RHAPSODY REVIEW July 3-10

[BonnieNYTX]

Here we go again, folks...

 

Day 6 - Progresso. This took the place of Grand Cayman, thanks to Hurricane Dennis. I took the Merida city/shopping tour. DH and DD wanted to stay on the ship so off I went on my own. I was fortunate to meet up with Becky and her family (some of my fellow cruise critic meet and minglers.) The bus was air conditioned, thankfully! We were the only ship in port so I was able to finally get a taste of what every day life is in that part of Mexico without tons of tourists wandering about. Lots of history and lots of ancient buildings. I took it all in. One downside for me was the forced 3 shopping stops we made in places that had no place to sit and wait it out and nothing else nearby to explore. I was told on board that we would have one hour to meander in a shopping square. There WAS no square. LOL We left the Rhapsody at approx. 8:30AM and returned approx. 2PM exhausted and hungry! Grabbed a bite in the Windjammer and went to relax in the cabin with a good book.

Dinner was casual in the Windjammer, the only time we didn't eat in the Edleweiss Dining Room. It was relaxing and just what I needed after the tiring day I had. DD and DH were sorry we didn't eat in the Windjammer more often.

Fabulous Western Hoe Down in the Shall We Dance Lounge. Coming from NY I never saw this dancing in person and loved it. Thought I was on the set of Urban Cowboy!

Do not miss the 70s disco party in the Viking Crown Lounge. Staff dressed up as Village People, Abba, and lip sinced to YMCA, In the Navy, etc. I don't remember dancing as much as I did that night!! Finally called it a night close to 2AM. What a wonderful day!!

Day 7 sea day, just relaxed by the pool, packed :( and tried to get as many Rhapsody memories as we could before it was over.

Disembarkation and summary to follow..........

[Gabrielle R.]

Bonnie & Wolfie, Thanks for the input on Paradise Beach. I have it down on my to do list. My TA booked us a really pretty hotel in Galveston. Any thing you'd suggest seeing there in Dec- before we take off for Rhapsody the next day? Gabrielle:rolleyes:

[Live_2_cruise05]

Here are those photos!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=204088

[Cruise Cat]

Bonnie - Yep, that was the Secret Door I was talking about. That can be a pretty crowded area, especially on the first formal night. Most people go around and are trying to get to the Champaine Bar from the Atrium and it's a mob. We just go down to 4 near the front, walk down the hall, cut towards the insides, and then through our secret door and order at the bar while everyone else is trying to get through the crowd.:D

[Optichris]

Glad to hear you had a good time, Bonnie! I sail on the Rhapsody a week from this Sunday, and cannot wait. A couple of questions, if you don't mind:

 

1) The casino ...I assume it had blackjack and craps, not just slots? (Stupid question, but I have to ask!)

 

2) How was the formal dining? Did they have a pretty varied menu? (I'm personally a very picky eater, but sailed the Elation last year and loved the variety of shrimp, lobster, steak, etc. they had.)

 

Again, stupid questions, but figured I'd ask...Glad to hear you had a great time. Any recommendations of things to do on the ship "at Sea" days?

[MarilynJeff]

Bonnie Can you tell me if the Rhapsody has the soft serve ice cream machines. My DH loves this on other cruises we have be on. I thought I read about Ben and Jerry's but he frowned... Input please. Love reading your posts we sail 7/31/05 can't wait....

[BonnieNYTX]

Yikes, I just sent a post that was gobbled up in cyberspace..:confused: sooo here I go again. If you are twice blessed I apologize.

 

Live 2 thank you so much for those Rhapsody pics taken from the Elation. Sure hope your cruise was as wonderful as ours was.

Optichris, I always zeroed in on the slots in the casino but I am assuming there is blackjack and craps. Anyone out there know for sure?

As far as the dinner in the Edleweiss Dining Room, there was always a meat, pasta, fish dish on every menu. Desserts were wonderful. Lobster and shrimp cocktail only one night. When my husband asked for a shrimp cocktail a different night he was promptly told by the waiter that it was only served the one night. No worries, he didn't starve. My fave was the rack of lamb. Succulent and so tasty I had two portions :p

MarilynJeff, yes there is a soft serve ice cream machine in the Windjammer. I found the ice cream to be a bit.... tasteless but on a hot day it was very refreshing.

[esteam]

enjoying your review. sailing on rhapsody aug 7th. after reading on the cosumel board i have deceided to go to paradise beach also. i have 2 kids ages 9 and 6 and we will have many other kids with our group. i hope that it is good for their age. when leaving pb do i need to take a taxi to shop or go to senor frogs? i would like to also see a little more of cozumel. thanks.

[esteam]

ok, is it true that there are no fridges in inside cabins?

just womdering.

[BonnieNYTX]

Good morning!

 

Esteam: You will definately need a taxi from Paradise Beach to get to Senor Frogs which is right in the middle of the downtown shopping area. Your kids will love Paradise Beach. Neat rock climbing wall (IN the water) and raft in addition to the extra water toys they can rent for $8 each.

My husband is a diabetic and although not insulin dependent, I requested a small fridge for his cold drinks. He doesn't drink diet coke, or iced tea, just sugar free juices. RCI gladly accommodated us. A small mini fridge was placed under the desk in the space where your feet normally would go if you sat in front of it. Didn't keep super cold but was enough for him to have a refreshing drink in our cabin.

Cruise Cat: Now you know why we loved our deck 4 cabin. Very convenient. We were steps from your "secret" door leading to the Champaign Bar and the dining room. We wouldn't hesitate to book this deck again, inside OR outside.

Review Summary to follow shortly....

[wolfganghowell]

Opti - they have plenty of blackjack, a roulette table, a let it ride, craps, 2 three card pokers. Craps is usually only open at night. the dealers are generally a great deal of fun.

 

Paradise Beach - there are always a few cabs lined up and they can take you downtown. it's probably a 15 minute drive - straight down the highway. PB is great for families - like I mentioned we got there right off the ship and left around 1 pm when all the kids were starting to arrive. it has a water trampoline, an iceberg to climb (or fall off if you're like me), great rafts, kayaks, snorkel equipment, beachside massage, clean changing and restrooms, outdoor showers to rinse off, nice bar area, great guac.

 

As far as favorite foods in the Edelweiss, I told our waiter the first formal night that I would love to have escargot again and he made sure I had one for the second formal night. But you have to give them notice. a tablemate noticed mine and asked for it but he told her they did not have any more available. because I had given him a few days notice, he was able to "reserve" it for me. same can go for shrimp cocktail - had a tablemate once who the first night asked the waiter if he could have it every night and the waiter was able to do it (that was on Celebrity though so they could a larger supply of shrimp, who knows?)

[BonnieNYTX]

Wolfie: On Sunday night, the first night, we asked if we could have a shrimp cocktail at the start of dinner the following night, or anything thereafter. Our waiter told us it was only served on Sat. night. I also asked for the rack of lamb to be served the day after I had it and again I was told it was only served one night. Like I said, nobody starved but we were accommodated to our hearts content on Celebrity.<shrug>

 

Ok... summary!

Disembarkation went quickly. We waited in the B'way Melodies Theatre for our colored tags to be called which didn't seem to take long at all. So sad to walk off the gangway :-( We found our luggage immediately. We tied brightly colored scarves for quick identification. Many suitcases look the same and I was surprised that nobody checked to see we had our own luggage.

Rhapsody is the perfect size ship, IMHO, for me and my family anyway. It's smaller than the huge newer mega ships, more intimate and yet still maintains an air of elegance despite showing a tiny bit of wear and tear. There were always people polishing, painting, sprucing up the ship day and night keeping it beautiful. I cannot say enough about the staff. Friendly, warm and accommodating our every wish and concern. We got spoiled traveling with all you super friendly fun loving Texans. :D Not sure I could cruise out of Florida after this wonderful experience.

My fave spots were the Centrum and the Schooner Bar. My husband's was wherever they served food. :p My 18 yr old DD's fave place was the Viking Crown Lounge where she danced the nights away.

Would I take this cruise again? In a heartbeat. We created memories that will be with us always.

Don't go with preconceived ideas. Relax, go with the flow, enjoy!! Don't sweat the small stuff. You will be on a cruise and what can be so wrong with that??

Thanks for reading my l-o-n-g posts. I wish all of you happy, smooth sailings.

PS: I never did use my roll of duct tape. :rolleyes:

[budaman]

"clap,clap, clap!" Very good Bonnie. I know it's a relief to you to get finished, but also know you could have gone another 10 - 20 pages of notes. As you renmber one thing, something welse will pop up. It's still happening to me and the rest of us.

 

Would be great if sometime we could organize a Rhaposdy 2005 reunion and book the whole ship! What stories would unfold out of that:eek:

 

Mike

 

www.homepage.mac.com/csealove/

[BonnieNYTX]

"clap,clap, clap!" Very good Bonnie. I know it's a relief to you to get finished, but also know you could have gone another 10 - 20 pages of notes. As you renmber one thing, something welse will pop up. It's still happening to me and the rest of us.

 

Would be great if sometime we could organize a Rhaposdy 2005 reunion and book the whole ship! What stories would unfold out of that:eek:

 

Mike

 

www.homepage.mac.com/csealove/

 

Thanks you, thank you Mike. I used your review as a prototype. I enjoyed reading it so much. I hope I made you proud. :D Actually I forgot to mention the awesome violin player in the Edleweiss dining room. LOL Hey a Rhapsody reunion cruise sounds good to my ears. We're seriously thinking of early Dec. 2006. Any takers?

[wolfganghowell]

December 2006 is probably when we are going too - we are doing Celebrity again in April but always do November for our anniversary. We may push it late that time.

 

I agree Bonnie about the ship size. I don't have a great desire to get on the monster ships - too many people for my taste.

 

That's too bad about the shrimp, I think I must have lucked out on my escargot. Yes, we like Rhapsody a lot but Celebrity is the one that really goes the extra mile for us.

[Ali-in-Texas]

Bonnie, When you say the boat is showing some wear and tear, can you elaborate. Tell me exactly what looks worn. Just curious. We are cruising her next Jan.

[BonnieNYTX]

Bonnie, When you say the boat is showing some wear and tear, can you elaborate. Tell me exactly what looks worn. Just curious. We are cruising her next Jan.

 

You have to understand this ship was built in 1997. I have seen more wear and tear in hotels that are newer than the Rhapsody. Just slight areas especially in the cabin... worn carpeting, some stained in the hallways, slightly worn furniture in the cabin. Operative word is "slightly".. hardly noticable. Public rooms, dining room, lounges are kept immaculate and hardly look their age. While docked in Cozumel (or was it Progresso) the outside of the ship was being painted. Interior brass, mirrors, glass were always being cleaned and polished constantly. The Rhapsody is an elegant ship that you will have to look hard to find fault with. Enjoy your cruise to the fullest as we did!

Wolfie, if you are going on the Rhapsody in Dec. 2006, keep me posted! I know I want to stay away from the expensive xmas week but it all hinges on my DD's college winter break. You're right about Celebrity. We loved the Horizon but I think the Rhapsody is now are fave ship.

[Live_2_cruise05]

Bonnie,

 

Hey we are now looking into a cruise next December. We have narrowed it down to the Rhapsody or the Grandeur (again). They are about the same price but Galveston is closer to our house to where if we drive to NO we will spend about 200 $$ just on gas and hotel. So thats points for the Rhapsody! Well we really loved the Grandeur! Do you know if the Rhapsody anything like it?

 

thanks!

[barbydaul]

Great review Bonnie. Husband and I will be sailing on her October 16th. Can't

wait. We are mainly going for the relaxation and not the ports. May try Paradise beach instead of Chankanab.

 

Happy Sails To You

 

Barb

[huskerdude]

Bonnie,

Thanks for the great review. We have decided to book on the Rhapsody in September of next year, wrap around aft cabin:D . We were thinking of also going out of NOLA, but like it was stated with gas, hotel, and other exspenses, it just makes sense to stick with Galveston. And with all us happy go lucky Texans how can you go wrong!

[BonnieNYTX]

Bonnie,

 

Hey we are now looking into a cruise next December. We have narrowed it down to the Rhapsody or the Grandeur (again). They are about the same price but Galveston is closer to our house to where if we drive to NO we will spend about 200 $$ just on gas and hotel. So thats points for the Rhapsody! Well we really loved the Grandeur! Do you know if the Rhapsody anything like it?

 

thanks!

 

I know nothing about the Grandeur or even if it's in the same vision class as the Rhapsody. We're approx. 5 hours from Galveston and stayed overnight at the Ramada the night before the cruise. Very relaxing to wake up and drive 10 mins. to the pier. Hey, we should start an early Dec. Rhapsody thread! LOL

Husker your cruise sounds awesome! Please bring pictures to the next Dallas area Meet and Mingle if it's after your cruise!

Barby I know you will love the Rhapsody and whichever Cozumel beach you go to. Just remember to go early enough if there are more than 3 ships in port.

Smooth and happy sails to you all.

[brookswc]

BonnieNYTX -

 

My husband and I have cruised Rhapsody before, and we absolutely adored it. There is nothing like the service provided by RCI.

 

Our next debarkation is 24 July 2005, once again on Rhapsody, and were wondering if you can tell us who the Headliner Entertainment was on your cruise. We're just curious if some of the same Headliners are still with Rhapsody.

 

Also- on our last Rhapsody Cruise, on our day of departure, we reached the pier at noon and were told not to come back until after 1:00pm as they were overcrowded with passengers debarking from the previous cruise. In reading your review, it appeared that the Port Authority had much improved in directing the traffic. Was it overcrowded when you left, or are there any special secrets you could share to help us expedite the boarding process for our cruise?

 

Thanks for all your wonderful feedback!!!

 

DB from Commerce, Tx

 

Majesty of the Seas, July 1998

Rhapsody of the Seas, July 2002

Carnival Conquest, Christmas 2003

[Cruise Cat]

Go the the RCCL Website and go to the FAQ section. In there is a place to e-mail them a question. It will ask about your booking number or sail date or something like that also. Ask them who the entertainment is, and they will e-mail you back with a complete list (has always worked for me)

 

Edited version of what I got back ( from web_reservations@rccl.com <web_reservations@rccl.com>)

 

Mr. XXXXX, thank you for your inquiry.

 

Entertainment onboard Vision of the Seas for the August 24, 2003 sailing

will be as follows:

 

BOBBY COLLINS COMIC

ANTONIO SALCI PIANO SHOWMAN

RALPH ACHILLES COMIC

THE HILL BROTHERS JUGGLERS

LOS DIABLOS GAUCHOS GAUCHO AND TANGO

MARILYN WOOD COCKTAIL PIANIST

SHERRI CAFARO TRIO CENTRUM TRIO

LUNA SHOWBAND

 

Thank you for choosing Royal Caribbean International.

 

XXXXX XXXXX

Customer Service Representative

[BonnieNYTX]

DB: All I know is that emarkation was a breeze. No tricks or tips, we just showed up approx. noon and were eating lunch in the Windjammer approx. 45 mins. later. When we arrived at the pier the line looked long but it really did move quickly. You first have to go to the check in desk to get your sea pass card, THEN you go online to have your picture taken and then board the ship. Disembarkation as I said was just as painless. Found our luggage immediately as well as a porter with a wagon to get us a taxi. I have been told that sometimes passengers are late getting off which throws everything off but we were lucky on our cruise.

 

CruiseCat: What a wonderful site to find out headliners! For me it really didn't matter in advance who the entertainment was. Because we were in port two nights, one in Key West and one in Cozumel we didn't make all the nightclub shows. The same comedien appeared the first and last nights. Not sure why. He wasn't twice as good. LOL

I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that an early Dec. 2006 Rhapsody cruise will be doable. It's still uncertain.

For everyone going on the Rhapsody: I wanna be there too!!!!!!!

[huskerdude]

 

Husker your cruise sounds awesome! Please bring pictures to the next Dallas area Meet and Mingle if it's after your cruise!

 

 

Well unless the next M&M is not until Sept. next year:eek: , I will be sure to bring some pics.

I'm not really sure that group could wait that long to get back together.