint I have is the seating, both DH and I have larger butts, and the seats are just too uncomfortable to sit in, we ended up standing for all the shows. Then to Cleopatra's Needle for our usual night of relaxing with music. 11/7/05 - Day 4 of Cruise; Labadee 
We got up somewhat early, and went down to Cafe Promenade for Breakfast, then tendered to the beach. I got a couple of great pics of the ship from the tender boat. Once on the beach, we made out way to Dragon's Breath Beach, set up some chairs and promptly fell asleep. When we woke we did some sight seeing and pictures taking, I really enjoyed this port. Once back on board VOS, we headed to the Solarium, and soaked in the hot tub for a while, then got an ice cream cone at afternoon tea. This was the night we had our reservation at Portofino, we dressed a little-more dressy than a casual night, we ordered a bottle of wine, and water (beware, Mark and Mindy were charged for bottled water when asked if they wanted stilled or sparkling) we asked for "plain old regular water". Our waiter was Wendy, she was a doll, took very good care of us, everything at Portofino was wonderful, the bread, the soup, the entree, but dessert stole the show! The flourless chocolate cake was to die for! But I was so full from dinner I couldn't eat all of it, I really wish I could have. We enjoyed ourselves so much we did leave additional tip. We went to the Show "VIBEOLOGY" I didn't like this show at all, and we found out that they were retiring this production after this cruise. 
11/8/05 - Day 5 of Cruise; Jamaica 
Again we got up early and went the promenade for breakfast, it was a hot, cloudy, stormy day, but we enjoyed ourselves, we went to our favorite place to shop and found a lovely Tanzanite and Opal ring, and a chessboard at the store next door. It was raining so hard, that the jeweler's drive took us back to the pier. Once on board we went back to the cabin and took a nap until dinnertime. After dinner we wondered around until show time. Tonight was the Ice Show "ICE ODYSSEY" this production was fantastic, definitely worth seeing, maybe even twice! It was incredible! After the show we went outside on the upper decks and took some neat pictures of the crown and anchor. We also watched the ice carving demonstration and took some pictures at the midnight buffet pool party, but by 12:15 we were pooped and went to bed. 
11/9/05 - Day 6 of Cruise; Grand Cayman 
We had and early excursion, so to the promenade for breakfast. We tendered to the Island and then walked to the bus station, had a short bus ride, then got on a boat to take us to snorkel at a coral reef and with sting rays, it was so windy the surf was very rough, we had a hard time even getting to the reef, I had a panic attack under water, after about 15 mind we called it quits. Then we moved about 50 yards to a part of Stingray City, the water was about 16 ft deep, the sting ray were everywhere, they were so cool, they would come right up to you, swim between your legs, it was really neat. Some people were disappointed, and thought the ad for this excursion was misleading, they thought we were going to the sand bar, but it was exactly what I was expecting, it was phenomenal. After our excursion, we headed back to the ship, and went to lunch at Johnny Rockets with our coupons, then played some chess and napped until dinner. After dinner the show was Laraf, a magic show, it was good, and if you enjoy being entertained you will like it, but DH managed to pick the show apart, and blamed "behind the Magic" for spoiling it for him. We went to the Quest game, and while we weren't sworn to secrecy, I won't say more than I had a ball, and I am looking forward to the next one! In the cabin that night we watched Shrek 2, it was a really cute movie. Then crashed, it had been a tiring couple of days. 
11/10/05 - Day 7 of Cruise; Sea Day 
We had a nice lazy day, set the alarm for breakfast, meandered around a bit, went to lunch, played some chess, went to tea, took a nap, and got ready for our second formal night, I ended up doing my own hair, which turned out pretty good. Mark and Mindy went to Portofino, so we had the table to ourselves, dinner was ok, but nothing to write home about. The show tonight was "Rhythm and Rhyme" this was the best of the 3 Broadway style shows, the did a tribute to Chicago, and Phantom and Cats and a few others, it was very nice. Then off to bed. 
11/11/05 - Day 8 of Cruise; Freeport 
We had a somewhat late excursion, considering we docked at 6:30 and our excursion was at 9:15, we did snorkeling on the coral reef, this was excellent, the water was pristine, the coral was gorgeous, tons of fish, plenty of snorkel time, it was fantastic, like swimming in an aquarium. We had to be back onboard by 1pm to leave for home at 1:30, we spent the afternoon playing chess and trying to get lunch and having fun with the camera. It was lobster night in the dining room, but we both went for the prime rib, which was ok. After dinner we went to see Wild and Hayes a comedy/juggling act. These guys were great, goofy funny, but still very funny. After the show, we went to listen to the "Liza Hendricks Band" until they finished. 
11/12/05 - Day 9 of Cruise; Sea Day 
It was kind of a depressing day, but we tried to make the best of it, we bought our photos, and made out our thank you cards, and split up the tip money, spent the afternoon on the balcony. We wandered around the ship and kind of said goodbye to her, took some more pictures and started to pack. At diner we took lots of pics of the table and the waiters, and said our goodbyes, I still miss Neil. After dinner we went back to the cabin and said goodbye to Preston, and finished packing, went to the comedy show, but I really thought he was awful, he mostly did insult jokes, but nothing to tie them together. We then took some pictures of the "Liza Hendricks band", and had our last foo-foo drink and tried to make the time last forever. Then to bed for the last time on VOS. 11/13/05 – Disembarkation day 
We were up and out of the room by 7:30 for breakfast, hunted for a place to sit in the Windjammer and hung out there until Mark and Mindy showed up, we used their phone and said our goodbyes to them, then we waited in the cold Solarium until our color was called. We were color purple, called second, but since they called 3 colors at a time, there was a real traffic jam, especially with all the people on scooters holding up the elevators. After about 20 minutes of waiting in the stairwell, we were off the ship and on the bus, back to the dreaded terminal. Luggage pick up was a mess, with the porters pushing people over, but customs was a breeze, we found our ride and were on our way home by 10.40. 
Overview: 
The Ship was gorgeous, well up kept, if you look for wear and tear you will find it, but over all she was in very good condition, and clean. The staff was friendly and willing to help in anyway. 
There were over 800 kids on this cruise, and 98% of them were well behaved, and well mannered, we stayed away from the aft of the ship, where the kids activities are and avoided the main pools, and tried to not let the little stuff get to us. 
The food was eh… just ok, but it was included and plentiful, so I ate well. 
A few real negatives: 
-the elevators are just too darn slow, and would often go right past us, I think this issue really needs to be addressed -the embarkation process and the way we were treated, it was horrendous, all we really wanted was a few bucks ship board credit to make up for our lost first day on the ship. We didn’t get anything except an apology from the Captain, but I don’t blame the Captain or crew, I blame the corporate headquarters, for not planning ahead. -seating, in some places it is just not comfortable for large people, in the dining room, they made sure DH had an armless chair, and when we could find comfortable seating in the windjammer, it was great. But the theater was just horrible to sit in and a lot of the chairs in the windjammer were really tight. 
Thank you for reading this! 

Embarkation: Very smooth, very well run getting ON the ship. Leaving the ship at the end - a different story. We waited and waited in one of the three areas they wanted you to wait, and then when our color was called, we found out that they were letting all colors off the ship anyway, whether it was called or not. Very chaotic. 
Public rooms: Beautiful and clean. Even though the ship was booked, you never felt crowded on the ship. We were always able to find deck chairs, etc. 
Cabin: We had the Royal Family Suite (a family of 7) and it was so nice having that huge aft balcony; we absolutely loved it. It was clean, plenty of room for 7 people. I wish RC would have more larger family-style rooms available, and am pleased to see them expanding that category on Freedom of the Seas. I was afraid that we'd get seasick being on the back of the boat, and even though you did feel movement back there more, we did just fine with Bonine - and some of us are very prone to motion sickness!! 
Recreation: Never a long line for Rock-climbing, mini-golf, etc. Again - even though the ship was fully booked, you never felt crowded and we were able to go rock-climbing, play ping-pong, go ice skating, play mini-golf, etc. without any waits. My very petite 9yo climbed the rockwall, and the staff there was excellent with her! 
Value for Price: Definitely!!!! 
Dining: Although it is not haute cuisine, I was definitely impressed with the quality of the food, especially since they are serving over 3000 people!!! Veal shanks - we did not like. Foods that were particularly good - lamb, lobster, flourless choc cake, the fruit soups, escargot. Others I am not thinking of!! We liked the pasta bar in the dining room at lunch as well. My younger children all ordered off the adult menu at dinner and it was a good experience for them. I was concerned before the cruise as to how my 4yo would do at dinner, but she did just fine. 
Entertainment: The ice show is first rate - definitely get tickets!! The other shows we saw (Vibeology and a magic show with Laroc) were ok, not great, but not bad either. We didn't bother going to any of the other shows. 
Service: Surpassed my expectations by far. Our waiter and assistant waiter were the best,and our room steward did a great job as well. 
Shore Excursions: We did the Dolphin Swim and Dunns River falls in Ocho Rios - I do NOT recommend climbing the falls with children under 12!!! Scary!!! The Dolphin swim was very structured and my 9 and 12yo enjoyed it, the nature tour they had was fun too. Canopy Tour - my dh did and he loved it. Nassau -we did the Stingray expedition, which was enjoyed by my 4yo, 9yo, and 12yo. Definitely a child-friendly experience, and Blackbeard's Cay was a pretty little island. We heard that the stingray experience wasn't quite up to the level of in the Cayman Islands, but it worked very well for us!! MY older kids and dh did the Pirate Tour of Nassau, which they enjoyed except for having to pay a $5 pp surcharge to go into one of the sites allegedly included on the tour!!! My older kids and dh went parasailing at Labadee, which they loved,and my 9 and 12yo went to the aquapark and enjoyed that - 50 minutes was plenty of time for that for them. 
Kids' programs - The younger kids' programs were top-notch. Very organized, the staff was great, the kids had a lot of fun. The 12 and up, however, was very disorganized and very little structure, and little attempt to have the kids feel comfortable. Because it was a slow week and not a lot of kids on the ship ,the staff allowed my 12yo to go into the 9-11 yo program, and she enjoyed it a lot. And there was plenty on the ship for my teenagers to do without anything organized. 
Overall cruise - we absolutely loved it, and it exceeded our expectations. A great family vacation, and we can't wait for our next one!!! 


Leaving from Cape Liberty was a breeze, much better then New York. We arrived at the terminal around 11:30am, and were on board by 12:20, our room was ready upon arrival. The other two couples we were traveling with had to wait until after 1pm to get into their rooms. 
We were impressed with the size of the room, having sailed NCL balcony cabins, we thought that the room felt more spacious on RCI. However, the balcony felt much smaller and more closed in then those of NCL. I never checked the actual room and balcony size, of either NCL or RCI, so it could have been just my impression. 
Our room steward, was inattentive. Basically just doing what had to be done. I had asked for room service menus (there were only 4 available in the room) and never got them, had to stop by another steward down the hall, and he was more then happy to give them to me. Also asked for ice to be available in the room.....never got it. I might add that we had pre-tipped ( a third of the amount required) the room steward upon meeting him, and our only request was the ice. Didn't seem to make a difference to him LOL 
Our waiter started out with a lackluster personality. He did become more personable as the week wore on. The food was fair...nothing was really great. 
Our main complaint about this particular sailing was the entertainment. The shows seemed to be lacking focus, after the first show we ended up sitting in the last row, so as to not call attention when we decided we wanted to leave. The band by the pool was blah, the music was soft and slow (for an "island" type band). I am guessing that they didn't want to wake up the older people who were sleeping around the pool LOL Never saw so many people sleeping!!! 
On a good note, it was real easy to find chairs around the pool, any time of day, as most people were sleeping in the shade areas. But there definitely was no "Party" crowd. There were no BBQ's poolside, if you wanted to snack, you had to go into the buffet, which is freezing when you are wet, and carry it back out, or eat it in. The evenings were very low keyed also, we were looking forward to dancing at the Latin Club in the High notes lounge, but unfortunately there was no one dancing up there. Karaoke was held in a large lounge, and was made into something called American Idol Karaoke....with audience judges scoring the individuals, which had a grand finale on the last evening aboard. Only the really good karaoke singers need apply!!!! Way too much competition for me :) the lounges really didn't have anything going on, they seemed to be a place for quiet conversation. On a plus note, there was an excellent singer by the name of Holly Lipton who performed one evening who was very very good. There was also a singer named Billy Fellows who performed his own original songs, which if you were not of a certain age, the humor was lost on you. And of course the ice show was entertaining if only for the fact that you were sitting at an ice show in the middle of the ocean. 
All in all I would give this ship (our particular sailing) about a 3 (in the 1 out of 6 scoring). Was it OK....yes. Everything about this cruise seemed to be just OK. 
Disembarkation was a disaster. Waiting to clear the ship for what seemed like forever ended the vacation on a real sour note. Much prefer the way NCL allows you to stay in your stateroom until you are called to leave. 
We will probably not sail RCI again (never say never lol)....think we will stick to the cruise lines that have a little more going on like NCL (poolside BBQ's, and lounges with excellent entertainment) or maybe try a Carnival next time. 


This was such a disappointment. We heard so much about RCL Voyager of the Seas that we had to try her....never again. 
The food was not up to par, the entertainment was fair but not impressed at all. At certain times during the day, there was no food available except if you wanted to PAY for it....Johnny Rockets was a huge disappointment. We were forced to eat there since nothing else was opened. The waitress could not understand my order...I speak English. I ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and onions....nothing else. It arrived with a ton of mayo....I had to send it back. The one good thing was the milk shake, that was delicious. 
The pool area was over crowded and not enough chairs. People were reserving seats at the pool, and during the shows. No one stopped them...It was obvious when you go to a show and the entire front row is reserved by two people and the attendants are walking around telling you to please find a seat....yeah right. 
Disembarkment was a nightmare. We chose to meet in Studio B at 8am. We were still sitting there at 11am Royal Caribbean did supply a bus to bring us back to the train station but because 2 people who were scheduled to take the bus to and from the ship never showed up for either ride we were forced to sit in the bus for another hour, while they got it ok'd to leave. 
Next time, we are taking Carnival, We were on the Legend 5 months prior and enjoyed ourselves a lot more. There you could find something to eat all day long, which is great for the kids. They served hot dogs and hamburgers grilled by the pool right near the ice cream machine....everything was where it's supposed to be. 


After a wonderful experience on the Grandeur of the Seas in May, my wife and I just returned from our second 9 night cruise this year .The embarkation process went incredibly smooth especially with the on-line check in option. Less than an hour from the time we were dropped off at the pier, we were eating lunch in the Windjammer. 
We booked a Promenade view cabin and our mother, a first-time cruiser, had a handicap-accessible balcony room across the hall. After five years of hearing us talk about cruises, she finally took a leap into the world of cruising. In the mornings it was wonderful eating breakfast on the balcony while we were watching the world go by and at night people watching from our cabin. 
The ports of call were equally impressive. Labadee, Grand Cayman and Jamaica added the perfect mix to the ship that has everything. Even though our last cruise also went to Grand Bahama Island, we decided not to leave the pier area because of the devastation that is still evident from the storms last year. 
Without the dedication of the following employees, our vacation would not have been as memorable as it was. Tankut Kilic and Salvador Sarmieto were one of the best wait staff on any cruise we have taken. The synergy between them was flawless. Tankut (Tank) always accommodated our every need and want. One night our mother could not make it to dinner so at the end of the meal he was able to give us a hot meal to take to her. Sal was right behind him with the rolls that she always had and an extra dessert (chocolate of course). I hope to see these two professionals on our next voyage .Our head waiter Cetin Bolaz went out of his way to make sure everything was perfect. One night I asked him if he could hold and extra cream cheese and chive spread for my morning bagel and with out asking twice, it was there the next morning. Even after a few days went by, he asked if I still wanted the spread. Even though we are not messy at home, something comes over us while we are on a cruise and our cabin looks like a hurricane ravaged it. But no fear, Wahyu Nugroho was there to make sure our cabin was always neat and tidy. Our only complaint was we did not have towel animal every night. Only after the fifth night did they start appearing. What would a cruise be with out a cruise director? Becky Thompson was out of this world. She was so energetic that everyone on the cruise was saying "hello love" and "by love" in a British accent. She also is a comedic genius, with a witty pun to every answer a guest gave her during the game shows. We would love to find out what ship she will be on just to enjoy her sprit she brings to the cruise.
Our only disappointment was the disastrous departure process. This procedure must be reviewed and fixed immediately. Between waiting for guests to go through immigration and the mass confusion when too many colors were called it was a nightmare getting off the ship. Our group was separated by the mass of people pushing and shoving and did not meet up until we saw each other at baggage claim. This was not the way we wanted to end our vacation. 


This was the second time my husband and I took a cruise on Voyager, and I have to say, this trip was NOT as memorable (in a good way, at least) as our first trip! 
FOOD: We ate breakfast and lunch every day in the Windjammer Cafe, and it was mediocre. The lunch choices weren't too great, and after 5 days of pasta with sauce for lunch, I switched over to pizza. Breakfast was OK, but it seemed the food was too greasy, so I went with more of a continental breakfast after about 2-3 days. We ate dinner each night in La Boehme dining room. Our waiter (Nicky) was fantastic, but on our first cruise, our waiter Mercia was even better because he had more of a sense of humor. Our assistant waiter and bar attendant learned our names and what we preferred for bread/drinks, but I don't think Nicky did. Here's my major complaint with the main dinner: WHAT'S WITH ALL THE DUCK ON THE MENU? Did a flock fly overhead, and someone shot them all down?! Honest to God, there was duck, in one form or another, probably 5 out of 9 nights on the menu. Not ONCE was there any entree featuring ham, very few with pork (and no pork tenderloin, not even once!), and no dishes with turkey until the last night. Enough with the duck already. However, I tried each and every one of the cold soups (fruit based), and they were all out of this world. Made me feel a little healthier, before eating the steak and chicken off the alternative menu 5 out of 9 nights! 
STATEROOM: We booked this trip through Royal Caribbean online (ourselves), and when we booked it, didn't really realize that our room (on the 2nd deck) had an adjoining door to the neighbors. There was NO insulation on the door, and we could hear every single word these people screamed at their twin children (". . .born 6 minutes apart. . .") throughout the entire cruise. Their loud, obnoxious voices woke us up every single morning at 7:00 am like clockwork, and whenever we were in the room taking a nap in the afternoon, they seemed to show up about 10 min. after we fell asleep, and they turned their TV on loud and shouted at each other over the volume. Complaints to security and the main desk seemed to go no where, and I have a strong feeling that our neighbors knew it was US calling. Our room attendant was very nice (Mark), and gave us anything we asked for. The room was always cleaned in record time, and if we ran out of something (like toilet paper, for example), it was brought to us very quickly. At least THAT part of the room was great! 
PORTS OF CALL: Labadee-- beautiful beaches, lots of chairs, and lots of room to spread out. We did not do an excursion here this time, but last time we did the ocean kayak and it was very fun. Here's my big problem with Haiti-- the vendors are EXTREMELY PUSHY! They are all selling basically the same thing, and they would try their hardest to get you to go to their shop/booth and buy from them. I just ignored them, kept walking at my own pace, and did my own thing. One very rude man, however, mumbled something to his friend about a "puta Americana," which is Spanish for American bitch (actually, it's even worse than that). And when I turned around and said, "Pardoneme?", he ignored me and went on to bother someone else. I wanted to smack him, but thought better of it. Unfortunately, while we were there, a girl in her young 20s (from our ship) was killed by a wave runner. Apparently, she had fallen off the back of the jet ski and when her boyfriend went back to retrieve her, he hit her right in the head, killing her on the spot. We were not "there", but heard about it from other passengers on the ship later in the trip. How terrible! So my word of advice-- BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU ARE ON OR NEAR THESE THINGS! 
Ocho Rios, Jamaica: Again, our second time there, and we booked a somewhat different excursion. Last time, we went to Dolphin Cove for the "dolphin experience" which basically meant you got to pet a dolphin for about 10 seconds (not worth the money, trust me), and climbed Dunns River Falls. Last time, we REALLY enjoyed climbing the falls. Our guide then was T. Elliot. This time, our guide was A. Idiot! He didn't enforce the hold hands/help each other out rule, and I fell at least twice, and if it wasn't for my husband and other people there to help out (I wasn't the only one who wiped out, either), I'd have been so mad, I'd have left. At one point, the guide (N. Shaw-- if you see his name on the back of your guide's shirt, wait for the next guide, seriously) told us to wait at the next flat spot/pool, and he'd be right back. Well, 10 minutes later (and 20 min. before our bus was supposed to leave to take us back to the dock), we said forget it, and went up without him. He was AT THE TOP, waiting for tips! I was SO mad, I didn't even tip him, and I know others didn't either. I did show him the mounting bruise on my knee though from crashing into a rock. This was the 2nd half of our excursion, and the 1st half was a trip to Green Grotto Caves. Don't even go there-- neat history, BORING tour. Bad lighting inside the caves, and I've never been to caves so HUMID AND HOT! It was very still inside, and at least 80 degrees, even deep underground. Dunns River Falls is a great trip, if you don't have a nonattendant guide, but I'd skip the caves. Hop a taxi, and ask them to take you to the falls. It'll save you lots of $! 
Grand Cayman: Another disappointing excursion. As soon as we got to the dock where our boat would leave to take us out to snorkel and see the sting rays, the captain of this boat announced that we were "lucky" to be there that day (July 6, 2005) because the next day, the island was shutting down in preparation for Hurricane Dennis! I should have run back to the boat as soon as he said it. The snorkeling was dreadful-- not many fish (this is at the coral reef), and the waves from the hurricane that was coming the next day were unbearable! It was more work to fight the waves than anything else, and lots of people were getting out of the water after about 15 min., after having swallowed many snorkel-fuls of water. None of the people working on the boat seemed to care that so many people were uncomfortable, either. The second half of this excursion was SUPPOSED to take us to Sting Ray City, which is a sand bar you sand on in the ocean and the sting rays swim right up to you. Well, guess what-- we didn't go there. We went to another place that was about 20 feet off the ocean floor, and there were sting rays swimming WAAAAY below us, but not many at all popping up to the surface. Keep in mind that many of us gave up on trying to float with our equipment in the first place. When I asked one of the divers on the boat why we weren't at the sand bar, he said "we only go there on Tues. & Thurs." This day was a Wed. I found out later that this is NOT TRUE-- a man we were sitting with at dinner was at the sand bar that day, and had a great time handling the sting rays! My husband and I were extremely upset by this (happy for him, unhappy for us-- not how we wanted to spend our 3rd anniversary!). On the ride back to the tender boat dock, we noticed how it didn't seem the island had cleaned up or recovered from whatever hurricanes hit it last summer (2004). There were downed trees everywhere, roofs missing shingles, etc. We didn't bother to shop at all because we were so mad about the snorkeling excursion, which cost us over $100. 
Grand Bahama: The captain decided NOT to stop at our last port of call because Hurricane Dennis was causing some pretty bad winds and waves near the island. We spent this day at sea instead. Four days in a row "at sea" got really boring. I was very glad we brought an extra book each to read!   
OTHER ISSUES: 1. There's a rule on the pool decks stating DO NOT RESERVE CHAIRS. According to this rule, after 30 minutes of a chair being unattended, a pool deck attendant would take your stuff off the chair, thus offering it to other people. HA! What a joke-- not once on the whole trip did I ever see an attendant remove anybody's stuff. We sat in one spot on the last day for 3 1/2 hrs. and the entire time, these two chairs across from us had a towel and a book on each chair, and nobody showed up until about 10 min. before we left. Even then, the person stopped by-- didn't stick around. It was pathetic, because there were so many OTHER people who really wanted a place to sit! 
2. People were smoking almost EVERYWHERE! I thought it was supposed to be that 1/2 of the ship was for the people who wanted lung cancer, and the other half was for people who did not want to breathe in carcinogens. Not once did I ever seen a RC employee ask someone to extinguish a cigarette (even cigars!!) or to go a place where smoking was allowed. It was disgusting. 
3. I know many people LOVE the midnight buffet, but honestly, we were too tired to stay up that late. It's too bad they didn't have an 11 p.m. buffet instead! I'd have liked to see the festivities, but it was too hard to stay up that late. 
4. Spa prices were OUTRAGEOUS! For an hour long massage, it was about $125. At home, it's about half that. 
All in all, we had a nice time, and met some great people at dinner and on our excursions, but we don't think we'll take this cruise again. It's sad, too, because the first time, it was our honeymoon.


My husband and I returned from our nine-day cruise on July 24th and had a fantastic vacation. We celebrated our 10th anniversary and renewed our vows on the ship, which was amazing. This was the best cruise we've ever experienced and everything was exceptional. We loved Voyager so much we are going on a five-day cruise to Bermuda in October. There was so much do to and we didn't have enough time to do it all so now we can! 
EMBARKATION (CAPE LIBERTY, NJ) ~ Due to us being Platinum members, we checked in at the Platinum and Diamond area, which was a breeze. Within five minutes we had everything we needed and was waiting for the shuttle to take us to the ship. We ended up waiting an hour, which was expected since we were at the port early. The section we waited in had a large flat screen TV but didn't have enough tables and chairs for the people that arrived afterwards. Cookies and water were served. We had priority seating on the shuttle so that was a plus. 
CABIN 9278 ~ This was our first balcony cabin and we loved it! Very spacious, plenty of storage, comfortable beds, nice dEcor, good location and clean. The balcony was very cozy and we enjoyed sitting out there when we wanted some quiet time. We had breakfast delivered to us almost every morning and ate on the balcony, which was very romantic. One morning we saw a beautiful rainbow and it was a great way to start the day. 
SHIP ~ WOW! Words cannot describe how beautiful this ship is. The Royal Promenade was extremely impressive and brilliantly designed. The location of it was ideal and easily accessible. We enjoyed several snacks at the Cafe' Promenade and glancing at the daily specials the shops had every day. One thing that impressed us was the artwork on the ship. Even in the corridors near the cabins there were displays and some very nice pieces. I actually spent some time walking around the ship and observing the artwork since each piece was very unique. Voyager is almost six years old and is in excellent condition. The crew is always cleaning or doing something to keep it in top-notch shape. There's plenty to do on the ship and you're never bored. This was the largest/newest ship that we've been on and we loved it! 
POOL AREAS ~ Both pools (main and solarium) were packed and locating a chair was extremely difficult. People would place their belongings on a chair and not return for a long period of time. At times it was annoying. The sun decks were crowded but you could always find a chair so I was content with that. The peacefulness and view of the ocean was indescribable. 
ENTERTAINMENT ~ The Cruise Director, Becky Thomson, was out of this world. She was the best Cruise Director that we ever had and she always had people laughing. Her favorite saying is "Hello Love" and after hearing it a few times... you end up saying it. Becky is extremely upbeat, full of energy and loves her position. Even the crew expresses that Becky is wonderful with them and fantastic to work with. 
We went to the Ice Jammin' show and it was astonishing. It's truly amazing how these skaters can perform in such a small area. You definitely don't want to miss the show since it's the best entertainment on the cruise! You should arrive a half hour early to obtain decent seats. You can take pictures but can't use a flash. Video cameras are not allowed. 
We attended a magic show "Laraf" which was excellent. The stunts performed were remarkable and the entire show was choreographed extremely well. 
Of course we had to attend "The Quest" and it was hilarious. Studio B fills up very quickly and we ended up in the back watching it on TV. Becky, of course, had a terrific time with everyone. This is something else you have to see and it's for adult audiences only since it does get wild (in a fun way of course). 
OTHER ACTIVITIES ~ We enjoyed miniature golf while we were in Jamaica. We had the entire area to ourselves so it was pleasant. I climbed the rock wall while my husband took pictures. I made it to the top and it was a great experience. I tried ice skating and went toward the end of the cruise since the rink is not crowded. The skates are not that comfortable so I skated for twenty minutes and that was fine with me. The ShipShape Center was very nice, clean and busy when we went. At times I had to wait for equipment but I always kept myself busy doing something else. Did the walk-a-mile almost every morning to burn off those extra calories from dinner the night before! 
MEET & MINGLE PARTY ~ Many people signed up for it but only the close members on the thread showed up. We had a great time meeting each other since several of us has been on the thread for several months. It was like a family reunion and a lot of us established close friendships due to this. If it wasn't for the Cruise Critic boards and Margaret starting the thread for our cruise, this would have never taken place. Prior to the M&M party, most of us met at the High Notes Lounge (Viking Crown) after we sailed under the bridge and it was a great way to start the cruise. We wore Mardi Gras beads to identify ourselves. Since many of us exchanged pictures prior to the cruise, it was easy to figure out who was who. For those that didn't exchange photos it was a great surprise to match the name to the face. Sad to say, Margaret was not able to go on the cruise due to an illness in the immediate family. Once we all had a drink, we toasted Margaret for bringing us all together. 
DINING ROOM ~ We sat at table 273 in the Carmen dining room. We ended up in a back corner of a room that was adjacent to the main dining area. You missed out on the entertainment but having that little extra privacy was decent. We had a large table by the window and our tablemates were a blast! The second night we had some changes at the table and three new couples joined us/our friends and it was pure entertainment every night. We all hit it off right away and every night we were more out-of-control. The staff had their hands full, but it was in a fun way and we even got them laughing with us. Service was good and the staff was very pleasant. The food was decent but nothing to really brag about. Certain dishes were excellent and some were average. Menu selection was good and you always had alternative meals (steak, chicken, etc.) if you didn't like the menu "theme" for that evening. 
JOHNNY ROCKETS ~ Due to having coupons to omit the $3.95 surcharge we went there for lunch. Food was very good, service was good but it was noisy. The staff entertained a lot and after a while it was a little annoying. Music was loud at times as well. It was extremely crowded and there was a huge line outside for people to come in. Most passengers requested a table. Since we requested counter seats, we were seated within five minutes and had the perfect spot to observe everything going on. 
WINDJAMMER & ISLAND GRILL ~ The Island Grill is adjacent to the Windjammer and both places served the same food. The only difference (from what I noticed) is that there's an omelet station in Island Grill. Both places were nicely decorated and had comfortable seating. Food was good, both areas were very clean and there was always a vacant table. Staff was very pleasant as well. 
PORTOFINO ~ Due to our 10th anniversary and renewing our vows on the ship, we went to Portofino for dinner and had a romantic evening. The service was fantastic, food was excellent, presentation was outstanding and we were pampered. It's definitely worth the surcharge and we would go back there again! 
BARS & LOUNGES ~ DH/I have our favorite places and traditions from previous cruises so of course we stuck with them. Almost every night before dinner we met up with our friends and had drinks in the High Notes Lounge (Viking Crown). The view up there was spectacular and we saw some breathtaking sunsets. Our server, Andre, was phenomenal. We met him on Day One of the cruise and since then he took great care of all of us. Great guy, enjoyable personality and one of the best servers we ever had. We sure miss him! We were hoping to spend time in other lounges/bars but since there was so much to do it didn't happen. Next time, we plan on spending more time in the Champagne Bar, Schooner Bar and Aquarium Bar since they are very nice places as well. 
LABADEE ~ We've been to Labadee five times and DH/I still love it there. We went with our friends (first time cruisers) and spent the day at Barefoot Beach. Weather was beautiful and barely any humidity which surprised us. I walked around with the cameras and explored since I enjoy doing that. With several beach areas it wasn't as crowded as I expected. We arrived early and obtained chairs under the shade, which was perfect. The only issue we had was with the tenders. The line on Deck 2 kept wrapping around and no one knew where to go. Many passengers wanted to go to Labadee at the same time and nothing was organized on Deck 2. It was extremely hot and passengers were becoming very annoyed. It would have been better if the staff provided tender tickets to control the crowd. This was done on a few past cruises that we were on and it was a success. On the return trip, it took five attempts to dock the tender next to the ship. We had some wind that could have caused problems but five times was somewhat annoying. We got a good laugh out of it once we were on the ship but being jammed packed on a tender with several hundred irritated people didn't make it too comfortable. Overall it was a beautiful day. 
JAMAICA ~ We arrived early in the morning but didn’t plan on getting off the ship until the afternoon. After lunch we walked over to Island Village and strolled through the shops for a while. We were very impressed that we weren’t haggled in the stores. Afterwards we stopped at Margaritaville to meet up with a few friends and have some drinks. This place is full of entertainment and a lot of fun. You can get something to eat/drink, relax on the beach, go in the pool/hot tub or go down the water slide. It’s a big hit with cruise passengers and has a real party atmosphere. Whether you want to party or not, you’ll fit right in. 
GRAND CAYMAN ~ This was our next stop and it was a very hot and humid day. Six ships were in port and Georgetown was extremely crowded. Due to Hurricane Emily many ships were rerouted and stopped at Grand Cayman. We went on our own that day since we’ve been to Grand Cayman before and walked around. Extensive damage was done from Hurricane Ivan and the Caymanians are still recovering from it. They are rebuilding with plenty of new construction in Georgetown, which will improve the area for the Caymanians and the tourists. We did some shopping but didn’t get much since we have so many things from there. It was nice to stroll around and see how everything has changed since we were there in 2001. The tender to Georgetown was easy but coming back was a disaster. With so many ships in port there were lines all over the place and the tenders for each cruise line had only one spot so there was a major backup. It took us an hour from getting in line to arriving on the ship. The Captain even apologized for the inconveniences we had to deal with. 
BAHAMAS ~ Due to Hurricane Franklin in the Bahamas we could not stop so it was an extra day at sea. Many people complained but in our opinion, safety is priority so that was fine with us. 
VOW RENEWAL ~ For our 10th anniversary my husband and I renewed our vows on the ship. Our Social Host, Shannon, was fantastic. Everything we asked for we were able to acquire which made us very happy. I wore my wedding gown again and it was an honor. Due to that we had an extra hour of photography around the ship and it was well worth it. The pictures were incredible! The ceremony took place in the Skylight Chapel, which is very pretty and private. We had a small group of friends with us (from the Cruise Critic thread) and it was wonderful. The ceremony was extremely special to us since this has been a dream of ours since the day we got married. The reception was held at Cloud 9 (Viking Crown) and it was very nice. Andre was our server and of course he took great care of us. Our surprise for the day was when Captain Pettersen came down to congratulate us at the reception. The Captain also showed up for the ceremony but due to us being late he had to leave for a meeting but came back. I nearly fell on the floor and was extremely shocked when he walked into Cloud 9. (Note: I was talking to Captain Pettersen at the Platinum & Diamond party and asked him if he would like to attend the vow renewal. I didn’t think he would attend so the joke was on me.) Captain Pettersen was so kind to us and he spent some time speaking to the group. This was a wonderful surprise and it meant the world to us. 
DISEMBARKMENT ~ Went very smoothly. Due to being Platinum members we had a private area to wait in until we were called. Deck 5 of the dining room was our location and it was very nice. Saw many of our friends so it was time well spent. We had orange tags and were the second group off the ship. Once we left the ship, we took the shuttle back to the baggage area, stood in line for a porter, grabbed our luggage, went through customs and waited for a friend to pick us up. 
This was a marvelous vacation and we’ll never forget it. 


I sailed on the Voyager from 7/29 through 8/7 with my daughter (15) and my son(12), along with a group of friends and family, totaling 29 people. I played a big part in the planning of this trip and all of the posters on Cruise Critic went a long way toward helping us all with our cruise, so thank you for all of your input. 
Embarking -- This went pretty smooth. We arrived at Cape Liberty around 11:30 or 12:00 and were on the ship by about 1:00. I did notice some people lingering after the Bermuda/Canada reroute that were not pleased and my heart went out to them. It had to be quite disappointing. 
Rooms -- We stayed in the Promenade rooms on deck 7 midway in the ship and we were all delighted. Yes the rooms are small, but they are sufficient. A great time that I gathered from CC was to buy the hanging shelves for the closet (7.99 at Target), because drawer space is somewhat limited. Noise from the Promenade was never an issue, at least not on the 7th floor, although I was downstairs during the parade, which I gather you can hear if you're in the room. I was somewhat disappointed with our room steward, Frank, who barely did his job. He was pleasant, but incompetent. We had no special requests, but he was somewhat lacking in just getting the room clean in general. 
Food Quality -- Overall, I thought the food was terrific. I'm sure their are people out there who hold RCCL to higher standards, but I am not one of them. I am more of the philosophy that if I'm not cooking it and cleaning up afterward, I'm a happy camper. I am a really picky eater, and the choices are limited on the menu, but I always found something I could order. More often than not, most of us ordered multiple items off the menu. 
Dining Room -- We were seated at three tables on Deck 3 in the Carmen Dining Room, broken up exactly as we requested. A table for 10, a table for 11 and a table for 8, all directly next to one another and two of the three were window tables. I will say that before we went, I worked pretty diligently at trying to arrange those tables. I went through my travel agent who didn't give me much hope and didn't seem too interested in pursuing my request, I sent faxes to Miami as well as emails to RCCL corporate. I repeated faxes and emails, never getting a confirmation, but nonetheless, we received exactly what we requested. Considering the tables were not broken up as our cabins were and we had one person from one cabin at one table with the other person at another table, multiplied three times over, I will say I was pretty impressed. When I looked at my request in writing, even I was slightly confused, so they did well sorting it all out. The waiter and assistant waiter at our table, Katut and Nate, were both wonderful and went a long way toward making the kids and the adults feel like royalty. We did go here for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the pasta station. 2 out of 3 days, I completely escaped the line, but one day I did not, and it was quite a line. 
Johnny Rockets -- We went there a couple of times and it was a lot of fun. The food was good, the entertainment was good, the desserts were awesome. Yes, we had the $3.95 charge, but they seem to not charge each person each time. Some times they let a meal slide as though one person is ordering 2 meals, etc. All in all, if you want to go there, pay the money and enjoy it. 
Portofinos -- This was amazing. All 15 of the adults in our party went on Tuesday, the caribbean night in the dining room, and the meal was fantastic. We ordered several entrees and appetizers and desserts, and they were so accommodating. Someone at our table commented on the chocolate covered strawberries and asked if she could take the 3 or 4 that were left on the tray they put at each table back to her room. They packaged them up along with a few extra box fulls of them and gave them to her on the way out the door. Food was amazing, service was even better. Although it's supposed to be an italian restaurant, it's more of a mix, with delicious seafood, steak, chicken and italian dishes. 
Windjammer -- I am not big on buffets, so I can't say too much here, simply because I didn't eat here that often. Seating was never a problem and the food that I had was fine for what it was. 
Cafe Promenade -- A great place on the ship. Located at the end of the promenade, this place sees a lot of action. They go through a boatload of cookies and pizzas, not to mention sandwiches. Service was always with a smile and these guys do work hard, especially at the end of a port day, when everyone is hungry and needs a snack before dinner. 
Room Service -- This was a little disappointing, but for the amount of time I used it, it wasn't a big deal. It was very slow and the food did arrive rather tepid in temperature. I wouldn't count on hot at all, but I must say my coffee did arrive hot. When ordering coffee, write down that it is for 4 people, or they assume it is for 2 and send it in a small pot with aluminum foil as a lid, which does not keep the heat in at all. I caught on and started ordering for 4 and it was always a large pot with a lid and steaming hot. 
Sports Activities -- My son enjoyed the rock wall. It was never crowded, but you do have to go sign a release for the kids to rock climb, ice skate or roller blade. The release is only good for the day you fill it out and it does take some time. We didn't really encounter lines with that stuff and he did find it quite challenging. 
Kids Activities -- This was one area I wasn't too pleased. We had 14 kids total, with one in the 9 - 11 group, who loved the kids club. The other 13 were in the 12-14 group and the 15 - 17 group and that did not go well at all. Both age groups shared Optix and neither group was happy with it. The counselors see so many kids hanging around outside the doors of optix without going in and they are happy if anyone comes in so they welcome them all. As a result, my 15 year old felt it was always the younger kids in there and my 12 year old felt it was always the older kids in there and the bottom line is, the activities that were listed in the compass rarely happened with any level of success. Add to it that the entrance to Johnny Rockets is right across from the entrance to Optix and you'll see the hangout tended to be more JR's. I understand on the two newer Voyager class ships, these two age groups have separate clubs and I'm sure that must make a huge difference. 
Considering all of the bad press I have seen regarding kids, underage drinking, security issues, etc., one has to realize a few things. This was a summer sailing... there were quite possibly more kids on this ship than adults and they do have to go somewhere. I did notice that the library on the 7th floor turned in to a hangout of sorts, but I never saw any drinking or anything illicit going on. As a matter of fact, I don't know how the posters on the other thread noticed as much as they did. I had an eye on my children pretty easily onboard and I can't imagine a bartender serving either of them an alcoholic drink. As for picking up someone half drank glassed, that would be absurd and my kids would never even want to drink someone else's drink. I personally felt, there was security all over the ship and I can also say I never saw kids in the casino. They may have come in to ask a parent something, but security would arrive before they could even communicate with their parent. I read that thread and wonder if I was on the same sailing. 
Jamaica -- We climbed Dunns River Falls using Peat Taylor and had a great time. He took good care of us and let us decide where we wanted to go. I was a bit disappointed with Margaritaville. It was crowded, a bit on the wild side and difficult to get service at the bar. I did pick up my share of Blue Mountain Coffee and I'm loving it as we speak. I have heard that you can only buy the best blue mountain coffee from jamaica where they pick the beans from the top of the tree. Online or in the US the beans come from the bottom of the tree. 
Labadee -- Beautiful island and very hot. I had a massage at the beach in a hut on Labadee and it might have been the highlight of my trip. They bring some of the spa staff to the island and they did an amazing job. The markets were aggressive, but they had some beautiful woodwork. I bought a chess set, with each piece hand carved for $20, as well as a gorgeous chest for $20. The same goblets I paid $5 for at Labadee were marked $55 at the Bahamas port. Walking sticks, ships, turtles, etc. one more beautiful than the next. 
Grand Cayman -- We took the $4 cab ride to seven mile beach and it was gorgeous. My son went with some other members of our group and did the Swimming with the Stingrays tour and he loved it. I had no desire to do that so I stayed back and enjoyed a beach day like no other. My daughter and her friend parasailed at 7 mile beach for $55 per person and they loved it. I'm still waiting for the DVD ($25 additional) of their experience to arrive. I am counting on the honor system and will have to wait and see if it ever arrives. 
Freeport, Bahamas -- What to say about this island. I did not choose to go to Port Lucaya, simply because of the time we were in port (6:30 am to 1:30 pm). I did get off the boat and shopped right at the little village set up at the port and my daughter and a few of the girls in our group had their hair braided here. Some of our group went in to town and some didn't. After comparing notes, it seemed we had most everything available right at the pier and the hair braiding was cheaper for us at the pier. It was stated that a half head would be $60, but in actuality, it was 30 per girl. In town, they paid 45-50. Prices were high for souvenirs at the pier and I didn't buy too much their. The items they were offering made me want to go back to Labadee and purchase the items for 1/10th the price instead. I may have gotten a good deal on a wooden goblet for 5 bucks, but there is no way it was worth the $55 they are trying to soak you for at the Bahamas pier. Those in our group who went in to Port Lucaya said the same thing about the prices. 
Entertainment -- The comedians were great. We had two nights with comedians because they had a technical problem with dreamscape and had to reschedule that for a different night at the end of the cruise. Love and Marriage was pretty good, with Becky pretty much doing what she needed to create a decent show. The quest was hilarious. I'm glad I didn't miss that. Ice show was amazing. I wondered how amazing it could be, having seem some pretty fantastic ice skating shows with olympiads, but it's the size of the rink that they are working with that truly boggles your mind. They skate to within an inch of the edge of the rink. Definitely worth seeing. Battle of the sexes was funny. I have to hand it to the rest of the Cruise Director staff. When Becky had to leave the ship early, they definitely rose to the challenge and did a great job. Final jackpot on Bingo was right around $13,000. 
Pig & Whistle -- If you look at my posts prior to my cruise, my one pressing question, was whether or not the VOTS had a piano bar with a sing-along, such as the one I fell in love with on the Carnival Victory. I never was answered to my satisfaction and after this sailing I could see why. The piano bar would truly be the Schooner bar, on Deck 4 off of the Casino, but not too much singing goes on down there. However, the Pig & Whistle, which is on the Promenade, had a guitarist Scott, who played from 10 pm - 1 am and we had a blast there. Great group of people would show up night after night and Scott did a great job getting everyone involved. Along with Scott, a college student named Steven, from Long Island, did his own nightly rendition of Margaritaville and he did a great job! By the end of the cruise, the gathering in front of the Pig & Whistle took over the width of the promenade. So, I got my wish for a sing-along type bar, but it wasn't with a piano. 
Chair Hogs -- All I can say here is that people do attempt to save chairs by the pools. It is not a big deal and certainly not one worth spending too much time online thinking about how to eliminate this problem. You will not stop people from throwing a towel on chair. However, nothing is stopping you from sitting right down on that same chair, and if you choose to, using the towel that is left there. When I first came across this, I waited to see which chairs would be claimed. It soon became obvious, that most chairs will never be claimed. Pool towels are a dime a dozen and people change there minds all day long. If you want a chair and all it has on it is a towel, take it. The pool attendants will tell you the same thing. I never once had to touch anyone's personal property to have a chair and I never once was approached by someone claiming I took their chair. 
Spa -- The spa was wonderful. Yes it is overpriced, but those prices are negotiable. I first booked the beach massage at Labadee and paid the $129 for it. After that, they offered me $20 off any future treatments and another chunk off for port day treatments. Then they combined the specials they were offering and even let me do port day specials on the non-port days, if I chose times that were early or late and not booking so easily. I loved the seaweed wrap, the facial, the reflexology massage, the foot massage, the ginger scrub, and the massage. It was not hard to get the appointments you wanted and it was not hard to turn down the soft sell of products they offered. I would highly recommend the spa treatments, even with the high prices. 
Service -- I did not come across anyone on the staff or crew of this ship that was anything less than pleasant and accommodating. My one complaint was with my room steward, who was not very good at his job, but still pleasant nonetheless. Anyone I dealt with used my name every single time and made me and my children feel like royalty. I cannot believe others who complain about this aspect of the cruise. 
Disembarking -- Okay, so I did find one area that was not great for us. We were Grey and the other half of our group that lived upstate and traveled separate from us were Orange. It seemed like a Customs problem delayed everything initially because the earliest people didn't get off until nearly 10 am. Then everything really slowed down and our color didn't get off until nearly 1 pm. By now, new people were already on the ship and our group was getting a bit hungry. After all, we had been eating every few hours for 9 days straight. We started scurrying about the Windjammer and the Cafe Promenade to see what we could scrape up and we were no longer treated like special guests.. at least not in the Windjammer. We were defiant when they said we had to leave and the food was for the new guests and it wasn't open yet anyway. We simply grabbed a plate and loaded up some bananas and apples, etc. Down in the Cafe Promenade, the kids had more luck then us. The agreeable chef down there made them some fresh sandwiches and gave them a huge plate of cookies to bring back to our "starving" group on the 11th floor. If we had any brains, we would have parked ourselves and our luggage at the Cafe Promenade until they called our color. However, we fell for the same trap that everyone else did.. that you need to wait either in Studio B, or the theatre or the in the Solarium Pool area to hear the colors being called. That was simply not true. Wait wherever you like and you will hear the announcements. 
Just as an added note, our Limo drive tried to charge us an additional $200 for waiting from 10:00 till almost 1:00. We thought we'd have to eat it, but 10 minutes later we were broke down on the 440 North (Staten Island Expressway), with our 28 passenger Limo bus and we had to wait 3 hours for a replacement bus to come from Long Island and drop another group at Cape Liberty and then get us. We had senior citizens sweating to death in the limo and 14 children. We marched the kids along the highway to Forest Ave and got them to a Wendy's where we ate lunch in some AC and we got the seniors a cab and they met us there. But even that didn't put a damper on our trip. We were exhausted by the time we got home, but no one was complaining. 
Overall -- I had a great time onboard the ship. There was not enough time to do all the things I wanted to do, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I would recommend this sailing to anyone who asks. I was not bothered by children, by unde-raged drinking, by crowds of people. 
You really do get what you want out of a vacation. If you want to focus on the problems, go ahead. However, we have no real complaints about this one. It was definitely a great trip and if you asked any of the 29 people I sailed with for their opinions, they would be the same. We would do it again in a heartbeat! 
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. I would love to answer anything I might have missed. __________________ Feel free to contact me at Sleeples23@aol.com 


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