Vision 6/23 - 6/28 - Missed Cozumel

[papaflamingo]

We did Vision in 2012 on a 14 night TA including 7 days at sea. It was pre-revitalization, and we had a wonderful time. Since we have done Legend for 11 nights, and Rhapsody for 7. All were great cruises. Now, I am 62 and enjoy relaxing around the ship. We love to just "take it easy" on sea days, but enjoy the night life. Also I was fully aware that Vision class does not have all the "bells and whistles" that the bigger ships have, and the entertainment is so so. But I personally love the class and will do it again (already booked). But that is the difference in people. Some only like smaller ships. I like all ships for different reasons.

As for missing port, that isn't all that unusual. We have missed few ports over time due to winds or weather. I like Cozumel so it would be disappointing to miss, but you just shrug your shoulders and move on. It's part of cruising. Too many accidents have occurred by Captains pushing the limit. In 2009 Carnival Legend hit Enchantment of the Seas while trying to leave Cozumel due to heavy winds. So, there you have it. The Vision Class has traditional rudder/propeller combination, not Azipods which gives the ship much more control. As such it is a much trickier proposition to control the ship in tight spaces. As others have said, it's just part of cruising.

[BillOh]

I would have to agree with you. You never think you can miss a non-tendering port. I would have been very disappointed as well.

 

Hope it works out well for you next time!

 

This is the part I am curious about. I've never heard of any ship missing Cozumel, but I've been there on Freedom, Navigator, and Jewel. We almost missed Costa Maya on Jewel, but the captain was able to change which side of the dock we were to use and we got in.

[Eagle_and_hawk]

We booked Visions for July and am a little concerned with slow bar service.

 

The reviews I'm reading say most bars have only one bar tender to serve walk-ups and the waiters and it takes 30-45 minutes for a drink. I even read one where the people on the pool deck would have to go in to casino bar for a drink.

 

Just wondering what you noticed and if its been corrected yet.

 

What we experienced was usually two bartenders in Schooners and 2-3 at the pool bar. We only walked by and got drinks at the pool bar, in route to somewhere else and was able to get a drink in 10-15 minutes, depending on what was going on.

 

In Schooners, if you wanted to sit in the chairs away from the bar and get service, it may not happen at all, depending on the time of the day. The bartenders would get so busy with walk-ups, they would never be able to walk from behind it. We just started getting our drinks & sitting down afterwards.

 

David & Ellen

[maxs mom]

We did Vision in 2012 on a 14 night TA including 7 days at sea. It was pre-revitalization, and we had a wonderful time. Since we have done Legend for 11 nights, and Rhapsody for 7. All were great cruises. Now, I am 62 and enjoy relaxing around the ship. We love to just "take it easy" on sea days, but enjoy the night life. Also I was fully aware that Vision class does not have all the "bells and whistles" that the bigger ships have, and the entertainment is so so. But I personally love the class and will do it again (already booked). But that is the difference in people. Some only like smaller ships. I like all ships for different reasons.

As for missing port, that isn't all that unusual. We have missed few ports over time due to winds or weather. I like Cozumel so it would be disappointing to miss, but you just shrug your shoulders and move on. It's part of cruising. Too many accidents have occurred by Captains pushing the limit. In 2009 Carnival Legend hit Enchantment of the Seas while trying to leave Cozumel due to heavy winds. So, there you have it. The Vision Class has traditional rudder/propeller combination, not Azipods which gives the ship much more control. As such it is a much trickier proposition to control the ship in tight spaces. As others have said, it's just part of cruising.

 

Excellent post! I totally agree. This is part of cruising.

 

I have been so disappointed and saddened lately at all these reports coming back from Vision. I love this class of ship and Vision in particular...as well as her wonderful Captain and crew. Will be on her again in 3 weeks to see what this is all about for myself. We are doing the same cruise as the OP plus the other 5 night cruise as well. Stay tuned for a review some time the first week in August.

Edited June 30, 2014 by max'smom

[orville99]

We've been in Costa Maya twice when an NCL ship tried unsuccessfully to dock because of wind/surf conditions; we were in Cozumel on Radiance once when the winds blew up late in the day and we had a lot of trouble pulling away from the dock; and have missed Disney's Castaway Cay because of high winds.

 

If you cruise long enough, it's going to happen :(

Edited June 30, 2014 by orville99

[bonsat]

We were on the Vision in June for the 10 day cruise to Bermuda, Charleston and Nassau. It seems that our crowd was different then on the 4 and 5 day runs, lots of older Floridians who were not as active as the crowd on these shorter cruises. The ship never seemed crowded in the pools or anywhere. Of course we had late seating and I assume that the older crowd bunched up for early seating and early MTD.

 

There seems to be more of a dissatisfaction with this ship for shorter runs then the longer runs.

 

BTW we are young thinking 70 y/o's and would not dream of doing HAL.:D

 

are you kidding? there were no loungers in to shade at the pool to stretch out and read. if you didn't get to the solarium before breakfast, there were no seats. the park cafe, which was the only decent lunch place, never had a free table and was always out of cuups and glasses. there were plenty of loungers in the hot sun and an abundance of tables, mostly unoccupied, where the shady loungers should have been.

 

there were nights when you couldn't get a single seat at the first show in the theater. there were no ativities besides trivia at 8 pm, so the schooner bar was overflowing. the atrium, though lovely, is tiny and there wasn't even standing room in there when an event was going on.

 

don't even get me started on the huge lines at the dining room for mtd. the ship ALWAYS seemed crowded to me. and, yes Nancy, we were on the same cruise and even had lunch together at the plantation.

[amster65]

Five days is not a cruise..........its a boat ride.

[scorpluvsdolphins]

Hello again

So about the times. Please let me know if you arrived at 10:00 or 9:00 in Cozumel.

I understand it will be Cozumel time, but what time?

 

 

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[aurelius180]

Five days is not a cruise..........its a boat ride.

 

 

Thanks for the insight.

[FSUPooh]

We had my 11 year old niece and 13 year old nephew and they were one of the better well-behaved ones on the ship. I understand it is a pool and you are going to get wet (most of the time, the kids running and splashing water on you felt good. LOL), but it was a little ridiculous that I had to wash my eyes out twice because some kid was splashing (or pushing another kid into the water) and it got in my eyes (and I was wearing sunglasses.)

 

You take that risk though when you see kids at the pool.

 

Bar service- yes, we had some slow service but we tended to focus on the fabulous waiters we did find (Edward in the R-Bar, Coco in the dining room, Vladimir in the solarium bar/Viking Crown and one more at the pool.). Poor Samalia in the Schooner Bar was usually by herself or with one other person and she was doing her best with what she had.

 

MDR was ridiculous the first two nights (dad had a call from an officer on the third day). We waited an hour for our table (mostly due to the fact that mom THOUGHT she had made reservations when she booked but did not.)

 

Cozumel- we were supposed to get there ten local time. I have never been on a ship that changed times and it was a bit confusing. GREAT the first two nights, not so much coming back. LOL

 

We weren't that disappointed in not going to Cozumel since we had been there- Roatan would have been a different story. We had a nice day relaxing out by the pool.

 

While it was sad seeing Oasis docked in Cozumel, another ship had to turn back as well. It was the older engine technology that did us in. I asked my brother (an engineer) if, hypothetically, the Oasis had the same engine could they have docked. He said no.

[Justmekaren918]

I am curious how bad was it blowing? Did you port somewhere else for the day?

 

I am to be on the ship for my birthday in Sept, and my B-day was to be spent in Cozumel in Sept.

[Justmekaren918]

Thank you for posting your report.

[FSUPooh]

I am curious how bad was it blowing? Did you port somewhere else for the day?

 

I am to be on the ship for my birthday in Sept, and my B-day was to be spent in Cozumel in Sept.

 

No, we had a last minute Sea Day. It wasn't the wind, it was the water current. Her older technology engine couldn't handle it.

[scorpluvsdolphins]

Thank you for making it clear for me. Now I will schedule (hopefully we dock) my dive.

 

 

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[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report, sorry the cruise was so dissapointing.

[emdia43]

AFAIK the Windjammer always closes in the afternoon - at least on every ship I've sailed on...

[Keith1010]

Sorry that this cruise did not work for you.

 

Keith

[veryexcited]

We were on this cruise and had a fabulous time. We traveled with 10 people ranging in age from 7-67.

 

Yes, we had to wait a few minutes at the bars, but never more than 5 minutes. The food was wonderful and the ship was in great shape.

 

This is our fourth cruise with Royal and I would book another cruise on Vision tomorrow if I wasn't getting ready to send a kid to college! :)

[jpurdy]

We were on this cruise and had a fabulous time. We traveled with 10 people ranging in age from 7-67.

 

Yes, we had to wait a few minutes at the bars, but never more than 5 minutes. The food was wonderful and the ship was in great shape.

 

This is our fourth cruise with Royal and I would book another cruise on Vision tomorrow if I wasn't getting ready to send a kid to college! :)

 

Thanks for your input on this as well. Had to chuckle alittle about Windjammer closing in the afternoon. Most cruise lines do this to clean up for dinner. Disney does it, Carnival does it, etc. And Disney misses their own private island sometimes due to weather. We leave in 3 short days and can't wait to board Vision. First time on RCCL in 10 years. Have been exclusively Carnival & Disney.

[matj2000]

In all my cruising, I have never heard of a ship missing "Cozumel" before.

Maybe it is a ploy to keep everyone on the ship so they can sell more bingo...

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Five days is not a cruise..........its a boat ride.

 

 

Given a choice, I'd rather take that boat ride than stay home. :D

 

***

[akcruz]

I brought back the compasses to scan & post when I can get the time this week. They did print a different one for the day we missed Cozumel with updated activities since it turned into a sea day and we did not get a copy of that one.

 

David & Ellen

 

Thank you!

[Susie51]

You won't know you like it until your try it.I was on Vision 7 night Alaska cruse and 10 day Panama Canal cruilq. The pools weren't crowded because of that.

[BillB48]

If it was just the currents and such, why not order in some tugs to help. Something does not sound right with it being Cozumel and short of a hurricane, I have never heard if a ship missing that port.

 

I am sure it is not a common occurrence, however Coz is not always the simplest port to negotiate even though they make it look easy. I have never seen a tug used there and I am doubtful there is any tug service available particularly on short notice. There are a couple of problems with Coz, the first being a significant current that runs between the island of Cozumel and the mainland, another is the current can change directions several times a year. I don't know how far in advance this change can be predicted. I don't know which side of the International pier the Vision was scheduled to dock, but IIRC the one of the big ships (Oasis Class) was already alongside the International Pier as per the OP. This obviously limited the Visions options to where it could berth. We have no idea what the wind was doing in relation to berthing, which in combination of the currents may have provided for a less than ideal conditions to dock. It wasn't too terribly many years ago they banged up the Grandeur (I think) while docking in Cozumel.

[linaka625]

According to our waiter in Izumi, the ship could have gotten in with the use of a tugboat. However, he told us that the captain was in touch with RCI executives in Miami, and the decision was made to not use the tugboat.