Royal Caribbean
Sovereign of the Seas
Bahamas

Gail Ivester

My husband, 12 yr old daughter, 7 yr old son and I just returned from a wonderful first cruise on the Sovereign of the Seas. I read all the reviews and watched the TLC documentary about the refurbishment of the ship. I took all the advice and went aboard with doubt that this ship could live up to our expectations. Let me say it did!

We arrived at the port at 10:00am, we went right in and found a good parking spot on the lower level. Since they were still unloading the ship we decided to walk our luggage to the drop point at the other end of the terminal (not a big deal). We went into the terminal (no lines) and were one of the first ones on the ship. We got our drink package and headed to Windjammer Cafe (we were eating by 12:00pm).

The Food--We liked the food in Windjammer best because of the large selection. It can be hot in the Windjammer so try to eat in the forward dining area. Be sure to try the omelets for breakfast they make them however you like while you wait. Most of the food in the dining room is good too. We ate in the Mirage dining room and had a wonderful waiter Mohammad. They were especially accomodating the our children.

The Service--Everyone was very nice and entertaining--they seemed to enjoy their jobs. The pool is saltwater but it never had an odor. We went to two shows and they were both wonderful.

Our Cabin--We had adjacent inside cabins (next time I will choose one with a view). It was small but clean. I don't feel like our cabins had been renovated, but there was never an odor in the bathroom like I had read in other reviews. We were on deck 6, far forward. I don't recommend being so far forward. We could hear lots of ship noises in the mornings like the anchor being lowered or when the ship was turning around.

The Ports--We loved CocoCay it was beautiful. We snorkeled and just relaxed on the beach. The BBQ lunch was good. There's plenty to do there or you can go to the other end of the island and sit in a hammock in the shade. Nassau was ok but it was very hot. We went to the pirate museum and did some shopping. We took a taxi to Atlantis for $5 per person. You don't have to pay to go on an excursion there--you can see alot of the aquarium just by walking around the grounds. Be sure to go inside as well. You can go into the casino, shops and part of the aquarium.

I would recommend this cruise to anyone. All the other guests that we met were very friendly and seemed to be having as much fun as us. We will definitely be cruising with Royal Caribbean again.