Boarding in Sydney for Rhapsody

[traveller4fun]

Hi all

I was wondering if anyone can tell me where you board ROS in Sydney?:confused: Also any information about this ship, as we have never sailed on her before. Thanks for all your advise.

[dea71]

Hi!

 

You will board at the Overseas Passenger Terminal @ Circular Quay.

 

 

You will love the Rhapsody - we cruised on her in Dec 09 and we are booked again for November this year. We travelled with our 2 kids - 3 and 5 - and they had a fantastic time - the kids club was wonderful!

 

Outdoor areas are fantastic - great pool and plenty of spots to laze around. The food was good (anything I don't cook is good to me though!) and the crew were very friendly!! It is a beautiful ship - lots of windows which makes it seem very spacious.

 

Any specific questions - just ask away!!

 

Dea :)

[The Fox]

Hi all

I was wondering if anyone can tell me where you board ROS in Sydney?:confused: Also any information about this ship, as we have never sailed on her before. Thanks for all your advise.

 

Hi

 

We have sailedon rhapsody twice.its a great ship.you can get onboard around 11.00 and enjoy being onboard for 6 hours before sailing

 

here is my tips fpr sailing on rhapsody

 

Col

 

MY TIPS FOR PEOPLE BOOKED OR CONSIDERING BOOKING ON rHAPSODY OF THE SEAS.

Hi,

 

I have been reading a lot of posts where people are confused over tipping,dinning etc when cruising on ROS.

 

having done a few cruises on ROS I have noticed changes and perhaps my tips may be of help.

• The cruise fares on ROS are quoted in AUD but all onboard purchases are in USD.RCI use their own exchange rate and it can vary on a daily basis.MY TIP Buy USD when our dollar is strong against the greenback and take it onboard and leave in the safe or pay it into your onboard account....you have your USD and it dosent matter how much the exchange rate flucuates onboard.An example on our oct 08 cruise we purchased USD at 0.94 and on one day the RCI exchage rate dropped to 0.51.at the end of the cruise if you are settling your account with a credit card request to use your bank to do the exchange rate NOT RCI.
  
• Gratuities .If you book and request anytime dinning then Auto tipping at 15.00per person is complusory and added daily to your account.If you choose set dinning its not compulsory and nothing is debit to your onboard account.If you choose set dinning a letter recommending the rate at which you tip,waiters,cabin attendants etc is left in your cabin towards the end of the cruise.If you sign the paper and take it back to the Pursers office you will have 9.75 debited to your onboard account for each day of your cruise.Eg: 10 day cruise 97.50 12 days 117.00. If you dont sign it and drop it back to the pursrs office NOTHING IS DEBITED TO YOUR ONBOARD ACCOUNT.MY TIP Choose set dining sign nothing and tip who you want.
  
• With anytime dinning you cant just roll up when you choose you must book a time....to me kind of defeats the purpose.
  
• Rhapsody is a great ship and you will enjoy its facilities and service.
  
• THE BEST TIP IS TO PRE-PURCHASE YOUR USD BEFOREYOU SAIL.
  

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

 

Col:)

__________________

[Ausgirl]

Yes - Overseas Passenger Terminal, Circular Quay. Best spot in the world to dock a ship.

 

Rhapsody is wonderful, she got me hooked on cruising....

[didiaust]

Here's my review from November 2008. Hope it answers a few questions for you

 

It's a bit long so make a cuppa. We can't wait to sail on her again

 

Just the name of the ship “Rhapsody of the Seas” conjures up all sorts of melodic thoughts and I find myself wanting to break into song with the Love Boat Theme - this urge has occurred to me every time I cruise and I’m sure I’m not alone. I’m tempted to change those Paul Williams words and break into song but Jack Jones and Dione Warrick have no competition to fear- I’ll just play with the words for the sake of this review.

Rhapsody is exciting not new

Let’s get aboard- there’s so much to view

Rhapsody soon will be making another run

Rhapsody promises something for everyone

Set a course for the Pacific

Your mind on a new menu

Background: Had over 20 cruises from the mid seventies with “budget” companies in “budget” cabins. The Russians,The Chinese, The Poms, The Italians and The Aussies have all had our patronage. I remember the days of 6 berth cabins (under the water level) with shared amenities. The only way I will ever get a suite will be to win one. I guess as a caravan holiday lover the size of the cabin has never bothered me. Cruising is not our favourite holiday- it actually comes in 3rd. In the last 5 years we have cruised four times on Pacific Sky and once on Pacific Sun .

Hubby & myself this cruise- aged – between menopause & death.

Booked with little thought or preparation in late July when I was searching for a cruise for a friend. Saw an Over 55’s special on the net. Too cheap, too easy and all done and paid for within 20 minutes. Paid the lot when the exchange rate was 94c and a couple of weeks later cashed up with US Dollars at 92c. For us the prices were less of a problem than the poor folk who exchanged at 60c or 62c on board. I think that was what the ship was exchanging at.

 

We drove from the Lake Macquarie area and got Caught up in oodles of traffic entering the bridge – the harbour tunnel was closed so everyone had to cross Sydney Harbour Bridge . We smiled seeing this huge white lady on our left moored peacefully at Circular Quay waiting for us to board and make her our home for the next ten days. I grinned thinking about the emails I sent to the US online TA and to RCCL as they both kept advertising that Rhapsody was sailing from Darling Harbour. One email I sent said,

“ I am wondering who is going to advise the NSW Government, Sydney City Council and the people of Australia that you intend to demolish the Sydney Harbour Bridge when Rhapsody of the Seas enters Sydney to berth at Darling Harbour. Please be forewarned that the locals will not be happy. Perhaps you have unannounced plans to “chop” a few levels from the ship and if that is the case then there is no need for alarm”.

I didn’t receive a reply to this email and I was much relieved when my e-tickets arrived stating OPT as the place of embarkation. It was important for me to know where we were leaving from as I had to decide which parking station to leave the car at.

Getting to the OPT was a traffic nightmare and we had to drive up and turn back as traffic was not permitted to make a right hand turn into the area. We were then told by the guys on the boom gate that we had 5 minutes to unload and depart the area. Offloading at the OPT was a total shemozzle. We asked a friendly looking couple sitting inside the terminal what was the arrangement with bags and they pointed to a parked truck. Hubby asked me if I knew the man who had given us directions and I asked him “why should I know this stranger” – he replied “cause he’s wearing a CC hat” It was Bob and Kay( Rkmw) who were doing a back to back.

The fellows at the truck provided us with tags. I knew our cabin number and had made tags up in advance – large print and in plastic covers so our seven bags had 2 tags and blue & red (Knights colours) nylon ribbons attached for easy identification. Again our luggage was almost divorce material. I stress so much about weight on my trips to Bali. I am one of the few people who take more luggage to Bali than I bring home so it is wonderful on a cruise to have no concerns about weight and anticipated excess baggage costs. I had stationery & reading books and a few soccer and tennis balls and toys. I had things for Chrisy in another bag. I had a bag of nail polish probably 80 bottles, cotton balls, emery boards and polish remover( will explain later). We took our own snorkel gear which is a bit bulky and again I blamed it for the “excess” baggage that the master of inertia grumbled about. I used black nylon sports bags to carry most of the donations – they fold up to nothing when empty and fit in the other suitcases. Bags successfully dumped now to dump the car.

Rhapsody of the Seas looked in good repair, she stood moored opposite all the harbour ferries watching the bustle and activity of Sydney Harbour. It was as if she knew she had a rival moored a few inlets away. Pacific Dawn (Dawn) was gathering her brood for the annual Melbourne Cup pilgrimage. ROS sat there with a hint of elegance and perhaps smugness knowing she was the largest of the ladies moored in the harbour. Maybe I should have been a ship if size counts- she looked large and grand and sparkling white (Mrs March may have been in charge of the painting).

We got back to the OPT around midday and there was still no one official directing people so we put the carryon bags through customs and proceeded upstairs to be officially booked on. Embarkation was a piece of cake. Online checking is a useful service. We were through the check-in process in a few minutes. Back down stairs and we were boarding. We were told our rooms would not be ready till 1pm. We didn’t care – we headed straight to Deck 9 and the fabulous Windjammer restaurant. I will tell you more about this restaurant later. We sat at a table with a view of the Opera House and Circular Quay and enjoyed a mixed lunch from the various food stations. Just to list what was available would take 2 pages. We found our cabin with little trouble and a couple of our bags had arrived. We met our darling cabin steward Li Li from China and I was horrified to see her struggling with my very large and heaviest suitcase. She smiled and advised “no trouble- have back brace” She was 5ft and 40 kgs wringing wet.

I unpacked one case – the other contained donations so it went straight under the bed. I began hanging clothes. I take lots of wire hangers and prefer to hang as much as possible rather than have it folded in draws. I glanced at the white dooner cover and shuddered at the thought of DH and the colour white forming a happy relationship for the next 10 days. We were anxious to explore the ship but had to go to the Pursers desk and get holes punched in our cruise cards. I was given an explanation of why they are not punched at issue but I have forgotten . We took our own lanyards- DH wears his around his neck but I prefer mine on my waist on one of those retractable gizmos. In the short queue at the pursers I met Jfadra(Joan ) and her sister Maureen. I was to catch up and have a chat with the girls on quite a few occasions during the cruise.

Up to the Jogging Deck at 4 to farewell the Dawn. Now that statement sounds athletically impressive and it will be the only time you will hear me refer to the jogging track again. A work colleague ( my darling team leader) and her husband and friends were sailing on Dawn – off to that race that stops our nation. I was holding a red rag as we had arranged to wave one to each other and along came Boboz (Bob). He knew to look for the fool with the red rag. Dawn snuck under The Bridge at about 4.40 and I handed out a few more rags to strangers to make a good impression. My friend rang and said she could see us – I unfortunately couldn’t see her.

I watched Dawn weaving her way through our beautiful harbour. The Love Boat song had been replaced in my mind by the Enya song Orinoco Flow( I love the version sung by those beautiful Celtic Woman). Maybe it was the fact that I felt surrounded by many young and beautiful girls or maybe it was just the catchy chorus “Sail away, sail away, sail away” and maybe the lines

“ From Bali to Cali

Far beneath the Coral Sea

We can sail, we can sail (sail away, sail away, sail away)”

Muster drill was at 5 ish and went quickly. Our assembly spot was on an outside deck. We overlooked the Opera House making it a bit hard to pay attention with so much comings and goings in Circular Quay. I found Champygirl (Maree) and her sister Ros decked out in the attractive life jackets at our muster. There were the usual foolish displays and complaints from those who consider it an unnecessary exercise. If there is an incident they will be the people screaming and asking what to do.

The Ship:. The most appropriate few words to describe Rhapsody are “the amazing views” from almost everywhere except an inside cabin and the toilets (I am assuming the toilets don’t have views as I don’ t use public toilets on ships). Even a couple of the lifts have amazing views and we were not the only kids saying “hope we get a good lift”. These glass elevators travel a good speed and its an interesting people watching spot. One couple we met with 2 toddlers said they rode the “good” lifts up and down a few times each ride sometimes 10 times daily as the kids were convinced it was an amusement ride. The decks although a little worn (she is 11 years old) were spotless. You could tell her age from the type and condition of the soft furnishings but she is possibly the youngest ship that I have been on. One of our dining companions who had travelled from Germany to take the South Pacific cruise described ROS as “old and dirty”. I almost chocked on my asphargrass when she passed that comment. I smirked politely thinking to myself “well I won’t be inviting you home for a slap up barbie cause my house never looked as clean and presentable as ROS does”. The ship does not have a wraparound promenade deck, but the jogging track on Deck 10 circles the ship and I did get to stroll it on a number of occasions. I was lucky enough to go up there just before they closed it due to windy weather.

I was not as aware of public area cleaning on this ship as I was on the P&O ships of recent. Maybe most of it gets done at night. One thing that surprised me was that there were no hand sanitizers in use anywhere on the ship. There is an abundance of glass and brass and for me a little too over the top- so much that I feel it removes the tranquillity of sea cruise. I found it easy to navigate the decks of the ship – I admit I did study the floor plan at length before we left and I did know our cabin location. My problem is establishing which direction we are travelling. The only way I beat this problem is being up on deck when we leave Sydney Heads and turn north

Our cabin 3142 on Deck 3 was described as a “large oceanview stateroom” in brochures and on websites .it was situated aft/port (back left) and was not large as I expected but was very functional and had plenty of storage room. I would guess the size of the cabin as 20’X10’. We had a large window and it was great looking out. On the last 2 cruises we had inside cabins so we enjoyed seeing schools of flying fish and tuna working so vigorously. I also liked looking out when approaching ports and first sighting land. The window with curtains drawn served as an ideal dryer for swimming costumes. On the way up we had to wait till afternoon for the sun and on the way back we caught the morning sun. I also took a 20 peg round travelling clothesline and it hung in the shower and in the window behind the curtain

The cabin was efficiently serviced by Li Li from China and I think she had sole responsibility of our cabin as I didn’t get to meet any assistant. There were no inside cabins opposite which assisted privacy. Deck 3 is also just cabins so only the dwellers & staff usually passed us in the hall and for the 10 days we were lucky to see a dozen passengers . An added advantage was being so close to the restaurant- it was easy to pop back to cabin and freshen up after dinner. The cabin was spacious, lots of storage - plenty of drawers and lots of hangers in the closet (18 wooden ones plus the 30 wire ones I took). I took a hanging material set of shelves and it hung in the wardrobe and housed our shoes. I put the life jackets under the bed to make a bit more hanging space. There were 2 bedside tables with 2 draws. There was a larger set of 3 draws and another smaller set of 3 draws. All the cupboards have breather holes so they didn’t smell musty as some do on some ships. There were 2 small sets of shelves above the vanity covered by mirrors. There was a small glass coffee table and a small sofa. I enjoyed having the sofa as I could sit more comfortably on it than on the bed. Our bed had been made into a double. I had a small refrigerator for my medication and it fitted neatly under the vanity. I did request that Li Li take the chair away as it was a nuisance just sitting in the room – it was usually housed where the fridge now sat. The TV was small yet large enough for the room, it slid out from the cabinet and rotated for viewing from the bed or the sofa. Li Li and I played musical rubbish bins each day – she would place it near the glass table and I would put it in the nook aside the sofa. After day 5 I won and the bin remained alongside the sofa with no chance of us kicking it . The ice bucket was refilled morning & night as was our small esky that was housed in the bathroom. I took Coke & Diet coke onboard – it was an easy exercise as it travelled well inside the cabin bags as did the beer (yes I decided to risk it and take my Coopers on board) Had no problems at all – our bags were x-rayed by customs and nothing was said 9 well who would expect a granny to blatantly wheel booze aboard – the cruise security didn’t x-ray anything when we boarded – I guess they expect you to smuggle it in your other luggage. Now speaking of crooks the safe was easy to operate and once we decided on a set of numbers we had no problem operating it. It housed all my US dollars and our pass ports. It is possibly the size of 2 house bricks back to back. Just a piece of worthless trivia – the bed matrasses come from Italy. Now how do I know this – well I can’t exactly remember the reason I read the matruss label but I can remember what I read.

We had no use for the hairdryer or the mini-bar so I packed them all up and placed them away. I only used the phone once to call the pursers desk. What we did love was the small jug and the tea & coffee supply. It was nice to make an early morning or late night cuppa and we did so daily. I took 3 S shaped plastic hooks and they came in handy to hang hats and things on. The cabin trolley bag made a good dirty washing bag. I also used the door stopper and propped the door open a few times- now it wasn’t to get any extra fresh air but it could be opened a little without comprising our privacy.

The bathroom had a small cabinet with 3 shelves – I took a small toilet bag with lots of compartments and it hung on the door and was easy to reach from the shower. Tissues, soap and shampoo are supplied but I preferred our own. Shampoo is in a dispenser in the shower cubicle. I’m not sure what Li Li thought of the 4 large sinkers attached to pegs and attached to the shower curtain but they did the job and kept the pesky curtain that was starved for hugs away from my wet body. Towels were replaced as often as you wanted and there was always an abundant supply. The bathrooms were scrubbed ferociously daily- I was amazed to hear the scrubbing brushes at work when we walked past each cabin. The shower had good water pressure unlike the vanity plumbing but that didn’t pose any problems.

Every night we returned to find a surprise towel animal and none were repeated – we had a monkey hanging from the ceiling a placid looking shark, a stingray, an elephant, a dog with the remote about to change channels, a frog, a lobster, a turtle and my favourite was a full size bloke on the bed reading the paper, wearing sunnies, a life jacket and my Hubbies sandals. Each morning I would leave Li Li a thankyou note( prepared in advance) thanking her for the animals or the good work in the cabin. I would add a different message each day. I would then attach/sticky tape the note to a couple of chocolates.

Li Li was always in the background with a shy smile and a sincere greeting. I’m sure she checked our room every hour. Each time we returned to the cabin, the toilet paper and tissues had been folded into little “points”.

Walk past some cabins at all times of the day and they look like they are occupied by a flock of huge bower birds with clothing and things scattered everywhere. Do these people expect staff to tidy up such an abdominal mess. I like to give them a bit of a rest and try to at least keep things tidy and in place. I am not talking about cabins with kids as I know how often you have to pick up after them – these bower birds aren’t fledglings but fully grown adult birds with a nest that even the cuckoo would ignore.

The Centrum, or huge atrium began at Deck 4 , marble, glass & brass everywhere - it had that wow factor with sculptures hanging all over the place and the waterfall on Deck 4 sent that cascading melody over a few decks. This open area made the public areas of the ship seem so large. Even if in a queue at the Pursers desk you could watch the goings on downstairs. I often liked to lean over the atrium rails from deck 5 or 6 and watch the many demonstrations happening on Deck 4. Chef’s Corner was particularly rewarding because you got to sample the goodies. I enjoyed the apple strudel and black forest cake but didn’t really need it at 10.30am especially after the unbelievable breakfasts that I had indulged in.

The Champagne Bar on Deck 4 was a quiet place and a nice spot to have a cocktail before dinner . We didn’t visit this bar often as we changed our dining arrangements after a few days.

The Edelweiss Restaurant is located on decks 4 and 5 midship and this double storey layout makes the room more open especially with the great views. There is a raised small stage for a pianist or small ensemble. The live music gave it that extra class and atmosphere whilst dining The tables were of various sizes and they were not located too close to cause a clutter. Our table was near the door and I expected it to be busy and distracting with traffic but I didn’t notice any disruption at any time.

Decks 5 and 6 are busy traffic areas but at no time did the amount of traffic become a problem.

Deck 5 is the lower level of the Broadway Melodies Theatre- This was never overcrowded even on the good show nights – there were plenty of seats. I also noticed that there weren’t too many bad seats with poor visibility to the stage. We found that the sofa type seats in the back of the theatre were very comfortable. We were also able to sneak away at the end of the show before the Cruise Director Matt did a bit of advertising. It was also easy to meld into the Casino which was just outside the theatre.

The Casino was a sad and forlorn area for the first few days. I think the poor exchange rate influenced peoples spending decisions. The decor was lights and glitzy and I was expecting an Elvis impersonator or Wayne Newton to come walking through any moment as it’s so much like low market 70’s Vegas places. These days I prefer to bet $20 on the poker table or roulette table rather than buy a $20 cocktail that I know will be recycled at 2 or 3 in the morning. My endorphins perform better at the tables than under the tables these days. Chips at Roulette were

US $1 and minimum bets on the poker tables were US$5. I think there were 8 or 9 tables and at most times the majority were empty. 1 Craps, 1 Three-Card Poker, 1 Caribbean Stud, 1 Texas Hold 'Em, 3 Blackjack and 2 Roulette tables.

There were about 150 poker/slot machines and only 30 to 40 people playing them at most times. These machines were designed by Noah – not because they had animal themes in twos but because they were so old and behind the times. I am not a pokie player but I do know that I haven’t seen these types of machines for about 30 years. A room of plain, boring and dull one armed bandits. You could get a cash advance on your cruise card at the casino cashier. I did get caught short one night – had a tragic run of bad luck and needed another US $100 a couple of times. It cost US $103 but for my tired old legs it was worth it. Not sure if it would have cost only $3 if I got the $200 in the one transaction. I didn’t even have to leave the table – the duty manager fetched it from the cashier. Located just outside the casino were a couple of those machines where you feed coins and the draw builds up to eventually pushes the contents into a winners tray. There are plenty in our clubs stocked with small chocolate bars. These ones had coins and notes. I passed these no arm bandits many times and never once saw anyone collect.

They had happy hour between noon & 4 with $3 blackjack and 50c roulette. After the first couple of days they lowered the minimum bets most of the time and this increased the participation. They had gaming lessons the first night and a few tournaments throughout the cruise. They advertised free anytime gaming lessons but no one really took up the offer . I think they need a section set aside for this as often a cruise is the first time people come into contact with table games and they are too shy and embarrassed to ask for instructions. A bit like you blokes and asking directions. On port nights the casino didn’t open till 8.30pm. There were quite a few promotions including $5 match plays with each martini. I did give the endorphins a change of pace and indulged in a few nice chocolate martinis. I tipped the waitress and second martini almost sent the endorphins into a frenzy as it was so strong. She whispered to me “nice? – I mixed it myself”. Well I didn’t want to sound ungrateful but I grinned and whispered back “too strong for this old girl”.

Pursers Desk was always busy but at no time did I notice any long queues. It was generally manned by 3 or 4 staff. I visited it daily to get my copy of Australia Today – a small pamphlet of news stories from home.

Shall We Dance Lounge was located on Deck 6 aft and was the comfortable setting for many Bingo games, dance lessons , lectures and demonstrations including chocolate and wine pairing, scrapbooking, sit to be fit- adult karaoke, I guess you get the picture. The Captain held his welcome aboard reception here. It was a reasonably size venue and if I get the time I will do a report on the various activities aboard.

Moonlight Bay Lounge Deck 6 hosted the play group for 6 to 18 month olds in the mornings, bridge in the afternoons, a family scavenger hunt and numerous other things.

The shops are small with a limited assortment of merchandise.

The Conference Centre Deck 6 seemed always busy but I didn’t attend any function there.

The Schooner Bar Deck 6 was always packed and thriving it seemed like a main meeting place for many – perhaps it was similar to that busy popular pub venue where it’s considered a great place if you battle to get a seat. This was the only area where I noticed seating to be in high demand. It became quite congested at times as it’s really only part of the passageway leading from the Shall We Dance Lounge. I would often pass through here and just join a trivia team and contribute a few correct guesses and as many incorrect guesses.

The avenue of Shops was also located on Deck 6 . I did check out most of the merchandise and showed great restraint in purchasing very little. There were lots of $10 watches, evening bags, necklaces, belts and wallets. Plenty of costume jewellery and some very nice designer pieces of hand cut amber in sterling silver. There were the usual 18 kt gold-layered chains and sterling silver priced from $1 per inch. There was a shop selling a mixture of toiletries, alcohol, cigarettes, clothing and tacky ship souvenirs- in fact it had something for everyone. Some of the RCI apparel looked reasonable quality and some was 50% off. 2 T shirts were $20 claimed to be normally $16.95 each. A couple of times I picked up a few things but there was no service available so after 4 or 5 minutes I left empty handed. Nothing in any of the shops jumped out screaming to me “buy me!”

Café latte-tudes on Deck 6. Now I stopped here after an unsuccessful purchasing visit to the Shops. I had the urge for an iced coffee. I am not a big coffee drinker but let me tell you that the iced latte was to die for. Well somebody should die for creating the watery slop that they mix. It’s made on ice with very little milk. I have never tasted anything so terrible. I took one sip and politely passed it back asking them to tip it out. I was very quiet in my request and they immediately offered to credit me the purchase. I explained that it wasn’t necessary but it was credited from my account.

The Photo Gallery on Deck 6 was a place I avoided. I asked the photographers if they were experienced in body image alteration and if so could they possible enhance my wrinkles and cellulite and remove at least 30 kilos of unwanted recycled chocolate and chips. The challenge was too much and they politely declined. It appears well organised and presented with plenty of boards to display photos.

The Library and Card Room on Deck 7 were pleasant rooms with great views. I looked in there occasionally but spent no time in either. Perhaps I should have played cards against real people and not against the casino bank/croupier.

Not sure how the Crown and Anchor Study works – not sure if it’s for past passengers or occupiers of suites. Anyway it’s on Deck 8 and someone will perhaps enlighten us.

The Internet Café also on Deck 8 has about 10 computers and there were always a few available for use. We sent a few messages home to the 20 year old who was in charge of the dog, cat and 200 odd fish. We didn’t purchase a package and our few minute messages and reading the very short replies cost on average US $3. Happy to report no animals or fish died during the making of this cruise. We used a few hot spots and the best we found were the Moonlight Bay Lounge the Centrum area on Deck 5. The pre paid packages cost $28 for 60 minutes, $38 for 90 minutes and $55 for 150 minutes

The Day Spa on Deck 9 was another area that I didn’t venture to. I travel to Bali annually and enjoy so many spa treatments for so little cost. There’s not much that the spa doesn’t cater for these days. From teeth whitening to acupuncture and collagen eye treatment to ionithermite detox treatment. They run plenty of specials and advertise it actively. They have a Champange Pamper Night for $99 which includes; mini facial, neck and shoulder massage, scalp massage, hand massage , collagen eye treatment and a glass of champagne. The have a similar special on the 2nd last day too.

The Solarium on Deck 9 has an Egyptian theme. The indoor pool was slightly heated although it felt freezing after you exit the hot tub/spa . We found that it was easy to get a ‘berth” in one of the 2 hot tubs around 6.30pm as many were at dinner and many were dressing for second sitting. The temperature in the hot tubs were not quite as hot as the artesian water that I so love in the North West of NSW but it sure helped my nuisance mussels who didn’t want to come cruising so were sulking and refusing to work at times. During the day in the Solarium I found the air temperature stifling and smell of chlorine a bit overpowering but it seem to subside by evening. We met many interesting people in the Solarium especially in the hot tubs. This is an adults only area although a few of us behaved like kids especially when the swell began to pick up and the pool had waves sloshing back and forth and big enough to surf on. There was a soft frozen yogurt machine here and a café that sells hamburgers, pizza and chips.

The Outdoor Pools and 4 Whirlpools were also on Deck 9. This was often a busy area and most of the pool lounges were occupied in this area from 11 till 4. There were cells in trauma everywhere as the midday sun had quite a sting for a few hours either side of noon.

The Windjammer Café was aft on Deck 9 and I will discuss this area in more detail when I do the food report.

Deck 10 had little to appeal to me

The Rock Climbing wall was too busy each time I presented so I settled for the descending glass elevator instead.

The Fitness Centre (same lie as the wall)

The Jogging Track was simply a refreshing place to suck in the salt air . I also left my joggers at home.

Fantaseas Teen Centre. My DH laughed about wandering in there one night and a couple of kids asking him if he was drunk. It even had it’s own bar and bar stools.

The Video Arcade had lots of games but I can’t comment on the quality.

The Adventure Ocean Kids Centre seemed well equipped and I noticed a few kids rushing to get in there.

The Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 11 had comfortable chairs, great views and a pleasant bar but the only time I saw it occupied during the day was when we had our Meet & Greet. ( more about that and our gift exchange in a later report). At night it became disco I’m told. I didn’t get to demonstrate my Night Fever hustle moves as I think it started after my bed time.

Well folks that’s it for tonight – the next lot will be on the food and restaurants – it shouldn’t be quite so long but then again it was a highlight of the cruise on most days.

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Restaurants and Food on Rhapsody of the Seas:

I can’t help think of that lively song from Oliver written by Lionel Bart. I am sure when he wrote the song he was either at sea on a cruise ship or had just returned from a cruise. Some of the lyrics being so appropriate to cruising.

“Food, glorious food!

We're anxious to try it.

Three banquets a day --

Our favourite diet!”

and

“Food, glorious food!

Eat right through the menu.

Just loosen your belt

Two inches and then you

Work up a new appetite.”

They say the average cruiser gains ½ a kilo every day. I would normally agree but this time thank goodness that statement didn’t apply to me but I’m sure it did to many. I’m not a meat and 3 veg girl but my country origins hubby is and I can assure you he found plenty to please his fussy and very basic appetite for bland food.

I will begin with the Edelweiss Dining Room located on decks 4 and 5 midship and this double storey layout makes the room more open especially with the great views. There is a raised small stage for a pianist or small ensemble. The live music gave it that extra class and atmosphere whilst dining. We were originally allocated second seating and a table for 4. I emailed and requested to be waitlisted for early (they call it main seating) and asked for a larger table if possible. When I checked a few days later we were allocated first seating. We checked out the location of our table after lunch on the first day. The tables were of various sizes and they were not located too close to cause a clutter. Our table was near the door and I expected it to be busy and distracting with traffic but I didn’t notice any disruption at any time. On the first night dinner was at 6.30pm and second seating at 8.45 pm after that it reverted to 6pm and 8.30pm. We arrived the first night and found a lovely couple already at our table for 6. Introductions completed we all excitedly studied the menu. A variety of dinner rolls were available and our waiters introduced themselves- Norri and Habbutt from the Philippines. There was beautiful piano music playing and we made our choices from a very varied menu.

I chose Vidalia Onion Tart- it was sweet vidalia onions combined with nutty gruyere cheese baked in a buttery crust. It was served with leek and fondue and sautéed red peppers. My main was the Slow Roasted Prime Rib- a juicy cut of beef served with Idaho potato and tasty horse radish jus. I had room for desert and chose the Strawberry Pavlova.

Mr Fussy had the Sopa de tortilla- a robust Mexican tomato soup garnished with fried julienne tortilla. His main was the Black Angus Top Sirloin – topped with herb butter and served with vegetables. Desert was Savarin – luscious sponge cake soaked in Grand Mariner syrup and finished with fresh fruit and mango goulis.

The waiters were very friendly and enjoyed a chat in the relaxed atmosphere. The dining room was not full as many cruises had chosen to skip dinner. I did notice on the first 2 nights that many people arrived very late and were still allowed to dine. I am aware on P & O that they close the dining room about 15 minutes after start. Most of the waiters seemed fairly experienced but there were many of them leaning over diners to deliver meals or remove plates. The cutlery was all set out on the table and in my opinion and it made for clutter as the tables weren’t large enough to support so much. I much prefer the way P&O allocate the required cutlery. Now this might sound really pedantic but do they rewash all the unused cutlery because people can handle all of it and not necessarily use it. I eat from the kaki limas and family warungs in Bali so I am not a food snob, I guess I just expected more the dining room.

Second night was formal night and we met out other dining companions. They missed first night dining as they were rather tired from the long flights from Germany. They were very experienced cruisers and she was already disappointed claiming ROS was “old and dirty”.

I chose the Escargots Bourguignonne- snails in garlic herb butter – it was a nicer dish that those served on Sky(more tender too). For my main I had Eggplant Mozzarella Tower- thick sautéed slices of eggplant, drizzled with balsamic glaze and surrounded by chunky plum tomato sauce.

The Grand Marnier Souffle was delicious even if it did fall flat on one side.

DH went with oxtail broth – a rich beef broth scented with aged sherry and served with a crispy cheese twist. His main was the Fried Pork Medallions served with mashed potatoes, broccoli and a savoury forest mushroom ragout. His desert was Cherries jubilee laced with Kirsch.

After 2 nights we decided that the dining experience in the Edelweiss wasn’t worth the 6 pm rush.. We felt uncomfortable with 2 of our table companions and the idea of getting a vacant hot tub was much more appealing. We decided to try what was on offer in the Windjammer for dinner. We also liked the idea of more casual attire and dining when we wanted to and not sitting for 90 minutes. The food was not worthy of any Michelin stars but we enjoyed it.

We returned to the Edelweiss for a couple of lunches and breakfasts but preferred the Windjammer atmosphere and choices.

The Windjammer Restaurant located forward on deck 9 was an amazing place to eat. They certainly placed this room strategically keeping in mind it’s the place on the ship where people spend most of their time It has floor to ceiling windows and I believe every table had a view. Our favourite spot was at the front in the very middle but every table we sat at was OK. We never once had problems finding a table .

The place has 10 or 12 large food stations/carousels and all most is self service. I have never been fond of using the buffet type arrangement on cruises but I decided to bite the bullet as I liked the atmosphere and layout of the place. There food stations are stocked with every imaginable food. There are 4 or 5 soups to choose from. I worked my way through most of the soups, my favourites were the creamy vegetable ones . There was always at least 1 chilled soup available but I did manage to try any. There are salad bars, fruit and sweet bars. Quite a maze and some things are repeated on the other side. There are machines serving free tea and coffee, lemonade and iced tea and at breakfast orange juice. The lemonade was lemon syrup and was very refreshing. I liked to walk around first before deciding what to load my plate with.

Now whilst on the loaded plate issue I was amazed to see people piling every food imaginable onto their plate – the plates were so full that the food fell like leaves as these people concentrated so hard to get them back to their tables. Were they fearful the place might run out of something or were they lazy and didn’t want to make a second trip back. You are encouraged to get a new plate every time you go to the bars and staff are quick to remove used plates and glasses on your table. Its not quite the same arrangement as the local club where they have the all you can eat but the deal is you only get one go at it.

This restaurant seemed like it never closed but it actually did take a break. Most days it opened at

6 am for coffee and pastries. Buffet breakfast began at 7am and ran till 11am . Lunch started at 11.30 and ended at 3 pm just in time for afternoon tea to begin and it went till 5pm. Dinner began at

6.30 pm and closed at 9pm.

Breakfast. Everything you can imagine was available for breakfast. Grab an orange juice and make a decision. Fruit, biscuits, cereals, bacon( crispy or Canadian but both were tasteless), sausage, pancakes, toast, french toast, muffins, eggs ( boiled or 2 types of scrambled 1 always plain and 1 with an addition), oatmeal, grits, fresh omelettes, hash browns, ,fresh carved ham, 2 or 3 types of sausages , tomatoes, waffles, pancakes, buns, croissants, fresh fruit, bagels, muffins, salmon and herrings .and more.

There is a separate Omelette bar and you can have omelettes made to order – Subway omelettes, If you're after eggs, this is the place to get them sunny-side or over-easy. This is also the only place where toast is available (2 types brown or white and both tasked like cardboard). The Ballantyne butter was a perfect match for the cardboard. Perhaps it was chosen because it complemented the bread so well. I did enjoy the Smuckers Grape Jelly each day and it hid the bland taste of the cardboard and butter. I had grits a few mornings and I loved having lashings of walnuts and brown sugar and cream with it. I am going to take my own egg cups next cruise. It’s frustrating eating a boiled egg while it wriggles around your plate – perhaps I’m doing something wrong but I’ve always eaten them from an egg cup. The trick I learnt at breakfast was to not have too much variety and stick to a couple of things only. I didn’t always practise this principle but never the less the breakfast experience was always enjoyable.

Lunch. The selection was again amazing - so many choices and so much variety - soup, 4 or 5 speciality salads, all the imaginable salad vegetables to make your own roasts, pastas, fish, pies, rices, paellas and curries, sandwiches. rolls and deserts to die for. Some of the cheeses looked like soap but fortunately they didn’t taste like soap. There was always a large variety of Australian and international cheeses to choose from. Some dishes were there every day but many were changed and alternated. There were always 3 types of cookies – one was sugar free and there were always a couple of sugar free deserts. Some of my favourite deserts from lunch or dinner included; Almond curd and lycee tart, caramel custard, cherry hazelnut slice, Kahlua angel food cake, Key lime pie, chocolate cherry cake and most of the cheese cakes. There was always 10 to 15 deserts to choose from at lunch and dinner and always different. The cookies were always there and my DH became a fan of them.

Afternoon tea. We only attended afternoon tea once and again it was a pleasurable experience with lots of choice.

Dinner. I was worried on the third night when we elected to skip the dining room have a hot tub and swim in the solarium. What a wise decision it turned out to be. We got to dinner around 8pm and was surprised to see the variety of main dishes available . Many we were told were on the menu in the Edelweiss. We decide to keep this swim and eat routine until we tired of it.

Some of the dishes I enjoyed were the creamed wild mushrooms in a puff pastry, the rare roast beefs, most of the fish- some of the fish was so nice – I absolutely love the crumbed flounder and I took a liking to the catfish. Now I’m not a fan of the few catfish my DH has been know to catch but this lot was delicious. There was a great variety of vegetables available but some nights I struggled to put a basic salad together when I didn’t want to have a heavy meal. As I said earlier I loved the many soups especially the creamy vegetable ones – my favourites were cream of asparagus and halibut chowder. Now the biggest down side to the soup deal was that there were NO soup spoons. Two things I hate about soup consumption, slurping it from a desert spoon and drinking it from a mug. So a soup spoon gets added to my list that includes an egg cup. I know I’m beginning to sound more like Mrs Bucket in each paragraph.

So if after all that food you find your self sill peckish you can resort to a number of emergency top ups. Firstly there’s Room Service and there is a menu on one of the TV channels. I think it’s a 24 hour service. The breakfast menu includes juices, tea & coffee, cereal, raisin bread, fruit and yogurt, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, tomatoes, assorted pastries and lots of jams. We passed on room service I’m just no into eating in the bedroom.

Then there’s the Solarium Café where hamburgers etc are available for 11am till 6.30pm and again from 9pm till 1.30am

Café latte-tudes 7am till 11pm sells muffins and other bakery treats

Ben & Jerrys (7am till 11pm) serves up a few unbelievable ice cream combinations.

There’s a couple of free frozen yogurt machines - one inside the Solarium and one outside the Windjammer.

And finally Midnight Delights are advertised from 11.30 pm to 12.30am in SchoonerBar/Viking Crown Lounge. I wasn’t awake during these hours so I can’t give you any more detail.

Well that’s it for food – I didn’t gain that extra 5 kilos on the cruise but I’m sure I’ve gained some today reliving the great gastronomic memories.

 

 

Entertainment/Activities:

We checked the Cruise Compass (newspaper) every night for the next day activities and there were always plenty of interesting things to do and decisions to be made. I found the highlighter pen useful because by the next morning I had forgotten what I had chosen. The very first day on the back page is a list of cruise highlights which is worth reading.

The Cruise Director was Matt Sole, a confident and happy go lucky Pom from Leicestershire. His engagement with passengers was relaxed and natural. I have seen some CD’s struggle to keep up that “glad to be with you” persona. I have also watched blokes like Dan Stein make the whole CD job appear as if you’re all at a footie team barbie and the passengers and he are just all team mates. Many people criticised Dan but I thought he was a true professional and a rogue all rolled into one. I admired his confidence and enjoyed cheeky nature. Matts offsider was Frankie Portera - the Activities manager whose his main portfolio seemed to be the Bingo.

Now Bingo should have be renamed dingo cause on every occasion “a dingo stole my money” I am not sure why they hold so fewer games but you no longer get seated and settled and it curtains folks and it all over. They usually play 5 games and first few games are for a single line. The only full game is the last game and it’s what forms the jackpot pool. I have tried to work out the dollars that they skim from the bingo takings but it still remains a mystery. It’s a popular activity although I think the attendance on ROS was much lower than on Sun or Sky. I didn’t participate every time but my costs varied each time. It cost me $45, $20, $42, $36, & $31- not sure why so many different prices. The last day was a $10 game- only 1 game and a $31 game in the afternoon – I think the jackpot was around $4000- All the amounts are US dollars. Now RCI never misses an opportunity to extract a dollar from you but they missed out not selling dabbers. I found the bingo boring – I enjoy hearing “22 - quack quack 2 little ducks and 1 1 legs 11” The calling was slow because many people were unable to keep up because they purchased too many tickets.

There were 2 games- one on the second day and one on the third day for occupancy of an Owners Suite. Apparently they are the second largest staterooms on the ship valued at $5000. Any interested passengers were also able to inspect the first one up for grabs- Suite 8000. Well let me tell you what a turn out. We pack the corridor on deck 8 for a chance to take a sticky beak. Now the following comments are not sour grapes because you would be aware from my previous report that we didn’t win but I would not be that impressed if I paid such big dollars for it. The balcony was double the size of the others(that impressed me), it had 2 TV’s ( that impressed the master of inertia) but I’m not sure how you could have 2 TV’s going at once and not be confused. There was a door bell ( that impressed the kids) although I’m not sure what purpose it served – do suite dwellers get more visitors? The bathroom was nice but the bath was too short for both our long frames to fit. I thought the soft furnishings were tired and I’d want to throw a cover over the drab sofas to brighten the place up. It was very roomy but after we left DH advised me “I’m not moving if you win” –“ no problem” I thought- “see you in 8 days”. I think he was worried about all the donation bags stuffed under our bed and the hassle to get everything packed again. We were told by unofficial sources that “they pack and move you” Ha I thought they are an efficient crew but it would be mission impossible moving me and besides the sinkers on the bottom of the shower curtain would be made redundant as the shower in the suite had a screen. Tickets for the 1 game $21 for 1 or $45 for 3. I couldn’t stand the thought of playing one game at the snails pace so I splashed out and bought the 3 games. A quick calculation tells me they made a motza on this promotion. The young girl who won the first suite came from Deck 2 – a poor shipmates like me housed in almost in the bilge of the ship. I didn’t bother to attend the second suite bingo DH was too entrenched in 3142’s bed and happy with the one small screen TV.

There were get togethers for singles, for honeymooners, get togethers for community groups and many of out CCers enjoyed our Meet & Mingle.

There were How To demonstrations and talks including, making strudel, choosing wines, scrapbooking, bridge, jewellery craft, casino games, photo questions, napkin folding, towel folding ( should have sent DH to this - I would be happy if he learnt towel hanging ), Cellulite reduction, secrets to a flatter stomach, fat abs, eat more to weigh less, core conditioning Pilates, burn fat faster (shucks I missed all these- was too busy climbing the rock wall.) I wonder if the same people who attended the weight related lectures went to the many chocolate lectures and cooking demonstrations, maybe they were the ones who attended but didn’t sample the goodies. Now the sit to be fit sounded a bit like my cup of tea but alas I missed that too

There were destination lectures, ballroom dancing class, disco dance class, swing dance class, rumba and salsa dance classes. Competitions included bean bag toss, ring toss shuffleboard, aqua golf, mens sexy legs, pool volley ball, dart ball, shufflegolf ,bellyflop, battle of the brains, battle of the brawn (now this contest had me imagining pieces of my butchers famous brawn being flopped across bodies in conquest)

There were 2 or 3 trivia contests a day and they were mainly well supported and very casually run. I enjoyed a few games and often just dropped in on a small team when I spotted them struggling for an answer sometimes I was correct, sometimes not so right. I run a few trivia’s as fund raisers and I am also lucky to be a member of a very good team.

I missed the Horse racing at Sea which was held by the pool not indoors and for the first time in over 40 years I missed the Melbourne Cup broadcast - had a big day in Noumea. The walk a mile club had many followers and more avoiders.

Competitions included bean bag toss, ring toss shuffleboard, aqua golf, mens sexy legs, pool volley ball, dart ball, shufflegolf, bellyflop, battle of the brains, battle of the brawn (now this one jogged my memory for the local butchers great brawn

There were lots of Wii comps for the kids and some for adults. There was a Where in the world game show, a millionaire game show, a finish that lyric, the liars club, love & marriage and majority rules contests

The quest (adults only) always seems to create mayhem and memories but we didn’t go. It looked like loads of fun on the cruise video. The family scavenger sounded interesting but we missed it and opted for nap before bingo.

Movies screened most days and included;”Wall-E”, Get Smart, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Swing Vote and Hancock. If DH were writing this review he could tell you every movie on the TV too. The TV had plenty of channels- CNN kept me up to date with world news and especially with the US elections.

Now I first encountered Art Auctions on the Sun last year and I found them to be a nuisance and an annoying distraction. Art galleries don’t flog cruises – I rest my case. Now Nicole the auctioneer seemed a sweet young lady with the most annoying loud screeching voice. On one day she lost her voice and I can understand why. I didn’t attend any of these so I hope someone will give a bit of info on them.

Weather permitting the outdoor pool and hot tubs are open 24 hours and the solarium pool and hot tubs from 7am till midnight

Margarita madness and complimentary chips and salsa sounded interesting as did Cigar aficionados at 9pm till midnight. There were lots of 2 for 1 drink promotions.

Of the 10 nights there were 2 formal nights, 6 casual nights and 2 smart casual nights. I am not sure of the difference between casual and smart casual. Many people looked no different to me from breakfast till 10 pm. On this ship I don’t think I would bother carrying formal b clothes again- that would be one less bag – the suit bag.

Theme nights were not as popular on ROS as they are on P & O. They were not as well advertised either .P & O flog their stuff in the shops for each theme night but I think RCI missed the boat again. After Luganville they suggested casual/ tropical attire – not the best port to purchase the tropical gear and not that many joined in the theme. Port Vila night was casual/country and the entertainers looked the part even though the passengers didn’t. I am surprised that no passengers missed the boat in Vila because they were busy running all over town trying to buy an akubra hat and check shirt. Don’t be surprised if when you next visit Vila there is a big sale on check shirts and fake akubra hats.

There were not a lot of kids on the cruise and those with kids all agreed that the kids clubs were a hit. The Under 18’s have a 1 am curfew. I had a 10 pm self imposed one but occasionally the casino lured me to stay longer. Music and dancing happened all over the ship. I was much more aware of the pleasant background music throughout the ship than I have been on previous cruises. Rosario Strings played some beautiful classic and contemporary string melodies from the Champagne Terrace on deck 4 and you could hear it on levels 5 and 6 if you passed by. Martin Jarosek played piano melodies from the same area . These people also performed in the Schooner Bar. Ian West also sang and played piano throughout the ship especially in the Schooner Bar. Ramon Dela Cruz played beautiful classical guitar,. Rocky Steady Band provided ball room dance music and popular rock. New Version Quarte played a variety from the Platters, the Beatles, The Pacemakers and everything from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Hot Spices kept things rocking with Caribbean music, pop and rock. The Rhapsody Orchestra also made a few appearances over the ship as well as backing all in the Broadway Melodies Theatre. I didn’t get to hear DJ Smurf as he kept hours past my curfew.

I feel that the Showtime entertainment was a higher quality than the past few years on Sky& Sun.

On most nights second seating diners went to the show at 7 pm and first setting went at 9.

Guest Artists included;

Los Pampas Gauchos- a group of Argentinean entertainers- 3 cowboys and 2 ladies who danced zapateo and malambo. It was possibly a cultural experience for some but I prefer the beef of Argentina to the Gauchos folklore dances.

Greg Arthur – I assume he was a singer we missed his show

Chad Chesmark - a comedian and magician is a must see entertainer. Loved his Michael Jackson and his interaction with the audience was superb. He has a great rapport with kids.He held our attention the entire performance.

Soul Mystique ( Gavin & Lydia) were an amazing dance and quick change act. The stage was a mass of colour, costumes, energy and magic. This was a performance worthy of another look. Loved it.

Extreme Vegas (Justino & Daniela). Missed them

The Royal Caribbean Singers performed 3 productions- Ballroom Fever, Pure Country & Piano Man. We enjoyed these shows once we adjusted to the US influence

The rock climbing wall and gym were possibly busy and that’s about all I can tell you about them.

 

 

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Lucky you boarding at the OPT at Circular Quay.

I agree with the above poster that it is the best place in the World to board a ship.

Get on as soon as you can , wander around , explore the ship and take in the best view in the World.

Sail out is magic.

[wotaripper]

Hi!

 

You will board at the Overseas Passenger Terminal @ Circular Quay.

 

 

You will love the Rhapsody - we cruised on her in Dec 09 and we are booked again for November this year. We travelled with our 2 kids - 3 and 5 - and they had a fantastic time - the kids club was wonderful!

 

Outdoor areas are fantastic - great pool and plenty of spots to laze around. The food was good (anything I don't cook is good to me though!) and the crew were very friendly!! It is a beautiful ship - lots of windows which makes it seem very spacious.

 

Any specific questions - just ask away!!

 

Dea :)

I think you will find that this is now not so as it is closed for renovation cruise ships are now boarding at pier 5 I believe.

[Aus Traveller]

I think you will find that this is now not so as it is closed for renovation cruise ships are now boarding at pier 5 I believe.

P & O use wharf 5 (now that wharf 8 has been closed) but Rhapsody is too high to get under the Harbour Bridge. As far as I know, Rhapsody usually departs from the Overseas Passenger Terminal at the Rocks.

[froggy22]

We boarded at the quay and the only thing that was not good is they have life boat drill standing on deck I am not young but there was older people than me having to stand and it was a good 3/4 hr.But after that it was wonderful we are booked again for April and can not wait it seems for ever. lucky I have 2 P&O Pacific Dawn cruises to help pass the time.

Ladies ensure you go to the spa talk ( you get the tickets at the pre cruise expo on deck near the pools)I won a masage which would have cost nearly 200 dollars if I paid for it.:D

[The_Big_M]

Rhapsody usually departs from the Overseas Passenger Terminal at the Rocks.

 

Agreed. The OPT isn't being renovated (nor are there currently plans for it to be unavailable) so there should be no issues with scheduled departures there. It is only on the other side, where wharf 8 has been taken over for the Barangaroo development.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Just putting my pennyworth in and must agree with the others. Rhapsody is a wonderful ship, we've cruised on her 3 times and have loved every minute. Have booked again this year in November.

Dea are you on 08 November too?:)

You've picked a great ship Traveller4fun, you'll love her.

Jillybean:)

[dea71]

HI - yes Jillybean we are on 8th November - last year we did the QLD coast itinerary and loved the ship - so we are really looking forward to our 12 days in paradise aboard ROS!

 

Less than 100 days to go!!

 

Cheers

Dea

[traveller4fun]

Thanks everyone for all your help. Where would we be without Cruise Critic? :D I am also looking at booking the 8th November cruise as it will be our 25th wedding anniversary.

[Past it]

Thanks everyone for all your help. Where would we be without Cruise Critic? :D I am also looking at booking the 8th November cruise as it will be our 25th wedding anniversary.

 

welcome to our cruise, come join us on the Rollcall. ...Brenda