Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas Cruise Review
Eastern Caribbean

Bob Erickson
Age: 65
Occupation: Retired
Number of Cruises: 18
Sailing Date: March 3rd, 2007


After 28 inches of snow in 2 days we were ready to leave Minnesota and go cruising on the Voyager....As the plane came in for a landing in Miami, we flew right over the ship and couldn’t wait to get on board. We had no problems getting thru the boarding process and soon were walking up the ramp to the ship.

The first impression was it’s size...it’s a BIG ship. We had just been on a smaller ship 2 months before and were overwhelmed on just how large the Voyager is. But, after getting used to the ship, we had no problems finding where we wanted to go. We had an outside cabin on deck 3. Nice size, good location and easy access to elevators, the theater and the shopping area. The only drawback was getting to the dining room...we had to go up to the 4th or 5th deck, walk to the back of the ship and then down again to the 3rd deck....but we got used to it. The ship was in great condition, with just a little wear and tear showing. Even with 3,000 plus passengers, it really never felt that crowded, except waiting for elevators...TAKE THE STAIRS if you can.

Our room was ready when we got on board, and the luggage appeared very soon after we got in the room. We headed to the Windjammer for a quick snack. It’s the largest buffet area of any of the ships we’ve been on with lots of serving lines. The food was very good and varied for all meals. We did eat most of our meals in the main dining room but the Windjammer came in handy when we needed a quick meal. The main dining room is split into 3 areas on 3 different decks...Very impressive. We had the main seating and a great server named “Yummy”. The meals were served hot and many nice dishes to choose from. The lamb was outstanding along with the lobster. Our table of 8 never had a bad meal and of course the only negatives were that there was way to much food and too many choices. We did have lunch at Johnny Rockets one afternoon, and ate way to many chili fries and had the double hamburger. There is a cover charge and drink charge, but is worth it. On the two formal nights most were dressed for the occasion, but then again, to some people, jeans are formal wear.

The Ship:
After a day or two, the ship is easy to get around. There are many little nooks and crannies that never seemed to have people using them so there isn’t a lack of places to relax. Deck 3 has the Vault disco, and the ice skating rink in the rear, with the upper deck of the Scala theater forward. Deck four has lounge chairs to take a nap or just watch the ocean. Deck five is where the Promenade is. Lots of shopping places with special’s every day. At the front of the Promenade is the 24 hour coffee, pizza and snack restaurant. Since the buffet closes at 9, this is the place to go for a midnight snack. The upper decks have the jogging track, roller blading track, rock wall, golf course, basketball court, ping pong, pools and space just to relax. So many things to do and so little time to do them. This was one of the smoothest rides of any of the many ships we’ve been on. The staff were all very helpful and seemed to really like their jobs. One nice touch is when you get into the elevator there is a floor panel with the day of the week on it...so every day it gets changed...because on a cruise you seem to lose track of time. This is also one of the few ships where you can actually walk all the way to the bow of the ship and take a look or sit on benches and really feel the sea breeze.

Entertainment:
The ships dancers and singers were some of the best we’ve seen. Very talented. One night they brought in Mosaic, an act from Las Vegas...If they are on the ship DON’T MISS THEM. They were fantastic. The other performance not to miss is the Ice Skating show. The Rink is small, but the skaters do an excellent job. You will have to get free tickets, and the show fills up very quickly. I was standing in line at the Service Desk and had a woman standing in front of me...when she turned around...I recognized her..It was Charo.....She was the main show the following night....She was outstanding...She did a little of her Vegas show, then played a few guitar numbers....Most people don’t realize that the guitar is her REAL talent.


Itinerary:
Nassau, Bahamas:
We had been here before, but had never gone to the Atlantis Hotel. So we grabbed a cab for $4.00 and spent most of the morning walking around the beautiful grounds of the hotel. There is a tour for $29.00 that the hotel offers, but from what he heard, wasn’t worth doing. On the way back to the ship there are many shops to spend your money at.

Day at Sea:
Relax and do the many things the ship has to offer.

St. Thomas:
We decided to take the ride up to the top of the hill which will cost you $18.00. But we both decided that it was worth it. There is a small restaurant, bar and shopping area at the top. The view overlooking the bay was outstanding. Heading back to the ship my wife decided it was time to SHOP. She was looking for a gold snake chain and of course found it. It was her delayed Christmas present so it scored some points for me.

San Juan:
We’ve been here many times before, but had never gotten to El Morro, so we took a $6 cab ride and spent the day walking around the castle. An amazing piece of architecture and history. It’s hard to believe that they built it in the 1500's without a Home Depot in the neighborhood. If you have the time, I would recommend that you take in El Morro as part of your day in San Juan.

Labadee:
I got up early and watched the ship come into Labadee. What a beautiful country. We didn’t know what to expect since this is just a day at the beach. You have to tender into the beach which worked out very nicely. The beach is a peninsula and has a mixture of sand and rocks. It’s a wonderful place to just relax, swim, snorkel. There is a native craft mall, but be prepared to be accosted and pushed into buying something. We were overwhelmed and decided to leave the area. RCL put on a great picnic lunch and it ended up being a nice relaxing time. Take a hike to the tip of the beach for a wonderful picture taking time.

Day at Sea:
Another day of eating, relaxing, and of course packing to come home.

We’ve been on many cruises, but this one is in the top 5. The ship was nice, the food was good to great, entertainment was top notch, the crew were outstanding. The snow was still on the ground when we got home, but it didn’t seem so bad after cruising on the Voyager of the Seas.
 

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