Just Back from NOS - First RCI Cruise - Any Questions?

[TennisLover]

I just got back from my first cruise on RCI. There's been so much written about this ship on CC, so I'm just going to share a few opinions.

 

Some background - my DH and I had a balcony on 7th deck; our kids (11 and 14) were in a Promenade cabin across the hall. We were part of a group of 19 family and friends. All had cruised before.

 

Entertainment:

 

Production shows - only fair.

 

Celebrity shows - Charro (most people loved her) and Bobby Arvon (milked his one hit - Theme from Happy Days - to death).

 

Game shows - Quest was funny (too short); Battle of the Sexes was a little disappointing. I skipped the others.

 

Live music - Best entertainment by far was Shane in the Two Poets Pub. He is a guitar player who plays fun songs to sing along to. Not a crazy, rowdy sing along (like on Carnival). If you go to see him, make sure he plays 'Alice' (Alice, Alice, who the ^%$# is Alice!). He only plays from 10 pm - 1 am.

 

Food and drinks:

 

Drinks - Tasty (loved the Mango Tango) but lacked alcohol! Special thanks to Ella in Two Poets who was the best bartender on the ship (she did use alcohol!). She was going home when we got off the ship.

 

Windjammer - good food and service for breakfast.

 

Dining room - food was ok; service was very good (we went there for dinner almost every night).

 

Cabin

 

As expected. Balcony was a good size. Storage was fine. Bedding was very comfortable.

 

Kids program/activities:

 

Must have been more than 1,000 kids on the ship as it was a holiday week. There was so much for them to do. My 11 yo played tons of basketball, mini golf and went ice skating. The arcade was huge. My cousin's 4 year old spent tons of time at Adventure Ocean and had a great time - he was in a talent show, in a parade and made a lot of friends. My cousin was very happy with the counselors there.

 

Spa:

 

Very difficult to get appts (even though that was the first thing I did when I got on the ship). Could only do a mother-daughter massage on port day (so we skipped it). DD did love her first facial. My cousin spent a lot of time there.

 

Cruise director:

 

Gordon - very likable. No complaints.

 

Ports:

 

Labadee -- we missed; couldn't tender due to weather/wind.

Ocho Rios - used Peat Taylor; climbed the falls - don't miss! Also went to Margaritaville and kids had a great time on the water trampolines.

Grand Cayman - used NativeWay Watersports for stingrays, snorkling, Rum Point - great day!

Cozumel - Swam with the dolphins at Chankanaab (booked ourselves on-line). Very glad we did it!

 

What else do you want to know? I'd be glad to answer questions.

[KMYork]

What time were you able to board Navigator?

 

Also- did you hear anything about the menus changing as of March 1st? I thought I had read somewhere that RCCL was going to eliminate Trans Fats from all their menus...

 

We will be sailing this coming Saturday!!!!

 

thanks for all the info!

[kruzerci]

I just got back from my first cruise on RCI. There's been so much written about this ship on CC, so I'm just going to share a few opinions.

 

Some background - my DH and I had a balcony on 7th deck; our kids (11 and 14) were in a Promenade cabin across the hall. We were part of a group of 19 family and friends. All had cruised before.

 

Entertainment:

 

Production shows - only fair.

 

Celebrity shows - Charro (most people loved her) and Bobby Arvon (milked his one hit - Theme from Happy Days - to death).

 

Game shows - Quest was funny (too short); Battle of the Sexes was a little disappointing. I skipped the others.

 

Live music - Best entertainment by far was Shane in the Two Poets Pub. He is a guitar player who plays fun songs to sing along to. Not a crazy, rowdy sing along (like on Carnival). If you go to see him, make sure he plays 'Alice' (Alice, Alice, who the ^%$# is Alice!). He only plays from 10 pm - 1 am.

 

Food and drinks:

 

Drinks - Tasty (loved the Mango Tango) but lacked alcohol! Special thanks to Ella in Two Poets who was the best bartender on the ship (she did use alcohol!). She was going home when we got off the ship.

 

Windjammer - good food and service for breakfast.

 

Dining room - food was ok; service was very good (we went there for dinner almost every night).

 

Cabin

 

As expected. Balcony was a good size. Storage was fine. Bedding was very comfortable.

 

Kids program/activities:

 

Must have been more than 1,000 kids on the ship as it was a holiday week. There was so much for them to do. My 11 yo played tons of basketball, mini golf and went ice skating. The arcade was huge. My cousin's 4 year old spent tons of time at Adventure Ocean and had a great time - he was in a talent show, in a parade and made a lot of friends. My cousin was very happy with the counselors there.

 

Spa:

 

Very difficult to get appts (even though that was the first thing I did when I got on the ship). Could only do a mother-daughter massage on port day (so we skipped it). DD did love her first facial. My cousin spent a lot of time there.

 

Cruise director:

 

Gordon - very likable. No complaints.

 

Ports:

 

Labadee -- we missed; couldn't tender due to weather/wind.

Ocho Rios - used Peat Taylor; climbed the falls - don't miss! Also went to Margaritaville and kids had a great time on the water trampolines.

Grand Cayman - used NativeWay Watersports for stingrays, snorkling, Rum Point - great day!

Cozumel - Swam with the dolphins at Chankanaab (booked ourselves on-line). Very glad we did it!

 

What else do you want to know? I'd be glad to answer questions.

 

I'm sorry you missed Labadee... thats a bummer, its one of my favorite ports. Its an awesome beach day.

 

How did you like the Navigator? Are you going to be staying with Carnival or coming back to Royal Caribbean? Who was the cruise director?

[IamJPT]

Hey Tennis ... thanks again for letting Cecilia go with you guys to the Falls ... she had a great time ... I do not think I ever bought you that margarita I promissed - I guess we will have to wait till next time !!! ...

 

My spin ... the ship was wonderful ... the royal promenade takes the cake ... the dining room food was average for a cruise which is better than what we usually get at home (sorry honey !!!) ... the dining room staff were great ... I asked for shrimp as an appetizer most nights and they got it for me ... my son also asked for a strawberry short cake dessert and the next night they made a separate cake for the entire table ... Portofinos was as we remembered but Chops was not (my steak was not good) ... Windjammer breakfeast and lunch were fine (lots of selection) but we always seemed to struggle to find a table ... Marta and Richele in the spa really worked out the kinks (we had them on Explorer last year and they remembered us !!!) ... the champagne bartender (Arokia ???) was also fantastic ... I must have learned 20 new bar tricks ... Carlos in the concierge lounge was also very accomodating ... as to the entertainment - Charo was unbelievable !!! ... the ice show can not be missed ... the quest was interesting :) ... the kids were plenty but we expected this on a presidents day week cruise ... missing Haiti was dissappointing but that is what makes cruising so exciting - you never know what is going to happen ... overall - RCL delivered again and we will be back ...

[kruzerci]

IamJPT-

Glad to hear you had a great cruise. We loved the Navigator, I wish I was onboard this week :( . But the good news is, we are looking at a 5 night on her next April for a Spring Break cruise and a 7 night on Mariner for next July! God I love those two ships, they are by far my favorite in the fleet!

[weathermom]

Thanks for the updates!!

 

which nights were the formal nights & which night has lobster?

 

thanks!

[Sheik]

Wow, I've never heard before that Labadee is skidded due to bad weather :(

[minimartha]

DId you tender into Cozumel or Dock?? How did Cozumel look after the hurricane? We were there 2 years ago and I wondered how it looked. It was one of my favorite shopping ports before the hurricane.

[TennisLover]

What time were you able to board Navigator?

 

Also- did you hear anything about the menus changing as of March 1st? I thought I had read somewhere that RCCL was going to eliminate Trans Fats from all their menus...

 

We will be sailing this coming Saturday!!!!

 

thanks for all the info!

 

Even though our documents said not to arrive before 2 pm because departure was at 7 pm, we arrived around 12:15 or 12:30. We were on the ship by 1 pm (NO LINES) and our cabins were ready.

 

I didn't hear anything about the menus changing (but didn't ask either).

[TennisLover]

I'm sorry you missed Labadee... thats a bummer, its one of my favorite ports. Its an awesome beach day.

 

How did you like the Navigator? Are you going to be staying with Carnival or coming back to Royal Caribbean? Who was the cruise director?

 

We were really disappointed about Labadee too (never got to try the Labadoozie!). We were able to get some spa appointments and hit the ice skating rink that day.

 

Navigator was a beautiful ship. Gordon was the cruise director -- he has a great personality -- not too sedate and not over the top. I was really disappointed with the evening entertainment and the fact that there is no raucous piano bar. The shows were also very disappointing (I'm not a Charro fan -- thought that was cheezy -- but most people liked her).

 

DH wants to do RCI again next Feb (AOS) because he still wants to do something different from Carnival. However, I will be working really hard (starting this am) so I can squeeze in another cruise -- maybe in December -- and pick a Carnival ship where I can party in a fun piano bar.

[TennisLover]

Hey Tennis ... thanks again for letting Cecilia go with you guys to the Falls ... she had a great time ... I do not think I ever bought you that margarita I promissed - I guess we will have to wait till next time !!! ...

 

My spin ... the ship was wonderful ... the royal promenade takes the cake ... the dining room food was average for a cruise which is better than what we usually get at home (sorry honey !!!) ... the dining room staff were great ... I asked for shrimp as an appetizer most nights and they got it for me ... my son also asked for a strawberry short cake dessert and the next night they made a separate cake for the entire table ... Portofinos was as we remembered but Chops was not (my steak was not good) ... Windjammer breakfeast and lunch were fine (lots of selection) but we always seemed to struggle to find a table ... Marta and Richele in the spa really worked out the kinks (we had them on Explorer last year and they remembered us !!!) ... the champagne bartender (Arokia ???) was also fantastic ... I must have learned 20 new bar tricks ... Carlos in the concierge lounge was also very accomodating ... as to the entertainment - Charo was unbelievable !!! ... the ice show can not be missed ... the quest was interesting :) ... the kids were plenty but we expected this on a presidents day week cruise ... missing Haiti was dissappointing but that is what makes cruising so exciting - you never know what is going to happen ... overall - RCL delivered again and we will be back ...

 

Let Cecilia know that I have the DVD from Dunn's River Falls and we will send her a copy. It was a blast!

 

Every time I passed the champagne bar, I looked for you but you weren't there!

 

We wanted to go to Portofino's but couldn't get a reservation for the day/time we wanted. My parents went and loved it. They also went on the first night of the cruise for a Murder Mystery dinner. Said the food was great and the murder mystery was a lot of fun.

 

Our waiter in the dining room, Dante, was also very accommodating. He took care of the kids first and brought them whatever they wanted. He was also accommodating at our table -- and always had a smile. One thing different on RCI -- the service people make a point to remember your name, which I'm sure is difficult in the dining room. It was a nice touch.

[blackpool belle]

Do you know if they hold an adult talent competition?

[TennisLover]

Thanks for the updates!!

 

which nights were the formal nights & which night has lobster?

 

thanks!

 

The formal nights were Sunday (sea day) and Wednesday (Grand Cayman). Lobster was served on Wednesday night. It was just ok (again, comparing to Carnival's lobster night). You can ask for as many as you want. We joked that we were glad we were at the early dinner because they wouldn't run out!

[TennisLover]

Wow, I've never heard before that Labadee is skidded due to bad weather :(

 

I heard that it happens very infrequently -- especially compared to how often they have to miss Grand Cayman. I guess it was windy and not safe to tender.

[TennisLover]

DId you tender into Cozumel or Dock?? How did Cozumel look after the hurricane? We were there 2 years ago and I wondered how it looked. It was one of my favorite shopping ports before the hurricane.

 

We were supposed to dock in Cozumel but I heard that a Carnival ship (Fantasy) needed some repair work done so they got our dock spot and we had to tender. It worked out fine because we had a nice long day in Cozumel -- we arrived 1/2 hour early AND they had us change the time to Central Time. So we arrived at 8:30 local time and the last tender was at 6:30 pm. We got off around 9:45 (DD lost her Sea & Sail card so we had to replae!) and the line to get off was pretty painless. Just a short wait.

 

We tendered to the dock at the City Center. The shopping and everything over there was fine. Just 2 months ago, we tendered to Puerta Maya and that seems to still need some rebuilding (a lot is done, but it wasn't the same as pre-hurricane days).

 

There's so much to do in Cozumel - I wouldn't mind going again (although DH would rather not). We still haven't done the ATV jungle tour and that sounds like a blast (my sister did it a couple of years ago).

 

I'll be posting my photos on WebShots once I get to organize them. Others in our group are sending me their photos too. I may wait till I get them all and then post. I will let you know!

[TennisLover]

Do you know if they hold an adult talent competition?

 

I don't remember that, but I will look through the compasses that I have (didn't save all of them). There was an adult dodgeball competition (only lost a few balls over the side of the ship) and an adult ping pong tournament.

[kruzerci]

DH wants to do RCI again next Feb (AOS) because he still wants to do something different from Carnival. However, I will be working really hard (starting this am) so I can squeeze in another cruise -- maybe in December -- and pick a Carnival ship where I can party in a fun piano bar.

 

Well, I felt sure you would love Royal Caribbean, but have wonderful cruises no matter which line you choose!

[TennisLover]

Well, I felt sure you would love Royal Caribbean, but have wonderful cruises no matter which line you choose!

 

There is no such thing as a bad cruise. Life is good (RCI or Carnival!).

[kruzerci]

There is no such thing as a bad cruise. Life is good (RCI or Carnival!).

 

I agree 100%! We have had better cruises than others, but when it comes down to it, we have never really had a bad time! Any warm weather cruise is better than sitting here :D!

[Cruising89143]

Hey Tennis ... thanks again for letting Cecilia go with you guys to the Falls ... she had a great time ... I do not think I ever bought you that margarita I promissed - I guess we will have to wait till next time !!! ...

 

My spin ... the ship was wonderful ... the royal promenade takes the cake ... the dining room food was average for a cruise which is better than what we usually get at home (sorry honey !!!) ... the dining room staff were great ... I asked for shrimp as an appetizer most nights and they got it for me ... my son also asked for a strawberry short cake dessert and the next night they made a separate cake for the entire table ... Portofinos was as we remembered but Chops was not (my steak was not good) ... Windjammer breakfeast and lunch were fine (lots of selection) but we always seemed to struggle to find a table ... Marta and Richele in the spa really worked out the kinks (we had them on Explorer last year and they remembered us !!!) ... the champagne bartender (Arokia ???) was also fantastic ... I must have learned 20 new bar tricks ... Carlos in the concierge lounge was also very accomodating ... as to the entertainment - Charo was unbelievable !!! ... the ice show can not be missed ... the quest was interesting :) ... the kids were plenty but we expected this on a presidents day week cruise ... missing Haiti was dissappointing but that is what makes cruising so exciting - you never know what is going to happen ... overall - RCL delivered again and we will be back ...

 

Glad that you enjoyed my all time favorite ship. Without a doubt the best ship that I have ever cruised. I think that Charo would be great to see in person.

[TennisLover]

I think that Charo would be great to see in person.

 

Here's a sample:

[TennisLover]

Here are my pictures of Navigator and a few from our ports (Feb 17-24, 2007)

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/557958960HEpKRs

 

Pre-Cruise:

 

Stayed at Pelican Beach Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale

Went to Billie Swamp Safari (Seminole Indian Reservation) for a day in the Everglades

Dinner and hung out a bit at Seminole Hard Rock

 

Ports:

 

Labadee - missed due to weather

Ocho Rios - Booked through Peat Taylor, then went to Margaritaville

Grand Cayman - Booked through NativeWay Sports

Cozumel - Booked online through Dolphin Discovery, then went to Hard Rock Cozumel (smallest Hard Rock in the world)

 

Hope this helps future NOS cruisers and brings back memories for past NOS cruisers!