Navigator of the Seas Cruise review 4/26/2015

[George C]

Navigator of the Seas Cruise review 4/26/2015

 

 

This was my 58th cruise and 13th RCCL cruise and 2nd cruise on Navigator ( also did last April) both times in a Grand Suite.

We flew in from Dallas to Houston/hobby the night before and stayed at the Doubletree Hobby which is a very nice hotel with a decent restaurant and nice bar/lounge.

Getting on the ship was ok waited about 20 mins to get through security ( arrived at 11:45) and needed to wait till 1pm to access suite, so we went to Chops and got some food from windjammer ( Chops is for suite guests for breakfast and lunch, but cannot order food for lunch on sea days and 1st day, but still nice place to sit since it is not crowded like Windjammer) room was ready at 1pm .

Life boat drill was longer than last year , I prefer other lines that do not force you to wait outside for the drill.

I was highly annoyed when I got a phone call about 5:45 about my luggage being held. I ask why my luggage was held and I wanted a name of idiot who did it, I had a wine opener in luggage, they x-rayed luggage again and gave it to me without opening the bag. They blamed outside security for holding the bag, another person at dinning table had similar problem with shampoo in bag and took concierge down with them to get bag and again it was never checked. I also do not understand what took 6 hours since we checked bag before noon.

We also booked this cruise a year ago and had requested a table for 2 and we were at a table for 8. But this worked out ok since we had a nice time talking to another family that was also on cruise critic, we had a option to change to a table for 2 but decided to keep the table we had. Another couple that was also at same table were in a Royal suite and also from Dallas area , we had a nice conversation and we also went to some shows and specialty restaurants together, they also invited us to the Royal suite for drinks and gave us a tour.

Food

We had 3 dinners in main dinning room, my wife complained the escargot was cold every night and so was entrée, also on second night , she and half the other people in the section were given the menus for the 1st night??, waiters were friendly and w had no problem getting a second glass of wine . We had premium drink package and there was a decent wine by the glass selection in MDR and better selections in all the specialty restaurants. (Bars however had a very limited selection n( other than the wine bar)

 

We had lunch twice in Giovanni's and dinner once, the lunch was the bargain of the cruise we a 4 course meal for 12 dollars with excellent service, had several glasses of wine with each meal, all the restaurants and bars were missing several bottles of wines that were on wine list.

 

Izumi - was good we had dinner there twice

Chops- was my least favorite (again) , we ordered steaks and told the waiter that we wanted no sauce of any kind on the steaks but they had a sauce when delivered

 

Entertainment was excellent we saw 4 of the show 3 very good comedy shows and a very nice singer. Also the piano player at the Schooner bar JR Neal was very good , nice improvement over country singer that was there last year and same went for Guitar player Dallas Cord who played at the Pub

 

Drink Package, we got our moneys worth on this had several glasses of wine at all the dinner and most of the lunch's and they had nice selection of wine my the glass ( even though a few were missing) , for scotch drinkers the bargain was the 18 year old Johnny walker platinum which was only at one bar on 5th floor but package covered the cost of this.

 

Suite life , this was second Grand suite, and we loved the perks, concierge lounge was never crowded on this cruise, preferred seats for ice show without waiting on line and reserved seating next to the pool bar. Breakfast and lunch ( on sea days only ) were great, excellent service in a nice quite room( Chops) with some soft music playing in background ( Sinatra and Dean Martin played each day), Waiter Attila was great. Concierge got us off the ship and we bypassed all the lines and through customs by 9am. Cabin was also nice size with large bathroom with double sinks, only problem was it took a little effort to climb into the tub to take a shower.

 

Shore excursion: We booked tour GCC7 Catamaran Sail and Stingray city . this was one of the worst tours we have taken in my 58 cruises, 1st we were stuffed into a very uncomfortable bus with no leg room ( I am 6' 4") then Catamaran was way over crowded for the amount of people ( approx. 40) and staff on boat was just 3, and one of those was the photographer , when we got to stingray city there was no one supervising getting on and off the boat, I cut/scraped my head getting back on and was bleeding quite a bit, crew had me fill out a report for RCCL about the injury. I was very surprised that no one from RCCL inquired on what happened or how my health was after getting back on board.

[skidrow1950]

Wife and I thoroughly enjoyed our cruise! Only comment I would make regarding your review was that several people that we talked with in the Schooner Bar remarked that piano player, JR was much to loud. We spent a lot of time in the Schooner Bar and that was our only complaint. Server Ayu was incredible!!!

[CCC3]

Thank you for your review! I will be traveling on the Navigator in 25 days! What other ports did you visit? Do you do any excursions on the other two islands?

[gambler]

Thank-you for your review. Was there a drink menu in the bars?

[George C]

Thank you for your review! I will be traveling on the Navigator in 25 days! What other ports did you visit? Do you do any excursions on the other two islands?

 

We also did Falmouth Jamaica, which we just walked around a little and had a drink in Margaretville, we have done Jamaica many, many times . Also Cozumel and did some shopping and had a few drinks also have been here a dozen all more times

[George C]

Thank-you for your review. Was there a drink menu in the bars?

 

Yes they all had drink menus, all the bars are a little different , pub has a huge selection of beer and there also was a nice wine bar. Service was good, it helps to tip a extra dollar or 2.

[Cruisin Dave]

Thank-you for your review. Was there a drink menu in the bars?

 

We sailed the NOS on the 12th. The R Bar has a menu of specialty drinks and so do the other bars.

[Raring to go]

We are just back from an 18 day cruise on the Radiance, and I probably had the escargot 8 or 9 times. It was just barely warm on at least 4 of those times. I had the same problem Navigator earlier this year. I don't know why RCL can't get this appetizer right.

[boxermom711]

Love the R Bar

[bonvoyagebites]

How did you get from Hobby to Galveston? I have a Navigator cruise coming in October and haven't researched that part much yet, but am definitely open to suggestion. Thanks!

[cajuncowgirl13]

Navigator of the Seas Cruise review 4/26/2015

 

 

 

 

 

This was my 58th cruise and 13th RCCL cruise and 2nd cruise on Navigator ( also did last April) both times in a Grand Suite.

 

We flew in from Dallas to Houston/hobby the night before and stayed at the Doubletree Hobby which is a very nice hotel with a decent restaurant and nice bar/lounge.

 

Getting on the ship was ok waited about 20 mins to get through security ( arrived at 11:45) and needed to wait till 1pm to access suite, so we went to Chops and got some food from windjammer ( Chops is for suite guests for breakfast and lunch, but cannot order food for lunch on sea days and 1st day, but still nice place to sit since it is not crowded like Windjammer) room was ready at 1pm .

 

Life boat drill was longer than last year , I prefer other lines that do not force you to wait outside for the drill.

 

I was highly annoyed when I got a phone call about 5:45 about my luggage being held. I ask why my luggage was held and I wanted a name of idiot who did it, I had a wine opener in luggage, they x-rayed luggage again and gave it to me without opening the bag. They blamed outside security for holding the bag, another person at dinning table had similar problem with shampoo in bag and took concierge down with them to get bag and again it was never checked. I also do not understand what took 6 hours since we checked bag before noon.

 

We also booked this cruise a year ago and had requested a table for 2 and we were at a table for 8. But this worked out ok since we had a nice time talking to another family that was also on cruise critic, we had a option to change to a table for 2 but decided to keep the table we had. Another couple that was also at same table were in a Royal suite and also from Dallas area , we had a nice conversation and we also went to some shows and specialty restaurants together, they also invited us to the Royal suite for drinks and gave us a tour.

 

Food

 

We had 3 dinners in main dinning room, my wife complained the escargot was cold every night and so was entrée, also on second night , she and half the other people in the section were given the menus for the 1st night??, waiters were friendly and w had no problem getting a second glass of wine . We had premium drink package and there was a decent wine by the glass selection in MDR and better selections in all the specialty restaurants. (Bars however had a very limited selection n( other than the wine bar)

 

 

 

We had lunch twice in Giovanni's and dinner once, the lunch was the bargain of the cruise we a 4 course meal for 12 dollars with excellent service, had several glasses of wine with each meal, all the restaurants and bars were missing several bottles of wines that were on wine list.

 

 

 

Izumi - was good we had dinner there twice

 

Chops- was my least favorite (again) , we ordered steaks and told the waiter that we wanted no sauce of any kind on the steaks but they had a sauce when delivered

 

 

 

Entertainment was excellent we saw 4 of the show 3 very good comedy shows and a very nice singer. Also the piano player at the Schooner bar JR Neal was very good , nice improvement over country singer that was there last year and same went for Guitar player Dallas Cord who played at the Pub

 

 

 

Drink Package, we got our moneys worth on this had several glasses of wine at all the dinner and most of the lunch's and they had nice selection of wine my the glass ( even though a few were missing) , for scotch drinkers the bargain was the 18 year old Johnny walker platinum which was only at one bar on 5th floor but package covered the cost of this.

 

 

 

Suite life , this was second Grand suite, and we loved the perks, concierge lounge was never crowded on this cruise, preferred seats for ice show without waiting on line and reserved seating next to the pool bar. Breakfast and lunch ( on sea days only ) were great, excellent service in a nice quite room( Chops) with some soft music playing in background ( Sinatra and Dean Martin played each day), Waiter Attila was great. Concierge got us off the ship and we bypassed all the lines and through customs by 9am. Cabin was also nice size with large bathroom with double sinks, only problem was it took a little effort to climb into the tub to take a shower.

 

 

 

Shore excursion: We booked tour GCC7 Catamaran Sail and Stingray city . this was one of the worst tours we have taken in my 58 cruises, 1st we were stuffed into a very uncomfortable bus with no leg room ( I am 6' 4") then Catamaran was way over crowded for the amount of people ( approx. 40) and staff on boat was just 3, and one of those was the photographer , when we got to stingray city there was no one supervising getting on and off the boat, I cut/scraped my head getting back on and was bleeding quite a bit, crew had me fill out a report for RCCL about the injury. I was very surprised that no one from RCCL inquired on what happened or how my health was after getting back on board.

 

 

Did you make a reservation for lunch at Giovanni??

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Clarea]

How did you get from Hobby to Galveston? I have a Navigator cruise coming in October and haven't researched that part much yet, but am definitely open to suggestion. Thanks!

Also check out the Gulf Ports forum for transportation ideas:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=414

[George C]

Did you make a reservation for lunch at Giovanni??

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

We just walked in without reservations for 1st lunch and then made reservations for second lunch before leaving restaurant. Lunch was as good as the dinner and they were both great

[George C]

How did you get from Hobby to Galveston? I have a Navigator cruise coming in October and haven't researched that part much yet, but am definitely open to suggestion. Thanks!

 

We used execucar , had also used them previous year, about 100 each way or 120 with tip, each time they had new town car or SUV

[Cindy]

How did you get from Hobby to Galveston? I have a Navigator cruise coming in October and haven't researched that part much yet, but am definitely open to suggestion. Thanks!

 

You might want to check this link: http://galvestonexpress.com/galveston-taxi-rates-schedule/

 

This is a fairly new company that is getting good early reviews. I'm Facebook Friends with a group of Carnival cruisers, and that's where I found the information. It's about time somebody stepped up in the market, and I hope they're successful.

Edited May 15, 2015 by Cindy

[bonvoyagebites]

Awesome, thanks so much for the great replies. I will look into all of these options and see what I can find.