Vision of the Seas...How concerned should this 1st timer be?

Having never cruised before, I don't really know what to expect beyond what I read on reviews here. I booked the February 28th sailing out of Tampa as a 30 anniversary gift for my parents who have never cruised. While I've planned out a few port excursions that I'm pretty sure they will enjoy, a considerable amount of time is obviously spent on the ship.

I believe that more often than not we are inclined to write reviews when we are upset than when we are pleased so I'm guessing that for every negative review there are at least a dozen if not 100 people who would review it positively. The cruise lines wouldn't have so many repeat customers if that weren't the case right?

But lately the reviews I'm seeing for Vision seem to be trending in the wrong direction and there are themes that I'm seeing such as long lines and chaos at the terminal, poor food quality, etc. Should I be concerned about this? Talk me off the proverbial ledge if not or push me off the plank if there are major red flags you're seeing in the reviews. I would love to hear some positive feedback on Vision from those who have recently gone out of Tampa. What are your expectations going in and what are your standards in general? My parents are excited to have a free breakfast at a Holiday Inn when they travel and while it's not their absolute favorite food in the world, they don't mind Golden Corral. When I read about bland food in the MDR or Windjammer, put that in perspective please. What is it bland in comparison to? What would it be a notch above?

Us newbies who didn't cruise before the economy took a nosedive don't always have a point of reference that makes sense to us.

No need to worry. Vision of the Seas is a great ship and will be a great introduction to the world of cruising for first timers.

We found the food venues to be excellent, great entertainment, and a beautiful ship.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Having never cruised before, I don't really know what to expect beyond what I read on reviews here. I booked the February 28th sailing out of Tampa as a 30 anniversary gift for my parents who have never cruised. While I've planned out a few port excursions that I'm pretty sure they will enjoy, a considerable amount of time is obviously spent on the ship.

 

I believe that more often than not we are inclined to write reviews when we are upset than when we are pleased so I'm guessing that for every negative review there are at least a dozen if not 100 people who would review it positively. The cruise lines wouldn't have so many repeat customers if that weren't the case right?

 

But lately the reviews I'm seeing for Vision seem to be trending in the wrong direction and there are themes that I'm seeing such as long lines and chaos at the terminal, poor food quality, etc. Should I be concerned about this? Talk me off the proverbial ledge if not or push me off the plank if there are major red flags you're seeing in the reviews. I would love to hear some positive feedback on Vision from those who have recently gone out of Tampa. What are your expectations going in and what are your standards in general? My parents are excited to have a free breakfast at a Holiday Inn when they travel and while it's not their absolute favorite food in the world, they don't mind Golden Corral. When I read about bland food in the MDR or Windjammer, put that in perspective please. What is it bland in comparison to? What would it be a notch above?

 

Us newbies who didn't cruise before the economy took a nosedive don't always have a point of reference that makes sense to us.

I had read some negative reviews before we sailed on Vision in September, but we ended up having a great time on the cruise. The ship and crew were excellent. If you want to read my review of that cruise, here is the link...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2108202

Have a great time!

I have been on dozens of RC ships with the exception of the Sovereign class (Majestry) and had no second thought about booking the Vision for our Med cruise next May. The ship underwent a major refurbishment last year and I expect to enjoy it as much as any other ship.

I will tell you that my husband was a big skeptic before his first cruise 12 years ago and he is hooked.

Rarely have I ever had a bad meal and if I don't like something I ask to have it replaced. The wait staff is always more than happy to replace it with another option. They aim to please.

Chaos in the terminal can also happen as it did on our transatlantic. Seemed like Homeland security was not expecting an extra 3000 people that day. One other incident was when a ship was coming out of dry-dock but we had been warned and showed up anyway (like 4 hours before the ship).

I wouldn't focus on the bad reviews, everyone has different expectations and not researching a cruise line fully is often the case.

I think your choice sounds like a good fit for them.

Sheal

For 1st timers, this ship is great! Small enough to be "personal", yet it will feel HUGE upon boarding! The only caveat I have is cabin size....insides and standard cabins are tight...but that's simply the way it is....

I don't thick you need to be concerned at all...and you need to stop reading reviews, and just plan on enjoying your vacation!

I was on the vision for 9 days in November. we had an excellent cruise. It was relaxing and we enjoyed the ports.

You are correct that people are more likely to post problems rather than good experiences.

As first time cruisers you will likely think the Vision looks pretty good despite her age . . . and she does. The recent dry dock gave it a little polish.

However, the trip will have at least a couple of bumps in the road. That is true of all travel. The trouble with reviews is that you are reading these "bumps" from multiple trips/people and putting them all together in your mind. You end up thinking each happens on every cruise.

My comments for what they are worth :D :

We found bar service to be slower than we like--particularly at the Schooner bar. We found the Casino bar was the least used and fastest to get a drink.

We found the food to be good in the MDR. We do not eat dinner in the Windjammer [buffet] I would not compare it to a very upscale steak house/seafood restaurant. However, the food is cooked nicely and presented well. [and heck, I did not cook it or have to do the dishes]

My biggest criticism is of steaks. I think they are all tough--but, we buy our beef directly from the farm and my steaks at home are always going to be better than on the ship.

My other issue is mashed potatoes. I love them on the ship, but they use them almost every meal with the beef and chicken entrees. Remember you can ask for other things. [ i.e. french fries or baked potatoes, rice, steam veggies, etc] Ask your server.

One thing we like on the vision was that on each sea day they had a BBQ set up on the pool deck at lunch. We had 5 sea days and had a variety of items. [Paella, varieties of Pasta, BBQ chicken, taco, etc] these were a big hit.

Vision class ships are awesome!

No need to worry!!

There were so many bad reviews about my 1st ship (Sovereign Of The Seas) that I almost canceled it. I decided to go anyway because I always wanted to take a cruise and made up in my mind that if it is really as bad as all the bad reviews I read, I just wouldn't cruise anymore. That was my thinking because the reviews did not distinquish between one ship or another and I would have just thought they were all like that! This was before I came across the forum section of Cruise Critic. We had a blast on that cruise and did not expeience any of the bad things we read about that ship and we fell in love with cruising form that cruise. I use the picture I took of Sovereign as my profile pic because you never forget your first love!

I now take the bad reviews with grain of salt and make my own decision about any ship I am going to go on!

:cool:

overall people will complain ten times more about one problem than rave about ten good things

don't worry

youll have a blast

We were on Vision in Sept out of Ft Lauderdale. We too were worried because of the reviews but found none of them to be true. We had a great time. Especially love Park Cafe on this class of ships.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Having never cruised before, I don't really know what to expect beyond what I read on reviews here. I booked the February 28th sailing out of Tampa as a 30 anniversary gift for my parents who have never cruised. While I've planned out a few port excursions that I'm pretty sure they will enjoy, a considerable amount of time is obviously spent on the ship.

 

I believe that more often than not we are inclined to write reviews when we are upset than when we are pleased so I'm guessing that for every negative review there are at least a dozen if not 100 people who would review it positively. The cruise lines wouldn't have so many repeat customers if that weren't the case right?

 

But lately the reviews I'm seeing for Vision seem to be trending in the wrong direction and there are themes that I'm seeing such as long lines and chaos at the terminal, poor food quality, etc. Should I be concerned about this? Talk me off the proverbial ledge if not or push me off the plank if there are major red flags you're seeing in the reviews. I would love to hear some positive feedback on Vision from those who have recently gone out of Tampa. What are your expectations going in and what are your standards in general? My parents are excited to have a free breakfast at a Holiday Inn when they travel and while it's not their absolute favorite food in the world, they don't mind Golden Corral. When I read about bland food in the MDR or Windjammer, put that in perspective please. What is it bland in comparison to? What would it be a notch above?

 

Us newbies who didn't cruise before the economy took a nosedive don't always have a point of reference that makes sense to us.

Hi, just off the Vision on Sat. No need to worry. Beautiful ship.

Yes the lines to wait to board are very true. If you can wait til later to get on the ship I suggest you do. Very chaotic, no one seemed to know what they were doing!

The food, I have no complaints other than the long lines, which didn't make any sense at all. Whether you had reservations or not!! We had MTD as all we could get, this cruise was booked back last Feb!:eek: the reason for My Time is for YOU to go eat when YOU want to!! They just don't seem to get it! Very frustrating. Plus there was no where to sit outside the dining room while waiting to be seated.

You will enjoy the cruise, this was a girls cruise for myself and a friend. My 5th cruise but 1st with RC. I have another cruise booked for Mar on the Legend and is a bit worried as it will be the same and I really don't want that. I have made dinner reservations but not sure that will help.

You can go on the web site and book your own reservations but by now you may be left like us with an 8:15 reservation and not get seated til 8:45 or later. Not one night did we get out of the dining room before 9:30!!! That's to late.

They will tell you that you do indeed need reservations to eat!!!

Enjoy. Just remember you don't have to cook or clean!!

I board Vision on Saturday and will report back.

I have been on dozens of RC ships with the exception of the Sovereign class (Majestry) and had no second thought about booking the Vision for our Med cruise next May. The ship underwent a major refurbishment last year and I expect to enjoy it as much as any other ship.

 

I will tell you that my husband was a big skeptic before his first cruise 12 years ago and he is hooked.

 

Rarely have I ever had a bad meal and if I don't like something I ask to have it replaced. The wait staff is always more than happy to replace it with another option. They aim to please.

 

Chaos in the terminal can also happen as it did on our transatlantic. Seemed like Homeland security was not expecting an extra 3000 people that day. One other incident was when a ship was coming out of dry-dock but we had been warned and showed up anyway (like 4 hours before the ship).

 

I wouldn't focus on the bad reviews, everyone has different expectations and not researching a cruise line fully is often the case.

 

I think your choice sounds like a good fit for them.

 

Sheal

What's your sail date in May?

We're on Vision 16th May. :-)

We just did the Thanksgiving day cruise. I posted a review with some positives and several negatives. My mindset was comparing it to the other RCI ships we have sailed.

However, if you do not have anything to compare to, you will probably be completely satisfied. I take all reviews I read with a grain of salt because everyone has their own opinion. Stick with it and make your own determination. It's a nice 7 day with 4 stops. :)

Having never cruised before, I don't really know what to expect beyond what I read on reviews here. I booked the February 28th sailing out of Tampa as a 30 anniversary gift for my parents who have never cruised. While I've planned out a few port excursions that I'm pretty sure they will enjoy, a considerable amount of time is obviously spent on the ship.

 

I believe that more often than not we are inclined to write reviews when we are upset than when we are pleased so I'm guessing that for every negative review there are at least a dozen if not 100 people who would review it positively. The cruise lines wouldn't have so many repeat customers if that weren't the case right?

 

But lately the reviews I'm seeing for Vision seem to be trending in the wrong direction and there are themes that I'm seeing such as long lines and chaos at the terminal, poor food quality, etc. Should I be concerned about this? Talk me off the proverbial ledge if not or push me off the plank if there are major red flags you're seeing in the reviews. I would love to hear some positive feedback on Vision from those who have recently gone out of Tampa. What are your expectations going in and what are your standards in general? My parents are excited to have a free breakfast at a Holiday Inn when they travel and while it's not their absolute favorite food in the world, they don't mind Golden Corral. When I read about bland food in the MDR or Windjammer, put that in perspective please. What is it bland in comparison to? What would it be a notch above?

 

Us newbies who didn't cruise before the economy took a nosedive don't always have a point of reference that makes sense to us.

A cruise is a lot about "expectations." And reviews really need to be read with a huge grain of salt. You are going to love it! Keep your expectations real. They are cooking for 2500 people, so its "elevated banquet." It's good to very good, but not 5 star. You'll likely find that you enjoy all the meals. Some more than others, and if you get something you don't like, get something else. If you get something you really like, get another. It's free and the waiters really want you to be happy and will insist you have more. Heck, get one of every dessert just to try it!

Keep in mind it's a ship. It moves. So you may feel some movement, but the Western Caribbean tends to be most calm.

Keep in mind that a ship is mechanical. It'll have noise in certain spots. It'll vibrate sometimes.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of people, so you will find lines. But in reality they go fairly fast, and with experience you can figure out how to avoid them. For example, don't try to get off at a port as soon as the ship docks, and don't come back in the last hour or so. Those tend to be the longest lines.

Keep in mind the ship leaves on schedule and you don't want to be waving from the dock as it sails away.

There will be lot's to do on the ship. Laying around the pool is good, but you'll likely find the infamous "chair hogs." They are the ones who go up at 6 am in their pajamas and put stuff on a number of chairs, then show back up at noon.

As you can see reading these posts, most of us are terminally hooked on cruising. We grouse a lot about "the good old days," and wish it was "more like that." But this will be the "good old days" for you. You will likely love it all, and wonder what the heck all the negativity was about.

Welcome to our obsession. Hope you get hooked too.

A cruise is a lot about "expectations." And reviews really need to be read with a huge grain of salt. You are going to love it! Keep your expectations real. They are cooking for 2500 people, so its "elevated banquet." It's good to very good, but not 5 star. You'll likely find that you enjoy all the meals. Some more than others, and if you get something you don't like, get something else. If you get something you really like, get another. It's free and the waiters really want you to be happy and will insist you have more. Heck, get one of every dessert just to try it!

Keep in mind it's a ship. It moves. So you may feel some movement, but the Western Caribbean tends to be most calm.

Keep in mind that a ship is mechanical. It'll have noise in certain spots. It'll vibrate sometimes.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of people, so you will find lines. But in reality they go fairly fast, and with experience you can figure out how to avoid them. For example, don't try to get off at a port as soon as the ship docks, and don't come back in the last hour or so. Those tend to be the longest lines.

Keep in mind the ship leaves on schedule and you don't want to be waving from the dock as it sails away.

There will be lot's to do on the ship. Laying around the pool is good, but you'll likely find the infamous "chair hogs." They are the ones who go up at 6 am in their pajamas and put stuff on a number of chairs, then show back up at noon.

As you can see reading these posts, most of us are terminally hooked on cruising. We grouse a lot about "the good old days," and wish it was "more like that." But this will be the "good old days" for you. You will likely love it all, and wonder what the heck all the negativity was about.

Welcome to our obsession. Hope you get hooked too.

One of the better posts I have seen in a long time.

As I said earlier not everything will be perfect. It is not perfect on a land based vacation either. Planes are late, traffic is hectic, there is a line at an attraction you want to visit. Travel is like that.

Cruising will be so very nice for you. I love cruising. Have a great time. :D

Hi, just off the Vision on Sat. No need to worry. Beautiful ship.

Yes the lines to wait to board are very true. If you can wait til later to get on the ship I suggest you do. Very chaotic, no one seemed to know what they were doing!

The food, I have no complaints other than the long lines, which didn't make any sense at all. Whether you had reservations or not!! We had MTD as all we could get, this cruise was booked back last Feb!:eek: the reason for My Time is for YOU to go eat when YOU want to!! They just don't seem to get it! Very frustrating. Plus there was no where to sit outside the dining room while waiting to be seated.

You will enjoy the cruise, this was a girls cruise for myself and a friend. My 5th cruise but 1st with RC. I have another cruise booked for Mar on the Legend and is a bit worried as it will be the same and I really don't want that. I have made dinner reservations but not sure that will help.

You can go on the web site and book your own reservations but by now you may be left like us with an 8:15 reservation and not get seated til 8:45 or later. Not one night did we get out of the dining room before 9:30!!! That's to late.

They will tell you that you do indeed need reservations to eat!!!

Enjoy. Just remember you don't have to cook or clean!!

That is a little weird to me that they would have My Time Dining and not have anywhere to sit while you wait. In my mind I was thinking it meant essentially that you would treat it like walking into any restaurant on land without a reservation so you might be seated right away or might have up to a 45 minute wait. I would think they could have a pager or something like restaurants to at least let you go walk around the ship until your table was being cleared, giving you enough time to get back to the restaurant while they cleared and reset the table.

A cruise is a lot about "expectations." And reviews really need to be read with a huge grain of salt. You are going to love it! Keep your expectations real. They are cooking for 2500 people, so its "elevated banquet." It's good to very good, but not 5 star. You'll likely find that you enjoy all the meals. Some more than others, and if you get something you don't like, get something else. If you get something you really like, get another. It's free and the waiters really want you to be happy and will insist you have more. Heck, get one of every dessert just to try it!

Keep in mind it's a ship. It moves. So you may feel some movement, but the Western Caribbean tends to be most calm.

Keep in mind that a ship is mechanical. It'll have noise in certain spots. It'll vibrate sometimes.

Keep in mind that there are a lot of people, so you will find lines. But in reality they go fairly fast, and with experience you can figure out how to avoid them. For example, don't try to get off at a port as soon as the ship docks, and don't come back in the last hour or so. Those tend to be the longest lines.

Keep in mind the ship leaves on schedule and you don't want to be waving from the dock as it sails away.

There will be lot's to do on the ship. Laying around the pool is good, but you'll likely find the infamous "chair hogs." They are the ones who go up at 6 am in their pajamas and put stuff on a number of chairs, then show back up at noon.

As you can see reading these posts, most of us are terminally hooked on cruising. We grouse a lot about "the good old days," and wish it was "more like that." But this will be the "good old days" for you. You will likely love it all, and wonder what the heck all the negativity was about.

Welcome to our obsession. Hope you get hooked too.

I'm glad to read so many positives about VOS. We will be on her for our Med cruise next September. We have been on RCI cruises and enjoyed each one. Although I have read many negatives about this ship, I think attitude plays an important part of any vacation experience whether on land or sea. No vacation or cruise is perfect.

Merry Christmas everyone and happy cruising in the new year!

I board Vision on Saturday and will report back.

I board the same day. I'm sure it will be wonderful!! I'll report back too!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Rlbarnes:

The lines were long, because it was 1st cruise out of Tampa and Brilliance was there that day. All new people checking you in, but by Feb it should be fine. Line should move quick.

I was on Vision in Sept and really enjoyed the ship and my cabin. Here is my review if you would like to read it. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2105573

I thought that food was fine. CD Steve Davis will be back. He is a hoot especially if Marvin is there. Schooner bar and the music was great or the centrum.

Your gonna have a great time. Happy cruising.

Thanks to the OP for posting my concers exactly. It goes to show that for every question posted online countless others have the same question.

Thanks everyone for your views on Vision. I am taking my first RCI cruise on her next year. A 15 day transatlantic solo and was cconcerned about the reviews. I am more at ease now. Thanks again.

We got off the Vision today.

We really enjoyed our week & would do it all again in a heartbeat.

The boarding process was long winded and chaotic. Getting off was worse. Other negatives are subjective, but nothing that would put us off going on this awesome little ship again. :)

Having never cruised before, I don't really know what to expect beyond what I read on reviews here. I booked the February 28th sailing out of Tampa as a 30 anniversary gift for my parents who have never cruised. While I've planned out a few port excursions that I'm pretty sure they will enjoy, a considerable amount of time is obviously spent on the ship.

 

I believe that more often than not we are inclined to write reviews when we are upset than when we are pleased so I'm guessing that for every negative review there are at least a dozen if not 100 people who would review it positively. The cruise lines wouldn't have so many repeat customers if that weren't the case right?

 

But lately the reviews I'm seeing for Vision seem to be trending in the wrong direction and there are themes that I'm seeing such as long lines and chaos at the terminal, poor food quality, etc. Should I be concerned about this? Talk me off the proverbial ledge if not or push me off the plank if there are major red flags you're seeing in the reviews. I would love to hear some positive feedback on Vision from those who have recently gone out of Tampa. What are your expectations going in and what are your standards in general? My parents are excited to have a free breakfast at a Holiday Inn when they travel and while it's not their absolute favorite food in the world, they don't mind Golden Corral. When I read about bland food in the MDR or Windjammer, put that in perspective please. What is it bland in comparison to? What would it be a notch above?

 

Us newbies who didn't cruise before the economy took a nosedive don't always have a point of reference that makes sense to us.

I think you picked out the perfect size ship for your parents first cruise. Your parents will love the ship and the MDR. I like the Windjammer also, I can find more vegetables and fruit on the buffet.

Really lovely 30th anniversary gift for your parents. :)

I tend to not go into something new with pre-conceived expectations, instead I like the new experience to just roll out.

What's your sail date in May?

We're on Vision 16th May. :-)

May 28th. I would have preferred your cruise but my daughter graduates from college on the 15th. As it stands I have to have her out of her apt and moved back home as she, along with her BF and my in-laws fly out on the 21st to Barcelona.

Lucky you, you are still going to La Spezia, our itinerary was switched to Livorno.

Sheal