Voyager Crowded?

I see that the Voyager has a capacity of 700. Will one experience long waits for shore excursions, for dining, room service?:confused:

jax:

In the "ship business" there is something called a "passenger to space ratio" which indicates how much space (suites and public areas) is available to the guests. The Voyager has such a ratio of over 70. In short, this means she is one of the most UNCROWDED ships on the sea. On our Voyager cruise, the ship was 100% full. No lines or crowds and great service.

Thanks,

Richard

The only thing I would suggest is that you order the night before if you plan to have room service breakfast. On my last cruise, morning service would take 30-45 minutes, but if I pre-ordered it was almost always at the "early" side of the service window requested. I have rarely experienced slow service in the Compass Rose, even when the ship was crowded.

We made a mistake of trying out another cruise line

a couple of years ago. Low end. Lines lines lines, and hurry up and wait.

Pay for everything.

Their ship was 50,000 tons and had 1,880 passengers.

The Seven Seas Mariner is 50,000 tons and 700 passengers.

The Seven Seas Voyager is 49,000 tons and 700 passengers.

I've only had to wait for a tender to return to the ship. (maybe 10 minutes). I never had to wait because the tender is full and you have to wait for the next one. Seven Seas always has at least two tenders if not more going all the time in port. I think each tender can hold something like 150 people.

As far as the dining room. The only time you would ever have to wait is if you go there before they open. The two specialty restaurants require reservations but there is no extra charge. that is because of their size.

That experience of the overcrowded ship was me last spring on HAL's Amsterdam. It was a horrible experience in many ways. Tried Silversea but didn't feel their cuisine was as good as that on the Radisson Diamond and Navigator. So am booked for the Voyager this summer but overlooked the fact that its passenger capacity would be much larger than my previous Radisson experiences. You all have eased my concerns and then to find out that I get free internet. Wonderful! I'm ashamed to admit this but I spent $500 on HAL communicating with family and friends because I was so unhappy onboard.

JAX..we've shamelessly "blown" the dough as well for numerous reasons trying to "stay" in communication with our business and family. We agree as well that long lines for everything including restrooms, takes the frosting of the cake.

Jax,

Free Internet also means 2 Cents a minute phone calls home. :) If you do call home check into http://www.skype.com/ .

One of my office mates just got off his first cruise on Princess and used skype to call home every day on his Caribbean cruise to talk to his 2 1/2 yo girl.

His costs were 37 cents a minute. The 2 cents skype cost and 35 cents Princess Internet cost.

But you will need a headset and a laptop. And you need to try this at home so you do not have to learn on the sea. Not a lot to learn but still. My office mate would take his laptop down to a WiFi area on Princess and he and his wife would make the "call" home. They loved it.

I have been on the Voyager when it was filled to capacity and when we were less then 300. At no time was there a wait nor lines. As far as requesting room service breakfast the night before, I think that just makes for common sense. Ours always came right on time, delivered and set-up by the butler ever so graciously. I would think if you wait until the morning to request room service breakfast, you might have to cool your heels while it is prepared (just like in a hotel or restaurant anywhere)... so I really do not understand JHP's comment about waiting 30 - 45 minutes.

sailbynite, we are in complete agreement. It makes common sense to order the night before and then it is always delivered right on target. On my last cruise, there were lots of sea days, and I didn't want to have room service as my wake-up call. So I took my chances, and was ready to cool my heels for the 30-45 minutes it took. Not complaining, just stating my experience for timing and passing it along.

jhp

LOL, at 5:30 in the morning, my call for coffee on the Mariner was always less than 2 minutes. Maybe it was my $2 tip that helped.:p

The ONLY time on the Mariner that there was a "Wait" ~ 90 minutes was when we docked in San Juan and EVERBODY had to be called down to meet with US Immigrations. They called ppl by deck. There was a line for the Mmmm 4 Agents from Immigrations once your deck was called. The stop at San Juan was the last port before Fort Lauderdale so it was during the cruise not at the end.

and no significant lines. Never had a long wait for room service [including midnight snacks] but did not try ordering in am. All pre-ordered breakfasts arrived on the dot/early side of time frame...don't know how they managed that. Room service is a strong feature on Voyager.

On our last trip [New Year cruise] there sometimes were significant delays in the diningroom...one night we ordered promptly but waited about 35-40 minutes for the 1st course to arrive. I did not think that diningroom service was all that it needed to be in a variety of parameters.

Another Voyager cruiser here who never had to wait in a single line, except on the first day to make Signatures reservations, and even that line was less than 10 minutes. As for breakfast, we put our little doorknob order form out every morning, and he came at EXACTLY on the dot the time we checked...it got to be a running joke with us, we thought he might be standing outside the door staring at the secondhand on his watch! LOL! We did use this as our wake-up call -- I'd stay in bed as Mom let him in, he'd sweep in the room and set up our breakfast with linen and china like we were royalty, and off he'd go! Best wake-up call I've ever had. :)

LeeAnne

Similarly, we filled out the room service card for breakfast the night before -- on the Voyager and on all our cruises -- because I like coffee as soon as I wake up. Room service always hit the time right, =/- five minutes!

Thanks,

Richard

We are among those who like to get up when we feel like it rather than at a set time and have found that 30 minutes is the longest wait we have ever had even with a full ship. That time can be usefully employed in dressing and preparaing for the day.

Richnot, I'm like you on sea days. Let's hope they keep to a 30 minute thing wehen we do not just need coffe, which can be availalbe in 2 minutes (thats good)