Wayne Yim
Age: 15
Occupation:Student
Number of Cruises: 3
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Rhapsody of the Seas
Sailing Date: August 17th, 2003
Itinerary: Western Caribbean
This review is about our weeklong cruise on Royal
Caribbean International's M/S RHAPSODY of the SEAS. We sailed from Galveston on
August 17th, 2003 and visited Key West, Florida; George Town, Grand Cayman; and
Cozumel, Mexico.
Built in 1997 at the famous Chantier de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, RHAPSODY is the 6th of the "Vision-class" ships and first of the third pair of different looking pairs that shares similar designs. A few technical notes- she is 915 ft long and 105.6 ft wide, meaning she can easily fit through the Panama Canal. When she was built, she was the largest in the RCI fleet until VOYAGER of the SEAS joined the fleet in 1999, weighing in at 138,000 grt. Like all her fleet mates, the Viking Crown Lounge is high above the ship, offering great views of the ocean undisturbed. She uses the traditional shafts and thrusters-no Azipods are found anywhere.
Embarkation:
Very smooth throughout, but could definitely be improved. We got to Galveston's Pier 26 Cruise Terminal around 9:00 am. Embarkation process did not begin until 11:00 am, and there was not many people there yet. After you pass through the security checkpoint, you go on the row of desks where you get your "Seapass Card" and some fill out some paperwork. Then you go over to the waiting room and photographers are already waiting to take your "Welcome Onboard" picture. Now here is the bad part. They won't let you onboard until noon, meaning you will have to sit back down and wait. We were never given a number; when noon came, people with disability went first. Then everyone started crowding around the gate. Luckily, we managed to stay together and were in front of the pack. If anyone is familiar with Galveston's Cruise Terminal, after you great through the gate, you go down these stairs and BAM, you are right on the dock. Wait a few minutes in the heat while they clear-up some confusion from the security photo machines. Pass that last check point, and walk for about 25 meters and then board the ship. When you board the ship, no cruise staff asks if you need any help finding your cabin. Luckily, we know where our cabin was when you booked.
In all, embarkation went very smoothly and quick. Now RCI, try passing out numbers and give incentives to those who got there earlier and help the elders who have to crowd along just to get onboard.
Public Areas:
All the public areas was clean. They all look welcoming, but the Schooner Bar is very narrow and at night, very dark. The place I felt most welcoming was the Moonlight Bay Lounge on deck 6 (right next to Schooner Bar). The furniture was upholstered in warm blue and yellow colors along with green carpet.
The best place with good ocean views would be the Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 11. A huge tiered sitting area enables everyone to see out. Half stories up in the back is view out backward of the ship. Here you can look down to the Solarium. In all, Viking Crown Lounge has 360 degrees view of the ocean.
Food and Service:
Great food in the dining room. In the casual Windjammer Cafe/Buffet, sometimes the hot food is not fresh enough. I like the way this place was designed. The middle of the sitting area is raised along with the ceiling. Food at the Solarium Cafe were okay. There, they served pizzas, hot dogs, burgers, fries, and snacks. I would not recommend eating the pizza here-sometimes it is dry and they put it out on a plate with a heating lamp over it. None of the three places are opened 24 hrs.
Activities and Entertainment:
The production shows were great. At night, they had a few late night comedy, Love and marriage game show, theme dancing, and much more.
Some programs included demos, wine tasting, ship tours, dance class, and many more. The cruise director claimed there were over 150 activities over the course of the week. A great way to exercise and still get incentive was the ShipShape Program. They had about 10 activities each day and after each one you get a "ShipShape Dollar". On the last day, you can redeem it for towels, bags, hats, t-shirts, and key chains. Some of these activities were ping pong tournament, shuffleboard, walk-a-mile, line dancing, etc. The cruise director staffs led all of the daily activities. A new attraction that opened during our sailing was the RCI's famous rock wall. It is about 25 feet high and it was popular throughout the cruise. The bad part was that it only opened on sea days. In summation, there were different kinds of activity for all ages.
Disembarkation:
Very smoothly done. The night before, you were issued color tags of the same color. This is your ticket for getting off a certain time. They actually printed a schedule of the different colors schedule to depart. There was no crowd down at the gangway when we got off. RCI was actually ahead of schedule.
Stuff I didn't like:
RHAPSODY of the SEAS is showing aging. Peeling paint, loose switches, some carpets need outside doors were damp. The two Panaroma elevators that go from Deck 1 to Deck 11 are slow. These two are the only elevators that go up to the Viking Crown Lounge. Waiting time could be long, but then you can climb the stairs.
Ports of Call:
We sailed from Galveston and went to Key West, Florida; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. Key West was mainly a shopping stop and it does not take long to walk around the whole island. Be sure to stop by the US Southernmost Point!
Grand Cayman is a British Island. The most famous place there is the Seven Mile Beach. There are lots of stuff to do around the island. Snorkeling, Kayaking, biking, and Rum cake Factory are just a few.
Cozumel has the best beaches. Crystal clear water great for snorkeling and diving.
Summary:
Great cruise and ship for all ages. There were stuff for everyone to do. There are many outdoor deck space. Many Texans are usually onboard. Would I go on RHAPSODY of the SEAS or go on another RCI cruise?-Definitely!
Built in 1997 at the famous Chantier de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France, RHAPSODY is the 6th of the "Vision-class" ships and first of the third pair of different looking pairs that shares similar designs. A few technical notes- she is 915 ft long and 105.6 ft wide, meaning she can easily fit through the Panama Canal. When she was built, she was the largest in the RCI fleet until VOYAGER of the SEAS joined the fleet in 1999, weighing in at 138,000 grt. Like all her fleet mates, the Viking Crown Lounge is high above the ship, offering great views of the ocean undisturbed. She uses the traditional shafts and thrusters-no Azipods are found anywhere.
Embarkation:
Very smooth throughout, but could definitely be improved. We got to Galveston's Pier 26 Cruise Terminal around 9:00 am. Embarkation process did not begin until 11:00 am, and there was not many people there yet. After you pass through the security checkpoint, you go on the row of desks where you get your "Seapass Card" and some fill out some paperwork. Then you go over to the waiting room and photographers are already waiting to take your "Welcome Onboard" picture. Now here is the bad part. They won't let you onboard until noon, meaning you will have to sit back down and wait. We were never given a number; when noon came, people with disability went first. Then everyone started crowding around the gate. Luckily, we managed to stay together and were in front of the pack. If anyone is familiar with Galveston's Cruise Terminal, after you great through the gate, you go down these stairs and BAM, you are right on the dock. Wait a few minutes in the heat while they clear-up some confusion from the security photo machines. Pass that last check point, and walk for about 25 meters and then board the ship. When you board the ship, no cruise staff asks if you need any help finding your cabin. Luckily, we know where our cabin was when you booked.
In all, embarkation went very smoothly and quick. Now RCI, try passing out numbers and give incentives to those who got there earlier and help the elders who have to crowd along just to get onboard.
Public Areas:
All the public areas was clean. They all look welcoming, but the Schooner Bar is very narrow and at night, very dark. The place I felt most welcoming was the Moonlight Bay Lounge on deck 6 (right next to Schooner Bar). The furniture was upholstered in warm blue and yellow colors along with green carpet.
The best place with good ocean views would be the Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 11. A huge tiered sitting area enables everyone to see out. Half stories up in the back is view out backward of the ship. Here you can look down to the Solarium. In all, Viking Crown Lounge has 360 degrees view of the ocean.
Food and Service:
Great food in the dining room. In the casual Windjammer Cafe/Buffet, sometimes the hot food is not fresh enough. I like the way this place was designed. The middle of the sitting area is raised along with the ceiling. Food at the Solarium Cafe were okay. There, they served pizzas, hot dogs, burgers, fries, and snacks. I would not recommend eating the pizza here-sometimes it is dry and they put it out on a plate with a heating lamp over it. None of the three places are opened 24 hrs.
Activities and Entertainment:
The production shows were great. At night, they had a few late night comedy, Love and marriage game show, theme dancing, and much more.
Some programs included demos, wine tasting, ship tours, dance class, and many more. The cruise director claimed there were over 150 activities over the course of the week. A great way to exercise and still get incentive was the ShipShape Program. They had about 10 activities each day and after each one you get a "ShipShape Dollar". On the last day, you can redeem it for towels, bags, hats, t-shirts, and key chains. Some of these activities were ping pong tournament, shuffleboard, walk-a-mile, line dancing, etc. The cruise director staffs led all of the daily activities. A new attraction that opened during our sailing was the RCI's famous rock wall. It is about 25 feet high and it was popular throughout the cruise. The bad part was that it only opened on sea days. In summation, there were different kinds of activity for all ages.
Disembarkation:
Very smoothly done. The night before, you were issued color tags of the same color. This is your ticket for getting off a certain time. They actually printed a schedule of the different colors schedule to depart. There was no crowd down at the gangway when we got off. RCI was actually ahead of schedule.
Stuff I didn't like:
RHAPSODY of the SEAS is showing aging. Peeling paint, loose switches, some carpets need outside doors were damp. The two Panaroma elevators that go from Deck 1 to Deck 11 are slow. These two are the only elevators that go up to the Viking Crown Lounge. Waiting time could be long, but then you can climb the stairs.
Ports of Call:
We sailed from Galveston and went to Key West, Florida; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. Key West was mainly a shopping stop and it does not take long to walk around the whole island. Be sure to stop by the US Southernmost Point!
Grand Cayman is a British Island. The most famous place there is the Seven Mile Beach. There are lots of stuff to do around the island. Snorkeling, Kayaking, biking, and Rum cake Factory are just a few.
Cozumel has the best beaches. Crystal clear water great for snorkeling and diving.
Summary:
Great cruise and ship for all ages. There were stuff for everyone to do. There are many outdoor deck space. Many Texans are usually onboard. Would I go on RHAPSODY of the SEAS or go on another RCI cruise?-Definitely!