Navigator/General questions

[Caribbeansunrise]

We were on this same sailing with Karen (I am affectionately calling it 'The Trip that almost wasnt' :rolleyes:) and even with all the confusion, delay and everything else (see Galveston oil spill) we loved the Navigator and the employees. But to be honest, we were less than impressed with Giovanni's. The food was okay (some very good, other meh). We were especially disappointed in the Tiramasu. In a large bowl scooped out and plopped on a plate. (can't speak for the taste as I didn't get it). And the server we had there was very unimpressive, to say the least. We actually had to get other employees to help us as we rarely saw him. And we had a line of site to the kitchen.

 

WITH all that said, Lexus, I think RCI and the Navigator would be an excellent first sailing. I agree with Karen about watching prices. We originally booked a balcony and then saw a wonderful deal on a Junior Suite so it was worth it to upgrade. And even if you don't end up in a suite, there are all sorts of nooks and crannies for putting your stuff away. And don't forget depending on your luggage you can nest them and then even put them under the bed.

 

Happy sailing. And welcome to your newest addiction.

Erika

 

Family style and I agree that it is not as good. I miss the shooter that came with individually prepared Tiramasu from Portofino.

[Hoopster95]

Hi everyone. I’m new to the forum, as well as cruising in general. My boyfriend and I will be on Navigator of the Seas in May, and I’m so excited for my first cruise. I would love some helpful hints/pointers, if you guys don’t mind.

 

Is the Ultimate Drink Package worth it? Do you get your money’s worth?

Are the specialty restaurants worth the extra money?

I’ve heard horror stories about how small the cabins are. Is there room for your empty luggage? Or, would it be best for duffles that collapse?

And the million dollar question – is it possible to get your cabin upgraded?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

The minute you step off the gangway and into the Promenade, you're jaw is going to drop and you're going to end up standing there like an idiot just looking around in awe!! Lol! I did when stepped onto Explorer my first cruise... it never gets old for me :p You are going to have a BLAST!

 

In answer to your specific questions:

I'm not a drinker, never bought a package. I drink maybe 3-4 frozen and beers per day tops. The package would definitely not be to my advantage so I haven't bothered.

 

Like others have said, you'll laugh when you see your cabin and bathroom. You get used to it very quickly, it's no big deal. Plus being first time cruisers you will not be spending anytime in there at all (other than sleep and xxx) :p. The ship is too awesome and you'll be out and about. Luggage always goes under the bed.

 

Cabin upgrades I would say slim to none... purchase whatever cabin you want now. As your first cruise, and depending on your budget, you don't need to go all out. I've cruised primarily interior cabins and have had no problems whatsoever as I am always out on the ship somewhere. Some people are very claustrophobic and/or introverted so having the privacy and luxury of a balcony is extremely important to them. My "balcony" is the entire top deck ;)

 

Words of wisdom:

• Do at least one sail-away from a port at the very front of the ship on the heli-pad. DO NOT miss this. If you don't know how to get there, ask one of the staff.
  
• Do attend the game shows, especially Love-and-Marriage and especially "The Quest"
  
• Do attend the ice skating show, they are fantastic.
  
• Do go to the nightly theatre shows. For the most part they are very good to excellent.
  
• As first time cruisers, you are going to be BLOWN AWAY the first time you walk into the 3 tiered dining room. You don't need specialty dining imho. I would enjoy the company you make at your table seating during the week. Meeting others on the ship during dinner has always been one of the highlights and you will find you will continue to email/facebook the friends you make even years after.
  
• Do go to the night-club in the evening. Nothing like partying at sea with the view of lights of the pool deck and the night sea from the Viking Crown.
  

 

There will be a billion other things you'll discover that will make this cruise special for you. Have an awesome cruise :D

[TBone2K]

Is the Ultimate Drink Package worth it? Do you get your money’s worth?

...

And the million dollar question – is it possible to get your cabin upgraded?

 

Last time I did the math, I think the drink package worked out to needing to consume 7-8 drinks a day to get your money's worth.

 

As for upgrades, it's luck of the draw. Keep checking prices though. You can pay to upgrade anytime. So if the price drops on a better room, that is the way to be sure you'll get an upgrade.:)

 

We are sailing on NOS in May as well, but not with you, since ours is a 6-night.

 

If you haven't already, go over to the roll-call area and sign up for the meet and mingle (M&M). It's a great way to meet up with other cruisers from CC. If your M&M is planning a room tour, it's also a great way to see in person what other cabins on the ship are really like.

[birdylady]

Family style and I agree that it is not as good. I miss the shooter that came with individually prepared Tiramasu from Portofino.

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner. I was SO hoping for that. As far as I was concerned, the only reason I would go to Portifinos was that for dessert.

 

Words of wisdom:

• Do attend the game shows, especially Love-and-Marriage and especially "The Quest"
  
• As first time cruisers, you are going to be BLOWN AWAY the first time you walk into the 3 tiered dining room. You don't need specialty dining imho. I would enjoy the company you make at your table seating during the week. Meeting others on the ship during dinner has always been one of the highlights and you will find you will continue to email/facebook the friends you make even years after.
  

YES! Quest. Sadly ours was canceled on our cruise :(

And for dining we LOVE meeting other folks. This was the first cruise we didn't sit at a larger table. But that's because we were traveling with friends we made on Freedom 3 years ago. ;)

 

Erika

Edited April 4, 2014 by birdylady

[theotherchad]

I know all about the new amenities and changes (ok, maybe not ALL about them) made to Navigator since the february dry dock, but what about the activities?

 

We haven't been on RCCL for two years now, and I'm wondering if there's anything fresh? That is, other than Quest, and Love & Marriage, and the Sexy Legs Contest, and Trivia, and Kareoke, and the Belly Flop Competition, and the cooking demos, and (etc, etc, etc, the folks who've been on more than three or four cruises know what I mean :D )?

 

Is there anything on recent sailings of the Navigator that isn't from the standard list of RCCL stuff? BTW, I'm not bashing, just wondering if there's anything special to look forward to. :)

[alexpress]

Watch those first cruises, they can become addictive. I won a cruise from my company in 1996. We have been on one or two a year since and will be on the Navigator mid May and mid October. As for packing, make a list of everything you take and then check everything you bring back clean. Those are items you can eliminate next time. We still overpack! Enjoy your trip!

I agree with the addiction. We did our first in 2003 for our 25th wedding anniversary on radiance OTS. I just booked our 25th cruise on Liberty OTS. No other holiday has yet come close.

Edited April 11, 2014 by alexpress

[Lexus1224]

Thank you again for everyone's opinions/answers. I missed a bunch of replies, I took for granted that the forum would email me updates :)

 

We'll be on the Navigator on May 18th out of Galveston. We have an inside cabin, and have not planned any excursions/drink packages/etc.

 

I'm still debating on drink packages. Are the drinks average price on the ship, or they inflated? I'm trying to do the math :)

 

Thank you for calming my fears on my over-packing. There's no way around it! I know that this first cruise will create an addiction for me. My boyfriend is already planning on booking one while on the ship. I would say that he has caught the bug too...

 

The first few hours on the ship, I know I’ll be overwhelmed. I’ll just have to slowly take it all in. Thanks again for all of the pointers and suggestions!

[cmason]

The drink prices are normal for a resort :)

Search these forums, there are lots of copies of bar menus.

Figure $4-6 for beer, $8-10 for mixed drink/pool drink. Wine is all over.

[Caribbeansunrise]

Lexus

 

My wife and I along with our son and his wife will also be going May 18. Maybe we will see you there.

[restasured]

I looked at the drink package and realized that 3 of the days, if you go off the ship, you will be, well, off the ship. So you are paying for full days for 1/2 days of use. Unless you can really "suck" down some alcohol, it is difficult for me to see a savings. If you are a big martini drinker (6 or 7 a day) then maybe it might be worth it, at least for the 4 days and evenings you are on the ship. If they had a $55 a day package and not an all week package I would jump on it for the days and evenings on the ship.

[tlatrice]

If you can get 'nesting' luggage, it should fit in the closet perfectly. My son & I each took 3 suitcases and we nested them and stood them in the closet. My largest suitcase is 31 inches. I think my son's largest is 27 inches. This was in a D2 cabin.

 

The Ice Show is a must see! The comedians have been pretty good too!

 

Sabor is wonderful! The guacamole is to die for! And the sangria was REALLY good!

 

But if your budget doesn't allow for the specialty restaurants, the main dining room is great!

(We only went to Sabor when we did because we were too tired to go to the dining room at our assigned time:D)

 

The Navigator is a beautiful ship! Prepare to become addicted!

[springaussie]

Is the sauna and steam room still free on Navigator after dry dock?

[CarolChaCha]

Excuse me for changing the subject... but...do we know if there is Internet access in the cabins? ( got spoiled on the Allure last year. Thanks !

[Cindy]

Excuse me for changing the subject... but...do we know if there is Internet access in the cabins? ( got spoiled on the Allure last year. Thanks !

 

Yes...I thought it worked quite well.

[Clarea]

Excuse me for changing the subject... but...do we know if there is Internet access in the cabins? ( got spoiled on the Allure last year. Thanks !

Yes, Navigator has pervasive internet now.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Hi everyone. I’m new to the forum, as well as cruising in general. My boyfriend and I will be on Navigator of the Seas in May, and I’m so excited for my first cruise. I would love some helpful hints/pointers, if you guys don’t mind.

 

Is the Ultimate Drink Package worth it? Do you get your money’s worth?

Are the specialty restaurants worth the extra money?

I’ve heard horror stories about how small the cabins are. Is there room for your empty luggage? Or, would it be best for duffles that collapse?

And the million dollar question – is it possible to get your cabin upgraded?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Welcome and congrats on your first cruise. It'll be exciting and memorable.

We've always purchased the Premium Alcohol Pkg. Here's the math... most of the frozen drinks are $10, some even $12. Bud, Bud Light are $7. You really need to do the math for your drinking style etc. For me, it works well. Five to Seven drinks per day is doable for me while on vacation. Not so much for the wife. You'll have 4 days at sea, 3 at port.

 

We selected Sabor for a break in the MDR. Fabulous food. And here's a hint. They also have hands down the best Margaritas on board the ship. These are $12 drinks and your drink pkg covers the first $10. Sabor is located across from the Schooner Bar and several times while enjoying the dualing pianos, I'd walk over to Sabors and order a Margarita.

 

Cabins are small. But built for extreme effieciency & functionality.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[debbs0723]

Thank you!

 

I need to stay away from reading anymore reviews! I've read multiple negative ones, and it's unsettling!

 

One thing I have to remind myself when reading any reviews whether on a hotel, cruise, or restaurant is that in general most people who have a great trip won't bother posting. However, people who are overly picky or did not have a good trip feel the need to get online and write about it.

 

I posted a simple written review about our Navigator trip last year somewhere on this board. I did not bother posting a cruise critic or any other online reviews. We loved the Navigator and that was before the dry dock. I think you will love it as well. We also had booked late and ended up with 4 of us in an interior cabin. It can get tight but it really wasn't all that bad. It is a cruise cabin so you might be shocked at first. We have cruised a few times so we know what we are getting into. You guys can always shower and get ready in the mens and women's locker rooms as well. That is actually a nice option to have.

 

I agree with another poster that once you get on and see the promenade your jaw will drop. It really is a great ship and I would go on her again in a heartbeat. People RAVE about Disney ships and I thought the Navigator was better than Disney hands down. We looked at the drink packages as well for that last trip as well as the upcoming trip and honestly for us, it is just not a fit. Once you do the math and figure out about how much alcohol you want to drink or can handle you can decide for yourself. I never know if I'm going to feel like drinking. We already get the two bottles of wine in our room. We just buy a few drinks when we feel like and it and have never even come close to needing a package. Some people would beg to differ.

 

 

Debbie

Edited April 14, 2014 by debbs0723

[DCPIV]

"Relax the first day. They have thousands of pieces of luggage to sort through, and sometimes we've received our bags after dinner."

 

That is some of the best advice I've ever seen posted on CC. It is very common for passengers to receive their luggage after dinner, so don't fret about that.

 

I'll do you one better--relax EVERY day. :) We've not been on the Navigator, but we've been on one of her sisters, Voyager of the Seas, and we loved it. We'll be on Navigator later on in the Summer.

 

It can be somewhat close quarters on a cruise ship, but it rarely feels truly crowded. In fact, except during some of the big events on the Promenade, the Voyager felt least crowded of any RC ship I've been on (and we've been on more than a few). Just roll with whatever happens and have a good time.

 

As everyone else has mentioned, the rooms are small but functional. You should have no big problems, even with overpacking. You will laugh out loud at the shower, though! Many have joked about just soaping up the walls and spinning around a few times. :)

 

I strongly encourage you to see as much of the ship as you can, as soon as you can. When we go on a new ship, we usually start off with a deck-by-deck look at all the common areas. Typically, you can go just about any of the common areas on the ship, even if they are not open and operating at the time. At least take a peek at some of the places. You never know what you may find interesting. These are beautiful and fun vessels.

 

We've always enjoyed the main dining room for dinner, but we also usually (not always) book a specialty restaurant for a time midway through the cruise. Like others mentioned, it's a nice change of pace, but it certainly is not necessary. We have reservations at Chops for our upcoming cruise, but we wonder if we will keep them.

 

It most certainly is worth going to the MDR for breakfast and lunch. I doubt you'll want to do that all the time, but do try it early on in the cruise. You may be mighty surprised who you like it (and, yes, you do not need to dress up for meals other than dinner).

 

I saw in another post that you already took care of the upgrade issue. Well done!

 

Have fun!

 

 

D

[createcolorfun]

Thank you again for everyone's opinions/answers. I missed a bunch of replies, I took for granted that the forum would email me updates :)

 

We'll be on the Navigator on May 18th out of Galveston. We have an inside cabin, and have not planned any excursions/drink packages/etc.

 

I'm still debating on drink packages. Are the drinks average price on the ship, or they inflated? I'm trying to do the math :)

 

Thank you for calming my fears on my over-packing. There's no way around it! I know that this first cruise will create an addiction for me. My boyfriend is already planning on booking one while on the ship. I would say that he has caught the bug too...

 

The first few hours on the ship, I know I’ll be overwhelmed. I’ll just have to slowly take it all in. Thanks again for all of the pointers and suggestions!

 

Just a thought, if you don't think you will drink enough to make the $55/$65, you can average what you would drink in a day and put that amount on your acct before you sail, that way you will be covered.

[mconthehighseas]

As far as being overwhelmed by the ship, it is pretty easy to get around. And there will be maps and models at each elevator to help you figure out where you are, and how to get where you are going. Also, they will hand you a map as part of your check in package before you even set foot on the ship. Once you get settled in your cabin (and people will direct you there on the first day) or a lounge or restaurant if your cabin isn't ready when you board, take a look at the deck plan to get yourself comfortable.

[Lexus1224]

Thanks again for your help. I’ve upgraded my room to a promenade on deck 8. So, I’m anxious to see the room. I’ll have a prime people watching location  My boyfriend and I have decided on the premium or ultimate drink packages. He will, no doubt, get his money worth, and I will probably just break even. To me, it’s worth it having everything paid for up front. I won’t have to worry if any drink is covered, because almost everything this is with those larger packages.

[crpbmp2011]

Do they have dr pepper or pibb on navigator?

 

 

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[Clarea]

Do they have dr pepper or pibb on navigator?

I don't believe Navigator has a Freestyle machine yet, so neither of those would be available with the soda package.

[sross6019]

Thank you again for everyone's opinions/answers. I missed a bunch of replies, I took for granted that the forum would email me updates :)

 

We'll be on the Navigator on May 18th out of Galveston. We have an inside cabin, and have not planned any excursions/drink packages/etc.

 

I'm still debating on drink packages. Are the drinks average price on the ship, or they inflated? I'm trying to do the math :)

 

Thank you for calming my fears on my over-packing. There's no way around it! I know that this first cruise will create an addiction for me. My boyfriend is already planning on booking one while on the ship. I would say that he has caught the bug too...

 

The first few hours on the ship, I know I’ll be overwhelmed. I’ll just have to slowly take it all in. Thanks again for all of the pointers and suggestions!

 

We are also sailing on May 18. Come join the roll call meet and mingle if you haven't already. Looks like a great group. Planning a pre cruise get together at Moody Gardens on the 17th at 8:00. Join us even if you are staying there.

 

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[Sat1]

Do they have dr pepper or pibb on navigator?

 

 

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Just returned May 10, didn't see either.