Return from 7/16 VOS (Review)

What a great trip. We returned from the 9 day today. I will post a review and then answer any questions that you have.

Embarcation:

We arrived at Bayonne at 11:25 AM and were aboard the ship by 11:55. Our room wasn't ready but we were allowed to leave our bags and go to lunch. By the time lunch was over we were able to get our room. We had no problems at all in Bayonne. It was almost too easy.

Cabin:

We were in a D1 Balcony on Deck 9. It was a bit smaller than we expected but comfortable. The balcony was 50 sq. feet and room 180 . Our room attendant was great she was available whenever we needed her. Our room was cleaned twice a day, at our convenience.

Ship:

The ship is beautiful and easily navigated. There are maps and signs everywhere. It never really felt crowded. Everyone was very helpful. We never really had to wait for elevators. True, sometimes they took a bit longer than others but it really wasn't a bother.

Pool:

There are three pools. The Solarium was frequented by mainly senior citizens so I didn't use that area. The other two pools were OK. Saltwater. Crowded on Sea days. There were chair hogs but they were dealt with by the pool patrol. They took personal belongings off of those chairs that were left unoccupied for abot an hour. They really tried to assist. I didn't have a problem getting a seat as I found them and then moved them to the areas that I wished. Noone said a word to me as I dragged my chairs around. We never were without a seat at the pool.

Food:

All meals were good. Our waiter and assistant waiter were great. I do not understand why there is a head waiter. He did nothing!!!!Portofino is a must. It was fabulous!!!!!The dining room food was good. It wasn't great. Some was much better than others. Room service was quick and all food was fresh. Johnny Rockets was good. No charge, only for drinks. Windjammer and Island Grill were adequate.

Shows:

I went to most evening shows and the Ice show. All were fun. Seats were easy to get.

Activities:

Karoke, Bingo, pool games were fun. Dancing under the stars was fun.

Horse racing was good. The cruise director and staff were a lot of fun. Do not miss the Quest and Marriage game.

Shopping on board:

Prices were good. Liquor was cheaper in Grand Cayman but ship prices were OK. There is a 9.95 charge per bottle if you are going to bring it to your room. Mixers can be ordered through room service. Perfumes were comparable to port prices. I found the jewelry to be expensive. The Promanade is impressive.

Children:

Some were running wild w/o parental supervision. The ship security was right on them. The 10-16 year olds were the worst. They were, in some cases, out of control.

Ports:

Labadee was a typical beach day. We rented mats and spent time on the beach. The BBQ is OK. The people are really poor and there is a market where they will be seling island goods and T shirts. We bought a few things. My husband went para sailing.

Ocho Rios was great. We went to Dolphin Cove and swam with the dolphins, climed Dunn's falls, and had lunch in Island Village which is next to the ship. Margaritaville is there. It was jumping

Grand cayman was very much like Bermuda in one area and Florida in others. We went to the turtle farm, Hell and the colony Beach club. We did not go snorkling but everyone who did said that it was great.

Freeport was a total waste of time. The only thing that i heard from others was that you can use the beach at the Sheraton. Do not botther with the shopping centers. They are a joke. I hope that RCCL changes this port.

Debarcation was not too bad. They call the color codes to quickly. They need spread them out a bit. Once off of the ship we had no problem getting the shuttle, our luggage and meeting our ride.

We had such a great time that we booked the same cruise for next year. Feel free to ask any questions.

Robin

Thanks for your report and all the details you gave, it sounds like you had a wonderful time!!! :) Do you think that lounge chairs would fit out on the balcony, or would it be too small?? I recently read that people sometimes request lounge chairs, and I'd love to have them on our balcony

It depends on the size balcony. We had a small one so a lounge chair would not fit. Next year we have a JS with a 70 sq ft balcony, so we will be able to fit a lounge chair.

Robin,

Thanks for the nice review -- I was wondering, what time did you get off the ship?

Bonnie

Robin-

Thanks for the great review. That's exactly what we are expecting on our cruise 8/27. I saw your M&M was 11:45 on Labadee day. Bet no one showed up. We have a great crowd for our M&M. We're having our own as soon as we board- all 57 of us!!! We're going to all call RCCL and ask them to change official M&M to a sea day (once they post the time).

I hope we all have as great a time as you!!!

We were off of the ship at around 1:30.

The M&M party was on Saturday, not Labadee day (Monday) and out of 90 people only around 15-20 showed up. It was a waste. They gave us a ID holder and CC pin. We asked for a different time but they had all sorts of reasons why it couldn't be changed.

What time was the muster drill do you remeber?

Great review. Just a few more days for us.

The ticket booklet and the port website still says cash only for parking. Were they accepting credit cards?

Thanks for all the great info.

What time was the muster drill do you remeber?

The muster drill was at 4:30 PM.

4:00- 4:30

Great review. Just a few more days for us.

The ticket booklet and the port website still says cash only for parking. Were they accepting credit cards?

Thanks for all the great info.

We used a Limo service but those that I spoke to who parked there said that it was cash.

Does Voyager have a Adult Only Pool and is this the Main pool where all the action is or is it somewhere else and meant to be peace and quiet.

Also anyone know what IMHO stands for?

In my humble opinion

The solarium is adult only and is serene. I only walked through on my way from the gym to the main pool area. It is near the main pools but not at all noisy. It was mainly used by seniors, readers, sleepers and those who couldn't stand the kids any longer.