This is my review of my recent Western Caribbean cruise on board Royal
Caribbean International's Voyager of the Seas from June 4, 2000 to June 11,
2000.
PREVIOUS CRUISES
This cruise was my eighth overall. It was my first with Royal Caribbean. My
previous cruises include Premier's Big Red Boat Oceanic to the Bahamas;
Celebrity's Zenith to the Western Caribbean; Majesty Cruise Line's Royal
Majesty (currently NCL's Norwegian Majesty) to Bermuda; Holland America's
Veendam to the Eastern Caribbean; Holland America's Westerdam to the Eastern
Caribbean; Princess' Crown Princess to Alaska; and the Carnival Destiny to
the Western Caribbean. Prior to my cruise on the Voyager, I had heard mixed
reviews, but overall, everyone had agreed that she is a spectacular ship.
THE VOYAGER
Allright, when I look back and think of the actual ship, certain words come
to mind. Words like 'unbelievable', 'amazing', 'awesome', and 'incredible'
are just a few. This ship is truly a sight to behold, and I was in awe of
this ship from the minute I pulled up to the pier in Miami until I got off
the following Sunday. I really feel that words cannot describe this ship,
but I am going to try my best! There are so many public rooms on the
Voyager; really too many to name. The heart of the ship was the Royal
Promenade. This space is unlike anything ever put on a cruise ship before,
and I feel that it serves its purpose beautifully. There are several bars, a
small casino, a cafe, several shops, and the Purser's Desk on the Royal
Promenade. On either end of this enormous space is a centrum. The forward
Centrum rises from Deck 2 all the way up to Deck 12. The Midship Centrum
goes from Deck 2 up to Deck 14. Each Centrum is capped by a large glass wall
which allows natural daylight to pour down during the day. The Voyager is
designed so that virtually every public space is easily accessible from
either Centrum, or the Royal Promenade. The three main dining rooms, Carmen,
La Boheme, and Magic Flute are just aft of the midship Centrum, as are the
buffet restaurants Windjammer and the Island Grille. Major entertainment
areas such as the La Scala Theater, Casino Royale, and Studio B Center Ice
are also right off the two Centrums. After an initial walkthrough of the
ship, I found it to be very easy to navigate. One of my favorite features of
Voyager of the Seas is the wrap around Promenade Deck on Deck 4. You can
walk completely around the Voyager, from the very bow to stern. I just found
this to be very enjoyable. Up top, on deck 11, is the Solarium Pool. This
pool is decorated with a Greek theme, complete with columns and statues of
Greek Gods (I think that's what they were.) This area was very nice and
quiet, and it had an oversized hot tub which holds up to 16 people. Also on
this deck are the two main pools, along with several hot tubs. This main
pool area is quite large. There are two pools, side by side, with four hot
tubs. Two are quite large, while the other two are normal sized. In between
the two pools is a skylight which goes all the way down to Royal Promenade 6
decks below. This pool area did get crowded later in the afternoon, but it
was very rarely a problem to find a chair. Further aft on this deck is
Portofino's, Windjammer, and the Island Grille. Up a deck, on Deck 12 is the
Adventure Ocean Kid and Teen area. This area featured a huge arcade,
complete with air hockey and dozens of video games. Adjacent to the arcade
is Johnny Rocket's. Forward on this deck is the Shipshape Gym. Up a deck,
on Deck 13, is where most of the sports activities are located. Here, there
is the rock climbing wall, a full sized basketball court, an inline skating
track, a nine hole putt-putt golf course, and several gold simulators. Up on
Deck 14, there is the Viking Crown Lounge. On the Voyager, this space is
divided up into five areas. The Seven Hearts Card Room, the Cloud Nine
Lounge, High Notes Jazz Club, the Crow's Nest Observation Lounge, and the
19th Hole Bar. Finally, up on Deck 15 is the Skylight Wedding Chapel. This
ship is so superbly designed, that one never feels the crowds at all. On our
sailing, we had 3,605 passengers, and 1,225 crew. Never during the entire
cruise did I feel crowded, or wait in a line. This was very impressive to
me, but not suprising since there are just so many things to do on Voyager of
the Seas.
CABINS
We were in cabin number 9230, a category D9 balcony stateroom on the
starboard side of Deck 9 forward. The room was incredibly spacious. There
is a full sized sofa with a coffee table, as well as two single beds which
convert to a queen. A sliding glass door led to a very good sized balcony.
The balconies on Voyager of the Seas are incredibly private. There are two
chairs and a small table out on the balcony, and there was plenty of room for
four people out there. The bathroom was very nice since there is a sliding
glass door on the shower instead of an annoying curtain. Inside the cabin,
there is a 19 inch TV, electronic safe, a stocked mini bar, and plenty of
drawer space for two. We actually had four people in our cabin, so we were a
little cramped for drawer and closet space, but we managed to survive. The
television is fully interactive. On this TV, you can book shore excursions,
order room service, order movies, and even fill out on board surveys. I was
quite impressed with this cabin, and I did not find it to be very small like
many have said of typical RCI cabins.
SERVICE
All I can say, is that the Voyager boasts one of the finest crews afloat.
Each and every one of them should be commended for the work they have done.
Every crew member I encountered during the week greeted me with a smile. A
cruise line cannot control the attitudes of their employees, so I found it
amazing how nice and cordial everyone was on the Voyager. This staff is
definitely the friendliest, and most personable group of people that I have
ever encountered on a cruise. The service in all areas was excellent. My
room steward, Earl was awesome. He always kept the room clean, kept drinks
on ice, and greeted us every morning with a smile and a 'hello'. Our waiter,
Pramode was excellent. He did everything we asked of him, and more. He had
no problem taking special orders, and he took them with a smile. Our
assistant waiter, Koray quietly did an excellent job. He knew what everyone
wanted to drink by the second night. Our bar waiter, Phyllis was one of the
friendliest people I have ever met. His cheerful smile and laughter always
put a smile on our faces. Everyone on this ship did everything in his or her
power to make this cruise special. The service was more than I could have
ever asked for on any ship. Not to mention that this is the largest ship in
the world, and at the time it was the second most crowded cruise ever on a
cruise ship. These two little minor details made the service seem even more
unbelievable. Overall, I'd have to rate the service on this ship as the best
I have encountered on any ship. Service was just as good, if not better than
Holland America's. I just can't say enough about the crew on this incredible
ship.
FOOD
Before this cruise, I had heard many negative comments about the food on the
Voyager. I can't say that I was really worried about this prior to the
cruise, but those negative reviews the food had gathered certainly did linger
in the back of my mind. However, throughout the week, I received one
excellent meal after another, and at the conclusion of the cruise, it was
obvious to me that the food I had that week on the Voyager was the best food
I have encountered on any cruise. There were several options for each meal
on the Voyager of the Seas. For breakfast, one could eat at the Windjammer
Buffet, Island Grill, Carmen Dining Room, or Cafe Promenade. The Windjammer
and Island Grill featured similar buffet lines. I opted for the Island Grill
because I liked the view off the back of the ship better. The buffet lines
featured a huge selection of breakfast foods. It was basically a standard
cruise buffet, but I did notice that the selection was much broader than on
other cruise ships. The only negative I can think of was that occasionally,
the eggs here were lukewarm. I ate breakfast twice in the main dining room.
Breakfast in here was nothing short of excellent. The eggs benedict I
ordered was the best I have ever had on a cruise, and the portions were huge.
I once asked for double eggs benedict (meaning two eggs), and the waiter
brought me four! The service in the main dining room was also excellent
unlike several other ships I have cruised on. If you are in a hurry, and
need a quick breakfast one morning in port, Cafe Promenade is a perfect
place. Every morning the Cafe boasts a continental breakfast, complete with
bagels, toast, danishes, and coffee. For Lunch on Voyager of the Seas, one
could eat at Wind Jammer, Island Grill, Carmen Dining Room, Johnny Rockets,
or Cafe Promenade. The Windjammer Buffet was nothing spectacular, but it did
have good food. Back in the Island Grill, hamburgers and hot dogs were
served alongside a very large salad bar. The burgers in the Island Grill
were thick and juicy. They had all the fixings like cheese, bacon, and
grilled onions available to add to your burger. One thing I wish the Voyager
had was a poolside Grill for burgers, because as it is, if you are by the
pool, you have to venture back to the Island Grill for a burger. I also ate
lunch one day in Johnny Rockets. This was a completely unique experience for
a cruise ship. The diner featured a 50's decor complete with mini juke boxes
at each table. The food here was free except for sodas and milkshakes. The
burgers were really good, but did not stand out as much since the burgers in
Island Grill were just as good. Several afternoons, there were huge lines to
get into Johnny Rockets, but when we went we waited no longer than three
minutes. One of the last days, I ate lunch in the Carmen Dining Room.
Again, the food in here was excellent as was the service. Also available for
lunch in Cafe Promenade was fresh pizza, little sandwiches, and desserts.
The pizza was available virtually around the clock, and it was quite good.
It was not as good as Carnival's pizza, but since they made so much of it,
some was always available. This was one of my favorite places to eat lunch.
I enjoyed sitting and watching people stroll down the Royal Promenade while
enjoying my pizza! Right next to Cafe Promenade are two self serve ice cream
machines complete with a topping bar. These machines got a lot of use during
the week. Dinner on the Voyager was truly my favorite. Dinners were
excellent all around. The portions were huge, and the waiter had no problem
with special requests such as ordering multiple entrees. In a matter fact, I
ordered two entrees pretty much every night. A few things which I enjoyed at
dinner were that Caesar Salad was available every night, and sodas were free
of charge during dinner. A couple of things that stood out at dinner were
the lobster, filet mignon, prime rib, and the excellent service. Desserts
were very imaginative and tasty. As I stated earlier, the food I encountered
on Voyager of the Seas was the best I have had on any cruise!
GYM
Unfortunately I did not get to use the Gym facilities as much as I would have
liked to on the Voyager. However, I did get to peek in. There are dozens of
Reebok machines in the gym (66 to be exact). There is also a free weights
area, along with several treadmills and stairmasters. There is a huge hot
tub in the middle of the gym adjacent to locker room facilities, steam room,
and sauna. This is a complete gymnasium and aerobics center, and it is the
largest at sea. There is a track which encircles the pool areas. Five laps
around this 350 yard course is the equivalent to a mile. One thing that
would have annoyed me if I ran was the fact that deck chairs sometimes
obstructed the jogging course. Personally, I prefer the jogging tracks on
Carnival's Fantasy and Destiny class ships since they are pretty much
isolated, and padded with a true track surface instead of just paint on
aluminum deck. Anyway, the gym area is yet another impressive feature on
Voyager of the Seas.
ACTIVITIES
There is no question that Voyager of the Seas has more activities than any
other cruise ship ever made. First of all, there are the traditional cruise
ship activities such as bingo, art auctions, horse racing, pool games, and
many others. But unlike other ships, on Voyager there is a full sized
basketball court with organized games; a nine-hole mini putt-putt golf course
which is fully landscaped with greens, fairways, and sand traps; an inline
skating track with padded walls; a rock climbing wall for the adventurous; an
ice skating rink where you can skate in the Caribbean; Challenger's Arcade,
the largest arcade afloat complete with air hockey and several huge arcade
games; and even a golf simulator where you can play some of the legendary
golf courses like Pebble Beach. The best part about all of this is that it
is all free of charge with exception of the golf simulator. In addition to
all this, there are several ping pong tables and shuffleboard courts. There
are 16 Internet terminals in the beautiful, two-story Jay Pritzker Library.
These computers are modern looking flat screen computers which cost $.50 per
minute for Internet access, and $4.50 to send a digital postcard. With the
Internet, you can access your web based e-mail very easily with the swipe of
your Supercharge card. I felt this $.50 per minute was really quite
reasonable, especially after hearing the prices of Internet on other ships.
Movies were also played on the Voyager at various times in La Scala, or down
in the screening room, a small theater on Deck 2. Overall, the amount of
activities on Voyager of the Seas is unparalleled. There is truly always
something happening on this ship.
ENTERTAINMENT
Entertainment throughout the week was consistently good. Most of the
entertainment was presented by the Cruise Director, Ken Rush. He was a very
personable and friendly person. The Assistant Cruise Director Richie was
absolutely hilarious. He was always making everyone laugh! The Cruise Staff
was incredibly friendly; most notably Valerie Sprenger from Switzerland, who
joined us for dinner on a couple of occasions. The production shows on the
Voyager featured stunning acrobatic routines. There were also two comedians
who were pretty good, but nothing spectacular. The Motown Singer was a great
impressionist, and I even volunteered up on stage and helped him sing 'My
Girl' in front of a packed house at La Scala. Ice Jammin', the Ice Show was
spectacular. If there was one show you should not miss, this is it. It is
unlike anything on any other ship. This show takes place five different
times during the week so that everyone has a chance to see it. Midnight
parades which take place along the Royal Promenade were a very festive and
unique experience. There was a Welcome Aboard Parade the first night and a
Mardi Gras Parade Wednesday night. Also, during the day, the Krooz Komics
entertained guests along Royal Promenade with their whacky acts. Overall,
I'd would have to say that the entertainment was very good, but it could be
made better.
NIGHTLIFE
If nightlife is your thing, then the Voyager of the Seas is your ship! This
ship comes alive at night with music in all the lounges. Up top, in the
Viking Crown Lounge, there is the High Notes Jazz Club which basically serves
as a nightclub for older adults. Music is played till the morning hours at
Pig and Whistle, the Schooner Bar, the Champagne Bar, and several other
places. The Scoreboard Sports Bar is open late, showing different sporting
events. On our cruise, we saw the NHL Finals, the NBA Finals, and the
College World Series. Casino Royale and Spinners is open as always if you
like to gamble. The focal point of the nightlife on the Voyager is down on
Decks 3 and 4 in the Vault Nightclub. You can enter this club from Deck 4
with a fake hand scanner which opens a door. You then walk on a bridge over
the dance floor, and down the stairs to the bar area. This place was packed
every night, and usually did not shut down until 3 or 4 am. I loved this
nightclub's design, and it is my favorite on any ship! Oh yeah, if you get
hungry, Cafe Promenade is always open serving pizza and sandwiches! Overall,
the nightlife on this ship is amazing; a person used to Carnival's nightlife
would feel right at home on the Voyager!
WHO GOES?
Everyone! On our cruise, there hundreds of kids and teenagers. There were
many families, single people, younger couples, honeymooners, and older
couples. There were even about 55 honeymooners on our cruise! The wide age
range on this ship created a very fun atmosphere. I'd say that the average
age was 35-40.
EMBARKATION/DISEMBARKATION
The embarkation procedure was very organized, very high tech, and very quick.
We arrived to the Port at around 1:15 and waited in a fast moving line for
no longer than ten minutes. While we were in line, the Krooz Komics
entertained us to pass the time. When we got up to the counter, I was amazed
that absolutely every step of the check-in process was done on a computer. I
was just really impressed with how high tech everything was on this cruise;
even the embarkation process. I have to say RCI had the Embarkation down
perfectly. Disembarkation was even better. We woke up at around 7:00, went
to go eat in the Carmen Dining Room, and as we were eating, our color was
called. We were one of the last colors, and we were off the ship at 8:15.
We painlessly got off the ship and got our bags off of the baggage carousel.
I just felt that this was very impressive, especially since there were 3,605
passengers on board. Royal Caribbean has the embarkation and disembarkation
process on the Voyager down to a science. I was very impressed.
WESTERN CARIBBEAN ITINERARY
SUNDAY, JUNE 04, 2000 -- Miami, Florida
Today, as we drove down MacArthur Causeway, we saw Carnival's Paradise,
followed by the massive Voyager of the Seas. The first sight of this ship is
truly a sight to behold because its sheer size is just breathtaking. After
boarding the ship, we got a bite to eat at Cafe Promenade, toured the ship a
little, and went to muster. We then went to dinner when we set sail around
6:15. After dinner, we explored some more and eventually ended up in the
Vault. Dinner: Casual
MONDAY, JUNE 05, 2000 -- At Sea
Today, we got comfortable with our new home, the Voyager. I played putt putt
golf, and did several other activities. It was a very relaxing day. I did
notice that the pool area does not get nearly as crowded on this ship as it
does on other ships. You could pretty much always get a chair. Tonight we
went to the Captain's Cocktail Party on Royal Promenade, and then went to
dinner. That night I was all over the place, and ended up in the Vault
again. Dinner: Formal
TUESDAY, JUNE 06, 2000 -- Labadee, Haiti
Today we anchored off Royal Caribbean's private peninsula of Haiti. We
tendered in, and went to one of five beaches where we spent the day. This
area was beautiful. The first beaches you get too get quite crowded, but if
you are willing to walk for 10 minutes, the beach on the north side of
Labadee is virtually empty. A bar-be-que lunch is prepared on the island.
There is a Haitian market you can go to if you choose. The natives are quite
pushy at the market, but it is your choice to go there, because the vendors
do not leave the market area. This was a very relaxing day. We left Labadee
at around 4:00, and I went to dinner. Tonight I enjoyed the Voyager's night
scene in the Vault Disco. Dinner: Casual.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 07, 2000 -- Ocho Rios, Jamaica
This morning, we woke up to see the beautiful port of Ocho Rios. After
breakfast, we went down and did some shopping. The extent of our shopping
was pretty much the three shops on the pier, but that was plenty for me! By
the way, Royal Caribbean does allow you to bring bottles of alcohol back on
the ship. We then went back to the ship and had lunch at Johnny Rockets.
Later that afternoon, we took a cab for $22 roundtrip to Dunn's River Falls.
This was a great experience. It is beautiful here. We climbed the falls
very quickly, so we had plenty of time in the Jamaican market while we waited
for our taxi. Entrance fees for the park were $5 per person I believe. We
then went back to the ship and watched us depart during dinner at around
6:00. After the show, I am sure that I ended up in the Vault. Dinner:
Smart Casual
THURSDAY, JUNE 08, 2000 -- At Sea
Today we enjoyed another at sea day. I played basketball this morning, and
realized that I am very bad at it. Other than that, I just took it easy and
participated in an occasional activity or two. Tonight was another formal
night, a stunning acrobatic show, and no doubt, The Vault. Dinner: Formal
FRIDAY, JUNE 09, 2000 -- Cozumel, Mexico
This morning we woke up, and watched Carnival's Celebration dock on the next
pier over. The Voyager towered above the Celebration. It was a very
impressive sight to see both of them. Well, we then went down and shopped in
the shops in the cruise terminal. That is plenty shopping for me! We
returned to Voyager for lunch, and then headed downtown to Carlos'n Charlies.
Cab fare is $5.00 each way. This is a wild and crazy bar and restaurant.
If you have been there, you know what goes on, and if you haven't been there,
you probably still have a pretty good idea of what goes on. We then made our
way back to the ship in time for dinner and the show. Tonight, I made my
stage debut in the La Scala with the Motown singer. Later on I was in, you
guessed it, The Vault. Dinner: Casual
SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2000 -- At Sea
This morning we woke up and had an excellent breakfast in the Carmen Dining
Room. After that, I went ice skating in Studio B. This was an experience I
will never forget! Ice Skating in the Caribbean; that doesn't happen
everyday! Well, after my exertions on the Ice Rink, we went back to have an
excellent lunch in the Carmen Dining Room. I then took a video tour of the
Voyager for friends and family back home. This took some work. It took me
about 2 1/2 hours to video the whole ship! Then it was off to the last
dinner. We said our good-byes to our tablemates, and then headed off to the
Farewell Show. Tonight, I said good-bye to The Vault as well as the many
friends I had met during the week. Dinner: casual
SUNDAY, JUNE 11, 2000 -- Miami, Florida
When I woke up, we were already docked. We headed down to the Carmen Dining
Room for a sit-down breakfast when our disembarkation color was called. We
then got off the ship and got our bags off the carousel. Then started the
long, 20 hour drive back to Houston =(
ODDS & ENDS
- The pool area did get crowded at times, but you could always find a chair.
People over 18 years old could use the Solarium Pool which remained uncrowded
all week. There was, as always, the saving of deck chairs on the pool deck.
-The pool didn't seem as crowded as it has on other cruises. This may be
since there is so much else to do on the Voyager besides laying by the pool.
-The Voyager is an incredibly stable ship. The whole week, I never once knew
we were on a ship. She is the most stable ship at sea. We very rarely felt
any rolling or anything else.
-This ship has a great design to it. It is amazing that I never encountered
one line the whole time on this cruise despite the 3,605 passengers.
-We never ate in Portofino's, but from those who did, I heard it was
excellent. Also, if I could pick a night to eat there, I would do it Friday
night. I would definitely eat in the Main Dining Room on Monday and Thursday
night since these were the best meals in my opinion.
-Thursday night is lobster night, Monday is Filet Mignon.
-The La Scala Theater badly needs some sort of stairs to connect the decks.
If you are on the main floor, it takes forever to get out through the two
aisles when the show is over. Stairs on both sides of the stage up to the
next level would help the room clear out much faster.
IN CONCLUSION...
I have to say that this week on board the Voyager of the Seas was my best
cruise to date. The ship and the cruise surpassed my greatest expectations
in every category. I would do this cruise again in a heartbeat. We are
already looking into her sister ship, the Explorer of the Seas for next June.
I highly recommend this ship to anyone; first time cruisers, or veteran
cruisers. If you want the feeling of being at sea, you may not like the
Voyager. There are not that many public places on the lower decks from which
you can see the sea. This ship is one of a kind, and she is completely
impressive in every aspect. All in all, this was virtually a perfect cruise.
We will definitely sail on Royal Caribbean, and a Voyager-class ship again in
the near future.
Sean Ryan