Navigator Review of 12/04 sailing

I have completed my review of my recent cruise on the Navigator of the Seas. My review is how I viewed the week and are my personal feelings.

Navigator of the Seas 12/04/04

Eastern Caribbean itinerary

Background on my cruising experience. Twenty-four cruises of which sixteen have been on Carnival. This was my third cruise on RCI but my first seven-day RCI cruise and my first Voyager class. You will find that throughout my review that I will make many comparisons to Carnival, as that is the line that I have cruised most.

Pre Cruise – Arrived in Miami on Thursday 12/02 to enjoy some rest and relaxation before the cruise. For me there is no better place to cruise out of than Miami. The city has the feel that gets the juices flowing for a Caribbean cruise and to recharge your batteries plus the views of sailing out of Government Cut is outstanding. We stayed at the Biscayne Bay Marriott which IMO has some of the best views of the port. Always ask for a bay view room. The hotel was booked full as the Virginia Tech football team and fans were staying at this location for the big game against the Hurricanes. Needless to say there was a lot of partying going on in the lounges. The hotel is just a short ride over to Bayside Marketplace by taxi or one could use the Metro Mover, which has a station just across the street from the hotel. Another relaxing thing to do is take one of the boat rides offered at Bayside of the Miami area. The ride lasts about one and a half-hours and the cost was $16.00 per person.

Embarkation – I have to say that I have had much better embarkations but most of this was not the fault of RCI as immigration has new procedures in place as a trial in Miami. All passengers must now be cleared through immigration as they debark the ship, which can hold up the next cruise as it did ours. The Navigator did not clear on the 4th until approx. 12:30. My problem with RCI was one lady that was identified according to her name badge as a team leader but really did not have her act together at all. I almost put her on the edge of being rude also. Since we were booked in a suite we were able to use the special check-in room. I believe it is called the Chairman’s Club or something like that but it was very very crowded and the late ship clearance did not help matters at all. RCI needs to make some adjustments on that issue if the late ship clearance matter does not correct itself.

Fellow passengers – I would say that we had a great group of passengers on this sailing. It was a good mix going from young to old. I would guess that we had around 150-200 kids on board and they were all very well behaved. It seems that RCI does a great job in keeping them entertained, as I did not see them running around the ship at all. I also noticed that most people on here adhered to the dress code each day. A nice change.

Ship – What can I say about this ship but "WOW". The pictures that I had seen prior to the cruise did not do this ship justice. She is something else. Unlike anything that I have ever cruised on before. What I liked about this ship was the subdued interior. It is soothing but stimulating in a good way. It does not scream back at you like most of the Carnival ships that I have been cruised. The Royal Promenade was awesome. The heartbeat of the ship. There was always something going on and I had read on this board that RCI does not go late into the night with their entertainment. That was not the case on this cruise. I have been on Carnival ships where the sidewalks were rolled up by eleven or so. I know a lot has to do with the passenger make up for each particular week but the different lounge venues were going strong and late into the night.

The ship was clean in all areas. For a ship that is two years old she looked as though she has just arrived from the shipyard. I always saw cleaning going on throughout the ship both inside and out. It is obvious to me that RCI does work hard to keep their ships in great shape. I also think that Captain Bang and his crew take great pride in the Navigator and it shows. Again this is not the case with Carnival or at least what I have experienced on my cruises with them. They need to work harder on keeping their ships in better condition

Continued below.

Cabin – We were booked into cabin #1694, which is a Junior Suite located on deck ten aft. The balcony alone is reason to book this location on the ship. I would estimate the balcony measured somewhere around 15 x 15 and was completely covered to keep out bad weather. If you are a sun worshiper then this is not the cabin for you. There is some metal framework that one sees when looking out but it did not take away from the view at all. There were three chaise lounge chairs along with two straight chairs and a dining table on the balcony. When looking down, one looks directly upon the cabin balconies on decks eight and nine. They have no privacy at all. I could not see myself booking one of those at all. I would compare this cabin between a category eleven and twelve suite on Carnival. The room itself was about the same size as a category twelve on Carnival but the bathroom was about the size of a category eleven. There is more than enough room to move around comfortably. The room has a nice sofa that makes into a full size bed and also a chair and ottoman. Also more than enough storage room in the cabin. The TV was a little disappointing that they do not get the major networks like Carnival. They do get ESPN International, CNN and several other stations. They also showed Sunday afternoon, Sunday night and Monday night football in the cabins.

Food – I have cruised enough that I no longer enjoy the regiment of having to be at dinner at a certain time so I did not eat in the formal dining room once. I cannot tell you how the food was in this area. We chose to eat at Windjammers each night with the exception of one night at Johnny Rocket’s.

I found the breakfast to be along the line of other cruise lines. You’re staple of eggs, bacon, sausage,etc. I have yet to find a cruise line that does a good breakfast buffet. It was good but nothing to rave about.

Lunch in the Windjammer was good and the choices were very good. This is one area that I felt that Carnival had improved upon with the addition of their Spirit class of ships and RCI matches them in every way.

Dinner was also very good in the Windjammer. This is one area where I noticed a huge difference between Carnival and RCI. On Carnival, if one chooses to dine in their casual "Seaview Bistro", one may feel that they are being punished for not eating in the main dining room, as the selections are not good at all. On RCI, you had the choice of Jade for Asian food or the Windjammer, which gave many selections to choose from. Many of the items offered here were the same items being offered in the main dining room.

I must also give kudos to RCI for making the dress code in the Windjammer stricter than other lines. No bathing attire, bare feet and one must where a shirt. Nothing like trying to eat lunch with someone walking in from the pool dripping wet without shoes and shirt. Kind of takes away ones appetite to see a hairy shirtless man leaning over the buffets to get his food. RCI’s pizza needs some work. Carnival wins here hand down. It was edible but did not make you want to go back for more.

Johnny Rocket’s was great and yes I did notice a difference in the quality of the burgers in JR’s compared to the Windjammer. Much more juicy and fresh. The onion rings were great. There is a $3.95 cover charge, which includes your food, and drinks are extra. I found that the cover charge had not hurt JR’s business. We ate there three times for lunch and once for dinner. Great apple pie too.

Also for the ones that get hungry at the odd times of the day or night, the ship has food available almost around the clock on the promenade deck at the Café Promenade. They have small sandwiches, pizza and desserts such as cookies and pie. There is a Ben and Jerry’s next door along with Seattle’s best coffee.

Room Service – Used room service twice for breakfast. Both times I made the order out and placed on the door the night before. You can also order room service for breakfast and snacks on your TV. One can get hot breakfast items such as omelets, eggs, bacon and sausage delivered to your cabin. Again not something that Carnival offers. You let room service know what thirty-minute time frame that you would like your ordered delivered. They will call prior to delivery to make sure that you are ready. Worked like a charm both times. I did not use them any other time but you can also have hamburgers, cheeseburgers and pizza delivered too. Dinner can be ordered between seven and nine in the evening. The dinner menu is shown on your TV and has pretty much the same items as being served in the main dining room from what I was told. No lobster though.

Entertainment - I found the entertainment to be on par with what I have experienced on Carnival. Both of the major production shows "Now and Forever" and "All Access" was very good. RCI uses four singers in their shows and it gives a little more variety overall to the show IMHO. I do like the theatre on this ship. No bad sight lines and poles that got in the way. Felt more open too. The comedian Darrell Joyce that I saw was really good and did a great late night show also. One of the headliners during the week was the "Knudsen" brothers. Again an awesome act.

My favorite spot on the ship was the Two Poets Pub. One person in that bar was awesome. Her name is Opal who is from the Ocho Rios area of Jamaica. She was great. Funny and really knows how to take care of her customers. She looks just like the comedian Wanda Sykes. The piano person in the Schooner bar did a great job at impersonating a bad lounge singer. Man was he bad. Not sure how anyone could sit in there and listen to him for any great length of time.

The ship holds two parades on the Promenade deck. The first is a Bon Voyage theme and the second one was a Mardi Gras theme. I only saw the first one and it was great. They also had two of the production singers do a small concert on the promenade deck one evening to summertime songs and again very well done. To me there was always something going on at some place and time. Not sure how anyone could be bored on this ship. I did not go to the skating shows as I refuse to stand in line to wait for tickets to be given out. Karaoke was held in the Ixtapa lounge and was well attended. The Viking Crown’s Cosmopolitan club is a great place to enjoy a pre dinner drink. Ali the bar tender makes some great drinks. This is also a jazz lounge in the evening.

Cruise Director – Our cruise director was James Andrews. He was not the best that I have seen but one of the most enthusiastic. I saw him out and about the ship more than I have seen any other CD. I found that he is not one of those CD’s that likes to pat himself on the back and only come out to do the shows in the evening. He does get involved in what is going on with his crew.

Bar Service – In one word. Outstanding!!! The quality of drinks was better than I have ever had on any other ship. They are not stingy with the alcohol at all. Service was great in all bar areas inside the ship and out.

Crew – Ok, this is where I noticed the major difference between Carnival and RCI. The service that we received on this ship regardless of the location was nothing short of excellent. Our room steward introduced herself on the first day and kept the room spotless the entire time. Any request was met with a smile and taken care of. The cabin was always made up after returning from breakfast. Every crewmember that we encountered smiled and spoke and they seemed genuine in their response. The crew in JR’s and the Windjammer were very attentive. The crew at the Guest Relations desk could give training to some other cruise lines about how to treat their guests. I just cannot praise the crew enough on this ship. I think that it starts with the Captain and works it way down.

Continued below.

Debarkation – Not bad but a definite change with the Immigration rules. The evening prior to your departure you will receive information regarding the debarkation process. I like that RCI let’s you know what time to expect your color luggage tags to be called. We were off of the ship at around 8:00 and were the fourth color to be called. Once off of the ship is where the hang up occurs. In Miami, Immigration is testing a new procedure where everyone must now stop at one of the six desks set up to clear. You will form two lines once off of the ship. They did not separate U.S citizens from non-U.S citizens either. This can hold up the process, as non U.S citizens have to be fingerprinted and photographed in addition to showing the proper identification. It took about twenty minutes to stand and clear Immigration once off of the ship. I spoke to someone with RCI and they are trying to get more agents to help clear the ship faster. Six agents for 3400-3500 people can take sometime. This is why the embarkation for the next group of cruisers is being held up. Again, not the fault of any cruise line. Their hands are tied on this issue. I guess if it makes us a safer country then the wait is not that bad.

In closing my review, I have to say that this cruise ranks at the top of my list as the overall experience was nothing short of outstanding. This was the first time that I did not feel like I was being nickel and dimmed to death by constant announcements for inch of gold, bingo and art auctions. Sure they were available for the ones that wanted to participate but they were not being shoved in my face. No bingo and lottery tickets being sold before the shows at night. RCI actually makes it feel like a night out. I also liked the fact that the ship was not littered with photo stations causing major traffic jams. This is what I have grown to dislike about Carnival. In your face and constant hands out for money on board. I rebooked the same ship again while on board for the same week next December due to the fact that I liked this one so much. I will still go back to Carnival every once in a while but my main focus will now be with RCI. I have two links below to some photos that I took during the cruise.

Thank you for the thorough review! We are going on Navigator this Saturday so it is great to hear some specifics. You're not the first poster to mention Opal; she must really be a memorable lady. Can't wait!

As the other poster thanks for a great review we will be on the navigator for back to back cruises starting Jan 2, 2005

msts

Thank you for the thorough review! We are going on Navigator this Saturday so it is great to hear some specifics. You're not the first poster to mention Opal; she must really be a memorable lady. Can't wait!

Look Opal up in the Two Poets. She is something else. You are in for a great cruise.

Great review Gordon!! I'm jealous that you have booked her for next year already :)

###

Thanks for taking the time to do a review! I'm glad to see that your experience on the Navigator almost paralled ours. Captain Bang and his crew are great. And Opal really is a "gem" isn't she? :)

Great review Gordon!! I'm jealous that you have booked her for next year already :)

 

###

Thanks. I'm not happy unless I have a couple on the books.:)

Thanks for taking the time to do a review! I'm glad to see that your experience on the Navigator almost paralled ours. Captain Bang and his crew are great. And Opal really is a "gem" isn't she? :)

I really could not have asked for a better cruise. Opal told me that she will be leaving the Navigator after the first of the year. She stated that RCI has a new policy that will not let someone stay on the same ship over two years. She has been on there since she entered service. I was hoping that she would be there again next year.

Oh the memories!

Loved your review, Gordon! Very detailed and yet to the point!

I'm glad you booked the Navigator again....and yes, I'm jealous! I only wish we were booked.....somewhere! Thanks for a great review!

***

Oh the memories!

Loved your review, Gordon! Very detailed and yet to the point!

I'm glad you booked the Navigator again....and yes, I'm jealous! I only wish we were booked.....somewhere! Thanks for a great review!

 

 

***

I tried so hard to make sure that my spelling was correct and just noticed that I put the word "where" and it should have been "wear". Duh me!!:)

aaahhhhh...Navigator love that ship ... have great memories of my sailing on her:) Great review and thanks for sharing. Loved your pictures of the aft balcony 1694 :) good reference photos for future aft balcony bookings

Wonderful

Emmy

aaahhhhh...Navigator love that ship ... have great memories of my sailing on her:) Great review and thanks for sharing. Loved your pictures of the aft balcony 1694 :) good reference photos for future aft balcony bookings

Wonderful

 

Emmy

Emmy, that cabin location was great. I have always loved having a cabin in the rear of the ship.

Thanks for the great review Gordon,

We are thinking on our next cruise to forgo the dining room all together also and do the JR and windjammer room service thing also..(hubby is convinced he is gonna relax and do nothing this cruise but sit on balcony and watch the water.) I do not want to get in to a big debate with any one so i hesitate to ask but I know that you will give an honest answer and heck with anyone else.. how did you handle the tips?-

thanks~~patti

Thanks for the great review Gordon,

 

We are thinking on our next cruise to forgo the dining room all together also and do the JR and windjammer room service thing also..(hubby is convinced he is gonna relax and do nothing this cruise but sit on balcony and watch the water.) I do not want to get in to a big debate with any one so i hesitate to ask but I know that you will give an honest answer and heck with anyone else.. how did you handle the tips?-

thanks~~patti

The easiest way to handle the gratuities is to have them placed on your Sea Pass card. That way the waiters in the main dining room still get their share even if you decide to eat upstairs. We did tip the head waiter in the Windjammer on the last night as he came around each and every night that we ate there to insure that our meals were ok. We really did not have a wait staff in the Windjammer. Once or twice they came around to refill our drink glasses but that was it. At J.R's, the gratuity is included in the service charge for each person but we still gave an extra tip each time we ate there due to the service being so good.

I really enjoyed not having to be on a schedule during the cruise. I like to be up top at sail away from the ports and not have to rush back to the cabin to shower and change for dinner. It worked out great and we will do the same thing again on the next cruise.

Thanks that is what i was wondering about ..windjammer that is... I guess i have never seen a head waiter in their now i know!

got about scared about immigration hang-ups. We were just notified that our 3 pm flight on airtran was changed to noon - they have no other non-stop flights and now scared we won't make it. we are also flying out of ft. lauderdale, but plan to have a limo waiting... it will make me anxious!

got about scared about immigration hang-ups. We were just notified that our 3 pm flight on airtran was changed to noon - they have no other non-stop flights and now scared we won't make it. we are also flying out of ft. lauderdale, but plan to have a limo waiting... it will make me anxious!

Just make sure that you take your ticket to Guest Relations and they will issue you white luggage tags so that you are first off of the ship. I believe that they called this group around 7:30 that morning. You should be fine.:)

Thanks for the great post about the Navigator. My wife and I are scheduled on it on Dec 3rd next year. We just got back from cruising on the Rhapsody this past weekend. We had a great time on this ship also. The captain was a hoot. The best one we have ever had. Thanks again for the review.

Thanks for the great post about the Navigator. My wife and I are scheduled on it on Dec 3rd next year. We just got back from cruising on the Rhapsody this past weekend. We had a great time on this ship also. The captain was a hoot. The best one we have ever had. Thanks again for the review.

That is the same sailing that I booked while on the Navigator. Guess we will be on there at the same time.

Debarkation – Not bad but a definite change with the Immigration rules. ...In Miami, Immigration is testing a new procedure where everyone must now stop at one of the six desks set up to clear. You will form two lines once off of the ship. They did not separate U.S citizens from non-U.S citizens either. This can hold up the process, as non U.S citizens have to be fingerprinted and photographed in addition to showing the proper identification.

This is the same procedure used in Long Beach last September. We were told this new procedure was due to a change in the law and has been put in place at all ports. Now I got to wounder if it is a test or law.

I can tell you they did not do it that way last week in Galveston.

Gordon,

Your review makes me want to try out RCL.....which I was thinking about doing in 2006.

Being I'm bascially ignorant to their ships, I am assuming the Navigator is a Voyager Class?

I have read that this class is the best. Does anyone know if the Voyager itself still holds up? I'm thinking that ship only for the fact it sails out of NY.

What other ships are in the Voyager class?

Don't neglect the Radiance class ships. . . Radiance, Brilliance, Serenade and Jewel. Not as huge as the others, but just as classy!