Looking for NEWS on VOYAGER-Galveston!!!

[petel]

Man, you are just full of information! ..............

 

It may be because we've been on VY a lot in the last year. We sailed the trans-atlantic last year (1); a B2B last Jan/Feb (2&3); a 7 night Italy and the TA Nov/Dec 2008 (4&5); and DW's BD the 25th of Jan will be number 6; and April 5th, 2009 will be number 7. Many of the crew have been on VY for all of our sailings and they are Wonderful ! The guest relations staff, CD staff, and dinning room are all great. Oh, I left out housekeeping, food & beverage, the shoppies, and security. Everyone really enjoys their jobs and they all work so hard to give us a great time. What can I say, I'm just a cheerleader thru and thru and like you I enjoy visiting with them. :D

__________________

[theotherchad]

It may be because we've been on VY a lot in the last year. We sailed the trans-atlantic last year (1); a B2B last Jan/Feb (2&3); a 7 night Italy and the TA Nov/Dec 2008 (4&5); and DW's BD the 25th of Jan will be number 6; and April 5th, 2009 will be number 7. Many of the crew have been on VY for all of our sailings and they are Wonderful ! The guest relations staff, CD staff, and dinning room are all great. Oh, I left out housekeeping, food & beverage, the shoppies, and security. Everyone really enjoys their jobs and they all work so hard to give us a great time. What can I say, I'm just a cheerleader thru and thru and like you I enjoy visiting with them. :D

__________________

 

Sounds like you're honorary crew members by now!

[petel]

Sounds like you're honorary crew members by now!

 

No, we don't do any work ..... but we are very comfortable with the ship and crew. Wish we could spend more time there. :)

[wolfganghowell]

That's because Longhorns are a class act and have a well developed sense of humor.

 

HOOK EM HORNS

 

And now, can we get back to some Voyager. Our fellow cruisers are being a little stingy with the post cruise reporting. :)

[Cindy]

 

And now, can we get back to some Voyager. Our fellow cruisers are being a little stingy with the post cruise reporting. :)

 

I second the vote for some Voyager talk. Obviously, if you look at my avatar I have little to contribute to a football discussion!:o

[Pistol Packin Mama]

That's because Longhorns are a class act and have a well developed sense of humor.

 

HOOK EM HORNS

 

And now, can we get back to some Voyager. Our fellow cruisers are being a little stingy with the post cruise reporting. :)

I agree, been waiting for info since their return. Let us, who are sailing in the next month or so remember that. I'll be on the 8th, can't wait.

[Pistol Packin Mama]

Where are all you returning passengers from last week? We're anxious to hear about the trip.

[baabtx]

Where are all you returning passengers from last week? We're anxious to hear about the trip.

 

 

OK - here you go, I'll give you a condensed version, but needless to say I felt the trip was fantastic (late start and all).

 

Boarding was a complete nightmare due to the late arrival back to port because of fog...each pax was given a $20 obc to compesate for the missing meals. The line did the best they could to turn the ship around as fast as possible and we were off by 10 pm.

 

Eric the cruise director was one of the best on all of my sailings (no offense Kirk Detweiler). He was funny and had a good "down home" accent/feel to him.

 

Attended all of the shows with the exception of the Hughes Brothers. They were all fantastic and I heard the Hughes Brothers were entertaining as well. The comdian on the last night was a scream!

 

Platinum/Diamond and Diamond+ had a brunch on the last sea day (Sat) instead of a cocktail reception. Many of the ships staff sat at an individual table and answered questions, etc. It was OK, but would have rather done the reception instead. The welcome back reception was held in Studio B and was also pretty good, but not as cozy as being in Cleopatras Lair, etc.

 

I found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. If you get the chance to visit the coffee bar, the gals behind the counter are very nice. And make sure you get a drink from Helmuth in the Schooner Bar - once he got to know you, he took care of you. Once again - the staff was very friendly and the activites around the pool were always very lively!

 

The ship did show some wear and tear, but all in all found it to be perfect! In fact for those that were complaining about the "worn carpet"...well I know they were replacing all of the carpet on deck 7 during our cruise and suspect that other floors will be replaced over the next few. The staff was doing their usual pressure washings and paintings. Felt that some of the earlier comments were so nit-picky...

 

Dining room service was excellent (Thanks Dominic and Jose) and the food was pretty good (it's still a crap shoot), but all in all we all found many of the dishes to our liking. DID NOT LIKE THE 5:30 PM Early seating....jeez I felt like I had to eat just because I was there...but due to travelling with older parents is why we chose early...please RCI move it back to 6:00 or later.

 

Casino was lively and active and paid out pretty well for many.

 

Derek was a scream at the Pig & Whistle, I mean a scream..what a blast!

 

No shortage of watching the football games - UT Won! ou - well..poor sooners...

 

Did our own things in port (except Jamaica - which was the Rose Hill Mansion which was just OK). So can't really report on Cayman or Cozumel.

 

The Guest Relations staff was FANTASTIC, they were always accomodating and smiling and laughing (they genuinally seemed to be having a good time).

 

Weather was great with the exception of the last night when we got closer to Galveston...so the pools were crowded...

 

In Short we loved our cruise on the Voyager and will sail her again when we can (we've booked at next cruise).

 

Disembarkation wasn't all that bad... were on the road by 10 am and back home in Austin by 2pm.

 

Cons and Gripes: I wish RCI would ban smoking altogether inside the ship and keep it on deck 4 or 11 starboard or on balcony. The bars were'nt that bad, but it seemed that the casino is the weigh station for people who wanted to smoke that were'nt even gambling - just standing around the casino or watching the gambling. So needless to say I'm sitting here at home with a respiratory infection (started feeling crummy the day after I spent time in the casino) which I can only blame on the smoke and proximity to smoke in the casino. This is the second time this has happened on a Voyager class ship and I'm really tired of feeling like he** after leaving the casino and all the smoke. They did have a non-smoking night and it didn't seem to have an impact on play, so they should roll it out full time. In fact my father who had a bit of respiratory allergies before boarding spent about an hour in the casino and the next day spent over $1400 at the infirmary getting respiratory help (no it wasn't all the casino, but I'm sure it exacerbated the issue). I don't know how many others feel about this, but it's getting really old...(and this from a former smoker - so I don't have anything against peoples right to smoke, just where to smoke).

[baabtx]

Where are all you returning passengers from last week? We're anxious to hear about the trip.

 

As a follow up to my last post - I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have and will check back on the thread.

[gullivertx]

In the bathroom on Voyager, is there one of those little pull-out clotheslines in the shower?

 

Thanks.

[J & G]

As a follow up to my last post - I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have and will check back on the thread.

 

Thanks SO much for taking the time to post your condensed review. We are sailing in 3 weeks and are very excited, despite some previous negative posts from others.

 

We found that there was constant cleaning, painting, polishing, recarpeting, etc. when we cruised last January. When people talk about worn carpet, drapes, etc. it seems to be the luck of the draw. BIL and SIL were in a cabin on our same deck and they got new carpet and bedding while we were cruising. We didn't! And we needed it BADLY! Bed and bedspread were pretty awful....but we didn't let it ruin our cruise.

 

As far as food, I'm glad to hear it is not as bad as some reports. We don't cruise to eat, but we do like the ambiance of the main dining room. We, too, have early dining and I don't like that it is REALLY early! I read that My Time Dining is coming to Voyager on Feb 1 (our sail date), but RCI still says it's not so.....rats!

 

I am really sensitive to smoke, so I guess the casino will not be a destination for me on sea days. Too bad.....I like the cheap slots! I do look forward to Eric and Derek (hey, that's almost poetic) and am glad to hear they are still aboard!

 

Again, thanks for the encouraging post......we can't wait!

[buckanear]

We're home from our stay on the Voyager this last week!

 

Now we're just recovering from working yesterday!

[baabtx]

Thanks SO much for taking the time to post your condensed review. We are sailing in 3 weeks and are very excited, despite some previous negative posts from others.

 

We found that there was constant cleaning, painting, polishing, recarpeting, etc. when we cruised last January. When people talk about worn carpet, drapes, etc. it seems to be the luck of the draw. BIL and SIL were in a cabin on our same deck and they got new carpet and bedding while we were cruising. We didn't! And we needed it BADLY! Bed and bedspread were pretty awful....but we didn't let it ruin our cruise.

 

I am really sensitive to smoke, so I guess the casino will not be a destination for me on sea days. Too bad.....I like the cheap slots! I do look forward to Eric and Derek (hey, that's almost poetic) and am glad to hear they are still aboard!

 

Again, thanks for the encouraging post......we can't wait!

 

Our bed was very comfortable and I didn't hear any complaints from our travelling party as well!

 

Hopefully they will have more than one "non smoking"evening in the Casino or their will be fewer smokers on your cruise (or at least those that don't use the casino as their smoking room)!

 

have fun!

[Rancher Dave]

We're home from our stay on the Voyager this last week!

 

Now we're just recovering from working yesterday!

 

 

Now wait, yesterday couldn't have been nearly as bad as the week before. It was funny when I woke up and didn't see island lights since I knew we would be Port side to the dock...went out onto the balcony and didn't see anything but water and fog. Saw another person looking from their balcony as well.

 

Hopefully I will see you again in a couple weeks in the terminal. Of course that one will be either just me or me and a pal if his wife says he can go. Still finalizing the plans.

[Rancher Dave]

In the bathroom on Voyager, is there one of those little pull-out clotheslines in the shower?

 

Thanks.

 

 

Yes in the JS and above for sure. I believe yes in the other cabins as well just recall the last two cruises best and they were JS and GS. GS had 2 lines in it.

[abpmillsww]

So so so excited reading the last review! Can't wait and I promise to come back and write a review after our cruise.

[crazy 4 cruising]

I second the vote for some Voyager talk. Obviously, if you look at my avatar I have little to contribute to a football discussion!:o

roflmao

That's because Longhorns are a class act and have a well developed sense of humor.

 

HOOK EM HORNS

;)

OK - here you go, I'll give you a condensed version, but needless to say I felt the trip was fantastic (late start and all).

 

.

good job, thanks

[buckanear]

Now wait, yesterday couldn't have been nearly as bad as the week before. It was funny when I woke up and didn't see island lights since I knew we would be Port side to the dock...went out onto the balcony and didn't see anything but water and fog. Saw another person looking from their balcony as well.

 

Hopefully I will see you again in a couple weeks in the terminal. Of course that one will be either just me or me and a pal if his wife says he can go. Still finalizing the plans.

 

LoL, last week was really rough! We went in for work at 8am and we didn't board until 9pm. What makes my job so rough is the walking. We walk about 10 miles a day on the hard floor.

[Pistol Packin Mama]

OK - here you go, I'll give you a condensed version, but needless to say I felt the trip was fantastic (late start and all).

 

Boarding was a complete nightmare due to the late arrival back to port because of fog...each pax was given a $20 obc to compesate for the missing meals. The line did the best they could to turn the ship around as fast as possible and we were off by 10 pm.

 

Eric the cruise director was one of the best on all of my sailings (no offense Kirk Detweiler). He was funny and had a good "down home" accent/feel to him.

 

Attended all of the shows with the exception of the Hughes Brothers. They were all fantastic and I heard the Hughes Brothers were entertaining as well. The comdian on the last night was a scream!

 

Platinum/Diamond and Diamond+ had a brunch on the last sea day (Sat) instead of a cocktail reception. Many of the ships staff sat at an individual table and answered questions, etc. It was OK, but would have rather done the reception instead. The welcome back reception was held in Studio B and was also pretty good, but not as cozy as being in Cleopatras Lair, etc.

 

I found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. If you get the chance to visit the coffee bar, the gals behind the counter are very nice. And make sure you get a drink from Helmuth in the Schooner Bar - once he got to know you, he took care of you. Once again - the staff was very friendly and the activites around the pool were always very lively!

 

The ship did show some wear and tear, but all in all found it to be perfect! In fact for those that were complaining about the "worn carpet"...well I know they were replacing all of the carpet on deck 7 during our cruise and suspect that other floors will be replaced over the next few. The staff was doing their usual pressure washings and paintings. Felt that some of the earlier comments were so nit-picky...

 

Dining room service was excellent (Thanks Dominic and Jose) and the food was pretty good (it's still a crap shoot), but all in all we all found many of the dishes to our liking. DID NOT LIKE THE 5:30 PM Early seating....jeez I felt like I had to eat just because I was there...but due to travelling with older parents is why we chose early...please RCI move it back to 6:00 or later.

 

Casino was lively and active and paid out pretty well for many.

 

Derek was a scream at the Pig & Whistle, I mean a scream..what a blast!

 

No shortage of watching the football games - UT Won! ou - well..poor sooners...

 

Did our own things in port (except Jamaica - which was the Rose Hill Mansion which was just OK). So can't really report on Cayman or Cozumel.

 

The Guest Relations staff was FANTASTIC, they were always accomodating and smiling and laughing (they genuinally seemed to be having a good time).

 

Weather was great with the exception of the last night when we got closer to Galveston...so the pools were crowded...

 

In Short we loved our cruise on the Voyager and will sail her again when we can (we've booked at next cruise).

 

Disembarkation wasn't all that bad... were on the road by 10 am and back home in Austin by 2pm.

 

Cons and Gripes: I wish RCI would ban smoking altogether inside the ship and keep it on deck 4 or 11 starboard or on balcony. The bars were'nt that bad, but it seemed that the casino is the weigh station for people who wanted to smoke that were'nt even gambling - just standing around the casino or watching the gambling. So needless to say I'm sitting here at home with a respiratory infection (started feeling crummy the day after I spent time in the casino) which I can only blame on the smoke and proximity to smoke in the casino. This is the second time this has happened on a Voyager class ship and I'm really tired of feeling like he** after leaving the casino and all the smoke. They did have a non-smoking night and it didn't seem to have an impact on play, so they should roll it out full time. In fact my father who had a bit of respiratory allergies before boarding spent about an hour in the casino and the next day spent over $1400 at the infirmary getting respiratory help (no it wasn't all the casino, but I'm sure it exacerbated the issue). I don't know how many others feel about this, but it's getting really old...(and this from a former smoker - so I don't have anything against peoples right to smoke, just where to smoke).

 

Thanks so much for getting the ball rolling. Appreciate your review. Can't wait till Feb 8th. Thanks again.

[buckanear]

Here's a condensed review from me as well...

 

We had a wonderful time! The ship is in pretty good shape and much of the carpet has been replaced or is now currently being replaced. They were shampooing carpet as well at night. Even the aquariums got a good scrub down.

 

I found the food to be pretty good. Our waitor was awesome and brought us several selections from each course for us to try. We did the wine pairing dinner at Portofino's as well which was phenomenal. We did the WJ a few times which is rare for us. The first night we did dinner there since we were so late to board.

 

Our room steward was adequate. He made the bed and changed the towels. We only saw him and his assistant twice, but they did their job.

 

The staff on board this ship are absolutely amazing. They are by far the sweetest people. The Captain was very warm and personal and very laid back. We chatted a bit when he noticed DH's penguin cufflinks and he told us a story about watching penguins in the wild with night vision goggles.

 

There were lots of activities to do on board. There was never a dull moment. Overall, this was one of the best cruises we've taken. My only squawk is the smoking in the casino. It's not ventilated well enough and like the previous poster said, people came down there just to smoke. I also got a respiratory infection onboard (many people did as well) that was exacerbated by the smoke.

[suewms1]

Baatx---thanks for the great review! Do you happen to know which bars are non-smoking on the Voyager? Champagne bar maybe? Also, I am not familiar with the layout of this ship, so do you have to go through the casino to get to any other important destination on the ship? I hope that sentence makes sense. My sister and I will be cruising on the Voyager departing Feb. 15th, and she is very allergic to smoke, so I think we will need to avoid the casino at all costs. Also will need to find some non-smoking bars to plant ourselves in. Any suggestions?

 

Sue

[sailor moon]

Can someone confirm whether or not Anytime dining will be offered as of Feb 1st?

[falltex]

Game was good. At the end they showed some ou folks crying.

 

Ok, I'm not mean, just believe they were a bit too cocky about how they deserved to be there over Texas...and then they blew the game, were manhandled by Florida, a sad showing for Big12... The look on BS face was priceless, probably trying to figure how to explain his loss. :D

 

Not having been on the Voyager before, but sailed on Rhapsody a couple times, one of our favorite times were at Derek Lewis's show in the Schooner Bar. There was a non-smoking section in that bar where the air was relatively clear. I recall from sailing on the Mariner that the Pig & Whistle was very smokey inside every evening. Did you spend any time in the P&G on the Voyager and if so, how was the cig smoke?

 

BTW, how about that Sooner win over the Longhorns last night! I guess that means Texas will play in the National Championship game come March Madness?

[baabtx]

Baatx---thanks for the great review! Do you happen to know which bars are non-smoking on the Voyager? Champagne bar maybe? Also, I am not familiar with the layout of this ship, so do you have to go through the casino to get to any other important destination on the ship? I hope that sentence makes sense. My sister and I will be cruising on the Voyager departing Feb. 15th, and she is very allergic to smoke, so I think we will need to avoid the casino at all costs. Also will need to find some non-smoking bars to plant ourselves in. Any suggestions?

 

Sue

 

Sue, I think the Pig & Whistle is non-smoking and maybe a couple of the pool bars, but I think I saw people smoking in every other bar (couldn't remember the champagne bar). Since the casino is on deck 4 you will probably need to go through it to get from the theater to the Dining room (if you're on deck 4 dining). Now the smoke in the Casino wasn't as bad during the day and when walking through you didn't get blasted as much as if you were playing games. Thank goodness I didn't play any table games as that would have been worse! But it was bad enough in the slots area, after the first incident I tried to play as far as I could from the smokers (which was not that easy) or played in the largest open area in the casino which was right after you entered near the cashiers stand.

 

I'll check on some of the Compasses and try to get back to you.

[pboedeker]

Sue, I think the Pig & Whistle is non-smoking and maybe a couple of the pool bars, but I think I saw people smoking in every other bar (couldn't remember the champagne bar). Since the casino is on deck 4 you will probably need to go through it to get from the theater to the Dining room (if you're on deck 4 dining). Now the smoke in the Casino wasn't as bad during the day and when walking through you didn't get blasted as much as if you were playing games. Thank goodness I didn't play any table games as that would have been worse! But it was bad enough in the slots area, after the first incident I tried to play as far as I could from the smokers (which was not that easy) or played in the largest open area in the casino which was right after you entered near the cashiers stand.

 

I'll check on some of the Compasses and try to get back to you.

 

 

Pig and Whistle was smoking every night on our Chrismtas cruise! Champagne Bar and some areas of Aqua bar were non-smoking. You can always use Deck 5 to move from Dining room on deck 4 to theater, avoiding the Casino.