Rhapsody Cruise Summary Feb 13 2005

[terri23]

Rhapsody of the Seas Valentine’s Cruise, Feb 13th 2005

 

 

 

Itinerary (7 days): Galveston – Key West – Grand Cayman – Cozumel – Galveston

 

 

 

Embarkation: the weather in Houston / Galveston was cool with intermittent drizzle. The atmosphere was a bit tense for a while because we got a flat tire on the way from west Houston. DH was muddy and wet! After that, it was all good. We picked up our friends in Clear Lake, re-packed the truck with everyone’s luggage (reminded me of Jenga) and headed to the terminal. Parking and check-in went smoothly – we waited about 15-20 mins for DH to park and shuttle back – and we were onboard by about 2 pm. The sailaway party was moved off the pool deck due to potential rain, but the weather cooperated and we headed out. Let the party begin!!

 

 

 

Seas: we had a slight swell through early Monday w/ 6-8 foot seas, then fairly calm through the entire week. All in all, very nice. The pools stayed open throughout. DH and I never felt seasick on board, but we are both suffering from a bit of post-cruise dizziness (the boat’s still rockin’, but not in a good way!) – if anyone knows how to avoid this I would sure like to hear it!!

 

 

 

Weather: Except for Galveston (both days) the weather was mostly glorious – upper 70’s and sunny. We had some clouds Saturday morning that gave way to the afternoon sunshine we had gotten used to. We spent so much time lounging on the upper decks that we had little time for other onboard activities! But we couldn’t resist the sunshine and sapphire-blue water.

 

 

 

Dining: We had breakfast in the main dining room the first two mornings but in the Windjammer after that. There were some offerings only available in the dining room (like eggs benedict) but most items were also available in the Windjammer (like smoked salmon). It is nice to be served breakfast, but the process could be quite lengthy if others at the table ordered multiple courses (breakfast could seem to last forever if you only wanted one course). Plus, we’re not morning people, and didn’t particularly want to chat with strangers first thing in the am. Just our preference….we did meet some nice people at breakfast, but I usually like to read my paper and have coffee before talking to anyone!! So generally, the Windjammer worked better for us since the breakfast food was pretty good (nice crispy bacon).

 

 

 

We had a couple of lunches in the dining room as well. The food quality in the DR at lunch can be much better than in the Windjammer (the fish entrée in the DR was especially good, but stay away from the burger as it is a “stamped out frozen patty”). The Windjammer at lunch was best for the salad bar and maybe the carving station, but most entrees were standard steam table stuff. A taco snack sometimes hit the spot, too. Generally, we weren’t too hungry for lunch and just had something light. Then, a Mango Tango out on the deck for dessert! This system worked well!! Also, the Windjammer serves snacks in the late afternoon – I’d often get a plate of nibbles (chicken salad or hummus, cheese slices, bread, etc.) or small sandwiches to tide us over until dinner.

 

 

 

We always ate dinner in the dining room (8:30 pm). It was easy to find tasty items among the appetizer, entrée and dessert offerings, but the salads were boring (and often didn’t contain the ingredients indicated on the menu). The waiters always accommodated our requests (additional appetizer to share (or even entrée), or swapping side dishes), which is commendable considering the large number of people they have to serve. We are pretty much “foodies” and while this was not gourmet food, most of it was quite enjoyable. The wine service had a couple of slip-ups but was generally good. We used the “Wine & Dine” package but be aware that you can only get wines in the dining room or Windjammer using this program! We thought we would be able to get bottles of champagne at the Champagne Bar as well, but that was not the case.

 

 

 

We did request a large table but were seated at a table of four with our travel mates. We would have liked to meet and dine with others, but the four-top was probably a more relaxed way to go. We had a great time every night!

 

 

 

The first formal night was fun especially since it was on Valentine’s Day. We had pre-ordered a rose boutonniere for DH and matching wrist corsage for me – very festive! We purchased the photo of us with our friends and Captain Anders.

 

 

 

We didn’t do the midnight “gala buffet” – that just doesn’t work after the late seating! We did do the poolside Caribbean buffet / sailaway party (from Key West) which was festive but the food was just ok and the lines were pretty long.

 

 

 

Cabins: Small but comfortable deck 4 oceanview, with a lot of storage space (but not quite enough since we brought too much stuff). There were plenty of hangers in the closet. I could have used a couple more drawers, and the extension cord we brought was a lifesaver. Like everyone else, I say “ew” about the clingy shower curtain. Our room was quiet – I rarely heard our neighbors (and I am usually a light sleeper). We were also across the hall from a stewards’ storage closet, but we never heard them, either. Our room was kept clean but I’m not sure how often the sheets were changed. I brought a bunch of window clings for Valentine’s Day (hearts with expressions) for the windows and mirrors (there are quite a few), so they brightened up the room a lot. Plus, we could identify our cabin from the dock / tender on port days! Towel critters were cute, of course. We also brought our CD player (walkman-type) with a Sony mini speaker-set (I’m guessing about 12”x 3”x3”). This was great for listening to music while getting ready for dinner.

 

 

 

Crew: Captain Anders has a great reputation and we enjoyed his daily updates of location, distance to the next port (in both nautical miles and statute miles, natch), weather, etc. Our navigator always got us where we needed to go, so I guess he gets an “A”, too! “Dan, Dan the Party Man” or cruise director did a pretty good job and was personable (obviously a prerequisite), but I think he’s leaving for another ship. “Bingo Ally”, well, you know. And the one who announced the Olympics was fairly annoying. Nit-picking, maybe, but we were all glad when the Olympics were over. The stewards did a good job, as I mentioned before. The bartending staff – some were good, some were slow, and some were, well, a bit creepy. One (in the Solarium) hovered over us and participated in our conversation, making us feel a bit uncomfortable. It was also a little off-putting to be told by our bartender (Viking Crown Lounge) about the Muslim faith and how drinking is not permitted – that was definitely not the time or place. They may have been to bartending school (the drinks were always good) but need to polish their people-skills a bit, for sure. The drink servers on deck were a mixed bag as well, but you could tell from a distance which ones were the most personable and sooner or later they’d come around (especially since we tipped a little extra every time). In the dining room, our waiter was fairly quiet but that’s ok, he did a good job. Our assistant waiter was more friendly, and our head waiter was nice as well. With very few exceptions, this is a great group to sail with.

 

 

 

Ship: Rhapsody of the Seas may be small, but she’s beautiful and has been well maintained. It was fun sailing “with” the Mariner of the Seas from Grand Cayman to Cozumel – we were the “little sister” for sure. Everything seemed to work well (we did have a toilet “incident” but maintenance cleared it up quickly). The passageways were a bit smelly from time to time but hey, with weather like we had, there’s no reason to hang out belowdecks. I guess the only other thing worth noting was that the Solarium spa heaters went out one evening (both hot tubs were pretty chilly) and it was difficult to get anyone to help. We finally went up to the pool spas and were lucky enough to find one open.

 

 

 

Onboard activities: M&M - We did go to our M&M, but had to leave early as there was only one time available for the four of us to get a massage all at the same time. At the M&M, they had a nice spread of hors d’oeuvres and passed out little pouches as a “party gift”. The cruise director stopped by and gave a little talk and Q&A session. Our group had already met (informally) once before, so at least I had already been able to meet my fellow CC’ers. Spa - Now on to the massage – none of the four of us had ever had one (and we are “forty-somethings”)!! Boy, were we in for a full-body treat. It was fantastic – we all enjoyed it. And the effort to sell us products afterward was pretty gentle so we didn’t feel pressured, but we bought a few things. Gym - DH took the spinning class on Wednes and did a ½ hour on the cross-trainer another day, but he was the only one of our group that went to the gym. I signed up as an alternate for the Wednes spinning class, but nobody cancelled (thankfully!!). Casino – we had actually bought a book and DVD to learn craps, but never had time to go (or else the table was packed). Like I said before, too much beautiful weather to stay “indoors”! Other - DH did get the “ambush karaoke” treatment in the Schooner Bar and was a good sport (it was his first karaoke experience and he did get a big round of applause). We went to see some of the late night musical entertainment but they didn’t seem to be very well attended. The “production numbers” were at 7 pm for the late seating folks and that just didn’t work into our schedule. Maybe next time!!

 

 

 

Ports of Call: Key West was a fun place to people-watch and bar hop. That’s what we did, anyway. Grand Cayman, well, this was Rhapsody’s first time back to GC since H.Ivan pretty much destroyed the island (cruises have been going to Costa Maya). We were using the lifeboats for tender service and, since we had a ship excursion (see below), were one of the first groups off, so that was good. Waiting in line to get back on board was painful – an hour and a half. Oh well, I had never been there and was glad to have had the chance. Cozumel was great (and we were relieved to be docked!) – we rented a jeep and did an excursion we arranged ourselves (see below). Then, we drove around the island and had lobster and beer for lunch. Yum-my!

 

 

 

Excursions: The GC excursion was the reef & rays combo with lunch. Too many people, too much waiting, too many kicks by clueless snorkelers, but the stingrays were a lot of fun. Definitely a “must” at least once. The transportation wasn’t well coordinated so there was lots of waiting around. Lunch was burgers, hot dogs, ribs or chicken patties. We were not impressed by this excursion, especially at $94/pp, but the stingrays made it enjoyable despite the logistical challenges. Again, it was Rhapsody’s first time back, so they’ve got some work to do to iron out these glitches. Cozumel was a different story all together. We did a two-reef snorkel with a small local company and it was FANTASTIC! Very few people, dive guys pointing out fish and coral, this one was awesome. Cheers to you, Eagle Ray. The only aspect that was a little off-putting was, since we were doing the two reef snorkel, they just dropped us off at a pier and continued on with their three-reef package. We had to pay a taxi to get back to the marina. We didn’t know about this in advance and found it to be a bit, er, surprising. Still, all in all a wonderful experience (and much less expensive than the GC reef / ray combo).

 

 

 

Other passengers: Well, there were a few chair hogs on board, but we hung out on the upper deck most of the time and only once had trouble finding four chairs together. Everyone was friendly enough and I never saw anyone behaving badly (or poorly dressed in the dining room). Only one lady very rudely pushed her way onto the elevator when it was obviously full, but that was the worst of it. I think we were very lucky!!

 

 

 

Debarkation: took about two hours from standing in the first line to driving away. We were in one of the first groups (white tag) since we had to drive our friends to the airport. It takes a while but you just have to be patient.

 

 

 

Overall impression: This was a wonderful, awesome vacation!! Any negative remarks above are really just intended as information to my fellow CC’ers - we loved this cruise. I highly recommend Rhapsody of the Seas!!

[Pompein]

Thanks for the review, it was very helpful.

I'm taking my DH and kids on March 13.

Nervous because although I cruised on the Song of Norway as a teenager, have not been on a cruise in 29 years.

I booked tour in Cayman with Nativeway and was thinking about using Eagle Ray in Cozumel.

Did you have time to do anything else that day? I wanted to go to a beach for an hour or two.

What kind of boat did Eagle Ray divers have?

[terri23]

Hi Pompein,

 

in cozumel you'll have time to go to the beach after the two-reef tour w/ Eagle Ray. In GC, be sure to book a late morning tour since it may take you a long time to get off the ship (tours booked through the ship all get first priority for the tenders). Have a great cruise!

[Gesihkuh]

Thanks for the Review! My Fi (who will then be my DH) will be crusing on March 13th for our honeymoon. Sounds like we are in for a great time!

[MomtoCCC]

Terri,

 

You did a great job summarizing the cruise. I will add a few things that we did differently than you.

 

Shows: We saw most of the shows - enjoyed the comedian, magician, and Hughes Bros group. Did not enjoy the Rhapsody singers/dancers as much. We missed one singer (Kenny James) that we heard was good.

 

Dinners - agree with you, most things were good. We had lots of flexibiltiy in ordering mixture of appetizers, soups, whatever. Waiter brought DH and primerib and lobster on 2nd formal night. I don't like lobster so he brought me a plate of shrimp along with my prime rib (the shrimp was shared around the table - way too much for me). We mostly ate in Windjammer for lunch/breakfast. We tried dining room for breakfast and lunch the last sea day. The breakfast was ok, would stick with WIndJammer for that. Lunch however was nice with different food selections than WindJammer. Wished we would have had lunch in there a few more times.

 

We enjoyed the games, laying out at the pool (love the Mango Tangos!). I went to gym in the a.m twice and used equipment - not a lot of room but you can make it work. I liked walking on the outside deck also.

 

Grand Caymen was too crowded. We took taxi to Sea Grape Beach and luckily we were somewhat early because it got crowded. We had a nice time though.

 

Cozumel - we were on same Eagle Ray excursion (3 reef with lunch). Lunch was not that great and I thought we were going to have time to relax on the beach but all we did was eat lunch and then load back up. Maybe they were worried about getting us back to ship on time. My DH said we had the slowest boat out there which made the trip longer than it needed to be. Also, the 3rd reef was not near as good as the first 2 so you made the right choice in just doing the first 2.

 

All in all it was a great cruise with great people and weather! I would recommend this ship also and it seems to be less expensive than any of the ones in Florida. If you don't need a Voyager class then this is the way to go.

 

One note - we did not have a mini-frig in our room which surprised me. Cabin steward said only the upper decks have them on this ship. We did have a safe though.

 

Kellye

[MomtoCCC]

Pompein,

 

If they drop you off in same spot after 2 Ray tour then I would head to Paradise Beach - it wasn't too far from drop -off point and I've heard great things about it. We passed by it on the boat and it looked real nice.

[Pompein]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I think I'll book Eagle Ray and head to Paradise Beach!

[Art123]

The first formal night was fun especially since it was on Valentine’s Day. We had pre-ordered a rose boutonniere for DH and matching wrist corsage for me – very festive! We purchased the photo of us with our friends and Captain Anders.

 

Terri23

 

How did you pre-order the boutonneire and corsage? I would like to surprise my DW and DD with these on our next cruise, but did not see them on RCCL web page.

 

Thanks,

[davidaperryman]

There is usually a table set up outside the dinning room on deck 4 I think that sells flowers. I had some sent to our table one night.

[terri23]

Art123,

 

It will take some perserverance. I called the 800 customer service line three times before I found someone who could help me. Once I was told to go through "wedding planning" for flowers but this is not correct. Ultimately they said they'd get in touch with the ship (to see if they had the right "supplies") and call me back. I was pleasantly surprised that they called me back within a few hours to tell me it was a "go". Good luck! If you can't get anyone to help you by phone, then be sure to ask on the ship. Have a great cruise!

[demodawn]

we rented a car in Coz ( jeep) there were 4 of us so we split the bill $40 p/couple, no tmuch more than the taxi, we toured the whole island found some really cute places not over run with people, saw the beaches, ate at this great place called senor iguanas. Lunch for 4 with margaritas and beer plus more than we could eat was only $40! We also stopped at a tequila place wanted $10 for a tour but my husband said we just wanted to buy tequila lots of free samples and beauiful hand blown glass jugs with the tequila and then the shopping and yes youcan bargain even in the good stores, I got some silver earrings with diamond and tanizite(sp) and australian opals they started at $390 and i got them for $100.But if you are going to costa maya buy your jewerly in Mahujual. The ring DH got was $20 there and $75 in Coz. Any question let me know, we always do our own tours and saves lots of $$$$.

[KEG21552]

Terri,

I did not realize that was a cruise critic on the Miguelito. I was the one who thought it would be a good idea to go on the roof before we headed out. It was a whole lot easier getting up than down.

 

Your review was great. I pretty much agree with everything you said. My husband also got drafted for kamikaze karaoke. I just lipped synced and averted my eyes.

 

Kellye, I thought as far a marine life, the first two reefs were better, but I really liked the last one best. Seeing that wall was awesome. It scared the bejesus out of me and I kept flashing on "Open Water", but I am so glad I saw it. It actually made me want to take scuba lessons. Maybe before next cruise.

 

I also thought Grand Cayman was way too crowded and think I would have enjoyed Costa Maya a little more. Hubby was able to add Hard Rock shirts to his collelction though.

 

We had cabin 7152, aft corner, if anyone has any questions, I will be happy to try to help.

Karen

[ernie16]

Terri, thank you so much for your very concise review..I appreciate your effort and I am looking forward to our second trip onboard the Rhapsody in April. Thank you once again.

[MomtoCCC]

Karen,

 

LOL on "Open Water" movie. My DH and I rented it a week before the cruise - very sad and depressing and not something to watch before you go diving or snorkeling!! Rob kept reminding me of that movie while we were out there. I liked the way Eagle Ray kept one person in the back to watch out for everyone. I was very tired by the last reef and opted out a little early.

[mtchg]

..you scuba. On the Rhapsody sailing just before yours (2/06) we used Eagleray for a Discover dive. Glad I didn't see the movie till when I got back (although I had to laugh at the movie's premise that a couple get's left by a boat with only 20 divers...count mix up or no, not ONE person would noticed they are missing..EVER??? Preposterous.)

 

As we were leaving the ship and it was pouring in Galveston I was thinking of those getting on, and I am so glad the weather was good for you the rest of the week. Ours was identical..perfect every day..except cool and cloudy (without the rain) the first afternoon in Galveston.

 

Fortunately we missed the bad smells (we were in 2457), and we thought the

Key West late nite buffet was DELICIOUS...but then again maybe we were a little hungry and a little drunk from Key West. Had a wild time. Costa Maya was great, but glad to see you got to GC, even if the waiting wasted time. This is why I am not as big a fan of GC as some..hate all that tender time.

 

Glad your "Rhapsody" was good for you too!

 

Mitch

[budaman]

Thanks for the report! Will be on the Rhapsody 4/24 and will be our first cruise. Haven't been to Cozumel in 14 yrs so it will be interesting to see how its changed. We have a TS @ Morritts in Cayman that was hit pretty hard by Ivan, so we're anxious to see what it looks like.

 

As far as Open Water, that was actually based on a couple that disappeared on a dive trip to the Barrier Reefs. There is some question, however, as to whether they were left behind or staged their dissappearance. There diving gear washed up on an island several weeks later, but they have never been found.

[mtchg]

..the extra's on the "Open Water" DVD are fascinating. When you realize it was made by a working couple who kept flying back and forth from their full time jobs to the Bahama's

each weekend to shoot with digital equipment only slightly better than amateur models..you get a healthy respect for the finished product. The beginning with the poorly "miked" (hollow sound) actors gives away it's

small budget. And an early nude scene was totally irrelevant to the story,

but when the two actors are out on the water, there are some beautiful scenes, colors and fine editing, with a pretty cool music soundtrack. The way

the male gets shark attacked was also more realistic than the 'Jaws' story.

Sharks tend to bite their victims and let them weaken and bleed to death

before the shark "buffet" opens..not the Jaws 'four big gulps and gone' approach. Ooops, hope I didn't give too much away....

 

Mitch

[Alphawave]

We'll be on the Rhapsody on 4/3, and have been debating the GC excursions. My husband HATES all the waiting, and it would spoil a good time with the Sting Ray snorkel if the coordination of efforts went poorly. Any other suggestions, we definitely want to snorkel somehow in GC.

[terri23]

Mitch - I believe you may have watched the movie more than once!

 

Alphawave - you have a couple of options. If you do JUST the stingray snorkel through RC (and not the ray/reef/lunch combo like us), that might work for you. You should have priority in getting off the ship in the morning. Plus, if you finish up snorkeling early in the day, you could come right back aboard Rhapsody when the lines for the tender are shorter (after a little shopping, maybe;) ). OR you could try to book a snorkel through Nativeways (not through RC) if they have one that starts later in the morning (it may take you a while to get off the ship), but that might also put you in the afternoon line to get back aboard. Either way, no worries! Do the Stingrays! Have fun on your cruise!

 

Terri

[ms_behavin0]

Would you be willing to reply with the cost of the Wine/Dine Pkg? Did you feel it was a good value, a decent selection of wines? Also, I'm interested in what the beer menu is on the Rhapsody (~10 years as a homebrewer has made me a beer snob...wish I could lug a keg along...).

 

We'll be staying in room 8054, a junior suite, if you have any information about it.

 

Thanks for any info...nice writeup.

[terri23]

ms behavin, we did the platinum package and it is a savings from their by-the-bottle price (especially if you choose the better bottles in each category). No suite info - sorry! hopefully after some future cruise I will know plenty about them :) !

 

here you go:

 

GOLD PACKAGE

5 BOTTLES $113 7 BOTTLES $158

10 BOTTLES $226 12 BOTTLES $273

 

SPARKLING

Korbel, Brut

 

WHITE WINES

Chardonnay, Stone Cellars, Beringer

Semillon-Chardonnay, Lindemans-Bin 77

Pinot Grigio, Danzante

Sauvignon Blanc, Caliterra

White Zinfandel, Woodbridge, Robert Mondavi

 

RED WINES

Beaujolais Villages, George duBoeuf

Cabernet Sauvignon, Stone Cellars, Beringer

Cabernet Sauvignon, Woodbridge Twin Oaks

Merlot, Vina Tarapaca

Shiraz, Footprint

 

 

 

 

 

PLATINUM PACKAGE

5 BOTTLES $125 7 BOTTLES $173

10 BOTTLES $250 12 BOTTLES $299

 

SPARKLING

Argyle, Brut

Korbel, Brut

 

WHITE WINES

Chardonnay, Stone Cellars, Beringer

Organic Cardonnay, Badger Mountain, Estate Grown

Semillon-Chardonnay, Lindemans-Bin 77

Johannesburg Riesling, Chateau St. Michelle

Pinot Grigio, Danzante

Sauvignon Blanc, Caliterra

White Zinfandel, Beringer

White Zinfandel, Woodbridge, Robert Mondavi

 

RED WINES

Beaujolais Villages, George duBoeuf

Cabernet Sauvignon, Stone Cellars, Beringer

Cabernet Sauvignon, Woodbridge Twin Oaks

Merlot, Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Merlot, Vina Tarapaca

Rioja, Faustino VII

Shiraz, Footprint

Zinfandel, Cline

 

 

 

 

 

DIAMOND PACKAGE

5 BOTTLES $137 7 BOTTLES $189

10 BOTTLES $274 12 BOTTLES $329

 

SPARKLING

Argyle, Brut

Korbel, Brut

 

WHITE WINES

Chardonnay, Stone Cellars, Beringer

Chardonnay, Meridian Vineyards

Organic Cardonnay, Badger Mountain, Estate Grown

Semillon-Chardonnay, Lindemans-Bin 77

Johannesburg Riesling, Chateau St. Michelle

Pinot Grigio, Danzante

Sauvignon Blanc, Caliterra

White Zinfandel, Beringer

White Zinfandel, Woodbridge, Robert Mondavi

 

RED WINES

Beaujolais Villages, George duBoeuf

Cabernet Sauvignon, Stone Cellars, Beringer

Cabernet Sauvignon, Woodbridge Twin Oaks

Carmenere, Arboleda

Merlot, Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Merlot, Vina Tarapaca

Pinot Noir, Beringer Founder's Estate

Rioja, Faustino VII

Shiraz, Footprint

Shiraz, Rosemount Estate

Zinfandel, Cline

[Anjie]

Thanks for the great summary!

 

I was on Rhapsody nearly 2 years ago (my first cruise) and missed Grand Cayman. There was a medical emergency with one of the passengers who needed to be airlifted back to Florida after nearly a day's journey from Key West. Long story long, the helicopter couldn't fly over Cuban airspace, so the ship had to pull a 180º to head back and meet the chopper half-way. When all was said and done, we missed our chance for GCM. Instead we got into Cozumel a day early and spent two days there.

 

Grand Cayman's beaches were what I was most looking forward to that time 'round, and needless to say, I was a bit disappointed. Cozumel definately made up for the loss with the Passion Island excursion, though! My gosh, I can't wait to get back and see what I missed!!

 

...anyway. Yay for cruising!! I can't wait!

[Pompein]

We're sailing on the Rhapsody in 11 days!

Been reading all the posts about the wine and the packages. Can anyone tell me, is this the extent of their wine list? What is on the order before you sail list and these packages?

If so, it looks like I'll be packing my own!

[dshebert]

Hi Anjie :)

 

How have you and your group been? Looks like you are headed on the Rhapsody again next month. Who's going with you? The same group? Hope you have a great time!!

[terri23]

Pompein - Pretty bad selection, PLUS steep markups, huh?? Walmart has 2-gallon ziplox that wine bottles fit into nicely ;). Then wrap a towel around each bottle (we usally take our own beach towels for excursions so we can tell which ones are ours) and put it in your checked luggage. There's a slight chance wine will be taken away if you put it in your carryon (per the new "no alcohol" policy), but they'll give it back at the end of the trip. Have a great cruise! I'm ready to go again!!