Not Impressed with Empress

[spooker girl]

I am booked with friends on the June 16th sailing while we have been on been on nearly 30 cruises this will be our 1st with Royal I am excited to try a new experience and have been keeping up with the post to see how the first few cruises are going. I would like to tell you that based on my experiences I feel most of the issues will probably be resolved by the time you and your family are on it. I read one of your post that you were worrying about your children on sea days my suggestion is enroll them in the childrens programs they do an awesome job on every cruise I have ever been on and they organize a ton of actives on Sea days for them. My thoughts when going on a cruise is this its truly an opportunity to get away from the stresses on Land and let the waves take you where ever they want if you dont fight the current you will enjoy the ride.

 

We'll be on the ship with you. I love your last sentence, it is right on the money :)

Edited June 4, 2016 by spooker girl

[teknick]

We'll be on the ship with you. I love your last sentence, it is right on the money :)

awesome have fun our group will be hanging out by the pool or in the casino at the craps table stop by and say HI

[emilyrose115]

I uploaded the menus for the first 4 nights from the Starlight dining room. Our waiters were really nice and tried very hard despite the long kitchen delays. The food was pretty good for what it is. The Beef Tenderloin was excellent. Ours was all cooked perfectly medium rare and very tender. They didn't always have the menu items listed, but I expect some issues on an inaugural. One funny note, they ran out of ice cream I believe the second night. The last night when we ate in Chops our waiter told us the freezer was fixed and we could have ice cream. We recognized the maitre d' in Chops from a previous cruise and he was nice. Again, our waiter was very nice, though they were understaffed and the kitchen was excessively slow. We were there for more than two and a half hours, but the food was good. I did not get a picture of the Chops menu, but it was pretty much the same as the other ships. They were also out of spinach in Chops that night.

 

Unfortunately these images are way too small to read. :( Does anyone have more photos of the main dining room menus on Empress? I'm surprised to see such a limited menu.

[Powersboyee2]

I'm not sure why anyone would pick this ship as their first cruise with Royal or even worse, first cruise ever?

 

It's just asking to be disappointed IMO.

 

It is very well known now, and has always been, that Empress is not really true representation of Royal. There are SO many great options out there on vastly better ships with better amenities. Proven amenities.

 

That's just my opinion, and I'm aware others have different views, but I definitely would not pull that trigger, even if I was a noob.

[OSUZorba]

I'm not sure why anyone would pick this ship as their first cruise with Royal or even worse, first cruise ever?

 

It's just asking to be disappointed IMO.

 

It is very well known now, and has always been, that Empress is not really true representation of Royal. There are SO many great options out there on vastly better ships with better amenities. Proven amenities.

 

That's just my opinion, and I'm aware others have different views, but I definitely would not pull that trigger, even if I was a noob.

 

The problem is, most first time cruisers have no idea that this ship is an odd duck. I am guessing most first time cruisers that booked this ship saw a decent itinerary and price and jumped on it. That is the problem with having a ship that doesn't really match your brand very well.

[Powersboyee2]

The problem is, most first time cruisers have no idea that this ship is an odd duck. I am guessing most first time cruisers that booked this ship saw a decent itinerary and price and jumped on it. That is the problem with having a ship that doesn't really match your brand very well.

 

well said.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I'm not sure why anyone would pick this ship as their first cruise with Royal or even worse, first cruise ever?

 

It's just asking to be disappointed IMO.

 

It is very well known now, and has always been, that Empress is not really true representation of Royal. There are SO many great options out there on vastly better ships with better amenities. Proven amenities.

 

That's just my opinion, and I'm aware others have different views, but I definitely would not pull that trigger, even if I was a noob.

 

The problem is, most first time cruisers have no idea that this ship is an odd duck. I am guessing most first time cruisers that booked this ship saw a decent itinerary and price and jumped on it. That is the problem with having a ship that doesn't really match your brand very well.

 

. . . and these were not supposed to be the first sailings. RCL cancelled weeks worth of sailings before these actually sailed. The people that booked these cruises would not have been on the shakedown cruises. . . . you just never know what will happen.

 

But, I agree this ship was brought back for a unique purpose and does not represent the rest of the brand.

[Powersboyee2]

. . . and these were not supposed to be the first sailings. RCL cancelled weeks worth of sailings before these actually sailed. The people that booked these cruises would not have been on the shakedown cruises. . . . you just never know what will happen.

 

But, I agree this ship was brought back for a unique purpose and does not represent the rest of the brand.

 

I'm aware that these were not the first sailings. I was part of the people booked in early April. That is not what I was meaning tho.

 

We switched to Oasis due to inflexible vacation times.

 

What is crazy to me is that some of these same people who were booked on the later sailings, and have been following along all this time, did not decide to switch ships while they still could.

 

We may give Empress a shot at some point, but you can sure bet it won't be until after many reports of all the kinks being worked out.

[Citymom92]

The problem is, most first time cruisers have no idea that this ship is an odd duck. I am guessing most first time cruisers that booked this ship saw a decent itinerary and price and jumped on it. That is the problem with having a ship that doesn't really match your brand very well.

 

Yep, this is it: Never cruised before, didn't want a huge ship (they all seemed really overwhelming on the RCL website, saw the itinerary (wanted more sea days and Key West), price was okay (not super cheap though) and had secured assurances from my husband that he could take off that week, so jumped, I did.

 

Now I have the "luxury" I guess of a few more sailings to hopefully have the kinks worked out, as we don't sail until July 18th.

 

I am really hoping it works out since all of our family vacations for the last 15 years (to Europe, Cape Cod, Maine, Grand Canyon, etc) have all required extensive work on my part for the planning (hotels, rentals, activities, cooking or restaurant vetting, etc). I simply wanted to take a vacation that would take some of the pressure off of me. Now I know how foolish I was to think such a thing could happen.

[Had2cruz]

I'm not sure why anyone would pick this ship as their first cruise with Royal or even worse, first cruise ever?

 

It's just asking to be disappointed IMO.

 

It is very well known now, and has always been, that Empress is not really true representation of Royal. There are SO many great options out there on vastly better ships with better amenities. Proven amenities.

 

That's just my opinion, and I'm aware others have different views, but I definitely would not pull that trigger, even if I was a noob.

 

Sailing on the Empress will be our first cruise with RC. I was looking at length of cruise, a stop at Key West and a decent price. I booked in March and didn't learn of the Empress' history until April when cruises started getting canceled. Live and learn. We'll be sailing the Harmony in April 2017 so I'm giving RC a second chance....regardless of how our first RC trip turns out.

[marci22]

My point was: I find it SHOCKING that anyone with half a brain thought this was going to be the new cool thing in cruising. Read some of the threads. People were glorifying Empress all over the place. This was their favorite old ship. She was returning to her proper place in the fleet. She was born for this chance. She is the best.

 

It was pure nostalgia.

 

A little harsh, but people were acting really excited about Empress and when the prices came out they went crazy. The posts made me sad I wasn't going!

 

If I was a new (or not so new) cruiser looking for opinions, I would have been swayed to book Empress.

Edited June 6, 2016 by marci22

[Powersboyee2]

Sailing on the Empress will be our first cruise with RC. I was looking at length of cruise, a stop at Key West and a decent price. I booked in March and didn't learn of the Empress' history until April when cruises started getting canceled. Live and learn. We'll be sailing the Harmony in April 2017 so I'm giving RC a second chance....regardless of how our first RC trip turns out.

 

 

 

Good to hear!! You will love Oasis class. Will be pretty different than Empress haha.

[The Big Booper]

As others have said, the only reason this ship was transferred from Pullmantur (RCCL's Spanish subsidiary) back to the main US company was to service the Cuban market, where only a smaller ship could get into the harbor. The trend lately is that RCI has been missing deadlines on renovating or even finishing a new ship, look at the first couple of weeks sailing on Harmony or the month's delay on the Empress.

 

This is on the head office in Miami.

[pstone1]

The problem is, most first time cruisers have no idea that this ship is an odd duck. I am guessing most first time cruisers that booked this ship saw a decent itinerary and price and jumped on it. That is the problem with having a ship that doesn't really match your brand very well.

 

We were also on the May 28th sailing. Lots of first time cruisers. We constantly heard people saying they would never cruise again. It really is a shame.

[jsausley]

I can understand being upset if you paid for a balcony or a suite. That being said, I was on the first sailing, and despite having problems in numerous areas on board, I still enjoyed the heck out of the cruise. In fact, I wasted no time booking another (not on Empress though) the day after I got back home -- and my brother, who was on Empress for his first RCI cruise ever, has booked another RCI cruise as well (previously he was only a Disney cruiser -- I don't think he realized the value for money that RCI brings to the table).

 

Yes, there were problems and it was far from my best cruise. But I absolutely loved the small ship and I had a ton of fun on the port days.

 

Wife and I are definitely booking Cuba on Empress when they come available.

 

P.S.: If you're booked on Empress coming soon, go sit out behind Boleros. It's so relaxing out there.

[firemedic1560]

Yep, this is it: Never cruised before, didn't want a huge ship (they all seemed really overwhelming on the RCL website, saw the itinerary (wanted more sea days and Key West), price was okay (not super cheap though) and had secured assurances from my husband that he could take off that week, so jumped, I did.

 

Now I have the "luxury" I guess of a few more sailings to hopefully have the kinks worked out, as we don't sail until July 18th.

 

I am really hoping it works out since all of our family vacations for the last 15 years (to Europe, Cape Cod, Maine, Grand Canyon, etc) have all required extensive work on my part for the planning (hotels, rentals, activities, cooking or restaurant vetting, etc). I simply wanted to take a vacation that would take some of the pressure off of me. Now I know how foolish I was to think such a thing could happen.

 

That is one reason we cruise. We can just show up and not have to worry so much about driving around to eat, and all the other planning that goes with a land based vacation. I'm posting my thoughts on the Empress in another thread. The bottom line, especially for new cruisers is this: We were a little disappointed because we are used to having certain things on a cruise. The Empress is not comparable with other ships sailing now, but as a new cruiser you have no point of reference. Don't worry about the negative comments unless you are willing to make a change to another ship. You can go with your family and have a great time! My wife and I agreed that even with a somewhat negative impression of the Empress, we still had a great vacation with our family. I believe that many problems that can be fixed will be by the time you go. I'm not being disrespectful in any way, but if I were you, I would stop reading these threads. Take a couple of weeks away and check back shortly before your trip. I expect there will be a much better outlook for the Empress by then.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

Sounds like this garbage scowl needs to be sent to the bottom as an artificial reef.

 

Although, it'd probably be a letdown as that, too.

[natureboyricflair]

Sounds like this garbage scowl needs to be sent to the bottom as an artificial reef.

 

Although, it'd probably be a letdown as that, too.

 

:D:D:D:D:D

 

This is very true. As one of the guests without air conditioning the duration of the cruise, and had to endure the drills and ongoing construction towards the inside wall of our room at all hours of the night and morning despite asking them to stop — this boat, and the response and service from Royal Caribbean do not even deserve a foot-long turd. That would be too nice for them.

 

Back to Carnival for us.

[Citymom92]

That is one reason we cruise. We can just show up and not have to worry so much about driving around to eat, and all the other planning that goes with a land based vacation. I'm posting my thoughts on the Empress in another thread. The bottom line, especially for new cruisers is this: We were a little disappointed because we are used to having certain things on a cruise. The Empress is not comparable with other ships sailing now, but as a new cruiser you have no point of reference. Don't worry about the negative comments unless you are willing to make a change to another ship. You can go with your family and have a great time! My wife and I agreed that even with a somewhat negative impression of the Empress, we still had a great vacation with our family. I believe that many problems that can be fixed will be by the time you go. I'm not being disrespectful in any way, but if I were you, I would stop reading these threads. Take a couple of weeks away and check back shortly before your trip. I expect there will be a much better outlook for the Empress by then.

 

Thank you so much for these words of wisdom. Seeing cruisers coming off the Empress each time with better experiences makes me feel so much better. I do hope the food offerings in the buffet at least get a little better. I don't know how good my teens will do having to wait 2 hours for meals. But again, thank you so much! We are starting to look forward to it again.

[firemedic1560]

The wait for food will get better. You snd your family are going to have a great time! Look for my review in the Royal Caribbean section. You can see more of what worked for us and what didn't. Outlook and attitude go a long way in determining whether you have a great time or not. It's going to be a blast for you and your family!

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Tapatalk

[knittinggirl]

. . .IMHO this room is a Balcony. It has a small triangular shower, the walk-in closet is very small, there are three drawers and a few cubby-like shelves. The safe was pretty high for me, I am 5'2. Also no fridge.

I had the same problem w/ the safe on Celebrity Century. So high, I couldn't reach all the way into it.

 

Right after they started booking, we looked at floor plans, and thought the same as you. In order to get the same square footage as our typical JS, we'd have to book the Owner's Suite.

 

One time in the middle of the day the line seemed shorter. There were 4 representatives with only 2 passengers being helped. I was third in line. When they finished with those 2 people, it took about 20 minutes until they started helping anyone. By the time they did, the line had about 15 more people in it. During that 20 minutes they would whisper to each other, type on their keyboards and go to the back office and come back out. That was one of the few areas that the staff was not very nice.

 

Cute!

 

Twice as many Guest Relations Employees as Passengers. Not happy to hear that!

 

On Princess they had a separate line at Guest Relations (they call it Passenger Services) for Elite and people in Suites. But Princess doesn't have concierge lounges for the Diamonds (Sounds like neither did Empress).

 

I'm afraid I would have noted their names for the end of cruise evaluation.

Edited June 6, 2016 by knittinggirl

[Powersboyee2]

:D:D:D:D:D

 

 

 

This is very true. As one of the guests without air conditioning the duration of the cruise, and had to endure the drills and ongoing construction towards the inside wall of our room at all hours of the night and morning despite asking them to stop — this boat, and the response and service from Royal Caribbean do not even deserve a foot-long turd. That would be too nice for them.

 

 

 

Back to Carnival for us.

 

 

 

Seeee yaaaaaaaa! Most of their ships aren't any better. Why not go on a real royal ship lol?

[Merion_Mom]

I can understand being upset if you paid for a balcony or a suite. That being said, I was on the first sailing, and despite having problems in numerous areas on board, I still enjoyed the heck out of the cruise. In fact, I wasted no time booking another (not on Empress though) the day after I got back home -- and my brother, who was on Empress for his first RCI cruise ever, has booked another RCI cruise as well (previously he was only a Disney cruiser -- I don't think he realized the value for money that RCI brings to the table).

 

Yes, there were problems and it was far from my best cruise. But I absolutely loved the small ship and I had a ton of fun on the port days.

 

Wife and I are definitely booking Cuba on Empress when they come available.

 

P.S.: If you're booked on Empress coming soon, go sit out behind Boleros. It's so relaxing out there.

 

Do you know that if you had booked that next cruise while ON BOARD, you would have received OBC?!?!?!? :eek:

 

Sounds like this garbage scowl needs to be sent to the bottom as an artificial reef.

 

Although, it'd probably be a letdown as that, too.

 

This is a scowl:

 

 

This is a scow:

 

[PhoenixCruiser]

Thank you so much for these words of wisdom. Seeing cruisers coming off the Empress each time with better experiences makes me feel so much better. I do hope the food offerings in the buffet at least get a little better. I don't know how good my teens will do having to wait 2 hours for meals. But again, thank you so much! We are starting to look forward to it again.

 

Gina, without sounding like a broken record, I really suggest that you pack some snacks. Go to a big box store and get some that are in durable packages - Pringles, beef jerky, nuts, candy, whatever your family enjoys.

 

Edited to add, you know how things happen, if you make a back-up plan most times the effort isn't needed. In your case, I hope that is true :-)

 

###

Edited June 7, 2016 by PhoenixCruiser

[LMaxwell]

Seeee yaaaaaaaa! Most of their ships aren't any better. Why not go on a real royal ship lol?

 

If you think carnival ships aren't better than drilling going on and no A/C you must be kidding yourself.

 

At this point Royal has given a big middle finger to people on the first round of Empress cruises. While it is very easy, and mostly correct, to say that newer/bigger ships are a much better experience I wouldn't blame anyone that has lost confidence in this company and doesn't want to give them even more hard earned money.