Live update on vision of seas

[BecciBoo]

Read that Carnival will be charging for daily turn down and other stateroom things which should be included in fair!  Yeah, it was on national news.  Something like $5 per turn down and towel exchange/bath spiff up for $3 or something like that.  Unfathomable....so enjoy that with Celebrity, it may be going the way of the DoDo bird.

 

Suites should get all that without asking, even ice.  But you can request anything, twice daily turn down and as much ice as you want...simply by asking.  Just sayin.  Not too much do deal with for us.

 

OK went and checked the Carni board and I was misinformed about that.  Apparently its just the Room Service where new charges will be in place...and then they have back tracked that a little since their announcement....lots of complaints I guess.

Edited January 7, 2019 by BecciBoo

[Bee Guy]

I am surprised to hear that the room attendants are not in the room both morning and evening.  Never experienced that in over a dozen RCI cruises. 

[creel5857]

Update from vision today...........We received ice this morning and a supervisor came through catching us as we exited cabin explaining that RC had experienced some staff issues (we did not complain but he said others had).   Said the cabins in our area should expect better services.   On a side note, a couple with us at lunch who has traveled 5 cruise lines and been on 4 royal Caribbean cruises have acknowledged that Vision is certainly a bit below other RC with service level and food services???  As we mentioned it is a bit below our holland and princess cruises but we are still enjoying it...........So take that for whatever it is worth...

 

various people have mentioned enjoying bingo and casino........some at lunch reported winning at bingo and my husband won a little in casino.......

 

had an emergency drill this morning but some thought it a real emergency for brief period as captain announcement was not well understood......cant understand some of his words and sentences.........shortly after this another staff member made an announcement that was much more clear and relieved any worries........

 

enjoyed some dolphins along side ship earlier.......weather still great

 

today is the big day for the national championship game with Alabama and Clemson so they have announced it will be shown on the large screen outside by pool and on one channel on TV in cabins, also have a ventriloquist tonight for entertainment along with all the game shows, music and other activities.

 

 

 

 

 

[pcjr2]

I am so concerned about the price of this cruise possibly not being worth what you get for your money. It's a long cruise if you are not happy with the service and food.  It's risky.  So many people are complaining about the food and service on this ship.  Are there mini refrigerators in the room?  Are you finding enough to do to keep yourself busy?

Edited January 7, 2019 by pcjr2

[creel5857]

Following up to pcjr2 with questions about getting money’s worth from this voyage and other questions:

 

For us the price is probably not going to be worth what we paid since we are in jr suite but it is vacation so we are going to enjoy as much as we can.  Since we had coco bay substituted with Miami plus the various things we noted about the ship .......it has lost it’s dollar value to us but that is just us.   After looking at excursion options for miami we may not even get off ship so that is another lost port of call for us.

 

 On ship there is a variety of things like trivia and games occurring down in the atrium,  there is a music around the pool and in the lounge, there is bingo, spa, small rock wall, small casino and entertainment in theater at night (magician, comedian, ventriloquist).  The bingo and alcohol comes at a bit more price than  some other lines we have been on but that is not something that you have to purchase.   As mentioned earlier, TV is very very limited so to add some filler time with TV in cabin is not really an option.....has 2 news stations, 2 sports stations, 2 kid stations and 3 cruise line stations and 2 foreign stations.   

 

There is a refrig in our cabin but we are in junior suite and others have said they do not have refrig??  So not sure which cabins do or do not

 

 

 

[Bee Guy]

Which news station do they provide on the tv programing ?

Edited January 7, 2019 by Bee Guy

[creel5857]

MSNBC and Fox News.....also something on BBC

[pcjr2]

Thank you so much!  Is it true that the food is pretty much boring or are you finding some items to enjoy? I am booking a 16 night cruise on this ship, possibly,  in December to Panama and really hope with all my heart that it is a nice cruise.  I also hope you are enjoying yourself.  I appreciate the honesty.

[pcjr2]

I guess I am looking for a superb cruising experience.  I will probably pay through the "you know what" to get that.  Which has been your fav cruise ship thus far?

Edited January 7, 2019 by pcjr2

[BecciBoo]

13 minutes ago, pcjr2 said:

I guess I am looking for a superb cruising experience.  I will probably pay through the "you know what" to get that.  Which has been your fav cruise ship thus far?

Vision is cheap compared with other newer ships and lines.  We are please with our grand suite price.  We have paid as much for an interior before.  $1369.  Only 4 days but the suite service is great.

 

Our favorite has been Celebrity Solstice.  Followed by Freedom class RCCL.

Edited January 7, 2019 by BecciBoo

[Merion_Mom]

On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 1:41 PM, PashaPoo said:

We will be on Vision on the 12th and are also wanting to know if you can use Amazon Firestick, especially in view of the poor TV offerings.  Have never been on a cruise with Miami as a port stop - only as embarkation.  It looks like there will only be 3 ships in port during the Miami stop.  We are planning to leave the ship and have lunch at Versailles in Little Havana.  Would you (or anyone else) know the easiest transportation to Little Havana? Cab, Uber, free trolley, private hire, rental car? We were leaning toward Uber, but cannot find the uber pickup. Thanks.    

Uber/Lyft can drive right into the port and pick you up in front of the ship.  There will also be taxis there.

 

RC sells the Hop On Hop Off bus "excursion" for $45, and they take you (shuttle) to and from the ship.

[creel5857]

To pcjr2 and other questions

 

food is just plain old buffet food at windjammer like you would get at gold corral or a host of other places......except they seem to put their twist on some veggies and I am not sure who is cutting the chicken but it has some pieces that I have never seen before. (LOL).   Not particularly great but very serviceable for a quick bite to eat with some variety.  While some have complained about coffee and tea I can say we have had worse and the flavors are pretty good to me since they mass produce the beverages.  A real difference for us with the buffet area is the desserts......do not compare to many other cruise lines other than the cookies which appear great.  This time we chose the My Time dining rather than the fixed dining and we feel a bit rushed as they are trying to get people out and more people in which I understand.  I will say that the prime rib and sirloin steak that I got were both cooked and tasted great.  My husband loves escargot and only gets it on cruises and he has been very pleased with it.  The shrimp cocktail were not very large but you could order 2 if you desired so no big deal.  Butter is very limited so our tables have had to ask for more as everyone did not get a butter each for bread but that is minor, we just asked for more!!  Some were amused at how they prepared catsup for those who ordered it with their meats and potato as the servers would actually open up small foil packages and squirt it in a small dish where on other cruise lines it would come in a small dish out of galley or they had a real container to pour it out of .....no big deal to us but some found that slightly different that other cruise lines they had been on .   Portions seem smaller than on some other cruise lines we have been on in last 3 or 4 years but again you can adjust to that by asking for more.......and with all we are eating we dont need huge portions anyway.   I will add this........the park cafe in the solarium is a nice spot for a sandwich, cup of soup or small salad or quesadilla ........it is quiet and has a nice little variety for a snack or light meal during hours the buffet and dining room is closed.   No real pizza place on this ship but they have some pizza included sometimes on the buffet.   Lunch to me in the dining room was not as nice as I expected but still ok.   They were a bit disorganized but then one of the staff explained they had had some “staff changes”??   But we still got our food and it was sufficient.  By the way, they will not let you sit by yourself as a party of ONE.....just letting you know ahead.   Hope that answers your questions a little bit.  Afraid i am giving you too much information.

[creel5857]

Responding to comments about you have to pay a lot to get better service.......well this is true to a certain extent however we have gotten some great prices on holland america and princess and celebrity and thus far I am leaning toward them over royal Caribbean and carnival as far as overall experience.  But royal had a great price, it included key west which we wanted to visit, it went out of a port which we could drive to........so we made our choice based on that.  

 

Regarding the earlier comment from someone about age of cruise attendees on this trip:  we have more young people and kids than I expected for a Jan cruise.  It is not that I dont like kids cause we have kids and grandkids and nieces and nephews we love to be with........just sometimes we like to travel and go on cruises with quieter crowd that has less screaming, crying and noise.........we have kids all around us in fine dining and near our cabins and balconies and so far it seems most are fairly happy, just fairly noisy LOL........but with royal Caribbean and carnival we know to expect greater noise with kids and partying adults........which is why we usually go with one of the other cruise lines.....

[zounds]

Thank you very for taking the time and effort, creel.  We'll be on her  the 19th for the 1st time.  Our very first cruise was on Enchantment, but have since sailed NCL a lot, HAL twice and Carn. once, so I'm curious to see how this compares.  steve

[creel5857]

We have only been on princess, holland american and royal Caribbean.   Our friends and family with us have also been on carnival and Norwegian as well as holland and princess.  Right now our consensus is that holland and princess rate the highest overall for cruise experience and services with royal and Norwegian coming in next and then carnival last.  But all this is subjective and just our 11 opinions (LOL).   We come to that decision based on ship accommodations, level of services by all employees (food, cabin, tours, front desk), and the entertainment/recreation/activities provided which we think creates an environment or flavor of the ship/cruise line.   For us Holland and Princess is more subdued, calm, quiet while still active, employees present very very polished and professional and there are typically less young children which result in a more quiet organized environment.    Royal is billed out more for younger active couples and families with young kids which we have experienced even on this smaller older royal ship sailing during school season.   And then there is carnival.......what can we say........party hardy and bring on the booze.   (Not for us but for others) with a loud party environment on most itineraries.    So vision will be a bit of a let down from your holland american cruise.   But you can still have a good time.  Just hope you dont get a cabin under the pool deck as we are located.  We took the last rooms they had and we knew we probably should not have done it and we regret it.  Loud and noisy with chairs scraping and people running and music banging a lot.  But it’s only 4 more days. (LOL).   I would not turn down a cruise on vision if you already have one planned, just know ahead it is not Holland and Princess environment or level of services 

[DiamondSuiteCruiser]

22 minutes ago, creel5857 said:

We have only been on princess, holland american and royal Caribbean.   Our friends and family with us have also been on carnival and Norwegian as well as holland and princess.  Right now our consensus is that holland and princess rate the highest overall for cruise experience and services with royal and Norwegian coming in next and then carnival last.  But all this is subjective and just our 11 opinions (LOL).   We come to that decision based on ship accommodations, level of services by all employees (food, cabin, tours, front desk), and the entertainment/recreation/activities provided which we think creates an environment or flavor of the ship/cruise line.   For us Holland and Princess is more subdued, calm, quiet while still active, employees present very very polished and professional and there are typically less young children which result in a more quiet organized environment.    Royal is billed out more for younger active couples and families with young kids which we have experienced even on this smaller older royal ship sailing during school season.   And then there is carnival.......what can we say........party hardy and bring on the booze.   (Not for us but for others) with a loud party environment on most itineraries.    So vision will be a bit of a let down from your holland american cruise.   But you can still have a good time.  Just hope you dont get a cabin under the pool deck as we are located.  We took the last rooms they had and we knew we probably should not have done it and we regret it.  Loud and noisy with chairs scraping and people running and music banging a lot.  But it’s only 4 more days. (LOL).   I would not turn down a cruise on vision if you already have one planned, just know ahead it is not Holland and Princess environment or level of services 

 

Try Celebrity when you get a chance, it sounds a lot more like what you are more used to. Very calming, not many children, great food, no loud intercom announcements, but they still have lots of shows and activities, & no pushy up selling. We cruise more on Celebrity now that we are older, but if we find a great deal on RC we do occasionally switch. Our Feb cruise on the Vision was extremely inexpensive and the port is only 4 hrs from home, so we couldn’t resist. 

Thank you for your updates and honest opinions, please keep them coming.

[regg1216]

Have they added the coke machines on the Vision?

[dawebber0922]

I am sailing on her soon...8039.  Now I am nervous.

[bunzini]

53 minutes ago, dawebber0922 said:

I am sailing on her soon...8039.  Now I am nervous.

Don't be nervous, really.  I have been on many, many cruises on many different lines and you will enjoy your trip!  Although Vision is a bit older, she is still a beautiful ship and lots of fun.  We spent a couple of cruises on her last January, and are going back in a couple of weeks.  Just got off the Grandeur in December which is a sister ship.  Maybe these ships do not have all the bells and whistles that the newer ones do, but they are still very entertaining and an overall nice experience.  Many like these ships as they are not so big and a bit more intimate.  For desserts, try the ones in the coffee bar on deck six?.  They serve Starbucks, which costs, but the desserts and items in the refrigerated case are for everyone and no cost (you don't have to get the coffee).  Also, watch for the theme nights at the buffet, each day is different and you might find you will enjoy those evening buffets as much as the dining room...Park Cafe serves pizza and nachos later in the evening when the buffet closes.  

[Lovincruisin1321]

On 1/6/2019 at 10:36 PM, DiamondSuiteCruiser said:

Wow, I understand that with RC in some rooms you have to request ice, but not having twice a day service is a real cut back, and not what we are use too on Celebrity. I sure hope we see better in our suite in Feb, or we will not be doing RC again, which is a shame since we are D+ On them and Elite + on Celebrity.

Have you tried asking for a mattress topper, maybe it will help. I can deal with a bit of rust, wear and tear on the carpets, but lack of service and food being just meh is not a good thing. I sure am hoping for more on our Feb cruise.

Thank you and please keep reporting. I hope you have a great cruise!

DH and I are cruising the Vision in March out of New Orleans.  Was hoping for a more positive report  😞

[creel5857]

Oh for sure continue with plans to do the voyage because there are always pros and cons with all ships and lines.  I was asked specifici questions and was trying to answer best i could.  Just knowing some details ahead can help you anticipate how you want to get the most out of your trip.

 

today is a beautiful day in miami.....wasn’t on our itinerary when we purchased but with dock and island at coco bay still being worked on it got substituted.  There is really nothing at all around port dock area and since we have seen miami on prior trip we are staying aboard and enjoying the top deck and our balcony for views and people watching.  

 

Yes there were people outside last night watching the national championship football game but we chose to do it inside as it was a bit windy .......temps were ok but winds were quite tropical (LOL) so we relaxed in room

 

to LovinCruisin .......you will enjoy your trip.......i didnt mean for my personal answers to prior questions to dissuade anyone from your trip......it is different than many we have been on but we try to have a good time on an trip we go on ........if you have sailed out of New Orleans before I am sure all will go well for you .........and maybe by the time you come you will not have the problem we had with road construction at port.......others on ship with us who have been in/out of port of New Orleans on 2 different cruise lines even complained it was a mess.......so hopefully this is just temporary with the construction work

 

 

[DiamondSuiteCruiser]

 

3 hours ago, Lovincruisin1321 said:

DH and I are cruising the Vision in March out of New Orleans.  Was hoping for a more positive report  😞

 

We leave on the Feb16th cruise. There is still time for them to get their act together. I always heard great reviews about this ship and the crew. I wonder what changed, is it the new Captain, contact changes? Strange but hoping for the best, and I’m sure we will still have a great time either way. Stay positive and enjoy!

Edited January 8, 2019 by DiamondSuiteCruiser

[pcjr2]

I sincerely appreciate your postings.  Unfortunately I have had to choose another cruise but it is on the Caribbean Princess so I am sure it will be fine.  Without your input we would have been miserable in Dec 2019 to Panama and Central America.  16 nights! Yikes!  Have an outstanding vacation.

 

[rrtexascruiser]

My wife and I have only cruised on large ships (ie: Allure and Breeze).  Have you noticed more movement at sea from a smaller ship?  Thank you!

[dawebber0922]

I am on the Feb 16th sailing as well.  I last cruised on the Rhapsody, so I am familiar with the Vision class.  I enjoyed Rhapsody.  What I am most concerned about is the noise as I am on deck 8 😞