Western Caribbean Cruise Reviewed by Vince

This cruise completed our wish to cruise on all five of Royal Caribbean International's (RCI) Voyager Class ships. Once labeled the "Eagle" class, Mariner of the Seas Captain Tor Isak Olsen informed us that they are now referred to as the Voyager ships. These innovative ships, include the Voyager, Explorer, Adventure, Navigator and the newest, the Mariner of the Seas, launched in November 2003. They are both the ultimate in technology and interior design: These two features combine to give cruisers "a vacation like no other on earth!" Where else at sea can a cruiser rock climb, ice skate, golf, in line skate, play basket ball or volley ball, swim, go to a Las Vegas style show, and then stroll down a Euro style promenade, enjoying a coffee or a glass of wine at a sidewalk cafe --- all in one day, without leaving the ship? All of this is possible on the Voyager class ships.

The many balconied staterooms on board provide views of the seas and the skies that are incredible. This trip we saw a delicate crescent moon accompanied by the brightest object in the dark sky: Jupiter. Sunrise on Day 3 was a spectacular combination of pink stratus clouds interspersed with an intense baby blue sky. The rising red sun changed into a golden ball and then into a blinding white sun all in a matter of minutes. Just an ordinary beginning to another day at sea!

Leading up to this trip we were a bit apprehensive since the first port of call was in Haiti and rebels had been rampaging in the north of this island and were heading toward Port au Prince. The first notice we received on board was that Labadee, Haiti had ben replaced with Nassau Bahamas. RCI, true to its reputation, places the health and safety of its passengers above all. Another instance of this attitude was when high seas prompted Captain Olsen to skip Georgetown, Grand Caymans since tendering was unsafe.

EMBARKATION
Port Canaveral, FL has grown over the past three years and now includes a covered parking garage (not like the open field parking we used in 2000, with a warning at that time to remove all food from the vehicle in order to avoid sugar or fire ant infestation). Baggage drop off was slow, since the luggage was separated by deck with the expectation that this speeds delivery to staterooms. With over 4,000 people on board the logistics are tremendous. We arrived on the pier at noon and boarded by 12:30 pm. There was assistance with the wheelchair, and we saw friendly faces all around. After leaving our carry on luggage in our stateroom, we proceeded to the Windjammer Cafe` for the buffet lunch. There was a gigantic fresh fruit display that was so beautifully arranged that no one would disturb it, but a crew member repeatedly asked the passengers to help themselves, which we did.

SHIP
Captain Olsen states that, "When we build several ships that look alike, the decor contributes to the vessel's identity. All the ships are beautiful; they each have their own theme and personality (p. 106 Vision of Art, 2000). This is instantly apparent to passengers: the colors, art work and names of the various theaters, lounges and Casinos lend atmosphere which expresses the "soul" of each individual ship. And, so it is with the Mariner of the Seas. Sigurd Skaugen was the owner of the Norwegian shipping company that joined with the Anders Wilhelmsen Company, along with the US based Larsen Shipping Company to form RCI in 1968. Mr. Skaugen believed that the soul of new ships is created through the use of "innovative fantasy" (p. 19). RCI built its first ship, the Song of Norway, specifically for cruising and she was an instant success.

Now having cruised on all of the Voyager class ships, for us it was easy to find our way around the Mariner, but it was not as complete a de ja vu as could be expected. These sister ships, even though they all look the same on the outside and have been constructed with the same deck plans, they are so interestingly different in interior decoration and art work that the fun comes with discerning the various differences among them.

The ship's vital statistics are a gross tonnage of 138,000; her length is 1,020 ft.; beam of 157.5 ft.; draft of only 29 ft., and a top speed of 22 knots. Passenger capacity is 3,114 and a crew of 1,180. This cruise the Mariner sailed fully booked.

Deck 2 forward has the Screening Room and the Conference Center and Category I outside staterooms.

Deck 3 forward has the Savoy Theatre, a classically simple decor of teal blue, maroon, black and gold with a striking curtain displaying a line of eight dancing couples in formal attire. Very dramatic. With only six columns, virtually all seats have an excellent view of the stage.

Toward midship is the entrance to the Dragon's Lair Disco guarded by two stone dragons and fiery wall sconces. Leaded stain glass windows depicting maidens defeating dragons, gothic arches and a vaulted ceiling held up by gargoyles and the many accouterments of knighthood like shields, crossed swords and halberds all contribute to a chivalric atmosphere and days of yore. Two Larger than life size paintings by Simon and Sally Dray (England) depict "The Amorous Maid" and "The Lovelorn Knight."

Midship is Studio B Entertainment Complex where fantastic live ice shows take place. Next is the Photo Gallery with great pictures of Hollywood icons: Douglas Kirkland's photos include Jack Nicholson with a lighted match (1975); Ann Margret on a Harley motorcycle (1969); and Orson Welles (1983). Some other intriguing photos were Drew Barrymore in boxing gloves and wearing Everlast shorts, by Seliger (1993) and Julia Roberts by Sante D'Orazio (1997).

Aft is the main floor of the "Rhapsody in Blue" Dining Room. The entrance way dramatically faces the triple tier staircase: There is a bronze statue of a dancing couple from "The Sound of Music" Maria (Julie Andrews) and Von Trapp. The three deck dining room is opulent (more later).

Deck 4 forward is the balcony of the Savoy Theatre. Next is the Schooner Bar with its by now familiar pungent odor of creosote on the ropes. Here are also found the familiar Ebbings's collages (textiles, ceramics and ropes), shaped like huge portholes. There is a model of the schooner Boston and seven naval paintings portraying the Schooner Era by Harald E. Nissen (Norway, 1950). We particularly enjoyed the large haunting portrait of what seemed like a prow figurehead of a beautiful blond lady in a sea blue billowing gown.

There is also much wonderful art to be seen in the stair wells. This stairwell had some whimsical work like Hanne Tyrmi's (Norway) aluminum kitchen objects, and Studio Sem, Silvina Spravkin's (Italy) "A Hard Night's Sleep" pillows of marble, and "Almost Clean" marble sheets and washboard.

Midship is the Casino Royale with a State Fair theme mural by (Zsiba & Smolver) and flanking the entrance are posters featuring a Carnival Strongman, a Prize Bull, a Dancing Girl, and a Cowboy and a Cawgirl. This is a large casino with many venues and games of chance. Walk aft and you will find the bottom of the Centrum and Boleros Bar with its many fantastic, enormous blown glass flowers. The staircase here leads to decks 4 and 5. It is all glass and birch wood balustrades (light and airy). The chairs and sofas are colorful prints recalling Picasso and the 1960s.

All the way aft is the middle tier of the dining room, "Top Hat & Tails." The entrance to this lovely room has two displays of formal wear reminiscent of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astare: a white waltz gown and a black formal tails. The chairs are extremely comfortable with arms. There is a central crystal chandelier of monumental proportions, and it is complemented by many semicircular ones on every level. The mahogany wood on the balconies adds beauty to this area.

Deck 5 forward has the low ceiling, intimate "Lotus Lounge" decorated with statues of Chinese Ladies with folded arms and red lacquered columns with gilded ginkgo leaves. This room was used for the Crown & Anchor Society and the Captain's Receptions. Next to the exit is the Connoisseur Club (fine cigars and liquors). It is filled with beautiful dark leather couches and chairs and the scent of fine cigars. Here we met with Environmental Officer Peter Roy, who spoke about RCI's Ocean Fund and Compliance & Audit Programs. This is right up Vincent's alley as retired Professor, Director of Environmental Safety & Health at Florida Atlantic University. Mr. Roy spoke of their weekly environmental meetings and he impressed us with his knowledge and enthusiasm.

Next to the elevators is located the sculpture titled "The Mariner Story" this gift from the workers at Kvaerner Masa Shipyard in Finland depicts the "TeamWork" necessary to construct the Mariner of the Seas. Look up at the forward Centrum and see a World War I dog fight between five planes including Snoopy's Sopwith Camel and The Red Baron. Take the elevators to Deck 10 and view them up close.

Back on Deck 5 walk toward aft through the entire Royal Promenade which is four decks high and the most innovative feature afloat. Imagine a city street with boutiques, cafes and refreshment areas and parades daily; this week was Mardi Gras, so it was especially busy! This concept allows for strolling and inside cabins which now have windows overlooking the Promenade: This is unique to the Voyager class ships and not to be seen on any other line. The Aft Centrum areas of these ships have original suspended mobiles of huge proportions, which are visually awesome, many of which designed by Larry Kirkland.

Toward aft is the Guest Relations Desk, Shore Excursions and the Champagne Bar with its shoe art (a clever reference to drinking champagne from a lady's slipper). All the way aft is the top balcony of the Dining Room "The Sound of Music."

Decks 6, 7, 8 & 9 are mainly staterooms. Adjacent to the aft elevators on Deck 6 is located the Business services and on Deck 7 is the Library (well stocked, open stacks, honor system), which is user friendly. Every day pick up a trivia sheet, but alas trivia games have been discontinued. Deck 8 has the Computer Room "RC On Line." Deck 9 has the Concierge Club for Crown & Anchor Diamond members and Suite occupants. This was wonderfully managed by German Inostroza (Chile). He was extremely competent and helpful in many ways.

Deck 10 has the navigation bridge, staterooms and suites.

Deck 11 forward has the Peek-A-Boo Bridge, from which passengers can see the inside of the navigation bridge, and the Solarium with its two huge hot tubs and a lap pool. Here are terra cotta urns filled with laurel, boxwood, podocarpus and ivy trimmed neatly into topiaries. Very nice! On top of the colonnade are a lion and a lioness. There is modern art by Romero Britto, and murals of mosaic by Barsanti of Petrasanta, Italy. The centerpiece is a larger than life bronze statue by Luigi Galligani (Italy) "Portatrice d'Acqua" (a full figured female water carrier), she is flanked by two huge bowls of fruit by Sinclair (Britain). Galligani also sculpted the two terra cotta busts of "Circe" and "Calypso."

Midship toward aft are the two specialty restaurants, the Chops Grille and the Portofino. The Chops Grille serves superb meats (beef, veal) and fish (Filet of Dover sole, salmon). We suggest skipping lunch if you plan to dine here, the portions are huge: Boston clam chowder served in a tureen size bowl, sautéed mushrooms, a family size tomato salad and, above all, a very big veal chop. Don't forget dessert, the Mississippi Mud Pie is the best. Hotel Director Richard Nentwich invited us to the Portofino Restaurant, a lovely dining room with dark Mahogany paneled walls, decorated with Magnolia flowers. We had a long leisurely dinner and Richard pointed out many interesting facts about the Mariner and its operation. Try the Carpaccio for appetizer; Mary had the excellent shrimp. The grand finale to a superb meal can be the Tiramisu. These two restaurants have a nominal fee of $20 per person. Aft is the Jade (Asian Cuisine) and the Windjammer Cafe`, buffet style dining with many stations including the following: Salad, Pizza, Pasta, Meat Carving, Desserts, and Fresh Fruit displays (peaches, strawberries, pears, oranges, grapes, melons, etc.), all excellent.

Deck 12 forward has the Ship Shape Fitness Center and the Mariner Day Spa, with a beautiful view of the ocean for those using the treadmills and cycles. Aft is the Adventure Ocean youth facilities with the "Teen Only" area. Located near here is Johnny Rockets a 50's style burger joint with red naugahyde and chrome everywhere. They serve great chili, French fries, onion rings, sodas and floats. The mood is set by the juke boxes playing Rock and Roll. It's lots of fun and a nice trip down memory lane for those of us who came of age at that time!

Deck 13 aft has the sports court, full basket ball court, golf simulator, 9 hole mini golf and even an in line skating track and the Rock Climbing Wall.

Deck 14 has the 19th Hole Sports Bar with barstools with handles, so fans won't fall off. There are three monitors with games simulcast from around the world. Go out on the deck and stand next to Daddona's (USA) fiber glass and steel sculpture titled "For the love of the game." It is an amply endowed female spectator wearing yellow flowered, bulging shorts. Ellington's night club, also on 14, is a nice place for relaxing with a great surround view. There are also two game and card rooms located near the elevators.

Deck 15 has the Skylight Chapel, perfect for on board weddings.

This ship has many fascinating things to see and do. This simple outline cannot do justice to the beauty and artwork which abound in its many public areas and lounges.

CABIN
Stateroom # 7604 is a wheelchair accessible room, when entering on the right is the large bathroom with a 4'x4' shower, a corner medicine cabinet with several shelves, and tile accents and safety rails well positioned. There is a hide-a-bed sofa and a comfortable upholstered chair and a large glass top coffee table. There is also a console holding the TV, refrigerator and personal safe. Next there is a mirrored vanity desk and chair.

When entering on the left, there is a triple armoire, a king size bed with two night stands, and the far wall to the balcony is all glassed. There are both sheers and blackout drapes, good for the hot Caribbean sun. Hung on the walls are two signed prints by P. Birchall. The colors are teal and blue and the wood is light birch. The overall impression is one of freshness and comfort. The balcony has two chairs, a little table and sufficient space for a chaise lounge that our steward Stephen set up for Vincent's convenience. Thanks, Stephen for a week of excellent service!

FOOD & SERVICE
The food and service is always a product of the top personnel's vision. Hotel Director Richard Nentwich's Austrian background in restaurant and hotel management makes him set the bar high. Undoubtedly, his cordiality and gentlemanly attitude reflect well on the performance of the personnel. He is also very observant and shares his ideas.

Executive Chef Bartol Cabrera has served in famous positions such as New York's Waldorf Astoria and on the Q.E. II. His training with Master Chef Rudi Sodamin is evident; he oversees the preparation of over 12,000 meals served per day, not including snacks; yet everything is fresh and beautifully plated.

Maitre D' Dominique Claudel (France) is both elegant and very accommodating. At table #449A, we were served ably and pleasantly by Osman Olmez (Turkey) and the lovely Neringa Laurinaviciute (Lithuania). The food temperature was just right and the pace of each meal was perfect!

We dined well at both Chops Grille and Portofino. However, the best dining aboard is always at the Captain's table, and this time the Master of the ship, Captain Tor Olsen out did himself. He takes personal interest in the menu: an entree of shrimp and lobster served over spaghetti (al dente), in the shape of a lobster, was from a recipe that the Captain had forwarded to the Mariner's Chef from another RCI Chef. Vincent was very impressed, and he is a tough critic. Of course the high point of dinner is always dessert, and once again it came specially for us from the Portofino: Frutti di Bosco in zabione (wild berries in a foamy custard). All that could enhance this feast would be lively conversation and that was amply provided by Captain Olsen and his interesting guests.

There is something memorable about sitting in the middle of a huge gorgeous room with balconies of polished mahogany wood under a crystal chandelier weighing tons and being serenaded by the crew singing "O Sole Mio." It was a perfect formal evening; we will never forget!

Whenever you need something on board, look for Chief Purser Francois Chevalier (what a marvelous name!). This pleasant and helpful gentleman assisted us with information for this review, while making us feel welcome. He along with Concierge German went the extra effort to answer all our questions.

RCI's Crown & Anchor Society makes sure that repeaters know that they are special --- this is the best reason to return to RCI. Loyalty Ambassador Dean Hay knows all repeaters by name and even our dream destinations: the Galapagos for us. Suffice it to say service and food are excellent on board the Mariner of the Seas.

ENTERTAINMENT
Cruise Director Kirk Detweiler is both young and energetic. There are so many activities on board the RCI Voyager class ships that are not available on any other line. The Ice Skating Rink is the setting for a spectacular show (Olympic quality skating) "Under the Big Top" with stunning costumes. The opening number was all silver and white, then the "Cossack Song" was performed in bright red and gold with flying skirts and Russian hats. We saw many triples and graceful spins performed by the international cast including the following: Matt Kessinger, Ice Captain, Sean Rice, Danny Clausen, Jeff LaBrake, Carl Des-Rosiers; and the Russian girls: Marina and Tatiana and three North American girls: Jodeyne, Molly and Azumi. They were superb and got a standing ovation.

Athletes will love this ship: rock climbing, in line skating, golfing, gym exercising, swimming, dancing lessons, dance parties and don't forget the upper arm workout at the Casino. The Savoy is the setting of several very good shows. Of course, the Piano Melodies in the Schooner Bar and the Classical Guitar music by Pedro Espedido were especially wonderful. If all this makes you want to rest, for that there are plenty of quiet peaceful areas too.

PORTS OF CALL
There were two changes in the itinerary, first Labadee, Haiti was deleted due to political unrest and replaced by Nassau, Bahamas; then Georgetown, Grand Caymans was dropped due to unsafe tendering conditions.

Day 1. Port Canaveral, Florida Departure: 5:00 pm.

Day 2. Nassau, Bahamas Arrival: 9:00 am Departure: 5:00 pm
Some interesting shore excursions offered here are as follows: The Historic Harbor Cruise and Discover Atlantis (2.5 hrs., $42), which includes a narrated history of the harbor and a visit to the famous resort; The Pirates and Dungeons City Tour (2 hrs., $29), includes a visit to the Pirates Museum and Castle.

Day 3. At sea.

Day 4. Ochos Rios, Jamaica Arrival: 8:00 am Departure: 5:00 pm
These are two of the interesting excursions: The Enchanted Gardens and Dunn's River Falls (4 hrs., $43), visit lush gardens and then climb the famous falls; The Beach Horseback Riding (4 hrs., $86), a horseback ride through bamboo trails and on the beach with a stop for swimming.

Day 5. At sea, we skipped Grand Cayman due to high seas and dangerous tendering.

Day 6. Cozumel, Mexico Arrival: 9:00 am Departure: 7:00 pm
Some interesting excursions: The Tulum Mayan Ruins (6.5 hrs., $75), this is the official guided tour of the archeological site;
The Cozumel Reef Snorkeling (3 Hrs., $44) takes you to one of the best reef areas in the world, and includes complimentary Rum Punch and Margaritas after snorkeling.

Day 7. At Sea.

Day 8. Port Canaveral. Arrival: 6:30 am Debarkation: 8:00 am

CONCLUSIONS
This was our 17th cruise on a RCI ship and at the party for repeaters (frequent floaters, as we have been called by some RCI captains), we were honored by Captain Olsen as the couple with the most RCI cruises aboard this ship and given a bottle champagne. This and other courtesies, including the invitation to the Captain's dinner, make us feel very welcome on this and other RCI ships. The repeaters' program that RCI has instituted with the Crown & Anchor Society is among the best in the cruising industry, offering, at various level of membership, benefits including special services, cruise discounts, value coupon booklets, embarkation and debarkation preferences, etc.... This is a major incentive for us to cruise frequently on RCI ships. We have already booked three other cruises: the Transatlantic Eastbound Crossing on the Brilliance of the Seas, April 30th, the Mediterranean Cruise on the same ship, May 14th, and finally the Transatlantic Westbound Crossing on the new Jewel of the Seas, Sept. 1st.

We do cruise on ships of other lines (this was our 43rd cruise), and we intend to continue our cruising activity very intensely in the foreseeable future. We are addicted to cruising! We have had good and great cruises, but not yet a bad one (we hope it never comes). However, we are looking for a perfect cruise (we keep moving the bar higher and higher) and we'll be cruising until we'll find it. Happy Cruising!

Bermuda Cruise Reviewed by Sully

Day 1 Wednesday October 12, 2005 Departing Boston Cool drizzle 55°

We arrived at the Black Falcon Pier at 11:05 a.m. Checked in with our Sea Pass, got our picture taken for our Sea Pass card, walked through Security. I even turned to the security guard and asked him if it was ok for us to board. He said ?hurry and I won?t tell anyone?. I laughed, turned red and walked right on the Jewel of the Seas by @11:15 a.m. The fastest boarding we?ve ever had. It was fantastic not having to take a plane the first day of our cruise. We found our room (8598) dropped off our carry-on then off to explore the ship. She is beautiful, same class as the Brilliance. Luggage arrived @ 1:15 (WOW!). Attended the mandatory life boat drill at 4:30, our Muster station was at the Schooner Bar. Thankfully, our Muster station wasn?t required to go outside. We went back to our room to change for dinner, we had early and for some unknown reason our dinner times were 5:30 and 7:45 instead of the norm of 6:30 & 8:30. I had met our tablemates on-line at www.cruisecritic.com, we decided to link our dining reservation so we could sit at the same table. Even though we hadn?t met face to face it was nice to sit with people we felt we already knew. After dinner we went to the Welcome Aboard Show and then to the Schooner Bar. We met a lot of nice people and the bartenders Shanti and Me-Hei (sp?) were great, they worked very well together.

Day 2 Thursday October 13, 2005 At Sea WOW!!!
We woke up to VERY rough seas. As my husband was shaving all he said was uh-oh. So we went to the purser?s desk for Dramamine and they gave us each a green apple. They explained that we needed to put something in our stomach with not a lot of moisture. We went back to sleep for a few hours and woke up feeling fine. I only took 2 pictures of the waves. Security had locked the doors to the outside decks and hung signs not to go out because it was too dangerous. We figured about 95% of the ship were in their cabins. We went to the Windjammer for lunch, there were only a few people eating lunch. It was quite a challenge to get our lunch and get to a chair before the ship would dip and your plate would land on the floor. Tonight was Captain?s night. We went to the Captain?s cocktail party then to dinner; there were a lot of empty tables. Marty Allen and his wife were real troopers they put on a great show considering how rocky the ocean was. We then went to the Schooner bar for the piano bar entertainment.

Day 3 Friday October 14, 2005 King?s Wharf, Bermuda 82°
Arrived at the Navy Dock Yard at 12 Noon (instead of 8:00 a.m.), first people off the ship was at 1:30 p.m. We bought the 2-day transportation pass. Hopped on the ferry to Hamilton, walked up one side of Front Street and down the other, took the ferry back to the ship in time for dinner at 5:30. After dinner we went to the Frog & Onion Pub for a drink, it was too quiet there so we went back to the Schooner bar and listed to a young man Lee Read (looked about 15 yrs. Old ? very cute!) play the piano ? he was fantastic! He played the piano vs. beating it. We didn?t go to the show Dima Belinski but we heard he was great.


Day 4 Saturday October 15, 2005 King?s Wharf, Bermuda 82°
11th Wedding Anniversary. Had breakfast at the Windjammer ? WOW where did all these people come from! g14; Glad everybody was feeling better. We decided to just go off the ship and take a taxi tour. We went on a 3-hour island tour. Bermuda is beautiful; too bad our taxi driver didn?t have much of a personality. We came back to the ship had lunch went to the pool for a little while. We had reservations at Chops for our anniversary so we went back to the room and noticed we weren?t moving yet. The ship was waiting for 3 people (young girl, Mom and Grandma) Grandma couldn?t walk that fast so one of the Bermudians on the dock to watch the ship depart got in his car & picked her up and drove her back to the ship. We all applauded from our balconies. We went to the Champagne Bar before dinner, Freddie was great. Chops was perfect as usual. Oscar and his whole team were fantastic. They brought out an anniversary cake and everybody sang to us. It was wonderful. We were so stuffed we gave our cake to the bar staff at the Schooner Bar (Shanti, Eva and Me-Hai). We missed the show but we heard it was great, it was the Royal Caribbean Singers & Dancers ?West End to Broadway?. We hit the disco until 2:30 a.m.

Day 5 Sunday October 16, 2005 At Sea 85°
We sat by the pool all day. MrSully entered the Blackjack tournament, he lasted 3 hands, he was dealt a 14, 15 and a 16. Attended The Quest ? what a hoot!

Day 6 Monday October 17, 2005 St. Maartin 85°
St. Maartin ? Our favorite! Took a cab to Orient Bay Beach, walked to the clothing optional section, got 2 chairs at the Tiki-Hut. The waves were awesome, bigger than the last time we were here. Unfortunately, with the waves/storms come the seaweed and the turtle eggs. I could only go in the water twice, the third time I just couldn?t get past the seaweed YUK! As our chairs were coming into the shade we started to get bitten so we left. Not really sure what bit us but my legs had a lot of red bumps. Back to the ship in time for another dinner at Chops g14; After dinner we went to the Champagne Bar and chatted with Freddie. Freddie is great, he remembers your name and order from the first time he meets you, he would even have it ready for you when you sat down.

Day 7 Tuesday October 18, 2005 San Juan 85°
San Juan has improved over the last 5 years. We walked around, went shopping, and bought a couple of t-shirts and a silver bracelet for our daughter. We were back on the ship by 10:30 a.m. We sat by the pool the rest of the day, loved those drinks in the fresh pineapple YUM. As we were leaving we had a few showers and the Explorer of the Seas pulled into the berth next to us. We loved that ship too.

Day 8 Wednesday October 19, 2005 Labadee 97°
We have been to Labadee a few times, so we decided to stay on the ship. Good Choice! 97° people said it felt like 120 on the island. We sat by the pool. Due to the short stay at Labadee they had the BBQ on the pool deck from 1:00 ? 3:00 instead of on the island. They started setting up at 9:30 a.m. and about 1:15 the grills were lit. They set up several stations to get food which would have been very organized except you had to go to one station for your plate and utensils, another station for ribs, another station for chicken, another for burger and hot dogs and yet another station for side dishes. So by the time you sat down everything was cold. None of the stations were labeled so it was very chaotic. The ribs were awesome, we tried to go back for more but the line was too long. We went to the show ?Tango Buenos Aires? it was good, we left after 20 minutes. We stopped by the Champagne Bar to see Freddie, Schooner Bar, then to the Vortex Disco until 2:30 a.m.

Day 9 Thursday October 20, 2005 At Sea 88°
We sat by the pool for a couple of hours; decided we wanted to see what else was going on around the ship, puttered around the ship. We went back to the pool just in time to see the horse races. The owners race was won by #1 Johnny Damon. Played mini-golf, worked out in the gym. Tonight?s show was Paul Boland ?Man of 1,000 Voices?; he was very good, very funny. Being 70?s disco night, we chose to stay at the Champagne Bar until we went to the disco around midnight. Neither one of us wanted to hear the ?Tribute to ABBA? or the ?Village People?, we had enough of that the first time around. Closed the disco at 4:00 a.m.

Day 10 Friday October 21, 2005 At Sea 60°
The daily planner stated the temperature would be about 60°, with the wind chill it was more like 40°. We knew it would be a chilly day so we puttered around the ship, bought 3 photos, played Jackpot Bingo ? didn?t win g16;, went to trivia. We had dinner at Chops for the last night. Went to the Schooner Bar for a couple of drinks, said good-bye to the people we met. Declined going to the disco ? too much to do tomorrow.

Day 11 Saturday October 22, 2005 Debarkation, Boston 60°
We chose to carry our luggage off the ship ourselves. Finished packing, went to the Windjammer for breakfast, called the pursers desk to find out what deck we should be on, they said we debark from Deck 5. It took a ˝ hour to get an elevator that we could get on, got to Deck 5, waited ˝ hour and we were off and waiting for our ride by 8:15, home by 9:15 a.m.
We had a GREAT time. This cruise tied with our favorite past cruise. We have loved all of our cruises and for us there is no such thing as a bad cruise. We thoroughly enjoy our vacations; life is what you make of it and how you choose to react to certain situations, especially situations you have no control over.

Bermuda Cruise Reviewed by Paul Mc.

Well, this was the cruise that was totally unplanned. Our big cruise was supposed to happen back in the Spring and it was supposed to have been on the Mariner of the Seas out of Florida to the eastern Caribbean... but alas, that cruise had to be cancelled due to a prolonged injury/illness that left me unable to work through most of the winter of '06-'07. So, we had to (GASP!) cancel that cruise. But, being the cruise addicts that we are, we had to do something... so we decided on the infinitely affordable and incredibly excellent five night Explorer of the Seas trip to Bermuda once again.

Almost exactly one year to the day we were off once again to Cape Liberty in Bayonne, NJ. This time we were accompanied by our dear friends and always wonderful cruise companions, Kim and Steve. We were in adjacent balcony cabins- ours was 8586 and they were in 8588. I am very pleased to announce that Explorer now has the enhanced linen and mattresses that we enjoyed so much on Freedom of the Seas last year. These weren't in place on our Explorer sailing last year. This is an excellent change from the old super-cots that cruise ships used to employ. Our cabin steward was Geraldo (Gerry) Gonzales... he was truly amazing and funny and above and beyond in performing his duties. Just about every time I approached my cabin, he would come out of nowhere and open the door for me! As is typical on RCCL, our cabin was always immaculate.

Although she's in her seventh year of service, I have to commend RCCL on giving the old girl new life. In fact, many of the worn out spots I noted last year were addressed. (Only the Solarium's urns need to be replaced) A big improvement was the fact that the spa was now open till 11pm every night! Finally! Music in the disco was far superior to other years with an excellent mix of oldies and cutting edge stuff (at 46, I actually enjoy all dance music- so I'm a bit more liberal in my tastes). Food in the Main dining room was very good to excellent. Food in the Windjammer was good to very good. And of course, food in Portofino's was excellent to beyond belief. It's always important to remember that if you order something and don't like it and you don't order something else to make up for it, you're only ripping yourself off. I've always found that it's very wise to listen to your waiter's suggestions. They're working for that week ending tip and they try everything for that night and they always have the best suggestions. Our waitress, the incredible Lydia from Germany (table 332), always had the best suggestions and even told us what to stay away from. (If you didn't take her advice, she'd often sneak her suggestion in as well as your order always with a wink!) Our assistant waiter, Clint (from Trinidad/Tobago) was always there with rolls and sodas for me. (I always buy the soda pass since I'm a soda-holic)

This was our first cruise as Diamond members (and Steve & Kim's first as Platinum- YAY!) and as such we got an excellent coupon book full of wonderful discounts. We also finally got the Concierge room key- what an excellent way for RCCL to pay back it's most loyal passengers! Every day, there was Ricky waiting to help us out with anything he could and always making sure everything was just right. (Getting out of that room could be a bit tricky... there's just something strange about that locking mechanism)

Embarkation day was the typical hubbub at Cape Liberty- each year it improves a wee bit. I can't wait to see it's final realization. This year, parking was on the other side of the port building. We used to skip luggage drop off and turn into parking right away. Now you must pass in front of luggage drop off to get to parking. It makes it much easier for those that like to drop off their luggage first. Since ours is spinner wheeled luggage, we don't mind wheeling it over from the new parking section. Parking price at the pier has gone up- $80 for the five night cruises. We parked near the gate and moved our luggage over to the porters then went through security and into the Platinum/Diamond members holding area for accelerated boarding onto the ship. We left home at 10am, arrived at Bayonne around 11:30pm and were aboard by 12:30pm! We met up with Kim and Steve around 1pm in the Windjammer and made our plans for Portofino's for Monday night at 6pm. (We wanted 7:30pm, but couldn't make it work) We spent the balance of the day poolside, doing the muster drill, watching the pass under the Verrazano Bridge (always a heart stopper) and just reveling in the fact that we were all on a cruise!!! That night's entertainer- a comic writer from SNL- had us in stitches! (his adult act later in the week was even better) Diane and I and Steve and Kim had a great time in the disco!

Our first day at sea (Monday) began, for Diane and I, with a massage at 8am. As usual, this was the perfect start to our cruise! Diane and I both napped after the massages till around noon, then we went to the main dining room for a wonderful lunch. The day was simply gorgeous- very warm in the low to mid 80s- and the Atlantic was very calm. We mostly sunbathed all day with Steve and Kim. Later we had dinner at Portofino's which is always "worth it" more then can be believed. (especially for the unheard of price of $20/person) If you cruise on RCCL and skip Portofino's (assuming there's one on your ship), you've made a huge mistake. Later we saw the RCCL song and dance production "Fast Forward" which featured some of the same singers we saw last year. This year there seemed to be some sound problems- the one main singer's voice kept fading out.

Our first day in Bermuda (Tuesday) we bought the Bus/Ferry passes for $20/person for two days. This extremely cheap pass gets you unlimited transportation all over the island using their pink busses and high speed ferries! This being our third trip to Bermuda, we decided to try to see more of the island then the beautiful Horseshoe Bay beach. So, right outta the Dockyard (aka King's Wharf) we took the high speed ferry to the far east side of the island, called St. George. We disembarked and walked about the quaint town and perused the stores and checked out the Episcopal church (dating back to the 1700's) and it's adjacent cemetery. We then hopped the #6 bus down to the light house then joined the #1 bus to the Hospital to rendezvous with the #7 bus to the beaches. This took about two hours. Since time was of the essence (we had a Sunset cruise planned for 6pm) we decided to forgo all the other beaches we hoped to visit and go directly to the always gorgeous pink sands and turquoise waters of Horseshoe Bay. (One of these days we'll do Warwick!) After a few hours there, we climbed the hill back to the bus stop and boarded a "Special" #7 bus with direct connection to the Dockyard (nonstop)! How did we ever manage that? Our sunset catamaran cruise was wonderful. Hosted by Captain "Smitty" (not at all pirate like or even an old salt- just a young Bermudan native who looked like he'd be just as comfortable catching waves in California) who told us a brief history as we sailed away from Explorer towards Hamilton. There was complimentary rum punch served (constantly) which made the whole event very relaxing. The skies were wonderful at sunset. Later, we popped back into Explorer around 8:45pm and ate dinner in the Windjammer so that we could get back down to the port's carnival where locals sell their wares and where there are exhibitions of juggling and native Goombay dancers. Kim and Steve headed back to the ship, and we had a drink in the bar at the port (where service is very slow).

Our second day in Bermuda (Wednesday) was also gorgeous, but Diane and I slept in too late to accomplish our original goal of shopping in Hamilton and heading for Horseshoe later... so we decided to forgo Horseshoe and head to Hamilton (the capitol) instead on another ferry. I was very glad we did! This neat and clean city had so much to offer! We only had a few hours but we made the most of it visiting a tiny museum on Queen's street and an adjacent park. We shopped in a few stores and got some cool things for the friends and family back home. There were two ships in port- and NCL (the Crown?) and an Azamara journey (I think this is some sort of Celebrity thing). We both decided that our next trip to Bermuda, we'd check out more of the sights in Hamilton. Diane and I got back to our cabin and watched our departure from our balcony, away from all the noise topside. We then headed for the Solarium and relaxed for a while. Steve and I hit the saunas for a bit before dinner. For the rest of the night, we mostly bopped around the ship- I made a perfunctory donation to the Roulette gods who were unkind this trip- I lost around $140. (but things got much better later) Steve did very good at roulette this night hitting big on #26 and #36! We hung out in various clubs and drank lots. (this- happily- was a recurring theme!)

Our final day at sea (Thursday), we slept in, nursing yet another hangover. The day started out dreary and a little sprinkly but improved somewhat as the day advanced. Around 5pm, we saw the new ice skating show, "The Four Seasons" which was -as always- an incredible production. (they actually made it snow real snow during the winter segment) That night we got our suitcases all packed and out the door and got our tips to the ever wonderful Gerry (who got teary eyed when we gave him a gift in addition to an above normal tip) and to Lydia and Clint and the very polite Head Waiter (whose name escapes me). The four of us continued to party at the bars, and I took one more stab at the Casino. I played a Video Poker machine with $20 worth of quarters and kept trying for four of a kind (any kind) betting the maximum of $1.25 per bet. I got down to about $3.75 and hit four aces (!) which won me $200 getting my roulette winnings back to me. Carrying 800 quarters around in two buckets was a first! Later, we walked the empty ship (most of the passengers having gone to bed)- we walked to the bow and marveled at the Milky Way and Diane and I saw an amazingly bright meteor fireball. Kim decided to head to bed and Diane went to bed a little after this and Steve and I roamed around drinking until we realized we had to be up in just a few hours to get off ship!

Disembarkation went very smoothly- here the port has improved immensely- and we were off ship by 10am. Unfortunately, an unrelated traffic jam on 440 and the connection to the NJ Turnpike had us crawling out of Bayonne for over an hour. This has never happened before when leaving Bayonne so we were kinda surprised. We were home, with lunch picked up on the way, by 1:00pm. Steve and Kim got home a few minutes after.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable trip! It was a reunion for the four of us and Explorer since four years ago we'd all cruised for the very first time together on this particular ship. Every cruise that includes our friends, Kim and Steve, is always full of great times and memories... having them as our close friends (and neighbors) is awesome. We love them very much.

Mediterranean Cruise Reviewed by Joey

We booked this cruise that would take us from Barcelona to Venice, May 2005 with an Embarkation date of October 29, 2006.

We reserved stateroom 9160 upon Celebrity's Millennium. This is a Concierge Class aft cabin, which is approximately 251 square foot and a large 200 square foot veranda.

Boarding this ship had never been easier, once our taxis dropped us off at the Pier in Barcelona, a porter was very eager to accept our luggage and guide us to the entrance to the embarkation lobby.

We were immediately asked to sanitize our hands before entering a ship controlled area and would later discover that this is now SOP aboard Celebrity, we were also offered a cool fruit punch while we stood in the proper line.

The line moved quickly and was thru security and champagne in hand by 12:00noon. As with so many cruises that allow early embarkation our Cabin was not "ready" until 1:00 by we just could not resist stopping by and "dropping " off things. Once there we met Gregorio and Tailer our stateroom tag team that did a pretty good one two punch in Stateroom cleanliness and attentiveness. Any concern we had through out the cruise was always met quickly and efficiently.

October 29 Night one shortly after our sailing from Barcelona while getting ready for dinner I became aware of Mediterranean Fruit Flies that had infested our cabin. I was distraught and after expressing our displeasure firmly, with the staff at guest relations we were moved to another cabin while they attempted to correct the problem.

After expressing my displeasure to The Guest Relations Office.
The entire staff of the Millennium did their best to turn a negative into a positive the Lead Guest relations Officer Ms. Jann Ramos could not have been more understanding of the situation and her performance in this situation reminded me of just why we chose Celebrity.

It took a little over 36 hours before we could get back into the cabin we had purchased for this adventure. When things at the start of an Adventure begin to turn negative, and you see all of you dreams go up in a mist. It can become very scary and disappointing to say the least.

Ms. Ramos not only coordinated the cleanup effort between the various departments, she made an effort to keep in touch with us every step of the way! I must applaud the entire staff for a Job well done!
AND we are back in our stateroom where on David's Birthday October 31, we were able to wake up and have breakfast on the veranda. SUCESS!

The Millennium as a whole is in fine condition, all carpets appear to be in good repair, and it show little signs of age. The support staffs have done a wonderful job with maintenance.

We opted for late dining a table for two we received table 552, which is at the top of the staircase in the Dining Room located adjacent to the Jan Martini Quartet so our meals were always filled with music. Nice touch.
Our Wait Staff, the team of (Glenn) Joseph and Richard; a nice combination that did their best to please. However At times, they seemed to be a bit overwhelmed.

Sebastian our Sommelier was attentive and supportive. He accepted our boycott of first night no wine sales with real grace and on night two made an effort to find a specific vintage that we asked for... He was outstanding and very personable.

The food was Just as we remembered the cold soups were just as remarkable while the roast beef was just as tender and the Escargot which are now part of the regular standby menu were outstanding.

With this being a very port intensive cruise, we did not see much of the late night activities?. So the entertainment; we really cannot comment on.
The exception was for a review for a fantasy type show that the "Singers and Dancers" "entertained" for the passengers ? ( I personally didn?t care for it.)

On November 4th a formal night we had reservations for the Olympic Restaurant. Once again, a table for two and this time a great duce by the Harpist. The meal was outstanding and the service exceptional Thumbs up to Stanislaw Stoyanov, Maitre D'Hotel he runs a fine restaurant, Our only exception was for the Sommelier who was unhappy that we chose not to buy wine and refused our request to purchase a second sparkling water.

We were planning a small gathering in our stateroom to samples some wines Gregorio had anticipated the tasting and offered to provide cheese, crackers, and things before we had to ask.
He was amazing.

The Casino when open had a nice selection of slots and our favorites Little Green men , Texas Tea, where I was able to pick up a few hundred on this cruise so that?s a nice feeling.

Over all we felt we did in fact receive our moneys worth! Got our Bang for the buck as they say.
The Millennium is a fine ship with an outstanding crew, and would not hesitate to sail it again if the Itinerary would present itself.

Bahamas Cruise Reviewed by Diane

It's been over a year since Diane and I returned from this cruise. I was going through my reviews and realized I never posted it. Some of the information may be irrelevant at this time but I hope readers will get something out of it and not think of me as an idiot

Introduction

Another September and another last minute cruise. Last year we cruised on the Carnival Legend. This year it was NCL Norwegian Dawn. I was feeling real disappointed that we had not cruised all year. We had planned a September cruise but had to cancel our plans in May. Events made it possible to cruise in September after all and being the 19th I couldn't get us on the ship we had planned for the 22nd but I was able to get us on the Norwegian Dawn for the 25th.

For those of you who have not read any of my reviews of previous cruisesâ?¦Diane absolutely hates to fly. After our November 2004 cruise she made me promise we would not fly for at least 2 years. We had taken the train from Boston to NYC last September and she loved it. This made it possible to book the Dawn out of New York. Booking

Itinerary

The itinerary was less than impressive. Port Canaveral, Miami, Great Stirup Cay (NCL's private island) and Nassau. Diane and I do few excursions and prefer to laze around on the ship while others are off enjoying the various ports. We do get off the ship and walk around the local shops for an hour or so than return to the ship.

More about this under Excursions.

Embarkation
What a difference from last year when embarkation was an absolute disaster. NCL definitely has its act together. We walked into the terminal at 11:12 A.M., checked in our luggage and proceeded to the check-in desk. We were sitting with our coffee all checked-in by 11:30. They had chairs set up and coffee, tea sandwiches and sweets available. Boarding started about 45 minutes later. We were on board and in our cabin at 12:30. Ship

The Norwegian Dawn is a wonderful ship, very clean and well organized. Lots of restaurants and lounges, a library with plenty of reading material, a movie theater, and more.

The pool is great and plenty of hot tubs. The tiered area for sunbathing was great leaving the chairs around the pool for swimmers.

Cabin
Of course the only thing left was Category N Deck 4, inside, front of the ship. Being past cruisers with NCL may have helped because we got upgraded to Category J â?? Deck 8, inside, middle of the ship. This was our first experience with an inside cabin so we went to sleep with the T.V. set to Bridge Cam station (Dark) and woke to Sunshine. It was our porthole window. The room was larger than I expected and plenty of storage areas. There was a coffee maker which we liked as we are big coffee drinkers.

There is a refrigerator but no mini bar. We picked up a few extra cans of soda at one of the bars and stocked the frig. Our steward kept our room clean and the ice bucket filled with fresh ice. Dining

There is a huge choose for dining. This was our first experience with freestyle dining. Diane loves it while I prefer traditional cruise style dining. Rather than 1 large Main Dining room there are 3 smaller venues which have no surcharges and require no reservations (Aqua, Impressions and Venetian). Also the Garden Café for buffet style dining and the Blue Lagoon for snacks and open 24 hours.

The food was wonderful. I particularly enjoyed the Beef Wellington at Impressions.

Excursions
Diane and I are not big on excursions as I mentioned earlier but on this cruise there really was little to do. One thing we like to do in Nassau is to visit a little bar named Iguanaâ??s. Unfortunately, for all intent and purposes EVERYTHING was closed. The exceptions were the shops in the terminal, a cheap souvenir shop and a bar. A native beer company was giving out free beer at the bar of which I took full advantage. This was after our traditional Bahama MaMaâ??s which we couldnâ??t have at Iquanaâ??s, of course. The other port worth mentioning was Great Stirup Cay. This is NCLâ??s private island and while it doesnâ??t meet HALâ??s Half Moon Cay, it offers a nice day on the beach. There are two beaches. One of them is very rocky. I saw a couple of people with cuts on the feet from stubbed toes in the water. NCL puts on a nice spread of hamburgers, corn on the cob, fruit, etc. Staff and crew

Only good things to say about the staff and crew on the Dawn. The wait staff in each dining venue was wonderful. On ships with traditional sitting the wait staff gets to know the guests. They learn there likes and dislikes and close bonds are developed. Open sitting does not offer this opportunity but the wait staff compensates for this and I still felt I was being treated â??specialâ?ť by all of them.

There was one incident at the Chocolate Buffet which was held in the afternoon. An opportunity to take pictures prior to the eating was offered. As you probably know bathing suits and tank tops are not permitted in the dining room. I was wearing a sleeveless shirt and was told â??tank tops are not permitted in the dining roomâ?ť. After explaining that it was not a tank top but rather a sleeveless shirt, the woman said it didnâ??t matter, I was not permitted in the dining room. I had bought 3 from L.L. Bean at $29 each just before the cruise. That night was formal night. We were dressed appropriately, I in a tuxedo and Diane in a gown and seated next to us was a gentleman in dungarees and a t-shirt. When I mentioned this the head waiter simply shrugged his shoulders and walked away. Go figure.

Entertainment
The various lounges have wonderful entertainment but the Bollywood performance in the Stardust Theater was horrible. We had never walked out of an act but after 10 minutes we did. The performers where fine but the musicâ?¦

Pictures
I have to talk about the onboard photographers in every review. Some day I will find a photographer who can take a picture of a tall person (Iâ??m 6â??2â?ť) without cutting off my feet or head, because it hasnâ??t happened on any of our cruises. The 6 photographers are out every night taking the â??formalâ?ť pictures. With all the complaints I read from people complaining about the picture taking, itâ??s amazing how long the lines are every night to have pictures taken. Just an observation.

Conclusion

Diane and I are committed cruisers. The itinerary was disappointing and the Bollywood entertainment was the worst I've seen. But everything else was wonderful and we look forward to again cruising on the Norwegian Dawn again in April 2007.