Navigator of the Seas was AWFUL

[Kobefan]

Why did you sail on Carnival 5 times, then?

 

I agree that the ships are gaudy; that's part of the Carnival schtick and I don't care for the decor. But I found the food on the Paradise to be superior to that on Monarch (it's not fair to compare an older ship to a new one), and the service to be very good in most areas. I have had some mediocre service on RCI, and have found myself in plenty of crowds on their ships as well.

 

I sailed them 5 times because they are cheap, and I felt like slumming!

[Cruising89143]

That sir, is NOT garbage, it's exactly as I see it!

 

LOL. I see you stirred up the Carnival loyals. The usual suspects are on that thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1096483

[vermontvoyager]

Sorry, but I for one value Sue's opinion. If the moderator's thought what she was saying was inappropriate in her position as Travel Agent then they would of pulled the thread.

 

I value her opinion as well. ;)She is very helpful with all information she gives.

For the record...our TA recommends RCI as well over all of it's main competitors.:cool:

[Cruising89143]

I'm sad to read the negative comments about the Navigator as I have cruised on this ship three times. My last cruise had some issues but most of the blame was with Port Everglades and their outdated facilities. Embarkation and debarkation was a nightmare. Hopefully they will receive some constructive criticism and make improvements.

 

About Sue. Don't know her personally but I do know that she is one of the most helpful posters on this board. It seems that some need to worry about themselves and not tell others how to post.

[Kobefan]

LOL. I see you stirred up the Carnival loyals. The usual suspects are on that thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1096483

 

You said it! The usual suspects! They are so envious of the fact that RCI has this ship they can't stand it! They are beside themselves!

[Tranquil Waters]

.....They are so envious of the fact that RCI has this ship they can't stand it! They are beside themselves!

 

Are you sure about that? I cruise RCI (to diamond level even) - and I am not in the least "proud" of this monster non-ship ship. :rolleyes: So I think it is a bit presumptuous to assume that those that do not like Oasis are jealous and envious. :D

 

I don't see them as any different from the RCI loyalists...... :)

[ariel23]

We sailed the Nov 21st cruise and I started a thread on how many bad things happened to us and it seems that not very many things were corrected and that you experienced the same disappointing cruise that the 10 of us did!

 

This was the only vacation that our 2 daughters and families had for the year and we are pretty upset and you are RIGHT ON about your complaints..

 

There is another thread "our review of the Navigator" that addressed the plumbing problems and more issues that you discussed.

 

Yes, we are looking at Carnival next year, which is too bad since we all use to enjoy RCCL. It was our 4th and one of our daughters is a Platinum member.

 

 

Seagrimms, I know exactly what you are talking about. My fiance and I were on this ship November 21st through 26th I was on with you. We were on deck 6 in a balcony. That was the best part of our trip along with the neighbors we had. We had a lot of plumbing problems and our toilet almost backed up. The food was great but we ate in the dining room only twice. After was windjammer. My fiance and I are going on carnival freedom in august our first time besides RCI. This was his 2nd cruise on RCI and my 3rd RCI cruise..actually it was his 2nd cruise in general and my 3rd cruise in general and navigator was disappointing. We were actually bored on it cause most activities were for kids. Anyway enough of my griping hehe. Hope you enjoyed your cruise....but its just sad to be back home already lol

[Kobefan]

Are you sure about that? I cruise RCI (to diamond level even) - and I am not in the least "proud" of this monster non-ship ship. :rolleyes: So I think it is a bit presumptuous to assume that those that do not like Oasis are jealous and envious. :D

 

I don't see them as any different from the RCI loyalists...... :)

 

I'm as sure as I need to be

[nnnb]

The opinion I value the most is my own. I form my opinions based on what I experience while onboard. I am a dimaond member, and will be sailing on a holiday cruise.

I almost booked with another line this time, but the timeline didn't work out.

I believe loyalty is a two way street, and will determine how loyal I'll be in the future after experience my upcoming cruise.

I don't care about chocolates, or gifts, but I do care about decent quality in the dining room. I am a bit apprehensive because of the past several cruises on various RCCL ships, the food quality declined more with each sailing. Different things matter to different people. I will dine once at Portofino, and once at Chops, the rest of my meals will be in the MDR. I don't feel I should have to pay to get a decent meal every single night. Dinner is the highlight of our day, and we like the ambience of the DR.

[truffles2]

 

 

 

The WJ staff were the dourest staff I have ever come across on a RCCL ship.

 

Miguel our stateroom attendant was brilliant...he really deserved his tips..oh boy did he earn them...and of course I tipped him more than suggested amount.

 

We had a problem at the CL second last night where the guy at the door insisted my son had to be 21 to get in there...well I was fuming mad and told him to just forget it after he kept being rude about it. I told Carlos the concierge about it the next day and he apologised profusely. He had just stepped away from the CL for few minutes at the time and it was a newbie who was standing at the door. For those who dont know,in Europe it is 18 for CL as long as the waiver is signed which of course it was as we had been in the CL earlier in the sailing. Carlos as usual was top notch Concierge and I loved it when he gave me a printed out pic of Oasis arriving in FLL which a friend had sent to him to give me.

 

We had problems with one of the toilets in our suite...but a word to maintenace and it was sorted very quickly...and no we didnt put somethng down there that should have been...we aint that duh.

 

This was our 3rd time on the NV having done her before for 7 & 14 nights...but for us it will be the last time...although lovely ship...she just didnt have the buzz about it that we like when cruising. She looks a little tired and bittie out of date.

 

We also were on this transatlantic and I will have to agree about the windjammer. On about the second or third day when I asked someone at the drink station where I could find the manager, he just shrugged and said "I don't know". I later found out that the manager apparently left the ship when our cruise started. My problem in the WJ was never solved and when I wrote it up on the mid-cruise survey, I was never contacted as promised (within 24 hours-ha).

 

Our bathroom smelled like a urinal from the time we arrived. It was disgusting. There were numerous other things that made Navigator not live up to my expectations. This was our fourth cruise this year and Navigator is seriously lacking in comparison to the other ships (sailed Mariner, Radiance and Freedom this year prior to Navigator).

 

Our dining room staff was excellent however!

[baron9]

Were were on the nav 26 cruise. we are d+ 70 cruise. We were in a RFS. The comments are correct. this cruise was the worst ever. they had no clue how to handle mytime dining. we were told 30 waiters were let go and the ship is very understaffed. adventure ocean was also understaffed for the 900 kids aboard. it took over a hour the first night to sign up and drop off. to make matters worse they scheduled sign up at the same time as the one show for the evening. one good thing is seems like on closed end loop cruises mia to mia there is no need to go thru immigrations just custom after picking up the

luggage. left the cabin at 7:45 , in the car at 8:05.

[Cruising89143]

Who was the Captain?

[pcur]

Wow, in the last several years I have watched what was once a wonderful cruise line deteriorate to the point of us returning our Diamond Memberships and demanding refunds of future deposits. Our trip this Thanksgiving on the Navigator of the Seas was abysmal. From the Sysco brand frozen pies on Thanksgiving, to the cryovac sealed pre-prepared "PRime Rib", to the toilet system that broke down, to the lack of skating time,to the poorly trained service staff, to the bad attitudes they exuded, to the lack of orgainization, to all the cuts in service implemented by the "Penny Pinching" CEO Mr. Goldstein. Not to mention the nickel and diming of everyone for just about everything added to the poor environment on this trip and others in recent past. I have turned my loyalty to other lines and have found that even Carnival was far superior. I admit, I was suprised. However pleasantly so.

Have other experienced the same perspective of Royal. Please share you views with me.

 

I must have spent 33 nights on a RCCL cruise ship in an alternate universe somewhere, because our b2b cruises on the Rhapsody that ended 11/3/09 were FABULOUS!!!!

 

Perhaps it's been a while and you are not accustomed to some of the changes, but to us they were very minor.

 

Different things affect different people, well...........differently! :D

[will work to cruise]

I for one enjoy Sue L's opinions.

 

I also enjoy having Sue L on these boards. I value her opinions along with many other people on here.

[publicpersona]

Diamond Breakfast: No tables for two - 4 big tables. Coffee speciality machine broken they had to go to another deck to make the coffee. The service was nothing to rave about, so we only ate their once.

 

Interesting. I'm sympathetic to those that found fault with the Navigator, as I too observed last week. But in my brief notes on my cruise, I noted that the Diamond Breakfast was superb, as was the service there.

 

Not directed to the poster quoted above or the OP, but in general .. I think these reviews and counters to them would be more credible if they weren't so extreme. The Navigator did have issues. There were some very disappointing things about it that were inexcusable (MTD!!!). But did the whole cruise suck? No. We had a blast. Is Royal Caribbean perfect and wonderful and as good as they used to be? No. Not even close.

[Sue L]

I value her opinion as well. ;)She is very helpful with all information she gives.

For the record...our TA recommends RCI as well over all of it's main competitors.:cool:

 

About Sue. Don't know her personally but I do know that she is one of the most helpful posters on this board. It seems that some need to worry about themselves and not tell others how to post.

 

 

I also enjoy having Sue L on these boards. I value her opinions along with many other people on here.

 

 

 

Thank you all for your support, it is such a shame that you had to defend me for saying nice things about RCCL:rolleyes: :eek:

[pcur]

Why isn't it fair? Isn't that the job of a good agent to give their clients the benefit of their expertise and tell what they like and don't like about a line?

I for one enjoy Sue L's opinions.

 

I agree. I WANT my travel agent (and Sue, too) to tell me what they think. I value their opinion because it's coming from more that an independent traveler's opinion. My TA, for instance, warned me years ago that RCCL drops the ball on post-cruise issues and problems: long before it was being discussed here.

 

I want any professional in any field to give me their honest opinion.

[grand isle joe]

the opinion i value the most is my own. I form my opinions based on what i experience while onboard. I am a dimaond member, and will be sailing on a holiday cruise.

I almost booked with another line this time, but the timeline didn't work out.

I believe loyalty is a two way street, and will determine how loyal i'll be in the future after experience my upcoming cruise.

I don't care about chocolates, or gifts, but i do care about decent quality in the dining room. I am a bit apprehensive because of the past several cruises on various rccl ships, the food quality declined more with each sailing. Different things matter to different people. I will dine once at portofino, and once at chops, the rest of my meals will be in the mdr. I don't feel i should have to pay to get a decent meal every single night. Dinner is the highlight of our day, and we like the ambience of the dr.

 

great post!

[The Big Booper]

We also were on this transatlantic and I will have to agree about the windjammer. On about the second or third day when I asked someone at the drink station where I could find the manager, he just shrugged and said "I don't know". I later found out that the manager apparently left the ship when our cruise started. My problem in the WJ was never solved and when I wrote it up on the mid-cruise survey, I was never contacted as promised (within 24 hours-ha).

 

Our bathroom smelled like a urinal from the time we arrived. It was disgusting. There were numerous other things that made Navigator not live up to my expectations. This was our fourth cruise this year and Navigator is seriously lacking in comparison to the other ships (sailed Mariner, Radiance and Freedom this year prior to Navigator).

 

Our dining room staff was excellent however!

 

Overall, there was something not quite right about this cruise. We asked several pax who we knew were in MTD and all said it wasn't working right. Which is different from most of the other RCI ships, per posters here.

 

Were were on the nav 26 cruise. we are d+ 70 cruise. We were in a RFS. The comments are correct. this cruise was the worst ever. they had no clue how to handle mytime dining. we were told 30 waiters were let go and the ship is very understaffed. adventure ocean was also understaffed for the 900 kids aboard. it took over a hour the first night to sign up and drop off. to make matters worse they scheduled sign up at the same time as the one show for the evening. one good thing is seems like on closed end loop cruises mia to mia there is no need to go thru immigrations just custom after picking up the

luggage. left the cabin at 7:45 , in the car at 8:05.

 

Were the 70 waiters let go in Spain? Or Miami? That might account for the MTD problems.

 

It was a fairly good cruise, but probably the least favorite of our recent RCI cruises. Management really has to fix the problems here.

 

BTW, we filled in a mid-cruise comment card and received a custom note, a call from guest relations and a call from Kieron (CD).

 

Really disappointed they chose not to do The Quest. Kieron strikes me as a host from the London Music Hall school of entertainment, wonder how he would have handled it in Studio B. Andrews, Brooks(2x) and Chapman do a great job.

[JuPe]

Overall, there was something not quite right about this cruise. We asked several pax who we knew were in MTD and all said it wasn't working right. Which is different from most of the other RCI ships, per posters here.

 

 

 

Were the 70 waiters let go in Spain? Or Miami? That might account for the MTD problems.

 

It was a fairly good cruise, but probably the least favorite of our recent RCI cruises. Management really has to fix the problems here.

 

BTW, we filled in a mid-cruise comment card and received a custom note, a call from guest relations and a call from Kieron (CD).

 

Really disappointed they chose not to do The Quest. Kieron strikes me as a host from the London Music Hall school of entertainment, wonder how he would have handled it in Studio B. Andrews, Brooks(2x) and Chapman do a great job.

I was on the cruise prior the TA and the MTD didn't really work then either as on the first evening we had to wait an additional 20 minutes in line even if we had reserved a table. We choose to try other options for the rest of the cruise. When discussing with some of the restaurant staff, at least 3 of them had just been recruited during the summer.

On my cruise the Quest was hosted by Kieron and although I've never experienced it before, I thought it was very good and entertaining.

[amybeth4]

I sailed them 5 times because they are cheap, and I felt like slumming!

 

lol!

[The Big Booper]

..>>SNIP<<...On my cruise the Quest was hosted by Kieron and although I've never experienced it before, I thought it was very good and entertaining.

 

I can't understand why, on a 12 nighter with 7 days at sea, they couldn't schedule The Quest, instead of repeating the one ice show endlessly.

[gagirl7143]

Who was the Captain?

 

Eric Standal

[henrygee]

Wow. Sorry to hear about all this. It is dissapointing for sure!

[delboy1145]

Mmm well we did the transatlantic on the NV also..and I wasnt impressed at all with the food and service.

If you like your beef well done its like asking for the moon...they look at you as if you are nuts and shake their heads.

3 times on first formal night in the dining room we sent our steak back...so we didnt go to the dining room again.

My wife is most fussy eater you could wish to meet she has a fine pallat and does not like spices she also like her meat well done, she had the aberdeen agus with a baked potatoe maybe six times and we had to send it back once a new steak was returned to the table with apologies. As I stated the head waiters are there to ensure you have a god experiance, if the waiter was beeing to formal I would have had words with him or took his name and talked to Sarja. What I was saying in my post was the ship had approx 2500 people on board of course there are going to be issues as in the CL but you complained to the right person and it was sorted.If people did this on all ships not just RCI thay would have a better expierance

I am not a royal champion believe me they have seen my wrath $400 OBC for one cruise but that was a shore based problem.

If you went to a restraunt and had bad service you would ask to see the manager I know I do so whats the difference on board ship.