Voyager 9/9-9/18 review, part 1

This was our 5th cruise, our first on Royal Caribbean.

Pre-cruise/Post-cruise

Best Western Newark Park/Sleep/Cruise

We drove up from Philly on Thursday evening after work and arrived around 10 pm. No problem finding the Best Western, the directions from their website were dead-on. Were a little concerned as we pulled in to an EXTREMELY small parking lot and could not find a single space to park and unload. Someone finally pulled out and I went in to find out what was going on. There is a 2nd gated lot where they lock up cars being left behind. We had to empty everything out of the car and turn over keys. Asked to be on the 10:30 shuttle to the port and was told we had to take the 11 am. Hotel was VERY clean. Free breakfast in the am was quite extensive although the 'breakfast room' was small. Received wake up phone call from front desk asking if we could take the 10:30 shuttle instead of the 11. Hustled to get ready and got another phone call to move slowly, closer to 11 would be better. Grrrrr. Got downstairs and they were loading up to shuttles. Our driver was very nice and obviously knew what he was doing. The port was total CHAOS and that's being nice. There is NO separation between pick up and drop off. Driver gave us a business card and told us to call the free 800 number from the pay phone inside the terminal upon our return for pickup. When we returned, we discovered that there is NO payphone anywhere inside or outside the terminal. Cell phone was just about dead but managed to call. Was given "NUMBER 3" and told to wait at the taxi stand at the end. Another family was waiting. Saw shuttle pull up and pull in about 25 yards away. I walked up and asked if we should bring our luggage to him. "Louie" said to stay where we were and he would come get us. "Louie" then proceeded to let anyone who approached him get on the shuttle. The man from the other family and I walked up and asked him if he was leaving space for us. He said he "didn't realize people were there" and another shuttle was right behind him. There was not enough space for us on the shuttle now so I prayed for enough cell power and called the hotel again. Was told another shuttle was on it's way. Another family arrived and was told to wait at the taxi stand. Still chaos as cars were even going the wrong way in one way traffic to load/unload. In the chaos, we didn't see two more BW shuttles pull up and load up, still ignoring us waiting where we were told. Now waiting for almost an hour, I walked almost to the entrance of the shaos and stopped the next driver who pulled in. He promised he would drop off the ONE person he had and come get all of us waiting. As I started to walk away, people started pushing their way onto the shuttle. I ran to get the others and TWELVE of us who had been waiting for an hour ran up and stood behind the shuttle. We told the driver we weren't moving until we were on the shuttle. He made a phone call and unloaded the luggage and people who had pushed their way on. Time off the ship 11:40. Arrival at Best Western 1:30. An aboslute disgrace. If we had not blocked the shuttle from backing out, we would probably still be there waiting.

The port was total chaos. We arrived at about 11:15. People getting off and on at the same time. Hard to find porters as they were doing carry-outs and curbside at the same time. Finally found one porter who I swear was Michael Chiklis. Into the terminal easily. Had pre-printed the online checkin paperwork and went right to the counter. Whizzed through, stopped for obligatory photo, then sat down to wait for shuttle to board ship. There were tables of cookies and coffee, but we didn't partake. They called our number and we got on board at about 12:15.

A little disappointing as we got on. We usually get on a ship for the first time and enter into a huge atrium, or at least get greeted. We came on to the ship on Deck 1 and there was no one to tell us where to go or even give us a mini-map of the ship to figure out where we were. We followed the talking sounds from the elevator, and got on and headed up to Windjammer as our cabin would not be ready until 1ish. Windjammer was nicely laid out and got crowded very quickly. We had a bite to eat at Windjammer and then walked up to see the pool area and have our first Dirty Banana.

The paperwork they gave us in the terminal said to see the Maitre' D at 1 pm if there were dining issues. At 1pm I was waiting outside the dining room when the doors opened to see if we got a table for 2. We didn't. I was told that since we were SECOND in line there was a 99% chance we would get a table for 2, we would be notified in our cabin what table it would be. Headed to our cabin, 9610 on the port side. Smaller than any other balcony cabin we have been in, it had all the normal cubbies to put stuff away. Unloaded carry-ons and went to tour the promenade. Headed to the cabin around 3:30 for to relax and wait for muster. Cabin Steward Kathleen knocked and introduced herself. She was very pleasant and wanted to make sure we knew what was available and when she was available. Headed off for muster, painful but necessary and mercifully quick. Back to drop off vests and head up for sailaway. We had a nice spot on deck 12 against a railing with a foo-foo drink to watch the sailaway and the passing under the bridge. We had done this once before and it is just amazing. Many people cheering. Our last time we had amazing pics of the NY skyline with the World Trade Center. A quiet moment for us as I took a new picture.

Back to the room to see if we got our new table assignment. We didn't. Got dressed and headed to Windjammer for dinner. We were quite surprised that dinner was only being served in the very back, in the Island Grill part. It was nice to have a bar there, but I was disappointed in the food. Anything that wasn't smothered in a sauce was incredibly dry. The salad bar was nice. It was a little confusing to me that there were signs for obvious things like "carrots" but there were 3 or 4 tubs of white salad dressing and only one sign that said "bleu cheese". It was a guess to find the Ranch almost every time. Service for dinner in the Windjammer was OUTSTANDING. It was nicer than we had ever experienced before in any buffet on any ship.

We missed the Welcome Aboard show, but enjoyed a nice stroll along the top decks.

No towel animals tonight.

So-was the hotel itself ok? Was the chaos of the port the real issue?

Not sure I like the leaving the keys issue... I have been to some that require it and others that don't.

Do you thiink it would have been better if you parked yourself at the port?

Bernie, I gotta say that the attraction for us to sail out of Bayonne is that we drive up the day OF the cruise. Please share why you decided to stay over at the Best Western the night before. Was it because your day of departure was a week day, and you feared turnpike traffic?

Carol

It seems that for the Friday departure you really can't arrive before 12:00, too many people still getting off the ship from Bermuda. We arrived about 12:15 and had no problems. Also, getting off the ship we just took our own luggage to as close to the car as we could and then my husband brought the car around. We drove to the outside lane, past all the dropoffs and were out of the terminal in 10 minutes. Also, if you brought your cellphone with you, why wouldn't you bring the charger?????