Review: Royal Caribbean - Voyager of the Seas - [August 07 , 2005]

[Net Reviews]

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Voyager of the Seas
Cape Liberty (Bayonne) NJ to Bermuda
August 7-12, 2005
Traveling Party: Myself and my wife (49), and 3 sons (24, 17, 12)

Previous Cruises: Carnival Victory, Voyager of the Seas, QM2

This was the first cruise for the entire family. My 24 year old son had
never been able to work his schedule to join us so this was his first
cruise. Last year we took the Voyager on its 9 day western Caribbean
cruise and fully enjoyed it. I will be making comparisons to that trip
and noting some changes on our Voyager experience.

Day 1

EMBARKATION: A

We left home at 11 AM and arrived at the pier by 11:30. Dropped off our
luggage and then parked. Really easy. Within 15 minutes we had
completed all boarding procedures and had the Welcome Aboard photos
taken. Note that it is now possible to have boarding forms (credit card
for sea pass, etc.) completed on the internet. You then print out a
page with a bar code that is scanned to facilitate the boarding
procedure. We had not done this because we were unaware that Royal
Caribbean had extended this program to the Voyager. Still, everything
was quick and easy. We were given boarding passes #31 and went to the
waiting area where coffee and cookies are available. We had a small DVD
player with us for the boys to make the waiting easier. At 12:30 they
started calling numbers for the shuttle to the ship. They started with #
20. In a relatively short time they called our number and we were
whisked tot he ship. Dropped our carry on at our cabins and went to the
Windjammer for lunch

WINDJAMMER: C-

The food in the Windjammer was as disappointing as last year. Plenty of
variety, but low quality. Not quite up to college cafeteria fare. Bought
two soda cards for my older sons. The younger doesn¹t like soda, but
prefers milk or lemonade. We would eat lunch in the Windjammer only one
other time on the trip while docked in Bermuda because the dining room
was closed.

We then gave my oldest son a tour of the ship, played mini golf and
shuffle board before going back to our cabins.

STATEROOMS A STEWARDS: B+

We had two staterooms, one across the hall from the other. My wife,
youngest son, and I were in a balcony (8556) and the two older boys were
in an inside promenade view (8557) We couldn¹t believe how quiet that
promenade view cabin was with all the noise going on in the promenade.
This was also the first time we¹ve had a balcony cabin and we will ever
cruise without one again.

Our stateroom attendant was Solomon. We immediately asked if we could
have robes. Last year this was no problem, He explained that things had
changed and even though we are Gold Members in the Crown and Anchor club
it didn¹t make a difference. You must reach the next level to get robes.
But he said he¹d see what he could do. After dinner we had two freshly
folded robes on our bed. Solomon did a great job all week in responding
to our needs. We¹d just leave a note on our bed and he¹d take care of
whatever we asked.
The steward for our boys across the hall was Rick. Although we rarely
saw him, he also did a pretty good job.

We were surprised to discover that Royal Caribbean does not supply
shampoo, shower caps, etc... only a small bar of soap. Fortunately my
wife packs everything else we needed.

There¹s lots of storage space and you set your own combination for the
in room safe.

On a side note, my Sea Pass kept failing and would not open my room.
After getting my 3rd card the purser asked if I had any magnets. Indeed
I did. My magnetic clip on sunglasses which I kept in the same pocket as
my Sea Pass was erasing the data on the card!

MUSTER: B+

Quick and efficient, but still on deck. We prefer the QM2 where you
muster in various air conditioned lounges.

After muster, we were informed the ship would delay departure for 20
minutes due to an operational issue.

We had early seating in the dining room so we went to dinner.

DINING ROOM: FOOD: B+ SERVICE A

We were in the Magic Flute on deck 5 which is the top level of a
magnificent 3 story dining room. Royal Caribbean made some menu changes
this year, but continues to offer a decent selection and an alternative
menu. We felt that the food was better this year than last, always
prepared as requested, presented nicely and high in quality.

When my son ordered milk we asked if it was whole milk. Our waiter,
Vardin, responded ³Of course, why would we serve only half a glass.²

Service was wonderful and consistent throughout the week. Vardin was
friendly and helpful, even with our family ordering multiple entrees and
making numerous requests.

I was somewhat surprised that Lobster night was our first night docked
in Bermuda. I would have expected it on a Sea night so people would
sample on shore dining while in port.

After dinner we went to the ³Welcome Aboard² show followed by the Bon
Voyage parade in the promenade (always fun). Before bed we turned our
clocks ahead one hour as we were leaving Eastern Time and moving to
Atlantic time.

Day 2 - at sea

I love days at sea. Relaxing, strolling , reading a good book.

We started with breakfast in the dining room. Good service and choices.
Noticed several head waiters who were also on board last year.

After breakfast we did the mile walk on the track (5 times around) as we
did every day last year. Lots of people do this. A big difference this
year was in the use of deck chairs. Last year when we walked at 9 AM
almost all deck chairs were taken. This year at 9 AM most were empty. In
spite of gorgeous weather, there was never a problem getting a deck
chair!

Also we noticed very few packs of teens this year.
Elevators, which seemed to always be slow and busy last year were no
problem this year.

After the walk it was off to the sports deck where my boys spent much of
their cruise playing basketball.

ADVENTURE OCEAN: D

Adventure Ocean is a great program if you are under 12. Last year when
my youngest was 11 he loved Adventure Ocean and there was a great
program for him, Now that he is 12, he is in the 12-14 group which is
basically nonexistent. Activities are scheduled but depend on whether or
not anyone shows up. On this morning they were scheduled to have free
throw competition at the basketball court. About 10 kids showed up but
no staff member, so we found a crew member and they phoned someone who
showed up 15 minutes later. The only other activity that appealed to my
son was a ³snowball fight² planned for the adventure ocean pool deck,
but it was canceled when no one planned ahead of time to scrape the ice
rink to get the snow.

Lunch in the dining room had some new selections this year along with
the always popular pasta bar. As usual in the dining room, for quality
and service were excellent.

In the afternoon we attended the ice show which is wonderful. Don¹t miss
this! we also spent some time at the pool.

ENTERTAINMENT: B

The production values of the on board shows in the LaScala theater are
always top notch. The shows were the same as last year and featured the
same singers. We attended because we enjoyed the shows last year and our
oldest son had not seen them before. Rhythm and Rhyme was a tribute to
Broadway and Vibology a tribute to the music of the 50¹s and 60¹s.

We did not attend the Love and Marriage show or the Quest game show. My
older sons did and said both were really lame and crude.

We had 2 cruise directors, Becky and Casey. Both were adequate. Becky
was a ball of energy. Our Activities Director was Becky 2.

Best line of the week came from a comedian who told a very lame joke and
caused people to groan. His response to the expected groan was in best
parental tone, ³You better be good, or I¹m going to turn this ship
around..... we can still go to Canada you know!²

Day 3 - BERMUDA

We stood on our balcony watching the sun come up as we pulled into
Bermuda on a bermudiful morning. We docked at King¹s Wharf by 8

Had breakfast in the dining room, did our mile walk, and prepared to go
ashore for our first excursion at !0:30. This was called the ³Ultimate
Glass Bottom Boat², but should have been called ³ the Rather Ordinary
Glass Bottom Boat² We traveled out to a reef and looked through very
small windows at a shipwreck and some fish. I see more fish in my
aquarium at home!. Fortunately this was a relatively inexpensive
excursion.

Went back to the ship and had a mediocre lunch at Windjammer. As we
were leaving Windjammer to go to our rooms to get ready for the
afternoon the captain announced that there would be a weekly test of the
electrical system and that we should not use the elevators. 5 minutes
later they shut off all electricity on the ship for 10 minutes and then
restarted it all without any problems. As we prepared to leave the ship
security was walking through the hallways with dogs sniffing at every
doorway. I¹m somewhat pleased to see how thorough security is on board.

Anyway, we left the ship and went shopping in King¹s Wharf before
boarding a ferry to Hamilton where we did more exploring. There are some
beautiful parks and gardens there.

We returned to the ship for lobster dinner and a full evening of shows
and activities including a midnight buffet on the pool deck.

DAY 4

After a big breakfast it was off to Hamilton for our next excursion:
³Aquarium, Caves, and other attractions² This was a 3 hour tour of the
island which included stops at the zoo, museum, aquarium and crystal
caves. Our guide was very informative and provided a great tour, even
singing a song about Bermuda for us. For all its beauty I wouldn¹t want
to live in Bermuda. Every household is allowed one compact car (the mini
vans really are mini),but can have as many motor scooters as they want.
Gas is $6 per gallon and price fixed by the government. there is no
public water supply. Water drained from the roof of your home goes into
a tank under your house and through a filtration system

We got back to the ship at 3:00PM with a scheduled departure at 5 and
went to the Promenade Cafe for delicious deli sandwiches and cookies.
Each evening before bed we¹d stop at here for some milk and wonderful
cookies. The boys would also get pizza to bring back to their room. We
give the Cafe Promenade an A+

Two people evidently had called the ship and said they were running
late. They boarded at 5:05 as the gangway was being loaded and
passengers cheered them on as they ran to make the ship. By 5:10 we were
on our way.

At dinner the waiters did the Dance of the Flambé, walking through the
dining room balancing plates with flames on their heads. It was also
the night of the gala midnight buffet and the Village People were
scheduled to be in the disco at midnight! We waited until 12:30 and were
told that their helicopter to the ship was delayed. It was getting
cloudy wit fog and we decided not to wait so we really don¹t know if
they ever made it or if we were just being fed a line!.

Day 5

ROOM SERVICE: A

We had ordered breakfast for 8 AM. at 7:55 we get a call saying it is
on the way. What fun to eat breakfast on your balcony sitting in your
robe.

After breakfast and our mile walk it was back to the sports deck for
basketball. At one point we noticed several times that there was extra
black smoke coming from the smokestack and we were picking up speed.
About an hour later we were in rain and wind with 12 foot seas (although
there was some rolling movement, it wasn¹t much at all)..

We later heard that we were in the northern fringes of Tropical Storm
Irene and the captain had sped up to get through it although looking at
weather maps I think it was just a typical storm off the coast. Several
hours later we were back in sunshine and calm waters. This was the only
rain we had on the trip.

We spent the day just enjoying the ship and doing some souvenir
shopping. Wait till the last day to buy T-shirts and you¹ll always get a
sale, BUT, if you see something you really want to buy, do it early in
the cruise, because they will run out of some items. I learned this the
hard way

Dinner was excellent as usual and the waiters all sang for us (actually
lip synched is a better description) We distributed our tips and bid
farewell and went back to the cabin to pack and put our suitcases out
before attending the Farewell Show, another show you won¹t want to miss.

Before bed we reset our clocks to Eastern time and appreciated gaining
an hour¹s sleep on the last night.

DISEMBARKATION: B

Everyone is given colored luggage tags and must put their luggage out
the night before disembarking. New this year is that you are give the
order in which the colors are called so you know approximately when you
will be able to leave.

We woke up at 6:15 and watched as we came into New York Harbor and
docked at Cape Liberty Royal Caribbean never calls it Bayonne, but if it
looks like Bayonne and SMELLS like Bayonne, it must be Bayonne).

We docked at 7 as scheduled and went to breakfast in the dining room at
8. By 9 we were in the promenade deck watching luggage be unloaded. At
9:30 we went to studio B to listen for our color to be called. This is
another change. Last year you could wait anywhere on the ship and hear
the announcements. They even had cookies, sandwiches and coffee at Cafe
Promenade... but not this year. Announcements are now only heard in the
Lascala Theater, Studio B, or the Atrium.

We were told to have a colored luggage tag and our passport to show as
we disembarked. By 10:30 our color was called and we walked off the ship
with no one checking for tag or passport. Took the shuttle to the
luggage area where we quickly found our luggage. Most luggage looks
alike but we have large green neon luggage tags that stand out. Customs
barely gave us a look and we were quickly loading our mini van. Parking
employees stop all traffic for those leaving the lot so we were out of
there in a flash and home by 11 unpacking.

OVERALL: A

This was a special cruise. For some reason the crew was extra attentive,
energetic, friendly, helpful and exuberant. It was also fun because the
whole family was together to enjoy the trip. Now its time to dream about
next year. it won¹t be the Voyager because she will be in the
Mediterranean. the Explorer of the Seas will replace her and do a 9 day
Eastern Caribbean. We may do that, or Alaska, or a Holland America down
the St. Lawrence... So many choices.