Just Off Navigator

[al kabel]

We just got off the Navigator and the 8 night Eastern Caribbean cruise. Although our experience was positive, we kept hearing about all the problems our cruisemates were experiencing. ie: bad plumbing, no hot water, dirty facilities, non approachable, non communicative captain. I am interested in feedback from others on that cruise to see if you experienced problems or was it a normal RCL cruise?

[Deptacon]

We had an amazing cruise. The boat was 90% 60+ due to it being the week before a holiday week....and no offense to the more experienced humans on cruise critic, but your crowd tends to complain more....

 

Best Royal cruise so far, we had an amazing time...and our staff were great.

 

I will be posting a lengthy photo review later today

Edited November 23, 2015 by Deptacon

[MrsK]

We were also on this cruise and had a great time. We had a multi-generational group.

 

We sometimes had a faint sewage odor in our hallway and one night the water was off in the middle of the night (they were doing a repair somewhere) but none of that really affected us negatively at all.

 

I agree with Deptacon that there was a very high percentage of older folks on this trip, very few children. Our little guy sure got a lot of attention from passengers and cruise alike! He had a great time.

 

Edited to add: Can't wait to see your pictures Deptacon.

Edited November 23, 2015 by MrsK

[rudeney]

As for the "smells", I have not been on a cruise where there was not in some hallway at some time, an odd smell. It just happens.

 

I also find that you can talk to two different people on the same cruise and two very different opinions. On our Navigator cruise last month, we thought the food was great. We enjoyed every meal from Chops to Giovanni's to the MDR. But we ran into a couple on the elevator who were complaining about it saying it was their last RCCL cruise ever, going back to Carnival, would love to just leave the ship "now", etc.

[Mamacane71]

Was on this cruise. Overall a very wonderful cruise. Everyone friendly and helpful and food choices were plentiful. We are mid 50's.

[MichaelCMTX]

We were on Navigator first week of November before the repositioning and it was our first RCL cruise they specifically addressed the sensitive nature of the vacuum toilet system, and it took 3 or 4 flushes at times to 'empty the bowl'.

 

:eek: Shock/horror for CC - this did not completely ruin our cruise.

 

Hot water. No problem there. Finding the "Sweet spot" between ice blast and scalding hot is always a bit of an issue but I've yet to give up on a shower from it.

 

It wasn't bad, but just the Navigator seems a little frayed around the edges. Not sure when they next go to drydock.

Edited November 24, 2015 by MichaelCMTX

[Clarea]

... Not sure when they next go to drydock.

Next dry dock is years away, they just recently had a dry dock.

[rudeney]

I have to cut the cruise lines some slack when it comes to imperfections and maintenance issues on a ship. These ships are in use 24x7x365 by thousands of passengers and crew. And they are in the harsh environment of the sea. Rust and wood rot is a constant battle. Just keeping the place clean of trash is a major accomplishment - and I will say that we found Navigator to be spotless. There was just no trash or dirtiness that wasn't attended to immediately.

[cincicruisers]

For those just off Navigator..were they offering the drink coupons? I have heard that they were on the Liberty. Also did they do the discount % off drink package based on your level C&A?

[retird]

We were on this cruise as well ( early 60's) and we had a Great cruise. Staff were excellent, food was very good in the MDR Ship was clean , only noticed the normal ship smell. Entertainment was very good as well .

[elaine5]

does anyone remember dining rotation (pimento, portabella, etc.) or even a main dish from a certain night (and I can piece it together). I know formal was night 2 and 7. tx. Elaine

[bouhunter]

non communicative captain.

 

That one is too funny. We could care less how often the Captain "communicates". If someone is paying attention to this they need to get a life and enjoy their vacation.........

 

Oh I missed the part about the Captain being "non-approachable". Really? Leave the Captain to do his/her job they aren't there to be "approachable" to 3000+ people......... Mind boggling that people would consider this an issue.

 

And OP I realize it was others, not you, who apparently found this an issue.

Edited November 25, 2015 by bouhunter

[Brit-Cruiser]

We were on this cruise. Apart from the boarding & lost luggage fiasco, it was fine. We did have an issue with our cabin, but it was resolved quickly and efficiently. Was it our best cruise?...not even close, but it wasn't our worst either. I did overhear a woman who on day 5 was berating one of the guest services staff for compensation for her "loss of enjoyment" of the first day due to the time taken to board. I am amazed that if was the life or death issue she was dressing it up to be, she took 5 days to find her way to guest services to complain about it. All things considered it was good but not great.:)

Edited November 25, 2015 by Brit-Cruiser

[Deptacon]

I no longer attend any official shows on board, I just pull a chair up near guest services and get unlimited free entertainment by the complaints and moanings some passengers throw at the hard working service desk workers.

 

 

+5 points... You won the internet today

[Yorkvillain]

I no longer attend any official shows on board, I just pull a chair up near guest services and get unlimited free entertainment by the complaints and moanings some passengers throw at the hard working service desk workers.

 

Haha! They should have a bar set up at GS so you grab a drink while enjoying this free entertainment.

[bouhunter]

I no longer attend any official shows on board, I just pull a chair up near guest services and get unlimited free entertainment by the complaints and moanings some passengers throw at the hard working service desk workers.

 

I've always said the same for entertainment watching the escapades at a boat launch:D

[notree]

It is amazing that the same cruise can have vastly different levels of enjoyment

Edited November 26, 2015 by notree

[CruizeVirgin]

A group of 4 of us were also on this cruise (40's) and had a great time. Getting on the ship was a headache as they had to sail in employees from up north to help with the registration. The food in the windjammer was the worse I had on any of my 8 cruises. The MDR however was in par with other cruises, having some great and some no so great dishes. The entertainment sucked except for the the comedy and the ice dancing. Other than these, the ship was beautiful and very well kept. There was a daily smell of metal polish but for the sake of keeping the ship beautiful, I did not mind. Our hear waiter and assistant waiter were awesome. We had Maurice from Jamiaca who might be better know as the "balancing waiter" as he would walk around daily balancing trays of juice and coffee on his head. I would sail the NOS again and look forward to my next cruise.

[Paulette3028]

I was on the 6 day Navigator sailing 11/22 to 11/28. I heard the normal complaints....bed too hard, bed too soft. We had 3800 cruisers, a very full house. Staff was just fine and personable....and stretched to their limits considering the # of passengers...which include over 1000 children.

 

We had a GREAT cruise!.

[heartscontent]

We got off Navigator last week and one's experience seemed to depend upon whether or not your cabin was directly affected by the sewage issues. Many of our fellow cruisers were completely unaffected and unaware of any problems. Unfortunately, if your cabin was in a trouble spot, like ours was, the problem was pretty hard to ignore. Yes, cruisers are sometimes chronic complainers, but when sewage is seeping out of someone's shower drain, they have something legitimate to complain about!

[Paulette3028]

We got off Navigator last week and one's experience seemed to depend upon whether or not your cabin was directly affected by the sewage issues. Many of our fellow cruisers were completely unaffected and unaware of any problems. Unfortunately, if your cabin was in a trouble spot, like ours was, the problem was pretty hard to ignore. Yes, cruisers are sometimes chronic complainers, but when sewage is seeping out of someone's shower drain, they have something legitimate to complain about!

 

Every opinion regarding how good or bad a cruise was is directly a result of what that cruiser experiences. We had people cruising with us that had a luggage fiasco (one piece of luggage arrived at cabin on day 2). Another couple due to physical limitations can only go on excursions that can facilitate special needs (so when CocoCay was cancelled and Costa Maya inserted, they had no option to choose from). Another couple who we met were on their first cruise and were unprepared for what a ferry ride to the mainland would be like in choppy seas (I wonder if they would have preferred the excursion to be cancelled -- but the ferry ride was to get to the Mayan Ruins excursion).

 

As a previous poster said, these ships are in use every single day of the year, except every 5 years when they go in for a serious dry dock of 3-4 weeks for extensive maintenance. When plumbing problems happen it can be a real pickle. But the maintenance staff doesn't want it to happen and they want to get it resolved quickly. When we took our All Access Tour, it surely was an eye opener as to how the crew manages to keep these floating cities functioning as they do.

 

I have never had a bad cruise -- there may have been inconveniences that occurred but nothing that could make being at work better than being on the cruise.

[jeawl]

We will be on the 6 nights cruise on Sunday 6th how many formal nights are there?

[Clarea]

We will be on the 6 nights cruise on Sunday 6th how many formal nights are there?

One.