Flowrider on the Navigator

[CruiseSlacker]

So no need to complain about not having an advanced session.

 

Thanks for the update.

[Charger2008]

I'm currently on the NOS, so I'll try to do a running journal focused on the Flowrider. I have unlimited int'l data with AT&T, but Cellular @ Sea data is still as slow as ever (but that's another topic).

 

First day on board went to the first boogie board session with my 2 sons. Youngest is not tall enough for stand-up, so this is it for him. He proceeded to do a Superman on his first run and they told him if he did it again they would take his wristband. So that ruled out about 90% of our tricks. They both did 360s for the rest of the session and said they were bored.

 

So much for boogie board. After muster drill they had a stand up session scheduled from 5-6:30. They had an issue with the muster drill, so they said everything was behind schedule and didn't start until almost 5:30. With all the issues with NOS lately, if this was our only issue getting out of Galveston, we gladly waited an extra 30 minutes for our stand up fix.

 

First thing they did was check my board for the Wave Loch logo. So anyone planning to take an Ash board should also throw a Wave Loch board in the bag as well (if you have one).

 

The staff told me they haven't done a Best of the Best yet since they haven't had any decent riders yet. It's in the Cruise Compass, so hopefully this week will be the first. They said no guest has done a 360 yet, so I took care of that during the first stand-up session.

 

There are no advanced stand up sessions. Bad for me, but good for my marriage since I don't make noise leaving the room until an hour later every day. So we get 9-11 and 3-5 stand-up with boogie board between on sea days.

 

Thanks for posting this. We were wondering how big the Flowrider was on the Navigator. :D

[mil76]

OK, here are the final thoughts on the Navigator's Flowrider now that I'm home.

 

First off, the Flowrider itself is great. It's more than wide enough to do stand-up, the water flow is high and it fans out so you can load in pushing off from the side at the top (I couldn't do this on Oasis). I was able to carve at the top of the logo the whole time and just had my best week of Flowriding ever. My DS (15) also made great improvements. He was doing 360s and starting from the top, both of which he had never been able to do before. Plus it's HEATED, so that 66 degree first day in Galveston wasn't so cold after all.

 

The Flowrider itself is a bit removed from the rest of the ship. There is no bar by it like on other ships, which seemed a bit strange, especially since what was the nearest bar has been converted to the Diamond Club. To get a drink at the Flowrider, your nearest bar is walking all the way up to the Windjammer or the Cosmopolitan Club (unless you want to pay $5.95 at Johnny Rockets). It didn't seem shoe-horned in at all, and there was plenty of deck space at the top and seating on three sides. I think they could have fit a bar on the top deck, and it looks like a wasted revenue opportunity to me. It definitely looked like it was part of the original ship and it seems to me like a no-brainer for RCCL to add Flowriders to more of the Voyager class ships.

 

However, I have to say I was disappointed with the Sports Deck staff. They all came from other ships with Flowriders, but it looks like the Navigator is now where they go to get a break. One even said they liked that the Navigator is "more laid back" than other ships. I now translate that into "we don't have to work as hard". For me, the Flowrider is central to my cruise experience and I enjoy the vibe of what goes on around the Flowrider. I'm used to hearing announcements all week about how everyone should hone their skills and show off for the Sports Staff for the Best of the Best coming up the last day, and let me know that I can spend a bunch of money on lessons or renting out the Flowrider to get better. On Navigator the only announcements they made all week were to say that the the current session was ending because they were switching over to boogie board/stand-up or ending for the day.

 

The staff also didn't seem too interested in helping anyone. On the boogie board session where a girl separated her shoulder, I watched as she kept jumping into the water behind the top and kept getting slammed back into the wall, while the sports deck staff just stood there and watched. I made a comment to my son that she was going to get hurt, and sure enough on her next try it happened. If a guest in line can plainly see this, you'd expect the staff to pick up on it as well.

 

Not having Advanced Stand-Up was disappointing, especially on sea days. There were some of us specifically on this cruise for the Flowrider, who could start themselves and were there at every stand-up session, and even more guests could start themselves by the third day. Having the ship docked at 7:00am or 8:00am and having to wait until 9:00am for the Flowrider sessions to even start was not too popular with the DW. The last day of the cruise the morning stand-up session queue was 15-20 deep by 9:30am.

 

The queue for boogie-boarding was 20 deep at all times, so by the 3rd day my youngest son would show up and get in line right before the switch-over to do his run and then wouldn't bother the rest of the session due to the wait. I'm pretty sure they don't have a divider on the Navigator, since this crowd definitely warranted using one if they had it.

 

They did have a teen Flowrider session one night, but they limited it to boogie-board only, which disappointed my older son. That was so crowded that they only got 1-2 runs each.

 

For me, other than having to watch a girl separate her shoulder because the staff wouldn't help her, the most disappointing part of the week was they didn't bother having a Best of the Best this week either. They said it was because there were not enough people who could do tricks. When asked to clarify, they said that even though people could do 360s, most of those who could had to put their hand down to get all the way around (as if they don't count). As a person who has been asked to do the BOB on the FOS when I couldn't do ANY tricks, I thought this was a cop-out. So I guess all those people cheering when someone did a 360 should have been informed that they don't really count. I understand it's not what you'd find on a Florida-based cruise during Spring Break, but they had at least 5 guests who would have been in BOB on a cruise based in FL 2-3 years ago. So the climax of the cruise on the Flowrider was the staff constantly counting the people in line during the BOB time so they could be sure to shut it down at 5pm on the nose.

 

So bottom line, the Flowrider on the Navigator is on par with the rest of the fleet. You don't have to worry about doing stand-up, it's wide enough to do whatever you want. If you like boogie-boarding on the entire wave, you'll get it the whole cruise (but you'll just have to wait in line longer for it). I'm excited that I can go back to Voyager class ships now that some of them are getting Flowriders, I just hope they work out the issues to make the whole experience a little more consistent with the rest of the Flowrider fleet. Now it's time to start counting down to Allure for Halloween. At least I won't have to wonder if they are going to do a BOB on that cruise...

[A&L_Ont]

Thanks for the great report. Thorough and informative. I feel for the girl with the dislocated shoulder, as it sounds as though it did not have to happen.

 

Andrew

[crazyteacher]

Flowrider is seriously fun. First time for me to boogie or surf. Line was a little long at times but the surf sessions move fast the first few days since everyone is bailing quick.

I had the greatest time surfing (or at least trying) on Grand Cayman day. We had a late tour so went to check it out. 1 other guy and we were both encouraging each others' efforts. Staff was super helpful and would cut in to show us stuff when we were resting. 1 was going to a ship w/o a Flowrider the next day.

2 staff members moved to other ships in Cozumel and 1 of the new guys was a douche. Things permitted one day weren't the last sea day (when lines are really long).

They need more sessions and times at night under the lights since the evening entertainment was weak on this ship.

[CruiseSlacker]

Thanks for the review.

 

I will be on it next week.

[Guest]

Thanks, very informative!

We sailed the Navigator once, and enjoyed it immensely. Whilst filing in the feedback form, I put "All this ship needs to be perfect, is to install a Flowrider, in the unused space"

Looks like Royal listened.:D

I hear you about the Flowrider team. They can make or break your cruise.

last time coming off Indy, I believed I would never cruise again. I am sure the team consisted of Zombies. But then we thought about how FANTASTIC some other instructors were, on Ossis, and Liberty.

[Klstaack]

Thanks for this information. I really enjoyed the flowrider on our last Allure cruise. Even though it was my first time and I maybe stayed up for 1 minute max after trying for 3 days.

 

We are considering booking on Oasis for June. If we book I am going to practice before we get on board. There is a place here in Orlando that has flowriders....so hopefully I'll be good enough to self load, do some cutting, and not fall off right away....If I could do 360 I would be shocked.

[snorkelman]

This is the first thread I have read where it appears maybe there is a hope for the boogieboard flowrider relaxing the rules. I also consider the flowrider a major aspect of picking a cruise. I have pics on RCI ships in the past doing tricks that haven't been allowed in years.

 

http://tinypic.com/m/in6f04/3

 

http://tinypic.com/m/fp43mv/3

 

http://tinypic.com/m/in6ey8/3

 

http://tinypic.com/m/in6ezr/3

 

IMO a 360 is a much harder trick for novices and more likely to result in injury than many other banned tricks. The following couple pics came from recent cruises.

 

http://tinypic.com/m/in6eyh/3

 

http://tinypic.com/m/ibi0r4/3

 

My wife laughs because I am a 42 year old guy and all over the ship 12 year old kids are saying "hi" since that is who is usually always on the flowrider.

 

I agree that it is sad when the instructors are not helpful. I usually give pointers to anyone who asks.

[snorkelman]

Klstaack, I have beeen to Fantasy Surf in Orlando (technically it is Kissimmee) and it is a great idea to go there before your cruise. You will get a LOT of time on the water and ramp up your practice significantly. In fact, I have found myself too exhausted after a 30 minute session and literally wasted the 2nd 30 minute session I had paid for in advance because I had the wave to myself and no line at all.

 

Tip - the wave speed is adjustable, and Fantasy Surf has its water moving much faster than what RCI sets the boogieboard flowrider. I am not sure of the speed of the stand-up on RCI, as I rarely do stand-up. The reason I say this is because the speed of the water impacts the trick you can do. For example, I may be able to do 3 barrelrolls in a row on the RCI wave, but after a second one, I am at the top of the wave at Fantasy Surf and have to stop so I don't blow out of the wave.

 

Also, Fantasy Surf has almost all stand-up surfers enter the wave at the very front (center of the wave), which is not allowed on the RCI ships.

[snorkelman]

Another note for boogie-boarding. For the younger kids, they must have a parent at the Flowrider with them while they ride. The staff makes the kid point out their parent (and the parent must acknowledge their kid).

 

 

^^ Was that just on day 1 (or the beginning of the cruise) or every single time the kid is in line?

 

My kids went and once they got their bands, they never got asked any questions:

 

Here are my twin girls on the florwrider (just turned 10 when pics taken on Allure last year):

 

 

[mil76]

Thanks, very informative!

We sailed the Navigator once, and enjoyed it immensely. Whilst filing in the feedback form, I put "All this ship needs to be perfect, is to install a Flowrider, in the unused space"

Looks like Royal listened.:D

I hear you about the Flowrider team. They can make or break your cruise.

last time coming off Indy, I believed I would never cruise again. I am sure the team consisted of Zombies. But then we thought about how FANTASTIC some other instructors were, on Ossis, and Liberty.

 

Great timing on pulling this thread from the depths of the archives...

 

I just got off Navigator again yesterday. The Navigator Flowrider still gets my vote as the best one in the fleet. The staff this year were great, so no complaints on that end. But to my disappointment, still no advanced stand-up or Best of the Best. Talked to one of the staff, and they said that every week there are only 2 or 3 people who can start themselves, much less do tricks, and last week was no different. Every other cruise I've been on you'll get a couple people who go from never doing it before to loading themselves and doing 360s by the end of the cruise. But this crowd seemed more than happy to wait in a 20-50 minute queue to have a Flowrider staff start them off and wipe out within seconds of letting go of their hand.

[mil76]

^^ Was that just on day 1 (or the beginning of the cruise) or every single time the kid is in line?

 

My kids went and once they got their bands, they never got asked any questions:

 

 

Last week I still saw them getting any kid with a tender bracelet to point out their parents and the parents had to acknowledge before they would let the kid use the boogie board. This was even on day 7.

 

My 12 year old son, who has his own boogie board and can do more tricks than just about anyone, had to have me at the teen boogie board night for him to be able to participate. We have been on Oasis and Allure and never had them do this (which would be bad for me since I'm on the stand up side most of the time that he is boogie boarding).

[snorkelman]

My 12 year old son, who has his own boogie board and can do more tricks than just about anyone, had to have me at the teen boogie board night for him to be able to participate. We have been on Oasis and Allure and never had them do this (which would be bad for me since I'm on the stand up side most of the time that he is boogie boarding).

 

 

Seems like an idiotic new rule. What's the point of making the kid wear a Flowrider wristband if you need a parent standing there? I agree that I would be very irritated if I wanted to use the stand-up. This would be just as irritating on the Allure or Oasis, because there are separate flowriders, and you would effectively be forced to not use the stand-up anytime your child wanted to use the boogie side.

[LuCruise]

Cool report. Didn't realize that the FlowRiders differ by ship. Not sure if I'll have the courage to try it or not.. And same for my DS10 (both boogie version if we do)

[mil76]

This is the first thread I have read where it appears maybe there is a hope for the boogieboard flowrider relaxing the rules. I also consider the flowrider a major aspect of picking a cruise. I have pics on RCI ships in the past doing tricks that haven't been allowed in years.

 

http://tinypic.com/m/in6f04/3

 

http://tinypic.com/m/fp43mv/3

 

http://tinypic.com/m/in6ey8/3

 

http://tinypic.com/m/in6ezr/3

 

IMO a 360 is a much harder trick for novices and more likely to result in injury than many other banned tricks. The following couple pics came from recent cruises.

 

http://tinypic.com/m/in6eyh/3

 

http://tinypic.com/m/ibi0r4/3

 

My wife laughs because I am a 42 year old guy and all over the ship 12 year old kids are saying "hi" since that is who is usually always on the flowrider.

 

I agree that it is sad when the instructors are not helpful. I usually give pointers to anyone who asks.

 

Sorry to report that they have not relaxed the rules on Boogie Board whatsoever. This thread is a year old, and last week boogie board tricks allowed was as expected before. No rolls, no flips, no supermans, no fun. My son just did 360s until he was dizzy. The only thing "new" he could try was squatting with his hands in the water. Once he stood up from that and got scolded. So he learned to do 360s in that position as well.

 

One of the staff members I spoke with said that RC is now even telling the staff not to the banned tricks, even during their practice sessions, since the guests then think they can do them as well.

[The Sunset Glow]

My hubby did lots of 360s on our B2B in sept/oct 2014. The second week there was another guy doing them too. No best of the best or advanced stand up on either of those cruises.

Edited April 6, 2015 by The Sunset Glow

[Folk Singer]

Great to hear. Fun to watch.