Just off the Rhapsody

[jwachs]

A couple highlights to share from our trip. Our group consisted of my husband (45), myself (36), and daughter (9) in Room 7572. My mother and her friend (both 60) in Room 7578.

 

This was our first time on Royal Caribbean, previously we have sailed on Carnival. I thought I would share our observations and personal opinions.

 

We loved the ship. The size was perfect for us. By the end of the first day we had a good understanding of the layout of the ship, unlike our previous Carnival cruises where we were still confused by the middle of the cruise. I believe the ease in us learning the layout had to do with how the ship was designed. In addition, we loved the area of the ship where are room was-almost in the middle. My mom's room was only a few doors down from the Centrum and the Library. There was never any noise from these areas.

 

We had read a lot about how uncomfortable the beds were on the Rhapsody. I understand they are getting new beds/mattresses when the ship goes into dry dock. We did not have any problems falling asleep or resting in the beds. They were comfortable! The one minor thing was that our sheets kept pulling off in one corner every night, exposing the mattress. I don't know what was up with that.

 

The service on this cruise was better than on Carnival. Our room steward did a nice job in keeping our room clean. Our head waiter was phenomonal. We have never experienced a head waiter coming to the table every night. The head waiter knew each of our names by the 2nd night. Our waiter did a great job, along with the Assistant Waiter. One thing that was quite noticeable is that our waiters spoke English very clearly and very well. On our Carnival cruises, we've had waitstaff that was very hard to understand. While Thomas, our waiter, was not 'flashy' like previous waiters, we felt he was much more attentive. He ALWAYS had our orders right and took notice of the small things!

 

Both my husband and I felt that the food on Carnival is better. Carnival seems to have more alternatives. Also, the quality of food was better. It's not like the food on the ship is bad, it's just that we felt Carnival's was better. I certainly ate enough! I gained 4 pounds on a 7 day cruise!

 

My daughter felt both children's programs were equal. She did not prefer one over the other. Although, I feel as though the area for the children was much better designed and laid out on this ship than on Carnival. In addition, I feel as though the staff seemed more qualified on Royal Caribbean. With that said, my daughter loved both cruises and their kids programs the same.

 

The bathroom was very small on the Rhapsody. On our Carnival cruise, it was larger, with an actual glass door vs. a plastic shower curtain that seems to want to follow you everywhere.

 

I loved the offerings on the Rhapsody much more than our Carnival cruises. I enjoyed going to the daily Arts and Crafts at 11 am. I enjoyed Quest tremendously (our team came in 3rd). The entertainment was by far better than Carnival. We had a vocal group out of Vegas called Mosaic. They did a GREAT JOB! They played 'music' with only using their voices (as in one man's voice was the bass guitar, another man's voice was the drum). We also watched a great comedian and juggler on the last evening. I laughed so hard I was crying! DEFINITELY the biggest difference between the two was the entertainment. Royal Caribbean is many notches above Carnival! Yes, Derek Lewis got me totally off guard with the Kamikaze Karaoke!!!! AND I SING HORRIBLY!!!

 

The weather on this cruise was pretty dismal. On Monday (1st day at sea) my husband and daughter never made it out of bed until after 8 pm. From Sunday evening until around 7 pm the ship was rocking. I've been on 5 cruises and this was way worse than I've ever experienced. They had 'puke bags' on each of the landings on the stairwells for people to use. The captain stated that we had 12-14 foot waves. He stated that this was fairly normal for this time of year coming out of Galveston. With that being said, I would not go on a cruise out of Galveston at this time of year again. I guess it has to do with winter and cold fronts. But, only God controls the weather so we just accepted it and still found lots to do.

 

The other exciting thing from our week was that my mom's friend fell on Tuesday night and dislocated her shoulder. From what I understand, the doctor took good care of her. She did see a Dr. here at home yesterday. It looks like she will be having surgery. She was wearing heels and it went into a hole where the doors shut (the threshhold of the door where a set pin woudl go to lock the door into place) in the hallway. She proceeded to get her heel stuck in the hole and fall forward from her momentum, thus dislocating her shoulder. I'm surprised more women have not had their heel go into this hole. It is in many of the threshholds throughout the ship! Trust me, I noticed them once I heard what happened to Judy! She was such a good sport with being in so much pain all week.

 

Embarkation and Disembarkation went smoothly. The Meet and Mingle was great (food was good, gift was nice)-too bad soooo many of those that signed up were in bed sick with motion sickness (our Meet and Mingle was on Monday-the BAD sea day!).

 

Yes, the ship was decorated for Christmas. By the end of the week, it looked so beautiful.

 

The ports of call were great-Key West (we went kayaking), Grand Cayman (swimming with the stingrays), and Cozumel (Paradise Beach).

 

Any questions, please post and I'll try to respond as soon as possible.

[lovetexas]

hello- it sounds like you had a very interesting time. I am sorry about the rough seas. Did you or your family take any meds?

We are planning on going on the Rhapsody Aug 12th. I am also worried about rough seas. My child is 7, so I am really glad to hear about the good kids programs.

We will be staying in room 7576, so did you notice this room?

:o

[Cruising89143]

Very nice review. Glad that you enjoyed your first Royal Caribbean cruise. I am now hooked on RCI after cruising with Carnival for many years. Now I only look at RCI for booking future cruises. I feel that there is that much of a difference between the two lines.:)

[jobster71]

I am so looking forward to our Rhapsody cruise. You answered some of my questions. I have only cruised on Carnival myself and I was really wondering about the difference in the service. My husband was skeptical about going with rccl since he really enjoyed the Carnival line. He also does not see why spend more for rccl. I am kind of dissapointed that the food is not better with rccl. I was really looking forward to the food. We live in a small town in Oklahoma, so we don't have very much variety to choose from here. : (

[Son of a Cruiser]

Thanks for the review. Sorry to hear about the rough weather and your friends shoulder, but glad you had a good cruise overall.

 

We are boarding this Sunday and have one question. Which pier in Cozumel did you dock at?

[jwachs]

We are boarding this Sunday and have one question. Which pier in Cozumel did you dock at?

 

We did not dock in Cozumel. We had to tender in. We were disappointed but the tendering went quickly. Unfortunately, a storm blew in for the last 1/2 hour of tendering so those tenders had a rough time getting back and aligned properly to disembark back on to the ship. The tenders were very nice in Cozumel. They had TV's and very comfortable seats.

[jwachs]

hello- it sounds like you had a very interesting time. I am sorry about the rough seas. Did you or your family take any meds?

We will be staying in room 7576, so did you notice this room?

:o

 

Yes, we were taking Meclizine. Generic Dramamine. Next cruise, my husband and daughter will see the doctor beforehand and get the patch to wear behind their ears.

 

YES, we did see Room 7576-it was between my mom's room and our room. Very nice room. Bathroom was immediately when you walk in. Then the bed, and then couch before the balcony. Lots of storage! We were very happy with the amount of storage in our room.

[jwachs]

I am kind of dissapointed that the food is not better with rccl. I was really looking forward to the food. We live in a small town in Oklahoma, so we don't have very much variety to choose from here. : (

 

Jobster71-The food was great on the ship. It wasn't that it was bad, it just seemed that the food on Carnival was just a bit better. Some of my favorites on the ship this past week were: Smoked Pork Chop, Mahi Mahi, Apple Soup, Strawberry Soup, Prime Rib, almost any of the desserts! I'm sure you will enjoy the food :)

 

I think you will find more to do on the ship with their Arts and Crafts, Wine Tasting, Dance Classes, etc...In addition, the entertainment was much better quality than the Carnival cruises we have been on.

[austinlw]

Thanks for your report. My wife and I will be on Rhapsody next week. Hope our weather is better. Any other details or suggestions you can provide would be helpful.

 

We have been on 2 previous cruises - Enchantment out of Ft Lauderdale in May 2000 and Grand Princess out of Galveston in Dec 2004. I liked the staterooms and the casino better on Grand Princess, but I liked the service (especially the dining room staff), public rooms (larger with more big windows and a feeling of openness), and feeling of energy and fun better on Enchantment. Shows and food were about a tie. We are looking forward to another Royal Caribbean trip.

[ranchingal]

hello- it sounds like you had a very interesting time. I am sorry about the rough seas. Did you or your family take any meds?

We are planning on going on the Rhapsody Aug 12th. I am also worried about rough seas. My child is 7, so I am really glad to hear about the good kids programs.

We will be staying in room 7576, so did you notice this room?

:o

 

We too are on the Aug 12 cruise. Group of nine of us. My nephew( 7 yrs) is also coming. He enjoyed the kids program last year, but I think making a friend early in the cruise really makes a difference. Toward the end, he wanted to be there all the time.

The seas last August were like glass. Typically there are calm in the summer, unless there is a hurricaine forming. Our only rough seas were in January on the Rhapsody leaving Cozumel.

[bayou cruiser]

Don't miss the cocktail seminar. It was the great entertainment for $10.

 

And if you're lucky enough to have Mosiac onboard, do not miss it!

[lul113]

Thanks for the review. We will be boarding Jan 21 for a B2B..... 37 days to go!!!

 

Was Becky Thompson still on board as a member of the CD staff?

 

We sailed with her as CD on Brilliance last Jan, she is great.

 

Thanks.

[bayou cruiser]

No, Becky is onboard the Mariner. Abe is the CD on the Rhapsody.

[springtxbill]

Austinlw, come join our Meet & Mingle group for next weeks cruise http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=8544148#post8544148

 

You can still sign up for it until 3 days before the cruise.:)

[caribsun]

Thanks for the review. How was the sailaway, what went on? Is there a electrical outlet in the bathroom. What items where supplied in the bathroom, Soap and Shampoo?:)

[wolfcathorse]

Any questions, please post and I'll try to respond as soon as possible.

 

Kristin - what was your sailing date and did you have Capt Michael or Capt Anders. I'd like to update my Current Captains thread

[Natanni]

Thanks for your review! We have sailed Carnival X2, RCCL X1 (All New Orleans) and Princess (Galveston) X 1. Hubby always prefered Carnival for the food selections also, but we sure never go hungery! We are sailing Rhapsody March 25.

 

We also would like to know if there is soap/shampoo dispenser in shower. Would also like to know what time you boarded? Did you fly or drive? If drive did you stay at a hotel pre cruise? How much time did you have in Key West?

 

The Meclizine didn't work !!! :eek: I always start my meclinzine one day prior to sailing...after a horrid 'bout of sea sickness our very first formal night ever. On the Grandeur in 2004 I remember having to climb uphill to get back into our bed from the balcony because the ship was banked on one side trying to deal with the waves.

[odiesam]

Thanks for the review - we sail in April.

 

Question - it looks like you may have flown in - if so, did you use the RCL shuttles or an alternative private transportation? Did you spend the night before in Galveston?

 

Thanks.

[wolfganghowell]

We were 11/26 and the captain was Captain Michel. Jamaica itinerary you dock in Cozumel at the International Pier. The shampoo is that dispenser kind - combo shampoo conditioner. Not the best quality.

 

OP - glad you enjoyed yourself. Sorry about the weather - we were the week before you and lucked out. Some rain in Jamaica - Only a little cold the last sea day. But I heard the 11/19 people had bad weather most of their week.

[samtig]

We were also on the 12/3 cruise, our 1st RCI. The seas were bad the first 3 days. Have been in much higher seas but didn't last this long. I am prone to motion sickness & began taking bonine the day before the cruise & had no problem. DH who does not get seasick, got seasick on this one. Once he started taking medicine & seas calmed down he was ok. After this was over, we really enjoyed the cruise. The ship was great & very easy to get around. We were in #7568 balcony room. It was a good-sized room with plenty of storage. Only negative was the bed was the most uncomfortable we've ever slept on - very hard & like sleeping on a thin piece of foam on a piece of plywood. Understand they are going to change them soon. The room stewards were great & room was attended every time we left. Couldn't have been better. The food was good but I agree with previous poster that Carnival's as well as the Norw. Sun's is better. Service in the dining room was fantastic. The head waiter came to the table every night, cut the lobster & large shrimp for everyone at the table, etc. Never had this happen before. Our waiter & assistant waiter were wonderful & really helped make dining a great experience. Entertainment was good for this size ship.

 

We enjoyed the ports. Have been to Cozumel & Grand Cayman many times but took this trip mainly because of the Key West stop. Went to Hemingway House, southern most point, & Mallory Square at sunset. Had a great time.

 

Some observations compared to other cruises - We noticed that there were many more windows in public areas on this ship & also many more places to just sit, read, or watch the ocean go by. No lack of somewhere great to lounge. Noticed the passengers on this cruise were a much older crowd than other cruises. This is not a negative as we're in our mid-50's but we felt like some of the younger folks. Much quieter atmosphere. Will definitely sail on RCI again.

[poppajoe]

Don't miss the cocktail seminar. It was the great entertainment for $10.

 

Bayou: I was wondering if you remember the names of the bartenders giving the seminar. Was it by chance George and Leo?

 

Both are "excellent" bartenders and hoping to see them again in April.:D

[jwachs]

Thanks for the review. How was the sailaway, what went on? Is there a electrical outlet in the bathroom. What items where supplied in the bathroom, Soap and Shampoo?:)

 

Yes, I believe there was an electrical outlet in the bathroom, although I am not 100% positive. We used the outlet at our sitting area (dresser). The bathroom included both soap and a dispenser in the shower that contained a shampoo/conditioner combination in one mixture.

[jwachs]

Did you fly or drive? If drive did you stay at a hotel pre cruise? How much time did you have in Key West?

 

 

We flew in from Milwaukee-on a day we had a blizzard (December 1st). Our sailing was December 3rd-December 10th. We rented a car from Enterprise-1 way both ways. We stayed at a hotel near Nasa on Friday night. Our hotel on Saturday night was Quality Inn on Seawall. I would DEFINITELY recommend this hotel. They were at full capacity with Dickens on the Strand occuring that weekend. With that being said, the service was wonderful. Our room was cheaper than what my mom paid at Sunspree(we had our room for about $70/w tax). It was clean and large overlooking the water. Our night's stay also included a deluxe continental breakfast (toast, muffins, bagels, juices, cereal, fruit). YUM!

 

In Key West we docked at 3 pm and were there until midnight. We did the kayaking tour through the cruise line. There were only 11 of us and it was just wonderful. We kayaked (it's EASY!) all over. My husband and daughter used a tandem kayak. I was in my own. Our guide found a sea cucumber and passed it around. She also found a starfish (passed around), a conch (passed around) and a jellyfish (passed around in a net). She was very informative about the wildlife. We kayaked over some areas with a ton of sponges, we kayaked over a stingray swimming. On the way back it was getting very dark and we kayaked through a tunnel of mangroves. It was great. Enjoyed by all ages (daughter 9, mom 60)! After kayaking, we went back to the ship, ate dinner in the dining room, put daughter in kid's program, and hubby and I went to Hogsbreath (a bar) to listen to 2 different live bands outside in downtown Key West. It was great. That would be the night I got sucked into Kamikaze Karoake by having a few in Key West and then not realizing when I got on the ship what Derek Lewis was pulling me into!

[jwachs]

Thanks for the review - we sail in April.

 

Question - it looks like you may have flown in - if so, did you use the RCL shuttles or an alternative private transportation? Did you spend the night before in Galveston?

 

Thanks.

 

We rented from Enterprise. If you are interested, I can find out our totals for each of the rentals. Just let me know and I'll find my receipts at home. See previous post about our night before in Galveston.

 

Also, we went to the Kemah Boardwalk the night before we sailed. Had a great dinner there. Daughter also rode a few rides on the boardwalk.

[jwachs]

We were also on the 12/3 cruise, our 1st RCI. The seas were bad the first 3 days. Some observations compared to other cruises - We noticed that there were many more windows in public areas on this ship & also many more places to just sit, read, or watch the ocean go by. No lack of somewhere great to lounge. Noticed the passengers on this cruise were a much older crowd than other cruises. This is not a negative as we're in our mid-50's but we felt like some of the younger folks. Much quieter atmosphere. Will definitely sail on RCI again.

 

I also agree with you about the head waiter cutting food and stopping by every evening!

 

I also agree about the more windows and public areas. I LOVED the Viking Crown lounge for Arts and Crafts. I loved to sit and just watch the sea go by.

 

The card room was very nice. We brought cribbage and SeQuence to play. They did have Trivial Pursuit, Dominoes, Sorry, and other games in the Card Room.

 

My mom and I enjoyed the library also. They put Sudoko puzzles out every night in the library. They also had some trivia games in the library where you tried to unscramble famous streets, identify where famous landmarks were, etc...The only bad thing about the library is that the Cigar Aficiondos (sp?) was held in there every evening from 9-1. The library always had that cigar/smoke smell (YUCK!).

 

Definitely noticed the passengers were a little older than I expected. I am 36 and definitely felt like I was on the younger age.