Just off the Voyager June 28,2009

We returned last night from an almost 3 week trip including 3 nights in London. Then a Eurostar ride to Paris. We spent 5 nights in Paris with an all day trip to Normandy. We boarded the Elipsos trenhotel for an overnight ride to Barcelona. The next 2 nights were in Barcelona then boarded the Voyager of the Seas for the 7 night cruise. We stayed one more night in Barcelona before coming home.

The trip was a trip of a lifetime. I wrote a review that I hope will be posted soon with details but will be happy to answer any questions.

The ship was in great shape with new carpet and appeared quite clean. Our dining service was outstanding. The food so so but never went hungry and that is only our opinion. We stayed in the Royal suite which was nice. There were a few things that weren't working but no big deal. We noted it just wasn't as nice as the Royal Suite on the Adventure of the Seas. Our parents each had JR suites that they enjoyed.

The ports were beautiful. Took both ship sponsored tours as well as private tours. We were on the Voyager 2 years ago and went to a few different ports this year. I really enjoy Europe and would love to do the cruise again for a third time. Next year its Northern Europe on a different cruise line but it won't be that last time to Barcelona. I would love to answer any questions. It is fun to review all we did.

We returned last night from an almost 3 week trip including 3 nights in London. Then a Eurostar ride to Paris. We spent 5 nights in Paris with an all day trip to Normandy. We boarded the Elipsos trenhotel for an overnight ride to Barcelona. The next 2 nights were in Barcelona then boarded the Voyager of the Seas for the 7 night cruise. We stayed one more night in Barcelona before coming home.

The trip was a trip of a lifetime. I wrote a review that I hope will be posted soon with details but will be happy to answer any questions.

The ship was in great shape with new carpet and appeared quite clean. Our dining service was outstanding. The food so so but never went hungry and that is only our opinion. We stayed in the Royal suite which was nice. There were a few things that weren't working but no big deal. We noted it just wasn't as nice as the Royal Suite on the Adventure of the Seas. Our parents each had JR suites that they enjoyed.

The ports were beautiful. Took both ship sponsored tours as well as private tours. We were on the Voyager 2 years ago and went to a few different ports this year. I really enjoy Europe and would love to do the cruise again for a third time. Next year its Northern Europe on a different cruise line but it won't be that last time to Barcelona. I would love to answer any questions. It is fun to review all we did.

Thanks for review, I am going with my family on this ship in a couple of weeks. Just want to know was there mostly Europeans on this ship??? was the ship full? How was the condition of the ship? was it worn looking? any suggestions for any ports? I am doing private tours in Rome Naples and Florence with a company called Romeinlimo. Have you heard of them? Any Must sees??? Staying in Barcelona for a couple of days at the Hilton Barcelona diagonal mar.

The ship was full! There were no cabins available about 3-4 weeks before sailing. There were lots of Europeans, and lots of Americans on board. There seemed to be alot of kids on board too. Many nights they ran in groups playing hide-the-flag. A crew member had to tell them to settle down. They were knocking into other passengers and slipping on the decks. We had them turn the doorbell off since kids were ringing it as they walked by. The ship looked great. The dining room had new carpet as well as other areas. Our dining crew told us they do some of the tear down work on dry dock. They dismantle the tables and move all the furniture so the carpet layers can install. Our room was a little tired looking with stains on the couch and the automatic curtains didn't work. But overall the ship looked great. We actually used romeinlimo this trip. They get great reviews on cruisecritic. It really depends on the guide you get. It sounds as though most people are happy with them. This was our second time on this cruise so we did excursions differently this time. Last trip we covered LOTS of ground thinking "we won't be back so see as much as we can" This trip we saw things we missed last trip such as Trevi fountain ,spanish steps and the catacombs but skipped Vatican Museums. This time around we skipped Pompeii and spent more time in Sorrento and Amalfi. In Marseilles we took a boat tour then spent the rest of the morning at a cafe near a small harbor. Not as much "sightseeing" there but still wonderful morning.

All the ports have so much to do. I read through all the excursions to get a feel for things to see. If a ship excursion covered the things we wanted to see I booked through them. If RCCL did not have a tour to cover the things we wanted to see I did it independently or privately. I found that although the ships tours appeared so much more costly when I added the cost of entrance fees, private tour guide fees for the various stops, lunch, the cost of the tour itself then converted Euros to dollars it was not as cost effective for us as it seemed. Plus having 4 seniors over the age of 75 the appreciate the slower pace of the ships tours. This cruise is a wonderful way to see so much and visit so many cities. We loved it so much the first time we did it again. You will enjoy the cruise as the ship and staff were wonderful.

We have not stayed at that hotel. We stayed on Las Ramblas Hotel 1898. Barcelona is a wonderful city. It is one of our favorites. Just be sure to be cautious with your money as you would in any big citiy. We all kept our money in a pouch worn on our waistbands of our pants. Not the money belt worn around your waist but one that hooks or clips onto your waistband. Never leave a purse on a table or an empty chair but keep it between your knees or under your leg. The pickpockets exist and are quick. We saw many scammers in both Paris and Barcelona. As I said just be as cautious as you would in any large city. Have fun and I am happy to answer any questions.

The ship was full! There were no cabins available about 3-4 weeks before sailing. There were lots of Europeans, and lots of Americans on board. There seemed to be alot of kids on board too. Many nights they ran in groups playing hide-the-flag. A crew member had to tell them to settle down. They were knocking into other passengers and slipping on the decks. We had them turn the doorbell off since kids were ringing it as they walked by. The ship looked great. The dining room had new carpet as well as other areas. Our dining crew told us they do some of the tear down work on dry dock. They dismantle the tables and move all the furniture so the carpet layers can install. Our room was a little tired looking with stains on the couch and the automatic curtains didn't work. But overall the ship looked great. We actually used romeinlimo this trip. They get great reviews on cruisecritic. It really depends on the guide you get. It sounds as though most people are happy with them. This was our second time on this cruise so we did excursions differently this time. Last trip we covered LOTS of ground thinking "we won't be back so see as much as we can" This trip we saw things we missed last trip such as Trevi fountain ,spanish steps and the catacombs but skipped Vatican Museums. This time around we skipped Pompeii and spent more time in Sorrento and Amalfi. In Marseilles we took a boat tour then spent the rest of the morning at a cafe near a small harbor. Not as much "sightseeing" there but still wonderful morning.

All the ports have so much to do. I read through all the excursions to get a feel for things to see. If a ship excursion covered the things we wanted to see I booked through them. If RCCL did not have a tour to cover the things we wanted to see I did it independently or privately. I found that although the ships tours appeared so much more costly when I added the cost of entrance fees, private tour guide fees for the various stops, lunch, the cost of the tour itself then converted Euros to dollars it was not as cost effective for us as it seemed. Plus having 4 seniors over the age of 75 the appreciate the slower pace of the ships tours. This cruise is a wonderful way to see so much and visit so many cities. We loved it so much the first time we did it again. You will enjoy the cruise as the ship and staff were wonderful.

We have not stayed at that hotel. We stayed on Las Ramblas Hotel 1898. Barcelona is a wonderful city. It is one of our favorites. Just be sure to be cautious with your money as you would in any big citiy. We all kept our money in a pouch worn on our waistbands of our pants. Not the money belt worn around your waist but one that hooks or clips onto your waistband. Never leave a purse on a table or an empty chair but keep it between your knees or under your leg. The pickpockets exist and are quick. We saw many scammers in both Paris and Barcelona. As I said just be as cautious as you would in any large city. Have fun and I am happy to answer any questions.

Wow. You have made me more exicted! Our VOS sailing is this Sunday! Thanks for posting.

Wow. You have made me more exicted! Our VOS sailing is this Sunday! Thanks for posting.

I had a wonderful cruise on the Voyager in 2008. We did a Med./Transatlantic cruise. I loved the ship!!! You'll have a great time!:)

Mary

A little off topic, but how was your day in Normandy?

Glad to hear the Voyager looks great after drydock. We're on her again in Feb and can't wait.

thanks for your posts.

We took a tour out of Paris through parisvisions. Since we stayed right on Rue de Rivoli in Hotel Brighton we walked to the parisvisions office 1/4 block away at 7:00am. It was a long 13 hour day but so worth it. This is something both sets of parents and I really wanted to do. Our guide was very informative throughout the tour. The movie at the museum in Caen was moving and well done. We then visited the the cliffs then to the beaches. It was tiring but well worth it.

I think we were just nearly neighbors for a week, Sandmoe, as we were in an Owner's Suite on the same cruise.

We loved the cruise as well, but I agree that the ship did seem really crowded.

We did the Pompeii/Mt. Vesuvius excursion, which was great. Florence/Pisa excursion was probably our least favorite, but the guide, Flavia, was a hoot.

We booked a private tour of Rome with Real Rome Tours, and it was a great tour. However, we realized that we had been charged twice for the tickets that the guide purchased. I have tried to contact them since returning to the states, and haven't gotten any response, which is disappointing.

We took the train ourselves to Monaco. It was very easy (about 10 min.), and the city is very easy to walk around. We loved this-- got to see the set-up for the Tour de France and even had a Lance sighting!

We also enjoyed the Arles/Les Baux tour.

I just read your review, and boy did we have similar experiences!

My husband stood waiting 20 minutes in the concierge lounge to talk to Israel while a woman loudly complained to him about anything and everything-- including the fact that the DJ didn't play their request in one of the lounges. Oh, brother...get over yourselves.

I also run each morning, and found that the running track was a joke. Seriously, 20 times around the pool chairs = 4 miles? I also had to weave in and out to avoid being hit by the pool chair guys, as they slowly rearranged the chairs. The ONLY time you can possibly use this running area is in the early morning, so why couldn't they straighten this up over night? I guess its still better than resorting to the treadmill...

I really enjoyed your review; thanks for posting

This is being discussed on another thread here. Maybe you can throw some light.

In the JS cabins was there a kettle and/or coffee maker? If so, what type of coffee maker and what supplies were provided (tea/coffeee/sugar etc).

Looking forward to doing this cruise in September.

A couple more questions if you don't mind.

Did you have to wear life vests for the muster drill or was it the new style without life vests?

We are sailing at 7pm from Barcelona. Is this the time you sailed? What time was muster drill?

Thank you in anticipation

I love answering questions. It is a way to relive it.

Goldenmama, My husband and I are very jealous of your Lance sighting. We looked. It was so exciting to see all the racers. We saw several others but not Lance. those guys are in such tremendous shape their legs are ginormous! Not an ounce of body fat. I probably ran with you on deck. I tried to get out between 5:30 and 6am after 7-7:30 it got too crowded for me.

English in Spain, The JR suites did have a kettle. Our parents enjoyed tea every afternoon. The muster drill was at 5:30 and we did have to wear vests. Fortunately it did not last too long. We had the 6:30 seating for dinner and the ship left at 7pm.

Just trying to insert pictures. Quite new at this. Picture of room in London Marriott County hall and pictures from the tour bus in London.

View of Countryside from Eurostar

Delish meal in First Class

View from Hotel Brighton looking Left.The Tuleries Garden and the Louvre to the left. The Louvre is HUGE.The next pict is looking Right with Eiffel tower in distance.

Pool terrace Hotel 1898 in Barcelona

View from rooftop pool with the Cathedral with scaffolding

The terrace off our room. We used this every am and pm

Our room

The couch in the RS unfolds to a double bed.

This is the utility room off the RS. We used it to store luggage.

The balcony is a nice size. We didn't use the tub this trip but used it more in the carribbean.

The furniture store in Sorrento that we spent way too much money.

Rosa's Restaurant in Rome. it was a wonderful meal.

Trevi Fountain in Rome was much bigger than we thought.

The Spanish steps had a ton of people. There are a few very nice hotels near by according to our guide.

Le Tour flag in Monte Carlo

A side stree with shops off the Palace Square

The Royal Palace

Cafe de Paris. One of our favorite spots in the World.

The Tower in Pisa. All the marble is really impressive.

From the small boat off Marseilles.

Sorry these are out of order. Also my son and Father in law took many more pictures so I didn't pull out my camera very often but at least it's flavor or the trip.

Sandm...Thanks for the review and the great pix...We're going on the Voyager OTS this Sept 20 and really looking forward to it This will be our first Med. cruise and our second trip to Europe. The first being on our honeymoon 45 years ago. We'll be staying at the Hotel Jazz in Barcelona before and after our cruise

Thank you for sharing the photos with us.

What was the boat trip in Marseille? Was this a ship's tour or something you arranged yourselves?

The boat trip in Marseilles was a tour through the ship. We toured the coast on a small boat for a few hours which was relaxing for everyone. Then they took us to a harbor where smaller sail boats were and we got off and wandered around the town for about one hour. It was just enough time to get some icecream and pastries. These shops were located right across the street from the dock. The boat then took us back to the ship. I think we were back on the ship by 1 or 1:30. The RCCL rep was not the best since she didn't say much but the Captain of the boat(or some one one the boat other than the RCCL rep) gave us a tour of what we were seeing with some history as he drove. There is a step to get on and off the boat but the parents who have different levels of mobility were fine. Two members from the boat staff held on to each of us and helped.

Sandm thank you for sharing those gorgeous photos.:) Can you tell me a little more about Cafe de Paris? Specifically where it is located, and how you got there. I would love to try it.

The Cafe de Paris is located in Monte Carlo right across the street from the Casino de Monte-Carlo. We took a tour through RCCL that went to Eze,The Grande Corniche and Monte Carlo. I think people take a train to Monte Carlo on their own but I don't know how to do that. I could never do that with the grandparents.