Rhapsody of AussieLad: Live(ish) from North Queensland and the South Pacific

[goodycruising]

Thanks for your review AussieLad. I would say that you might find a back to back with two shorter cruises to be a younger crowd. We did Rhapsody 3 years ago, before the refit and were very interested to hear your views of the venues getting crowded. I am guessing that squeezing a bunch of restaurants in would be part of the problem with reduced capacity.

 

We had heard from a couple back then that had My time dining on that trip that they had real attitude about booking times they wanted. We were traditional, and after the Schooner bar found ourselves a bit tardy for the 8.30, but I think our waiters were fine with that as they could get their other tables fixed up, and we were a cheery bunch :)

 

We have since read on these boards many comments about how flexible and easy MTD is, and last Nov on Radiance that was exactly our experience. We booked once, very simple, and other nights rocked up when we felt like and got a table for four very quickly, and even asked for the same waiter which was no hassle.

 

I think our recent 5 day QLD trip on Radiance might be more to your taste as there seemed to be many groups of younger ladies (like your age) and not a lot of groups of younger men. Anyhow, you could be right about the different atmosphere in different parts of the world. :)

[charliegirlac]

Loved your review! Thanks so much for the time and effort! Will eagerly await your voyager trip!

[The_Big_M]

We did Rhapsody 3 years ago, before the refit and were very interested to hear your views of the venues getting crowded. I am guessing that squeezing a bunch of restaurants in would be part of the problem with reduced capacity.

 

Not just that, but the loss of 4 public spaces, and on top of that that was compounded by them being replaced by 16 cabins = 32 extra people.

[AussieLad]

What was the mix of passengers like?

 

There was a good mix of ages on this cruise. I would say the most prevalent was probably the middle aged adults (35-55), followed by teens and kids, followed by young adults and older passengers. Which makes sense when you consider that there were a lot of family groups on this cruise (e.g. grandparent / parent / child groups).

 

Passengers were, I think, notably more "clique-y" on this trip than on others. Again, I think it's just that the family groups often tended to stay together, do activities together, etc. I believe that some of the problems experienced (overcrowding in some venues, no shared tables for My-Time Dining, etc) can be traced to families doing those activities together, sitting together, etc.

 

What was the itinerary like?

 

It was a well paced trip. Not too many sea days or port stops (we stopped at four islands in four days, but one island didn't have any excursions available and one only had a few, so it was a more relaxed pace than four days of excursions).

 

We changed time twice: back an hour when approaching Queensland, and then forward an hour when heading for the islands.

 

What were the bars like?

 

Schooner Bar: My old favourite. The only down side being it's also the path between the Shall We Dance Lounge and the rest of the ship, so there tended to be a big rush as people moved to/from events being held there. Any other time, and it's just a nice vaguely ship-themed bar atmosphere. The only complaint would be long waits for service at times, as Giovanni's and Chops staff would also go to the bar to collect drinks for restaurant patrons, which could push the limited space behind the bar to the limit when it's busy and there's a lot of people trying to pour.

 

R Bar: I only visited the R Bar once or twice, but I can't say I was fussed on it. It's not really a defined area so much as it is just a bar on the floor of the Centrum surrounded by chairs (in this way I found it somewhat similar to the Champagne Bar on Independence). If you're into the performances in the Centrum, it might be the place for you, but it wasn't for me.

 

Shall We Dance Lounge: Actaully a reasonably nice space when activities aren't on. It's large and relatively open with a good view over the water from the back of the ship, but since it's at the end of the ship, not many people will be there unless something's on so it's also quiet. The lounge is also the main location for big activities that aren't being held in the theatre or Centrum (e.g. Quest, Big Band Dance Night, etc). Unfortunately, it was just a shade too small for some of those activities.

 

Viking Crown Lounge: A little small - I'm told that it wasn't being used to its full extent, so they cut the size in half to put in Izumi. I only went at night, and it's a fairly typical nightclub atmosphere. There's some dividers between the "dance club" area and the area where you can just sit and drink with friends, which is nice. The only complaint would be that as the bar overlooks the dance floor, the bar could get very crowded at times.

 

Pool Bar / Solarium Bar: Outdoors bars. Stools a little uncomfortable. Not much else to say, everyone tends to grab their drink and head for a beach chair.

 

What were the eateries like?

 

Main Dining Room: It's usual fine dining self. One thing to note is that about halfway through the cruise the quality of the seafood noticeably changes and there are shortages of some things by the end, so if you're a seafood eater, eat early. My-Time Dining was difficult in terms of shared seating, as has been discussed already.

 

Windjammer: Big buffet. Offerings got a little repetitive, but you probably wouldn't notice unless you were on a long cruise like this one. Seemed like there was sufficient seating, even when the Main Dining Room was closed.

 

Park Cafe: reports of the magnificence of the roast beef roll are fully substantiated. They also have some other offerings, such as toasted sandwiches, quesadilas, etc. which were also worthwhile and very nice for an adult palate compared to other venues. They also offer breakfast, which I didn't have but I understand is also good with offering such as cereals and muffins; and also late night snacks (sandwiches, tacos, pies, etc) which are a treat at 1am after a night of drinking.

 

Cafe Latte-tudes: I never went here, but they always had a sweet selection on offer (crossaints, cakes, biscuits, etc) and also had ice cream available later in the day.

 

Chops: Good as ever.

 

Giovanni's: Food isn't quite as elegant as Chops, but definitely a good meal. Remember that servings are big. I recommend that you go in a big group and just order everything.

 

Izumi: I didn't make it to Izumi. However, as soon as you hit that final staircase, you can definitely smell it coming - the smell of Asian food from the restaurant is almost overwhelming.

 

What were the activities like?

 

There was generally a good selection of activities on and at a good pace, so there was still time to relax. Something on for everyone most of the time. I can't comment on what the kids were doing, but I didn't see them much, which was a good thing.

 

What were the performances like?

 

Performances still felt like they were tweaked towards a slightly older crowd. There weren't any performances that I can think of, aside from the aerial show, that I desperately wanted to walk away from, but not many were gripping either.

 

What were the staff like?

 

The staff were all good. Mandy, my stateroom attendant, was regularly around and I never felt like I was missing out on anything. Bar staff were universally good. Guest services were grumpy, but that's no change. Casino staff were helpful and attentive, although irritating in that they would only give me ten one-dollar bills per exchange (I assume to conserve their supply of one dollar bills).

 

Ken Jones (cruise director) warmed up over the cruise, but was just missing that something that made him more than just a glorified manager. Joff Eaton still wins my vote.

 

Jamie, the activities manager (unfortunately I don't know his full name - Jamie Fentiman, who was activities manager on Freedom mid-2013, maybe? Big British chap) was amazing. He'll be a great cruise director if RCI is smart enough to promote him.

 

Captain Rob Hempstead was entertaining in his daily announcements. He has a very William Shatner-esque way of giving his announcements, as if every sentence fragment. Is its own. Sentence. And making jokes about why things are happening ("I imagine you'd like to know where we are. I'd quite like to know that as well." or "Shortly I will blow the ship's horn. Because I like blowing the ship's horn."). Fun times.

 

Did tipping make a difference?

 

Answer unclear.

 

The most tips by far went to bar staff. At the Schooner Bar, my regular haunt, I can't say that I necessarily got any better service than any of the other regular patrons, but that's what happens when you're a regular. Service at bars that I visited infrequently may have been better (I even got recognised by a bartender at a different bar to the one he served me at before, having only been there two or three times). I didn't notice any improvements with tips for other staff.

 

I actually found it difficult to give tips sometimes, e.g. with room service staff or with bar staff that I only saw once or twice. They probably don't expect anything in Australia, as a non-tipping country. With the number of ships and itineraries, it's impossible to say for certain whether additional tips are beneficial or not, as some have advocated (e.g. tips may be more expected on a cruise from the US).

 

Was the drinks package worth it?

 

Unlike my time on Independence, this trip I didn't really think about "getting my money's worth", which made that aspect of things more pleasant, particularly when ordering drinks constantly over New Year's Eve. I also felt free to turn down a drink if I ordered something new and found I didn't like it, which is a relief over throwing out something you paid for.

 

You don't get a final drink tally on a package, but Jose told me on the last night that my average "spend" was in the ballpark of $200/day, so I most certainly got my money's worth in the end, and I wasn't drinking nearly as heavily as I could have been. I don't think it's that hard at the end of the day to break even.

 

Did AussieLad find female companionship?

 

Ask me no secrets, I'll tell you no lies.

Edited January 15, 2014 by AussieLad
Formatting

[AussieLad]

Obviously in any report, there are stories missing.

 

Such as how I managed to get to bed on New Year's Eve.

 

Or Steve the Airlie tour guide's stories about the hopelessness of the national parks department.

 

Or when Steve, Sarah and I got the munchies and went to the Park Cafe for late night / early morning tacos.

 

Or when I went to the Park Cafe later for tacos but they weren't serving taco's anymore, and then learning that Steve and Sarah and gone up later and received tacos, and how subsequently the first thing I did when I got home was a dash to the grocery store to buy nacho ingredients (because I couldn't find the taco shells) to resolve the two-day craving for pseudo-Mexican food that Rhapsody just couldn't fill.

 

So, please post if you have any more questions.

Edited January 15, 2014 by AussieLad

[Mothballs]

Thanks for the review. It is a pity you missed going to see the hypnotist, Shane St James. We saw his show on our Honolulu to Sydney cruise and enjoyed it so much we stayed for the second show.

Regards Elaine.

[kcs100]

Pardon my ignorance...What's Quest?

[Clarea]

Pardon my ignorance...What's Quest?

Sorry, we are sworn to secrecy. You have to experience it for yourself. Don't bring young children.

Edited January 15, 2014 by clarea

[The_Big_M]

Thanks for the review. It is a pity you missed going to see the hypnotist, Shane St James. We saw his show on our Honolulu to Sydney cruise and enjoyed it so much we stayed for the second show.

Regards Elaine.

 

What I and the rest of our table thought weird in our show was that he didn't have any release/forget message to the subjects. He just let them leave with their instructions to react to the different songs/noises.

 

Can only hope it wears off after some time!

[Mothballs]

What I and the rest of our table thought weird in our show was that he didn't have any release/forget message to the subjects. He just let them leave with their instructions to react to the different songs/noises.

 

Can only hope it wears off after some time!

 

A couple of days after the show I spoke with a woman that participated. Shane St James told the people up on stage that once they left the theatre they would forget everything that happened. She told me she remembered bits and pieces of what she did and she also told me she loved it and would do it again if the opportunity arose. No way I would get up there.

Elaine.

[aussielozzie18]

Thanks for your review. Really enjoyed reading.

[strtrek]

we'll be traveling (me and DH in our mid 40's) on ROS in 10 days time...thanks for the tips re good watering holes

 

a few quick questions

 

did they retract the pool roof at all during the cruise? hopefully yes?

 

chefs table....formal wear or just dressy casual?

 

park cafe hours....open til when???

 

thanks mate

[taninaus]

thanks for a fabulously entertaining review - sailed Rhapsody before the refit and all the familiar haunts are still there with a few extra.

 

looks like you are truly addicted to the cruise lifestyle, I look forward to future reviews.

[Wildcatfish]

Thanks for a great review! Very enjoyable.

[SPacificbound]

I really enjoyed your review, it was a really good read! :)

 

We sailed on Rhapsody Sydney to Honolulu April/May 2013 so it was great fun to see your photos of this ship we so enjoyed and ports we also visited.

 

Having spent eight weeks in Australia prior to our Rhapsody cruise, I especially enjoyed reading your "speak" if that makes any sense. :D

[AussieLad]

did they retract the pool roof at all during the cruise? hopefully yes?

 

Yup.

 

chefs table....formal wear or just dressy casual?

 

On a non-formal evening, dressy casual or up.

 

park cafe hours....open til when???

 

7am-10am, 11am-3pm and 11pm-2am if I remember.