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Empress of the Seas - Questions and Confusion

wikoffclan

By wikoffclan,
in Royal Caribbean International

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DiCreek

DiCreek

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I have found very helpful 2016 videos of this ship. The reviews scared me as I too took advantage of the savings before I looked at reviews. The videos put my worry to rest. Can't wait for October, 1 2016 sailing. You may find the videos on You Tube

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FLSteve11

FLSteve11

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I have found very helpful 2016 videos of this ship. The reviews scared me as I too took advantage of the savings before I looked at reviews. The videos put my worry to rest. Can't wait for October, 1 2016 sailing. You may find the videos on You Tube

 

The first few sailings had horrible reviews, there were a lot of issues. I was on the 9/3 sailing and it's mostly cleared up (the A/C is still not great, but only noticed it if sitting in the sun by the window). The officers on board even admitted the first sailings did not go well and they spent a lot time, effort, and money to get it in better shape. I enjoyed my trip, you will have a good time.

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karena1

karena1

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I just got off Empress. First time I ever cruised solo. I had a blast. Ship is small but staff was great. WJ was open late every night for late night snacks and sandwiches although I was never up late enough to check it out

 

I thought the shows were outstanding! Went every night and only one was not to my liking, the rest I totally enjoyed

 

Lots of areas with big comfy chairs/hammocks etc to relax if you don't want to be by the pool.

 

Enjoyed Boleros for a drink each night before the shows.

 

I would not hesitate to go on Empress again, great little ship

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DiCreek

DiCreek

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Hey Michael I do have question... I noticed the actual lawn chairs were the older type with the rubber/plastic strips instead of cushioned or mesh... I also so very few cabana type seats on upper pool deck which I plan on grabbing one every morning...wondering how many they actually have and best located one if you get a chance?

Thank You

Diana

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mpoole3

mpoole3

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Hey Michael I do have question... I noticed the actual lawn chairs were the older type with the rubber/plastic strips instead of cushioned or mesh... I also so very few cabana type seats on upper pool deck which I plan on grabbing one every morning...wondering how many they actually have and best located one if you get a chance?

 

Thank You

 

Diana

 

 

The pool chairs are usually empty until 10am, no need to rush up to the deck on Empress. This is a totally different experience than other ships.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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kccrzr

kccrzr

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If I was to have a FREE cruise for my Casino play, would you not trust my review?

 

In the U.S. if someone receives a free cruise and the company asks that person to post a review or blog about their experience then they have to disclose the fact that they got a free cruise because consumers reading the review or blog have a right to know the reviewer's relationship with the company in order to decide for themselves what weight to give to the review. It is not about any one person or whether that persons review would be exactly the same whether he or she paid for the cruise or got it free.

 

An explanation of the fairly new FTC rule can be found here: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking

 

The rule was enacted because there have been many abuses and "false" endorsements in the past.

 

Even if there is no requirement to disclose the free cruise in response to subsequent questions or other postings (as opposed to the original review or blog the recipient of the cruise was asked to do) - I don't see any reason to be coy or defensive if someone asks whether as a matter of fact a free cruise was given.

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OHCruisinDad

OHCruisinDad

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We're set to sail on Empress of the Seas for a quick get-away on Sept.26, 2016 and I'm having a Very hard time finding any information about Empress. She's not listed on the "See posts about..." at the top of this Board - Royal Caribbean Forum. There are no pictures on cruise line rooms dot com. There are so many cabins available at this late date that the price has gone down twice since I booked at what I thought was a good rate 2 weeks ago. Makes me wonder what's keeping people away.

 

So I have a few questions I hope others can answer:

With the price reductions, I moved us up from an Inside to an F2 for the same rate. It looks like all of the F2's have bunk ("pullman"?) beds which jut out from the wall. Is this the case? With F3's the same price, would you suggest I move to an F3 to avoid this? (The way prices are going I could end up with a suite:-)

 

Are there tables for 2 in the MDR?

 

Are there any alternative food venues in addition to Windjammer and MDR, like Park Cafe or Cafe Promenade, Ben and Jerry's, Johnny Rockets?

 

Any additional info or impressions of Empress of the Seas would be Very welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

We were on the Empress 4 day on the 9/8/16 sailing and had a wonderful time. We were in an F2 and it had the two pullman fold down bunks that we never used. They are kind of in the way if you try to walk along the side of the bed. It's easier to just crawl on the bed to maneuver around.

 

Windjammer and Chops are the only two dining venues. We thought the WJ was more spacious seating wise as we never had a problem getting a table and the ship was reportedly fully booked. There is a specialty coffee bar just inside Boleros and my wife reported that the cappuccinos and lattes were excellent. No lounges but our drinks were on our SeaPass cards plus we had casino VIP stickers for free drinks there.

 

We fond the ship to be in excellent shape with a lot of new carpeting and furnishings in the public spaces. The staff were very friendly and made you feel very welcome. We will definitely sail on Empress again if the opportunity arises and the schedule works out for us.

 

Hi beachgirl!

 

There is so little info on Empress, so many cabins still for sale and so little activity on the boards that it looks we could be sailing half empty! Most of the balconies are still available.

 

Thank you all for your answers to my questions. I did find a whole host of pictures under the "All cruise reviews" section. That brings me to my biggest question - the F2 Ocean View. Following is a picture of what appears to be one. So can anyone tell me - Are all F2's like this with fold-down beds jutting out of the walls? If so, did it bother you? Would you suggest going for an F3 which appear to not have been rated as a 4 person cabin? Thanks for your insight.

 

Your photo of the F2 is exactly the cabin layout we had last weekend. It is small but for four nights we had no problems with it.

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brillohead "Live from...." Rare

brillohead

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You can also pull one nightstand off to the other side and push the bed against the wall, which gives you a bigger walking space on one side of the bed. Michael/mpoole3 did that on this most recent cruise, and it made the room more spacious. Of course, one person needs to crawl across the bed to get in and out, but IMO that's not any different than maneuvering in the tight space on each side.

 

Or if you don't need to snuggle your partner at night, just ask to have the beds separated. With the nightstands in the center and each half of the bed pushed against the wall, the walking area is in the middle and the "jutting" bunk beds aren't taking up valuable airspace.

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tjkatie1014!

tjkatie1014!

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I'm on board now if anyone wants to know anything.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks for all the info you have been giving about the Empress. We are sailing in a few weeks and still deciding on the drink package. Do you happen to know if the coffee at Cafe Royal is included in the drink package? Do they offer any deals on the drink package on board, or is it best to just buy it before hand?

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mpoole3

mpoole3

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Thanks for all the info you have been giving about the Empress. We are sailing in a few weeks and still deciding on the drink package. Do you happen to know if the coffee at Cafe Royal is included in the drink package? Do they offer any deals on the drink package on board, or is it best to just buy it before hand?

 

 

With the new deluxe package the came out with to replace the 3 other packages, coffee is included.

 

Google Empress of the Seas Live Blog

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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RoLoHa

RoLoHa

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Haven't seen this mentioned although maybe it has been in another thread, but today, on Day 7 aboard Empress I found there is a USB port underneath the wall mounted lamp/reading light on either side of the bed. Excellent for phone charging.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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  • 8 months later...
RoLoHa

RoLoHa

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Haven't seen this mentioned although maybe it has been in another thread, but today, on Day 7 aboard Empress I found there is a USB port underneath the wall mounted lamp/reading light on either side of the bed. Excellent for phone charging.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

Just cruised on Empress again and this time in an OV instead of JS cabin and was disappointed to learn that this USB is a suite perk[emoji845]and not on the similar wall lamps in the OV.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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