Vision of the Seas

[vnyislesv]

maybe im blind but i havent really seen any good/informative threads about VOS. when you google it, 99% of the info is about the ship pre-drydock makeover.

 

anyone here sail on it? the 8-12th im sailing from fort lauderdale to mexico.

 

anyone have positives/negatives? a big thing is, do they close the pools/jacuzzis after a certain time? on the breeze they 'closed' but no one cared if you used them... on the glory, not only did they close them, they drained them every single night.

 

food good? food late at night? anything that stands out? mini-golf? thanks guys!!

[Clarea]

They usually keep at least one pool open all the time.

[vnyislesv]

They usually keep at least one pool open all the time.

awesome!!! wonder how the rest of the ship is anyone???/

[FluffsMom]

I was wondering the same thing. We're booked for January 2015. It's our second cruise, the first being on Freedom. We really enjoyed the flowrider, shows, and promenade and I'm curious about how different the experience on the Vision will be for us. Will the ship feel significantly smaller? Will the windjammer be as crowded? How different will the shows be? Anything else fun and interesting about the Vision?

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forums mobile app

[vnyislesv]

I was wondering the same thing. We're booked for January 2015. It's our second cruise, the first being on Freedom. We really enjoyed the flowrider, shows, and promenade and I'm curious about how different the experience on the Vision will be for us. Will the ship feel significantly smaller? Will the windjammer be as crowded? How different will the shows be? Anything else fun and interesting about the Vision?

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forums mobile app

thank you!! finding ANYTHING is hard about this ship. next time i go on a cruise, it will be freedom or up!!!

[Hoopster95]

thank you!! finding ANYTHING is hard about this ship. next time i go on a cruise, it will be freedom or up!!!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1973232

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1944034

[jjy1130]

maybe im blind but i havent really seen any good/informative threads about VOS. when you google it, 99% of the info is about the ship pre-drydock makeover.

 

Vnyislesv

 

I was having a similar problem. I'm traveling on her two weeks after you, so if you could answer your questions afterwards, that'd be awesome!

[mommabean]

maybe im blind but i havent really seen any good/informative threads about VOS. when you google it, 99% of the info is about the ship pre-drydock makeover.

 

anyone here sail on it? the 8-12th im sailing from fort lauderdale to mexico.

 

anyone have positives/negatives? a big thing is, do they close the pools/jacuzzis after a certain time? on the breeze they 'closed' but no one cared if you used them... on the glory, not only did they close them, they drained them every single night.

 

food good? food late at night? anything that stands out? mini-golf? thanks guys!!

 

What would you like to know specifically? We spend 24 days on her in Europe pre-dry dock. I spend 3 days on her in Miami in November. And we spend 7 days on her in March.

 

We LOVE the ship and have 2 more cruises booked on her this year. One out of Fort Lauderdale and one out of Tampa. She very well could be our new favorite ship.

 

We don't need bells and whistles like a flow rider or promenade. The centrum is open and roomy and much nicer than it was before dry dock.

 

The crew is big time upbeat. The openly express love for their captains - yes, both of them - and management. I'm sure you can find some uphappy campers as you can on any ship. But I've never had crew members just say out of no where how much "we love this captain". To use the collective word "we" means there is a feeling of camaraderie. For people who think the captain and officers don't matter on a ship, they do.

 

For those with concierge access, they will enjoy either lounge. The concierges are both excellent.

 

Bartenders are great fun. Look for the "chocolate tsunami" if Steve is still on board. He's a true character with a big smile.

 

There are great waiters as you would expect but also a maitre'd they all respect and who also wants you to be happy with your dining experience. The specialty restaurant manager is a beautiful and smart professional - at least for now. She's so good that she will likely be moved to open up more ships as they are refurbished.

 

I have no experience with the current cruise director but I've heard good things about him from other ships.

 

They did a great job of refurbishing the ship without losing all of it's original charm. There are changes to the layout that I don't like about any "new" ship but the crew has retained it's spirit.

 

If I knew what you really wanted to hear about, I might be able to help you.

 

If you are interested in the gym, it's still as tiny and horrible as ever which is the way it is on this class. They did make the door automatic that goes directly to the outside. :)

 

Gina

Edited May 1, 2014 by mommabean

[mommabean]

thank you!! finding ANYTHING is hard about this ship. next time i go on a cruise, it will be freedom or up!!!

 

What's funny is my preference is Voyager class or lower. Radiance and Vision class preferred. Everyone has a choice with all the great classes of ships.

 

Gina

[DAllenTCY]

Great ship, great crew.....the best poolside band at sea "Cool Vibe". I just disembarked on Tuesday.

David

[chellecruise12]

maybe im blind but i havent really seen any good/informative threads about VOS. when you google it, 99% of the info is about the ship pre-drydock makeover.

 

anyone here sail on it? the 8-12th im sailing from fort lauderdale to mexico.

 

anyone have positives/negatives? a big thing is, do they close the pools/jacuzzis after a certain time? on the breeze they 'closed' but no one cared if you used them... on the glory, not only did they close them, they drained them every single night.

 

food good? food late at night? anything that stands out? mini-golf? thanks guys!!

 

Vision just came back to the US this week..Look for more reviews to come I'm sure.. We leave on her May 11..

Edited May 1, 2014 by chellecruise12

[cruisingrobinsons]

My daughter and I are scheduled for Vision at end of May. We have sailed many times but this will be first on RCI so really appreciated all your posts. My husband is soooo jealous (he is teacher) and cannot go on this cruise. We are celebrating her high school graduation and now that she is 18 she wants to gamble. Can't wait for first RCI cruise:p

[vnyislesv]

thanks guys. i have 8 coming on this cruise. 4 or 5 are PARTY PEOPLE 2-3 are conservative and 1 is 13 years old.

 

any late night activities on the cruise? if 1 of the pools is open i'd assume a whirlpool is open too then which is GREAT news.

 

im new to cruising so i cant explain why i LOVED the breeze but absolutely HATED the glory. maybe hated is a bad word but ill say this, if everyone booked the glory again i probably wouldnt go.

 

did i like the breeze cause it was bigger? did i like it cause it was newer? the glory to me seemed dull, dark, small. i really hope royal does small boats better than carnival. im going to keep an open mind and hope for the best!!!

 

any thing people wanna share, please go ahead.

[mommabean]

My daughter and I are scheduled for Vision at end of May. We have sailed many times but this will be first on RCI so really appreciated all your posts. My husband is soooo jealous (he is teacher) and cannot go on this cruise. We are celebrating her high school graduation and now that she is 18 she wants to gamble. Can't wait for first RCI cruise:p

 

One thing about the casino - there is no craps table on this ship.

 

Gina

[vnyislesv]

My daughter and I are scheduled for Vision at end of May. We have sailed many times but this will be first on RCI so really appreciated all your posts. My husband is soooo jealous (he is teacher) and cannot go on this cruise. We are celebrating her high school graduation and now that she is 18 she wants to gamble. Can't wait for first RCI cruise:p

gambling with others money, the best kinda gambling you can do!!!! haha!!!

 

funny/weird story...

 

been at my job around 6 years now you get to know people over time. a few of my regulars and i talk about gambling. 1 guy found out i was going on a cruise, he said, play 23. first night i didnt, played random #s, lost $60. 2nd night played 23 and won $120. i was done.

 

so i came back from the cruise n thanked him!!! cruise in febuary, told him im leaving, he said play the #0. so i had a few (or a lot) of drinks, first spin played 0, 2, 23 and 29. i hit the corner of 23 so i won a little. next spin put $5 on each of them. hit 0. BOOM! next spin hit 23. BOOM! 3rd spin hit 0 AGAIN! 4th spin hit the corner of 23 AGAIN! quickest $400 i ever made. i walked away with the best feeling EVER!!

 

so i hadn't seen him since, he came back in last week and i gave him the awesome news. told him lets go 3 for 3!! what are you feeling this time?? he gave me the info i need and if it works, im going to vegas in sept, im flying him out!!!!

[berylde]

We leave this Saturday on the Vision.

You have great things to say about the crew and staff.

 

Now, that they have changed home ports, do you think the Vision will have the same crew?

[akcruz]

One thing about the casino - there is no craps table on this ship.

 

Gina

 

:eek: DH won't be too happy about this, but maybe I will :D.

 

We too are on the vision for the time in August. Keep the info coming. Read hoopsters and maxsmoms reviews which are what made us book this ship. Will have my then 19 year old along with us. Any updates on things for him to do?

 

For all those sailing the new itineraries please do come back and provide any info you can!!

[mscg2000]

We just sailed on Vision this past week on her repositioning cruise from Panama to Ft. Lauderdale. We had a wonderful time relaxing, eating and generally enjoying ourselves. I'd sailed on Vision many years ago,to Alaska before her refurbishing, and I think the changes they made were great. The Centrum has a very open feel, making the ship seem larger. If you think you'll be bothered because Vision is a small ship, don't worry. There's always plenty to do and the size allows the crew to remember you when they see you: such a pleasure.

 

The cabins: the new bathrooms look awesome. They are very white and clean with bowl-on-top-of-the-counter look for the sink. It looks awesome but isn't really the most functional because it seems to reduce size on the counter top. Also, the water pressure is strong (a good thing) but when you wash your hands the water sprays everywhere due to the shape and positioning of the sink. The showers are now set diagonally, kitty-corner in the bathroom. I like this positioning because it feels larger. The dreaded shower curtain is still there, but attached on one side. There's plenty of cabinet space in the bathroom. The cabin itself seemed a bit ordinary, dark drab blue couch and bed cover. The curtains are very nice, a sheer patterned with a blackout behind it. Lighting seems the same. Fridge still doesn't get cold. Balcony furniture was nice, a mesh fabric that is comfortable. Strangely, my suitcase didn't fit under the bed. Not sure why, but it may have been unique to my room. The storage space is excellent.

 

Food: So important! We ate in Chops one night and it was excellent. I pre-booked it at $25 pp but it was listed as $30 pp if you reserved it on the ship. It was a real bargain but has probably gone up in price as have the other ships. The dining room is the usual 2-story elegance wit no obvious changes. The food selections were as expected. Ours was a short cruise so no lobster but strip steak was offered one night. Breakfast in the dining room was especially good (but the pancakes were a very small portion). Windjamer was thankfully not swamped with people because the cruise was only half full. Most lunches we ate there and the tags identifying each food dish were missing on 90% or more of the offerings. This was annoying as you could not tell if the item was chicken, pork, etc. Staff offered to bring drinks: coffee, lemonade, tea and they were very attentive.

 

Diamond lounge: This is a small lounge, accommodating maybe 35 people mostly ay tables for two, very closely spaced together. The concierge was excellent, helpful and pleasant. He does like to talk a lot, though. Drink service was fantastic, as we could order absolutely any drink we wanted, full bar service. The waiter just disappeared after you ordered, likely to the nearby bar, and brought back whatever you wanted. This was awesome! There were cold and hot munchies: veggies and dip, fried items, cheese. We didn't taste too many of them because dinner was too soon. Breakfast in the lounge was a cold buffet: salmon, cheese, fruit, pastries. The coffee machine makes great lattes and cappuccinos too!

 

Music was, as always, abundant but there were no classical musicians. We missed that but the upbeat music was fine, nothing particularly noteworthy. There is an arial show in the Centrum a couple of times that's pretty cool. We did not attend any shows on this 3-night cruise.

 

The library is still there and it's laid out in a very attractive manner.

 

The pool was open whenever I passed by but I can't guarantee it's open 24/7. There is a new giant screen that mostly played music videos. I found it to be more of a distraction but perhaps if I was watching a movie I might have enjoyed it more.

 

Disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale was efficient but if you are renting a car it's a bit confusing to know where to go. Some of the companies pick you up on a little island outside, across from the exit but there is no signage. There are lines for each company but to explanation as to which line is which. You need to ask the friendly security guard. I'm not commenting on embarkation because we departed from Panama and RCCL is no longer using this port.

 

Overall, it was a great cruise. Ask any questions you have and I'll try to answer.

[jjy1130]

Food: ... Windjamer was thankfully not swamped with people because the cruise was only half full. Most lunches we ate there and the tags identifying each food dish were missing on 90% or more of the offerings.

 

MSCG2000,

 

Which restaurants were open for lunch? Was it just WJ or was the MDR open as well? I have a gluten intolerance so eating at WJ, especially with a lack of tags, is likely a no-go.

[irishgal432]

 

Diamond lounge: This is a small lounge, accommodating maybe 35 people mostly ay tables for two, very closely spaced together. The concierge was excellent, helpful and pleasant. He does like to talk a lot, though. Drink service was fantastic, as we could order absolutely any drink we wanted, full bar service. The waiter just disappeared after you ordered, likely to the nearby bar, and brought back whatever you wanted. This was awesome! There were cold and hot munchies: veggies and dip, fried items, cheese. We didn't taste too many of them because dinner was too soon. Breakfast in the lounge was a cold buffet: salmon, cheese, fruit, pastries. The coffee machine makes great lattes and cappuccinos too!

 

.

 

By "any drink" did you mean Mixed/Specialty Cocktails such as Margaritas, Frozen Daquaris, Mojitos etc.?

[Clarea]

By "any drink" did you mean Mixed/Specialty Cocktails such as Margaritas, Frozen Daquaris, Mojitos etc.?

Drinks in the Diamond Lounge are usually basic maxed drinks, no blender drinks. It's possible to have exceptions to this, but it would be unusual.

[mscg2000]

I know it's so unusual but yes, we had margaritas, pina coladas, drink of the day, absolutely any fancy mixed drink. The waiter just went out to the nearby bar and got it. Awesome!

[irishgal432]

I know it's so unusual but yes, we had margaritas, pina coladas, drink of the day, absolutely any fancy mixed drink. The waiter just went out to the nearby bar and got it. Awesome!

 

Wow:):):):):)

 

I wonder if it was the same in the Concierge Lounge. We have a Grand Suite in July and that would be a treat instead of my boring rum and cokes.:p

[mscg2000]

The main dining room was open every day during our cruise but all our days were ocean days. Generally, the dining room is not open on a port day. By the way, if you are gluten intolerant, the Tutti salad, available for lunch only in the dining room, is a great choice. It's a salad bar but very, very nice.

 

In the Windjammer, the salad items are always a good choice. I too have dietary restrictions and I just avoided most of the hot items. I didn't trust that a crew member would necessarily know ingredients. If you contact RCCL in advance they can be very helpful regarding your restrictions. Also, the dining room waiters are usually very very helpful.

 

Im not sure about port days, but Giovanni's Table (family style Italian) was open for lunch for a fee. But, I don't know what they offer that's gluten free.

[gkbiiii]

I have to say this ship looks great, many nice changes from my Brazilian cruise on her, a few years ago. The staff was nice for the most part and the Grand Suite was outstanding.

 

Now on to the truly sad part: the food in all its forms was horrible, the worst I have encountered in 15 cruises. Chops Grill was a huge disappointment and all the food (main dining room, Windjammer buffet, room service) was horrible. There was use of much corn starch thickener in many dishes. The pastas were over-cooked/under cooked, the sauces were VERY bland, with no flavor. The deserts were bland and unappetizing!

 

The Vision used to have outstanding dining, but sadly no more!!!!