Travel Spies: Part Duex

[ryansmemom]

We boarded the Radisson Seven Seas Navigator on August 24, 2005. This was our first cruise on Radisson Seven Seas Cruises. We have sailed on RCCL five times and HAL nine times. Our most recent HAL cruises have been in HAL’s S level suites and these experiences are what we used for our base line in comparing Radisson to HAL.

 

Both lines have their strong points, and both are viable for the sophisticated cruisers we all are.

 

Were we pampered? Well, since we did not ask to have grapes peeled, or to have the butler rub our feet at the end of the day (come to think of it, why didn't we?) I would not use that word. But service was excellent. Anything we asked the butler for, we got.

 

Embarkation day. Instructions in the docs said to plan to embark at 2:30. Posts on the Radisson board said that lunch will be provided, but only up to 2:30. Darned if we were going to miss lunch. Anyway, we called RSSC and they said that you could start boarding around 12:30. We arrived at the pier at about 12:15. Since ours was the only ship in port that day getting luggage taken care of was efficient. We then went up to the waiting area. Linda was in her wheelchair; I stood around although there were lots of chairs available. Actual embarkation began at about 12:45. We found out later that since we used a platinum AMEX we had our own check in line, but since we were among the first half dozen processed, we went to the first open desk. Ticket and passports surrendered, credit card imprinted- it felt like less than a minute before we were in front of the ubiquitous cameraman for the embarkation picture, up the ramp and onto the Navigator. There were officers to meet us and complimentary champagne was served. Our carry on luggage was taken to the suite, and we were directed to lunch. Since max pax is 490 food is not in industrial warming trays. Smaller quantities of excellent food were elegantly set out on a buffet table. After lunch we explored the ship. Around 2:30 our suite was ready and all of our luggage was waiting for us. We unpacked. There was lots of storage between a walk in closet and drawers in the suite. At about 300 sq ft crowding is noticeable. S suite size is a big plus for HAL. We did not feel crowded at all in the public areas. The three glass elevators going from deck four to deck twelve brought pleasant memories of the RCI Centrum. Two other elevators were available to passengers. Never was an elevator crowded.

 

Since how you feel about ports and excursions are very subjective, I will not comment on them, except to say we liked Bermuda and the ones we booked.

 

On the Radisson board some people have been posting that the ship seemed to be showing its years. We did not find that especially noticeable. The ship was bright and clean. We saw lots of brass and oak. All glass was sparkling. The Teak balconies (or veranda-ettes as I called them) were washed by the room stewardess every day. The upper decks covered with indoor/outdoor carpeting were always clean. The pool area was spotless. Furniture in all public areas looked just fine. A nice feature of the library is the honor system for borrowing books and videotapes. In other words, the shelves were open 24/7. The show lounge was never crowded. Even at 7:30 PM when it seemed that most people were at dinner there was never a wait for a table. We normally eat later but people we met, and wanted to have dinner with, wanted to eat at 7:00. We wanted 8:00, so there was a 7:30 compromise.

 

The bed was very uncomfortable- like sleeping on concrete. Linda was in pain every morning. Unfortunately, it was after five of the seven days, at the AMEX cocktail party, that we were told that there is foam egg crate available (as well as plywood backboards for those for whom concrete is too soft). We called the butler and told him we wanted it on the bed that night. We got it and we slept better. Now we know for next time.

 

The ship was extremely stable... maybe it was the confluence of calm seas and good stabilizers, but you hardly noticed pitch and roll. Vibration, however, was another story. Really noticeable. Really. We were in the show lounge for a lecture, and I thought the hull would buckle. You also saw ripples in the water in drinking glasses in our suite and on the dinner table. It did not interfere with sleep, though.

 

The talent level of the singers and dancers in the cast is superior to HAL. The productions showcase the talent; the strobes, fog machine and computerized spots/gels/gobos are minimal. Opposite with HAL - the thinking there is "if I got the toys, dammit, I'm gonna use them." We heard that the crew show was excellent, but we did not see it.

 

The waiters and housekeepers seemed to be mostly Indian, Pakistani, and Eastern European. All were very pleasant. None of the snootiness of the European Pinnacle "servers" that we ran into in the past. We did not deal much with bar personnel, but they were very pleasant.

 

There were many servers in the dining room at all times. RSSC beats HAL in this regard. As advertised, complementary red and white wine is served with dinner. You get in your suite four bottles of alcohol that we exchanged for Kahlua and Disoronno Amaretto. Brought them, along with the bottle of bubbly from Radisson, home. Soft drinks and beer was also in the suite refrigerator. All soft drinks are free at all bars. Since we do not drink beer, I don't know if that is free-- though I think it is.

 

Two shops on board. The merchandise included items by Tommy Hilfiger, Jay Strongwater, Roberto Coin; to name a few, as well as perfumes and some Radisson logo items. In addition there were the usual sundries and other useful items. They did not sell any of the low-end items such as gold by the inch or $10 items. Emeralds were showcased.

 

No PA announcements! The activities are listed on the daily schedule and if you are interested, you will find them and go. Score one for RSSC.

 

HAL beats RSSC on muster drill. We met in the show lounge, listened to instructions (spoken almost sarcastically) over the PA, then we were told to go, single file, to the life boats...like sending people to tour busses. In case of a disaster do you really think everybody will go, as instructed, to the show lounge and wait to be directed to a lifeboat. RSSC beats HAL with better life jackets. Using clips they are easier to put on.

 

Of course, the photographers were there. Standard pix are taken- embarkation, in the upscale restaurant, with the captain, formal type with a backdrop if you wish, and with the life preserver and/or pirate on the pier at each port. No sales pressure.

 

A small, and when at sea, active casino. I came out ahead- I didn't play.

 

We didn't go to any of the lounges in the evening, so I can't comment on them. We did buy three CDs by the guitar player who was in the lounge during 4:00 - 5:00 P.M. tea. He was very good.

 

Dress code instructions were a major fiasco. Hotel manager admitted it. According to the booklet that came with the docs, it was country club casual every night. According to an insert that came with the docs, and specifically referenced to our cruise by date, it was four nights country club casual and four nights informal (jackets with or without ties for men, cocktail dresses for women). Felt sorry for those who flew in under airline luggage size and weight limits... because on board we were told that it was all country club casual all the time. I schlepped jackets, but we were driven to N.Y. and didn't have to worry about overweight luggage fines. I know that we always over pack, but to have over packed with stuff that we did not have to bring is very annoying. As a result you saw all levels of dress each night- from casual to one gentleman in a white jacket tux- with a fairly large number of men wearing jackets to the dining room each evening.

 

Bathroom in the suite is spectacular. Separate glass enclosed shower. A full size tub (no Jacuzzi though). Lots of shelf space and under counter space. All marble. RSSC Beats HAL.

 

In the suite there is a four-seat couch, two soft chairs and a table. Desk and desk chair. Glass door cabinets over the desk.

 

Even on sea days there were sufficient lounge chairs, both in and out of the sun. Poolside food was varied. Taste is subjective, but I declare HAL the winner in the cheeseburger and fries department.

 

Both ships have specialty restaurants. Dinner at Portofino's on the Navigator does not cost extra. RSSC wins here. But Portofino's is less intimate and much noisier than the Pinnacle. HAL wins in this regard. Subjective, of course, but I thought that the food quality and presentation was about equal.

 

Debarkation went smoothly. Up early, courtesy of U.S. Immigration, breakfast in the suite, short wait in a public area, and our luggage tag color was called. Except for the sadness of a cruise ending, absolutely no complaints with the procedure.

 

The good:

Condition/cleanliness of the ship

No tipping. Period. (You do have the option to make a donation to the crew welfare fund, which goes towards a crew holiday party)

The food.

The number of servers in the dining room.

The waiving of the $15 ship to shore phone fee to anyone making a call to the New Orleans area code after the hurricane hit.

The pleasant friendly staff

No announcements

The desire of all employees to please the guests

Our butler

 

The bad:

Lone electric outlet in bathroom non polarized...can't use American plugs

Computers on board were out of service as often as they were up- and when they were up they connected at dial up speed...s-l-o-w- dial up. But minutes were cheap- $25 for 5 hours. We never did use up all the time; frustration and downtime were the reason. You get what you pay for. HAL wins.

No equivalent to the Neptune lounge.

 

The Tacky:

Artwork on the walls is up for sale

 

Radisson is more expensive than HAL. Is it worth the cost? Of course, again, the answer is subjective. HAL is upscale to the mass-market cruise lines, and RSSC is upscale to HAL. "You pays your money and you takes your choice" Whichever, you win.

 

 

Lou and Linda

[helenp2]

Just got back today from our 7nt cruise to Bermuda. Agree with all of your points, but we must have been on a different ship. The rocking and rolling was unbelieveable. RSSC had to shut down those glass elevators and cancel the shows due to the ships rocking soo much. People were sick all over the place. The shop keeper told me that very few on board even came into the shop due to the fact that they were just too ill to walk around when the ship was moving. I rarely get sea sick, but missed Dinner the first night out of NYC and also one other night. The reception desk ran out of sea sick pills due to the demand from those on board.

 

Like yourself this was our first RSSC and we were anxious to compare to HAL. The beds were just awful and need to be replaced. Thankfully we knew about the egg crates and asked for them that first day. HAL new pillowtop beds are probably the best beds afloat.

 

We found RSSC dinners to be excellent and much better than HAL. If possible the servers would do almost anything to make your dining experience

perfect. However, we prefer HAL's breakfast and lunch for their variety.

 

Overall both lines do an exellent job. BUT, at almost 4x more money I would probably stick with the S Cat. on HAL.

[ryansmemom]

Just got back today from our 7nt cruise to Bermuda. Agree with all of your points, but we must have been on a different ship. The rocking and rolling was unbelieveable. RSSC had to shut down those glass elevators and cancel the shows due to the ships rocking soo much. People were sick all over the place. The shop keeper told me that very few on board even came into the shop due to the fact that they were just too ill to walk around when the ship was moving. I rarely get sea sick, but missed Dinner the first night out of NYC and also one other night. The reception desk ran out of sea sick pills due to the demand from those on board.

 

Like yourself this was our first RSSC and we were anxious to compare to HAL. The beds were just awful and need to be replaced. Thankfully we knew about the egg crates and asked for them that first day. HAL new pillowtop beds are probably the best beds afloat.

 

We found RSSC dinners to be excellent and much better than HAL. If possible the servers would do almost anything to make your dining experience

perfect. However, we prefer HAL's breakfast and lunch for their variety.

 

Overall both lines do an exellent job. BUT, at almost 4x more money I would probably stick with the S Cat. on HAL.

 

 

Oh Helen,,

 

I am so sorry you had such horific weather. :( Our weather could not have been more perfect. I guess it is just the luck of the draw. We fretted over it for weeks, knowing we had taken a risk booking during hurricane season. then with Katrina hitting during our cruise, we just held our breath.

 

We really enjoyed our Radisson cruise and would sail on one of their ships again. Although, I agree, you cannot beat HAL in value for the money. We really enjoy our S suites on HAL ships and will do most of cruises on them unless things change. We will not sail on the larger Vista class ships. We especially liked the smaller size of the Navigator. We will definitly sail on Radisson again. We are in search of another sailing right now. We just need to find the right sailing.

 

Linda :)

[helenp2]

Hi Linda, Welcome Home. Glad to hear you had a great time. We actually had good weather, only rained 1 day. I guess it was that the sea was rough. If you like this size ship I think you would really enjoy HAL's Prinsendam. We sailed her last Christmas on a 16nt Holiday cruise and enjoyed it very much. We would positively sail on Radisson again, but I think we would look for a different ship, possibly the Mariner or Voyager. Also, I would have to find a good price to justify booking with Radisson again. We are booked on the inaugral cruise in Feb of the new Noordam which sails out of NYC and are excited to see their newest addition.

 

Just noticed that we are practically neighbors. How did you get up to NY for your Bermuda cruise. We thought we would use amtrak until they told us no luggage could be taken on board. We ended up driving and parking at the Port Authority, and it was pretty easy. Take care.

[ryansmemom]

Helen

 

Yes we are practcially neighbors. I went to graduate school at West Chester University.

 

We took a limo up to New York. Why we took a limo is a long story that goes all the way back to our honeymoon. Lets just say it's a tradition in our family. We always use a limo for transportation on all of the legs of our trip on our cruises.

 

I am glad you had good weather in Bermuda. We had very calsm seas every day except the last. The seas were a bit rough on that day, a protent of what was to come, I expect. Just dumb luck!

 

I hope you enjoy the Noordam. We are not interested in the larger ships and do not plan on trying the Vista class ships or anything larger. We really enjoyed the size of the Navigator.

 

Welcome home to you, too.

 

Linda

[Jeanne S]

Hi Lou and Linda!

 

Thank you for your review. It was a pleasure you meet you both. We were actually allowed to board the ship at 12noon when embarkation begins for those with visitors who will be having lunch on the ship. We had lunch in Portofino and then later at the pool my Dad had a poolside burger as that service was open all day.

 

Not sure if you were aware but all alcoholic drinks ordered in the restaurants are complimentary.

 

Glad you enjoyed the ship. The Hotel Director said we had the best weather he has seen this sailing season in Bermuda.

 

Jeanne