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Princess Cheerleader reviews Voyager of the Seas

spongerob

By spongerob,
in Royal Caribbean International

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spongerob

spongerob

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After 16 cruises on Princess, I finally broke down and gave Royal Caribbean a try. I'd like to say that I went on board being as objective as possible, but of course that's a total crock. At every turn I was making comparisons. Here's a quick run down of my thoughts, good, bad, and otherwise. Where Royal Caribbean did well, they excelled. When they faltered, they definitely tripped over their own feet, or perhaps, tripped over dollars trying to save a dime.

 

The WOW factor: It's the first thing you say when you get on board and see that huge open space inside the ship. Voyager of the Seas made a breathtaking first impression. It's quite spectacular.

 

Ship's condition and appearance: Since our cabin was not ready, which is a bit of a turn off especially when you are loaded with extra heavy coats 'cuz it's only 36 degrees, we went up to the Viking Lounge on deck 14 for the requisite first cocktail of the cruise. I noticed that while everything looks neat and cared for, the edges were a bit tattered. Everything was clean, just showing some signs of wear. Since the ship is almost as experienced as our favorite Princess ship, Grand Princess, we viewed it as "comfortably lived in" and not in dire need of maintenance.

 

Cabin: We booked a Grand Suite on deck 10. The cabin was spacious, but a bit oddly designed. The big closets are next to the bar area, which makes it feel like you're getting dressed in the kitchen. We had an old and somewhat cranky television compared to the nice big flat screens in the Owner's Suites. But no worries, we weren't there to watch TV anyway. The only other minor issue was that the first step out of the tub is a big one, challenging for me and forcing my wife to sit on the edge of the tub and lower herself down. One nice feature was a coffee maker and tea pot in the suite.

 

Concierge Lounge: If you book a suite, this is where RC beats Princess hands down. Coffee in the morning, and cocktails in the evening were a real treat and gave us a chance to meet other passengers. Israel Sanchez was truly helpful and made a newbie feel just like he was one of the Diamond + With Oak Leaves and Clusters passengers, who seemed to make up the rest of the crowd.

 

MyTime Dining: Inconsistent, but not awful. Whomever is charge of the rotisserie on the ship knows his job well. We had some of the best prime rib I've had in a long time. Otherwise, MyTime isn't close to Anytime. RC doesn't have this one right yet. We were, on successive nights, forced to wait a long time after being seated just to have our order taken, rushed through dinner, seated with people who were already being served, and generally made to feel like we were troublesome and not welcome. Don't ask for anything extra, either, you'll get a dirty look. Princess wins hands-down here.

 

Casino: A bit small, but active. The machines are all rather dated, particularly the slots. The machines are still coin-chunkers, not cashless, so you often have to wait for a fill. Fortunately the waits were not long when this happened (and yes, we did occasionally win enough to require a fill!). The dealers were generally friendly, bar service and waiters, less so. One thing that I never got used to was the waiter having to take my card with him for every order. A minor point, but it bugged me.

 

Staff: I've heard about Royal Caribbean's friendly staff on these boards numerous times. Sorry, didn't see it, and people who were pleasant and cheerful were the exception rather than the rule. The majority of crew members seemed rather sullen and unwilling to even greet passengers. There were of course exceptions, but overall the mood was somber.

 

Stability: I thought the ship sailed a bit more smoothly than Princess' Grand Class ships. I guess that's why people who try Princess after RC complain about movement. Voyager handled some messy weather rather well in my opinion, certainly better compared to Grand Princess. I didn't like the fact that the Promenade is on Deck 4, and being a bit closer to the water, got closed off at the first sign of waves.

 

Crowding: Didn't experience any.

 

Miscellaneous: The only real negatives are that there are no self-service laundry rooms, which makes a longer cruise a bit more of a packing challenge, and the ridiculously restrictive liquor policy that had security guards shouting if one tried to bring a purchase on board. The idea of a skating rink on board sounded stupid at first, but after seeing the ice show, I understand why it was there. It was a VERY good show!

 

Overall: I came away pleased, and was somewhat surprised. The only failing was the dining, both in service, and in general food quality. Princess excels at some things, Royal Caribbean others. I guess I'll have to give RC another try to get a better handle on who wins. For now it's a draw. I wouldn't hesitate to go back and it's nice to have an option other than Princess.

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spongerob

spongerob

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Forgot to mention...

 

Portofino: We attended a Wine Pairings dinner with a set menu. It was a real treat, and no one was being stingy with the wine. Everything was cooked to perfection and the service was superb, without being overbearing or obsequious. It was a very well-done affair and I give it my recommendation for others willing to give it a try.

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Kineticoh20

Kineticoh20

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Thanks, I too have been a loyal Princess passenger over the last 6 years and have booked a 10 day on RCCL in April. I too was concerned about the lack of laundry rooms and anytime dinning. We are very much looking forward to our cruise and like you will compare the two lines, I'm sure it will be different in some was but spectacular none the less.

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QTMichele

QTMichele

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Thanks so much for posting your review! It was great to read a seemingly honest comparison. I've heard Princess is a great cruiseline - will have to keep them on my "to do" list. Sorry to hear that you had trouble in the dining room. I haven't tried MTD, but, thankfully, our dining room service has always been wonderful. I'm glad you're not giving up, and hopefully next time you'll receive the service that you should expect to receive. Thanks again!

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momzcruzing

momzcruzing

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Having been on an almost equal number of RCL and Princess cruises I'd agree completely with the review. We Loved the Anytime dining on Sapphire Princess so much that we requested MTD on our next cruise on Radiance--just didn't work out. Switched to regular dining room, had fantastic tablemates and service.

 

Will be traveling with a baby next month on RCL and somewhat panic stricken at idea of no laundry facilities, what to do with all the gooey bibs?

 

I like the more extensive room service menu for breakfast on RCL, can get hot items, nice before a lengthy shore excursion.

 

Also LOVE Sabatini's, but RCL has better cookies!

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QTMichele

QTMichele

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Will be traveling with a baby next month on RCL and somewhat panic stricken at idea of no laundry facilities, what to do with all the gooey bibs?

 

Try Bibsters - they are disposable bibs. No need to wash while on vacation. (And less laundry when you return home.) :)

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desperatewifeandmother

desperatewifeandmother

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We have nowhere near the amount of cruises in that you do but we have sailed twice on Princess and loved it but we are doing a B2B on the Freedom with our kids in a couple weeks. I know it is going to be great but all I can think of is what I'm going to miss on Princess. We had a Suite last time and will on FOS but the suite perks can't be beat on Princess, we loved the free Laundry especially. This time there is'nt even self serve laundry so I guess we will be paying.

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TxBubba

TxBubba

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MyTime Dining: Inconsistent, but not awful. Whomever is charge of the rotisserie on the ship knows his job well. We had some of the best prime rib I've had in a long time. Otherwise, MyTime isn't close to Anytime. RC doesn't have this one right yet. We were, on successive nights, forced to wait a long time after being seated just to have our order taken, rushed through dinner, seated with people who were already being served, and generally made to feel like we were troublesome and not welcome. Don't ask for anything extra, either, you'll get a dirty look. Princess wins hands-down here.

 

Thanks for the honest feedback. We are trying MyTime for the first time this March on Voyager and I was disappointed to read your review. Did they frequently sit you at a table where other people were already eating? That just seems very uncomfortable for everyone.

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SuzyQCruise

SuzyQCruise

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Thanks for the honest feedback. We are trying MyTime for the first time this March on Voyager and I was disappointed to read your review. Did they frequently sit you at a table where other people were already eating? That just seems very uncomfortable for everyone.

 

We found that if you go between 6:00 & 7:00 it worked fine. Had none of the troubles SpongeRob mentioned. We got extra orders several times and my husband wasn't feeling up to snuff two nights, they happily prepared to go plates with a smile....guess we just got the good waiters...luck of the draw I suppose...

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Puffinater

Puffinater

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Thanks for the honest review. It seems the MTD is a bit hit or miss depending on the ship but some reports are indicating an improvement. Looks like there is still some work to do with it.

 

Also I do not remember the GS coming with a free set up. Anyone?

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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

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The mini-bar came with 1 free set-up which was fine as we were able to bring wine and beer on board but it's Laundry I'll miss with 3 kids and 3 weeks away from home!!

You had a free minibar setup on RCI? Or are you referring to Princess? Are your wine and beer comments also referring to a Princess cruise as you are not allowed to bring either on RCI.

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39august

39august

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Thanks for the balanced review. I have done MTD on both Mariner and Liberty and it worked just fine. I will be trying it on Voyager next month. I hope MTD will be improved by then. Also, since spongrob apparently travels only in suites, he has not had the opportunity to see the big difference in balcony cabin size between Princess and RCI. Princess has very small balcony cabins with no real seating area. I am surprised he didn't mention the traffic flow differences between Grand and Voyager. I have been on both several times and the flow is MUCH better on Voyager. I was interested in his rating Princess food above RCI. Not a surprise as I thought so from the very first RCI cruise I took. But I haven't been on Princess lately and wondered how the food compares now. Yes, Princess' pizza is WAY better!

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melbur

melbur

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Great review - I was pleased to see it was a ship to ship comparison, as opposed to lumping the total line in. Having been on both, we've had the good with the bad on both lines, depends on the ship.

Try a Radiance class ship when you do RCI again.

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desperatewifeandmother

desperatewifeandmother

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You had a free minibar setup on RCI? Or are you referring to Princess? Are your wine and beer comments also referring to a Princess cruise as you are not allowed to bring either on RCI.

No, free minibar set-up on Princess, same as wine & Beer comment. Had just been comparing Princess Suites & RCI Suites.

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