Med cruise - Voyager of the Seas

Just returned from the Voyager of the Seas, med cruise.

Here are my thoughts for anyone already booked on this cruise.

Barcelona is a beautiful city, we stayed a night before the cruise in the Eurostars grand marina. This is a lovely hotel, right on the port and very handy for all the main tourist sights. Think we paid around £120 a night thro last minute.com. Breakfast is extra but is well worth the cost - amazing selection.

We had a wander round Barcelona on the morning of the cruise and then took a taxi to the actual boat which was inexpensive. We arrived about 12 and were aboard in probably 20 minutes, very efficient. Straight to Windjammer for buffet lunch ( we knew our way around as we had previously done some caribbean cruises on same ship and the Explorer ) by which time our cabin was ready and suitcases had even arrived. Fastest suitcases ever !

Now here is where I start to moan and gripe.......we had booked ( at very last minute, but not cheaply may I add ! ) Cabin 6508. It is situated as far forward as you can go on deck 6 but slighly out on a limb, down a small corridor on the port side. I was told it was the very last outside cabin available.........hmmm......I now know why. First impressions were that the cabin was spacious, we had previously always had a balcony cabin and I thought this seemed slightly larger, However this faded into insignificance when we realised how noisey this cabin was. As soon as we entered the cabin all you could hear was a boom, boom, boom noise thudding underneath. We ignored it that afternoon as we were going out anyway, just putting it down to entertainers getting the sound systems set up or having a practise ( if a little noisily ) however when we came back after dinner it was still continuing. We put up with it till 0130 as this is the time all the entertainement on board stops, its still continued, it went on till 0530 and then stopped. The next day and night the same happened so we phoned customer services around 0200, she said she would send security to investigate, they knocked on our cabin around 0400 to say it was coming from a crew gym or crew workout area and would be stopped. It was, but then continued every day and night sporadically for 5 days and 5 nights, until our complaints finally reached Alex ( Customer Services manager I think ) and then it stopped completely. I guess we should have insisted on seeing or speaking to Alex earlier but this is very difficult when you are on tours every day and shattered every night. Plus the girls on the desk kept insisting that the problem had been rectified, which it would be for an hour or so and then I guess new crew would enter the room and put the music back on.

One day my husband had a wander and found his way outside to a crew area with an outside punch bag and we wondered if this was the cause of the noise, think its way forward on a heli landing pad.

This noise was horrendous, one night I put in ear plugs and took a travel sickness pill ( normally they knock me out ! ) and still couldnt sleep through it, even having the tv onloud didnt drown it out, Infact we became so upset by it we missed doing an excursion to Florence as were so shattered and my husband actually wanted to leave the ship and fly straight home on about day 3 as he had enough. This cruise was to celebrate our 18th wedd ann, Ha some celebration.

We were not after an upgrade, i would have settled for a down grade to an inside wardrobe if we could have got some peace and quiet.

Anyway that aside, on to dinners. We were early sitting which we felt was late enough after long days touring, i think I read somehwere that the meal times are one hour later than in the Caribbean anyway. The food in the main restaurents was mediocre, nothing to right home about, Portofinos was amazing but go hungry, you get such a lot to eat, we couldnt manage desert and just nibbled one choc dipped strawberry. We felt the service was rushed, our waiter from Turkey was pleasant but didnt go out of his way and the assistant waiter didnt speak not once. Maitre 'd was very pleasant ( Jamaican )

Cruise director Rico was ok, not that funny. my husband thought he was a little sleazy ! He appeared at all the shows but I never saw him around the ship much.

Shows were good, i enjoyed them all especially the ice show and the Drifters, good old sing along had by all around the age of 40 ! There was also an English woman singing show songs, cant remember her name and I had never heard of her before ( I am English ) but she was good.

We never booked any excursions or private taxis for the ports of call, we used local transport very easily and cheaply. Marseilles is a dump and felt very dangerous and threatening once back from the main harbour area, either book a tour here to Aix on provence ( pleasant place ) or just have a quick wander round the port area and then get back on board. We had a wander and as it was Sunday nearly everything was shut, we then found ourselves in a market area with very poor people scraping through old clothes and shoes on the floor, we felt we had hundreds of eyes watching us and did a u turn pretty quickly and went back to the ship.

Villefrance was beautiful, we wandered around and then took a train to Monaco. Very nice and easy to do,think it cost about 4 euros each.

Livorno was the day we were meant to go to Florence but were too tired. We just wandered round Livorno itself which was quite nice, be aware shops shut for siesta from 1300 to 1600.

In Civitavechia we took the free port shuttle bus to leave the port area ( RCCI charge 12 Euros return at every port except Villefrance to get you out of the port and drop you off......rip off and needs to be stopped ) then we had intended getting the train to Rome, anyway a tourist guide got ont he bus and said we could go with them to Rome for 20 Euros, we did this and had around 5 hours free in Rome which was great and relaxing, it then took us right back to the ship on our return.

In Naples we left the ship and walked to the hydrofoil area, bought tickets to Sorrento and were there in 30 mins or so, loved Sorrento and bought some nice items including a leather bag, very soft leather for 40 Euros and Italian glass necklaces for about 8 and 10 Euros.

The full day at sea was broken up by a little excitement when the captain spotted what looked like an upturned boat in the water, he did a massive about turn and when back to investigate, turned out to be the bottom half of a surf board which was brought onboard, Captain Gerre said he would be able to give it to the freedom of the sea !! Guess it took at least an hour to rescue the board and so he seemed to put his foot down after that and steam to Barcelona. I have to say I never felt any movement on board the ship and I do suffer with sea sickness.

We woke up at 7am back in Barcelona, disembarked at 0810 and found our suitcases, 5 mins later we were in a taxi to Estacion de franca ( the railway station ) to leave our suitcases in left luggage so we could wander round Barcelona for the day again. This taxi cost 20 euros and was at least 10 euros too much, but as I have barely any Spanish its difficult to argue, i guess cruise ship passengers are just there to rip off. Taxi to airport which was a much much longer drive was only 18 Euros. Flight home at 1530.

Also be very careful in Rome and Barcelona with pick pockets, they are master of their craft and are often small children or a hand in hand young couple near the vatican ( posing as loving tourists ) We heard an American in the que to board ship in Barcelona saying he had lost his wallet, all his ID and $3000 and this only minutes before he boarded. Dont want to tell you this to scare you, just be aware and hopefully you will be fine. I didnt take a bag anywhere and my husband just used a money belt, and we carried a small camera, we were fine.

Any questions feel free to ask.:)

Did you notice if people were bringing beverages on board? I am very interested in bringing my own wine and paying the corkage fee. Also did you happen to notice if liquor, sodas, and water could be brought onboard? RCI has started a new policy and I'm trying to check if they enforce it on Voyager.

Is there sushi in the windjammer?

Your cruise sounded very nice except for the noise. Thanks for reporting that right now I will be forward on deck 3. I would have never guessed the crew area would be as high as deck 6. I will keep it in mind if they move my cabin.

Thanks for the review.

Just returned from the Voyager of the Seas, med cruise.

 

We woke up at 7am back in Barcelona, disembarked at 0810 and found our suitcases, 5 mins later we were in a taxi to Estacion de franca ( the railway station ) to leave our suitcases in left luggage so we could wander round Barcelona for the day again.

Just the information I've been looking for! Can you confirm this once more to me? Estacion de Franca? Because I was hoping that they would have left luggage there, but when I asked this from TURISME DE BARCELONA Call Center they said that there is NO left luggage or lockers for luggage at Estacion de Franca, only at Saints Nord Station... Hmm..

We are planning to do just the same thing as you did. Leave luggage there, wander around the city and catch our 3:10pm flight.

Kippo, Yes we left our luggage at Estacion De franca ( Railway station near to seafront area in Barcelona. The girls on board ship told us to do that as they have no way of looking after your luggage once you disembark. Just enter railway station, look for the x ray machine like in airports. Place luggage through x ray, collect other side and the left luggage is on your right. Not too many large lockers but we got one fine. We fitted one large and one medium case in one, think it was around 4 Euros so have some change.

Didnt notice if you could bring wine or soda aboard, I only drink water during the day and just refilled my bottle from the tap, plus we bought the ships wine at night.

Didnt see any sushi Im afraid but there was tapas on deck most lunchtimes which was a nice touch.

I think the crew noise was coming from deck 4 or 5 anyway it was definately beneath us ( Deck 6 )

I think the crew noise was coming from deck 4 or 5 anyway it was definately beneath us ( Deck 6 )

Thank you for a swift response :)

I checked the drawings of Voyager and yes - the Crew Gym on deck 5 is directly under your cabin.

In Naples we left the ship and walked to the hydrofoil area, bought tickets to Sorrento and were there in 30 mins or so, loved Sorrento and bought some nice items including a leather bag, very soft leather for 40 Euros and Italian glass necklaces for about 8 and 10 Euros.

 

Any questions feel free to ask.:)

Thanks for a great review! Sorry about your cabin...We are booked in an aft cabin so hopefully we will not have noise.

My DH wants to go to Sorrento (he has been there while in the Navy) but I could not see how we would do it. This solves the problem with the Hydrofoil. Can you tell me more? Cost? Where did you go to get it? Is it very full, like have to wait for another possibly? Anything you can add? I appreciate any info you can give me! Thank you so much.

Hi Versley,

The hydrofoil to Sorrento is very, very easy to do. Disembark ship, walk to the hydrofoil tickets building about 5 mins away ( easily spotted ) Tickets are sold around the back, trains at front ! Ask for tickets to Sorrento/Capri/Ischia ( think they were the 3 choices ) and pick up a timetable. We got something like the 11am one to Sorrento and the 1600 one back. They seem to stop mid afternoon. It takes around 30 mins, think it cost 12 Euros or something around that figure.

If you get up early enough you could take one to Capri and then one from Capri to Sorrento and then back to Naples. Wish we had done that now !

On arrival in Sorrento we took a slow walk up the cliff to get to the town but there is a lift. The walk wasnt too bad, we also walked back down. There are some nice little narrow streets with leather and jewellry shops. Lots of places to stop and eat and drink too. We ate in a square quite cheaply, pizzas were popular. Toilets nice and clean.

Anything else ask away !!

Thank you so much for the info. This solves the Sorrento problem.:)

I was not wanting to have to rent a car to go there and DH did not want a tour. He knows what he wants to go back to see. I did not want to ride with him! After he spent quite a bit of time over there he gets on the autostrad and goes like the locals do. eeek.....and Naples is crazy driving! Hydrofoil it is!:D

Thanks so much for your review - I've been watching for Voyager feedback for a while. Can you remember what time second seating is? Also, when are the formal nights - I'm presuming there are two? Thanks in anticipation.

Carol

Thanks for review. Did you take your passports on the land tours with you. I have heard about the pickpockets. What did the ship say about taking passports on land tours?