jasper15

Just got home from our 10 night South Pacific cruise and thought I would write a brief review, if you have any questions I will do my best to answer.

There were 4 of us traveling. DH and I, as well as DH's sister and her husband. We were booked in Junior Suites - rooms 9628 and 1628, so one above the other.

Pre-Cruise

We flew from Melbourne to Sydney the day before the cruise and stayed at the Hyatt Regency in Darling Harbour. The hotel was a bargain at $195 per night in a great spot, central to all restaurants and bars down in Darling Harbour. We dined at Manjit's On The Wharf that night and were very impressed with the Modern Indian food that they served. It was the first time I've eaten in an Indian Restaurant where you can look into the kitchen and I must say, it was sparkling. Everything we ate was delicious and we will definitely go back.

Hyatt Regency had a nice buffet breakfast and the service was great. Rooms a little small but we didn't spend much time in them. Lovely walk-in shower which makes a nice change from a shower over the bath.

Check-In

SIL and her hubby were first time cruisers and they were very impressed by the ease of check-in. We arrived at the port at 11.20am and were on-board before 11.40am. It was super easy!

All four of us had the deluxe drink package so once on-board we headed straight to the pool bar. There weren't many people around, maybe they all headed straight to windjammer but since we had eaten a big breakfast, we were at the bar looking at the Sydney Opera House. What a view!

Rooms

Our rooms were great, so much storage I don't think I used half of it. Big walk-in robe and nice sized balcony. Beds were very comfortable. Great room attendant, Jamie. He did a wonderful job, nothing was too much trouble.

Dining

I got a great deal on specialty dining package combined with drinks package so we didn't eat in the main dining room at all. We ate at Chops, Izumi, Giovanni's, Windjammer and Johnny Rockets.

This time, Giovanni's was the only let down. The food there seemed to be hit and miss, with the exception of the Seafood Soup which was outstanding every time. The chicken was dry and bland, the fillet was good but not as good as Chops. The crab ravioli was nice, the lamb chops were good. I thought the spinach and ravioli parcels were okay but lacking in flavour. The carpaccio was good.

Chops was fantastic. We ended up eating there four times and everything was faultless. On the last night DH and SIL had the seafood tower and they were still talking about it this morning. They loved it! Other popular dishes for us were the Mushroom Soup, lamb cutlets, half roast chicken, rib eye steak and beef carpaccio.

Izumi was my favourite but alas my fellow dining companions aren't mad on Japanese so we only went once. The salmon sashimi and albacore carpaccio were beautiful.

Johnny Rockets was fine but not as good as I've had on other ships. Instead of cheese sauce on the fries, they had crumbled sliced cheddar.............what? Never seen that before and it tasted weird. Everyone liked their burgers, I really enjoyed my tuna melt with extra jalapenos...yum!

Windjammer: Now my SIL was expecting the worst because she had been reading reviews, but she was so impressed by it that her and her hubby dined there once when DH and I went to Giovanni's. We ate at Windjammer almost every day for lunch and honestly, I don't understand why so many people complain about it. There was fantastic variety and the salads were always super fresh. Breakfast was great, I had lots of people saying how much they enjoyed it. We couldn't fault it.

Ports

Noumea was our first stop. We had elected to visit Amadee Island which is only available if you book through the ship. We were first to get off the ship and the last group of people to get back on. It was a 45 minute boat ride to the island. While there we were taken on a glass bottom boat ride which was very interesting and well worth going on. Lots of turtles to see as well as many different varieties off reef fish.

Lunch was included in this excursion and the locals made us quite a feast. Heaps of different salads, barbecue Tuna, prawns, steak, rice, vegetables and desserts. There were plenty of options, it was a big buffet. DH was one of the last to go up and he said there was still a lot of food there. Many people had second helpings.

The local people performed some music and dancing then we had more time to go swimming and snorkeling before getting on the boat back to the ship. I can definitely recommend that excursion.

Mystery Island was our second stop and it was a tender. We elected to get organized early and make our way down for the early tenders, no tickets were required prior to 8.45am. We were lucky enough to get on the first boat at 8am and boy what a blessing that was. The island is beautiful, but there isn't much shade near the water. We grabbed a spot on the beach and went swimming for a couple of hours. We then wandered around the markets and made our way back to the ship. We were back on-board by 12pm and had a peaceful lunch in the WJ before spending the rest of the afternoon by the pool.

We had another sea day before arriving in Vanuatu. I had booked a shore excursion through a local tour operator. It was to see the turtle sanctuary and go shopping. The excursion was fine, we had a great driver for just the four of us. He was very entertaining and knowledgeable but I am reluctant to recommend visiting the turtle sanctuary. It was quite a sad place. The turtles were kept in a big walled off pool of sea water. There is no vegetation there, they eat paw paws fed to them by tourists and seemed quite hungry. The one year old turtles were kept in a small tank made of rocks. There were only a few there and no younger babies on display, not sure where they were kept. There were also piglets, very underweight and kept in a pen that wasn't nearly big enough for them all.

Our last port was Mare but when we woke up that morning there were really bad storms. We docked and apparently 28 people got on tenders and went across to Mare but they were brought back soon after. The captain decided that we would leave Mare due to the unsafe conditions and we set sail as soon as everyone was back on board.

Crew

The crew were fantastic, always smiling and friendly. Our favourites: Pralash in Giovanni's, great server who was on top of everything. Ferdinand in Chops, he has been with the company for 12 years and was very entertaining. David in the Tavern Bar, a really nice guy who knew what we wanted without asking! Mohammed in the Casino bar, always singing and smiling. Last but not least Austinn at the pool :)

Disembarkation

We had breakfast in the Windjammer and walked off the ship straight after at approximately 8.15am. We found our luggage straight away and were through customs in 5 minutes. Our flight wasn't until later in the day but we were pleasantly surprised to see someone from Virgin Airlines out the front of the cruise terminal. For a small fee, they took our luggage to the airport and issued our boarding passes. We were then free to wander around, have some lunch and make our way out to the airport a few hours later.

Observations

There were no drink cards on sale on this cruise and I'm sure I would have noticed if there were.

Someone on facebook was complaining that this cruise was overrun by kids, I would like to point out that it is school holidays in Australia at the moment. We had no kids with us and we didn't encounter any problems with kids at all. They seemed well mannered and were busy in kids club or at other activities, not running rampant around the ship.

The ship itself is in great condition.

Overall, this was a great trip. I preferred this ship to Independence but Anthem is still my favorite of the ships we have been on. Looking forward to our next cruise now in 153 days :)

we are going to Jaimies Bluereef next month-

 

 

 

 

I have not been there yet but the reviews on trip advisor look promising.

We have booked Jaimies Bluereef as well, booked through Shorefox.

Friends have been there and said it was absolutely amazing!!! Can't wait :)

We did Amiga Island last year and we loved it. Its just a small little island that takes about 15 minutes to walk all the way around, but they only allow about 20 people go per visit, so it like having your own private island with 19 of your 'closest friends' that got stranded with you from sailing on the SS Minnow.

 

Our group liked it so much, that we booked it again for next cruise.

 

The only issue that we had was, last year it wasn't very 'modern' when it came to bathrooms, there was just an outhouse - not a brand new port-a-potty, but they had just an old wood built shack. I think they were building a new structure when we were there, so I don't know if the bathroom situation has been addressed.

we did Amiga Island last year as well. It was awesome.

Thoroughly recommend it :)

I have been recommended Jaime's at the Blue Reef and have booked to go there. It has excellent reviews on trip advisor. You have to book as it is only small.

I would definitely go option 1, spend less money on the cabins and more on other things such as excursions and perhaps a nice dinner at a speciality restaurant for your wife's birthday. Realistically, there will be so much to do on both the ship and in ports that your kids aren't going to want to spend time sitting around on the balcony.

Get out there and enjoy the ship!! Have fun :)

I can't give any personal experience but I read on here earlier today that the prices of cruises out of Civitavecchia are showing up a lot more expensive than cruises out of Barcelona.

Someone started a thread earlier today stating that a 7 day western medditeranean cruise out of rome was $5000 more than a 7 day cruise out of Barcelona. Both cruises were on Oasis. Food for thought.

Please check out the thread titled "Advice needed from Royal Veterans".

So, the consensus is that we should see Rome AFTER the cruise? Our only jet-lag experience was Hawaii, which is the opposite direction. Sounds like we should arrive to Barcelona at least a day early and do Rome on the tail end? Not sure why, but I was thinking of doing Rome first as after the cruise I might feel the vacation is over and it’s time for home. Don’t know why I lean that way, but it seems that some of you (with experience) feel it would be best to go to Rome at the end.

 

 

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To me the cruise always feels like the end of a vacation too and I would be leaning your way. Fly direct to Rome, stay for a few days. Then fly to Barcelona. There is heaps to see/do in Barcelona as well. It's one of the prettiest cities that I've been to, the Gaudi architecture/influence is amazing. If you can manage 2 nights there pre-cruise, you won't regret it :)

I certainly understand the nitpickers. But that's not why I'm here. Food is subjective, but cold food is cold food. Meat so tough it's hard to chew, is not subjective. I certainly don't expect gourmet in the MDR. While restaurants like Chili's or Friday's are not my favorite, if the quality is that or better I can live with that. Now the numerous reports of people who can't sleep because of rock hard new mattresses fleet wide, is concerning.

 

What I can't figure out though is if these are one offs or a trend. I guess I'm looking for recent data points. Or if people found similar complaints before their cruise and ended up finding the opposite. It's been 7 years since our last cruise. While I'm excited, I'm also getting a little apprehensive.

I have only done two cruises on Royal in the last 12 months but haven't experienced any bad food, and certainly haven't had a bad mattress. A lot of people who enjoy their cruise, don't bother to write a review. That's something I would keep in mind.

Thank you. Sadly, we can’t go in October as both kids will be in high school and can’t miss that much. However, they do get out of school for the summer May 23, so we plan to go in late May, which we hope will put us ahead of the worst crowds and heat. My DH and I have big dreams for shoulder season when we get rid of these two kiddos. [emoji23]

 

 

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We were in Barcelona/Rome/Venice in early June and the weather was fabulous. And if you are there late May you will certainly miss the crowds. July tends to be the busiest. We had 3 full days in Rome and left feeling like we had missed a lot.

Sounds amazing!

We are sailing Star Class for the first time on Ovation but it isn't for another 12 months. Fortunately I have another two cruises booked between now and then.

Did you get priority disembarkation at the ports? If so, were you booked on excursions with Royal or did you take private tours?

Also wondering the age range of your family? TIA :)

Thanks for the websites. We will take advantage of one of these places next year when we get back from Allure sailing :)

We love the drink package. If you do happen to find a drink too weak, just ask for extra alcohol. I've never had to do that but my DH prefers double gins and every bartender has obliged without us having to pay any extra.

We've always found a wine we like by the glass in Vintages. Sure, sometimes we've paid $1 or $2 extra but we're on vacation!

At least you won't have a big drink bill at the end :) My cousin went on his first cruise and didn't buy a drink package. But him and his wife were enjoying themselves so much that they drank more than usual and ended up with a $1300 drink bill for a 7 night cruise!!

I would recommend Rydges in Exhibition St too. Close to Chinatown, loads of cheap good restaurants around. Easy to walk anywhere in city, nice and safe. Good, modern hotel. Plenty of transport options around.

I go there regularly, it's a great spot.

I used my Qantas Cash card on Independence in June. I ended up changing to another card halfway through the cruise though because Qantas card ended up with zero balance due to all the holds placed on the card by Royal.

About two weeks after I returned home, I logged into my account and the money on hold had been returned. I won't use a debit card again for my on-board account.

Great read :)

$55 per day is the regular price. I booked at $42 and haven't seen any cheaper at all.

Yes our cruise on Anthem last year was due to it fitting in with a pre-planned trip to New York. We are going on Voyager in 42 days, just because we could fit it in between a family member's birthday on January 10th, and a big work conference on 28th. Always dates.

I'm waiting for December 11th when Royal release their new itineries, so I can book our holiday for June 2019. Hopefully we can manage a B2B in Europe.

It's in a good location but it is across the street from the beach where the National is directly ocean front.

 

Honestly, I'd book the National over the Hampton in all day long. As far as the small rooms, how much time are you spending in the room?

 

Hotels like The National offer enough sophisticated amenities that you really don't notice the room size.

 

Honestly, if you pick the Hampton when you see the location compared to the National, you will not be happy. The National is a resort.

I took your advice BlueHerons and I went ahead and booked The National. Thanks so much for your help :)

LOVE the National Hotel! Fantastic hotel and fantastic location!

 

 

 

Just a heads up, unless you are spending super big bucks, in excess of $700 a night, your room will be small unless you book in a newer built hotel like the Loews. Most hotels in South Beach were built in the 1920s-1950s.

Hi Blue Herons, do you know anything about the Hampton Inn that I mentioned? It's really hard trying to book something from the other side of the world without knowing the area! I have looked at Google Maps but I always wonder if I'm missing something that I should be aware of....

To clarify, I am talking about the Hampton Inn Miami South Beach on 17th Street. I have searched these threads but when I put in Hampton Inn Miami, it comes up with Mary Bricknell and that is not the area that we are looking at.

Thanks capriccio for letting me know about the rooms at the National. My friend will definitely not pay that sort of money for a small room. Everything else sounds good about it.

We (2 couples) are coming from Australia to cruise on Allure out of Fort Lauderdale in June. We will be in Miami for 2 days prior to cruise and earlier this year, people on this site recommended we stay in Miami or South Beach rather than Fort lauderdale.

After too much research (and still not really understanding the area), I'm now looking at National Hotel and Hampton Inn Miami. I was going to book the National Hotel but my friend (who reads EVERY review) says it has too many bad reviews. Funnily enough, the only reviews I've read have been good.

My question, Can anyone recommend either of these hotels or give me something else worth looking at? We like the beach, restaurants and bars but don't stay out late at night so want something just away from the night scene. I am happy to pay $300-$350 although my friends would like to pay less.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you :)

Firstly, I have had a fantastic cruise, sailing from Hong Kong to Singapore via Vietnam and Thailand. This was my first cruise outside Europe and my first time on Quantum Class. So here is my brief review and happy to answer any questions for future Ovation cruisers.

 

Well... Its a lovely ship, I challenge anyone to say otherwise. Its sleek, modern and stylish giving a feel of an upmarket major city hotel. The art work around the ship is wonderful and the overall design is sleek.

There were 4100 guests sailing but I never found it too crowded and it certainly never felt like that many. Over 25% were Australian/Kiwi followed by UK, N.America, Germany and Asia. The whole cruise seemed to be gearing up for the winter Oz/NZ season as the entertainment was very Ozzie heavy and they now stock a lot of Australian beers in the bars. They even had an Australian night in the Windjammer.

 

Firstly the cabin. I was in 7214 which a balcony cabin just above the lifeboats. Its not sold as an obstructed view, which its not, but the lifeboats are very noticeable when you look out. The cabin was one of the best I have had on RCI with plenty of storage. Our cabin attendant was first class and it was always spotless.

 

Food - oh dear! This was a real let down. MDR food was average at best. I had a chocolate souffle that resembled a pot of play-doh.

Service - generally very good with a few moody crew here and there

Entertainment - Ok but the guest performers were very Australian led and very average. A lot of walk outs in the theater which personally I thought was rude, even if the act is bad. For the last show I would say nearly a third walked out.

 

The best bit of the ship is the facilities like the Seaplex, Ifly and North Star. We did pretty much everything from roller skating to Ifly. All it takes is a little forward planning and you can do it all. As soon as we got on board we logged onto the RCI app and booked Pixels, Ifly and North Star. It took all of 3 mins to do!

 

Overall it was a great 9 days but having sailed Quantum, Oasis and Freedom class ships I still favour Voyager class. I can't really fully explain why.. I just do.

 

Happy to try and answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Thanks for your review, we don't read too much on here about Ovation. Just wondering did you try any of the speciality restaurants? What was the food like in the WJ, any better than MDR?

My sailing on Allure in June 2018 was showing $55 USD yesterday for deluxe drink package. Now it is $45 or $58 with Voom. It's not a bad price, I am going to book now. If it is cheaper at any point, I will cancel and rebook :)

Following along. Great review so far :)

Book First Night Done Right on your cruise planner when on sale, sometimes $15. Then you could always try for a deal for another night once on-board.

Personally, we buy the deluxe drink package and I got a great deal on the speciality restaurants combined with the drink package. It appeared in my cruise planner but they have removed it from my next cruise now - they must have a certain number they will sell pre-cruise.