Rhapsody Review.... Spring Break 2005 !

[Boo's Mom]

This is a review of my journey on the Rhapsody of The Seas...sailing out of Galveston, Texas...March 13 - 20, 2005....Spring Break for many.

 

My DH and I traveled with our three children, ages 21, 12 and 8.

 

Post Cruise: We headed to Galveston one day before sailing and stayed at The Galvez Hotel. We had two connecting rooms which were very, very comfortable. When I booked these rooms thru the Wyndham website, they gave us a booking bonus and we received two vouchers for two free breakfasts...a $25.00 value.

 

Someone working at the hotel recommended eating dinner at a restaurant called "Fish Tales". It was several blocks away from the hotel, and we walked to it. The restaurant was very busy and short staffed...which is why the service was so poor. The food was good, not great. I can not not recommend this restaurant to you. Instead, I heard many good comments about restaurants down on the Strand.

 

When checking into the Galvez, we signed up immediately for the free shuttle to the cruise pier. The 11:00am slots were already full, so we took the 12:00 noon slot. There was also a 1 pm slot.

 

The parking at the Galvez was free at all times, while we were staying there and when we left for the cruise. The parking is covered.

 

Embarkation: A breeze. The shuttle dropped us off...into the hands of many eager and friendly pier employees. They were waiting at the curb to take our luggage. After walking inside, we were checked in and headed onto the ship in about 10 minutes. This was very impressive.

 

Our Accomodations: We booked the Royal Suite for my DH and myself...and one child. We also booked an inside cabin for my two other children. Both were on Deck 8.

 

The Royal Suite was very nice. It has an elaborate lighting system....that I did not fully figure out until the evening of day 6. There are dozens of buttons. Even the drapes opened and closed by button...and we never figured them out. The Baby Grand piano was nice, but very loud. It played music through a disc...and the lowest setting was still too loud, so we did not play it often. My daughter did bring along her piano book, so she was able to practice a little. I was always mindful of the time of day, because I did not want to disturb any cabins around/below us. The Cruise Director told us that this "volume issue" is a problem with all of the Baby Grands in the Royal Suites on RCI. The shower (huge) was a real delight to experience daily. The suite came with three brand new robes and slippers..which were ours to keep when the week ended. This was approximately an $240. value.

 

The Suite was equipped with a DVD player, CD player and VCR. We brought alond the first 23 episodes of "Little House on the Praire" on DVD....and we enjoyed viewing them.

 

Our suite attendant was Marva. She was great. Everything we asked her to do....her response was "It is my pleasure". We called on her a lot and she served us well.

 

The Chief Housekeeper came by to introduce himself to us...and asked us if there was anything he could do to make our cruise more comfortable. We asked for bottled water and soft drinks....and he provided for them to be plentiful in our suite...all week...at no charge. We also asked him if he could arrange a tour of the Bridge...and he did that. More on the Bridge tour later.

 

Buffet Lunch: Ready when we boarded. Very nice. I loved the layout of the area. The food was good. I only ate at the buffet 2-3 times throughout the entire cruise and it was always a positive experience.

 

The Life Boat Drill: This occurred on the first day, about an hour or so before sailing. It was the typical drill that we have experienced before, however....on our way to the lifeboat station, an employee told us "this will last only a few minutes and then you can go and get wasted". I couldn't believe it. So unprofessional. This was a negative write up on the comment card @ the end of the cruise.

 

Stay tuned...more to come. :)

[rangerdog]

Looking forward to the rest of the review!! We are sailing the Rhapsody next year. Thanks for taking the time to post your review!! Glad you had a GREAT spring break cruise!!

[journey2002]

Thanks for posting this. We are cruising for the first time ever this June on the Rhapsody and can't wait. I'm looking forward to reading your review!

[Boo's Mom]

 

Meeting our Table Mates: We traveled with two friends (Virginia and Dick) and they were seated with us at our table. Also seated with us were Susan, David and Lisa. What an enjoyable time we had all week....getting to know them.

 

Our Waiter and Asst. Waiter: Our Waiter was Catalin....from Romania. He was very, very good and enjoyable.....all week. His assistant was Agnelo. A great team.

 

For some reason that we never understood, we were among the last tables in the dining room every evening to get our dessert. Many tables were always done and walking out by the time we were served....and that made us feel rushed. By the time we realized that this was a pattern, it was almost the end of the week...and we did not mention it to anyone.

 

The Head Waiter was around every evening and we witnessed him managing the waiters. This was good to see. He would speak to us...when the waiter/asst. was not around, so that we could speak freely with him about the service.

[Boo's Mom]

Key West: We independently booked the two hour sunset sail on the Western Union Schooner. The cost was $59.00 per adult. The cost included unlimited beer, wine and champagne...and softdrinks. They had a cooler of water, which they said was actually bottled water. Also provided was unlimited conch chowder. Yum. We enjoyed that greatly, as the temperature cooled down a bit and we watched the beautiful Key West sunset. There was a local musician onboard and he played the harp and some other instruments.....he was very, very good.

 

The only negative thing I could possibly report on this tour, was that they packed about 75 people onboard. It was tight. There was not a seat for everyone. ...which was not a big issue. It was nice to get up and mingle with the other guests, some that we knew from the Rhapsody and some that we did not know. Many were tourists that were not on a cruise.

 

The staff of the Western Union allowed some of the passengers to assist with putting the sails up. The history on the ship was neat. This ship used to lay the cable on the ocean floor...for Western Union....until sometime in the 1970's, when the technology changed.

 

I would recommend this excursion.

 

We headed back to the ship for dinner (which was open seating for the evening)....and then back out to the port for some shopping. By then (9pm), most of the shops had shut their doors for the evening. The bars were hopping.

 

Because this was Florida, and because they probably have an issue with people floating on rafts from Cuba, US Immigrations was set up on the pier before getting back onto the ship. We had to show a picture ID. We brought along the children's passports.

 

Coming soon..... Grand Cayman ! :) Did we, or didn't we?

[Boo's Mom]

Grand Cayman: We did. Stop there, that is.

 

We independently booked a 6 hour sail with Red Baron Charters. We had a priority tender voucher (because we were booked in a suite)...and were in one of the very first tenders off the ship, if not the first. The tender ride was a little choppy.....but it was fun.

 

At the pier, we took a taxi to the Cayman Islands Yacht Club and met our Sailing Captain, Neal. We were not going to be sailing on the Red Baron today, but on another boat which was docked right next to the Red Baron.

 

The Red Baron took a maximum of 10 passengers. This boat, took a maximum of 14 passengers. We only had a total of 5 passengers. We found the number in our group to be just perfect. If we had 10 or 14, we would have been crowded and stepping over each other. We had plenty of room to lay on the seats and sun...which we did!

 

What a delightful trip this was ! We snorkeled at two different places....one was at a coral reef. Two of my children saw an eel....a large eel. Mr. Neil even went to the eel and touched it ! :eek:

 

We visited with the stingrays. What fun ! One of them bumped into me...and it was like a person bumping me ! I screamed and it took a minute for me to chill out. My DH was a bit embarrassed, but he got over it.

Neal brought along bait for the stingrays...(squid)..and we fed them. Neal also held onto a stingray for about 15 minutes, so we could touch it.

 

We failed to bring along a waterproof camera. So, when we were done with the stingrays and swam back to the boat.....Neal dove into the water and grabbed a stingray and brought it over to the boat for us to photograph. What a Gentleman!

 

The Stingrays were present also at the two other places were were snorkeled. They are so big....it can be a little frightening.

 

Lunch was included with this tour, along with a snack of great fruit from South America....and softdrinks. The lunch was super Hoagie Style sandwiches...Neil style. Very good.

 

We were able to stand and steer the sailboat, which was great fun, too.

 

I highly recommend this excursion. We booked in on the http://www.grandcaymanexcursions.com website. I would recommend that you do not maximize your allowable passengers.

 

We took a taxi to/from this excursion, which was $5.00 per person each way. There is much hurricane damage visible on the island.

 

Upon arriving back at the cruise pier, we see some rather unusual behavior at the pier. We have about 30 minutes until we are required to be back at the ship...and we see no Rhapsody passengers in line to get onto the boat. None. The security guard was a little anxious, and he tells us that this is the last call for the Rhapsody. This makes us curious, because we know that we have 30 minutes. My DH had ran into a local bank for a minute....and we did not want to board with out him, as the security was strongly encouraging us to do so.

 

We looked in a few shops at the pier and we were not very impressed with what we saw. On this Key West/Grand Cayman/Cozumel itinerary......you will want to shop in Cozumel.

 

Arriving back at the ship, we find out that only a few tenders actually went ashore this day. The Captain of the Rhapsody halted them.....when the winds picked up. Most, if not all...of the ship's excursions had been cancelled. We had an opportunity to visit with the Captain about this situation....when we toured the Bridge (see Bridge Tour later).

[Boo's Mom]

Adventure Ocean (Kid's Program)

 

This program needs a bit of work in the organizing department. On the first day of the program, which was the second day of the cruise......there was a huge line full of chaos and confusion. Am I supposed to be in this line? Lots of questions, etc.... I have seen this process handled beautifully on Celebrity Cruiseline....and it was hard not to compare.

 

My 8 year old returned from her first day at the program....with a huge black/blue mark on her cheek. Apparently she was playing ball and took an elbow. This bruise remains on her face, even after we have returned home. Yes, I know that accidents happen. I think the staff should have notified the parents.

 

We had late seating in the dining room. On day two of the cruise, the showtime for the late seaters was @ 10:30pm. If you went to this show and had your child in the program....you had to pay $5.00 per hour.

 

Most of the other nights, (that I can recall)....the showtime for the late seating was @ 7pm, before dinner.

 

We have done the children's programs on Princess, Celebrity and now RCI. Celebrity has the best run program...hands down. They really need to show their sister company how it is done.

 

My 12 year old did not participate at all in the program for her age group. She mainly hung out with her older sister.

 

Coming up..........Cozumel ! :D

[ernie16]

Nice review so far..anxiously awaiting Cozumel. If you could or maybe it is coming up, would appreciate your opinion on condidtion of the Rhapsody, I,E wear and tear, cleanliness, etc. Thank you for your efforts thus far.

[Firefighterhoop]

Boo's mom, I was on the Mariner next to you in Grand Cayman, they stopped letting people off our ship about an hour after they stopped yours, partly because, we were told, the tenders for the mariner are Much larger and can take more, but it still got too rough, and all but 1 ship stopped letting people off.

[ernie16]

I have read that those waters around Grand Cayman are very tricky and can be choppy at any time, Bummer cause I realy wanted to check out the Island. Hopefully we will get lucky. Wonder what happens if they get you to shore but it gets to rough to pick you up at the end of the day???

[Boo's Mom]

Cozumel: We are headed to an all inclusive resort to spend the day relaxing in the sun !

 

The Occidental Grand Cozumel. This resort will sell you a day pass. These day passes are not advertised anywhere, but if you email them and ask....they will tell you about them. You do not need to reserve in advance. I did, however....confirm with the hotel all of the details of the daypass (via email)...and I had the confirmation with me when we checked in.

 

This was a 10 - 15 minute cab ride from the pier. The cost for 5 people was $20. each way.

 

What a beautiful place ! Lovely, lovely, lovely ! The grounds were manicured perfectly. There is a security guard at the front gate. We checked in ($50. per adult, $25. per child) and were off..... There are two large pools, unlimited alcoholic drinks and softdrinks. An active kid's program. All of the non motorized water sports were included, including snorkeling. Lunch was served at 12:30 and was buffet style until 4:30ish... Wow...what a lunch. The cooks were preparing the food on site. Great rice dish, with very large shrimp, to name just one. Incredible desserts. A fellow guest recommended that we save room for the ice cream and I did just that. Very good.

 

They were offering spanish lessons w/ a chalkboard. A full schedule of activities.

 

The drinks were a little weak, but if you asked for them to put more alcohol, they gladly did so. The staff even came to where you were and brought drinks to you. A great place to honeymoon. Very quiet. Lush. Tropical setting. Exotic birds singing. Beautiful water. Gently breeze. Hammocks. Gorgeous lobby. Nice gift shop. Aaahhhh...I wish I were back there.

 

At one point we were sitting near some foliage and experienced some irritating nats...or something like that. Also, there was a fly issue in the eating area. They had white nets covering the food areas.

 

I highly recommend this place. It was a very relaxing, almost end, to our cruise.

 

back on the Rhapsody.....Food in the Dining Room:

I had read many a review about the food on RCI and I was prepared so as to not be disappointed. Well, I will tell you that I was impressed. The food was good...and there was plenty of it! I only had one steak that I didn't think was great....and one egg plant dish that I didn't care for. Other than those two....everything else was very, very good.

 

By the time dessert came every evening, I was so full from the hearty portions, that I will say that it was hard to fully enjoy the desserts! :p I know, such problems we cruisers have !

 

The menu was a lot more limited than say....Celebrity, but it is obviously its own separate package...and the package is good !

 

room service menu: There is a thinly sliced turkey sandwich on a french roll that is outstanding. A tuna pita that was a favorite with my children. The chips that accompany these sandwiches are of a poor quality.

 

Breakfast from room service can be ordered by filling out a form found in your room and placing it on your outside door knob before you go to bed. The earliest the room service can be delivered is 7am. One early, port day....I wrote on the card and asked for the room service to be delivered by 6:30 if possible and is was delivered by 6:15.

 

All room service menu's are clearly marked that "tipping is not included".

 

Coming up: The RCI Meet and Mingle....

[Boo's Mom]

I have read that those waters around Grand Cayman are very tricky and can be choppy at any time, Bummer cause I realy wanted to check out the Island. Hopefully we will get lucky. Wonder what happens if they get you to shore but it gets to rough to pick you up at the end of the day???

 

 

ernie16..... This was exactly the concern of the Captain. I'll elaborate further when I write about the Bridge Tour.

 

I would say that you have a better chance of experiencing Grand Cayman if you book an independent tour.

[Boo's Mom]

If you could or maybe it is coming up, would appreciate your opinion on condidtion of the Rhapsody, I,E wear and tear, cleanliness, etc.

 

General condition of the ship: In general, I thought the ship was in very good shape. The carpet on the stairs is well worn and could be replaced.

 

The pillows on the sofa in our suite had those little "balls" on them. I forget what folks call them. You know.....from being old and worn.

 

I saw a lot of cleaning of the handrails all week...through out the ship. I know that this was for germs.

 

Casino: Although I did not utilize the casino during this cruise, I did have the opportunity to walk through it several times. During these times, I was not knocked over by smoke smells....as I have experienced on other ships.

 

Coming up..... The Bridge Tour !

[ernie16]

Thank You for your fast reply's. Our April cruise will be our 2nd on the Rhapsody. Last was in 2000. We really enjoy lounging around in the Atrium.

[Cindyrella]

So if you booked an independant tour you still had to stay on the ship because they cut off the tenders?

[Boo's Mom]

The Bridge Tour:

 

As mentioned previously, we had asked the Housekeeping Supervisor early in the week if he could arrange for us to have a tour of the Bridge. A day later, he spoke with my DH and told us that our tour was arranged for the Saturday before Debarkation...at 4:30...and we were to meet at the Purser's Desk.

 

BTW, the entrance to the Bridge is located next door to the Royal Suite.

 

On tour day, we met downstairs....and met with a ship employee and headed to the Bridge. There was about 20 people all together. We entered the Bridge and were met by the Captain and about 3 other Officers. A First Officer took us around and showed us all of the instruments. He showed us how the pools are emptied/filled by pushing a button on one of these control panels.

 

The Captain visited with us quite a bit. All of the officers were relaxed and very friendly. We had lots of questions and they appeared to enjoy answering our questions.

 

They work 8 hours on, 16 hours off.

 

I specifically asked the Captain about the situation in Grand Cayman. He stated that they were not real sure about Grand Cayman, but that they were going to try. Costa Maya (the alternative port) was already reporting to have bad weather....and the ship(s) that headed there were unable to stop at all.

 

He said that they were not anchored at all in Grand Cayman all day...because of the depth of the water the Rhapsody was sitting in. The anchor would not reach the bottom.

 

They can tender as long as the winds were not exceeding 25 (mph?). The first few tenders were at 25. Then, the wind kicked up to about 30...and above, which is why he halted the tender process.

 

They then had the staff in port....attempting to bring passengers back onto the ship, for fear that things could get worse.

 

Apparently, the Captain was having difficulty keeping the ship in one area....with not being anchored.

 

There is a large boat that the ship hires to help with its tendering.... (this is what we tendered back to the Rhapsody on)....and this boat had denied the Rhapsody use earlier in the day, because of the winds.

 

The Captain further explained that he once was unable to bring about 1200 passengers back onboard at a port....because of the winds....and they had to be put up in a hotel all night. (Not sure if the ship went on ahead of them).

 

Basically, this man has a huge responsibility on his shoulders. It's all about safety. I gained a new respect for his position, after visiting with him.

 

We were allowed to take pictures. The Captain posed for a picture with my family.

 

It was a great tour......

 

[Boo's Mom]

So if you booked an independant tour you still had to stay on the ship because they cut off the tenders?

 

If the tender process was stopped, you were not getting off, no matter who you booked with.

 

We happened to be one of the first tenders and were "lucky".

 

However, tenders can still be bringing people to port.....with tours being cancelled due to wind.

 

I believe the independent tours may have a lower standard (when they willl shut down a tour) than the cruise ship.

[Boo's Mom]

RCI Meet and Mingle: Weeks before the cruise, the Meet and Mingle was scheduled for four days into the sailing. Since this was so far into the cruise, I had arranged with the folks on our roll call....to meet on the second day of sailing....at a gathering in my suite.

 

When I first arrive onboard, there is an invitation to the Meet and Mingle...and it is scheduled for 5:30pm on the first day of the sailing! So, I show up and there is no one there! Except for the Cruise Director (Peter)..and one of his assistants (Tracey). They do not understand why nobody else has shown up. I tell them about the original schedule. They are going to check on this....because they say that they never have the official M & M on the fourth day.

 

I tell them about the gathering I already have scheduled in my suite. We talk about options, and then we decide that they will reschedule the Meet and Mingle to happen in my suite. They will bring the food/drink.....

 

They resend invitations......

 

I find out later, that most folks did not receive the original invitation (for the Day 1 M & M) until after 5:30pm the day of.

 

Long story short....... The Meet and Mingle happened...in my suite.....with Cruise Director Peter and his assistant present....and we had a great time !

 

Peter said that he had checked the RCI website...and sure enough, they had posted the incorrect date for our M & M.

 

Entertainment: There was a comedian performing on the first night.....I did not attend, by my DH and 21 year old daughter did attend. My daughter was very offended by this man's racial comments....to members of his own race.

 

I was able to listen to a few minutes of his performance as it was taped and played on the cruise television program. He was bad.

 

We saw one production show...with the singers/dancers. They were very good.

 

On the last night of the cruise, we saw two comedian jugglers....and they were very good. And, of course....Peter, the CD did his little program and was very, very funny.

 

The music in the Atrium every evening was very good.

 

The music in the dining room was perfect. They played a song one evening "Shout to the Lord"...and received such an applause....that we heard it again for the next two nights. .... The Head Waiter asked what the applause was all about...and we said "They're playing Shout to the Lord !! ".

I guess you might have had to be there....? :o

[Driftwoodgal]

Just thought I would post a little about the tendering into Grand Cayman last year. I had read about the cancellations of tenders into Grand Cayman on the CC Board before the cruise, so I was ready to be told that there would be no tenders. I was able to tender off the ship without a problem in the morning, upon returning to get back on the ship the place that I was dropped off was shut down, and a new tender station was set up. I now understand why the tenders are shut down when there are high winds. I watched an elderly woman try to board the tender boat as the wind and waves buffeted the tender boat. Everyone managed to get back on the ship without any problems, but I fullly understand why they ( RCCL) shut the tenders down when the winds pickup. I was just gald that the ship didn't stop the tenders and just say that everyone had to fly to the next port. I will be taking my passport with me at all times in the future.

[Sarapdot]

Does the cruise line refund your $$ if your shore exscursion is canceled because of something like this?

[Boo's Mom]

Does the cruise line refund your $$ if your shore exscursion is canceled because of something like this?

 

Yes.

 

They will credit your onboard account.

 

Our independent tour also had a clause....where they would refund the entire deposit, if we were unable to get there because of weather. When booking an independent tour, you must make sure this is there...to protect yourself (your money).

[Boo's Mom]

Children onboard: This was a Spring Break week for many of the passengers. I believe the number of kids (under the age of 18) onboard was 679.

 

Only 2-3 times during the week did I really see that this might be an issue. For example: In the atrium, in the evening....there might be some kids handing out on the stairway....playing. Groups of high school kids here and there.

 

Even though the college age kids are not included in the "kid count", they certainly had their presence onboard. Yes, sometimes you could see that they had been drinking.

 

Overall, the large number of kids was not an issue.

 

The Rhapsody staff was certainly on top of the underage drinking issue. The CD told us about a group of kids that he was monitoring on the day of embarkation. Little kids to big kids. They had gotten hold of a bucket of beer....and eventually had the bucket taken from them, after being found in a corner of a lounge.....and this all occurred before we set sail.

 

My 21 y.o. looks young. One evening she left her charge card in the room. She ordered a drink and the bartender almost didn't give her the drink she ordered. We happened to be with her...and told the bartender that she was indeed 21. The bartender told us that she looks young and really needs to carry the card with her at all times.

 

The above two situations really impressed me. It's important that the employees take the underage drinking issue seriously. Good job RCI !

 

Clothing: Although I am improving with every cruise I take, I still packed a few too many outfits. Yes, you can wear something for dinner twice. 1st night and last night. No one will notice....I promise. :o

 

Instead of buying two more shorts outfits that you need.....spend a fraction of the money and have two outfits laundered while you are cruising.

 

We used a product called : Magic Wrinkle Remover....a product of the Faultless Starch Company. It is wonderful. Just spray, spread the wrinkles with your hands...and let dry. A nice morning fresh scent, too....perfect for refreshing clothes that you are going to wear twice.

 

Debarkation: A breeze. We were the second colored tag called down @ 7:30am. We were off the ship by 8:30. Again, the pier staff was very joyful and available. A free shuttle back over to the Galvez...and we were off for home ! :(

 

A note on pre/post cruise stays: Do the stay before your cruise. ;)

 

Closing Comment about the RCI Product: After my first experience with RCI, I will say that they are marketing a good product. The price and product are in line.

 

Yes, I would recommend this cruiseline and this cruise on the Rhapsody.

 

Will I cruise on RCI again. Yes, I have one booked this summer on the Enchantment, after it comes out from being stretched.

 

I am looking also at booking a cruise to Europe for the summer of 2006. I will more than likely book this one on Celebrity. Celebrity is my favorite cruiseline of Celebrity, Carnival, Princess and RCI. The level of professionalism on Celebrity is about 2 notches above RCI....and we miss that whenever we sail on another cruiseline.

 

I suppose this concludes my review of the Rhapsody. I would be glad to answer any questions you may have. If I left something out....let me know ! :D

[brn2crz]

Great review.Hope you had a great time.

 

FYI the little rolls on the pillows are Peels.(pills):D

 

And we have been on Rhapsody 3 times, and the official M&M has always been on Wednesday at 5:confused:

 

Very odd about the AO club.Sign in and registration is suppossed to be at 8 pm on Sunday night.You are to do all the paper work,fill out forms,meet your leader,see the room and get your pager.Sounds like a lot of folks chose to miss the first night.

 

What an Adventure in GC..glad you did not get left:eek:

 

FishTales is just another Restaurant in the Landry's chain....Before long,they are goin to own everything on the Island:rolleyes:

[Boo's Mom]

 

And we have been on Rhapsody 3 times, and the official M&M has always been on Wednesday at 5:confused:

 

 

brn2crz..... The CD has been on the ship only for three weeks....and he is the one who told me that it is always early in the cruise. Maybe this has been his experience on the other ships he has been on. Maybe he is the one who schedules these gatherings? Maybe .... maybe.... maybe.... :confused:

 

We did have fun. :)

[lookin4calm]

Boo's Mom - we were on this cruise as well, and it is good to hear the inside scoop on Grand Cayman. We were extremely disappointed as we were the first one's denied tendering, but I am glad to hear that Costa Maya was in bad shape, too. I know that we are at the mercy of the weather, but it doesn't change our disappointment. The captain came on several times giving us updates and telling us that he was having difficulty keeping the ship in the proper position. You could tell from the engines and the movement of the ship that he was struggling. We were on deck 1 at the place where the tender boats come up and the (assistant captain -- not sure) was yelling at the tender boat in almost a panicked voice, telling him to "get away!! get away!!" when the waves were at their highest. Obviously they take safety as their first priority, which is good.

 

This was our first cruise and probably our last. While I had my expectations low on the food, my actual experience came in below our already low expectations. For the most part, it is just plain bad food. The ribeye steak that I ordered was not ribeye, but rather a poor quality thin cut of prime rib. The New York strip was fatty and tough, the overcooked lobster was served with melted butter, not drawn butter, the pizza in the solarium was akin to Totino's frozen pizza heated improperly. If I went to a restaurant and was served this type of food, I would never go back to that restaurant again. Anytime TGI Friday's can boast better food, you know you're pretty much the low end of the totem pole. Food on RCI: just plain nasty.

 

One other thing -- how in the heck does a cruise ship run out of limes on the morning of the 5th day? No Mojitos, no micheladas, no cuba libres, no corona with lime (no, it isn't the same with a lemon). It is a small thing, but I just couldn't understand it.

 

I felt the service was very good, especially our waiter and assistant waiter. My family rarely ate more than half our meals due to poor quality, and they would bend over backwards to suggest something else. By the end of the cruise, my daughters were only ordering salad, and the waiter would always bring something he thought they would enjoy. The only thing about the meal service is I always felt as if the objective was to get me out of the dining room as soon as possible. Maybe it was the way the waiters were frantically running about the dining room -- it was definately not relaxing.

 

On the good side, I liked the coffee. I was impressed that it was fresh, strong and hot. I thought the shows were very entertaining (for the most part); they were not Broadway quality by any stretch, but they were professionally done. They exceeded my expectations. With almost no exceptions, I thought that the staff on board really wanted me and my family to have a good time.

 

It appears that you can wear whatever you want to dinner. On the formal nights, I saw everything from tuxedos to shorts, t-shirts and sandals.

 

We did one excursion in Cozumel. It was a snorkel / Playa Mia tour. One snorkel stop of 30 minutes followed by one of 20 minutes, and then 2 hours on a small beach with probably 500 other people. There was a buffet lunch that was even worse than the food on the Rhapsody. It wasn't worth the $366 that we paid, but it did get us off the ship, and the family had fun.

 

I don't know how people view cruises as a bargain. $8,500 for a family of 5 is really, really expensive (that includes one balcony, one inside room, excursion, parking, tips, and extras while on board). We spent a week in Playa del Carmen at an AI resort on the beach and spent only $5,000, and that included airfare.