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Navigator of the Seas 1/6-1/15 Review

Syracruisin

By Syracruisin,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Syracruisin

Syracruisin

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Having gotten back almost a week ago, I wanted to write a review of our cruise and give back to everyone at Cruise Critic for being such a great resource for me (and before I forget anything else). Here goes!

A little background...

Six of us (three couples in our 30s-40s) cruised together on the Navigator out of Miami from January 6-15th. A first-timer, a few people on their second (me) or third cruise, a cruise line sampler with several under her belt, and one Royal Caribbean Diamond member. It was nice to have people to hang out or go to dinner with, but to also be able to break off and do our own things during the day. We did get the Ultimate Drink Package, which I was hesitant about doing beforehand but ended up being glad we did. I'll try to be somewhat brief with this review because not everyone cares what I ate every day, but I do want to include some pictures to show the ship and ports. Overall, we had a great trip and enjoyed almost everything about the ship. Hope you enjoy the review (and, more importantly, your cruise)! Feel free to ask questions.

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Syracruisin

Syracruisin

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Pre-Cruise

We did get off to a bit of a rocky start and almost didn't make it down there the night before because the plane had to be re-de-iced (if that's a term). I definitely recommend when flying to your cruise port to get there the day before. We did get to Miami around 1:00 a.m. Not a fan of MIA and had disappointing experiences arriving and later departing. But I didn't care too much because I was in Miami and about to cruise!

 

We ordered an Uber, and the driver arrived early, which would have been great except that MIA was still unloading and dumping in a pile luggage from the previous DFW flight. The driver was kind enough to wait for us, but then proceeded to chastise us for using "Uber Pool" when carrying luggage. Now, we don't have Uber yet here in Upstate NY, but I've used it in other cities. Uber Pool allows you to travel with other people for a cheaper price per person. We figured other people might be looking for a ride from an airport and didn't mind pooling our trip. But alas, it was just the two of us (the other four in our group had flown to FLL earlier that day). You might figure that a cabbie arriving to an airport to pick up a "pool" of people might show up in something larger than a Corolla to fit said people and their luggage, but I guess it was our fault. Nevertheless, he got us to our hotel - the Holiday Inn Port of Miami. I thought it was a very nice hotel and it's really in a good location. The lobby was nice and our room was huge! Seriously, we could have fit a second king size bed in there. Unfortunately, we had no use for the room at 2:15 a.m., other than for crashing after eating a quick late dinner (animal crackers). Perhaps an airport hotel would have been a better choice with such a late arrival.

 

The next morning, we awoke excited to get to the port. We had completed online checkin to the ship in advance, and our Set Sail pass called for boarding from 11:30-4. If you need any last minute toiletries, there's a CVS one block away from this hotel, and I walked there to buy a beach towel that for some reason I thought I'd need (Spoiler Alert: You can take your ship towel off the ship. Just return it by the end of the day). Oh, well, I guess now I have a souvenir "Miami" towel. Cabs come regularly to the hotel, and it's a $12 ride to the port.

Boarding

We arrived at 11:00, left our bags (mistake I'll get to later) with and tipped the porters a few bucks and saw two more from our group standing in line (they told us the third couple got to sit while waiting to board because of the previously mentioned Diamond status - fancy). Don't get to the port too early; those two got there at 9:00 but boarding didn't start til after 10. I'd heard horror stories about boarding (we weren't in the tent), but I thought the line moved steadily and orderly. Checking in ahead of time on Royal Caribbean's website really speeds things up.

 

We met our group at the pool, and our drink packages had been activated upon boarding, so I tried the drink of the day. It was the Royal Lemonade - lemonade, vodka and sprite. Not the greatest drink in the world. Fortunately, the bars offer drink menus featuring a number of classic (and variations on classic) cocktails. We band at the pool was great and a welcoming introduction. We walked around to the area of the flowrider, mini golf course and basketball court and played basketball while the court was empty until we tired (about five minutes). But having subsisted on airplane pretzels and animal crackers for the past 24 hours, we needed food! Fortunately, the Windjammer was open and had a good selection of burgers, hot dogs, mashed potatoes, sandwich meats, etc. They have a gluten free section (one of our group was gluten free) and vegetarian options as well.

 

Afterward, we walked around the ship promenade. Two Poets is a cool-looking pub with TVs that showed NFL games. We then went to grab our bags. Three of the four were down the hall from our room, but the fourth was not. I was assured that bags were still coming. Two hours later, after the 4:30 muster drill, I checked again. Still missing. Assured again that bags were still coming. The fourth time I checked (OCD and anxiety kicking in), it was 7:45 and our room steward (Kareem) introduced himself. I told him offhanded that I was just waiting on the last bag (which had all of my dress clothes), and he confusedly replied that there were no more bags coming. Ummm....

 

Kareem told me to check with guest services, because sometimes the tags come off, and when they do they bring the bags there. Sure enough, there it was! I went to grab it, and Kareem appeared out of nowhere to say he'd take it up so I wouldn't be late for dinner at 8. He already had our names and room number memorized. Throughout the week, Kareem would prove himself to be an excellent steward (the guy's a ninja I swear) and a good guy.

 

Dinner - Sapphire Dining Room

In what would become a repeating pattern, four of us made it to dinner the first night (the other two were winning in the casino that had come alive once we left Miami). Dinner was slow the first night, and our server acknowledged and apologized for that. The first night is always slow. But the food was good. Tried escargot for the first time, and it tasted like anything else that's covered in cheesy breadcrumbs, but I couldn't get over the fact that I was eating a snail. I thought there was a great variety of rotating menu choices as well as constant options of appetizers (salad, escargot, shrimp cocktail), mains (angus sliders, pasta, chicken), and desserts (creme brulee, sherbet and ice cream).

 

After dinner, the ship seemed deserted and we were exhausted, so we didn't make it to the comedian.

 

Stay tuned for more!

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cruisingcoppertop

cruisingcoppertop

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I can't wait to hear more about your cruise. I am planning a trip on the Navigator in March for my birthday. I am also traveling with 2 other couples. We are booked at the Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Miami (which I have heard mixed reviews on...but hey, we are only there for a 1/2 a day, right!).

 

Were there "van" sized cabs available in Miami? We are planning on taking a cab to the port too, but was hoping there would be a large one so we could all go together.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review! Hope you had a blast!:)

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Newbcruiser1

Newbcruiser1

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Woohoo! Following along as I will be sailing on the Navigator next Saturday!

 

I am an experienced cruiser, especially on RCI, and have been on the Navigator previously.

 

Looking forward to hearing about your cruise - specifically the activities and food if you could comment on them! :-)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Syracruisin

Syracruisin

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Thanks for reading! I'll post more in the morning. I'm trying to slip in things I found to be helpful tips here and there, which are probably already known to regular cruisers but might be helpful to newer ones.

 

MIA had a seemingly steady lineup of cabs (cars and vans) outside of baggage claim. I know the ship has an airport transfer after the cruise; not sure if they offer one on arrival or if it runs as late as we got in. I also believe certain Miami hotels run shuttles to/from the airport.

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rajju077

rajju077

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Woohoo! Following along as I will be sailing on the Navigator next Saturday!

 

I am an experienced cruiser, especially on RCI, and have been on the Navigator previously.

 

Looking forward to hearing about your cruise - specifically the activities and food if you could comment on them! :-)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I am sailing on the same cruise, my first solo cruise.

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Syracruisin

Syracruisin

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One thing I forgot to mention last night. If you have a gluten (or other food allergy) person at your table, you get a bonus of getting to see what's on the next night's dinner menu a day early so the chefs have time to prepare their choices to meet their needs. Also, they sure do try to upsell specialty dining packages. It seemed every day the head waiter was coming to us at dinner or someone was standing outside the Windjammer or Promenade offering deals at one of the restaurants or sushi rolling demonstrations ($), wine tasting demonstrations ($) and anything else that they can get $ from.

 

Anyway, did I mention the ship seemed empty the first day? There was a sign saying it was at capacity, and as the week went on we noticed more and more people onboard. Not sure if everyone just stays in their rooms the first couple days or what.

 

Day 2 - At Sea

 

We ate breakfast in Windjammer. If you don't see seating right away, keep walking to the second set of stations; there seemed to be more availability the further you go, but this depends on what time you hit breakfast. There was a line for at the omelet station, but if you don't mind ham & cheese omelets or just eggs over easy, you can get them readily in the buffet line. A woman was complaining the bacon wasn't cooked (I just shook my head and grabbed a pile as she stood in horror) but it looked like regular bacon to me. If anything, it was a little salty.

 

If you have the ultimate drink package, it includes fresh squeezed juice and specialty coffees. If not, you can get the coffee and juice water and/or milk. That's what I did the first day. Coffee is very hot. I didn't know where the fresh juice was, but learned to just ask the waiters that come by. They have to go get it out at the bar. It does taste better (I love pulp in my OJ), but it's much easier to just grab what's out in the buffet.

 

After breakfast (which four of us made it to - late night in the casino for the last 2 but at least they did win), we went and hung out by the pool for awhile. There were some chairs occupied only by towels, but there were also a number still available. No pool police yet. I get leaving a towel if you're running to grab something to eat or drink, but some people leave them for hours. I don't get that - if you never enjoy being at the pool, why do you need to have the spot right in front of the pool reserved for you? The 12th floor had more availability throughout the week and we usually went to the same spot up there. It can be windier up there and there's a track running around it that people (not us) actually do run on in the morning, so be careful if you're just standing on it. Towel girl was not the most pleasant person on the ship, but I suppose if I had to spend all day handing towels to people who asked for more than the limit, I wouldn't be too excited either. And she did strictly enforce the two per person rule. After all, why do you need more than two towels (unless you're one of the chair hogs trying to reserve a whole roll for your party that isn't at the pool)?

 

It was the anniversary for the two of our party who missed dinner and breakfast, and the Mrs. found us at the pool. She told us her husband was still sleeping off last night. Interestingly, they had an inside promenade cabin, and you can't tell if it's 11pm or 11am in there. We decided to have a little fun and woke him up, telling him it was 11pm and he had slept all day. He was upset and said, "What am I supposed to do now? I might as well go back to sleep til the morning." After fessing up, he joined us in walking around the ship.

 

I'll post more in a few. Got to do some work outside while it's sunny and not snowing here!

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KALCJ1

KALCJ1

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Following...Thank you so much for doing this review!!

 

We board the Navigator on February 17th. There will be 10 of us.:)

 

I purchased the Ultimate Drink Package as well...I'll be anxious to hear what your favorite drinks were and did you have a favorite bar?

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adk0425

adk0425

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We were also on this sailing, had a great time! Did you know that there were two omelet stations in the Windjammer? I don't think many knew this, which was great for those of us who did.

 

Sorry you did not like the escargot, it's one of our favorites and I got is about four nights, my partner, he ordered it everynight, lol.

 

Looks like you had a good cruise so far.

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Newbcruiser1

Newbcruiser1

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I am sailing on the same cruise, my first solo cruise.

 

 

Rajju - interestingly, I usually travel solo but am cruising with family this time! You will love the solo experience - doing what you want, when you want is just the best! My biggest piece of advice - request a large table at set- time dinner (not my time dining!) and when you board on Sunday, go to the dining room to check out your table. If you're not happy, ask to be moved. And if after dinner on the first night you're not happy, also ask to be moved! :) I suffered through my first solo cruise at a table for 4 seated with a group of 3 who didn't show up after the first night. I sat and hoped someone would notice and feel bad and move me, but obviously they didn't! Lesson learned! Be proactive! :)

 

 

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Teeara "Live from...." Rare

Teeara

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Great review so far! Looking forward to hearing more. I'm on NOS in 12 short weeks (4/14 sailing). Thanks for the heads-up on the gluten-free advance dinner notice. I'm gluten-free so it will be nice to see the menu the night before and make my next day plans accordingly.

 

Did your Diamond friends who arrived at 9 a.m. on embarkation day have any problems getting into the port at that time? We were planning on getting there around 9:30, but if I can get there earlier I will certainly do so.

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Syracruisin

Syracruisin

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I did find out there was a second omelet station but too late. I usually just either grabbed the ham & cheese omelets, because they were readily stocking those as they made the "to order" ones, or took the over easy eggs and made my own breakfast sandwiches with bagels (also wicked hot FYI), bacon and cheese.

 

As far as favorite bar? Absolutely we found ours

2ni9y1g.jpg[/img]

KTyZVnJNUgwXD6257

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Syracruisin

Syracruisin

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I did find out there was a second omelet station but too late. I usually just either grabbed the ham & cheese omelets, because they were readily stocking those as they made the "to order" ones, or took the over easy eggs and made my own breakfast sandwiches with bagels (also wicked hot FYI), bacon and cheese.

 

As far as favorite bar? Absolutely we found ours

2ni9y1g.jpg[/img]

KTyZVnJNUgwXD6257

 

2ni9y1g.jpg

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Syracruisin

Syracruisin

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Trying to get the hang of the photo thing, so please bear with me!

 

I thought we'd be hanging out at Two Poets as "our bar" since it had TVs for games, but it ended up being Schooner Bar, on the 4th Floor outside of the casino. The bartenders Ranley ("Release the Kraken!"), Keyi and Christopher were fantastic and a bunch of good guys (get to know your bartenders, especially if you find one you like). The bar had a menu with various takes on classics like Tom Collins (try the Sandy Collins for a more Caribbean feel), Old Fashioned, etc. Drink package includes everything $12 and under, which was most drinks, even Grey Goose or Belvedere for vodka tonics. With beers being around $6, plus the 18% gratuity, we mostly drank cocktails. And Schooner Bar was the location of ship trivia. I wish you could win a trophy to brag about back home like Carnival rather than highlighters and other Royal swag, but we never won (damn you, Chile!) so there is nothing to brag about.

 

We also played Bingo. Two of the girls split wins. Mine did not.

 

Formal Dinner

Day 2 was one of our two formal nights. Most people I saw did dress the part, with men in suits (or at least with ties) and women in dresses. I saw more tuxedos than I had expected. I also saw one guy in shorts, a hat and T-shirt. He did get served in the dining room, but he was the only one who looked like that. There's also a chance to take your picture with the captain in the Promenade (along with free champagne) on the way to the dining room. I thought the food was very good. I neglected to write down what nights served what, but if it was the duck it was decent. Not the best duck I ever had but ok. The lamb chop and prime rib got good reviews from tablemates. Later in the cruise I got lamb shank and thought it was fantastic.

 

The show that night was "Ballroom Fever", a bunch of singing and dancing. It was fun to watch. The featured professional dance couple was fantastic.

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