Six days on the Navigator - A First Time Cruiser's Observations

[hokierick]

My wife and I won a chartered cruise aboard the Navigator March 6-11 with port calls in Key West and Grand Cayman. It was a fabulous trip and I want the regular CC posters to know that I found their observations and suggestions most helpful as we prepared for the trip.

As a first-time cruiser I'll say that I was very impressed with the level of service, cleanliness, and consistent food quality (with one exception) that we enjoyed. As for some of the common gripes I've noted on reviews of the Navigator, here is what I experienced during my six days, five nights:

Vibration in aft, yes, definitely an issue. Sitting in the back of the Portofino for breakfast one morning (calm seas too), it was pretty strong, with plates rattling and all that.

We never had brown water, never had a power outage, and the toilet worked just fine the whole time. I do have to wonder though about the design of the shower drain. The ship never seemed to be perfectly level, and as a result, the water always collected on the opposite side of the drain and would sometimes spill out on the floor. Couldn't they design a shower to drain no matter which way the ship is listing? That was kind of annoying. But other than that, the bathroom was very nice!

Our suite was in an ideal spot (mid-ship, forward), and we never had really rough seas, but it still rocked and rolled at times. One night I was just too woozy (even with Dramamine) to go out. But keep in mind, I was a first-time cruiser!

Food in Compass Rose and room service was great. Only exception, the french fries and hashbrowns were cheap-tasting, like what you'd get from the frozen food section. Just not on par with everything else. I guess those folks just don't understand how good french fries can be (same with hashbrowns). Minor gripe though. We did enjoy Compass Rose food much better than the breakfast and lunch buffets at Portofino which were okay but not great. Highlights for me were the venison and chateaubriand.

Desserts. Wow. Yes. Very good. Always.

Entertainment options are very limited but we did enjoy the Navigator Band and singers.

Embarking and Disembarkation were as smooth as we could possibly imagine. Tender at Grand Cayman was quick and efficient.

We booked our own shore excursions (Danger Charters in Key West; Captain Marvin's in Grand Cayman--and we would highly recommend both to others...we had a blast). The excursions through Regency were overpriced and we can't speak to their quality.

In sum, we felt that everthing was extremely well-planned and executed. Now this was a chartered cruise, and we wonder if perhaps the Navigator is particularly well-suited for charters and less ideal for longer cruises? The staff was great though. The details were taken care of impressively. Any gripes we have are very minor. We'd recommend the Navigator to others. And we feel so lucky to have won this cruise. Thanks so much Harris Teeter! :)

[OrpingtonT]

Thank you. An interesting addition to the recent Navigator postings.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

What a nice review! It sounds like you had a great time. How great to win something like this.

 

Next time, try Bonine, it doesn't make you drowsy like Dramamine. After 8 cruises, I find I rarely need it, despite the rocking and rolling, and despite having pretty severe motion sickness in the past.

[DebbieH103]

I enjoyed your comments and am glad you had a good time.

[gillianrose]

Next time, try Bonine, it doesn't make you drowsy like Dramamine. After 8 cruises, I find I rarely need it, despite the rocking and rolling, and despite having pretty severe motion sickness in the past.

 

 

It doesn't matter which brand or generic you buy as long as it contains the active ingredient Meclizine HCl (HCI is short for Hydrochloride)

 

 

Dramamine Less Drowsy: Meclizine HCl (25mg)

Bonine: Meclizine HCl (25mg)

Antivert: Meclizine HCl (25mg)

 

and many, many generics that contain exactly the same active ingredient.

 

Buy what's handy, buy what's cheap....it does not matter the brand.

Meclizine HCI is what matters.

 

I haven't been on a ship that does not make it available for free at the front desk for as long as I can remember, though we take our own now.

 

(The original Dramamine formula contains the active ingredient Dimenhydrinate 50 mg. We don't use that, as we want to remain as alert as possible most of the time.)

[wanderingviolet]

Glad you enjoyed your trip Rick even though we didn't run into each other. Harris Teeter is awesome :)