Voyager of the Seas - Review (Long)

My wife and I just disembarked from a 1 week cruise on the Voyager -
Western Route out of Port of Miami - April 8 2006 departure. It was an
excellent experience.

We arrived at the terminal later than we usually do - we got there
around 3 PM - but that worked out well. We dropped off our luggage and
parked in the garage. We then crossed over and waited in a short line.
We reached the document checkpoint in about 10 minutes. Whoops. We
found out we were at the wrong terminal. Some signage outside would
have been appreciated. Signage said RCL but did not indicate the ship.
We were directed next door to the correct terminal, and there was no
line at all. Again, no signage at the door to indicate the ship - we
asked to be certain this time. That could use some improvement RCL.

We had pre-registered on line - a good idea to do this - and
consequently check-in was very quick. Only one person ahead of us -
lots of stations to check in for those who had pre-registered. We went
through the photo station quickly, and on board. We found our room -
midships on deck 7 with a balcony. We had booked only a couple of
weeks before the cruise - got a very good rate from our favorite travel
agent (Ray - he posts on this group as well), and an excellent room
choice.

Had a quick meal at the buffet, as we always do when boarding. Took a
quick tour of the heart of the ship (it took days to tour the whole
thing, and I still think there are areas we missed). Early seating
dinner is our preference, and it came quickly. We were surprised to
have a table for 2, and at first a little disappointed - we enjoy
meeting others. The Head Waiter for our area immediately offered to
reseat us if we wished, but after viewing the amount of kids seated at
other tables, we decided to stay where we were. We were glad we made
that decision.

We were later advised that there were between 1300 and 1500 kids
aboard. No problem at all the entire cruise, except the mealtimes had
quite a few sleepy and complaining children at almost every table. We
enjoy kids (I teach school), but we had looked forward to a little
quiet time on the cruise - I know it is Easter Break (that is why I am
off work myself), but I had mistakenly thought the parents with kids
would have chosen a different cruise line.

We also met several passengers who had been displaced by Princess, due
to the fire. Since vacations are a fixed point in time for most of us,
they were glad to have been able to switch over to the Voyager.

Our waitress was fine - a little more difficult to understand than most
of our prior waiters - but she was great overall. As our table was for
two, and most of her other customers came 30 - 45 minutes late (first
time I remember ever seeing so many people come late for dinner
seatings - and it happened every single night), we were served quickly
and efficiently. My wife has some dietary restrictions (not a weight
diet - she cannot digest several foods - it is medically necessary for
her to be cautious in her food choices), and I was doubtful that this
huge ship could help us very much - I was wrong. The head waiter
arranged for gluten-free bread, and set up meals specifically for her
diet needs. With over 3000 people on the ship and a lot of special
orders for kids meals, we were amazed. RCL truly exceeded
expectations.

My food was very fine - I ordered off of the standard menu. Portions
were generous, and food prep was excellent in my view. Only thing I
did not care for was the onion soup on Friday - it did not have much
flavor, and seemed almost greasy to me. A quick substitution of an
excellent traditional shrimp appetizer was made seamlessly. I did not
always find food of my liking among the primary choices, but the
alternative choices were very good. Two nights I chose the
alternatives. The Italian food was better seasoned than on prior RCL
cruises, at least to my middle-American taste, and the other food was
great. No chateaubriand on this cruise. All else, was typical cruise
fare, well prepared and tastefully served.

We ate in the dining room every evening. It is a beautiful setting -
incredible, really. Three stories tall, and elegant in every respect.


We tend to stay up late and sleep in. We had a late breakfast at the
buffet 6 out of 7 days - food was the standard, but still very good.
Four complete stations made for a very short wait compared to prior
experiences on smaller ships. One day we slept past breakfast, and so
had a lunch at the sit-down restaurant. This worked better than
expected - service was quick, and some breakfast entries made the
experience perfect for us.

We did not eat lunch every day (how much food can you eat??), but when
we did eat lunch, we chose the buffet (except for one day as noted).
Excellent. The waiters came around and refilled our beverages - a nice
touch we rarely saw on other ships at the buffets.

A late evening snack at the pizza and sandwich station on the Grand
Promenade was the standard end of our dining day. Once again, a classy
venue that gave the feeling of sitting at a cafe on the street. Very
nice.

One minor complaint - although we received free tickets for Johnny
Rockets in our cruise perks envelope, we were never able to use them.
Johnny Rockets was closed between 12 and 3 when in port, and that is
the time we had planned to go. Other people we met on board had
similar plans, and were equally disappointed in the scheduling. But as
one of the comedians said, 'It is a mystery when you think about it.
Next door at the sit-down restaurants, you get as much steak and
lobster as you want for no extra charge - and yet people are standing
in line to pay $3.95 for fast food at Johnny Rockets.' I guess he has
a point.

We did not dine in the Italian pay-for-dinner venue. The menu was too
spice-intensive for my wife's diet, and nothing appealed to me either.
There was a 'Murder-Mystery' dinner the first night, which we would
have attended if there were some other food offerings on the menu (like
middle-of-the-road lasagne or a non-spiced steak or chicken for my
wife), but I realize I do not have a connoisseur's palate. I do not
even know if I spelled that right.

As to ports of call. We have been on the tours and seen most of the
ports, so I was not anxious to disembark at the first few stops. I
wanted to see Cozumel, though, and my wife wanted to shop in Grand
Cayman and visit Jamaica, which she had never seen. We stayed on board
at Labadee, and were glad we did. Our fellow cruisers reported lots of
bees and flies, as well as over a thousand kids enjoying the water
slides and beach areas on shore. I am sure they had a great time.

We got off the ship at the next stop, though, in Jamaica. I found a
cab driver with a new car - a Honda Odyssey (a little smaller than an
American Honda Odyssey, but still very nice). He drove us around the
island and then to a back entrance to Dunn's River Falls, where we
could view the falls without having to go through the gamut of vendors.
Very nice. He asked for $60 for two hours - I paid that plus a tip.
Very comfortable in the vehicle, and a very good experience for us, and
a huge bargain over most other options.

In Grand Cayman, we got off the ship against my better judgement - my
wife wanted to shop. There were about 7 ships in port, and it was very
busy on shore. When we went to returned to the ship, we saw hundreds
of people in many lines waiting for tenders. I resigned myself to a
long wait in the sun - it was probably going to take about 45 minutes
to an hour, I thought, when my wife pointed to the Voyager sign - no
line at all! Huge tenders, and a rapid turn around. Wow. We could
not believe it. We got on the tender immediately, and were back on
board in 10 minutes or so. Folks, there were literarily hundreds -
perhaps thousands of people in long, long lines for Carnival, Princess,
Norwegian, and Celebrity. RCL had three large tenders in constant
motion going back and forth to the Voyager with no lines at all, even
though we were by far the largest ship in port. OK, so perhaps we were
lucky, but darned if the same thing didn't happen in Cozumel - long
lines for other cruise ships, and only a very short wait to board an
air-conditioned, enclosed tender ride for RCL. Yes, an enclosed
air-conditioned tender - much like the ones that used to bring you back
to Cozumel from the mainland after a land-based tour. I could not
believe it. RCL went 1st class.

Grand Cayman seemed to be thriving. Jamaica was less obtrusive than in
the past, and then there was Cozumel. My wife stayed on board, but I
wanted to see the island's status since the hurricane. I did not
recognize downtown, even though we had been there many times. The area
had been totally rebuilt, and looked very attractive from the main
street.

We tendered to the downtown dock - very convenient. People were hard
at work repairing the main docks. The main street looked great - Senor
Frog's was busy with waiting lines and lots of people having a great
time. I walked up a couple of blocks, and went down a side street.
Once you are more than a block away from the shore, the damage becomes
apparent. Less than half of the buildings are usable, and there is
trash and badly damaged buildings everywhere. I found an Internet
store - $1 for an hour of Internet time. I used the Internet and the
clerk asked me for a dollar. I gave him quite a bit more. I had not
attempted to use the ship's Internet - from prior experience I knew it
was terrible. Other cruisers told me that it was equally terrible on
board on the Voyager.

I bought some inexpensive silver jewelry from street vendors with just
a little negotiating and headed back to the ship. Once again - almost
no wait and an air conditioned tender. I was really glad we chose
Royal Caribbean for sure. I watched long lines for other cruise ships,
this time including Carnival, Celebrity and Costa, as we pulled away
from shore.

Now as to activities on board the Voyager. I fully understand that
many prefer the smaller ships. I read complaints about long lines, no
chairs on deck, no seats in the theaters, etc., etc. We had these
problems on the Destiny a few years back. However, we did not
experience any of these problems on board the Voyager (or the Explorer
last fall). Plenty of theater seats, lines were almost non-exist ant
(until disembarking - more on that in a minute), deck chairs whenever
we wanted them, etc., The Kids' program was excellent, we were told
by several who had kids involved. And somehow the staff kept those
1300-1500 kids entertained 99% of the time. The kids we saw were few
in number, and very polite. It was a very nice experience.

We saw all of the shows - the dancers and singers were simply
outstanding. A beautiful singer/dancer from Salt Lake City headlined,
along with an outstanding blues vocalist female who did not dance, but
sang wonderfully. The male singers were also excellent, and the
dancers were among some of the best we have seen. The shows are less
glitzy than Carnival, but the talent level is higher in my opinion.
Carnival performers are outstanding as well, but I believe the people
RCL selects are a notch above, with resumes to match. Sound in the
theaters was great to my taste, although some complained it was too
loud. It did not approach the volume levels of the Fantasy-class
Carnival ships (thank God).

The guest entertainers were very fine as well. Two singers, two
comedians, and a Cirque-style Russian acrobatic balancing act. I did
not look forward to the acrobats, but they turned out to be very
entertaining, with a well choreographed, David Copperfield style
presentation (even though there were no illusions). A pleasant
surprise.

The Ice Show was also great. We liked the airborne ice show
presentation on the Explorer a little better than the 'Ice Odyssey'
show presentation here on the Voyager, but the talent of the skaters
was way over the top here (and on both ships, for that matter). I am
not trained in this sport/art, but I felt like I was watching Olympic
level skaters. Triple spins, flips, and other moves that I cannot
define made for an outstanding presentation.

We also played miniature golf - the course needs a little repair.
Perhaps the kids damaged it early in the cruise, or perhaps it just
needs some work, but it was still fun. A larger and more challenging
course than we expected - a lot nicer than the Explorer.

Musical entertainment included a very listenable Salsa band in the
ship-top circular lounge, a very good pianist in the piano bar (but his
interaction with the crowd was not as good as some others we have
seen). There was a loud and annoying show band in Cleopatra's Lounge
with an unpleasant female vocalist, at least to my taste. There was an
excellent jazz trio we would find at different places around the ship.
There was also a great jazz quintet with a trumpet and saxophonist as
well as an incredible jazz pianist - this group was in the center area
most of the time. When they were not there, a very string trio
performed in this area of the ship.

The on-stage house 'big' band had talented individuals, but they did
not play as well together as I would have expected. As a music teacher
(and frequent music judge for competitive events), I may be too
critical though - I think the general public liked them very much. It
was an 11 piece band with only one trombonist and no baritone sax, so
the foundation of the chords was usually left to the bass player. Good
woodwind soloists, two (three one night) strong trumpets and a great
rhythm section carried the day with sound trax to make up for some of
the missing instruments. I really miss having a true big band as I
heard on some of the Carnival ships instead of these stripped-down
versions. Oh, well.

There were lots of trivia and other similar games available, as well as
other group activities for those who did not want to join in the
belly-flop or hairy-legs competitions. Thanks to an excellent cruise
director (Simeon), the standard Love and Marriage show and a spicier
than usual Quest were very entertaining. A new touch for me was the
'Idol' karaoke, where the winners performed live on the final night.
Not my cup of tea, but a very nice idea, and well attended.

The casino worked great for me - I like to gamble, but with fairly
small bets. Steve Wynn will never fly me to Vegas on a private jet, I
am sure, but I enjoy playing table games for lower stakes. Double odds
on the craps table was a pleasant surprise. However, dealers hit a
soft 17 on eight deck blackjack - house advantage up about 1% more than
regular blackjack. Poker tables were popular, and seats were in demand
at these tables. The regular casino tournaments were held, and well
attended. I stuck with blackjack and craps, and actually came out
ahead this time around. Very nice dealers, but a heavyset pit boss
that scowled every time he was the passengers doing well. He must have
to answer for the profit center. I met some very nice people at the
blackjack tables - if you read this, I hope you are doing well, in
spite of the spilled beer that wiped out 8 decks of cards...

Shopping on board the Voyager is a lot more pleasant experience than
shopping on most ships. A simulated street environment on deck 5 makes
for less crowded stores and a more attractive walk-thru. Prices are
high, as would be expected, but there are some reasonably priced
choices as well. We bought some inexpensive stuff.

The darned Art Auction is always underway, it seems. I would not miss
this if it were dropped, but I guess revenue from it must be pretty
high - which to me means people are not getting the bargains they are
led to believe. Bingo is also a constant - every few hours a new bingo
round starts somewhere on board. But at least they do not shout these
things at you over a loudspeaker in (or just outside of) your room
every hour, as they do on some other cruise lines.

Announcements were minimal - and usually only in English. Unlike
Costa, where I believe they were made in 4-5 languages, or Carnival
where hourly promotion of the bingo and art auctions are shouted over
speakers turned up so loud that can be heard in downtown Havana Cuba.
Sorry - I like Carnival, but there are some things I wish they would
upgrade a bit.

We had a great time. We expected to be late disembarking, but to our
surprise, we were among the first groups called to disembark - we were
still eating when our luggage tag was called. Surprise, surprise. We
finished our meal and headed for the disembarking deck. A line of
hundreds wrapped around the main lounge, and most of the way down the
starboard (or is it the port side?) of the ship. Looked like a 1/2
hour to hour wait to me. But, thanks to information for frequent RCL
cruisers from the concierge on deck 6, we were able to totally avoid
the long line, and were off the ship quickly - within a few minutes.
Customs was slow but efficient, and we were on our way home in a very
reasonable amount of time. However, I know most of the cruisers had a
long wait to disembark - the one disadvantage of this mega-ship.

In summary, we would definitely recommend the Voyager class ships (the
Voyager itself heads for Europe in a couple of weeks, and I think it is
pretty full between now and then). In my opinion, most of the reported
problems with big ships do not apply to RCL's Voyager-class vessels.
They are well planned, well thought out ships. We never felt crowded,
or rushed on the Voyager or the Explorer of the Seas, our two most
recent cruise experiences. Due to immense size of these ships, there
are more activities available than we have seen on any ship (we have
cruise between 20 - 30 times - I have lost count). Activities are well
timed on RCL ships (Carnival does not do such a hot job with this - we
often wanted to go to more than one activity scheduled at the same
time, and then had long periods of down time on Carnival) so you can do
what you want and not 'miss' some other activity. Crew is polite,
efficient, and as good as servicing as any ship we have experienced.

Costs of cruising on RCL are very competitive. It is my view that RCL
has been very successful in creating cost-effective a 'Vacation
Destination' for the working folks. We will definitely choose this
line whenever practical for us in the future, and would recommend it
without hesitation to most prospective cruisers in our age bracket
(50's).

Nice review,

I've had 2 trips on the Voyager (with kids) and loved both.

Bythe way, Port has 4 letters and so does Left.... so the Port side is
always the Left side :-)

Paul


In article <1145160164.874331.46270@z34g2000cwc.. com>,
"RJQMAN" <RJQMAN@> wrote:

> My wife and I just disembarked from a 1 week cruise on the Voyager -
> Western Route out of Port of Miami - April 8 2006 departure. It was an
> excellent experience.
>
> We arrived at the terminal later than we usually do - we got there
> around 3 PM - but that worked out well. We dropped off our luggage and
> parked in the garage. We then crossed over and waited in a short line.
> We reached the document checkpoint in about 10 minutes. Whoops. We
> found out we were at the wrong terminal. Some signage outside would
> have been appreciated. Signage said RCL but did not indicate the ship.
> We were directed next door to the correct terminal, and there was no
> line at all. Again, no signage at the door to indicate the ship - we
> asked to be certain this time. That could use some improvement RCL.
>
> We had pre-registered on line - a good idea to do this - and
> consequently check-in was very quick. Only one person ahead of us -
> lots of stations to check in for those who had pre-registered. We went
> through the photo station quickly, and on board. We found our room -
> midships on deck 7 with a balcony. We had booked only a couple of
> weeks before the cruise - got a very good rate from our favorite travel
> agent (Ray - he posts on this group as well), and an excellent room
> choice.
>
> Had a quick meal at the buffet, as we always do when boarding. Took a
> quick tour of the heart of the ship (it took days to tour the whole
> thing, and I still think there are areas we missed). Early seating
> dinner is our preference, and it came quickly. We were surprised to
> have a table for 2, and at first a little disappointed - we enjoy
> meeting others. The Head Waiter for our area immediately offered to
> reseat us if we wished, but after viewing the amount of kids seated at
> other tables, we decided to stay where we were. We were glad we made
> that decision.
>
> We were later advised that there were between 1300 and 1500 kids
> aboard. No problem at all the entire cruise, except the mealtimes had
> quite a few sleepy and complaining children at almost every table. We
> enjoy kids (I teach school), but we had looked forward to a little
> quiet time on the cruise - I know it is Easter Break (that is why I am
> off work myself), but I had mistakenly thought the parents with kids
> would have chosen a different cruise line.
>
> We also met several passengers who had been displaced by Princess, due
> to the fire. Since vacations are a fixed point in time for most of us,
> they were glad to have been able to switch over to the Voyager.
>
> Our waitress was fine - a little more difficult to understand than most
> of our prior waiters - but she was great overall. As our table was for
> two, and most of her other customers came 30 - 45 minutes late (first
> time I remember ever seeing so many people come late for dinner
> seatings - and it happened every single night), we were served quickly
> and efficiently. My wife has some dietary restrictions (not a weight
> diet - she cannot digest several foods - it is medically necessary for
> her to be cautious in her food choices), and I was doubtful that this
> huge ship could help us very much - I was wrong. The head waiter
> arranged for gluten-free bread, and set up meals specifically for her
> diet needs. With over 3000 people on the ship and a lot of special
> orders for kids meals, we were amazed. RCL truly exceeded
> expectations.
>
> My food was very fine - I ordered off of the standard menu. Portions
> were generous, and food prep was excellent in my view. Only thing I
> did not care for was the onion soup on Friday - it did not have much
> flavor, and seemed almost greasy to me. A quick substitution of an
> excellent traditional shrimp appetizer was made seamlessly. I did not
> always find food of my liking among the primary choices, but the
> alternative choices were very good. Two nights I chose the
> alternatives. The Italian food was better seasoned than on prior RCL
> cruises, at least to my middle-American taste, and the other food was
> great. No chateaubriand on this cruise. All else, was typical cruise
> fare, well prepared and tastefully served.
>
> We ate in the dining room every evening. It is a beautiful setting -
> incredible, really. Three stories tall, and elegant in every respect.
>
>
> We tend to stay up late and sleep in. We had a late breakfast at the
> buffet 6 out of 7 days - food was the standard, but still very good.
> Four complete stations made for a very short wait compared to prior
> experiences on smaller ships. One day we slept past breakfast, and so
> had a lunch at the sit-down restaurant. This worked better than
> expected - service was quick, and some breakfast entries made the
> experience perfect for us.
>
> We did not eat lunch every day (how much food can you eat??), but when
> we did eat lunch, we chose the buffet (except for one day as noted).
> Excellent. The waiters came around and refilled our beverages - a nice
> touch we rarely saw on other ships at the buffets.
>
> A late evening snack at the pizza and sandwich station on the Grand
> Promenade was the standard end of our dining day. Once again, a classy
> venue that gave the feeling of sitting at a cafe on the street. Very
> nice.
>
> One minor complaint - although we received free tickets for Johnny
> Rockets in our cruise perks envelope, we were never able to use them.
> Johnny Rockets was closed between 12 and 3 when in port, and that is
> the time we had planned to go. Other people we met on board had
> similar plans, and were equally disappointed in the scheduling. But as
> one of the comedians said, 'It is a mystery when you think about it.
> Next door at the sit-down restaurants, you get as much steak and
> lobster as you want for no extra charge - and yet people are standing
> in line to pay $3.95 for fast food at Johnny Rockets.' I guess he has
> a point.
>
> We did not dine in the Italian pay-for-dinner venue. The menu was too
> spice-intensive for my wife's diet, and nothing appealed to me either.
> There was a 'Murder-Mystery' dinner the first night, which we would
> have attended if there were some other food offerings on the menu (like
> middle-of-the-road lasagne or a non-spiced steak or chicken for my
> wife), but I realize I do not have a connoisseur's palate. I do not
> even know if I spelled that right.
>
> As to ports of call. We have been on the tours and seen most of the
> ports, so I was not anxious to disembark at the first few stops. I
> wanted to see Cozumel, though, and my wife wanted to shop in Grand
> Cayman and visit Jamaica, which she had never seen. We stayed on board
> at Labadee, and were glad we did. Our fellow cruisers reported lots of
> bees and flies, as well as over a thousand kids enjoying the water
> slides and beach areas on shore. I am sure they had a great time.
>
> We got off the ship at the next stop, though, in Jamaica. I found a
> cab driver with a new car - a Honda Odyssey (a little smaller than an
> American Honda Odyssey, but still very nice). He drove us around the
> island and then to a back entrance to Dunn's River Falls, where we
> could view the falls without having to go through the gamut of vendors.
> Very nice. He asked for $60 for two hours - I paid that plus a tip.
> Very comfortable in the vehicle, and a very good experience for us, and
> a huge bargain over most other options.
>
> In Grand Cayman, we got off the ship against my better judgement - my
> wife wanted to shop. There were about 7 ships in port, and it was very
> busy on shore. When we went to returned to the ship, we saw hundreds
> of people in many lines waiting for tenders. I resigned myself to a
> long wait in the sun - it was probably going to take about 45 minutes
> to an hour, I thought, when my wife pointed to the Voyager sign - no
> line at all! Huge tenders, and a rapid turn around. Wow. We could
> not believe it. We got on the tender immediately, and were back on
> board in 10 minutes or so. Folks, there were literarily hundreds -
> perhaps thousands of people in long, long lines for Carnival, Princess,
> Norwegian, and Celebrity. RCL had three large tenders in constant
> motion going back and forth to the Voyager with no lines at all, even
> though we were by far the largest ship in port. OK, so perhaps we were
> lucky, but darned if the same thing didn't happen in Cozumel - long
> lines for other cruise ships, and only a very short wait to board an
> air-conditioned, enclosed tender ride for RCL. Yes, an enclosed
> air-conditioned tender - much like the ones that used to bring you back
> to Cozumel from the mainland after a land-based tour. I could not
> believe it. RCL went 1st class.
>
> Grand Cayman seemed to be thriving. Jamaica was less obtrusive than in
> the past, and then there was Cozumel. My wife stayed on board, but I
> wanted to see the island's status since the hurricane. I did not
> recognize downtown, even though we had been there many times. The area
> had been totally rebuilt, and looked very attractive from the main
> street.
>
> We tendered to the downtown dock - very convenient. People were hard
> at work repairing the main docks. The main street looked great - Senor
> Frog's was busy with waiting lines and lots of people having a great
> time. I walked up a couple of blocks, and went down a side street.
> Once you are more than a block away from the shore, the damage becomes
> apparent. Less than half of the buildings are usable, and there is
> trash and badly damaged buildings everywhere. I found an Internet
> store - $1 for an hour of Internet time. I used the Internet and the
> clerk asked me for a dollar. I gave him quite a bit more. I had not
> attempted to use the ship's Internet - from prior experience I knew it
> was terrible. Other cruisers told me that it was equally terrible on
> board on the Voyager.
>
> I bought some inexpensive silver jewelry from street vendors with just
> a little negotiating and headed back to the ship. Once again - almost
> no wait and an air conditioned tender. I was really glad we chose
> Royal Caribbean for sure. I watched long lines for other cruise ships,
> this time including Carnival, Celebrity and Costa, as we pulled away
> from shore.
>
> Now as to activities on board the Voyager. I fully understand that
> many prefer the smaller ships. I read complaints about long lines, no
> chairs on deck, no seats in the theaters, etc., etc. We had these
> problems on the Destiny a few years back. However, we did not
> experience any of these problems on board the Voyager (or the Explorer
> last fall). Plenty of theater seats, lines were almost non-exist ant
> (until disembarking - more on that in a minute), deck chairs whenever
> we wanted them, etc., The Kids' program was excellent, we were told
> by several who had kids involved. And somehow the staff kept those
> 1300-1500 kids entertained 99% of the time. The kids we saw were few
> in number, and very polite. It was a very nice experience.
>
> We saw all of the shows - the dancers and singers were simply
> outstanding. A beautiful singer/dancer from Salt Lake City headlined,
> along with an outstanding blues vocalist female who did not dance, but
> sang wonderfully. The male singers were also excellent, and the
> dancers were among some of the best we have seen. The shows are less
> glitzy than Carnival, but the talent level is higher in my opinion.
> Carnival performers are outstanding as well, but I believe the people
> RCL selects are a notch above, with resumes to match. Sound in the
> theaters was great to my taste, although some complained it was too
> loud. It did not approach the volume levels of the Fantasy-class
> Carnival ships (thank God).
>
> The guest entertainers were very fine as well. Two singers, two
> comedians, and a Cirque-style Russian acrobatic balancing act. I did
> not look forward to the acrobats, but they turned out to be very
> entertaining, with a well choreographed, David Copperfield style
> presentation (even though there were no illusions). A pleasant
> surprise.
>
> The Ice Show was also great. We liked the airborne ice show
> presentation on the Explorer a little better than the 'Ice Odyssey'
> show presentation here on the Voyager, but the talent of the skaters
> was way over the top here (and on both ships, for that matter). I am
> not trained in this sport/art, but I felt like I was watching Olympic
> level skaters. Triple spins, flips, and other moves that I cannot
> define made for an outstanding presentation.
>
> We also played miniature golf - the course needs a little repair.
> Perhaps the kids damaged it early in the cruise, or perhaps it just
> needs some work, but it was still fun. A larger and more challenging
> course than we expected - a lot nicer than the Explorer.
>
> Musical entertainment included a very listenable Salsa band in the
> ship-top circular lounge, a very good pianist in the piano bar (but his
> interaction with the crowd was not as good as some others we have
> seen). There was a loud and annoying show band in Cleopatra's Lounge
> with an unpleasant female vocalist, at least to my taste. There was an
> excellent jazz trio we would find at different places around the ship.
> There was also a great jazz quintet with a trumpet and saxophonist as
> well as an incredible jazz pianist - this group was in the center area
> most of the time. When they were not there, a very string trio
> performed in this area of the ship.
>
> The on-stage house 'big' band had talented individuals, but they did
> not play as well together as I would have expected. As a music teacher
> (and frequent music judge for competitive events), I may be too
> critical though - I think the general public liked them very much. It
> was an 11 piece band with only one trombonist and no baritone sax, so
> the foundation of the chords was usually left to the bass player. Good
> woodwind soloists, two (three one night) strong trumpets and a great
> rhythm section carried the day with sound trax to make up for some of
> the missing instruments. I really miss having a true big band as I
> heard on some of the Carnival ships instead of these stripped-down
> versions. Oh, well.
>
> There were lots of trivia and other similar games available, as well as
> other group activities for those who did not want to join in the
> belly-flop or hairy-legs competitions. Thanks to an excellent cruise
> director (Simeon), the standard Love and Marriage show and a spicier
> than usual Quest were very entertaining. A new touch for me was the
> 'Idol' karaoke, where the winners performed live on the final night.
> Not my cup of tea, but a very nice idea, and well attended.
>
> The casino worked great for me - I like to gamble, but with fairly
> small bets. Steve Wynn will never fly me to Vegas on a private jet, I
> am sure, but I enjoy playing table games for lower stakes. Double odds
> on the craps table was a pleasant surprise. However, dealers hit a
> soft 17 on eight deck blackjack - house advantage up about 1% more than
> regular blackjack. Poker tables were popular, and seats were in demand
> at these tables. The regular casino tournaments were held, and well
> attended. I stuck with blackjack and craps, and actually came out
> ahead this time around. Very nice dealers, but a heavyset pit boss
> that scowled every time he was the passengers doing well. He must have
> to answer for the profit center. I met some very nice people at the
> blackjack tables - if you read this, I hope you are doing well, in
> spite of the spilled beer that wiped out 8 decks of cards...
>
> Shopping on board the Voyager is a lot more pleasant experience than
> shopping on most ships. A simulated street environment on deck 5 makes
> for less crowded stores and a more attractive walk-thru. Prices are
> high, as would be expected, but there are some reasonably priced
> choices as well. We bought some inexpensive stuff.
>
> The darned Art Auction is always underway, it seems. I would not miss
> this if it were dropped, but I guess revenue from it must be pretty
> high - which to me means people are not getting the bargains they are
> led to believe. Bingo is also a constant - every few hours a new bingo
> round starts somewhere on board. But at least they do not shout these
> things at you over a loudspeaker in (or just outside of) your room
> every hour, as they do on some other cruise lines.
>
> Announcements were minimal - and usually only in English. Unlike
> Costa, where I believe they were made in 4-5 languages, or Carnival
> where hourly promotion of the bingo and art auctions are shouted over
> speakers turned up so loud that can be heard in downtown Havana Cuba.
> Sorry - I like Carnival, but there are some things I wish they would
> upgrade a bit.
>
> We had a great time. We expected to be late disembarking, but to our
> surprise, we were among the first groups called to disembark - we were
> still eating when our luggage tag was called. Surprise, surprise. We
> finished our meal and headed for the disembarking deck. A line of
> hundreds wrapped around the main lounge, and most of the way down the
> starboard (or is it the port side?) of the ship. Looked like a 1/2
> hour to hour wait to me. But, thanks to information for frequent RCL
> cruisers from the concierge on deck 6, we were able to totally avoid
> the long line, and were off the ship quickly - within a few minutes.
> Customs was slow but efficient, and we were on our way home in a very
> reasonable amount of time. However, I know most of the cruisers had a
> long wait to disembark - the one disadvantage of this mega-ship.
>
> In summary, we would definitely recommend the Voyager class ships (the
> Voyager itself heads for Europe in a couple of weeks, and I think it is
> pretty full between now and then). In my opinion, most of the reported
> problems with big ships do not apply to RCL's Voyager-class vessels.
> They are well planned, well thought out ships. We never felt crowded,
> or rushed on the Voyager or the Explorer of the Seas, our two most
> recent cruise experiences. Due to immense size of these ships, there
> are more activities available than we have seen on any ship (we have
> cruise between 20 - 30 times - I have lost count). Activities are well
> timed on RCL ships (Carnival does not do such a hot job with this - we
> often wanted to go to more than one activity scheduled at the same
> time, and then had long periods of down time on Carnival) so you can do
> what you want and not 'miss' some other activity. Crew is polite,
> efficient, and as good as servicing as any ship we have experienced.
>
> Costs of cruising on RCL are very competitive. It is my view that RCL
> has been very successful in creating cost-effective a 'Vacation
> Destination' for the working folks. We will definitely choose this
> line whenever practical for us in the future, and would recommend it
> without hesitation to most prospective cruisers in our age bracket
> (50's).

RJQMAN wrote:

My wife has some dietary restrictions (not a weight
> diet - she cannot digest several foods - it is medically necessary for
> her to be cautious in her food choices), and I was doubtful that this
> huge ship could help us very much - I was wrong. The head waiter
> arranged for gluten-free bread, and set up meals specifically for her
> diet needs. With over 3000 people on the ship and a lot of special
> orders for kids meals, we were amazed. RCL truly exceeded
> expectations.

Getting help with dietary restrictions used to be hard to come by, I
used to have a lot of bad food allergys. Nowaday, no more food
allergys for me, but a low-carb, no-sugar diet for my husband,
diabetes. In recent years we have seen and heard others say how good
the cruise lines have become with this type of thing.

I don't think the special orders for kids meals is all that hard for
the staff. The special orders for people like your wife and my
husband, are the ones that take some effort, mainly because each
person is different in what they need.

> There was a 'Murder-Mystery' dinner the first night, which we would
> have attended if there were some other food offerings on the menu (like
> middle-of-the-road lasagne or a non-spiced steak or chicken for my
> wife),

If you have something like this in the future, ask and I bet they
would make arrangements for your wife. We have found that when you ask
for something diet wise, the staff goes out of their way to help.

Thanks for your review!!

sue

Many thanks for the review -- my wife & I will be going on the AOS in
July--- while a different ship, it gives me a better idea of what the
experience will be like

Bill W.

"RJQMAN" <RJQMAN@> wrote in message
news:1145160164.874331.46270@z34g2000cwc. ...
> My wife and I just disembarked from a 1 week cruise on the Voyager -
> Western Route out of Port of Miami - April 8 2006 departure. It was an
> excellent experience.
>
> We arrived at the terminal later than we usually do - we got there
> around 3 PM - but that worked out well. We dropped off our luggage and
> parked in the garage. We then crossed over and waited in a short line.
> We reached the document checkpoint in about 10 minutes. Whoops. We
> found out we were at the wrong terminal. Some signage outside would
> have been appreciated. Signage said RCL but did not indicate the ship.
> We were directed next door to the correct terminal, and there was no
> line at all. Again, no signage at the door to indicate the ship - we
> asked to be certain this time. That could use some improvement RCL.
>
> We had pre-registered on line - a good idea to do this - and
> consequently check-in was very quick. Only one person ahead of us -
> lots of stations to check in for those who had pre-registered. We went
> through the photo station quickly, and on board. We found our room -
> midships on deck 7 with a balcony. We had booked only a couple of
> weeks before the cruise - got a very good rate from our favorite travel
> agent (Ray - he posts on this group as well), and an excellent room
> choice.
>
> Had a quick meal at the buffet, as we always do when boarding. Took a
> quick tour of the heart of the ship (it took days to tour the whole
> thing, and I still think there are areas we missed). Early seating
> dinner is our preference, and it came quickly. We were surprised to
> have a table for 2, and at first a little disappointed - we enjoy
> meeting others. The Head Waiter for our area immediately offered to
> reseat us if we wished, but after viewing the amount of kids seated at
> other tables, we decided to stay where we were. We were glad we made
> that decision.
>
> We were later advised that there were between 1300 and 1500 kids
> aboard. No problem at all the entire cruise, except the mealtimes had
> quite a few sleepy and complaining children at almost every table. We
> enjoy kids (I teach school), but we had looked forward to a little
> quiet time on the cruise - I know it is Easter Break (that is why I am
> off work myself), but I had mistakenly thought the parents with kids
> would have chosen a different cruise line.
>
> We also met several passengers who had been displaced by Princess, due
> to the fire. Since vacations are a fixed point in time for most of us,
> they were glad to have been able to switch over to the Voyager.
>
> Our waitress was fine - a little more difficult to understand than most
> of our prior waiters - but she was great overall. As our table was for
> two, and most of her other customers came 30 - 45 minutes late (first
> time I remember ever seeing so many people come late for dinner
> seatings - and it happened every single night), we were served quickly
> and efficiently. My wife has some dietary restrictions (not a weight
> diet - she cannot digest several foods - it is medically necessary for
> her to be cautious in her food choices), and I was doubtful that this
> huge ship could help us very much - I was wrong. The head waiter
> arranged for gluten-free bread, and set up meals specifically for her
> diet needs. With over 3000 people on the ship and a lot of special
> orders for kids meals, we were amazed. RCL truly exceeded
> expectations.
>
> My food was very fine - I ordered off of the standard menu. Portions
> were generous, and food prep was excellent in my view. Only thing I
> did not care for was the onion soup on Friday - it did not have much
> flavor, and seemed almost greasy to me. A quick substitution of an
> excellent traditional shrimp appetizer was made seamlessly. I did not
> always find food of my liking among the primary choices, but the
> alternative choices were very good. Two nights I chose the
> alternatives. The Italian food was better seasoned than on prior RCL
> cruises, at least to my middle-American taste, and the other food was
> great. No chateaubriand on this cruise. All else, was typical cruise
> fare, well prepared and tastefully served.
>
> We ate in the dining room every evening. It is a beautiful setting -
> incredible, really. Three stories tall, and elegant in every respect.
>
>
> We tend to stay up late and sleep in. We had a late breakfast at the
> buffet 6 out of 7 days - food was the standard, but still very good.
> Four complete stations made for a very short wait compared to prior
> experiences on smaller ships. One day we slept past breakfast, and so
> had a lunch at the sit-down restaurant. This worked better than
> expected - service was quick, and some breakfast entries made the
> experience perfect for us.
>
> We did not eat lunch every day (how much food can you eat??), but when
> we did eat lunch, we chose the buffet (except for one day as noted).
> Excellent. The waiters came around and refilled our beverages - a nice
> touch we rarely saw on other ships at the buffets.
>
> A late evening snack at the pizza and sandwich station on the Grand
> Promenade was the standard end of our dining day. Once again, a classy
> venue that gave the feeling of sitting at a cafe on the street. Very
> nice.
>
> One minor complaint - although we received free tickets for Johnny
> Rockets in our cruise perks envelope, we were never able to use them.
> Johnny Rockets was closed between 12 and 3 when in port, and that is
> the time we had planned to go. Other people we met on board had
> similar plans, and were equally disappointed in the scheduling. But as
> one of the comedians said, 'It is a mystery when you think about it.
> Next door at the sit-down restaurants, you get as much steak and
> lobster as you want for no extra charge - and yet people are standing
> in line to pay $3.95 for fast food at Johnny Rockets.' I guess he has
> a point.
>
> We did not dine in the Italian pay-for-dinner venue. The menu was too
> spice-intensive for my wife's diet, and nothing appealed to me either.
> There was a 'Murder-Mystery' dinner the first night, which we would
> have attended if there were some other food offerings on the menu (like
> middle-of-the-road lasagne or a non-spiced steak or chicken for my
> wife), but I realize I do not have a connoisseur's palate. I do not
> even know if I spelled that right.
>
> As to ports of call. We have been on the tours and seen most of the
> ports, so I was not anxious to disembark at the first few stops. I
> wanted to see Cozumel, though, and my wife wanted to shop in Grand
> Cayman and visit Jamaica, which she had never seen. We stayed on board
> at Labadee, and were glad we did. Our fellow cruisers reported lots of
> bees and flies, as well as over a thousand kids enjoying the water
> slides and beach areas on shore. I am sure they had a great time.
>
> We got off the ship at the next stop, though, in Jamaica. I found a
> cab driver with a new car - a Honda Odyssey (a little smaller than an
> American Honda Odyssey, but still very nice). He drove us around the
> island and then to a back entrance to Dunn's River Falls, where we
> could view the falls without having to go through the gamut of vendors.
> Very nice. He asked for $60 for two hours - I paid that plus a tip.
> Very comfortable in the vehicle, and a very good experience for us, and
> a huge bargain over most other options.
>
> In Grand Cayman, we got off the ship against my better judgement - my
> wife wanted to shop. There were about 7 ships in port, and it was very
> busy on shore. When we went to returned to the ship, we saw hundreds
> of people in many lines waiting for tenders. I resigned myself to a
> long wait in the sun - it was probably going to take about 45 minutes
> to an hour, I thought, when my wife pointed to the Voyager sign - no
> line at all! Huge tenders, and a rapid turn around. Wow. We could
> not believe it. We got on the tender immediately, and were back on
> board in 10 minutes or so. Folks, there were literarily hundreds -
> perhaps thousands of people in long, long lines for Carnival, Princess,
> Norwegian, and Celebrity. RCL had three large tenders in constant
> motion going back and forth to the Voyager with no lines at all, even
> though we were by far the largest ship in port. OK, so perhaps we were
> lucky, but darned if the same thing didn't happen in Cozumel - long
> lines for other cruise ships, and only a very short wait to board an
> air-conditioned, enclosed tender ride for RCL. Yes, an enclosed
> air-conditioned tender - much like the ones that used to bring you back
> to Cozumel from the mainland after a land-based tour. I could not
> believe it. RCL went 1st class.
>
> Grand Cayman seemed to be thriving. Jamaica was less obtrusive than in
> the past, and then there was Cozumel. My wife stayed on board, but I
> wanted to see the island's status since the hurricane. I did not
> recognize downtown, even though we had been there many times. The area
> had been totally rebuilt, and looked very attractive from the main
> street.
>
> We tendered to the downtown dock - very convenient. People were hard
> at work repairing the main docks. The main street looked great - Senor
> Frog's was busy with waiting lines and lots of people having a great
> time. I walked up a couple of blocks, and went down a side street.
> Once you are more than a block away from the shore, the damage becomes
> apparent. Less than half of the buildings are usable, and there is
> trash and badly damaged buildings everywhere. I found an Internet
> store - $1 for an hour of Internet time. I used the Internet and the
> clerk asked me for a dollar. I gave him quite a bit more. I had not
> attempted to use the ship's Internet - from prior experience I knew it
> was terrible. Other cruisers told me that it was equally terrible on
> board on the Voyager.
>
> I bought some inexpensive silver jewelry from street vendors with just
> a little negotiating and headed back to the ship. Once again - almost
> no wait and an air conditioned tender. I was really glad we chose
> Royal Caribbean for sure. I watched long lines for other cruise ships,
> this time including Carnival, Celebrity and Costa, as we pulled away
> from shore.
>
> Now as to activities on board the Voyager. I fully understand that
> many prefer the smaller ships. I read complaints about long lines, no
> chairs on deck, no seats in the theaters, etc., etc. We had these
> problems on the Destiny a few years back. However, we did not
> experience any of these problems on board the Voyager (or the Explorer
> last fall). Plenty of theater seats, lines were almost non-exist ant
> (until disembarking - more on that in a minute), deck chairs whenever
> we wanted them, etc., The Kids' program was excellent, we were told
> by several who had kids involved. And somehow the staff kept those
> 1300-1500 kids entertained 99% of the time. The kids we saw were few
> in number, and very polite. It was a very nice experience.
>
> We saw all of the shows - the dancers and singers were simply
> outstanding. A beautiful singer/dancer from Salt Lake City headlined,
> along with an outstanding blues vocalist female who did not dance, but
> sang wonderfully. The male singers were also excellent, and the
> dancers were among some of the best we have seen. The shows are less
> glitzy than Carnival, but the talent level is higher in my opinion.
> Carnival performers are outstanding as well, but I believe the people
> RCL selects are a notch above, with resumes to match. Sound in the
> theaters was great to my taste, although some complained it was too
> loud. It did not approach the volume levels of the Fantasy-class
> Carnival ships (thank God).
>
> The guest entertainers were very fine as well. Two singers, two
> comedians, and a Cirque-style Russian acrobatic balancing act. I did
> not look forward to the acrobats, but they turned out to be very
> entertaining, with a well choreographed, David Copperfield style
> presentation (even though there were no illusions). A pleasant
> surprise.
>
> The Ice Show was also great. We liked the airborne ice show
> presentation on the Explorer a little better than the 'Ice Odyssey'
> show presentation here on the Voyager, but the talent of the skaters
> was way over the top here (and on both ships, for that matter). I am
> not trained in this sport/art, but I felt like I was watching Olympic
> level skaters. Triple spins, flips, and other moves that I cannot
> define made for an outstanding presentation.
>
> We also played miniature golf - the course needs a little repair.
> Perhaps the kids damaged it early in the cruise, or perhaps it just
> needs some work, but it was still fun. A larger and more challenging
> course than we expected - a lot nicer than the Explorer.
>
> Musical entertainment included a very listenable Salsa band in the
> ship-top circular lounge, a very good pianist in the piano bar (but his
> interaction with the crowd was not as good as some others we have
> seen). There was a loud and annoying show band in Cleopatra's Lounge
> with an unpleasant female vocalist, at least to my taste. There was an
> excellent jazz trio we would find at different places around the ship.
> There was also a great jazz quintet with a trumpet and saxophonist as
> well as an incredible jazz pianist - this group was in the center area
> most of the time. When they were not there, a very string trio
> performed in this area of the ship.
>
> The on-stage house 'big' band had talented individuals, but they did
> not play as well together as I would have expected. As a music teacher
> (and frequent music judge for competitive events), I may be too
> critical though - I think the general public liked them very much. It
> was an 11 piece band with only one trombonist and no baritone sax, so
> the foundation of the chords was usually left to the bass player. Good
> woodwind soloists, two (three one night) strong trumpets and a great
> rhythm section carried the day with sound trax to make up for some of
> the missing instruments. I really miss having a true big band as I
> heard on some of the Carnival ships instead of these stripped-down
> versions. Oh, well.
>
> There were lots of trivia and other similar games available, as well as
> other group activities for those who did not want to join in the
> belly-flop or hairy-legs competitions. Thanks to an excellent cruise
> director (Simeon), the standard Love and Marriage show and a spicier
> than usual Quest were very entertaining. A new touch for me was the
> 'Idol' karaoke, where the winners performed live on the final night.
> Not my cup of tea, but a very nice idea, and well attended.
>
> The casino worked great for me - I like to gamble, but with fairly
> small bets. Steve Wynn will never fly me to Vegas on a private jet, I
> am sure, but I enjoy playing table games for lower stakes. Double odds
> on the craps table was a pleasant surprise. However, dealers hit a
> soft 17 on eight deck blackjack - house advantage up about 1% more than
> regular blackjack. Poker tables were popular, and seats were in demand
> at these tables. The regular casino tournaments were held, and well
> attended. I stuck with blackjack and craps, and actually came out
> ahead this time around. Very nice dealers, but a heavyset pit boss
> that scowled every time he was the passengers doing well. He must have
> to answer for the profit center. I met some very nice people at the
> blackjack tables - if you read this, I hope you are doing well, in
> spite of the spilled beer that wiped out 8 decks of cards...
>
> Shopping on board the Voyager is a lot more pleasant experience than
> shopping on most ships. A simulated street environment on deck 5 makes
> for less crowded stores and a more attractive walk-thru. Prices are
> high, as would be expected, but there are some reasonably priced
> choices as well. We bought some inexpensive stuff.
>
> The darned Art Auction is always underway, it seems. I would not miss
> this if it were dropped, but I guess revenue from it must be pretty
> high - which to me means people are not getting the bargains they are
> led to believe. Bingo is also a constant - every few hours a new bingo
> round starts somewhere on board. But at least they do not shout these
> things at you over a loudspeaker in (or just outside of) your room
> every hour, as they do on some other cruise lines.
>
> Announcements were minimal - and usually only in English. Unlike
> Costa, where I believe they were made in 4-5 languages, or Carnival
> where hourly promotion of the bingo and art auctions are shouted over
> speakers turned up so loud that can be heard in downtown Havana Cuba.
> Sorry - I like Carnival, but there are some things I wish they would
> upgrade a bit.
>
> We had a great time. We expected to be late disembarking, but to our
> surprise, we were among the first groups called to disembark - we were
> still eating when our luggage tag was called. Surprise, surprise. We
> finished our meal and headed for the disembarking deck. A line of
> hundreds wrapped around the main lounge, and most of the way down the
> starboard (or is it the port side?) of the ship. Looked like a 1/2
> hour to hour wait to me. But, thanks to information for frequent RCL
> cruisers from the concierge on deck 6, we were able to totally avoid
> the long line, and were off the ship quickly - within a few minutes.
> Customs was slow but efficient, and we were on our way home in a very
> reasonable amount of time. However, I know most of the cruisers had a
> long wait to disembark - the one disadvantage of this mega-ship.
>
> In summary, we would definitely recommend the Voyager class ships (the
> Voyager itself heads for Europe in a couple of weeks, and I think it is
> pretty full between now and then). In my opinion, most of the reported
> problems with big ships do not apply to RCL's Voyager-class vessels.
> They are well planned, well thought out ships. We never felt crowded,
> or rushed on the Voyager or the Explorer of the Seas, our two most
> recent cruise experiences. Due to immense size of these ships, there
> are more activities available than we have seen on any ship (we have
> cruise between 20 - 30 times - I have lost count). Activities are well
> timed on RCL ships (Carnival does not do such a hot job with this - we
> often wanted to go to more than one activity scheduled at the same
> time, and then had long periods of down time on Carnival) so you can do
> what you want and not 'miss' some other activity. Crew is polite,
> efficient, and as good as servicing as any ship we have experienced.
>
> Costs of cruising on RCL are very competitive. It is my view that RCL
> has been very successful in creating cost-effective a 'Vacation
> Destination' for the working folks. We will definitely choose this
> line whenever practical for us in the future, and would recommend it
> without hesitation to most prospective cruisers in our age bracket
> (50's).
>

"RJQMAN" <RJQMAN@> wrote in message
news:1145160164.874331.46270@z34g2000cwc. ...
> My wife and I just disembarked from a 1 week cruise on the Voyager -
> Western Route out of Port of Miami - April 8 2006 departure. It was an
> excellent experience.

Thanks for the excellent review. My wife and I are booked on the
Transatlantic repositioning cruise at the end of the month and are looking
forward to travelling on our first Voyager class ship. Looks like we won't
be disappointed!

Hi, RJQMAN, thanks for sharing your Voyager cruise with us. Great review!
We've been on the Explorer and Mariner and are looking forward to going out
on the Voyager when she comes to Galveston. It's encouraging to hear your
positive report.

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

Great review. Thanks. I am off in May on Explorer of the Seas and it sounds
great.
Doreen
"RJQMAN" <RJQMAN@> wrote in message
news:1145160164.874331.46270@z34g2000cwc. ...
> My wife and I just disembarked from a 1 week cruise on the Voyager -
> Western Route out of Port of Miami - April 8 2006 departure. It was an
> excellent experience.
>
> We arrived at the terminal later than we usually do - we got there
> around 3 PM - but that worked out well. We dropped off our luggage and
> parked in the garage. We then crossed over and waited in a short line.
> We reached the document checkpoint in about 10 minutes. Whoops. We
> found out we were at the wrong terminal. Some signage outside would
> have been appreciated. Signage said RCL but did not indicate the ship.
> We were directed next door to the correct terminal, and there was no
> line at all. Again, no signage at the door to indicate the ship - we
> asked to be certain this time. That could use some improvement RCL.
>
> We had pre-registered on line - a good idea to do this - and
> consequently check-in was very quick. Only one person ahead of us -
> lots of stations to check in for those who had pre-registered. We went
> through the photo station quickly, and on board. We found our room -
> midships on deck 7 with a balcony. We had booked only a couple of
> weeks before the cruise - got a very good rate from our favorite travel
> agent (Ray - he posts on this group as well), and an excellent room
> choice.
>
> Had a quick meal at the buffet, as we always do when boarding. Took a
> quick tour of the heart of the ship (it took days to tour the whole
> thing, and I still think there are areas we missed). Early seating
> dinner is our preference, and it came quickly. We were surprised to
> have a table for 2, and at first a little disappointed - we enjoy
> meeting others. The Head Waiter for our area immediately offered to
> reseat us if we wished, but after viewing the amount of kids seated at
> other tables, we decided to stay where we were. We were glad we made
> that decision.
>
> We were later advised that there were between 1300 and 1500 kids
> aboard. No problem at all the entire cruise, except the mealtimes had
> quite a few sleepy and complaining children at almost every table. We
> enjoy kids (I teach school), but we had looked forward to a little
> quiet time on the cruise - I know it is Easter Break (that is why I am
> off work myself), but I had mistakenly thought the parents with kids
> would have chosen a different cruise line.
>
> We also met several passengers who had been displaced by Princess, due
> to the fire. Since vacations are a fixed point in time for most of us,
> they were glad to have been able to switch over to the Voyager.
>
> Our waitress was fine - a little more difficult to understand than most
> of our prior waiters - but she was great overall. As our table was for
> two, and most of her other customers came 30 - 45 minutes late (first
> time I remember ever seeing so many people come late for dinner
> seatings - and it happened every single night), we were served quickly
> and efficiently. My wife has some dietary restrictions (not a weight
> diet - she cannot digest several foods