Rhapsody review - Full version!

[cazz0069]

This is what i have posted in the previous thread but rather than have it in several parts i have put it all together for easy reading:

 

Let me go on record to say I love Rhapsody!!!! Now i know i only have 2 other ships to compare it to (Sun and Dawn Princess) but i am so confident in saying that although i do love those ships, Rhapsody is superior in every way. So strongly i feel, i am confident in saying that if Rhapsody was a human, it would have beaten the Sun and Dawn Princess up at school and taken its lunch money.

 

Rhapsody is the kind of ship you want to take home and meet your parents. Its the the sort of ship i would keep a photo of in my wallet and show other people. When they pulled out pics of their snotty nosed grand kids, i would proudly show off this ship. If the movie Sophies Choice had Rhapsody in it, i am sure the ending would have been far different...and at the very least, Rhapsody is the sort of ship you would have taken behind the bike sheds at school and have at least gone to 2nd base with

 

Ok enough of the analogies

 

The day of departure saw us arrive in Sydney at 8am. At this point, it was a balmy 29 degrees. By the time we got to the pier it was 32. I knew it was going to be a hot one. Eric and my shirts proved to be a hit, and before we were even on the ship we were bumping into our lovely roll call members. Andrew and Dylan,from our roll call, who would also be our new BFFs (best friends forever) showed up around 10am and we slowly made our way to the check in. Although the sign said boarding was 12.30, we were in the queue early and and after a painfree embarkation we were on the ship by around 11.15am.

 

We then took this opportunity to take a look around the ship. This is where you really discover how amazing this ship is. The first thing when looking around is realising how glassy everything is. Huge picture windows almost everywhere and the feel of openness is great. Everything is so bright and breezy.

 

It was then up to the Windjammer food court for lunch. A fantastic food court right at the front of the ship serves absolutely everything. Unlike Princess its not open 24 hours, but the food is good if not a little similar as the cruise progresses. I found by the end of the cruise, i was so sick of the food offered there, that we would make it a point to eat elsewhere just because we really had tried everything it had to offer. Not a criticism as i am sure they cant think of new things to make all the time but i just found it all began to look the same after awhile.

 

It was then on to the pool deck for our first foofy drink and trust me it was that hot, that they went down better than an elevator with a snapped cable. By this time i reckon Sydney had reached its maximum of 43 degrees (hottest day on record in 5 years said the news) so you can imagine how nice these drinks tasted. And by golly how cheap are they??? The cocktails started at $6.25 and went up to $10 but let me tell you, so much stronger than other ships. A long island iced tea which contains no less than 5 spirits retails at $8.75 and the bar staff are so heavy handed that to make drinks that strong should be illegal.. but in the name of thirst we persevered. Seriously, the cocktail list was far more varied than Princess and so much cheaper too. You really have so much of a choice.

 

Back to the heat. It was so goddam hot, i started to smell like crackle! The heat was that hot, it really deterred alot of people from coming up on deck so the usual fun of sail away was not really there as most people preferred to stay below deck. The cool change did come around about 7.30, which was a welcome relief if not a tad too late.

 

Cabin: As i may have mentioned once or twice, we had a corner aft balcony cabin. Only 2 of its kind in this category. There are 2 more above these, but they are junior suites. The cabin is great, a good sized bathroom, a queen bed, a huge 3 seater couch, a desk, mirror, small fridge and safe. Once again i dont mean to do the comparison to Princess but these were so much bigger. And with the huge balcony it just made it so much bigger. I have posted a link which i filmed just before we got off of our cabin and balcony...check it out

 

 

 

Ok thats going to do for now...i`ll write more tomorrow, i just wanted to get it started...Please feel free to ask anything so i can include it in the rest of what i write

 

Cabins: We had the opportunity to see various types of cabins. The interior and ocean-view cabins are quite small but still self sufficient. They are essentially the same lay out as a balcony cabin except that the couch is only a 2 seater. Those cabins also dont have fridges but a small bucket of ice is supplied each day. A few of our friends had Junior Suites, these are the next grade up from a balcony cabin. Once again essentially, a very similar lay out but these cabins, also have a bath. I personally didnt think they were worth the extra money, but alot of the people i spoke too actually got them for less than what we paid for our balcony grade, so there are bargains out there to be had. I think they also booked them close on to a year ago so that helped as well. A heads up, one of them had a junior suite mid ship and had to complain bitterly because of the noise on the pool deck above. If you are going to go for one of these cabins go for the corner aft ones. Not only do you get the wrap around balcony but its also a sure thing to have no noise from the deck above.

 

Staff: Its really difficult not to do comparisons with Princess and regrettably as this is my only reference i will have to continue to do this through the review. The staff are great and certainly on par with Princess, The thing that always gets me is the way they can remember a name from the very first day. And some of them are quite simply amazing. They will remember your drinks, in certain cases make them stronger and generally bend over backwards to do anything for you. Juri from the Shall We Dance lounge, Ton from the Champagne Bar and Mo from the Viking Lounge were 3 fantastic people that come to mind. If you meet up with them from the first day, your guaranteed excellent service for the rest of the cruise. The cruise staff are young and vivacious and are constantly around the whole cruise. Having said that there were some i didnt see until the Quest night which was about 8 days into it. Dan the activities manager, Danny and Kasey were the 3 that stuck out to us. Kasey especially is truly inspirational, an amputee who has lost an arm and a leg is quite easily the most inspirational and incredible person, you could ever hope to meet. Ironically, she hosted activities like line dancing, walking around the deck, and almost anything else that would even be hard for an able bodied person...she did it!!! She also hosts bingo, but trust me, if she is looking after an event you are guaranteed for a fun time. Sol, the cruise director appeared to be more of an evening person, didnt see her much through the day, but it appears that she runs a really good team.

 

Venues: There are some great places to play or just kick back in on this ship. The Shall we dance lounge is a venue located at the back of the ship. This is where alot of the big games nights are held, Bingo, The Quest, Karaoke and lectures. Unlike Princess, whose equivalent is the Vista Lounge, this is never used as show venue. On Princess you will usually have the upscale productions held in the main theatre and usually the cabaret acts, such as singers, comedians and magicians etc will perform in the more casual environment of the lounge. But on Rhapsody, all shows were in the main theatre. As previously mentioned, this ship is so glassy and so bright. So venues such as the Schooner Bar or Champagne Bar will take full effect of all the glass around and make sitting for a casual drink far more enjoyable.The Centrum, which is like the Atrium on Princess, connects the whole ship, so no matter what deck your on, the lift will take you to this little marvel. Its 8 stories high and truly a spectacle. This amazing wooden crafted sculpture hangs from the very top of the ship. To me it looks like a whale bone corset belonging to the late Mamma Cass, but to the more astute eye, it would be considered a lovely but strange and beautiful piece of art that adorns the main centrum area. A true wonder to look at. The Viking Club lounge as previously mentioned was my favourite venue. This is located on deck 11 mid ship and faces the bow. It allows you to sit in front of the huge picture windows and just look out to where the ship is travelling too or you can dance a to a funky choon played by the very eclectic DJ. All the themed nights will usually be held here after the main events on deck. 70`s, 80`s, etc. Here the legendary bar tender Mo, may make you one of his extra strong cocktails. The Broadway Melodies theatre is another large venue where all the big productions are held. This is a great 2 leveled venue, with a massive stage. Great views no matter where you sit and really comfy chairs. The balcony level have love seats too which i thought was kind of cute. Edelweiss Restaurant is also a 2 levelled affair, with people who have prepaid gratuities and anytime diners upstairs and those that have selected the set sittings downstairs. The Windjammer food court is at the front of the ship and is laid out much better than Princess`s Horizon Court. More space and more room to move and search for food without having to back track.

 

Activities: Theres always plenty to do on a ship. Its difficult to determine which line had more to do throughout the day, but suffice to say theres always something to do. For people that cant sleep in there is progressive trivia at 10.00 each sea day which was great for me. We ended up coming 3rd despite missing a day so that was fun, and we each ended up with a ton of RCL crap. Bingo i reluctantly played every day but RCL will rort you far more than what Princess does. At least Princess, you could buy a book of 1 with 5 games for $10. RCL was 4 games only, and your only option was a book of 3 or 6 so at $22 and $32 i found that extremely poor value for money. Whats worse on the last sea day they play it twice to drip more money out of you and to make it worse, for the final afternoon round with the large jackpot they give you have the option of getting an extra ticket for the last round, but charge you an additional $12. They get rid of the half books and only allow you to buy a full book at $32 or the one with an extra ticket at $48. I know cruiselines like to take you for everything, but alot of the times they will be alot more subtle at doing it whereas there are no holes barred when it comes to this. I suppose i wouldnt be so bitter had i won hehe. Other activities include lots to do up on deck from belly flop competitions, tug of wars etc to game shows like Who wants to be a millionaire and Blankety Blanks. The Quest game is a must do, although we didnt really participate as we were in a section of the lounge that meant we would have had to have climbed over tables and chairs to get to the front of the stage so we just watched in shock and awe at what some people would do for a point

 

Shore Tours: These appear to be cheaper than Princess. Maybe someone else could confirm or deny but i just found that Princess was almost 3 times the cost of what it would cost to do it yourself but the very general research i did RCL proved to be much better value for money. We did the Sawana Village and Kava ceremony in Suva, which we really enjoyed and for $56 we thought it to be great value. A bus picks you up at the ship and takes you to this quaint little village where you are greeted by singing villagers, who present you with your own handmade lei. Its then indoors for the Kava ceremony where yours truly was chosen to be the chief so therefore got to have the Kava first. After that it was a tour of the village and then dancing with the natives in a conga line around the building. Our other shoretour was to a small isolated little island about 2 km from the ship. It was a day trip on the boat Oohlala. Run by some lovely people, you are taken this small island where you can swim and snorkel whilst they prepare you lunch. All the food and alcohol is included in this which makes the $160 a head more justifiable. It also includes snorkels, masks and flippers. The coral was very bleached and the beach quite gritty but still an idyllic spot. The staff will also sing, play instruments and even show you how to husk a coconut. There is also a glass bottom boat to take in the sights from below, so overall i do recommend this trip which gets you back to the boat around 2.30

 

 

Ports of Call: Lifou, was a lovely little island with not alot on it except for some great swimming spots and a couple of churches. Here we went snorkelling in an amazing spot. Its on the other side of the island as opposed to the main beach. Well worth it, although be wary of stingers. Not the hardcore ones but i saw a couple of people in a bit of pain. We later found other people back on board who managed to find someone to take them around. They ended up going swimming in a freshwater cave in the centre of the island, so be sure if you see a car, to see if someone's willing to take you there. I think they got an offer of $10 a person to see this little gem.

 

Vila: No real surprises here. The city itself is quite dirty and you will be greeted by 100`s of taxi drivers wanting your business. Be sure to haggle. Some people were charged as much as $50 just to get into town, whereas the driver we had charged as $150 for 4 of us for the whole day. He was great, he took us anywhere we wanted to go, and politely waited whilst we did our thing. He took us to this little unknown resort on the other side of the island which had its own private lagoon, complete with enclosures filled with 60 year old turtles and sharks. Someone will personally show you around, and then you are welcome to swim and lounge around. Be advised that in Vila with the exception of the shops everything costs you and they certainly know how to charge when there is a cruise ship in town. The cost of the resort was $15 a person. It was then off to the Cascade Waterfalls, this place is amazing and if you are able bodied and not on a rolling walker is well worth a look. But once again a $20 entrance fee comes with it. But when you get to the top and see it all it is truly breathtaking. It was then off to a cheap little bistro called the Beach Shack which was right on the water for a bite to eat. Before heading back to the ship we went for a look at the Duty Free shops. They really are cheap, but may i suggest do a lap of the street first and compare prices. I found a bottle of Kahlua for $24 yet across the road the same bottle was going for $32. So there is certainly bargains to be had, but dont be too eager.

 

Latouka: As mentioned before this is where we had our shore tour on the Oohlala boat so literally spent the day there, so didnt go into town

 

 

Suva: Can i say Fijians are lovely people, and if you had a dollar for everytime you say `Bula` you would be rich, but having said that there are alot of them that are also very keen to take your money or rip you off. Dont get me wrong i am not tarnishing them all with the same brush, but i could not help but think that all this niceness they were portraying was just to suck you in before they stole your money. We had a villager, literally pocket $20 US for a $5 artefact then when we questioned it gave us the change in Fijian dollars, so a $5 mask ended up costing us $15 US!!! They just know how to play up to tourists, and i just say beware. My suggestion is to get small denominations of currency. And not make the mistakes we made by handing over large notes and getting their currency back in return. Once we did the village tour, we were dropped off in the city and were immediately approached by a man with a photo id around his neck telling us he worked for the city and to be careful about certain places etc and he would be happy to show us a great market to buy things. Of course, being sucked in by his supposed sincerity we followed him to what just appeared to be a t shirt shop where he introduced us to the manager and told us of all the wonderful bargains we could have. He loitered behind whilst we shopped for shirts (which we didnt want mind you and paid $55 US for!!!!) He later came up to us again as we were leaving and told us he would take us to another shop. I told him we were not interested and wanted to go find somehwhere to eat. Stupidly we still followed him, thinking he was going to show us a restaurant when we walked into an arcade. This is when he stuck all this Fijian crap in our bag asked us to pay him for it. Eric took out his wallet, and when he asked for $200, thats when we told him to p*ss off. Fortunately there was tourist police officer nearby, so he didnt stick around. This experience really soured the whole day for us, so we spat the dummy and got back on the ship. Can i just say, if you have a stop in Suva or any other Fijian port, in the cities, do not interact with any one with the exception of saying `Bula` We since found out that alot of people have attempted or have been successfully scammed in a similar way. I spoke with 3 other people that were approached in the same way. Just ignore everyone and you should be fine. My first thought is i didnt want to hurt his feelings but these people are out to scam you. They are used to it! On my satisfaction survey that the ship asks you to complete i suggested that maybe there should be some type of notice given to the passengers that as idyllic as Fiji there are also alot of con artists and hagglers etc and to be aware of them. I believe if the ship is going to take you to these types of places then there is a certain onus on them to advise people that they need to be careful. But really this was our only bad experience, and it could have been alot worse.

 

Isle of Pines: This is an amazing island with an even more impressive beach. The only beach mind you, to have real soft sand (all the other places had that gritty, crushed coral beaches) but this was truly the most picture perfect spot you could hope for. Once again not alot to do, but a relax on the beach and a swim and a snorkel is exactly what the Dr ordered.

 

Food: RCL doesnt have a speciality restaurant, so really the only places to eat are the Edelweiss Restaurant and the Windjammer. Theres also the Solarium Cafe but thats really just snacks like Pizza and very bland burgers (i think this is also the hangout when people get the munchies after a night at the Viking Club lounge) Food is always a plenty! Dont be afraid to ask your waiter for 2nds or 3rd or even a couple of each courses. There really is alot of choice. One thing that was really disappointing was the lack of or more to the point the non existence of Lobster and Bombe Alaska on the last formal night. I hang for these nights on cruises, and even the Fairstar did it, so the fact RCL dont offer it really let it down. Be sure to check out wine packages, i know online you can pick a package but if you are like us and like your Aussie and NZ wines, then wait till your onboard and you can purchase a passage thats made up of entirely those. A 10 bottle package cost us $287. Overall i am going to have to say Princess wins the challenge in relation to better food. The mere fact that they give you the Lobster and Bombe means they win but after alot of ummmming and arrrring i did find that the overall quality and presentation of the food were not up to the standard of Princess.

 

Staff: The staff really do make a cruise and as previously mentioned there were some amazing staff that just made our cruise so enjoyable. Make friends with the bar staff, get in their good books and they make you the most fantastic drinks often with far more booze in it then what the recipe requires. Our cabin steward although friendly rarely spoke to us, didnt introduce himself, and was barely seen. Although he did his job adequately, he didnt do anything that really endeared himself to us. Everything was done to the bare minimum. We were lucky we dont expect much, but i heard someone else complaining that there cabin steward just wasnt available so make of it what you will.

 

Entertainment: As i mentioned before, unlike Princess, RCL on takes advantage of one of its theatres for productions. All shows will be in the Broadway Melodies Theatre. We had some great performers. We had 2 magicians, A Pianist, A Celine Dion Impersonater (the only performer i have ever seen who got a standing ovation on a cruise) She was truly amazing, singing exactly like her, and also doing her accent while remaining in character and talking to the audience. About 30 minutes into the show she breaks character and talks to the audience as herself telling us she won a TV show in the UK where people impersonate their idols. She truly was fantastic. So you can imagine my disgust when 2 old biddies at breakfast were saying how bad she was they had to walk out....They are so lucky their rolling walkers aren't permanently imbeded in their backsides, they made me so mad. I pointed out to them that had they stuck around they would have witnessed the standing ovation. The other one mentioned that she never had never heard any of Celines songs so maybe that was why they didnt like it. At this point Eric had to restrain me from force feeding them their rolling walkers. The final show, was very special with 2 of the cruise staff serenading the audience, followed by a very funny juggler and an amazing acrobatic show. It concluded with the dancers singing some type of goodbye song, followed by all the heads of staff, including the captain and various waiters, bar staff, room attendants etc walking on to the stage waving goodbye...It was a lovely goodbye which admittedly got me a little choked up. Overall i was really happy with the entertainment. Just remember if you miss a show unlike Princess, you dont get a chance to see it again. All shows are on twice a night. Our 12 night cruise saw only 2 Broadway productions, all the rest were guests.

 

Overall: So as you can see we had an amazing time. We had seas that were calmer than my grandmother on a glass of red and half a white valium which i am so grateful for. I cant recommend enough the importance of registering for a roll call. What a chance to make some amazing friends which we did. As the cruise was coming to an end Eric and i tried to way the pros and cons of Princess and RCL and trust me it was really hard. RCL certainly comes out on top in relation to the ship itself Rhapsody is truly a marvel. I challenge anyone to say why this ship isnt just the best that Oz has on offer. But having said that i think Princess some things better. But each to his own i say. Without a doubt i have missed something here, so as i think of it i will add, otherwise ask away and jolt my memory if there is something i have not covered.

 

PS i meant to mention is that because we got over 25 people on our roll call (39 to be precise) RCL put on a meet and mingle, which the cruise director and staff attended, there were prizes and raffles and it was even catered for, so be sure you register for a meet and mingle

[fayfam]

I love to read reviews and this one was fantastic. Thanks.

 

Kerry:)

[fayfam]

Sorry, double post.

[rugbypopsie]

Thanks for the review I am on the Radiance later in the year so am really looking forward to it.

 

Sorry to hear about your Fiji experience...it does leave a sour taste but all Fijians are not like that. We had two cars and drivers in Lautoka and they were more than reasonable. You do need to do your research about how much you should pay for a driver. People on here will be more than happy to point you into the right price range.

 

 

[KirkNC]

Thanks for posting a detailed review.

 

Kirk

[The Fox]

Hi,

 

great review....having sailed on several ships I agree Rhapsody is right up there and at present would be my prefered ship closely followed by superstar Virgo.I enjoyed both princess as well.

 

Our next cruise is on the Radiance and from what I have been told from close friends who have sailed on her is that we are in for a treat.

 

Interesting to see how the Carnival spirit is received when she is relocated permanently to australia in Oct 2012.

 

Col:)

[Jamar72]

Thanks for a very detailed review. We are going on Rhapsody in Jan 12 for our first ever cruise and I am already very excited. Your review made me even more excited and confident we have made the right choice in which ship we chose. You also answered a few questions I had, particularly about the different restaurants and bars etc.

 

Can you tell me what theme nights they had? I like to be as organized as I can be and would love to be able to try and have some idea of what we can take with us for these nights. I know they can vary and are not announced until you are on the ship but even if we can have a couple of things in case would be great.

 

Thanks

[cazz0069]

Thanks for a very detailed review. We are going on Rhapsody in Jan 12 for our first ever cruise and I am already very excited. Your review made me even more excited and confident we have made the right choice in which ship we chose. You also answered a few questions I had, particularly about the different restaurants and bars etc.

 

Can you tell me what theme nights they had? I like to be as organized as I can be and would love to be able to try and have some idea of what we can take with us for these nights. I know they can vary and are not announced until you are on the ship but even if we can have a couple of things in case would be great.

 

Thanks

 

Hi Jamar72...We had island night, which was really the only main themed night where they had the buffet on the deck ( really poor buffet too ) nothing even remotely close to what other ships offer. Theres also Country and Western night, 70`s night, 80`s night. These types of nights will just mean that the cruise staff dress up and the disco and bands will play that type of music....Its nothing full on. On our cruise we had 3 formal nights but its usually 2 so pack something fancy :)

[Jamar72]

Hi Jamar72...We had island night, which was really the only main themed night where they had the buffet on the deck ( really poor buffet too ) nothing even remotely close to what other ships offer. Theres also Country and Western night, 70`s night, 80`s night. These types of nights will just mean that the cruise staff dress up and the disco and bands will play that type of music....Its nothing full on. On our cruise we had 3 formal nights but its usually 2 so pack something fancy :)

 

Hi Jas

 

Thanks or your reply. I have already been on ebay and looked at hawaiin shirts and country and western shirts for these nights. We won't be going over the top but it would be nice to just have a top to suit these nights. There are some good bargains out there and both can just be teamed with either jeans or denim shorts.

 

Hubby thinks I have lost the plot coz I have already been to the local cheap shop and got hold of a shoe organiser for the bathroom door, a travel digital alarm clock, nightlight, fold up laundry hamper and one of those round washing lines for smalls. I know we still have 11 months to go but these things were cheap and easy to grab and store in the bottom of the cupboard until it is time to pack the suitcases. Plus it makes it more real that we are actually going. :D

[cazz0069]

Hi Jas

 

Thanks or your reply. I have already been on ebay and looked at hawaiin shirts and country and western shirts for these nights. We won't be going over the top but it would be nice to just have a top to suit these nights. There are some good bargains out there and both can just be teamed with either jeans or denim shorts.

 

Hubby thinks I have lost the plot coz I have already been to the local cheap shop and got hold of a shoe organiser for the bathroom door, a travel digital alarm clock, nightlight, fold up laundry hamper and one of those round washing lines for smalls. I know we still have 11 months to go but these things were cheap and easy to grab and store in the bottom of the cupboard until it is time to pack the suitcases. Plus it makes it more real that we are actually going. :D

 

Check out the Hawaiian shirts i got off Ebay for $20..trust me we looked very hip :rolleyes::p:D

[Jamar72]

Check out the Hawaiian shirts i got off Ebay for $20..trust me we looked very hip :rolleyes::p:D

 

That is so cool. Hubby would love it coz he is a Simpsons fanatic. I just bought a run of the mill blue shirt with the typical Hawaiian flower print for hubby at $12 and a dark pink and white one for me at $8 from eBay.

[cazz0069]

The other thing i forgot to mention is try and pack all relevant medication before you go...Things like Maxolon (anti nautious tablets) Stematil (sea-sickness) Buscapan (anti spasmodic) Mylanta and heartburn tablets and most importantly some anti biotics...heres hoping you wont need any of them but you had better be safe then sorry, We packed all these just to be safe with the exception of Anti Biotics and as it worked out i got a bad staph infection in my ear which resulted in me getting an infected lymph node. I was in a hell of a lot of pain and regrettably had to take advantage of the ships Dr. Although she was good, it costs us $130 for a consult and course of tablets...so if possible, pack everything and that will avoid you having to visit the medical centre. Fortunately we can claim on our travel insurance..but better to be prepared. The medical centre has a vending machine which dispenses Ibroprofin, Asprin, Alchohol swabs and sea sick tablets, These can be purchased without having to see a Dr.

 

The medical clinic is open from 8am-11am daily and 4pm-7pm. Anything out of this time will cost you the usual consult fee plus an after hour fee so if you have to to go the clinic go in the opening times. :)

[villauk]

I challenge anyone to say why this ship isnt just the best that Oz has on offer

Jas,

Wait until you get Radiance down there, I'm sure you'll have even more positive comments;). You'll understand why so many RCL cruisers state it as their favourite class of ship, even those that have experienced the larger ships.

[cazz0069]

I challenge anyone to say why this ship isnt just the best that Oz has on offer

 

Jas,

Wait until you get Radiance down there, I'm sure you'll have even more positive comments;). You'll understand why so many RCL cruisers state it as their favourite class of ship, even those that have experienced the larger ships.

 

I have heard she is wonderful, hoping to get to try her out....Is it the same class as Rhapsody? :)

[Australian family]

The other thing i forgot to mention is try and pack all relevant medication before you go...Things like Maxolon (anti nautious tablets) Stematil (sea-sickness) Buscapan (anti spasmodic) Mylanta and heartburn tablets and most importantly some anti biotics...heres hoping you wont need any of them but you had better be safe then sorry, We packed all these just to be safe with the exception of Anti Biotics and as it worked out i got a bad staph infection in my ear which resulted in me getting an infected lymph node. I was in a hell of a lot of pain and regrettably had to take advantage of the ships Dr. Although she was good, it costs us $130 for a consult and course of tablets...so if possible, pack everything and that will avoid you having to visit the medical centre. Fortunately we can claim on our travel insurance..but better to be prepared. The medical centre has a vending machine which dispenses Ibroprofin, Asprin, Alchohol swabs and sea sick tablets, These can be purchased without having to see a Dr.

 

The medical clinic is open from 8am-11am daily and 4pm-7pm. Anything out of this time will cost you the usual consult fee plus an after hour fee so if you have to to go the clinic go in the opening times. :)

 

Depending on your travel insurance, and if you have an excess, the Dr's bill and prescribed medication maybe fully covered by your travel insurance. Not point suffering if you have a infection. Actually I thought that charge was pretty reasonable. I had to go to a Dr in USA in the early 90's and the antibotics alone cost $100 AUD. My travel insurance payed the bill for the antibotics and the consult.

 

I have heard she is wonderful, hoping to get to try her out....Is it the same class as Rhapsody? :)

 

It is in a higher class than the Rhapsody, we were hoping to go this year on the Radiance, but have had to cancel that idea. Maybe we will look at it next year.

[cazz0069]

Depending on your travel insurance, and if you have an excess, the Dr's bill and prescribed medication maybe fully covered by your travel insurance. Not point suffering if you have a infection. Actually I thought that charge was pretty reasonable. I had to go to a Dr in USA in the early 90's and the antibotics alone cost $100 AUD. My travel insurance payed the bill for the antibotics and the consult.

 

 

 

It is in a higher class than the Rhapsody, we were hoping to go this year on the Radiance, but have had to cancel that idea. Maybe we will look at it next year.

 

Totally agree, as i had travel insurance i didnt hesistate in seeing the Dr...i must admit i was quite surprised. I was expecting alot more...The consult was a $100 and the meds $30 so under the circumstances it wasnt too bad.

[cazz0069]

I am trying to upload a few pics, but i am getting an error message so bear with me

[Jamar72]

Hi Jas

 

You mentioned in your review that while in Suva you did the Sawana Village and Kava ceremony. Was this a ship tour or did you arrange it privately once in Suva?

 

I have noticed on the RCL website for Suva ship tours they offer a Jewel of Fiji tour and this is the info they give about it.

 

This tour will show you the real experience of Fiji where you will depart from the ship and drive to Navua to board motorized river boats for an exhilarating cruise through gentle rapids, deep gorges, rain forest and cascading waterfalls on the Navua River. Also included is a Kava ceremony and lunch at a Fijian Village.

It guarantees you an unusual experience of Fiji. Travel in local open-air buses to Navua where you will board open long boats. Take advantage of the scenery as you make your way up the river to the waterfalls. You may also ask your guide / boat to stop should you wish to take photos of the mountain ranges etc. You will also visit a Fijian settlement where you'll take part in the yagona (Kava) ceremony and witness traditional songs, dances and at times they will ask you to join in!

 

 

While this tour sounds great and the type of thing we would be interested in they are quoting $145 per person and this seems very steep so would be interested to know if this is something we could arrange once at the port for a better price.

 

Any info you could help with would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[cazz0069]

Hi Jas

 

You mentioned in your review that while in Suva you did the Sawana Village and Kava ceremony. Was this a ship tour or did you arrange it privately once in Suva?

 

I have noticed on the RCL website for Suva ship tours they offer a Jewel of Fiji tour and this is the info they give about it.

 

This tour will show you the real experience of Fiji where you will depart from the ship and drive to Navua to board motorized river boats for an exhilarating cruise through gentle rapids, deep gorges, rain forest and cascading waterfalls on the Navua River. Also included is a Kava ceremony and lunch at a Fijian Village.

It guarantees you an unusual experience of Fiji. Travel in local open-air buses to Navua where you will board open long boats. Take advantage of the scenery as you make your way up the river to the waterfalls. You may also ask your guide / boat to stop should you wish to take photos of the mountain ranges etc. You will also visit a Fijian settlement where you'll take part in the yagona (Kava) ceremony and witness traditional songs, dances and at times they will ask you to join in!

 

 

While this tour sounds great and the type of thing we would be interested in they are quoting $145 per person and this seems very steep so would be interested to know if this is something we could arrange once at the port for a better price.

 

Any info you could help with would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

We did the Sawana Village and Kava Ceremony via the ships shore tour for $56 a head. I dont recall seeing the one you mentioned but it is pretty pricey. When you get off at Suva there are stands and people selling tours, i am not sure if the one you have mentioned is available...i suppose you run the risk of waiting and then not having it on offer....It sounds like fun though..but i would really recommend just the Sawana Village tour, much cheaper, and it has you back in town by about 12.30 so i considered it good value for money :)

[villauk]

I have heard she is wonderful, hoping to get to try her out....Is it the same class as Rhapsody? :)

No, Radiance is the class above Rhapsody. Unfortunately, we were unable to cruise downunder this year, so we're anxiously waiting for the new schedules for 2012 to be launched in April:D.

[cazz0069]

No, Radiance is the class above Rhapsody. Unfortunately, we were unable to cruise downunder this year, so we're anxiously waiting for the new schedules for 2012 to be launched in April:D.

 

There appears to be quite a buzz about Radiance. May have to try it. Shame its doing the same itineraries that we have done before :cool:

[Debsta]

Totally agree, as i had travel insurance i didnt hesistate in seeing the Dr...i must admit i was quite surprised. I was expecting alot more...The consult was a $100 and the meds $30 so under the circumstances it wasnt too bad.

 

If the ship's "allegedly at fault" you get it all for free :D

 

Radiance is on my hit list too. I've come to the conclusion if we continue to cruise out of oz, it ain't for the itineraries but the ship and company we take/meet. I'm trying to get my head around that realisation having racked up a few cruises over the last 12 months ! LOL :p

[rugbypopsie]

Cruises to nowhere are a good way to check out a new ship but I noticed the 2 dayer on Radiance is being quoted at nearly $600 pp for an inside for effectively two nights and one day...they have got to be joking:eek:

 

I agree Debs...itinerary is one thing but the ship and the company of those you travel with really makes a difference.

[cazz0069]

Cruises to nowhere are a good way to check out a new ship but I noticed the 2 dayer on Radiance is being quoted at nearly $600 pp for an inside for effectively two nights and one day...they have got to be joking:eek:

 

I agree Debs...itinerary is one thing but the ship and the company of those you travel with really makes a difference.

 

I am eyeing off Radiance relocation cruise in April, the 17 nighter to Hawaii via NZ and Tahiti for $2800 for ocean view, Would love a balcony but they are quoting $4700...too much for me i`m afraid, especially as we would have to fly home.....my minds ticking over :rolleyes:

[wildweston]

I am eyeing off Radiance relocation cruise in April, the 17 nighter to Hawaii via NZ and Tahiti for $2800 for ocean view, Would love a balcony but they are quoting $4700...too much for me i`m afraid, especially as we would have to fly home.....my minds ticking over :rolleyes:

 

Just booked Radiance for Feb 2012, nice little 7 nighter to Tassie, good price for an ocean view :D