I have survived my first cruise with Royal Caribbean!!

[mad4rda]

Hi

 

I just got back yesterday from a 7 day West Med cruise on Voyager of the Seas.

 

What can I say? The ship is huge!!!!

 

I had a lovely, relaxing time for the first 6 days of the cruise. Everyone on board was really friendly and my cabin attendant (Dennis) was first class :D . The ship facilities were fab and I even managed to pick up a bargain in the onboard shops (a Tissot watch).

 

The only thing which I though was a slight let down... was the food. I have only cruised one other time and that was with Celebrity and the food was better that time. But I don't believe it's a fair comparison.

 

The ports were fantastic. I'm in love with Naples now and want to go back.

 

One thing I would not like to repeat was the last day - it was the only 'sea' day and the conditions of the sea were very rough. The ship was rocking and rolling like there was no tomorrow. Even with the scolp patch, topped up with dramamine I still felt awful. Speaking to some of the cruise staff the next morning, they said it had been bad and quite a few of them had hardly slept all night.

 

I think that's it for now - will try to do a proper review in the next few days.

 

Kazza

[Cruise_Couple]

Glad you had a good cruise. It seems like you kept an open mind about comparisons between the lines. Do you think you will cruise RCCL again?

[ken_nyc]

Congrats on your first Royal Caribbean cruise. They have wonderful ships, especially the Voyager Class, which is the only one we have been on so far. From what I read, the food varies from ship to ship. Hope this will not deter you from another Royal Caribbean cruise!

[VASOXFANN]

Just curious why you liked Naples so much?

 

Most people I've spoken with who have been there call it "the armpit of Italy" :confused:

[NautiqueBelle]

Just curious why you liked Naples so much?

 

Most people I've spoken with who have been there call it "the armpit of Italy" :confused:

 

I would imagine the OP liked Naples because it's the gateway to the fabulous Amalfi Coast with the lovely towns of Positano and Ravello. This is the most beautiful coastline in the world!

[bgsimp]

Just curious why you liked Naples so much?

 

Most people I've spoken with who have been there call it "the armpit of Italy" :confused:

 

My thoughts exactly. I have never seen a place with so much litter in the streets. It was very dirty. Thank goodness we booked an excursion to take us out of the city. Much nicer.

[cage keeper]

Glad you had a great cruise. We are going on the Explorer in March with friends that haven't cruised with RCL. They had about 15 cruises with HAL and thought they would never try any others. But then HAL pulled out of NY. Hope ours goes as well as yours. Except for the rough seas that is.:D

[jaynne2001]

Glad you had a great 'first cruise' with RCCL. Sorry to hear that the seas were rough at the end. I hope this didn't spoil your vacation too much! I love the larger Voyager-Freedom class ships, as there is so much to do onboard! You picked a great ship for your first cruise :)

I look forward to reading your review! Let us know when it's posted :)

[VASOXFANN]

I would imagine the OP liked Naples because it's the gateway to the fabulous Amalfi Coast with the lovely towns of Positano and Ravello. This is the most beautiful coastline in the world!

 

Being the Gateway is quite a bit different than being the beautiful coastline.

 

Be that as it may, I'm glad the OP enjoyed the cruise, and I look forward to reading more about it and Naples.

[pcur]

The only thing which I though was a slight let down... was the food. I have only cruised one other time and that was with Celebrity and the food was better that time. But I don't believe it's a fair comparison.

 

Oh, boy, that's a high standard to start out with !!:D Yes, the quality is not the same, but the experience is so different it makes up for it.

 

Hope you are embarking on many more cruises!!:D

[wolfcathorse]

Kazza, when you do your review please mention who your captain was. Did you have Capt Patrik Dahlgren?

 

Also, congrats on your first cruise with RCI. Now the bad news...you're infected...you'll have to cruise again....you'll have to cruise again with RCI

[rubrrick]

I'm still not positive that the quality of food is found fleetwide. We certainly had no complaints about the food on the Monarch for either the last 3 night, 4 night or the Panama Canal cruise.

 

We have been on some RCCL ships that we thought that the food was less tasty, not as well presented or, in a couple of cases......just not very good. I truly believe that so much of what comes out of the kitchen (galley) and how it's prepared is the responsibility of the executive chef.

 

It is a fact that Royal Caribbean does not spend the same amount per passenger per day as Celebrity does. So, one would normally expect better meals out of X.

 

Hope that the one day of getting your sealegs did not bother you too much.

 

Thanks for your report!!

 

Rick

[sea-cruise]

We took the train to the fort at the top of the city, then worked our way down. Like you, we loved it. :)

Of course, if you stay around the port area (any port area) of a city, you will find it to be less than beautiful. :(

We strolled through quaint stone-paved streets and a tiny shop where they were carving cameos, an ancient church, and cafes.

When we reached the old shopping arcade and nearby port area again, of course it was not the same.

We've found the food to be superior on Celebrity as well, but then so are the prices. All in all, RCCL has excellent food for the cost of sailing. :)

I'm looking forward to your full review. Thanks for sharing! :D

[pppiglet]

We just got off our first RCCL cruise to the Mex Riviera on VOS and yes...the food was not up to par on this cruise either. Nothing sounded appetizing at all on the menu and what we did end up ordering was bland. Even the dessert choices were poor. This would not keep my from sailing on them again though. We had plenty to eat. At disembarkation breakfast this morning I heard a few others commenting on the food just being the worst they've ever had on a cruise.

 

 

We had much better choices and food quality on Disney Magic and Carnival Pride.

[tomko2]

So glad you enjoyed your first RCL cruise; too bad about the conditions on the last night. We are anxious to return to Naples next summer and planning to spend the day in the city. Look forward to hearing more about your trip especially Naples.

Kathy:)

[browneyes7]

Just curious why you liked Naples so much?

 

Most people I've spoken with who have been there call it "the armpit of Italy" :confused:

 

I've been to Naples several times (2007 & 2008). They have been having a garbage strike for at least a year, because there was garbage stacked everywhere in the city both times we were there. We like the port, though, because we go to Sorrento and Positano from there. You can also go a little farther down the coast to Amalfi. Capri is also nearby, so there are wonderful places you can go visit from the Naples port. Pompeii, also, is only a 30 minute train ride from Naples.

[mad4rda]

Just to answer a couple of questions (my review might take a few days)...

 

Yes, it was Capt Patrik - he was a charming man and clearly loved the ship.

 

Yes - I will cruise with Royal Caribbean again. I just need to forget the 'bad day' at sea!!!

 

And why did I like Naples? If you venture away from the port area, the city has charming little side streets with wonderful little shops and cafes. The people are friendly, especially if you attempt to speak their language. It became quite a game for me to order some lunch - by the time the order had place almost the entire cafe had got involved, helping me pick out the words from my "how to speak Italian' dictionary! In the end I had a very tasty chicken dish and a beautiful glass of wine. :D

 

P.S. I loved the towel animals.

[browneyes7]

mad4rda,

 

Please tell us more about your cruise!! What did you do at each port, etc.? :D