Review: Just Off Navigator of the Seas 2/18/22 sailing Three-Day to Ensenada

[PaddleAddict]

Just wanted to post a quick review while things were still fresh in my mind. Some of this is cross posted in more specific threads. I know some recent cruises have been sailing pretty not full but our ship had more than 2,000 passengers including several hundred kids (188 alone that needed the pre-boarding covid tests according to the guard I spoke to).

 

I will try to break things down to specific topics to keep things organized:

 

Ship: We have never been on this ship nor this class of ship. We really liked it! The ice skating rink is awesome. We did the open skate and saw the show. Wish we could have skated more than once. The Flowrider was fun to watch but we didn’t brave it (too cold). My husband and son loved the water slides but only went down once due to them being cold. The pools and splash pad were ice cold, which was a huge disappointment as I thought they would be heated. No one was in the pool all weekend despite fairly warm, sunny days. My kids tried the splash pad but they were freezing so had to get out. My kids loved the mini golf and it was fun to be up there for sailaway. My husband really liked the indoor Promenade but I wasn’t a big fan. I prefer ships that remind you that you’re on a ship rather than interiors that look like a mall. Also, we couldn’t enjoy any of the neat-looking bars and pubs in this area due to the kids not being vaccinated, so that was a bummer. We had a great time in the casino one night when the kids when to the kids club. I like how they keep smoking on one side (not the side with table games) but I would prefer a non-smoking casino if given the choice. 

 

Staff: Every staff member we encountered was truly top notch. It was so refreshing to receive such wonderful service for the entire stay, especially these days when I feel service almost everywhere is subpar. I can’t say enough good things about the staff and service.

 

Food: I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked the food! We did not do any upchage restaurants and ate only at the Windjammer, Main Dining Room, Café Prominade and El Loco Fresh. 

 

We only ate in the main dining room once (the last night). This was mostly due to the kids not being hungry at 5:30 the first two days. Our one experience in the MDR was wonderful! Food was excellent. I had the lamb shank and DH had the prime rib, both really great. The kids had chicken noodle soup, burgers and fries and strawberry ice cream. DH and I passed on dessert, too full. The staff was wonderful with the kids, bringing them fruit salad right away before we even ordered so they had something to nibble on. Our server also brought us a cheese plate and bread basket, both of which were really tasty! 

 

I was surprisingly pleased with the food in the Windjammer. Most things I tried here were really good and the level of food was better than I was expecting, especially for lunch and dinner. I was thrilled to find Indian food available every lunch and dinner and I happily ate this for most of my meals. It was excellent (nothing was spicy, not even the things labeled spicy). 

 

Other standout items for me in the Windjammer were chicken and leek pie (individual pot pies, so good!) and the beef short rib. My kids loved the food and ate mostly burgers, hot dogs, fish sticks, chicken fingers and fries, though one night they had grilled salmon, mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. 

 

Breakfast was normal buffet breakfast fare, but I found to be fine. I really liked the individual fried eggs and the assortment of breads available. My kids mostly had cereal, pancakes, waffles, bacon, eggs and fruit.

 

Twice we grabbed pizza from the Cafe Promenade. It was just OK. Also grabbed some cookies here, which are the same as in the Windjammer (the coconut cookie and the oatmeal cookie were my favorite). 

 

We tried the El Loco Fresh Mexican food for lunch one day and this was pretty gross in my opinion. Maybe because we have lots of great Mexican food living in Southern California. The best bets there were the tacos (chicken and carnitas), and the tortillas were really good, so subsequently the quesadillas were decent as well. But everything else, the rice, beans and ground beef (?) were strange, not really "Mexican food" in the sense that I know them, just different flavors than I would expect. The queso "cheese" was really nasty ... watery and odd tasting and I doubt it's actually cheese. The premade burritos were strange and had some yellow rice inside. The salsas were unremarkable and the guacamole was weird. I don't really recommend this place as there is so much better food available elsewhere on the ship!

 

Entertainment: The ice show was truly amazing and the best entertainment I’ve ever experienced at sea. The skaters are so talented and I’m amazed at what they can do in such a small rink. I loved the costuming, choreography, lighting and music, this show was a highlight for us! The ventriloquist comedian was very funny, though I had to leave early due to my 3-year-old not sitting still here. We missed Showgirls and the adult comedy. 

 

Adventure Ocean and Royal Tots & Babies (kids club/nursery): Adventure Ocean and Royal Tots & Babies nursery were both open but with very limited capacity. On our three-day cruise, we were only allowed one guaranteed reservation for the entire trip (one three-hour time slot).
 

We could try to drop in to other sessions in the hopes of a no-show but it was next to impossible to drop in. So many crying kids were turned away who desperately wanted to attend the kids club and could not. It was so sad. I literally saw a stream of sobbing children leaving the kids club after they were told “sorry, we’re full.” This was also a huge bummer for my husband and I as we were really hoping for a little more “alone time” (an hour or two every day would have been so nice!).

 

That said, the one session my older kid attended was great. The Adventure Ocean and the Royal Tots nursery staff are just wonderful. Both kids had a great time for their one and only visit. 

 

Traveling With Unvaccinated Kids: We sailed with our unvaccinated 7 and 3 year old boys. A lot of venues and activities on the ship were designated as vaccinated only so we couldn’t attend with our children with us. Some shows were vaccinated only, as well. For instance, the ice show had a 6pm showing but it was vaccinated only so we couldn’t attend. We attended the 8:30pm show, which was rough on the kids but it was our only option (tried unsuccessfully to get them into the kids club that night). It was really sad to walk past a fun-looking venue and see the “vaccinated only” sign and not be able to go in.

 

We were not allowed off the ship at the one and only stop in Ensenada unless we booked a ship tour. They cheapest tour would have cost us close to $200 and wouldn’t have been ideal for the kids so we just didn’t get off the ship. That was kind of a bummer although Ensenada is not the greatest stop anyway so we just enjoyed the ship. 

 

A lot of the activities my son wanted to do were 12+ only and I suspect it was due to the vaccination requirement. This was disappointing for him as he couldn’t do the archery or some of the other activity challenges. 

 

The embarkation procedure was really yucky for non-vaccinated. We knew the kids had to take a second covid test at the port, but I wrongly assumed it would be a truly “rapid” antigen test. As soon as we got there they let us know we would have to wait 45 minutes minimum for the results and we had to wait in this desolate port building with folding chairs before we could check in. As a result, we didn’t board the ship until nearly 2pm despite arriving at noon. It was frustrating and the kids were miserable and bored. It was such a bummer way to start a vacation. Additionally, the PCR testing for the kids was an added stress (would the results come in time??). Overall, the entire pre-cruise testing requirements were very stressful for us.

 

Bottom Line: We enjoyed our cruise very much. The kids were blown away by their first-ever cruise. We had intended this as a test to see if the kids liked it before booking a longer cruise, probably to the Caribbean. The next time we cruise, we will definitely consider Royal Caribbean first but we absolutely won’t be sailing again until Royal Caribbean increases the kids club capacity to normal so our kids can enjoy it as much as they want. We also might wait longer than we thought in the hopes that some of the covid protocols can be removed (masking, vaccine mandates, covid testing, capacity restricting, social distancing, kids club restrictions, etc.).

[Cel_cruise]

Thank you for your review!  I had been hoping all went well with the pre-cruise testing. I’m so sad about the lack of kids club access.  I really hope that is increased soon and you are able to take another proper cruise ! 

[PaddleAddict]

5 hours ago, Cel_cruise said:

Thank you for your review!  I had been hoping all went well with the pre-cruise testing. I’m so sad about the lack of kids club access.  I really hope that is increased soon and you are able to take another proper cruise ! 

Thank you! All in all, everything worked out and we were able to board and have a great time! I also hope they increase the kids club access soon so we can cruise again! 

[Baowen]

All of the pool heaters are broken. Usually the slides have really nice warm water.  I heard that your sailing was crazy busy for the crew! One of them told me "these people are drinking live they've never seen alcohol before!"   Very funny!

 

Beth

[PaddleAddict]

21 minutes ago, Baowen said:

All of the pool heaters are broken. Usually the slides have really nice warm water.  I heard that your sailing was crazy busy for the crew! One of them told me "these people are drinking live they've never seen alcohol before!"   Very funny!

 

Beth

Ha ha, that's really funny! I didn't see any rowdy behavior but it was very upbeat and people were definitely having a great time. There were a lot of people on board. I was expecting a little less but it was pretty packed. Interestingly, I noticed they would socially distance the tables in the Windjammer UNLESS it was very busy, then all those placards went away and all tables were full. Otherwise, there would have been a line to wait to eat and I suspect they don't want that happening.

[F27TW]

3 hours ago, Baowen said:

All of the pool heaters are broken. Usually the slides have really nice warm water.  I heard that your sailing was crazy busy for the crew! One of them told me "these people are drinking live they've never seen alcohol before!"   Very funny!

 

Beth

 

All of the pool heaters broken ??   Pretty unacceptable considering how long that ship sat out of service.  No excuse for that.  They had plenty of time to make sure everything was in working order before going back into service.  

Edited February 23, 2022 by F27TW

[pcur]

You are now acquainted with what the health protocols are, so I'm sure it won't be so stressful the next time.  Your 3 yo is going to still wait for 1-2 years for a vaccination, but you can still have a good time going again.  Your 7 year-old (unless there's a medical reason) is eligible to be vaccinated, and this might make the next time easier on you.  You will be able to split up with the kids: one going with the vaccinated son, and the other with the non-vaxed son. Also, you might have an easier time in Adventure Ocean just trying to get the 3-4 year old in, while the 7+ can go with you.

 

I got off in Ensenada to go to a drugstore, and you didn't miss anything.  The only other suggestion I have is the Caracol Museum is .4 mile from the dock, you can walk to it, and you can see it from the ship.  You all might like it. I think it would be $30 for the 4 of you.

 

I ate lunch at El Loco Fresh twice, and made my own taco salad (with them actually making it), and it was quite good both times.  Just a dribble of queso, shredded cheese, salsa/pico, and the green sauce was very good.  I wish they would bring back the fish tacos.

 

I agree about the food:  it was good everywhere. 

 

I was on the 2 cruises before yours, and I agree about the crew, also.  They were outstanding, and very attentive.  

Edited February 23, 2022 by pcur

[PaddleAddict]

1 hour ago, F27TW said:

 

All of the pool heaters broken ??   Pretty unacceptable considering how long that ship sat out of service.  No excuse for that.  They had plenty of time to make sure everything was in working order before going back into service.  

It was extremely disappointing. Kids wanted to swim so badly and even tried at one point but it was just ice, ice cold. 

[rockmom]

7 hours ago, Baowen said:

All of the pool heaters are broken. Usually the slides have really nice warm water.  I heard that your sailing was crazy busy for the crew! One of them told me "these people are drinking live they've never seen alcohol before!"   Very funny!

 

Beth

I was on this sailing and the best line was the guy that put his toe in the water and said "I've had ice cubes that were warmer than this."  It was bitterly cold.  And yes, the ship was really full compared to what had been reported on the past couple months of sailings.  The crew seemed like they were running constantly, and it felt like they were very short staffed.  The one downside, and to me it was a BIG downside, was because the pool was so cold, the hot tub on the main pool deck was packed solid.  And I mean packed. About 3/4 of those in the hot tub were little kids, I saw some parents hand over kids in swim diapers to another adult in the hot tub.  I saw one kid 'drinking' the water and then spitting it at his siblings in the hot tub.  Some kid had a swim ring.  It was crazy.   On the deck just above the pool, only one of the hot tubs was open and it was always packed as well, although with mostly adults.  Boobs to booty--squished in together.  There was a sign that said 'only members of your own party in the hot tub'.  There were members of probably a dozen parties crammed in there.  We had a 10 year-old with us, so couldn't escape to the solarium.  But when you have a ship on the west coast and it's winter, you NEED pool heat.  Kids ran through the splash pad, but after a short while, you'd see chattering teeth and blue lips.  (one morning when I was out there it was only 45 degrees--and we didn't break 70.  So no chance of the pool water getting even remotely warmed by the sun/air temps.  

Edited February 23, 2022 by rockmom

[PaddleAddict]

20 minutes ago, rockmom said:

I was on this sailing and the best line was the guy that put his toe in the water and said "I've had ice cubes that were warmer than this."  It was bitterly cold.  And yes, the ship was really full compared to what had been reported on the past couple months of sailings.  The crew seemed like they were running constantly, and it felt like they were very short staffed.  The one downside, and to me it was a BIG downside, was because the pool was so cold, the hot tub on the main pool deck was packed solid.  And I mean packed. About 3/4 of those in the hot tub were little kids, I saw some parents hand over kids in swim diapers to another adult in the hot tub.  I saw one kid 'drinking' the water and then spitting it at his siblings in the hot tub.  Some kid had a swim ring.  It was crazy.   On the deck just above the pool, only one of the hot tubs was open and it was always packed as well, although with mostly adults.  Boobs to booty--squished in together.  There was a sign that said 'only members of your own party in the hot tub'.  There were members of probably a dozen parties crammed in there.  We had a 10 year-old with us, so couldn't escape to the solarium.  But when you have a ship on the west coast and it's winter, you NEED pool heat.  Kids ran through the splash pad, but after a short while, you'd see chattering teeth and blue lips.  (one morning when I was out there it was only 45 degrees--and we didn't break 70.  So no chance of the pool water getting even remotely warmed by the sun/air temps.  

Yes, we were in the hot tub the deck above the pool with our kids (did you notice the other hot tub on the opposite side on the same deck was closed for maintenance the entire cruise???). At one point some random boy joined us (no parent) and made friends with my son and they were happily playing and of course splashing a little. I tried to crack down on the splashing and keep them away from the other adults so they weren’t a bother but it was hard. I never would have had the kids in the hot tub had the pools been heated to a tolerable level. 

[rockmom]

31 minutes ago, PaddleAddict said:

Yes, we were in the hot tub the deck above the pool with our kids (did you notice the other hot tub on the opposite side on the same deck was closed for maintenance the entire cruise???). At one point some random boy joined us (no parent) and made friends with my son and they were happily playing and of course splashing a little. I tried to crack down on the splashing and keep them away from the other adults so they weren’t a bother but it was hard. I never would have had the kids in the hot tub had the pools been heated to a tolerable level. 

Yep, that hot tub was closed and almost all the casitas were roped off too.  And that one day they put the net over half the pool, not sure what happened, but they rushed to close it off mid-day and it stayed that way the rest of the day. The only people I saw swimming were pretty much kids who don't care how cold it is, very few adults braved it other than to wade over to the green lounger things.  

[PaddleAddict]

10 hours ago, rockmom said:

Yep, that hot tub was closed and almost all the casitas were roped off too.  And that one day they put the net over half the pool, not sure what happened, but they rushed to close it off mid-day and it stayed that way the rest of the day. The only people I saw swimming were pretty much kids who don't care how cold it is, very few adults braved it other than to wade over to the green lounger things.  

I found it odd that so many casitas and loungers were roped off. Do you have to pay for these?

[mil76]

Does the big screen by the pool still have a green hue to it?  I can't imagine watching a movie on that.

[rockmom]

6 minutes ago, PaddleAddict said:

I found it odd that so many casitas and loungers were roped off. Do you have to pay for these?

No, on Navigator they were first come, first served.  We got on on the sea day, but only because we went there pretty early--in jackets and jeans, and hung out.  We don't do the chair hog thing by throwing a towel on them.  We took turns when it came to leaving to eat, or take the kiddo to the arcade for a bit.  I also did the selfie scavenger hung with the grandson while my daughter stayed in the casita and read her book and enjoyed a few minutes of 'alone time'. lol  

[rockmom]

1 minute ago, mil76 said:

Does the big screen by the pool still have a green hue to it?  I can't imagine watching a movie on that.

Yep, still awful.  

[binro01]

I sure hope they fix those pool heaters by April 4th, when we board

[Baowen]

11 hours ago, rockmom said:

I was on this sailing and the best line was the guy that put his toe in the water and said "I've had ice cubes that were warmer than this."  It was bitterly cold.  And yes, the ship was really full compared to what had been reported on the past couple months of sailings.  The crew seemed like they were running constantly, and it felt like they were very short staffed.  The one downside, and to me it was a BIG downside, was because the pool was so cold, the hot tub on the main pool deck was packed solid.  And I mean packed. About 3/4 of those in the hot tub were little kids, I saw some parents hand over kids in swim diapers to another adult in the hot tub.  I saw one kid 'drinking' the water and then spitting it at his siblings in the hot tub.  Some kid had a swim ring.  It was crazy.   On the deck just above the pool, only one of the hot tubs was open and it was always packed as well, although with mostly adults.  Boobs to booty--squished in together.  There was a sign that said 'only members of your own party in the hot tub'.  There were members of probably a dozen parties crammed in there.  We had a 10 year-old with us, so couldn't escape to the solarium.  But when you have a ship on the west coast and it's winter, you NEED pool heat.  Kids ran through the splash pad, but after a short while, you'd see chattering teeth and blue lips.  (one morning when I was out there it was only 45 degrees--and we didn't break 70.  So no chance of the pool water getting even remotely warmed by the sun/air temps.  

Haha.  I also saw that sign about only being in the hot tub with your own party. People definitely didn't follow those rules even on the previous sailing.  I agree, being on the west coast they need to get those pools heated.  It's not warm enough!

Beth

Edited February 23, 2022 by Baowen

[rockmom]

21 minutes ago, binro01 said:

I sure hope they fix those pool heaters by April 4th, when we board

I think they've been broken for weeks, I wouldn't hold out too much hope that they'll be working, unfortunately.   

[Baowen]

(did you notice the other hot tub on the opposite side on the same deck was closed for maintenance the entire cruise???)

 

That hot tub was only open on my November & December Navigator cruise. It' s been "closed for maintenance" all of the other cruises.

 

Beth

[Baowen]

15 hours ago, F27TW said:

 

All of the pool heaters broken ??   Pretty unacceptable considering how long that ship sat out of service.  No excuse for that.  They had plenty of time to make sure everything was in working order before going back into service.  

The captain said they got new pool heaters during the pandemic and every one of them broke!

[smokeybandit]

They're going to start losing families if they don't get rid of the March 2020 rules they follow in Adventure Ocean.

 

It's not fun for any kid the way they're treated.

[PaddleAddict]

5 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

They're going to start losing families if they don't get rid of the March 2020 rules they follow in Adventure Ocean.

 

It's not fun for any kid the way they're treated.

I agree, it was really sad! The kids were heartbroken. We won’t get back until that changes, even if it means waiting years (hope that’s not the case!).