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I had never been on a cruise before and a friend of mine higher recommended the Empress of the Sea. I was going to a wedding in Miami so decided to make a trip out of it and go on a 5 day cruise beforehand. The Empress of the Sea is a small cruise ship so if you hit bad weather - prepare to rock/roll and be sea sick! We had bad weather for ALL 5 days. The boat rocked so much it was impossible to sleep and everyone was sea sick - even the staff! I attempted to get a massage to relieve my massive headache due to the rocking and the masseuse had to leave in the middle of my treatment to throw up. Everyone was throwing up. Crew were hosing down the decks due to all of the vomit. Staff was down due to being sea sick so room service was 30 minutes late. I had to get room service 2 days because I was too sick to leave my cabin. All people I spoke with said it was the WORST cruise they had ever been on. I met a couple when I was well enough to venture out and they mentioned it was their 30th cruise. They said it was so bad it made them never want to cruise again! The one good day was our stop on Cozumel. It was sunny and most importantly we had land. I had a great time in Cozumel and the people were lovely. I was dreading getting back on board and sure enough it started to rock and roll again leading everyone to be miserable and sea sick. Our only hope was we were going to Costa Maya the next day. Around 6 AM the Captain came on saying we would NOT be going to Costa Maya due to the waves and instead of going to another port we would spend 48 hours at sea. Everyone was so upset that we were not going to another nearby port or going back to Miami early. Everyone said they would rather get back to Miami one day earlier vs. spending 48 hours at sea being sick on a rocking boat. There was also nothing to do. The pool was drained due to the waves, rock climbing wall was down and no one in our group wanted to drink because we felt so sick. We are in our 30's so enjoy adventure/fun. The only activities were Bingo, Trivia the casino and Karaoke. It was beyond awful. It was supposed to be a fun trip with my husband, sister and brother in law. It was our first cruise for all of us and Royal Caribbean did nothing to make up for the bad experience. I would never go on "vacation" on this boat again. Read Less

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Chose to travel on Royal Caribbean for the first time having heard how much better they were compared to Carnival which is the line we have used for many years. The plus side for them was on the following areas, embarkation, debarkation, buffet, shows. Getting in and out of the ship was the fastest we have ever experience, even with the VIP treatment at Carnival. They had real Broadway type shows with excellent performers two nights and a funny comedian on another. For the past few years Carnival shows have been amateur at best and done by the passengers the rest of the time. As soon as you board the ship you can tell the quality of construction and amenities all throughout. As usual as soon as we boarded we headed to the Lido deck to check their buffet area, of course since there were not too many passengers yet, there were plenty of empty areas to choose from to sit and enjoy lunch. Here we saw a big difference between them and Carnival, there were no one or two long food areas but several smaller "islands" for food service, with this system we never had to stand in line during the entire trip.Quite different with Carnival's loooong lines most of the time. The first night we chose to try the main restaurant, earlier we had talked with the maitre'd and requested a table for two or three couples since we enjoy talking to other passengers during dinning, he had a hard time matching the computer table numbers with the actual numbers on the tables nearby, he finally gave us a number for that evening. When we arrived that night we were escorted to the back of the restaurant to a table for 10. On top of that the other 8 people were an entire family, so needless to say, we hardly had a word with them since they were having a grand time. Service took forever, the food was not great and we left before dessert came. The other three nights we enjoyed the Windjammer with no problems. The major problems there were they had just a couple of tables for two so even if we had no trouble getting to the food, we had trouble getting a spot with no one on it. Carnival's pizza is not the best but ran circles around the one they were serving there, they also had ONE soft ice cream machine but on the plus side they provided many different toppings to put on it. We had an inside cabin which was clean and with sufficient storage for two people's "stuff" The bathroom did not have an outlet and as like Carnival's,they provided one bar of soap (gone are the days of a welcome basket there) Their mattresses NEED to be replaced, just like Canival's, you can tell there has been many overweight passengers sleeping on them. On the plus side, they DID have a refrigerator which was welcomed. Our steward (never knew his name) was hardly seen and never said a word or introduced himself unlike all the other stewards we ever had. On the Carnival ships there are always workers on the isles who always say something to you when you pass them by, on this ship you hardly passed any of them and when you did, they never said a word (actually one said "good morning" once) They were obviously recruited from a different part of the world. One BIG disappointment were their whirlpools/hot tubs, they had THREE small ones for 3 people each for a thousand passenger ship. Never got to use our bathing suits. Their "swimming" pools were no better We did enjoyed their small movie theater on deck 6 where they showed new releases. Their treadmills had no monitors so there was nothing to watch on them and the rest of the gym was unimpressive. All in all, it was a good voyage which we enjoyed, but will stick with Carnival. Read Less

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Our adult children chose this cruise because they are taking their company staff on a Christmas cruse in December. We chose my time dining and made a reservation for the same time every evening. Our wait staff (the same ones every time) were exceptional. They are so friendly and took a personal interest in our dining preferences. The entertainment in the main theater was excellent, the best production we have seen onboard a cruise ship. We had one teen with us he had a wonderful time and the activities were age appropriate. Empress of the Seas is a small beautiful ship. Cozumel is a great destination. The forum shops are friendly and helpful and prices are excellent. The shops at the port are under construction but look like they will be great too. Texi service is good and reasonable. Our cabin was small but very clean. The shower is extremely small. All in all we had a great time and yes we will cruise with Royal Caribean again. Maybe book a balcony cabin off the back of the ship. Read Less

This was our first cruise, so we had nothing to compare it to. The unfortunate timing of the rough waters made it pretty much suck. Being the smallest ship, it rocked back and forth and up and down 24/7. Which ruined any excitement or enthusiasm one would have for the experience. Of course everyone we meet from cub cruisers to veteran cruisers said it was the worst cruise (as far as being tossed about) that they had been on and not to let it ruin our desire to go on others. But when you're eating breakfast and the dishes, apples and plexiglass protector come flying off the buffet because of the ship's rocking, one has to understand why we didn't enjoy the cruise. However, with that being said, it's not royal caribbean's fault the waters were really rocky. So here's my opinion of the onboard ship experience. Food and service was fabulous While the ship is the oldest, i felt it was maintained and keep up well. Entertainment was so-so. Magician and hypnotist were lame but the dancers and whitney houston tribute were great. Especially the ballroom dance couple. I felt that royal caribbean spends too much effort on hacking their wares, whether it's pictures every time you turn around. (i was almost expecting a photographer in the toilet to capture my first bm while on the ship:) clearance sales from the gifts shops, bingo cards...just lighten up on the sales royal caribbean and focus more on the customer's happiness and you'll get more sales. Worst part of the trip (besides the rocky waters) was the fact that our stateroom was directly above the ceiling speakers for the theater below. So every night we heard every show, dance, game, party as if it was in our bathroom. Kept us awake almost every night. Called one night and complained the next day and it wasn't acknowledge. I'm sure everyone who gets those rooms complains each trip so they're used to it. Would i take another one? Well it's going to have to be a huge ship with lots of port stops and not a lot of days at sea. Oh and heres one big money saving tip... We stayed at the la quinta inn at the airport and they offer free parking during the entire cruise and even take you to the port for free. The return trip costs $10 per person. I WAS EXPECTING TO PAY $20 A DAY AT THE PORT GARAGE, SO NEEDLESS TO SAY I WAS EXTREMELY HAPPY TO SAVE $100 Read Less

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This was a great long weekend getaway. The ship is in great shape, easy to get around, there's plenty to do and the staff are wonderful. Our cabin was on the 8th floor and promenade facing but there was never any noise, those cabins are pretty soundproofed. Our cabin steward was Dolores and she was exceptional, our cabin was always clean and we always had fresh ice. Embarkation in Ft Laud was pretty smooth and the staff there are very friendly and efficient. Disembarkation was rough though, not enough customs agents and they have everyone exit single file from the ship on deck two. Then you walk across the dock to get to customs in a separate building. Port Everglades could really use a refurbishment. The food on this trip is good, it's the usual RCCL fare. The lunch buffet is mostly salad bar, hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, carving station and hot pasta. A few dishes were very spicy, some kinda bland, but mostly it was good. They might consider a toppings bar for the burgers and dogs so ppl can make chili dogs, mushroom burgers or even sliders. We took the Turtle Cove and Cenotes tour with Cancun Adventures. Our guides were Michelle and Juan Carlos - this tour was amazing, fun, informative and the sights were spectacular. This tour was the highlight of our trip and we look forward to doing it again when we bring the kids back to Mexico. The Greg London show was great and he hangs out in Vintages afterwards and talks to everyone and anyone who wants to say hi. The deck patrol by the pool was out in force on the last day and they may have been a bit aggressive with the towel retreivals - there was some drama at all the pools but it was a good show. Overall, this is a great alternative to Majesty, we've done this cruise 3 times and will sail her again. Read Less

PLEASE LET ME START OUT BY SAYING THAT THIS REVIEW NO WAY REFLECTS THE STAFF, as the staff was absolutely fantastic and VERY hard working (to work 7 1/2 months straight without seeing family and with no days off seems unfathomable to me). Positives - Our waiter Rajul, and his partner Jorge were fantastic, and I wish I had them with me on every vacation :-). Our steward Franklin was great as well. Negatives - The ship. I'm assuming this ship hasn't been updated since it was built in 2003, as the accommodations were absolutely grotesque. Let me preface by saying that the minute I walked into my room I wanted to cancel the vacation. I didn't sleep for 4 nights because of the lingering musty smell of the room, as well as the lingering smell of SEWAGE throughout ALL of the common areas. I seriously don't know how the poor employees work 7 1/2 months straight in such conditions. Let me also preface by saying I have been on 2 other cruises, a Disney cruise and Carnival. I know Disney is a step above, but after being on a Carnival Cruise YEARS ago, I thought Royal Caribbean was a step above. I guess not? Just to finish up the room. There was trash in a corner from the guests who had stayed in the room the cruise before us (probably only a few hours before), oh, and an old egg salad sandwich in the fridge. We kept smelling urine in our room, and notified our room cleaner, in which he cleaned very well (I saw the poor guy on his hands and knees scrubbing every bathroom around us). Skip 2 days later, we notice our toilet was leaking, so no wonder. Apparently was fixed on our 2nd to last day. The room still stunk no matter how hard cleaned. Again, not his fault, just a dingy old room that needs updating! Common Areas - My 3 1/2 year old son couldn't walk into a bathroom on the ship without holding his nose and saying 'it smells in here.' There were times he wouldn't even go to the BATHROOM! Crazy considering he's 3. There were times I would dread going to the bathroom as I knew I would be gagging throughout. Again, I would see employees cleaning these bathrooms, so I know it's a larger problem and this ship needs a major redoing (if you check out other reviews online of the Brilliance of the Seas.......Something I WISH I did before I booked this cruise.... everyone complains about this same odor). Disembark DAY - We were scheduled to disembark at 930. At around 730 my husband went to use the toilet in our room and it would not flush. We called maintenance in which they said they would send someone down. After waiting a half hour, we asked our steward Franklin, and found out a guest had flushed down an apple, clogging the toilets and shutting them off ONLY on floor 8. We then went up to Floor 11 for breakfast, and in hopes that the toilets were working, unfortunately they were not. For 2 hours, no working toilets, and my son had to pee in a cup. I can't imagine the stench when the people arriving to that decrepit ship smelled upon check-in ONLY a few hours later. Those poor souls. My husband, who had only been on a Disney cruise, won't step foot on another cruise after our lovely Brilliance of the Seas experience. My advice, Sink the ship with nobody on board, or do a complete gut and reno. Read Less

Royal Caribbean Christmas cruise was my best - happiest Christmas ever. I truly mean this. Delicious foods, friendly staff, special family traveling with me, Christmas decorations, Christmas music, carols from singers, snow flakes falling and sunny warm weather made this all special. My room was nice with a very attentive room attendant. Royal Caribbean is my favorite cruise line and I will definitely spend another Christmas with Royal Caribbean. If I could I would spend every Christmas cruising. Boarding from Tampa port was easy, lots of parking and no hassle. The Christmas entertainment and shows were wonderful. So much to do and enjoy without having to do much, other than find out time then show up. Mexico was wonderful - sunny warm day for tours and beach. We did San Gervasio Ruin tour with Royal Caribbean Tours on luxury comfort, air condition bus, friendly knowledgeable tour guide, amazing ruins and many nice stops for photos. Read Less

When purchasing the Ultra bev. package, they add other cost such as, the drink in the pineapple. There was an additional charge of $4 for that. The last morning of the cruise, the dining room did not have mimosas. The dining room did not have all wines available to me with my ultra package. The food was sub-par and very, very small portions except for the night that we had lamb. The pool area near the big screen was over crowded and there was no one there (cruise crew) that was able to get a party atmosphere going. The person cleaning our cabin was nice to the adults; but, not to our 14 year old son. Most of the indoor bartenders did not smile or seem happy. The windjammer salad buffet was the best thing on the ship along with the ice cream machine. The bed was ok and the pillows were good. The public ladies rooms were kept clean. Too many children with no activities just roaming. Instead of an ice skating rink, it should have been a roller rink, or both. Thank goodness they had a Basket Ball court for the teenagers. I did not like that I could not order bottled water and a drink at the same time while outside near the pool/tv screen, even though I purchased the ultimate drink package. Thanks for having the football game on the big outdoor screen. My husband liked that. But, we are going back to Disney Cruises. This experience was nothing to talk about. This was our 2nd time with RC. The first time was worst; but, it was 7 years ago. Thought it would be better. We have been on 10 cruises and Disney has never left us disappointed. One last thing, this is not the fault of RC, but, the people on the ship were basically unhappy and rude. No one appeared to be happy. They need a new cruise director. He was boring. Read Less

I have only sailed with Royal Caribbean and thought the first cruise was good but maybe not as great as I didn't know what I was doing and the weather didn't cooperate. This cruise was a nightmare. They sent out several emails stating not to show up before 2pm and we got there at 1:50pm and 4.5hours later started walking into the boat. Unfortunately, the 4.5 hours was spent in the heat standing in line for unorganized chaos. We found out later that people who showed up at 11am got on the boat in about 20 minutes. And had over 4 hours of boat time, all to themselves. At least our bags showed up- some didn't even have that luxury. (we got a note asking for assistance in locating about 4 passengers bags that were missing or placed in someone else's room.) Once on board, I would like to say we were greeted warming and served some tasty snacks. This was not the case. They refused to serve until after the muster drill. Which I understand, but they should have had sandwiches and drinks while we were waiting for the muster drill which didn't happen for another 1.5 hours. Service was awful, the wait staff was annoyed that were wanted to eat dinner and enjoy ourselves. We had hoped to turn it around as my friend and I were there to ultimately see Chit chen Itza, and cross that goal off of our bucket list. Activities onboard had been cancelled and shuffled around without any notice and the karaoke machine had broken and then was replaced by a game that started and ended 30 mins before and after the karaoke entertainment so there was no option to participate in that either. The night before we were supposed to dock our excursion was cancelled due to lack of sign ups. That was it, no options were offered to assist us in attempting to see this excursion which had already been bought and paid for. I had to ask for internet access to try and find something ourselves. We found an amazing new option, however- due to the time that they cancelled the trip, our new option to see Chitchen Itza was not available as they didn't receive notification in time. Additionally, when we landed at port in Cozumel, the Oasis of the Seas- another Royal Caribbean Cruise was docked. They could have at least attempted to have us join their excursion, but they couldn't be bothered. No one was able or interested in helping us and even messed up crediting the correct account from where the excursions had been purchased. they kept insisting that they could fix it but only on the last day. The line was so long the last day that I think their plan was to get people to just leave without getting helped. We had to go back 4 times to get the same issue resolved. I would recommend the Royal Caribbean Cruise on the Navigator of the Seas- if you enjoy dealing with Comcast Customer Service. It's the same type of training. not helpful and just tries to sell you on things you don't want. Read Less

Overall we had a great time. The ship, Liberty of the Seas, is beautiful, clean, fun. Never boring. Food was acceptable, not super, but not terrible, you won't go hungry. Coffee was awful. They have Illy coffee shop on promenade, very expensive, but definitely better coffee. Kind of cruel and unfair to serve people garbage coffee ao that they would be forced to buy expensive coffee. Terrific low fat yogurt by the pool, a hit with all ages. Service in windjammer and dining room is friendly and prompt. Despite large crowds the ship was kept very neat. Our cabins were on promenade, sevenths deck, midship. The RCL person who booked me, assured me the rooms were sound proof and there was no loud actives on promenade after 10 pm. She lied big time, all the parade and disco parties just begin after 10pm, and the noise from disco was unbearable, even with ear plugs. If you like quiet, promenade rooms may not be a good choice. The cabins were in great condition, clean, pleasant decor, pillows were hard, but the beds, sheets and comforter were very comfortable. Our attendant Gabriel was amazing, very sweet and helpful. Pool areas were beautiful, i love that they have several small and medium pools. Movies by the pool are a great idea, but their sound system is imperfect, we could barely understand what was being said. Lots of fun activities. I would love to go back, but maybe on the ship with starbucks on it(like Allure of the seas). Read Less

I haven't cruised in 20 years....even better than I remember. spectacular service! I must give credit to Amane, our waiter. His service was exceptional! Always remembered our names, learned very quickly our food preferences. He was full of smiles and laughter and a helpful tip with food selections. He made the excellent food even more enjoyable. Dinner was prompt, but not rushed. I simply can't say enough good things about him! We were part of a Zumba fitness group. The room for Zumba was wonderful, the sound system more than adequate. I am so pleased and can't wait to book again! the ship was the brillance, great small ship. Everything in great working order. We did a shore excursion for kayaking/snorkeling. Felt safe. Great price and value. Excellent choice!! Read Less

I have waited some time to write this review so I could be fair in my assessment, in comparison to other cruises we have taken. In all fairness, this cruise was mistakenly booked during one of the Spring Break weeks, so that is not RC fault. The GOOD Waiters and cabin staff were outstanding. We wanted for nothing in our cabin. And our dinner wait staff were courteous and always attentive. Food was very good. Portofino was wonderful dining experience. Ship was really beautiful. We liked the promenade and how everything is very localized. Ice skating and dinner shows were terrific. The BAD These few things killed the cruise for us, despite everything that was good. Lines - long lines for EVERYTHING! Especially guest services. Insane why they could not put more people behind the desk to minimize the delays. Drink Package - again, more lines. When we embarked, we could not see the front of drink package line. So we decided to buy an embarkation drink before fire drill, settle into room, and chill. Returning to our room from muster station, same thing - insanely long lines for drink package. So we bought a glass of wine, had dinner and decided to wait in drink pkg line now. After waiting and buying package, we went to guest services, waited in line another half hour with all our drink receipts, only to be told they would not credit what we had spent on our drinks from earlier. All would have been included in our package, so we thought that was completely unfair. More about drink package below. Bar Lines - INSANE. This was the straw that broke the back. We waited up to an hour for drinks at the various ship bars. (An hour wait at the outdoor bar by the kiddie pool) This is completely unacceptable. We are thinking that bar staff goes on slow-mo because of the quantity of drink package sales, at least on our cruise. We spoke to a bartender in Viking Club and he said it was because of the high number of college kids. But I am not buying that exclusively. It's a huge ship that holds alot of people... if it wasn't a college kid, it would be someone else. There is no excuse for having to wait 15-40 minutes on average for a glass of wine. There was no way the drink package was worth it due to the time it took to get one drink. RC has to fix this problem. Lounge Lizards - RC has to fix the problem of people leaving dirty towels on deck chairs to reserve and walking away. My husband and I had 3 days on the cruise ship and not one of those days were we able to find 2 clean chairs to sit together outside. That's INSANE. First day we sat in shade toward front (or maybe the back?) and it was insanely loud. The second day, we sat outside on bench near wake boarding pool. On our last day, we finally took someones dirty shoes off one chair and a linen lunch napkin off the other, put them on floor by the chair and sat down. No one returned in entire 3 hours we sat there. This same day, another passenger was complaining as well and told us it is easier to get a seat at a white house dinner than a seat by the pool, and I totally agree. This cruise is for R&R. Which is sitting by pool, enjoying music, enjoying a cocktail. Even for 2 hours. Most everything that should have been fun on this ship was a hassle. We're going to stick to the smaller ships from now on. Read Less

Its interesting to read other reviews of this cruise. Were we on the same ship? As a seasoned "Celebrity" cruiser, I was initially disappointed with the small size of the ship etc. However, I soon got to like it and enjoyed easily finding my way around. Our embarkation experience was amazing - probably due to timing. We did not get to the port until about 2pm and breezed on to the ship. Our cabin (4068) was perfect - Marlon our attendant was silent and efficient. Noise from the Centrum could be heard only when the door was opened. Not a problem. Our dining experience in the main dining room was perfect - everything it could be. Sedrick and Sanjyot were totally on the ball, our table location by the window was lovely. Food was excellent. Not that impressed with Windjammer, but I was always able to find something to eat. The room was crowded so I took my food to the outer deck, which was delightful. The Captain was outstanding - his command of English superb, he was charming and very visible. The cruise director, Steve was also a plus - his enthusiasm and energy amazed me. We had such fun - the disco night was the best cruising entertainment I have had. The formal entertainment was disappointing, but we realize that these shows are organized well in advance by an on-shore company. The juggler was very funny. My one small complaint about the cabin was the "mini bar stuff" which clutters up the small counter area. No-one in their right mind would spend $5 on a packet of cookies when there is abundant food available on the ship. Please dispense with this, or give us the option to have these items taken away. Read Less

This was my third cruise, and my first with Royal Caribbean. Our party consisted of 6 of us, a family trip of my wife and I, my parents, and my sister and brother in law. Overall, our experience was good to excellent, from wonderful excursions, above average service, entertainment which seemed to improve throughout the cruise, and activities which seemed to strike the fancy of the different interests of our family. Was it perfect? I'd have to say no. The first night's aerial act was cancelled due to rough seas, the adult comedy show was a bit too adult, and our cabin (and cabin steward) were adequate but not spectacular. Also, the ships layout was difficult in ways to navigate, and seemed somewhat lacking. With no aft staircase, with an awkwardly placed shopping area, and with no complimentary food option in the centrium, I was not overly impressed. That being said, there was also a lot to really, really like about this cruise, and RC deserves much commendation for the many things it did well. Beyond day 2 the entertainment seemed to improve exponentially from day to day. The ventriloquist (Jay Johnson) was really, really funny and wholly entertaining. The Magician from America's Got Talent was also very good (bringing both his talent, and his personality into his show), and the comedian who closed out was among the funniest I've ever heard. I thought the second of the Singers and Dancers numbers (tribute to Broadway) was the better of the two... though I'm not sure how one can have a tribute to Broadway, and ignore the contributions of both Andrew Lloyd Webber and Schönberg & Boublil? Somehow, having a Broadway tribute without a single number from Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express, Les Miserables or Miss Saigon? Overall, my wife and I were both impressed with the three specialty restaurants, the Aquarius dining room, and with the Windjammer. The food at all venues was very good, the highlights being Chops Grille and Izumi. The issue, I thought was the lack of other complimentary food venues, especially in the centrium. My study of more recently launched RC ships has shown that the cruise line has largely corrected this problem, but on the Vision, there are no options apart from Ben & Jerry's, which is not included. Overall, we enjoyed this cruise, and enjoyed it very much. Vision is an older ship, and it has some issues. But it also has a lot to offer, and the cruise line offers a great deal through it. Read Less

I am beginning to notice some defeciencies that Royal Caribbean will need to address. I still like their mission, at least I think their mission is to provide value to the adult cruiser. Terminal 1 at Port Canaveral is enormous, and there seem to be some growing pains associated with passenger drop off. Some experience there should help. However, the worst thing abou this cruise was the last thing we encountered. That is self assist disembarkation. It was a shambles. I suspect far more passengers elected this route (for a number of reasons) and the staff was simply not prepared for it. I must also say some passengers had far more gear than they could handle in resonable circumstances. This didn't help. Assembly points were changed without prior notice and there were about 1000 passengers all trying their best to get to where they were directed. It was a dire mess. Portifino's was very good. The upcharge was worth it if you long for a better dining experience. The food was of higher quality, the preparation was better and the service was ample. The main dining room seems to have more and more Sysco suplied food items like chicken cordon blue. It was poor supermarket quality and should not have been on the menu. Many appetizers arrived at room temperature when they should have been hot or cold. I know serving a couple thousand people at a time is difficult, but this needs improvement. The staff is good. They all work hard to serve the passengers. Some additional training may help. For eample, the becks are hosed down each night. But the chairs are not wiped off. Some chairs hold a substantial amount of water. Towels are plentiful, but the passengers should not need to clean off the deck chaises each morning. The shows are good and the liquor is, well, expensive. Read Less