Navigator 6-night full review

[grins88]

We leave on Sunday too! What did the kids wear for dinner? I thought khaki shorts and polo shirts would be ok for them (8 and 10 year old boys) but wondering if I need to bring pants.

 

Well, we only had my daughter, so she just did little sundresses, etc. I personally think nice shorts and a polo would be fine, but then again, that's what my husband wears on casual nights. I love that the MDR is a little more upscale in dress, but I have no problem with nice shorts and polos (it's very Caribbean to me). I know that there are differences in opinions on that, but that's just my thought. I do think the MTD seems to be a bit more laid back, but again, that may only be my own observations.

[Heytray41]

Great Review, thanks so much for sharing! We leave on the Navigator on the 24th of April. Just wondering if you saw or heard if the 10 drink card was available on the cruise or not? I have read where it tends to show up on the 4th day of the cruise and the price varies...

 

Thanks for any info!

Traci

[tink218]

Thank you for your review. My husband and I booked this cruise, last minute for the 24th of April. We are going just to relax and enjoy the ship. We were just on the Celebrity Silhouette 2 weeks ago! Looking forward to our first cruise on the Navigator.

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.

[grins88]

Great Review, thanks so much for sharing! We leave on the Navigator on the 24th of April. Just wondering if you saw or heard if the 10 drink card was available on the cruise or not? I have read where it tends to show up on the 4th day of the cruise and the price varies...

 

Thanks for any info!

Traci

 

I did not see any drink cards, but I really didn't pay close attention since we had the PP. They definitely did not have any signage about the cards in the bars we frequented, though. Have a wonderful time on your trip!

[racerxspeedy]

Thanks for the review. We just checked in for the same cruise today. I will try to keep the compasses for this weeks 6 day Navigator and post them.

[Paulette3028]

We just arrived home last night from our Spring Break trip on Navigator of the Seas, and while things are fresh on my mind, I wanted to post a review. I'm going to forego photos as I know there are loads of them in previous reviews, and I don't know that I really have anything super "fresh" to add to the currently available photos......

 

 

That's a very long review, so if you've stuck in this far and still have questions, feel free to shoot them to me. I'll be happy to help if I can. I didn't bring cruise compasses home, so I may not be able to give specifics from those, but if I can answer anything, I definitely will.

 

Your review was long.....but all contained within your opening post and that I like. We sailed on Nav this past November and enjoyed the shows. We don't go to a show if is is a juggler (seen enough and don't need to see another). Quest is always good, as is the Love and Marriage Game (if you went). We always enjoy the ice show.

 

Who was your Cruise Director and Activity Manager during your sailing?

[racerxspeedy]

Check in was a mess this morning. Many people had to wait until after 12 to start boarding. Just walked in windjammer and we are the first to arrive at just before noon

[racerxspeedy]

Desserts look nice, but not much taste. Coffee has that trademark RC burnt taste. Sorry for hijacking your thread.

[Paulette3028]

Desserts look nice, but not much taste. Coffee has that trademark RC burnt taste. Sorry for hijacking your thread.

 

The sweet I love is their chocolate chip cookies and I have developed a taste for the tiramasu. I have gotten into the habit of asking my waiter in the MDR for chocolate chip cookies for dessert, and they usually bring me 4-6 on a plate and then I take what isn't finished (I am open to sharing with tablemates) back to our cabin as 'for laters'.

 

Since we are Diamonds and have access to the Diamond Lounge all day long, I can get coffee or latte there, which generally is better (not burnt tasting). Early in the morning is the best coffee of the day, I have found in other areas of the ship.

[racerxspeedy]

Coffee in promenade was better than windjammer. Pizza is above average as well. Coffee maker in diamond lounge was off when we boarded. I hope that is not the norm. Will be offline for 6 days- finally

[racerxspeedy]

duplicate

Edited April 10, 2016 by racerxspeedy
Diplicate

[Paulette3028]

Coffee in promenade was better than windjammer. Pizza is above average as well. Coffee maker in diamond lounge was off when we boarded. I hope that is not the norm. Will be offline for 6 days- finally

 

I never eat the pizza on a ship, just too many other things I would rather use my caloric intake on. Have a food fest and enjoy it!

[grins88]

Who was your Cruise Director and Activity Manager during your sailing?

 

Jeff Arpin was the cruise director. I can't recall the Activity Manager's name. Both were good (not necessarily great, but good and entertaining).

 

racerxspeedy - Hijack away! Have a fantastic trip! Sorry boarding was a mess, but hopefully the rest of your trip will be wonderful. I totally agree about the desserts. Coconut ranger cookies are my go-to when not in the dining room. I found that both the orange juice and the coffee were much better in the MDR than Windjammer. Our waiter said it is all the same, but because of the volume in the Windjammer, the juices and coffees get mixed/prepared too quickly and do not get enough water.

Edited April 10, 2016 by grins88

[rocknroll]

Hi . . . haven't cruised on RCCL in over a decade. Can you explain what the MTD is? When I booked, i just asked for early dining . . . which I'm assuming i have dining at 6 p.m. in the main dining room. But, how does MTD work and what makes it appealing? Thanks. Diane

[Clarea]

Hi . . . haven't cruised on RCCL in over a decade. Can you explain what the MTD is? When I booked, i just asked for early dining . . . which I'm assuming i have dining at 6 p.m. in the main dining room. But, how does MTD work and what makes it appealing? Thanks. Diane

MTD has no set dinner times. You can show up when you want, make a reservation for one night, make a standing reservation for all nights, or any combination. Your choice. You have the same menu as traditional dining.

[kvickers]

Great review! Did your daughter participate in the kids club/programs? If so, did she enjoy it? I'm planning a cruise for my family which includes two kids, ages 7 and 10.

 

Thanks

[vegasgirl702]

:) thanks! Fabulous review!

[Soon-To-Sail]

Thanks for the awesome detailed review. We are boarding Sunday for the 6 day cruise and I have a couple questions.

 

1. I am confused about the formal night. I read on the website that formal attire is only required for the formal dining room and not the main dining room but many posts say there is a formal night. We have MTD dining booked for 530. Do the men have to wear a jacket for the formal night?

 

2. I have been wavering on purchasing drink packages or not. What was the cost of drinks at the bar? Can you get a bucket of beer (we had on our last Princess cruise)?

 

Thanks for any advice

[Clarea]

Thanks for the awesome detailed review. We are boarding Sunday for the 6 day cruise and I have a couple questions.

 

1. I am confused about the formal night. I read on the website that formal attire is only required for the formal dining room and not the main dining room but many posts say there is a formal night. We have MTD dining booked for 530. Do the men have to wear a jacket for the formal night?

 

2. I have been wavering on purchasing drink packages or not. What was the cost of drinks at the bar? Can you get a bucket of beer (we had on our last Princess cruise)?

 

Thanks for any advice

You are confusing two different ships. Navigator has only one dining room (three decks worth) and formal night applies to all decks. Royal has a suggested dress that includes jackets for men, but they don't enforce the dress suggestions.

 

Buckets of beer are not available with any beverage package. Only one drink at a time.

[Baileybeau]

We were also on the 4/10 cruise- our second cruise with RCCL. Loved everything about the cruise!

Falmouth-We went to Red Stripe Beach- a ship excursion. For $29 rt per person, 10 min bus ride to the beach.(in my opinion, way over priced) I had read reviews about the entrance to the beach looking like a "prison", and it's true. When you drive through the gates, the ground looks like a swamp, but all of a sudden, in front of you, is a beautiful beach. They have clean bathrooms/changing rooms, burgers/hot dogs,fries etc. are available(reasonably priced),beach chair rentals are $5 each, DJ playing Reggae music, massages are available (I paid $15 for neck, shoulders, back massage, which lasted about 1/2 hour. And... great Rum Runners for $5.

Staff is very pleasant and helpful. Buses going back to the ship come about every 1/2 hour or so. In the end, it was a great and easy beach day. Plan on going back there next year. Bring towels from ship.

 

Grand Cayman- We went to the Royal Palm Resort. Taxis are available at end of pier. Paid $4 per person each way. Entrance fee $2 each, beach chair rental $10 each and umbrella $15. Had lunch at their lovely outdoor restaurant/bar. Cost was about $46 US- for burgers and a few beers.

There's also a pool to enjoy and very clean restrooms/changing rooms.

The beach was spectacular!!!!!!!! When we were ready to leave, taxis were waiting at entrance to take us back to the ship. Bring towels from ship. Look on their website for more info. Again, we would go back there in a heartbeat.

 

The beds are very hard, but we're used to that and it wasn't an issue.

Enjoyed all the shows! Loved that we didn't have to have tickets for the shows and none were over packed with waiting lines. Ice Show was by your muster station.

We would certainly cruise the Navigator again!!!

[cincicruisers]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review.

[Paulette3028]

We were also on the 4/10 cruise- our second cruise with RCCL. Loved everything about the cruise!

!

 

Who was the Activity Manager on board? Was Marvin Wilson still working with the Cruise Director as his assistant?

[trouble1964]

No cruise is ever a BAD cruise, but this was my least favorite of the ones I've gone on.

 

The bed was very hard. I'm used to a sleep number bed. This was more like a Flintstone bed. My fit bit said that I was up 14 times that night, and I believe it. I got sick right after I got in bed (fairly early). I don't know if it was some bad seafood from the spaghetti or what. I was fine the next day (after catching some sleep).

 

We never made it to the ice show and I hated that. Because of the hardness of the bed, I could only get comfortable about 3 hours a night before I had to get up for a while, so I napped when I could.

 

We had the PERFECT cabin. It was nice and quiet on our floor and I love being able to take a couple of steps from the bed to the balcony. Our first cruise was a balcony, so now they ALL have to be ;) We were midship, 6th floor.

 

We did get to do the turtle farm, Hell, and Stingray City. That was my favorite part. I've swam with them before, but those were in captivity. There were a whole lot more of them here but there were just about too many people. You didn't know if you were touched by a stingray or a person!

 

In Jamaica we went to the Bamboo beach club. It was about an hour's drive from the ship. Nice beach with live dancers, beach chairs, lobster tail and typical Jamaican food. Drinks were available free (not sure what kind since I don't drink), but there was also a bar there. There are a few little stands selling things. We bought some of the sauces they used on the chicken they fed us. It was very good and inexpensive.

 

Labadee, we did the adventure boat ride. It's like a rubber dingy with an aluminum bottom. We did this same type of ride in Alaska. It gets a little bumpy, but we got to see a lot of the coast line that you can't see from Labadee. I was really disappointed that Labadee seemed to be like an amusement park instead of a relaxing island. I guess when you have so many people in such a small place, that happens.

 

The game shows were fun, but the rest of the entertainment was not really entertaining so much.

 

Food was great, as always. Service was top of the line as always. I think this would be a great "first" cruise for someone, rather than more experienced cruisers. It just seemed to lack "something" that I just can't quite pin down. There are pros and cons to everything in life.

[Paulette3028]

No cruise is ever a BAD cruise, but this was my least favorite of the ones I've gone on.

 

The bed was very hard. I'm used to a sleep number bed. This was more like a Flintstone bed. My fit bit said that I was up 14 times that night, and I believe it. I got sick right after I got in bed (fairly early). I don't know if it was some bad seafood from the spaghetti or what. I was fine the next day (after catching some sleep).

 

We never made it to the ice show and I hated that. Because of the hardness of the bed, I could only get comfortable about 3 hours a night before I had to get up for a while, so I napped when I could.

 

We had the PERFECT cabin. It was nice and quiet on our floor and I love being able to take a couple of steps from the bed to the balcony. Our first cruise was a balcony, so now they ALL have to be ;) We were midship, 6th floor.

 

We did get to do the turtle farm, Hell, and Stingray City. That was my favorite part. I've swam with them before, but those were in captivity. There were a whole lot more of them here but there were just about too many people. You didn't know if you were touched by a stingray or a person!

 

In Jamaica we went to the Bamboo beach club. It was about an hour's drive from the ship. Nice beach with live dancers, beach chairs, lobster tail and typical Jamaican food. Drinks were available free (not sure what kind since I don't drink), but there was also a bar there. There are a few little stands selling things. We bought some of the sauces they used on the chicken they fed us. It was very good and inexpensive.

 

Labadee, we did the adventure boat ride. It's like a rubber dingy with an aluminum bottom. We did this same type of ride in Alaska. It gets a little bumpy, but we got to see a lot of the coast line that you can't see from Labadee. I was really disappointed that Labadee seemed to be like an amusement park instead of a relaxing island. I guess when you have so many people in such a small place, that happens.

 

The game shows were fun, but the rest of the entertainment was not really entertaining so much.

 

Food was great, as always. Service was top of the line as always. I think this would be a great "first" cruise for someone, rather than more experienced cruisers. It just seemed to lack "something" that I just can't quite pin down. There are pros and cons to everything in life.

 

When exactly did you sail? If you were on most recently did you have Jeff Arpin and Marvin Wilson as your CD and Activity Manager, respectively. Jeff Arpin is very experienced in scheduling activities to keep the cruisers entertained and he has been on Navigator since mid March. Marvin is very dynamic and was due to leave the ship a few weeks ago but often that changes and their contract gets extended.