compman9 Posted September 7, 2019 #1 Share Posted September 7, 2019 I have never been on a ship that old - to say it looked every day of its 22 years is an understatement The layout is brilliant - It would be great to see a new smaller ship with a similar design, but good grief this was as tired as any 2 star hotel I have ever stayed in I know RCI own Pullmantur and Tui, but surely this would be too awful to palm off on them 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted September 7, 2019 #2 Share Posted September 7, 2019 We thought she was in great shape inside. Royal generally does a good job keeping up the ships. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compman9 Posted September 7, 2019 Author #3 Share Posted September 7, 2019 29 minutes ago, Host Clarea said: We thought she was in great shape inside. Royal generally does a good job keeping up the ships. I would love an expanded explanation of your view There wasn't a section of the bathroom that was not grotty and worn, the rubber tiles had years of grime, all wooden surfaces were chipped and/or paint worn All fixtures and fittings were beyond normal descriptions of aged - they were literally 22 years old! The light fittings were corroded around the ancient brass colouring - we even had one light fitting where the shaded was so yellowed it actually cast a yellow glow over the room! The vinyl hacking of the bathroom door was peeling away We had two rooms adjacent, so it wasn't an odd example It was clean. Of course it was clean, but your highly positive comment, without detail to explain your view seems alarmingly partisan 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted September 7, 2019 #4 Share Posted September 7, 2019 Maybe we don't notice the same issues as you do, but we would be very happy to cruise on Rhapsody again. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awestover89 Posted September 7, 2019 #5 Share Posted September 7, 2019 36 minutes ago, compman9 said: It was clean. Of course it was clean, but your highly positive comment, without detail to explain your view seems alarmingly partisan Honestly your original was highly negative without detail to explain your view, just that it looked 22 years old and worse than a 2 star hotel (although you did elaborate some in your second post) We've never been on Rhapsody but are booked on her next May, so would look forward to all details, positive and negative 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pstone1 Posted September 7, 2019 #6 Share Posted September 7, 2019 1 hour ago, compman9 said: I would love an expanded explanation of your view There wasn't a section of the bathroom that was not grotty and worn, the rubber tiles had years of grime, all wooden surfaces were chipped and/or paint worn All fixtures and fittings were beyond normal descriptions of aged - they were literally 22 years old! The light fittings were corroded around the ancient brass colouring - we even had one light fitting where the shaded was so yellowed it actually cast a yellow glow over the room! The vinyl hacking of the bathroom door was peeling away We had two rooms adjacent, so it wasn't an odd example It was clean. Of course it was clean, but your highly positive comment, without detail to explain your view seems alarmingly partisan We spent almost the entire month of December on Rhapsody in a JS and were very happy with our cabin and cruises! Neither my husband or I saw anything like you describe. We thought the ship was very well taken care of and had no issues with its' condition. I wish we were sailing on RH again soon! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robandana Posted September 7, 2019 #7 Share Posted September 7, 2019 We also spent 4 weeks aboard the Rhapsody from Venice to Tampa (never actually made it to Tampa....we had to disembark in PC because of a big storm in the Gulf) and we loved her....I must say that we did not spend much time looking for corrosion and chipped wooden surfaces....(I guess if you go looking you can always find flaws...) All and all we found the Rhapsody of the Seas and her crew to be in great shape and also hope to be sailing on her soon... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruiselvr04 Posted September 8, 2019 #8 Share Posted September 8, 2019 We’ve never been on a brand new ship. Every cruise we see the cabin somewhat beat up. How can they not be, in use 365 days a year. Even after refurbishment the drawers stick and wood is chipped here and there. Guess we are just used to that. The bathrooms are however clean. If yours was not that could be due to poor cabin cleaning which would be reflective of the steward. We have seem some really clean cabins and some really dusty dirty ones especially in the corners. All that hat said it has never diminished our enjoyment of the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker19 Posted September 8, 2019 #9 Share Posted September 8, 2019 Thor part deux? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare RCCL Fan Posted September 8, 2019 #10 Share Posted September 8, 2019 We're booked next year... After years of sailing new ships and mega ships, we were super nervous to book Vision of the Seas earlier this year. Not only did we love that old ship, we booked Enchantment which we're going on in a few weeks, and Rhapsody next year. Sure she's old, i expect some things to look bad, but RCI usually does a great job keeping up their ships. Like another poster, i'm eager to read all reviews and see all thoughts, but would be surprised to hear it was so bad. Can you share some photos from your trip? We'd love to see her! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggaZagga17 Posted September 8, 2019 #11 Share Posted September 8, 2019 2 hours ago, RCCL Fan said: We're booked next year... After years of sailing new ships and mega ships, we were super nervous to book Vision of the Seas earlier this year. Not only did we love that old ship, we booked Enchantment which we're going on in a few weeks, and Rhapsody next year. Sure she's old, i expect some things to look bad, but RCI usually does a great job keeping up their ships. Like another poster, i'm eager to read all reviews and see all thoughts, but would be surprised to hear it was so bad. Can you share some photos from your trip? We'd love to see her! We were on Jewel in June for a quick 4 nighter, and having travelled on nothing smaller than Navigator and for that matter avid Oasis class lovers I was a tad anxious on whether Jewel would be my thing - we also had a 9 nighter booked prior to this for this coming October so the 4 nighter was the litmus test so to speak! The ship I thought was very nice, tastefully set up and maximised the space without it seeming cramped. We're not ones for the windjammer, especially on Embarkation day, but it was a breeze and there's supplementary areas in and around the WJ (outside eating/inside but with comfy loungers) which I thought worked well. The staff seemed happier ( sometimes on the bigger ships they appear a lot more - put upon? ) and the food seemed of a better quality in the MDR - again maybe a size v time v numbers of patrons aspect? I know my post is specifically about the Jewel, but I hope it helps and maybe allays any anxiety with regards to cruising on a smaller ship? Happy Cruising Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin can Posted September 8, 2019 #12 Share Posted September 8, 2019 14 hours ago, compman9 said: I know RCI own Pullmantur and Tui, but surely this would be too awful to palm off on them I genuinely didn’t know they owned Tui although I know Splendour Of The Sea ended up at Tui. Tui probably turns over more than the cruise side of the business as they are a massive company here in Europe. You Learn something new every day. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
compman9 Posted September 8, 2019 Author #13 Share Posted September 8, 2019 12 hours ago, robandana said: We also spent 4 weeks aboard the Rhapsody from Venice to Tampa (never actually made it to Tampa....we had to disembark in PC because of a big storm in the Gulf) and we loved her....I must say that we did not spend much time looking for corrosion and chipped wooden surfaces....(I guess if you go looking you can always find flaws...) All and all we found the Rhapsody of the Seas and her crew to be in great shape and also hope to be sailing on her soon... Thank your for your passive aggressive comment - highly typical of social media interaction No one goes to look for flaws - They were completely evident It is a very old ship that has been cared for as best as it could be - Literally everything is dated. Very dated. Worst of all are the shiny arm rests on every single chair on public areas and those rubberised loungers. My goodness, why have they not got rid of these by now? Older people might not notice as much because modern day tastes are completely different, but then you also get highly positive comments from loyalists that bare no relation to facts As I said, I love the layout of the ship. I can fully understand why some would love a modern version of a similar design. I certainly would 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
123funcruiser Posted September 8, 2019 #14 Share Posted September 8, 2019 3 hours ago, Tin can said: I genuinely didn’t know they owned Tui although I know Splendour Of The Sea ended up at Tui. Tui probably turns over more than the cruise side of the business as they are a massive company here in Europe. You Learn something new every day. RCCL does not own TUI. RCCL owns 50% in a Joint venture of TUI Cruises, while the other 50% of TUI Cruises are owned By TUI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
not-enough-cruising Posted September 8, 2019 #15 Share Posted September 8, 2019 13 minutes ago, 123funcruiser said: RCCL does not own TUI. RCCL owns 50% in a Joint venture of TUI Cruises, while the other 50% of TUI Cruises are owned By TUI. you beat me to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nirrakel Posted September 8, 2019 #16 Share Posted September 8, 2019 We sailed on Rhapsody a year ago and I honestly never noticed any problems with Rhapsody looking old or tired and our room was fine! I’m not massively picky but I think I would have noticed any problems! I personally loved Rhapsody, the customer service was probably the best of the ships that I’ve been on (Anthem, Jewel and Rhapsody). To compare her to a 2 star hotel is just crazy and completely unfounded and unfair unless something major has occurred in the last year!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robandana Posted September 8, 2019 #17 Share Posted September 8, 2019 4 hours ago, compman9 said: Thank your for your passive aggressive comment - highly typical of social media interaction No one goes to look for flaws - They were completely evident It is a very old ship that has been cared for as best as it could be - Literally everything is dated. Very dated. Worst of all are the shiny arm rests on every single chair on public areas and those rubberised loungers. My goodness, why have they not got rid of these by now? Older people might not notice as much because modern day tastes are completely different, but then you also get highly positive comments from loyalists that bare no relation to facts As I said, I love the layout of the ship. I can fully understand why some would love a modern version of a similar design. I certainly would Thanks for your outlook on my comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgmn Posted September 8, 2019 #18 Share Posted September 8, 2019 3 hours ago, Nirrakel said: To compare her to a 2 star hotel is just crazy and completely unfounded and unfair unless something major has occurred in the last year!! We sailed on her in June of this year and thought it was a fab cruise. Yes she is an older lady now and maybe a bit knocked around the edges but we loved the cruise. Interesting ports, good entertainment, fab DL and food was pretty good too 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin can Posted September 8, 2019 #19 Share Posted September 8, 2019 4 hours ago, 123funcruiser said: RCCL does not own TUI. RCCL owns 50% in a Joint venture of TUI Cruises, while the other 50% of TUI Cruises are owned By TUI. Thank you for that, I was very surprised at what was initially stated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlashFingers Posted September 8, 2019 #20 Share Posted September 8, 2019 After looking at a virtual tour of one of the mega ships (Independence), I will be quite happy to sail on the smaller ships like Rhapsody and Radiance -- love the solarium -- even though they are older. The huge ship reminded me of going to a shopping mall, you could get lost! Maybe it's because I am in my sixties and appreciate a more relaxed, peaceful environment without lots of crowds. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiggaZagga17 Posted September 8, 2019 #21 Share Posted September 8, 2019 7 minutes ago, FlashFingers said: After looking at a virtual tour of one of the mega ships (Independence), I will be quite happy to sail on the smaller ships like Rhapsody and Radiance -- love the solarium -- even though they are older. The huge ship reminded me of going to a shopping mall, you could get lost! Maybe it's because I am in my sixties and appreciate a more relaxed, peaceful environment without lots of crowds. If you'd expect to get lost on a ship the size of Indy (Freedom Class) then if you were ever to cruise on an Oasis class I'd leave a forwarding address - 🤣😂😁 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyescruiser Posted September 8, 2019 #22 Share Posted September 8, 2019 We sailed on Rhapsody in January and loved it. She is an older style but seemed to me to be in good shape. The crew was outstanding and the food was very good. I would not hesitate to sail on her again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coaster Posted September 8, 2019 #23 Share Posted September 8, 2019 (edited) Booked again on Rhapsody in January. Our third cruise in three years on her. We had a broken drawer that was never fixed after we reported it on our last cruise. Posters are very faded in the hallways. Still love her though. Food was great along with the crew. Glad Royal still has a variety of ships in their fleet. A 22 year old ship is not that old. Just off Empress that is almost 30 years old for a second time and she is still a beauty. Edited September 8, 2019 by coaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish65 Posted September 9, 2019 #24 Share Posted September 9, 2019 (edited) On 9/7/2019 at 2:33 PM, compman9 said: I have never been on a ship that old - to say it looked every day of its 22 years is an understatement The layout is brilliant - It would be great to see a new smaller ship with a similar design, but good grief this was as tired as any 2 star hotel I have ever stayed in I know RCI own Pullmantur and Tui, but surely this would be too awful to palm off on them Thanks for this review, it's a big world, some folks are truly uncomfortable in outdated and/or worn furnishings. Lots of reviews from all ages who love the ship as it is. For me the older surroundings are a reminder of what was (to me) a more gracious era, and I just don't care if things are worn. Nothing wrong with either viewpoint. Mind you if my cabin is grimy, I'll ask nicely for them to fix it. Edited September 9, 2019 by goldfish65 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJDMV Posted September 9, 2019 #25 Share Posted September 9, 2019 It's what you make of it commensurate to your expectations. I think Rhapsody is an excellent ship: happy crew, excellent food and restaurants, great ports - I never heard the word 'no'. Yes there's a bit of wear and tear but so what? My Jag isn't perfect but it's still a Jag!! Enjoy and stop looking for worn furniture and light fittings.🤣 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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