Felix and Nancy Pfaeffle

We had booked our space for the lowest price offered through an Internet travel company in October 2002 for a Western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston for February 9-16 2003, having made our final cruise joice on the basis of many reviews found on the Internet and promptly received confirmation and the “Guest Vacation Documents” booklet from Royal Caribbean International. Our stateroom designation at that time was “GTY”. We therefore did not know where we were going to be on the ship and hoped for the best and a possible upgrade.

Although Las Cruces is approximately 840 miles from Galveston, we decided to drive there, making to overnight stops rather than flying. The reason being that we wanted to be sure to get to the ship without worrying about airline schedules, connections and possible weather problems. The long drive through the wide open Texas was made short by listening to book tapes, which eats up the miles much quicker than would imagine. Unfortunately we woke up in Kerrville on our first stop to three inches of snow on the parked car and the drive through the wintry Texas Hill country was not as pleasant as we had hoped. Rain and blustery temperatures stayed with us until we reached our destination

The last overnight stay was in Galveston, where the temperatures, rain and wind made us wish we were already at our tropical destinations. The motel (EconoLodge) permitted us to leave our car in their parking lot, apparently especially set aside for “cruise passengers”, thus avoiding the $ 60 fee for parking at the pier. In our view it is preferable to arrive in Galveston the night before, stay at a convenient motel and be ready to board early, to avoid standing in long lines. We were fortunate to meet a couple at the motel who were booked for the same cruise and with whom we shared a cab ride to the pier. Being of “like minds” we spent many hours with these two fine people during the next seven days.

Embarkation went very smoothly and according to the many reports we had read on the Internet. We were at the pier by 10:00 am and got aboard around 11:00am. The first impression of the ship as you climb the wide stairway to Deck 4 is one of awe. Having been informed of our cabin assignment at check-in we immediately went looking for it and found it quickly. Although it was an inside category, it was very conveniently located amidships near an elevator which proved very handy indeed. Having heard from a number of people that it was a good idea to check with the headwaiter regarding our dining room table placement, we headed for the two-tiered “Edelweiss” dining room. We found that our table number 123 was for four and located near a window next to Deck 5, a very attractive spot. I decided to hand my tip for the headwaiter (Maitr’d) early. This may have been the reason why my wife and I were chosen for the “Captain’s Table” (‘along with four other couples) on Tuesday night’s first formal dinner. The obligatory emergency drill, announced on the ship’s sound system, went off smoothly. Everybody quickly assembled at their assigned “muster station”.

Now let me discuss the various locations and other aspects important for future “cruisers”:

CABIN
Our cabin, number 2087 (“N”category) was certainly adequate. When we arrived, the two beds were pushed together to one side to make a queen bed. We immediately asked our attendant Michael to separate them and to put the night stand in between. That proved to be much more practical. There was a small sitting area with a “settee” and a glass-top round table

The vanity with large mirrors and a separate chair was handy and include lots of space behind the two side mirrors. It also contained a small safe for valuables, passports etc. Unfortunately we were never able to secure it despite good instructions on how to set the combination lock. A small TV set was convenient to watch the news (International CNN program), several other channels, including movies, incessant (and boring) sales pitches for shore excursions, rebroadcasts of the ship’s “Broadway Melodies Theater” shows and, finally, the view over the “Rhapsody’s” bow enabling us to see what the captain would observe from the bridge.
The only electric outlet in the cabin was in the vanity, none in the bathroom vanity arrangement, as far as I could tell. We brought along an inexpensive night light with air freshener which proved to be convenient and made it unnecessary to leave the bathroom door light on with the door cracked open. This, we think, is important for an inside cabin which would otherwise be pitch black.

Although the cabin was small, my wife found it comfortable enough to use the sitting area for extended periods of undisturbed reading. We were amazed how absolutely quiet it was inside, even though the cabins immediately opposite was occupied with a family with children who created a lot of traffic. One might expect to hear a certain amount of engine sound on deck 2, but it was almost undetectable to realize that the ship was moving. The proximity of six elevators, including the two big glass-enclosed ones, at first caused me concern. We heard absolutely no noise coming from them and instead were happy that they were so accessible.

CENTRUM
This five story high atrium is aptly named. It is the center of the ship, with many many activities nearby. This large, airy space features a huge wooden sculpture that floats like a giant Alexander Calder mobile over the entire “plaza” with its floor on Deck 4. One can look into this space from several interior balconies and from the glass elevator and it reminded us of a huge, elegant hotel lobby. The “Edelweiss Dining Room” can be reached from either Deck 4 or Deck 5. An elegant stairway leads to the “ground floor and is a popular venue for picture taking. The Pursers and the “Excursions”Desks are located just off the Centrum on Deck 5 as are the Casino Royale and beyond it, the magnificent “Broadway Melodies Theater”.

The Centrum, with its several levels, has many comfortable seating areas from which one can listen to the pleasant sounds of music often played during the day. Unfortunately, this stunning environment was taken over by the daily “art auctions” with their incessant sounds of the auctioneers hyping their wares during long periods of time.

DINING ROOM
The centrally located “Edelweiss Dining Room” is another elegant space, creating a festive atmosphere for the passengers. It is easily accessible from the central elevator bank and generous staircases are available to those of us who welcome the stair-climbing as an opportunity to add to aerobic exercising while indulging the multiple calories ingested on a cruise. The lower level on Deck 4 is completely surrounded by windows while the upper (balcony) level on Deck 5 looks down on the diners and the large Captain’s table in the center. The variety of table sizes for from four to twelve diners makes for an elegant, festive ambience. Numerous serving stations for the wait persons are strategically placed but blend unobtrusively into the pleasant décor.

WINDJAMMER CAFÉ
This second major eating venue is located on Deck 9 forward of the large sun deck/swimming pool area. Floor to ceiling windows complete surround the large eating area and provide an airy ambience from which to observe the ocean. Various seating areas are raised so that even those diners on the inside of the space can look out over the water. Food selection is buffet style with a wide variety of warm items, cereals, fruit and fresh pastry. An “omelet station” provides masterfully prepared egg dishes.

FOOD QUALITY
Other reviewers have commented on the fact that “Rhapsody of the Seas” is not a “foodie” ship, whatever that word may mean. Perhaps a true gourmand may not be entirely satisfied by the gastronomic offerings. I found the food quality very good to excellent, at times. The menus for both dinner and lunch were well chosen, varied and thus everyone on board should consistently have been satisfied with the selections starting with truly outstanding appetizers. My wife was delighted with the choice of various cold soups such as “watermelon gazpacho” and bisques made from tropical fruit.

There are plenty of selections for the light eater who would nevertheless participate in the opulence of the culinary experience. All entrees were beautifully presented and served.
Although some passengers did not follow suggestions in “dressing up” for the two formal nights, the majority of diners showed up in either formal or dressy outfits. Thus the festive atmosphere of those traditional cruise events was preserved and added to the overall quality of the cruise.

LOUNGES
The “Rhapsody of the Seas” is not only a beautiful ship but is also designed to provide numerous spaces for quiet relaxation. The Centrum atrium itself is a wonderful space and reminiscent of a large hotel lobby from which one can observe the “comings and goings” of cruise ship life (for people watchers) and listen to the small music ensembles which, at certain times, entertain the guests in the lower level. One can also enjoy the musical strains as they drift up to the Centrum balconies and upper levels facing the atrium. The Champagne Bar on Deck 4 serves the surrounding area.

The “Shall we Dance” lounge at the stern of Deck 6 is a large venue for after dinner dancing or another quiet place to relax or read during the day while watching the wake of the ship as it makes its way to the next destination. The “Observatory”, high up and forward on Deck 10 is especially designed for star gazers offering opportunities to see the night sky. One more flight of stairs up is the “Viking Crown Lounge” on Deck 11, offering grand vistas of the ocean during the day and dancing at night.

The “Moonlight Bay Lounge” on the portside of Deck 6 and the “Schooner Lounge” on the starboard side surround the “Conference Center”. The latter is reserved for a variety of private affairs and meetings. Its wood-paneled ambience provides for a quiet atmosphere totally separated from the rest of the ship.

LIBRARY and CARD ROOM
On either side of the atrium on Deck 7 are the Library and the Card Room, both pleasant and ample spaces with large windows to the outside for either reading or playing card games. The Library is well stocked with both fiction and non-fiction books to choose from while lounging in large leather chairs and sofas. The books can also be signed out for reading in the cabin.

The Card Room is also furnished with cards and a variety of other games and appropriate furnishings to play in comfort. Sign-up sheets are provided for those seeking playing partners and bridge foursomes are quickly assembled.

“BROADWAY MELODIES” THEATER
This is a venue for all kinds of entertainment performances such as musical stage productions and variety space shows. The two-tiered theater on Decks 5 and 6 is a breathtakingly large and beautifully appointed auditorium with comfortable seats (each with a beverage holder) from which to observe the action on the large stage. Two very large screens on both sides of the stage projected the video image of what was happening on the stage. Not being particularly interested in shows, my wife and I went only to three events in the theater, two of the life shows and one movie. The life shows were very good and we enjoyed the movie “A Big Fat Greek Wedding”. However, we both regretted that the film was shown on the two screens, making it necessary to crank our heads to either direction. We strongly urge RCI to install large movie screens in the center and provide more films for passengers who are not interested in life shows or too tired to attend them in the late evening hours.

“CASINO ROYALE”
For those people wishing to spend some time (and money) gambling, the Casino on
Deck 5 is located between the Purser’s area and The Theater. The feeling one gets when walking into this space is like entering a small Las Vegas casino. The sights and sounds are the same as is the smell of cigarette smoke which the ship’s otherwise excellent ventilating system cannot quite overcome. There are several banks of slot machines attractively arranged along with the usual poker and blackjack tables. Roulette and crap tables are provided on the portside. I found the slot machines tighter than “on land”. I don’t think that they approached the 97% to 98% payout levels found in Las Vegas or the other well-known venues. However, a fellow passenger, whom I had met during the embarkation process, did win a jackpot equal to the amount of his cruise fare.

“SPORTS DECKS” (DECK 9 and 10)
The main swimming pool, along with several hot tubs is located here. Large sections are provided for sun worshippers but equally generous space is reserved under roofs and under large canvas sun shades. Under the warm Caribbean sun, this large area was popular throughout the day, especially when the excellent steel band was entertaining the crowd.
The “Windjammer Café” on the same deck is accessible from the swimming pool area or from the bank of forward elevators. Doors to the restaurant are both on the port as well as on the starboard sides of Deck 9, permitting those who want to eat “al fresco”-style to take their trays out to the tables on the periphery of the deck.

Deck 9 is the perfect spot for an early morning walk with a quick cup of coffee provided outside the Windjammer Café. Open stairs lead up to Deck 10 which is perfect for walking or jogging, helping to burn off the copious calories consumed during the meals aboard.

THE SOLARIUM
is also located on Deck 9. One needs to walk only a few steps aft of the swimming pool area to get there. It is a most attractive place containing an indoor/outdoor pool, two hot tubs and lounge areas. In inclement weather it is covered by a glass roof making this space comfortable and convenient for quiet lounging. The Solarium is tastefully decorated with Egyptian motives and provides towels for those wishing to go for a dip in the salt-water pool or relax in the hot tubs. I enjoyed the latter especially after a swim in the cool (about 75F) water which is agitated with some wave-action facility. Be careful when getting in and out of the hot tubs, they can be slippery.

ON-BOARD SHOPPING
Deck 6 features an extensive shopping area, attractively laid out and inviting to those who are unable to resist browsing through clothing, jewelry, sports equipment and souvenir assortments. In my limited experience, I found the offerings reasonably priced, especially when considering this is geared to vacationers. The duty-free liquor store had good selections and prices. However, one could not buy liquor for consumption on board. After making selections, they were kept for you until the end of the cruise when one could retrieve purchases before leaving the ship. Next to the shopping “alley” is the large photography gallery where one can inspect the thousands of snapshots taken by the ship’s photographers. The pictures are displayed on the walls, separated into categories and days on which they are taken. Despite this organization, trying to find your own image among the thousands is time consuming and boring. Yet, I understand that selling photos of the vacationing passengers is a profitable enterprise for all cruise lines.

EXCURSIONS
Royal Caribbean offers a large menu of shore excursions as part of their cruising experience. My wife and I, at our age, are not interested in these opportunities to see the sights or participate in the adventurous activities. (“Been there, done that…etc.) For us life aboard a big, attractive ship with all the conveniences aboard is the true value of a cruise. Therefore, even though we went ashore in Key West, Belize and Cozumel, we only went on cab rides with our newly-found friends in these places.

SERVICE AND CREW
My hat is off to Royal Caribbean International for their efforts in this area. They have hired and trained their personnel with the comfort, enjoyment and safety of their passengers in mind. When considering that the staff is recruited from over fifty different countries, this must be an enormous task. We found every crew member, with the exception of a few lowest-level jobs, friendly and helpful in every possible situation.

Especially the dining room staff and our cabin steward went out of their way to be helpful. They truly deserve the recommend tips, which we passed out on the second day of our journey on the advice of experienced “cruisers”. It is especially advisable to tip the head waiter early in order to get special attention at all times.

NEGATIVES
Our entire cruise experience was so delightful that I am hard put to find something to complain about. Nevertheless, I find it necessary to point out that the “Art Auctions” held every day in the vast Centrum atrium were disruptive and objectionable. I would not be adverse to one such an event during the week but the incessant hyping of second and third rate artwork, displayed in cheap frames offended me. I understand that selling this stuff is another profit center for RCI but they are overdoing it by the sheer amount of mass-produced paintings and prints stacked in the two lower levels of the Centrum, the most attractive and important space on the ship. There were many times when I would have liked to sit in the atrium listening to the gentle sounds of the musicians, who were doing such excellent work “when they had the floor”.

HIGHLIGHTS
Undoubtedly one of the high points of the cruise was to be invited to the Captain’s Table on the first of the two “formal nights”. To be chosen for that honor as one of the five couples among the 2400 passengers was an unexpected bonus that we will remember with gratitude. The fact that it happened to be my wife’s 76th birthday made the occasion even more enjoyable. Captain Rolv Olaussen is the kind of Master of the Ship you would picture the captain of a large vessel to be. He turned out to be an excellent host to the lucky folks gathered around his table which was decorated with a large anchor laid out with red flowers.

When my wife and I ran into the Captain in the line-up for the tender returning from Belize City to the Rhapsody, I told him of “George, the GeoBear” whom we brought along for the trip. “George” is a small teddy bear who is owned by a fifth-grader in Alton. Illinois. The “Geobear” is part of a geography lesson, wherein each student was given a bear by the teacher with the admonition to send out ‘his’ or ‘her’ pal to friends and relatives who in turn were asked to pass the bear around in order to “see the world”.

We received “George” from a neighbor, who had taken him on a sailboat voyage from Tahiti to Hawaii and then on to Las Cruces, New Mexico. We told Captain Olaussen about our bear whereupon he invited us to the bridge of “the Rhapsody” for a tour and picture-taking”. We gratefully accepted and upon the indicated time we were escorted to the bridge, which for security reasons nowadays is a restricted area. It was an exciting visit and I appreciated having the opportunity seeing this very large (about 20x100 feet) room with its high-tech equipment from which the huge ship is steered. The Captain graciously showed George around and pointed out the location of the “Rhapsody” to him on the sea charts.

WRAP-UP
This was a most enjoyable cruise which we were sorry to see end after only seven days. I could have easily sailed on for another week. We can highly recommend Royal Caribbean Cruise Line for similar trips being confident that the Line’s other vessel are equally well managed and beautifully appointed. We believe that the “price/performance” ratio highly favors a cruise such as I described here. It is hard to imagine that there is a better opportunity to relax and feel totally pampered in a magnificent environment served by a caring crew.