8/20 - 8/25 Empress of the Seas Review (W. Caribbean - Key West & Grand Cayman)

[cawhite]

Just got back from Empress of the Seas....

Pre-Cruise:

 

We flew into Fort Lauderdale from California on 8/19 and took a cab straight over to the Hyatt Pier 66. I got this hotel on Priceline pretty much knowing I would get the Hyatt based on the star level and bid amount. Unfortunately, after having my $80 bid accepted right away, I realized that there was a better deal on the Hyatt’s website. For $103.50 we could have booked directly, received Hyatt “points”, and had breakfast for 4 included, and no PL fee. Oh well, live and learn. The hotel was nice, but not as quite as nice as I had expected after reading some of the Cruise Critic reviews. We stayed in the “non-tower” area. Our room was quite comfortable and it looked out into a canal where a couple of boats were docked. The employees were very friendly so that is always nice. The big disappointment for us was that the pool was closed for renovations while we were there. We were really looking forward to spending time in the pool, as we are not accustomed to the heat and humidity of S. Florida. In fact, the reason for trying to get this hotel on PL was because of the very nice pictures of the pool we had seen. But that’s how life goes sometimes. Anyway, the hotel served its purpose for a one-night stay. The water taxi stops right at the hotel so we used it to travel to dinner that night. In lieu of the pool being closed, the hotel was handing out free water taxi tickets (normally $5 per person) so that guests could ride down to use the pool at their sister hotel, the Radisson Bahia Mar. We didn’t go to the other hotel, but enjoyed the water taxi. While waiting for the taxi, we had appetizers at the Pelican Bar (conch fritters, crab cakes, and hot wings)… all very tasty! We had intended to eat at Charley’s Crab which came highly recommended as the best place for seafood… but we accidentally got off the water taxi too early and ended up at the Beach Place. Since we were still full from appetizers anyway, we just walked around a bit, had some snacks (ice cream, Starbucks, etc.), and walked along the beach and saw the most beautiful yellow moon just above the water line at dusk. We returned to the hotel and slept well that night at the Hyatt. We headed to Port Everglades the next day around noon. The taxi driver from the hotel let us stop at Walgreen’s on the way to pick up some last minute items (canned soda, etc.) for the ship. The embarkation process went smoothly and we were on the ship and eating lunch at the Windjammer Café before we knew it. Ahhh… we were onboard!

The Ship:

We went to our staterooms, 2 ocean view staterooms at the very front and center of the ship on deck #8, directly under the bridge. The cabins were smaller than we had had on our previous Carnival cruise, but they were very nicely appointed… no problem at all for 2 people. We had a safe in the room, but no refrigerator. One of the first things I wanted to check out was the shower, because of all I had heard about the tiny showers. Our shower was small, but useable… and how long are you really in the shower anyway? It was nice having the kids in their own stateroom this time around! We went straight to the dining room and changed our dinner seating to early dining… no problem. The dining room was beautiful, a large story dining room. We took a tour of the ship and were very pleased with how well the ship looked! We had been a little bit anxious about this “older ship”, but as we walked around we realized what a nice ship it was! The Strike up the Band Lounge was decorated in a beautiful red and gold color.

I wasn’t too worried about motion sickness based on comments I had heard with recent Empress cruisers. And that was confirmed at sailing. The seas were as smooth as glass. DH got to know one of the band members during the voyage and he said the seas were the calmest he had seen in the past 3 months. As we were to find out later, a hurricane was soon to be starting up… hence the very calm seas (you know… the calm before the storm!).

The evening entertainment shows (2 Las Vegas style shows with the Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers, a Comedy show, a Magic Show, and a Juggler/Comedian Show) were all quite entertaining. We went to some other evening activities including “the Quest”, which was pretty funny, as well as a Beatles show, a sock hop, etc.. DH saw the Adult Comedy show and said that was good as well.

 

The staff was great and very friendly. The Cruise Director was Ashley Kerr who was fantastic and had loads of energy! When we met her one evening she said that she substitutes as cruise director for those on vacation and that she had been on 15 or 16 of the RCI ships. She really added a lot to the cruise.

 

As far as Adventure Ocean goes, my 14-year-old daughter went the first night and met several friends with whom she spent most of the cruise. She said Adventure Ocean was even better than Camp Carnival, which she had also liked. My 10-year-old son also enjoyed Adventure Ocean.

 

We ate in the dining room every night for dinner, and it was excellent. The service was excellent too. Lobster was served on the last night of the cruise. We ate two breakfasts and one lunch in the dining room, as well… we actually preferred eating there for those meals since we got to meet more people that way. The meals where the family didn’t coordinate well (getting up at different times, etc.) we just went to the Windjammer, which always had a large variety of food. During the afternoon (12 – 5 p.m.) we ate lots of the soft serve frozen yogurt… yummy!

 

Formal night was held after coming back from Key West. It was fun dressing up with the family for dinner and photos (this will take care of our upcoming Christmas card picture as well!).

 

We did not eat at Portofino, but heard from others that it was nice. There was also a Murder Mystery dinner night, but we did not go to that either.

 

We had 2 midnight buffets. One was the chocolate buffet… yummy but very sweet. Get there a few minutes early so you can see everything and not stand in line! They also had Latin influenced buffet by the pool one night that was very good as well.

 

Speaking of pools… the one main pool was tiny and had wall-to-wall people in it at times. On the other side of the main pool (with a gazebo of hot tubs in between) there was a wading pool for smaller kids.

 

The Ports:

 

Key West (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.): DH and I had been to Florida several times, but never to the Keys. Key West was so quaint… we had lots of fun. We chose the Conch Train tour and also did some shopping. It was hot and humid, but not nearly as bad as I had imagined. In the afternoon it started raining, but we were told this is practically a daily event this time of year. I had heard Kino’s Sandals would be closed on Sunday, but I had really wanted a pair of those sandals, so we walked over to check it out. They were open! It turns out they open on Sundays if there is a cruise ship in port. The sandal workers weren’t there so we didn’t get to watch the sandals being made, but a couple of sales people were there. I paid approx. $11 for my new leather sandals!

 

Grand Cayman (7a.m. – 4 p.m.): One thing happened regarding this port that made me not too happy. I had called RCI twice pre-cruise and had asked Customer Service if the 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. port time was “ship time” (eastern time) or “local island time” (central time). Both times I called, they assured me that times in port were ALWAYS “local time”. This was INCORRECT and had an impact on the time for which I scheduled our dive / snorkel trip. We actually got to port 1 hour earlier than expected (6 a.m. local time). Hubby was not too thrilled that I rushed everyone to get up and out early, and then we were there earlier than really necessary. Oh, well. I should have trusted what the good folks on the Cruise Critic boards said instead of what RCI customer service told me!

 

Anyway, the tendering process was very easy and we got right on a tender boat. I didn’t notice that people with RCI excursions got preference, but maybe since we were a small ship with fewer people, it was no problem. After getting to the island, we took a taxi to Sea Grape Beach (Public Beach) and rented a wave runner ($130 per hour / per wave runner) and enjoyed the beach and beautiful turquoise Caribbean waters. From the wave runner you could see to the bottom of the ocean. Later we caught another taxi to Safe Harbor where the dive boat was to depart. The 1st taxi ride was $4 per person to get from the port to the beach… the 2nd taxi (which was probably ¼ the distance of the 1st ride) was $5 per person. But we needed a ride and didn’t feel like arguing. We went with Tom Byrnes who is a Marine Biologist who is originally from the US and runs the Cayman Marine Lab on the island. The boat ride out to the dive spots was fantastic. The water was an unbelievable shade of turquoise and you could see the bottom of the ocean even as the boat was going full speed. We had asked to go to Sting Ray City during the surface interval (time required between dives). We had a great time and the kids LOVED Sting Ray City. My DD said she saw lots more marine life when diving in Cozumel in April, but it was still a wonderful trip.

 

Sea Days:

 

I really prefer the port days, but the 2 sea days were very relaxing. There were plenty of things to do on board.

 

Hurricane Katrina:

 

Well, we were told on the day before returning to Fort Lauderdale / Port Everglades that they were monitoring the activities of Katrina for possible impact to our docking at Port Everglades. I was so exciting thinking about the possibility of an extra day or two at sea (and getting to miss a day of work)! Well, as it turns out they chose to divert the ship to Tampa and dock there early afternoon on the originally scheduled last day of the cruise! So we actually only got a few extra hours, and one extra meal (lunch) on the ship. But they did get to do a few more activities on board because of the extended time, including the Love and Marriage game, which we would not have seen otherwise. The night before getting to Tampa, everyone went crazy trying to get on the handful of computers / handful of outside lines to change their travel arrangements. RCI offered free phone calls and internet service to make their arrangements, but there were many more people than computers / outside lines. Luckily DH brought a laptop and found a couple of hot spots on the ship so we didn’t have to stand in line for to get on the internet. But people really didn’t need to get so excited as RCI took care of everything, providing free hotel stay and transportation in Tampa for all.

 

Disembarkation went fairly smoothly given the fact that the port is normally not open for cruise ships this time of year. Port employees from Port Canaveral were sent over to Tampa to handle the process. We had travel insurance so we decided to grab our own cab, secure a rental car, and book our own reservation at the Tampa airport Marriott. We got over the hotel very quickly. We couldn’t get a flight for 4 people back to California until 5 p.m. the following day so we just decided to just enjoy ourselves until we could get back to California. We had a great 1-1/2 days in Tampa, where we spent some time with friends who live in the area. The 2nd day there, we visited Honeymoon Island State Park, where the beach was full of shells and the ocean was a gorgeous shade of green. There was a place to order burgers and sandwiches and sit under an umbrella and eat lunch overlooking the water. Our flight back to California went smoothly.

 

Well, that’s about it. A fun trip, a great ship… Any questions?

[Minybear]

Thanks for sharing your review. I loved it. Especially your description of Key West and Grand Cayman. We are going on the Enchantment of the Seas through Ft Lauderdale and doing Jamaca and Grand Cayman for 5 nights. I wish we were going to Key West instead of Jamaca. So I can see through your eyes about Key West.

 

Minybear

[kenandlaura06]

Thanks for the review. We are thinking of staying at Pier 66...would you not recommend it? We would be there for our wedding night/first night of honeymoon.

[curlyd]

Just got back from Empress of the Seas....

Pre-Cruise:

 

 

The Ship:

We went to our staterooms, 2 ocean view staterooms at the very front and center of the ship on deck #8, directly under the bridge.

 

 

Thanks for the info - I think we have the same cabin as one of yours - were booked in #8000 and glad to hear it has a safe. Thanks

[firedog001]

cawhite

Wonderful review. Glad to hear the Empress is still keeping up with the newer ships. We have been on her 4 times as the Nordic Empress. We are now cruising on the 17th and 22nd of sept on her. Same cruise as you. I was surprised to read that they now have a Murder Mystery Dinner on board. Do you have any info on this. What night was it. Our cabin is also on 8th deck oceanview.

So nice to have others give a review on their return. Glad you had a wonderful time

Firedog

[cawhite]

Hi Kenandlaura06 - We liked the hotel... especially for the price we paid, and the fact that we were there for so few hours. I hear that the Lago Mar and Marriott Harbor Beach are the best places to stay... but they are more money, of course (especially the Marriott)... that's why we chose this option. If you'd rather spend a little less for your hotel and save more of your $$ for other things on your honeymoon, I'm sure you'll be fine there. There was a honeymoon couple that we talked to and they seemed happy with the hotel. The lobby was nice and the staff was nice. And I'm sure the tower with the cocktail lounge is nice as well, although we didn't see it. I didn't see the pool either since it was closed but the pictures seem nice. Next time we go to Ft. Lauderdale I think we'll either try to get the Marriott Harbor Beach on PL, or else try the Lago Mar, which seemed to really have a nice ambience from what I saw on their website.

 

Curleyd - Yes, we had staterooms #8000 and #8500. We loved them. We found out during the muster drill that the kids (8500) had a different muster station than us (8000) since we were each on a different side of the center line of the ship. That would not have been good during a real emergency! We went out on the small deck right in front of our rooms often and hardly anyone was there (often we were the only ones). The doors say something to the effect of "emergency only" but you can usually twist the securing handles and go out. If the door was locked our steward would open it for us. I believe they locked it at night and during high winds.

 

firedog001 - The Murder Mystery Dinner Theater was from 7 - 10:30 p.m. on Day #3. It was $49.50 per person, and I think it was held in Portofino.

[SUZCRUZ]

Hi Cawhite,

We too were on the Empress sailing. Instead of using our insurance, we opted for the "extended tour" and went with RCCL to their lodging of choice. They took us to the Hyatt, for a very nice stay and meals included. Sounds like you made out and had a nice time until you you all fly out. Our bus to Port Everglades arrived there on Fri, around 2:45. It was like a ghost town, as the port was closed except to those picking up their cars. Gotta say as I said on another post I wrote, RCCL DID A GREAT JOB!

 

The Murder Mystery was enjoyed again, as another dear couple we always cruise with, went to this one on the Empress, we also did it on the Jewel last fall. Little tip, if you do go, DON'T ORDER THE FISH, very dry. The beef is WONDERFUL!

 

We were on cabin 7014, and had a safe. The room was fine for 2 people.Cabin stewart was Roslyn-- THE BEST!

 

We were also on her 3 times when she was the Nordic Empress.

The improvements that have been made are keeping up with the times, and are very nice!

Anyone that is going on her won't be disappointed!

Happy Sailing!

[jules71]

Thanks for your great review! I will be on the Empress in two weeks. She was our first cruise ten years ago and loved her then. Sounds like she is still an awesome ship.

 

PS Please tell me more about the sandals you bought in Key West!

[cawhite]

Suzcruz - Hi there. I read some of your posts pre- and post-cruise. Yes, I had a great time too! I would have been totally happy going with the RCI plan but DH wanted to know ahead of time which hotel we were staying in and didn't want to take a chance (even though I told him they'd all be good hotels). He is a Platinum Marriott Rewards customer, so he knew if we booked the Marriott we could use the concierge lounge (free food and drink all day long), get upgraded, earn points, etc. If we had not had travel insurance we would not have done that! I see you're going on another cruise in November... you are lucky! DH wants to go to Europe for 3 weeks next summer... so no more cruises for us for awhile (although I might be able to convince him to have us do a 7-10 day Med. cruise in the middle of our trip!).

 

Jules 71 - Kino Sandals (I actually said it incorrectly above) is located on Fitzpatrick St... a quick walk from the port. The store was opened in 1966 by Kino, who who fled Cuba after Castro's revolution in the early 60's. He saved up money for 4 years after coming to Florida and then opend the store. The sandals are a tradition in Key West! Sandal makers are there to watch (but not on Sunday).

 

I bought the Lili Sandals.

 

http://www.kinosandal.com/

[NOGINFORME]

My hat goes off to RCCL for the terrific time we had on the Empress. the food was great, lobster the last nite, ice cream by the pool good slots ,only down side was our room 7532 this is so small that you can only get out of bed on one side and there is no room for a table or a chair. Just a hassock. However, the helpfulness of the crewand their constant upbeat attitude made up for the small room Which we were hardly in. The gym was good and the equiptment is excellent.( They could have made the weights lighter). The room stewart and the dining staff were exceptional. the Matred"e was the best. Always smiling and happy . This is the first time a matred'e greated us every night with a smile and a joke. The crew seemed like family.

Then Katrina came along. the port of Fort Lauderdale closed and we traveled to the other part of FLA, Tampa. to debark. We were put up in a nice hotel (Hyatt). Buffet diner was great as well as breakfast. Out bags were taken from the bus at the terminal to our room and the same the next day. We boarded a Grayhound bus and headed for our car in Pt Everglades. Our bags unloaded by RCCL staff .and no tipping accepted. All in all it was an adventure and a grand time kudos to the Captain , The Crew , The emergency staff who left Miami at 4 am to help with the debarkation. I even wone a pittance at the casino. I f you think RCCL is not the best ,it sure is better than the rest. We are going on the Jewel Nov1. Boston to Ft Lauterdale via the caribbean.

[jules71]

Jules 71 - Kino Sandals (I actually said it incorrectly above) is located on Fitzpatrick St... a quick walk from the port. The store was opened in 1966 by Kino, who who fled Cuba after Castro's revolution in the early 60's. He saved up money for 4 years after coming to Florida and then opend the store. The sandals are a tradition in Key West! Sandal makers are there to watch (but not on Sunday).

 

I bought the Lili Sandals.

 

http://www.kinosandal.com/

 

 

Thanks! I will definitely check it out when I am there. Looks like great presents for my teenagers.

[Chris]

Thanks everyone for your words on the Empress :) We are in 7531 sailing 9/26/05 on a girls cruise. Thanks again

Chris

[cruisinmamma]

cawhite are hair dyers available in the rooms? Loved to read your review. We are on the Empress this Sat 9/3 and I was a bit concerned about the room size.

We always get and inside state room figuring that we only shower and sleep there. Sounds like the only disapointment is that hubby won't have his basketball court. Oh well I knew this when we booked.

 

NOGINFORME we are also on the Jewel Nov 1, we have a roll call board that is quite active. I haven't posted much there lately because there are so many people that I can't keep up with whos who.

[jules71]

cawhite--where does the ship dock? I was there five years ago and the dock seemed a long way from the town.

[cawhite]

cruisinmamma - Yes, they have hairdryers in the room. They were located in the top drawer near the vanity.

 

jules71 - In Key West, the ship docks right near Front Street and Greene. Kino's is on the corner of Fitzpatrick and Greene. Just a couple of blocks to Duval St. as well. A 5 min. walk from the ship.

[PaMimi]

Thanks so much for the review. If you go by the ones on cruisecritic.com, I was nearly in a panic over what they had to say. Hey firedog001, we are from PA and will be on the 9/22 sailing, too, cabin 7114. Hope to see you there!