Caribbean Cruise Reviewed by Paul M.

Royal Caribbean (RCCL) is the perfect fusion of everything we liked in both Carnival and Celebrity (this latter line merged with RCCL a few years ago but they still operate semi independently)- great food, elegant ship and FUN! Our first experience with RCCL was onboard the Majesty of the Seas, a 74,000 ton ship, in March of 2000 to celebrate my wife's 40th birthday! We were joined by more then a dozen friends (our close friends, Chris and Pam, were unable to attend at the last minute, due to the unfortunate loss of Pam's father just a few days before the cruise- but this was remedied on our next cruise below.) including Rob and Sue, Tony and Judi, and our family.

This was extremely exciting, having family and friends from both of the U.S. coasts and from the heartland all in attendance! The ship, although due for an overhaul, was still beautiful. Walking in through smoked glass doors gave the illusion of entering a five star hotel. Her cabins, while incredibly small, were still more then adequate for the 2 of us. (Aunt Lois and Uncle Joe even joked that they had smaller cabins on an earlier cruise once!!!)

Another fun aspect of this cruise was the large number of first time cruisers in our group. We all had outside and adjacent (more or less) category "F" cabins. All of our first time cruisers are now definite cruise fans! Below are pointers to pictures from this wonderful voyage. Our itinerary was the best by far of any- from San Juan to Aruba to Curacao to St. Martin to St. Thomas to San Juan. All of these islands were great and I'd do any one of them again in a minute! This was our first time to St. Martin (Patty and Mac's second home!) and we immediately decided that the beach there at Orient Bay is our favorite in the world bar none. Our original favorite, Magen's Bay is a distant second or third (behind Trunk Bay at St. John, but Magen's Bay is easier to get to while on a cruise).

Food on the Majesty was nothing less then fantastic, and our waiters and cabin stewards were just great. As I said above, circumstances led directly to our next cruise being just a few months later. No, we aren't wealthy, just very fortunate... and we have a great travel agent.

Eastern Caribbean Cruise Reviewed by Patti

Every wonderful thing that you have read about this ship and it's beauty must be multiplied by at least 10. To say it is simply gorgeous is actually an understatment. Words just don't seem to do it justice.

We arrived at the pier at 12:10 after having driven from the west coast of Florida. We dropped our luggage with the porter, waited while my husband parked the car ($70 in advance) and proceded to the check in counter. Before we went into the check in room, someone checked to make sure we had all our paperwork filled out, they have seats and plenty of extra copies of all required paperwork in case you did not have it all. We went through the security line to the check in. This was a very fast process and we were on board by 12:30.

We proceded to our cabin #1274. A beautiful Category B suite. We had booked a C cabin but were upgraded months ago to a B. We loved this cabin, it was just far enough off the centrum, just about in the middle of them both, to make going to either end of the ship very convenient.

We then proceded up to the Windjammer for some lunch. For future cruises, don't eat in the Windjammer, proceed back to the Island Grill. They have the same buffet but the view out the back of the ship is better than the side seating in the Windjammer. Most people see the first sign of food and feel they need to grab a plate, the Island Grill side was quiet since not too many people had discovered it yet and we had some great service back there. Later in the week, after others had discovered this seating area, it did get more crowded but we never were unable to get seating.

Back down to our cabin to start unpacking from the luggage that had already arrived. We had four bags, two came before 2, one by 4 and the other about 6. We had late seating but I did hear that there were many people at first seating in the dining room in shorts because their luggage did not arrive till after 6. No one was denied service because of this.

We met our cabin steward, Desmond and the concierge, Mary. Both were delightful. There were 14 in our group all together with 6 of them being children 6-14. We had a dvd player in our room and the concierge lounge had dvd's so when it was time for the kids to just chill, Mary was there to get them a great movie. (Note, on the second day, Sunday, one of the children sprained his ankle playing in the basketball tournament and on the third day one of them broke her toe on the water playground in Labadee so the dvd player came in very handy).

We went to the sail away party on the pool deck, met up with the rest of our crew, learned a new dance and had our customary drinks with umbrellas in them. Returned to our cabin for more unpacking.

Muster drill went off right on time at 4:15. My daughter was given a wrist band with her muster station information on it in case she was not with us during a real emergency. All children 11 and under were give the same thing. Anyone who wanted one, could also receive one. Ship did not set sail until about 6 due to some late flights.

We had late seating for dinner. We were on deck 3, Magellen Dining Room. The first night dinner was not until 9:00 but all other evenings it was 8:30. We had the absolute best waitress ever! Monika was just back for her second week after her vacation. Seems that they slowly break them back in so she only had our group which was a table for the six children and the table for the eight adults. The first night I got up and asked my 14 year old son to please help the six year old to cut his food. Monika came right over, told me I was not to worry about this, to stay in my seat and enjoy my meal, she and the assistant waiter Fari would take care of the children. And take care of the children they did. Monika saw that they had their dinner right away, (which was great because most nights they had "children plans"), she cut, tossed, and seasoned everything for them to perfection! She made wonder suggestions to us, told us why she did and did not like particular dishes. We loved her!

As others have stated before me, the food was tremendous. Every night the food was wonderful. None of the 14 of us could find a complaint even if we tried. It was just that good. We ate in the dining room all but one night when we had dinner in the Windjammer. We had a wonderful meal there. They had a pasta station, a steak station and the regular buffet. One family in our group did not bring formal clothes so they ate here those nights and also said it was wonderful.

Our itinerary was a unique one. The normal Eastern Caribbean tour goes to Nassau, Sea, St. Thomas, San Juan, Labadee, Sea. We did this in reverse which the crew told us was better. We were in Nassau from 11 till 6 which gave us plenty of time to do a snorkel excursion and in San Juan from 11:30 till 8. Normally the ship leaves both ports by 2 we were told.

Having the first day at sea was great because it gave every one a chance to check out the ship. Some of the group went to the pool, some participated in organized activities and some just walked around in amazement. RCCL now puts your pool/beach towels in your room the first day and they charge you $20 for missing towels. This is supposed to help with the saving of pool chairs. We still saw plenty of un used chairs that has personal items on them but we did not have a problem finding a chair although we did have to search for one at 2 in the afternoon. This being spring break/easter week I am sure there were many more people on board then other weeks but we truly did not find 3500+ people too much.

We had been given a notice from the captain about behavior and how we were all expected to behave. He also made an announcement about this. He told us two families had been put off the week before for not abiding by these rules. Our concierge told us one family's 15 year old daughter had gotten drunk and stripped on the pool deck, the other had two boys 16 & 17 drunk and disorderly. Both were put off in San Juan. On our cruise, one family was put off in Nassau. Their 15 year old son had gotten vodka in St. Thomas and brought it on board in a water bottle. He and a friend proceded to get very drunk and took all the ornamental mulch they put around the plants and dropped them all over the stairway by Portofinos. This mulch is like marbles therefore creating a very dangerous situation. They then proceded to throw the plants outside Portofino down the centrum. Luckily they were stopped but got very ugly with the hotel manager as did their parents with the captain. They were secured to their cabins and put off in Nassau. With as many people on board and almost 900 children that we had, we really had not problems with crowds or much rudeness. Some children ran in the hallways and played with the elevators we were told but luckily we did not see this. As for our own children, on Friday I was approached by a gentleman who said he was sitting next to our childrens' table and he wanted to let us know they were the most polite and well behaved children he had ever seen and that when they had first seen them sitting there on Saturday night they feared the worst but received the best. Good thing, all six kids (two mine) would have been toast if we had seen anything but their best behavior! LOL
We did use the Fitness Center, the rock climbing wall, the in-line skating rink, and the kids slide. All were wonderful. The Spa was also used by two of us. A pedicure that should have been $55 was $220 after purchasing the products and the facial at $89 cost one of us $170 after the product purchase. They are very pushy with the products. I did want two of the pedicure products having used them before but the other I could have done without. I got away with purchasing no facial products using the excuse that my husband had gone crazy in St. Thomas (we did not even shop) and I would have to check with him of how much I could spend. I did not go back but if I had, the products she wanted me to buy were $529, not including the facial! My mom had her hair done twice for $35. It looked beautiful, it really did, Lottie did a fantastic job but she did manage to talk by mom into getting some Vitamin C for her hair! My mom just can't say no.

We did not get to all the shows as they were at 10:45 after dinner and we were just too tired. The four we went to were excellent and we truly enjoyed them.

Disembarking was a nightmare. We went to the dining room for breakfast and left about 8:45. Our color had already been called so we assumed we could just get off. Unfortunately this was not the case. They only let so many off and then they closed the doors. We waited about 15 minutes and then they let the next group off. We thought we would go right for our luggage but we had to go through the first set of custom agents. This was a 30 minute wait. They checked our passports/birth certificates, asked our children how old they were and then let us go. We got our luggage and proceded to the next customs agent. We turned in our form and got pulled aside. My husband was wearing his Rolex and they questioned him about how old it was, (five years), where he got it (an award from work), how much we paid for it (hello, nothing, it was a gift! cheapest rolex there is), what purchases did we make to get to our $500 (the t-shirts we were wearing, the $90 watch I was wearing, one piece of crystal and other little items) I guess he liked our answers (they were truthful) so he let us go. We were in our car about 10:30 and waved a sad goodbye to the Explorer.

Good news though, we booked the Navigator for the same time next year while we were on the ship. We got a great deal and $200 on board credit!

Any questions and or comments, please feel free to e mail, just put explorer in the subject line. I'm sure I have left out many things so do ask and I will answer if I can.

Happy cruising to you all.

Patti

7 Days of Nautical Bliss Reviewed by Marvin

Seven days aboard HAL's Veendam is seven days of pure nautical bliss. Take it from a cruiser with some 30 different cruises under his belt - many of them aboard other vessels of Holland America Line (at last count, they credit me with some 77 days of HAL cruising). What made this particular cruise ship a standout? Pretty much everything you read in Holland America's ads: personal and caring service; varied entertainment; large cabins (mine was #791, outside, with shower and tub on A Deck, about 187 square feet and very roomy). But there's one element passengers remember long after the cruise is over - the cuisine. Whether you dine in the two-tiered Rotterdam Dining room or at the Lido (Deck 11) buffet, the fare rates the highest marks on the seven seas. This writer prefers the Lido for breakfast and lunch where you can find practically anything you like - enough smoked salmon to stock your favorite deli; mountains of jumbo shrimp, pizza on demand, irresistible pastries definitely not on your diet. A leisurely dinner in the Rotterdam is, of course, a delightful way to cap your day. With so many choices in appetizers, soups, and main courses, you run the risk of "pigging out" morning, noon and night. But that's okay - you only live once. Note: there are low-cal and vegetarian items on every menu, so if you must hold back, there are delicious options available.

But probably the most important benefit, particularly today: diligent security. Although it was never intrusive, you always had the comforting feeling that they were there, alert and ever-watchful.

Some other plusses you don't find listed in HAL's ads, but very important for cruise aficionados, like complimentary cappuccino in the dining room. Many ships charge for this frothy and delectable concoction. Not on the Veendam. Their Java Café on Promenade Deck (seven) serves coffee, espresso or cappuccino and chocolate chip cookies absolutely free. A hearty pick-me-up anytime from 8:00 am till 6:00 pm.

For many cruisers, curling up with a good book in a comfy deck chair is a number one priority and activity. Nice to know that the Veendam has a well-stocked library, including many current best-sellers in their collection. Sure, bring your own reading matter if you like, but the Veendam library is there as a reliable back-up.

Although the ship is a big one (four times around is a mile), even at full capacitry (1,266 passengers), you never get the feeling of being overcrowded. There's ample room to hide out - just do a little exploring and you can find a quiet corner to claim as your very own (I liked to chill out at the Crow's Next at the very top of the ship on deck 12). The ship is also very passenger-friendly in that the layout makes it easy to find your way around from the very first day. All you have to do is remember the three-deck atrium (decks six, seven and eight), the core of the ship where you dine, shop, enjoy cocktails, take in a movie, enjoy night club entertainment, even try your luck at the casino. The well-equipped spa is on the Lido Deck.

Great cruise Reviewed by Kate S.

EMBARKATION: Easy! We got to the port about 11:30, luggage departed in seconds, checked in with-in 10-15 minutes, additional 15 minutes of waiting and then on-board! Someone said the big mass-market lines don't escort you to your cabin, but NCL does. Overall (and I'll comment specifically) I thought that the service was very good and done with smiles.

CABIN: We were in a mini-suite off the Stern (9078) and at first I was a bit disappointed because I expected the standard configuration with the pull out couch alongside the bed but it was opposite, so there appeared to be no room. (We were traveling as an adult couple with our 12 year old son). But there was plenty of room. Big veranda (we used it a lot!) and we had the nice mesh chaise lounges - had 2 and requested a 3rd and got it right away. With three, there was still plenty of room. Lots of space in the cabin for all our stuff (and we are NOT light packers after years of traveling). But the bathroom was the best. I will have a hard time going back to regular cabin now. Walk in closet area with separate vanity, big bathroom with tub and a separate toilet stall. We had room to spare.

BEST PART OF MINI-SUITE: Ray Williams our Concierge. I would happily pay for the suite in the future to get the help of a guy with such finesse and helpfulness. Ray made our dinner reservations for us, helped with questions and concerns and best of all got us priority tendering! That helped so much since I booked all our own excursions (not through the Ship)

DINING: Ok. I admit it we cheated. Problem is we decided to go to Il Adagio the first night (had heard most do the dining room and it was an easy night to get in). Well, not only is it a beautiful restaurant with every table a good one with a view, but the service and food was wonderful. Most of the wait staff in the restaurants are Romanian and they were terrific and friendly and accommodating. Do not be concerned that the tipping is included thinking that the staff doesn't care. We never felt that way even in the main dining room. Anyway, back to the cheating part. Sunday night was formal night and Ray had suggested if we were dressed (we were!) that we'd feel more festive where most people did dress up, so we tried Le Bistro. Food was also very good, but we like the ambiance better at Il Adagio. We liked Il Adagio and Le Bistro so much, we next ate at East Meets West (Asian fusion - VERY good). So good my husband and I ate there the next night also (our son ordered room service pizza which he really enjoyed). Next night - back at Il Adagio. Yes it was good. So finally Thursday we thought if I was going to review this ship we better eat in the main dining room, and since it was lobster night we ate in the Seven Seas. Obviously not quite as special, but the food and the service were good. I haven't dared to look @ my bill yet but for $10 more per person ($12.50 for Le Bistro) it is well worth the special service. After all this is a vacation!

We did eat in Seven Seas for lunch once or twice and breakfast about 3 times and it was enjoyable. The Garden Buffet was just that (a buffet). WE did like the free tapas (& music) at Las Ramblas and would recommend that.

ENTERTAINMENT: Better than I expected! Jane Powell is no longer there (or on break?), but the Jean Ryan troupe was very good and versatile (Broadway to Cirque Soleil type. We really enjoyed the comedians Peter Sasso & Jeff Harms and impressions of Wes Apae. Roots Link (Caribbean band at the pool, Twice as Nice, Don Dunn (acoustic guitar @ Las Ramlas) and the Norwegian Sun Showband were all good. I liked the live music with the show vs. Princess recorded background music for their productions.

TEENS: We had a 12 year old in the Teen program and he said he really enjoyed it even though he came with no friends and isn't a real social guy. He loved the arcade and having the run of the ship. We did buy him a Teen passport (for sodas and virgin drinks) but he never did use them all.

EXCURSIONS: I really shouldn't comment on this since I researched and booked all my own. They were all great. Did Captain Marvin's Sting Ray City (so unique - really fun). Paya Bay Beach Resort in Roatan (long drive - but a beautiful spot and where else can you be taken out snorkeling to a nice spot with just the 3 of us!) Sea Sports Belize snorkeling in (where else) Belize!

Best snorkeling I've ever done. And last but certainly not least - Dune Buggy tour in Cozumel! Great to get away from the masses shopping and drinking margaritas. What a fun ride and a great beach. The Western Caribbean is a wonderful itinerary for people who enjoy active vacations (or you can of course just stay on the ship and relax.)

MANDARIN SPA: Often the spa staff on ships tend to be over-priced and not as good as can be found elsewhere. Our son is a very good massage therapist so we have high standards, but both of us had massages that were very good.

MISC: LOVED FREESTYLE. Not sure I can go back to set seating. My dubious husband loved it. It made the week very relaxing and debarkation was so easy. We had a leisurely last breakfast in Seven Seas, walked around the almost deserted ship, took a few last pictures and then very easily walked off the ship, found our nicely tagged luggage and departed for the Miami airport.

MORE MISC: My husband like the casino (he's a blackjack fan) and it's nice to buy chips at a discount. The gym was very large and there was never a wait for any equipment even the day at sea. We liked the free ice-cream at Sprinkles (some ships charge extra) and the drinks were good and I did not think they were overpriced (but then again we live in Philadelphia). Our steward was the quiet type but he really got us laughing as he found out we enjoyed his towel creatures. He even made one of our son with a TV tuner (his favorite toy!) and unglasses and a hat!

So, all in all. GREAT Cruise. I want to go back! The ultimate test . . . my husband wants to go back.

Sea Princess Reviewed by Laura

Target Passenger: The ship appeals to a wide variety of travelers. Passengers included families with newborn babies, older families with teens, honeymooners, baby boomer couples and retired groups. While many passengers explored the Caribbean during days in port, others stayed onboard to participate in shipboard activities, or soak up sun from the pool decks and private balconies.

Accommodations: The ship's 975 cabins include six suites, 32 mini-suites, 565 outside cabins and 372 inside cabins. Nearly 70 percent of outside staterooms offer private balconies, and 19 cabins are wheelchair accessible.

Standard cabins range from 135 to 173 square feet and each include twin beds that can convert into a queen-size bed; a color TV with satellite reception, movies and four music channels; card-key cabin access; safe; minibar; robes; and phone with voice mail.

Suites and mini-suites offer additional features, including sitting areas, larger private balconies, whirlpool bathtubs, walk-in closets and two televisions, plus sofabeds, double sinks and wet bars.

Public Areas: Whether passengers are looking for a large-ship entertainment venue or a smaller place to mingle, Sea Princess provides plenty of options.

The largest public room is the Princess Theater, which accommodates 550 people. The theater's rich red decor, opera-themed murals and unobstructed views (no pillars) make it suitable for Broadway-style revues and movie screenings. Auditorium-style seating and folding tabletops at each chair are useful for group meetings. The Vista Lounge, which holds 480, hosts cabaret acts and dancing. The room is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows and features tiered seating at cocktail tables, plus a longer bar. Other gathering spots include a central atrium, with two glass elevators; the Riviera Deck's two large pools and whirlpools; the Grand Casino, with more than 150 slot machines and game tables; Rocky's Disco; and the Seaview Spa, which features a window-surrounded gym, fitness studio, treatment rooms and beauty salon.

Facilities for kids are abundant. The Fun Zone entertains young children with a covered pool, indoor playroom and plastic-ball room. Teens find their own refreshment bar, video games and disco, called Wired. Children of all ages can tee off in a golf simulator ($20 per half hour).

Dining: The Sicilian and Neapolitan dining rooms seat 552 passengers each for formal breakfasts, lunches and dinners in two seatings. The rooms are nearly identical, with murals reflecting their different namesake regions. Elegant touches include Frette linens, wood paneling, tiered seating and round tables. The mainly Italian waitstaff is fast and friendly, but there are no wine stewards. Dinners include healthy, vegetarian and "Always Available" options; favorites such as lobster, prime rib and sea bass; plus such innovative fare as crayfish and game hens.

Alternative Dining options include the 24- hour buffet in the Horizon Court, burgers at the poolside Riviera Grill, and made-to-order pizzas in Lago's Pizzeria. The 24-hour room service is another quick and easy option. The only prepared food item passengers pay extra for is ice cream from Sundae's by the pools, where servings range from $1.90 to $3.75.

Service: Bar service is efficient and friendly. Cabins are cleaned twice a day, with turndown service at night. Although the Sea Princess is one of Princess' "Grand Class" ships, Grand Class butler service was I not yet available in the suites and mini-suites. Thanks to card keys, preboarding credit card registration and automatic check-out, the purser's desk was rarely overrun with passengers.

Strongest Selling Point: Sea Princess offers a layout that won't overwhelm its nearly 2,000 passengers. Cruisers who enjoyed the Sun and Dawn Princess ships can expect a similar experience on the newest addition.

Shore Excursions: The ship's western Caribbean itinerary future watersports, including scuba training. Other tours include mountain biking near Ocho Rios, Jamaica; visiting Maya ruins on Cozumel Mexico; and sportfishing from Grand Cayman.