Back from VOS - Canada-alittle long

Back yesterday from 5-nite to Canada. In a word COLD, WINDY and FOG! Still had fun. A few observations: check in: There was confusion of those arriving clashing with those departing. We got there so early that we didn't experience it but did notice people trying to leave. Yes, the area is still being built up, but the potential is there for a great thing. Musicians performed and snacks were provided. No complaints about check in. Leaving at 10:00 PM is a new experience. Everyone already in party mood. Buffet the 1st nite, no dining room. Promenade was great, we had atrium room. Alittle smaller, but the view was great! Hint: we did get free soda at the promenade cafe from the bar there. It is fountain style (not in cans) and there was n/c. I also got a free drink once because the bartender wasn't completely set up at the high notes bar (top of ship). That was nice! Saw whales and dolphins. Always a plus. Condition of ship. Good. Alittle worn here and there, but overall just fine. My only mini complaint is that someone posted RCI doesn't have enough to do on cold days when you can't enjoy outdoors. I would agree. On the last day we were wandering around alittle and finally got a deck of cards and that passed the time till the next event. Oh, people were concerned about food temperature. I only had one pasta dish in the Windjammer that wasn't hot. Everything else was just fine. I don't eat meat, so sometimes my choices were a bit limited. The meals in dining room were great. Always well prepared and hot. Staff very kind and attentive. Didn't notice anything different about their attitudes being on a shorter cruise. They were COLD too!!! Any questions, I'll be happy to try and answer!

jpurdy, thanks for the quick review. What time did you dock in St John? And what time were you able to get off the boat? What time did you leave in Halifax? I still haven't made decisions on our activites--and we are on the next Canadian on June 13. This info would help.

jpurdy Thanks for the review. About what time did you board in Bayonne?

We docked in St. John fairly early, 8:00 or 9:00. We walked around, didn't do any tours. Had a Moosehead, which is brewed there. Docked in Halifax about 9:00 too. Gosh, can't remember details! Sorry! Did the Harbor Hopper, great fun. The amphibius vehicle for a tour on land and in the harbor. Well worth it. Arrived in Bayonne very early for a 6:00 PM board time. About 3:30. Oh well. We hoped for an earlier boarding time. It did not happen.

I just want to clarify...you were not allowed to board the ship until 6pm? Is that why dinner was only in the Windjammer the first night?

I have read elsewhere that dinner the first night was "open seating" in the dining room. Did you notice if that was happening the week you went?

 

Why is boarding so late? Is it because the ship arrives late on Sunday morning from the previous sailing?

 

Kimberly

Monarch of the Seas 4/02

Disney Wonder 11/02

Adventure of the Seas 10/03, 3/04

Voyager of the Seas to Canada 9/5/04

 

"Girl's Getaway" on Mariner of the Seas 11/7/04

Yes it is. I was on the 9 day VOS cruise returning on May 30th and we didn't get off the ship till 4:30 and there were many color tags still to be called.

 

Judy

RCCL Voyager 5/21-5/30/04

CCL Inspiration 4/4-4/11/04

NCL Sea 4/14-4/27/03

DCL Wonder 5/16-5/19/02

DCL Wonder 5/3-5/8/01

CCL Fantasy 2/15-2/18/01

jpurdy, do you remember what time the Voyager left Halifax?

Dinner WAS available in the dining room on the first night (boarding). It was open seating and was served from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm. I know because I ate there. Had a wondeful prime rib. Wish the food was as good the rest of the cruise. It was listed in the dining schedule in the Compass (daily bulletin). I was very surprised that they managed it. There was a bit of a line but it moved so any future sailors please note.

 

Norway - 2/97;Leeward -12/97;

Grand Princess - 1/99; Leeward - 6/99; Dawn Princess - 11/99;Vision of the Seas - 6/00;Carnival Victory - 9/00; Zenith - 10/00

Mercury - 3/01; R1 -7/01; Grand Princess - 11/01; Majesty of the Seas - 12/01; Norwegian Star - 3/02;

Carnival Triumph - 7/02;

Maasdam - 11/02; Holiday - 12/02; Millennium - 4/03; Carnival Victory - 7/03; Zaandam - 8/03; Zuiderdam - 10/03; Enchantment of the Seas - 1/04; Galaxy - 3/04; QM2 - 5/04

Hi. I just got off the Voyager May 30 cruise. There was open seating in the dining room the first night. I forget the exact times, but you could go in whenever you got there in between those times.

 

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Jan from New Jersey

 

Celebrity - Caribbean - Twice

RCCL - Alaska, Caribbean

Holland America - Panama Canal and South America

 

Future:

 

Royal Caribbean - Canada - May

Celebrity - Back to back Caribbean - Oct. 2004

Princess - Back to back Caribbean - Feb. 2005

Open seating int he DR the first night, but as with the Bayonne port "have patience!" I went to the Magic FLute (on my Seapass), got sent to the one on the 3rd deck, was told that was closed (they meant full) & sent again to the 4th deck. MANY TYPOS in the COmpass (maybe as many I have here!). CHeck the activities (if anyone knows what is going on). Went to attend several things, but found they had printed the wrong times or it wasn't going to happen at all.

Embarkation form my perspective: the cabbieI had from the Newark Airport was very perturbed at the traffic getting to the terminal around 4:30. The 3 minute drive took around 30 minutes. Didn't start boarding until 6 PM. Had music & snacks (if you could hear, get to them) Think: over 1000 people sitting around a big, cavernous room. Debarkation: had beige tags (white: RCCL air arrangements; beige: independent air arrangements; Lavender: groups). Was off the ship around 9:30 or 10:00(I think). Originally had a 11:25 flight out of Newark. Glad I changed to a 2 PM from LGA. I wasn't in a cab until 11:20 AM to go anywhere. Apparently, RCCL told the cab companies to come an hour and a half later thatn they actually started off loading passengers, so there were NO CABS at the terminal and hundreds of people waiting. You never know what time you are going to get off, so trying to prearrange for one would be difficult. There were 3 people from cab companies trying to "coordinate" things & get cabs to come to the port but it was almost hopeless. Don't plan on making any early flights.

I also got off at the same time you did and experienced the same problem getting a taxi. What got me was that we were promised a ride by the dispatcher but he couldn't handle the crowd and kept saying "You're next." and then put other people ahead. But judging by my experience going to the port, there simply aren't a lot of taxis in Bayonne. I went to the Yellow Cab Company office and still had to wait to get a cab. RCI was supposed to aleviate the problem with shuttles to the Light Railway but then said no one took them up on their offer? I didn't see any offer. It wasn't in the docs, on their website or in their brochure.

 

Norway - 2/97;Leeward -12/97;

Grand Princess - 1/99; Leeward - 6/99; Dawn Princess - 11/99;Vision of the Seas - 6/00;Carnival Victory - 9/00; Zenith - 10/00

Mercury - 3/01; R1 -7/01; Grand Princess - 11/01; Majesty of the Seas - 12/01; Norwegian Star - 3/02;

Carnival Triumph - 7/02;

Maasdam - 11/02; Holiday - 12/02; Millennium - 4/03; Carnival Victory - 7/03; Zaandam - 8/03; Zuiderdam - 10/03; Enchantment of the Seas - 1/04; Galaxy - 3/04; QM2 - 5/04

It's so interesting to read other comments of people on this cruise! To answer someone's question, we boarded late 'cause the 9 day cruise arrived late ~11-noon from the caribbean. Sorry I was wrong about the open seating in dining room. Clearly it was available. I don't have nearly as many complaints as some, while the buffet wasn't gourmet by any means, it was ok. Yes, the promenade offerings were really nice! Great little sandwiches, cookies, pastries in the morning and I found the coffee there much better than in the windjammer buffet. I went there every a.m. instead. Johnny Rockets was good! I had a veggie burger. Only charged for milkshakes/soda. We found the hot tub in the solarium hot enough. We have a hot tub and did compare the temps. The temp. in the spa was way too cold that day. I, too, was disappointed there was no retractable roof to create an indoor pool in the solarium. I did not find the embarkation to be bad at all. It was our decision to arrive early. If the ship was not ready, that is not their fault. It was clearly stated that we could not board till 6:00 and we did! I didn't find the bus from the terminal to the ship to be a problem either. It almost led up to the excitement actually. We must remember this is a brand new experience at Bayonne and there will be kinks to be worked out. It is our choice to be the guinea pigs!! I personally like to save on airfare by driving from my home and am willing to put up with small inconveniences as a result. We waited over 2 hours to get off the ship and found the staff very pleasant. One of our suitcases was put in the wrong color line and they were helping us to find it even though they were very busy. We walked to the parking lot and did not wait for the shuttle. Again our choice. I can sympathize however with anyone who has trouble walking. We did see some angry people looking for cabs.

Sorry to seem like a pest, but could you tell me what time the boat left Halifax. We want to do an independent tour to Peggy's Cove and need to know whether we can get back on time. The Voyager does leave Halifax pretty early, right?

Oh, sorry, forgot to say we left Halifax at 7:00. We were at dinner when the ship left. Any other question, will be happy to try and answer.

Hi Jpurdy,

 

I think I agree with your assessment of the cruise. We didn't find things nearly as bad as some of the cruisers apparently did.

 

And, I think if they just put up some signs prior to getting close to the unloading/parking area, everything will be fine. Embarkation went quickly and smoothly for us. Debarkation also.

 

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Jan from New Jersey

 

Celebrity - Caribbean - Twice

RCCL - Alaska, Caribbean, Canada

Holland America - Panama Canal and South America

 

Future:

 

Celebrity - Back to back Caribbean - Oct. 2004

Princess - Back to back Caribbean - Feb. 2005

So, jpurdy, what's your best advice on when to arrive at the port? We are driving, so we can time it as exactly as we wish.

 

I'm glad for both ends of the trip, from what you are reporting. We can get there whenever we like, and we can just leave in our own car without waiting for these messed-up taxis. I think that I'll twist my 18 yr old daughter's arm to get her to pack light enough that we can just wheel our own bags on and off, too, and that will further reduce stress and waiting time.

 

Carol

 

 

Voyager of the Seas - 5-day to Canada - NO AIRFARE!!!! 8/2004

 

Jewel of the Seas 12/2004

Explorer of the Seas 12/2003

Explorer of the Seas 8/2002

 

<marquee>till we sail on the Jewel! New Year's Cruise.....12/26/04</marquee>

 

<marquee>..........................Oh, no! We have become New Year's Cruise Addicts!</marquee>

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Thank you jpurdy! Is that 7:00 ship time (eastern standard time) or local time 8:00 (atlantic time)? I guess a better question is do you change your watches to atlantic time or do you leave them at eastern time for the duration of the cruise?

We were on the cruise before this and we arived early, around 10:30. We didn't get off the ship till around 4:30 which delayed the the pax waiting to board the 5 nighter. Today, I spoke to an employee of my CA and she said that RCCL told her that the delay was due to a Coast Guard security check which took hours. That was bull dinky! The problem is all to do with the transport of luggage and if RCCL doesn't solve that problem, all cruises will be as much delayed. The ship is great, read our review of the 9 night, but Bayonne has to shape up or ship out. We're sailing out of there in September on the Empress. If it doesn't improve by then, we won't be back to Bayonne.

 

Chuck & Phyllis

 

Doing Empress on 9/18/04

 

Doing QM2 on 3/2/05

 

 

 

It was 7:00PM ships time. We stayed on ships time in ST John and Halifax Eastern Daylight Saving. We didn't change our watches.

For all our other cruises out of NYC, we arrived at 9:00 for a 12 or so embarkation. But the advantage of that is we can walk uptown for awhile and come back having already left our luggage with the porters. A major disadvantage to Bayonne is there isn't anything really around there. So unless they set up some better transportation, it will continue to be problematic. I found the transporting of luggage to be quick actually. We watched all of it from our waiting area on Deck 4. We arrived on the deck at 8:40 and were there till after 10:30 watching the whole process and hearing the colors called. I will say that RCCCL is not entirely at fault here. People jam up the deck where the gangway is and it causes utter chaos. People...listen to the directions! We thought the loading of luggage was very well done. All put into large tractor trailer vehicles. Added to that a full hour or more was lost waiting for non-US pax to show up at immigration, etc. So, my best advice is to arrive perhaps 2 hours before the paperwork says you can board and hope for earlier, but be prepared for a wait. Bring walkmen, hand held games, decks of cards, maybe a snack, water, and most of all your sense of humor. We thought the musicians were a nice touch. I don't expect to be entertained while I am waiting. Hey, we accept it from the airlines. Why do we expect so much more from cruise lines? We don't expect the airlines to entertain us or feed us, etc. We just know we have to endure the lines and safety measures that are there to protect US. Let's keep it in perspective. The walk to our car was not bad at all. And yes, we always kept ship time.

One more thing! I had asked whether "buckets of beer" were still being offered and was told no by someone on the boards. Well, I can report they are alive and well!!!!

We paid $45 for cab from Newark airport hotel to Cape Liberty. (The 10 passenger bus back --we were on the first group to leave with beige sicker--was $20 per person.) We did the New York Harbor pre-cruise. This was great!! We are from Iowa and loved seeing New York from this view. In St. Johns, we did the Moosehead and city tour...it was great! St. Johns had music to greet us...the city gave each lady a carnation in a bud water vase. Each man received a lapel pin. We felt very welcomed in St. John...even the bagpiper played as we sailed away. In Halifax, another couple and us took a cab-- total cost $110 for a 4 hour tour....we did it all--Peggy's cove, the city, the graveyard where the Titanic cruisers were buried. Then we had lobster at a restaurant before the went back to the ship. Loved the whole adventure...except the poor quality food in the Windjammer and in the dining room. One passenger said that you could tell with your eyes closed what would be served because it was the same every day...boring. Johnny Rockets was fun!! Don't forget the hot apple pie and ice cream...I had that 2 times. The onion rings and hamburgers were great! Our room was nice...the staff were good. The ice show is definitely worth seeing...The night performances were good. RCCL must improve their food...very important!

 

Sharon K. Perry

SKP, could you elaborate a liitle about the New York Harbor pre-cruise? How did it effect your boarding? Thanks!

 

<MARQUEE>Sailing the Voyager in .......</MARQUEE>

I was expecting really bad food from what I had been reading on the posts. Actually, I thought everything in the dining room was great - served hot and the steaks were prepared exactly as requested (one couple wanted well done, one wanted medium, I wanted mine "bleeding" and all arrived exactly right). The Windjammer food was kind of blah - but most of what I had was at least hot.

 

I really think they need to get their act together regarding the pick-up/drop-off situation - like separate areas maybe. We decided to use a car service and called from the ship to tell them when we were actually leaving. Figured it was better to wait a half hour for them rather than be charged for their waiting time. Our driver asked an employee what happens if it rains (everyone had to wait outdoors with their luggage). The answer he got was "we really don't want to think about that!" Hmmmmm

 

Anyway, they will have to do some adjusting to provide more things to do in cold weather, but I think they are trying. All-in-all, it was a fun trip that I would do again.

 

Geri

I had a great time on this cruise as well. The ship is amazing.

 

I thought the food was good. The service in the dining room was very good.

 

Room service was a little slow. I only tried them once.