Quick Review: Rhapsody & JS 8534

[avalon007]

Hi,

 

We are just off Rhapsody of the Seas 10 day cruise to Lifou, Vila, Luganville & Champagne Bay.

 

This our 6th Royal cruise but first on Rhapsody (previously on Radiance & Voyager)

 

Overall we had a great time but felt it worthwhile to offer some observations to compare to the 2 other ships we have sailed on with RCCL.

 

Always good news - no Noro Virus on board that we know of.:)

 

PROS

 

Really liked the Centrum area, this is a good space for shows & offered a lot more seating than on some ships.

 

Also good size guest relations & excursions desks in the deck above.

 

Shops were fine & stocked the usual goods.

 

Staff were excellent, very attentive & friendly. Quick to clean away plates in Windjammer & order drinks in the Centrum.

 

The aerial show Baroque was excellent - don't miss it, get there about an hour before if you want good seats, views form Centrum or deck 5/6 were good. However another aerial show with 2 people inside a large metal circle we found a bit clumsy in it's execution.

 

The Rock Britannia show was also great & the cruise director Graham Seymour was excellent as usual.

 

The Quest, Battle of the sexes game shows etc were much the same as other cruises, fun to watch.;)

 

Production shows in the main theatre were good to great, we watched the Country show & the Tribute to ballroom dancing (missed Piano man as have seen it several times).

 

The guest entertainers were all good to excellent, Aussie Boys, several comedians, magician, Mow Town singers, plus multi instrument performer/singer.

 

Movies in the theatre were also good - saw Thor - Dark World, Captain Phillips (excellent!), The Butler (great), Delivery Man & also All Is Lost which was the only one a bit dull for our taste.

 

The theatre temperature was really good even for long stays whilst watching movies, we had found on Voyager the theatre was freezing at times.

 

We had My Time Dining & were sat at the same table for 2 most nights despite asking for a large table a few times, which turned out Ok as we did meet a nice couple from SA who were seated next to us most nights.

Food was good overall, a few great & a few average meals as well.

 

We ate once at Giovanni's which was very good.

 

Soft serve Ice Cream machine located on the pool deck is good rather than inside the WJ like on Radiance.

 

Solarium was nice & fairly spacious, 2 hot tubs, but no working controls for the bubbles, which didn't worry me as I prefer it not to vigorous.

 

Gym was OK, lacked a rowing machine & some of the other arm/leg machines that we enjoyed on the other ships though.

 

Overall the maintenance of the ship was good, a few areas on the pool deck & balcony rails needed varnish, the odd seat with wear on the corners, but all else fairly good.

 

Didn't use the day spa or other specialty restaurants on this cruise so can't comment on those.

 

CONS

 

The main dining room seemed to have a napkin twirling, singing or dancing event most nights which got a bit annoying, the other Royal ships were have cruised on have just have 2 or 3 which was fine. I really don't want to be interrupted in the middle of almost every meal to swing napkins to salute the hot bread rolls or dance the Macarena thanks very much! It all seemed a bit too casual for MDR IMO & a bit too much of the Aussie, oi, oi, oi style of venue. I don't see the point of having a MDR if you are going to make it like a pool party!

 

Windjammer layout was a little smaller & congested compared to the other ships & seemed to have less food options compared with Radiance which we spent 34 days on only 4 months ago, so we had a fresh memory to compare to.

 

Also, we didn't have any afternoon Tea offered in WJ or a late night sweets buffet like on other ships.

 

The theatre was nice but the seats were a bit uncomfortable to sit on for the 2 hour movies, & on the upper level there are not drink holders for every seat as they have the seats in groups of 2 & 3.

 

The way finder touch screens seemed to be inconsistent in placement as they were not next to all the lifts or in the same place on all decks.

 

The whole ship seemed to have a lot of vibration that moved on a daily basis, some spots in the Solarium were so bad some days you couldn't read your book for the shaking, also a few areas in the Windjammer had windows that rattled very loudly. Some nights our bed also got the shakes. Never experienced anything like this level of constant & strong moving vibration on any other ships. Maybe it's because the Rhapsody is one of the older ships in the fleet?

 

They had air blowers going constantly outside the Solarium as the design of the layout requires Solarium users to travel through the lift area causing the tiles to get wet, not the best design.

 

For Crown & Anchor members - we had the all levels C&A event one evening which was excellent, really good cocktails on offer & the food was nice, much like the top tier (platinum & above) events we have had on Radiance. However, the top tier event was a breakfast! We didn't like this option at all as we don't drink before lunch & the cocktails offered were limited even if you did & the breakfast food was nothing special or not really all breakfast food IMO (chocolate biscuits, cakes).

 

The top tier event should be the better of the two or it reduces the incentive to stay loyal long enough to get to the higher levels IMO.

 

 

CABIN

 

Our cabin - Junior Suite 8534, deck 8 - located mid ship, close to the Centrum & below the pool deck approx. just aft of the hot tubs.

 

The cabin itself was nice, lots of space with the lounge area & a wider balcony, more room in the bathroom with the bath tub. Furniture was in good repair & looked new.

 

The JS has an ipad for checking your account, what's on etc, however the main dining room menu was never the correct one.

 

The flat screen TV worked well but lacked a quality ship location map like on the other ships & also lacked a channel that let you know what movies were showing on the free movie channel or a general TV channel guide like we have had on other ships.

 

It was as expected though noisy due to the deck above having deck chairs moved about etc sometimes early in the morning (5-6am), but also we could clearly hear all Centrum activities/music which we have never experienced before on other ships, even when as close or closer to the Centrum. On the Centrum level deck 4 they had noise reducing doors in place which they really needed on all levels.

 

However we are not easily disrupted by noise, so it was only the early morning pool deck noise that did wake us a few times.

 

There was also a lot of noise form the hall as the doors seemed to slam loudly & we could hear our neighbours talking in the halls more than on the other ships, there were a few loud families who didn't control their kids very well that added to the noise factor during the day, but at night it was fine.

 

On the other ships we have had a variety of cabins & placements from deck 4 to 10, ocean view to balcony & hump cabins, forward, midship & below pool areas etc & would say that in general this cabin placement was by far the noisiest we have experienced. The ship seemed in general more noisy as well, although there didn't seem to be as many kids on board compared to our other cruises, so it wasn't child related noise most of the time.

 

Maybe it is because Rhapsody is older that the sound deadening has improved on the newer ships which can account For the difference?

 

We are glad we sailed on her at least once & would do so again if the itinerary was right.

 

Overall she is a nice ship, just choose a cabin away from the Centrum or pool deck if you find noise a problem.

Edited March 29, 2014 by avalon007

[Icerecon]

avalon007 we sailed on Rhapsody in Feb 14 and had JS 8066 our noise came from chairs and trolleys being dragged and rolled on the solarium deck... so on deck 8 you pay for the noise it would seem.

 

We concur completely with your quick review; when we go again with RCI we would not take MTD as it did not work for us and would elect to pay the waiters gratuities etc at the end of the cruise.

Edited March 29, 2014 by Icerecon

[avalon007]

Hi Stan,

 

We like MTD, we used to have set time but after an experience where nobody else turned up on our table of 6 we felt quite lonely so decided to go MTD ever since, plus it fits our variable dining time preference.

We never book, just turn up when we are ready to eat & we are willing to sit wherever they want to put us.

 

The gratuities are now automatically debited from your sea pass account daily if you don't pay then upfront like you do with MTD. You can still tip additionally if you wish of course.

[gbenjo]

You forgot the most important part.. how was check in?????? nice to meet you and put a face to a name:D

[avalon007]

Hi Gbenjo,

 

Likewise, nice to meet you finally!

 

I didn't mention check in as I thought it goes without saying - excellent as usual!!:D

 

We had a young guy checking us in who was very efficient & even remembered to offer me our C&A WOW cards without me having to ask! So good job team Circular Quay!

[jennyau]

Thanks for the review.

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

[goodycruising]

We are booked 2 doors closer to the Centrum than you were for our Feb trip next year. What time does the music/noise in the Centrum normally go till?

 

Thanks for taking the time to do your review. We were on Rhapsody over 3 years ago and had continual vibration in our cabin which I think was 8062. It was very noisy above from the tables situated above us that were steel chairs on tiled floors. Tiled floors on any of the ships makes for noise above. We were hoping that since the refurb that the vibration had been fixed.

 

We have not quite made up our mind on taking another Rhapsody trip.....

[Icerecon]

Hi Stan,

 

We like MTD, we used to have set time but after an experience where nobody else turned up on our table of 6 we felt quite lonely so decided to go MTD ever since, plus it fits our variable dining time preference.

We never book, just turn up when we are ready to eat & we are willing to sit wherever they want to put us.

 

The gratuities are now automatically debited from your sea pass account daily if you don't pay then upfront like you do with MTD. You can still tip additionally if you wish of course.

 

On our previous 3 cruises we have always had MTD, on the first cruise on the first night we booked and then waited 1 hour for a table; so from there on we never booked in advance either, we don't mind a small wait because we like to be spasmodic and don't like routines like at home.

 

But about half way through the Rhapsody cruise we stood in the "no booking" line for 20 minutes before there was an acknowledgment that we where standing there.

 

We were then seated on a 8 person table with a couple who had been seated and waiting 20 minutes for table service; after exchanging pleasantries and a further 10 minutes went by another guest was seated at the table. 10 minutes later the senior table waiter asked if we would wait another 20 minutes so they could fill the last 3 seats. He was a bit surprised when we said no, a good part was that we meet some very nice people.

 

This story was conveyed to Maitre d, when he asked us how we thought MTD was working on the ship, he also advised us to report it once we got home, which has been done but there has been no response as yet.

 

Totally understand the way gratuities work and how to have them removed.

 

Can I add for Gbenjo our check-in was great basically walked in at 1030-ish and was sitting pool side at 1045 so that was a WOW.

[avalon007]

On our previous 3 cruises we have always had MTD, on the first cruise on the first night we booked and then waited 1 hour for a table; so from there on we never booked in advance either, we don't mind a small wait because we like to be spasmodic and don't like routines like at home.

 

But about half way through the Rhapsody cruise we stood in the "no booking" line for 20 minutes before there was an acknowledgment that we where standing there.

 

We were then seated on a 8 person table with a couple who had been seated and waiting 20 minutes for table service; after exchanging pleasantries and a further 10 minutes went by another guest was seated at the table. 10 minutes later the senior table waiter asked if we would wait another 20 minutes so they could fill the last 3 seats. He was a bit surprised when we said no, a good part was that we meet some very nice people.

 

This story was conveyed to Maitre d, when he asked us how we thought MTD was working on the ship, he also advised us to report it once we got home, which has been done but there has been no response as yet.

 

Totally understand the way gratuities work and how to have them removed.

 

Can I add for Gbenjo our check-in was great basically walked in at 1030-ish and was sitting pool side at 1045 so that was a WOW.

 

 

Sometimes you do get a crappy day or two in a venue which can sour an experience for you, but so far we have cruised 44 nights on MTD in total & have never waited more than 5-10 minutes max for a table.

 

We have had the experience of being placed on a large table with others already part way through their meal but never made to wait more than about 5 minutes for others to join our large table.

 

I did notice on Rhapsody they had a line for bookings & one for no bookings, on Radiance they have never had this unless it's a new thing since October?

 

One lunchtime on Rhapsody we were seated at 12.10pm & needed to be out for the 1pm movie, knowing the 30 minute lunch was the thing at 'Brasserie 30' as they call it at lunch time, we figured we had ample time. But we only got our main at 12.50, so had to eat fast & leave dessert.

 

I would say on Rhapsody we noticed a more casual approach to dining in general compared to Radiance, as well as some other things about the ship, so maybe this is part of the personality of Rhapsody as a ship? Or maybe it's the Captain's influence?

 

The captain was Rick Sullivan, a Canadian that liked to do karaoke & seemed somewhat casual to us, we did prefer previous captains on the other ships who although friendly IMO ran a tighter ship, which is what I prefer my captains to be like.

 

I would continue with MTD if I were you but just don't put up with such waiting again, get up & see the Maître'd if you are left waiting too long.

[avalon007]

We are booked 2 doors closer to the Centrum than you were for our Feb trip next year. What time does the music/noise in the Centrum normally go till?

 

Thanks for taking the time to do your review. We were on Rhapsody over 3 years ago and had continual vibration in our cabin which I think was 8062. It was very noisy above from the tables situated above us that were steel chairs on tiled floors. Tiled floors on any of the ships makes for noise above. We were hoping that since the refurb that the vibration had been fixed.

 

We have not quite made up our mind on taking another Rhapsody trip.....

 

 

I think your cabin will be about the same noise level as ours was. The centrum shows were mostly finished by about 11pm but some did go later to after midnight.

 

You could also hear music & yelling noise from the pool deck above when they had late night music for the pool parties.

 

The strong vibration was very noticeable to us never having experienced it on Radiance or Voyager before. We felt it was coming from the general structure of the ship & not something the refurb would fix. I didn't feel the ship was unsound, but it's an older ship so they may have improved the design to reduce vibration as new classes of ship were introduced.

 

If you're not fixed on that booking maybe consider trying Radiance instead, much quieter than Rhapsody for noise/vibration.

 

We had a balcony on deck 10 on Radiance last year directly below the entry area to the solarium & never heard any noise worth mentioning.

Edited March 29, 2014 by avalon007

[The_Big_M]

The strong vibration was very noticeable to us never having experienced it on Radiance or Voyager before. We felt it was coming from the general structure of the ship & not something the refurb would fix. I didn't feel the ship was unsound, but it's an older ship so they may have improved the design to reduce vibration as new classes of ship were introduced.

 

The vibration is due to the ship's propulsion.

 

From the Voyager design on, RCL introduced azipods. These move the propulsion to the separate azipods, which also removes the slight vibration from the main ship.

 

The Vision class, including Rhapsody, have traditional engines turning propellers in the keel of the ship. This does cause some slight vibration at times.

[Sparky74]

Welcome home.

 

It sounds like you had a good time in spite of the few "cons" you have mentioned.

 

Have you booked your next cruise yet? We're hoping to be back on Radiance again in October.

 

 

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[avalon007]

The vibration is due to the ship's propulsion.

 

From the Voyager design on, RCL introduced azipods. These move the propulsion to the separate azipods, which also removes the slight vibration from the main ship.

 

The Vision class, including Rhapsody, have traditional engines turning propellers in the keel of the ship. This does cause some slight vibration at times.

 

 

Radiance class are between Vision & Voyager classes but do also have azipods so I guess they changed after the Vision class?

 

However I must reiterate that the vibration in some areas on Rhapsody was not slight- it was quite extreme at times & even during smooth sailing so not affected by large seas etc.

Edited March 29, 2014 by avalon007

[avalon007]

Welcome home.

 

It sounds like you had a good time in spite of the few "cons" you have mentioned.

 

Have you booked your next cruise yet? We're hoping to be back on Radiance again in October.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

 

Hi Sparky,

 

Yes we did have a good time, the negatives were not anything bad enough to ruin a holiday & we made Diamond on this cruise so that is a big plus for us.

 

Really enjoyed the ports again as well, got in some diving & great snorkelling as well, nice weather throughout & calm seas.

 

We booked an open ticket whilst on board, no set plans for our next Royal cruise as yet.

 

But not at all happy with the new on board credit changes for open bookings - reduced right down in favour of large increases for set cruise bookings, only $75 instead of $150 for a 10 night cruise if converted from an open booking compared to around $200+ for balcony cabins on the set cruise booking.

 

The increases for set cruise bookings on board are now scaled according to cabin category & cruise length I believe.

 

They said they were getting complaints so hopefully Royal may at least offer the same OBC for C&A members for open bookings & not just for set cruise bookings.

 

We find it hard to book any particular cruise too early due to our business variability.

[cassamanda]

Have to agree with you on the vibration. Seems very inconsistent. Sometimes slight and other times really noticeable. We take aft cabins and the vibration is just as bad there:p. No Centrum and pool noise though.

We are next booked on her to Dubai to say goodbye :(

Glad you enjoyed the cruise.

[Miamia65]

We were in cabin 8520 on Rhapsody and the vibration was really noticeable for the last 2 nights of the cruise heading back to Sydney. It was isolated to the area where the sofa bed is. I did wonder why it was only on these 2 nights that it occurred? This cabin is the RFS on starboard side.

[goodycruising]

I think your cabin will be about the same noise level as ours was. The centrum shows were mostly finished by about 11pm but some did go later to after midnight.

 

You could also hear music & yelling noise from the pool deck above when they had late night music for the pool parties.

 

The strong vibration was very noticeable to us never having experienced it on Radiance or Voyager before. We felt it was coming from the general structure of the ship & not something the refurb would fix.

 

Thanks for the reply. If there is going to be noise from cleaning and moving deck furniture early in the morning then late night noise may be a bit more than I am keen on.

 

We were of the understanding that during refurb the propeller that was damaged and causing the vibration was to be attended to also. The fact that the ship was vibrating even when at port got very annoying. We have done Radiance and Voyager and it seems very likely we shall be looking to change our booking to another ship. A bargain is not a bargain if we are still spending thousands and have doubts. We shall see.....

[The_Big_M]

Radiance class are between Vision & Voyager classes but do also have azipods so I guess they changed after the Vision class?

 

However I must reiterate that the vibration in some areas on Rhapsody was not slight- it was quite extreme at times & even during smooth sailing so not affected by large seas etc.

 

While Radiance class ships are in size between the two, the Voyager class was the next to be built, and designed and built before Radiance. When Radiance and other subsequent classes were built, they were incorporated as well.

 

I guess "slight" is subjective. While noticeable at times, it wasn't as though people were getting shaken up.

Edited March 30, 2014 by The_Big_M

[avalon007]

While Radiance class ships are in size between the two, the Voyager class was the next to be built, and designed and built before Radiance. When Radiance and other subsequent classes were built, they were incorporated as well.

 

I guess "slight" is subjective. While noticeable at times, it wasn't as though people were getting shaken up.

 

 

Yes it's hard to give accurate ratings for vibration as everyone assesses things differently.

 

I guess the best I can explain it was that at it's worst the drinks on the table near the deck chair in the Solarium were moving across the table & my book in my hand was shaking like someone with Parkinsons, making it too difficult to read the words.

 

The vibration in the Windjammer windows caused a sudden & loud rattling that was concerning enough for us to change seats & for most people around the area to turn & look to see what the noise was.

 

It wasn't a pleasant thing but was was more annoying was that it moved about the ship, so we could be sitting somewhere that was fine & all of a sudden it would start vibrating enough to make us move spots.