Just back from an awesome cruise on Sovereign- Review Inside

[kruzerci]

We just walked in the door from the 4 day Sovereign Bahamas cruise and I am going to try and write a short review about the trip. We sailed on Sovereign 7 years ago on our first cruise and she got us hooked! Seven years later, she is still a great ship and the refurb in 2004 did wonders for her. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to answer them! I will have pictures posted in a few hours, there are over 200.

 

Day 1 (Port Canaveral)-

We drove all night from Montgomery and stopped at a Country Inn and Suites in Daytona to get a few hours of sleep and to get a shower before we headed over to the ship. The hotel was nice, considering we only paid $150 for the night.

 

We left the hotel around 10:00 AM and got to the ship around 11:00 AM. Dropping off the luggage was easy and painless as usual and we got a great parking spot on the first level of the parking deck. By the time we got through security and began to check in, it was about 11:30. We are Platinum members, so we were asked to go sit in the Platinum/Diamond departure lounge, which was a huge advantage as the line was already wrapped around the terminal for the other passengers! We were the second couple aboard the ship and we were up in the Windjammer having a nice lunch by 11:45. This was by far the easiest and quickest embarkation we have ever experienced- our cruise was off to a great start :D !

 

We lounged around the pool deck and explored the ship for a while after lunch. Overall, the ship looks incredible. We were blown away as to how great the ship looked for being nearly 20 years old. The only areas where she really shows her age are Voltage and the Follies theatre. The rest of the ship, however, looks great and was always sparkling clean.

 

Muster drill was at 4:15. My wife has always had unpredictable migranes and she had one after we got onboard the ship. They get to where she can't look into the light without throwing up, so the staff let her stay inside the ship during the muster instead of having to stand out in the bright light, which was great for her. So, unfortunately, we missed our 'Roll Call Meet and Mingle", we could have a ship planned one since it was a 4 day cruise.

 

We had early dining (which I immediately regreted after having late for a couple of cruises :D), but we had some great tablemates and a very friendly dining room staff. Despite being only a one story dining rooms, both the Illusions and Mirage dining rooms seemed just as nice and classy as on any of the other Royal Caribbean ships we have sailed on.

 

The welcome aboard show was nothing special, but it was fine. There was a comedy/magic show this night.

 

Day 2 (CocoCay)-

Yay! We made it to Cococay and I am so glad we did. It was our best day of the cruise. We were on the first tender off of the ship, so we got great chairs and enjoyed the quiet island for a few hours before many other passengers were there. Keep in mind before going ashore that the bars do not open until 10:00 AM! We did not know that so were very thirsty by the time they opened, but after a few beers, that seemed to go away ;) .

 

The last time we were at Cococay was on our first cruise 7 years ago and Royal Caribbean has made some great improvements since then. They have really made the little island nicer and it is much better developed than it was a few years back.

 

That's about it for Cococay, we had a full day at the beach with perfect weather and a few drinks. You can't ask for much more than that!

 

Cococay night was formal night for our cruise. I know that there has been conflicting information about which night is formal night. Our waiter said that it has been that way for a few cruises now and it should not change.

 

Day 3 (Nassau)-

We were able to book a room at Atlantis the Saturday before we left and it worked out great for us. It was expencive, but it was well worth the money to be able to use the beach and water park. We spent the whole day on Paradise Island and headed back to the ship around dinner time. We missed our main seating, so we had a nice little dinner in the Windjammer.

 

There was the Poolside Party/ Buffet as we left Nassau at midnight. You can't miss this, it is really a good time.

 

Day 4 (At Sea)-

I got seats on the pool deck at 8:00 AM, just before the crowd hit and spent the entire day out there. We have been needing a good day at sea since our last cruise and this was one of the most relaxing days at sea we have ever had. We couldn't get over how nice and friendly the bartenders are on Sovereign, all of the crew members for that matter. They did everything in their power to make sure we had a great vacation and they did a wonderful job.

 

Day 5 (Port Canaveral)-

We got at 6:30, just in time to go up on Deck 7 and watch the ship come into Port Canaveral. We always do this on the last day. It is always sad, but it's a great way to close out the vacation. The Windjammer was open from 6:30 - 10:00 AM for breakfast and they starting calling colors at about 7:30. We were right at the middle of the disembarkation list (Brown 2) and we were off the ship and on the road by 9:00.

 

After a wonderful cruise, this is where our trip took a turn for the worst :eek: . We were sitting at a light in Jacksonville after we stopped to get gas and just like going to our cruise 4 years ago, the car behind me didn't stop. We got rear ended in Jacksonville :eek: . I don't know why, but every wreck I have ever had has been in Florida and I have never even lived there! After we got a police report, we decided to try and drive on home. I didn't want to get my Yukon fixed in Jacksonville and have to drive back down there to get it next week, so we drove home with the back door tied down with bunjee cords and everything out of alignment and bouncing. Five hours later, we made it home and I just dropped it off at the GMC dealership to be fixed. They said they're running behind and it will probably be at least two weeks before its fixed and by looking at it, it looks like it will be at least $9,500 of damage. Thank god the idiot that hit me had insurance!

 

Anyways, besides the last day, we had a great cruise and if we ever do a 4 day cruise again, we won't hesitate to sail on the Sovereign. We have come to expect a lot out of Royal Caribbean and all of our expectations were exceeded on Sovereign, just as they have been on the other cruises we have taken on Royal Caribbean. Once again, we had an amazing week with Royal Caribbean and I' anxiously waiting to book our next cruise.

 

For those of you that are weary about sailing on Sovereign, don't be. We were expecting to be disappointed and we ended up having a great trip. Four days is just too short, but if Sovereign ever fits into our schedule again, she will be one of my top choices for a short cruise.

 

Everybody sailing on her in the future, HAVE A GREAT CRUISE!!!

[Pia1913]

Nice to hear that Sovereign still "reigns." It's been many years since we sailed her and if we wanted a short cruise, would probably do it again.

 

Pia

[montgomeryfamily]

Sorry about the accident. Glad you had a great cruise. How long was the drive from Montgomery?

[shipknotshore]

Glad you enjoyed your cruise. Sometimes those short cruises really fit the bill. You really appreciate having the Soverign like we west coasters appreciate having the Monarch. They are lovely ships and the crew goes above & beyond to be helpful and kind.

 

Sorry 'bout the accident.....bummer!!!

[kruzerci]

Montgomeryfamily- It was just an easy 7 hour drive down there and it was 9 hours home because I had to drive a little slow.

 

Skipnotshore- I know! We haven't done a 4 day cruise since 2000 and it was really nice for a change. Don't get me wrong, I would still rather do a 7 day, but I love the 4 day cruises because there is not as much PCD (post cruise depression) and they are so easy and give you so much time before and after the cruise. I have never had a crew as friendly as they were on Sovereign!

[kc320]

Where was the Plat/Diamond departure lounge located?? I've sailed out of PC several times & was always told they don't have one. Last time was Oct. 06 and we waited in line to board for about 45 min. would have been nice to be able to sit & wait!

[princess402]

Thank you so much for your review! We are going on April 27th and have heard a lot of confliciting reports about the ship, so this is very reassuring!

 

You said that you had regrets about your early dinner seating - I'm wondering if there was any particular reason why? We are slotted for early dinner seating and even though it's probably too late to do anything about it now, I have been having second thoughts about it the last few weeks...

[rjnjr1019]

we are going on the 27th also with another couple cant wait they say the ship is the same as the mos been on that ship twice wanted to sail on it again but i wanted to be in nassau on sat instead of sunday can not wait :D

[kruzerci]

Where was the Plat/Diamond departure lounge located?? I've sailed out of PC several times & was always told they don't have one. Last time was Oct. 06 and we waited in line to board for about 45 min. would have been nice to be able to sit & wait!

 

It is located right in the middle of the terminal. It is not actually a lounge at Port Canaveral like it is in Miami, it is more like a square in the middle of the terminal with plastic chairs. I had always heard that they didn't have one, too. It may be fairly new.

 

Thank you so much for your review! We are going on April 27th and have heard a lot of confliciting reports about the ship, so this is very reassuring!

 

You said that you had regrets about your early dinner seating - I'm wondering if there was any particular reason why? We are slotted for early dinner seating and even though it's probably too late to do anything about it now, I have been having second thoughts about it the last few weeks...

 

Sovereign is a great ship, I really cannot believe some of the negative reviews I have read about her. She isn't as glamorous as the newer Royal Caribbean ships, but they keep her up well and she does not show her age.

 

We prefer the late seating because it gives you so much more time to do what you want in the afternoon and early evening. We always stay out on the pool deck late afternoon and having the early seating really cuts that short. But, the flip side of that is that you have the whole night to do whatever you want when you have the early seating. I guess what it really comes down to is whether you want more free time in the afternoon or night.

[kruzerci]

Just posted some of my pictures. There may be a few more pages on there by tomorrow, but this is them for the most part.

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/bamarox1991

[rcicruiser1015]

Thank you for the nice review. Most of the recent ones have not been great so it is good to hear good things about Sovereign.

[batoryfirst]

We just did our first 3-night cruise on the Sovereign and enjoyed it so much, we signed up for another one in November. Loved the ship and the crew. They were all so pleasant. If you're lucky enough to get Oscar as a cabin steward, you will be very happy. We were on deck 9. We ate all of our meals in the Windjammer and two of the headwaiters, David and Hartley were the absolute best we have ever had. That also goes for Colleen, the Loyalty Ambassador. She was patient and extremely knowledgeable. All these people work twice as hard as those on the longer cruises because they have to turn the ship over twice a week which means a major disinfecting in all areas.

I also liked the fact that it didn't look like most of the Royal ships do now. The newer ones all have the same carpet, drapes, chairs, etc. I realize it is more cost effective to buy in volume, but it sure would be be more exciting for us if every ship had its own identity.

[kruzerci]

I forgot to mention, we were on Deck 3 (3092) and we had no unusual smells or plumbing problems. Our tablemates had a cabin on Deck 8, so we we walked up there a few times with them throughout the cruise and there were no smells there, either.

 

Getting back to this 40 degree weather is terrible after 84 and not a cloud in the sky :eek: !

[veryhotred]

Thanks for the review!!! We are going on the Sov for our first RC cruise and are taking the kids on their first cruise!! I really hope we get to Cococay, we are really looking forward to it since we have been to Nassau before. Thanks again!!

[veryhotred]

It looks like in one of the pools there is a shallow area for kids, is that true?

[veryhotred]

One more comment..lol..THANK YOU for sharing the pics...we just looked at them all and appreciate you sharing.

[kruzerci]

Thanks for the review!!! We are going on the Sov for our first RC cruise and are taking the kids on their first cruise!! I really hope we get to Cococay, we are really looking forward to it since we have been to Nassau before. Thanks again!!

Yeah, Cococay was a great day for us. We spent the entire day at the beach and really enjoyed it. They have done great things for the little island since we were there on our first cruise.

 

It looks like in one of the pools there is a shallow area for kids, is that true?

 

Yes. Both of the pools have a shallow area at one side of the pool, but kids (15 and under) are only allowed in the aft pool. They were very strict about this on our cruise. They even kicked them out if they were with their parents. It wasn't like that 7 years ago when we brought our kids, but it is strictly enforced now.

 

You can see the shallow area here:

[clementine]

To Kruzerci,

Just wondering if there are safes in the room. I am booked on the May 7th cruise I will be in cabin 3592.

Thanks

[kruzerci]

To Kruzerci,

Just wondering if there are safes in the room. I am booked on the May 7th cruise I will be in cabin 3592.

Thanks

 

We were in 3592!!!! I was thinking that we were in 3092 when I wrote the reivew, but I realized it was 3592 when I was looking at pictures! There is not a safe in the room, but the cabin attendants name is Benjamin. He is from Jamaica, I believe, and he is very quiet, you have to go out of your way to talk to him :p . He does a great job, though, so we tipped him extra.

 

There are no safes in the cabin, but there are plenty of little nooks to hide things in and Benjamin is trustworthy :p .

 

I'm adding pictures of the cabin for you.

[rcicruiser1015]

Does the Sovereign of the Seas still do dueling pianos? Were they good on your cruise? Thanks

[veryhotred]

Yeah, Cococay was a great day for us. We spent the entire day at the beach and really enjoyed it. They have done great things for the little island since we were there on our first cruise.

Thanks for letting me know about only using the AFT pool!! I will obey the rules..lol..glad they have a shallow part, my son cannot swim. Thank you again!!!

 

 

Yes. Both of the pools have a shallow area at one side of the pool, but kids (15 and under) are only allowed in the aft pool. They were very strict about this on our cruise. They even kicked them out if they were with their parents. It wasn't like that 7 years ago when we brought our kids, but it is strictly enforced now.

 

You can see the shallow area here:

 

To Kruzerci,

Just wondering if there are safes in the room. I am booked on the May 7th cruise I will be in cabin 3592.

Thanks

 

We are also going on the May 7th sailing!!

[cruisegirl1]

No safes in cabins on deck 2-8.

M

[dagadget]

We just walked in the door from the 4 day Sovereign Bahamas cruise and I am going to try and write a short review about the trip. We sailed on Sovereign 7 years ago on our first cruise and she got us hooked! Seven years later, she is still a great ship and the refurb in 2004 did wonders for her. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to answer them! I will have pictures posted in a few hours, there are over 200.

 

Day 1 (Port Canaveral)-

We drove all night from Montgomery and stopped at a Country Inn and Suites in Daytona to get a few hours of sleep and to get a shower before we headed over to the ship. The hotel was nice, considering we only paid $150 for the night.

 

We left the hotel around 10:00 AM and got to the ship around 11:00 AM. Dropping off the luggage was easy and painless as usual and we got a great parking spot on the first level of the parking deck. By the time we got through security and began to check in, it was about 11:30. We are Platinum members, so we were asked to go sit in the Platinum/Diamond departure lounge, which was a huge advantage as the line was already wrapped around the terminal for the other passengers! We were the second couple aboard the ship and we were up in the Windjammer having a nice lunch by 11:45. This was by far the easiest and quickest embarkation we have ever experienced- our cruise was off to a great start :D !

 

We lounged around the pool deck and explored the ship for a while after lunch. Overall, the ship looks incredible. We were blown away as to how great the ship looked for being nearly 20 years old. The only areas where she really shows her age are Voltage and the Follies theatre. The rest of the ship, however, looks great and was always sparkling clean.

 

Muster drill was at 4:15. My wife has always had unpredictable migranes and she had one after we got onboard the ship. They get to where she can't look into the light without throwing up, so the staff let her stay inside the ship during the muster instead of having to stand out in the bright light, which was great for her. So, unfortunately, we missed our 'Roll Call Meet and Mingle", we could have a ship planned one since it was a 4 day cruise.

 

We had early dining (which I immediately regreted after having late for a couple of cruises :D), but we had some great tablemates and a very friendly dining room staff. Despite being only a one story dining rooms, both the Illusions and Mirage dining rooms seemed just as nice and classy as on any of the other Royal Caribbean ships we have sailed on.

 

The welcome aboard show was nothing special, but it was fine. There was a comedy/magic show this night.

 

Day 2 (CocoCay)-

Yay! We made it to Cococay and I am so glad we did. It was our best day of the cruise. We were on the first tender off of the ship, so we got great chairs and enjoyed the quiet island for a few hours before many other passengers were there. Keep in mind before going ashore that the bars do not open until 10:00 AM! We did not know that so were very thirsty by the time they opened, but after a few beers, that seemed to go away ;) .

 

 

Sovereign is looking like it will be the cruise for our soon to be 18 year old for his graduation incentive cruise on March 31st 2008. I have been looking for a good review on Sovereign and I am pleased that you had a great cruise. What catagory cabin did you get? We are leaning toward the Jr Suite for three of us.

 

Great review thanks for it.

[kruzerci]

Sovereign is looking like it will be the cruise for our soon to be 18 year old for his graduation incentive cruise on March 31st 2008. I have been looking for a good review on Sovereign and I am pleased that you had a great cruise. What catagory cabin did you get? We are leaning toward the Jr Suite for three of us.

 

Great review thanks for it.

 

Your welcome and we had a category G Oceanview cabin on Deck 3. It was fine for the 4 days with two people, but if we sail on Sovereign again we won't go less than Superior Oceanview. I checked out the JS cabins early before the ship was crowded and they were very nice, but very small for Junior Suites. Hope that helps.

[dagadget]

Your welcome and we had a category G Oceanview cabin on Deck 3. It was fine for the 4 days with two people, but if we sail on Sovereign again we won't go less than Superior Oceanview. I checked out the JS cabins early before the ship was crowded and they were very nice, but very small for Junior Suites. Hope that helps.

 

 

The Junior Suites are still bigger than the E2 Balcony on Mariner and I think that it will be big enough for 3 of us. Thanks again you posted a great review.