We sailed on Empress in March, 2020. Little did we know that it would be the last cruise before they shut down for the Coronavirus pandemic. We loved the intimacy of the "Smallest ship with the Biggest heart". The itinerary was perfect for our plans. We wanted a quiet get-away. The crew saw to our safety as much as possible - always cleaning frequently touched surface. Gratefully, as far as we know, nobody became ill with COVID 19 during the trip. There was no delay at disembarkation, which would have been likely had there been evidence of an outbreak. We happened to have a lovely cabin - there were several unique, larger than average cabins on a couple of the upper decks that were very comfortable - but they seemed to remain a secret.
Not everybody needs or desires the largest ships with the latest attractions and throngs of people standing in lines. For us, the small crowds, the ease of boarding and disembarkation, the ability to easily get on and off the ship in ports, and the exceptional friendliness of the crew made all of the difference. When we were in ports, we would often be astride a much larger vessel. We watched the lines snaking down the pier as passenger were waiting to get on the ship, while we could walk right on. Easy. No stress. Greeted with a friendly welcome and a relatively short walk to our cabin.
We were hoping to sail on her again, but obviously will not.
Bye Bye Majesty and Empress (It's official)
in Royal Caribbean International
Posted
We sailed on Empress in March, 2020. Little did we know that it would be the last cruise before they shut down for the Coronavirus pandemic. We loved the intimacy of the "Smallest ship with the Biggest heart". The itinerary was perfect for our plans. We wanted a quiet get-away. The crew saw to our safety as much as possible - always cleaning frequently touched surface. Gratefully, as far as we know, nobody became ill with COVID 19 during the trip. There was no delay at disembarkation, which would have been likely had there been evidence of an outbreak. We happened to have a lovely cabin - there were several unique, larger than average cabins on a couple of the upper decks that were very comfortable - but they seemed to remain a secret.
Not everybody needs or desires the largest ships with the latest attractions and throngs of people standing in lines. For us, the small crowds, the ease of boarding and disembarkation, the ability to easily get on and off the ship in ports, and the exceptional friendliness of the crew made all of the difference. When we were in ports, we would often be astride a much larger vessel. We watched the lines snaking down the pier as passenger were waiting to get on the ship, while we could walk right on. Easy. No stress. Greeted with a friendly welcome and a relatively short walk to our cabin.
We were hoping to sail on her again, but obviously will not.