Rhapsody

[annies]

We're booked on this ship out of Galveston, Aug. 5.....all you expert cruisers tell me about the ship and RC's way of doing things. I've only cruised with Carnival, and am ready to give RC a try. Anyone else going then??

[JuniorCruiser]

I'm unfortunately not going, but I think and hope you will have a great time with RCCL! =)

[annies]

We are very excited, but a little worried about the Jamaica stop. Who's been there, and how much protection can we expect. I can handle someone trying to sell me drugs...but guns and knives...that's a different story. We want to take the Dunn River Falls trip.

[CruiseFan_85]

Jamaica's got a bad rap because of the many "undesierables" that seem to pop up in every story of vacations. However, when we went to Jamaica, the people were very nice and welcoming (wanting a great tip will do that) and were overall very nice. Never was any weapon offered to me. Jamaica really is a great place, and don't be worried about the different rumors.

[Jim C.]

annies-

Rhapsody is a smaller RCCL ship. You are not going to get the big ship ammenities if you are looking for them, but you should still have a great time. I have a buddy that had only done Carnival on the larger ships, Conquest and Triumph, and while not dissapointed, he didn't think RCCL warranted the extra cost. But, he is trying the Liberty of the Seas to be able to compare big and new to big and new.

As far as Jamaica goes, you just need to be careful. I wouldn't book excursions on my own there, but if you stick to the public shopping areas and/or the ship booked excursions, you should be fine. Dunns River Falls is a long ride from Montego Bay, so be prepared for a 2 hour bus ride where you get to see a good chunk of the countryside.

[TrvlPro]

I was on Rhapsody last Sept and had a wonderful time. I'd rate the crew members I encountered as among the best I've ever had. The ship is not anything special. She's showing a little wear and tear and will get a refurb before setting up in Asia but that'll be a little late for this sailing. Overall you're in for a great experience.

I'm a little shocked by CruisFan's assessment of Jamaica. It really is a port to be careful at. Don't stray from the tourist areas and stay with cruiseline excursions. I don't even leave the ship at either Jamaica port anymore. I can do without the hassle, and it is a hassle. Beautiful place but very aggressive locals. Never been more uncomfortable at a port than in Jamaica.

Cheers, Neil

Annies, we also sailed on the Rhapsody last Sept. and had a wonderful time. It's true, the Rhapsody is not as big and doesn't have everything that the Voyager class ships have, but we enjoyed it very much. Service was excellent and I thought the ship was beautiful.

We didn't do an excursion this time in Jamaica, just walked around for a while. We did have a couple of people offer us drugs, but we ignored them and kept going. I would suggest not wandering off on your own. I've heard that Dunn's River Falls is a great excursion.

Have a wonderful cruise!

Lanie

[Teally65]

We sailed on the Rhapsody last September (10-17th). I am an experienced cruiser but have always sailed on a competitor line. I was not let down by the reputation of the Royal Caribbean line!

Being residents of Houston, sailing from Galveston was simply the easiest time for us. I guess because of the timing we got through the line pretty quick. ID pics were snapped and scanned and onboard we went.

We were absolutely happy with our room. It was an interior cabin but again much larger than any we had in the past.

Ports of call were Key West, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. In Key West we did the tour and then a little shopping and the hit Sloppy Joes bar... they have a live streaming cam so you let your friends and family know when you are there! Awesome drinks! The ship looked fabulous in Port but they have a large gathering at Sunset on the boardwalk area. Amazing sunset!

Next onto Grand Cayman - what else - Stingray City swimming with the Stingrays. Awesome! Although it was just less than a week after Steve Irwin's tragedy. My husband thought I was nuts to want to do that tour and entered the water with great concern. Those stingrays glide in from every which direction.

Final Port of Call was Cozumel and we did the day right on the beach at the Beach Club tour for Playa Mia. It was the most incredible beautiful beach. The water was absolutely pristine. It was all inclusive drinks and food... No complaints for a relaxing day. At the end of which hubby picked up a sparkling trinket - of Tanzanite for this gal's finger

The service on the ship was excellent. Our waiter staff were fantastic after we got acquainted - just one meal in! The odd part though was the couple that was supposed to dine with us showed for one dinner and then never showed again. Okay so they were a bit odd!

The cabin was cleaned every time we returned to it but we rarely saw our room steward. Every evening we had a new towel animal waiting for us... Our favorite by far was the Monkey!

Dan Dan the Party Man and British Becky - they know how to keep the party going. The shows were excellent and always packed out...

At the end of the week - gratuities, drinks. lots of pictures, some shopping and excursions we had about a $900 bill to pay. Not too bad at all really!

And we made friends that we've kept in touch with!

Would we do it again... Heck ya!
Beth from Houston

[annies]

Teally 65...thanks for the response! Sounds like you had a great time.

We're looking at excursions for all the ports. We would really like to go to the Falls in Jamaica..don't know if we will. We've heard the snorkeling at Grand Cayman is fantastic, so can anyone recommend an excursion? We may do the stingray thing though...not sure. Nor sure about Cozumel either. We've been there twice, so we need some new ideas for that stop. Maybe a day on the beach...

[Teally65]

Annies.. no problem! Hope that you have a fantastic trip!

Our family just hopped onboard the "competition" today and sailed from Galveston about 2 hours ago. Must say it's got me thinking perhaps another cruise in September is the way to go!

Cheers!