Returned from Voyager 7/25

We just returned from the 5 day Voyager trip to Canada and had a great trip. Although the weather was lousy (cold, wind, rain, fog) there was so much to do on board that it didn't detract from our enjoyment of the cruise. This was our first trip on RCCL and we will surely cruise with them again.

Just a few notes on Bayonne. We arrived at 1:45 but got caught in a 45 minute traffic jam at the port. We decided to park in the lot and carry our luggage. Had I dropped off the luggage, I would have had to get back into the same traffic jam to park the car. We used a shuttle, but we were close enough that we could have walked. I later heard that the traffic jam eased up shortly thereafter, so it may have just been bad timing.

After that, everything went very smoothly, and we were able to board at 3:00. A tip about boarding: food (hot dogs, hoagies, drinks, etc.) was served in the terminal, but things went so quickly that we had no time to grab a bite. Once we boarded we had to wait about 30-45 minutes before food services began. No big deal, but if you arrive early and are hungry, take a moment and pick up some food in the terminal.

Disembarkation was simple. We were assigned yellow tags (the fourth color called) and were called at approximately 9:30. We were in our car at around 10:00, and home (South Jersey) by 11:45.

We felt that the activities were great. Both of our children (ages 9 and 12) loved the childrens' programs. The ship seemed very clean. The service was impeccable. Best of all, despite relatively rough seas, we hardly felt any movement. My wife had gotten somewhat sick on 2 of our 3 previous Disney cruises, but had no problems this time.

I'd be glad to answer any questions that any of you have.

Eric

Hi Eric! It was very nice to meet you onboard! We had no problem disembarking this morning either! From the time they called our color till we were in our car heading home was about 20 minutes! We had a great time! It's nice to be home though! ;)

Thanks for the quick review. What did yall do in Saint John and Halifax? We're thinking of just renting a car in both ports.

Eric,

How were the men dressed on formal night? Should I bring my suite/tux? Or just tie?

Thanks

Did the ship stay on NY/NJ time or did it switch to Halifax/St. John time (one hour ahead)?

Did the ship stay on NY/NJ time or did it switch to Halifax/St. John time (one hour ahead)?

I was on the 7/16 trip to the Western Caribbean. When we were in port with a time change, the Captain, and many others, reminded us to stay on ship's time. I remember that Grand Cayman was 1 hour behind us and we were told to keep our watches to ship's time.

I've been on many RCCL cruises in the Caribbean you usually stay on "ships time". In Scandinavia, you adjust your clocks several nights. Need to know what they do in Canada.

Bonnie - It was great meeting you as well. I'm glad your disembarkation went so smoothly. It's difficult readjusting to reality, as I feel like getting a pre-dinner snack at Cafe Promenade.

Beti - We went on the Irving Nature Park excursion in St. John. Although I enjoyed learning about the city and particularly enjoyed the tea and scones that were served at the end, I was disappointed in the main event, namely the nature walk. We saw very few animals (one squirrel and a few birds) except for mosquitoes which were numerous. If you were to take this trip at this time of year, I would suggest wearing something with long sleeves. Unfortunately, many species tend to run away from large groups of tourists stomping through the woods. Also, the famous seals that inhabit St. John were not there in July.

In Halifax, we did not use a ship excursion, but rather set out on our own. We walked to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, which had some interesting exhibits on the explosion of Halifax and various shipwrecks, including the Titanic. We also did the Harbour Hopper (right next to the museum) which was a terrific way to see the streets and harbour of Halifax. By this time, due to rain and hunger, my family decided to return to the ship rather than explore more. If you haven't checked it yet, there are some excellent tips on both of these ports on the Ports of Call - Canada message board.

w770496 - As far as I observed, some men wore tuxes but the majority wore suits. Some wore just ties, while some didn't wear ties. For the most part, people dressed up somewhat more than I expected. Several people wore ties and/or jackets even on casual nights, although it was not the norm.

BaumD - We stayed on New York time, even though Canada was one hour ahead. Just be careful if you book any excursions on your own.

Thanks EricNJ. I've got to change around a rental car schedule.

Am glad to hear you had a great time.Even though the weather was lousy.We are booked for 10/03/04 to canada.First time for RCCl.What cabin did you stay in?I can't wait.Thanks for the review

Socoblue - We were in cabin 9320. It was in a great location, but a bit cramped for space for 4 people. It was on the starboard side near the aft elevators and stairs. It was an easy walk (or ride) to the kids' clubs, Windjammers, the sports deck, the dining room and the library.

Eric

Can you please tell me if you need to climb stairs in order to get onto the ship after the shuttle drops you off?? I was on the Empress of the Seas recently also at Bayonne and to get onto the ship you needed to climb this metal staircase with lots of steps. I plan to bring just a carry on for the 5 night cruise and want to make sure it won't be a hassle.

Also what do they do about dinner the first evening, is it open seating or do you go to your assigned table at your assigned time?? When do they do the muster drill, after sailing? Do they have a festive sailaway party?

Thanks

Crazy4cruzin - I'm sorry to say that I can't remember whether there were stairs or not. My wife thinks there were some, but she's not sure either. We entered on deck 4, so there had to be stairs or a ramp. Maybe one of the other cruisers can help you out.

Main dinner on the first night was at 5:30. Late dinner was at 9:00. You go to your assigned table and have a normal dinner. After the first night, dinners were at 6 and 8:30. The muster drill was at 8:30 (between the dinners). Sailing wasn't until 10:00.

There was a party on deck at 10:00, but it was not very well-attended. Many people came out, though, to see the ship pass under the Verazano Bridge at 10:45. We were able to see this and then hightail it down to the Royal Promenade for the start of the Mardi Gras parade.

Eric, Thanks for your reply. This gives me a better idea of what to expect.

Eric and Bonnie - It was nice to meet you both! We also met Bonnie's MIL, who is also really nice and friendly.

We also had a terrific time. We had only been on the Sovereign and Vision classes before this cruise. Wow, the Voyager is just amazing! We were on it for 5 days and I know that I barely saw half of the ship! Eric is right - even though the weather was lousy, there was SO much to do on the ship.

Embarkation was easy - once we got out of the "got there too early" traffic jam. We went through the Priority Check-in and didn't even have time to look at the snacks! It was very zippy. The bus transfer (it is a long, low airport transfer type of bus) was very easy. We got on the ship on Deck 1 - went up a ramp, not stairs. The couple traveling with us needed wheelchair accessibility for the wife (Colette). She had no problems getting on or off or about the ship in her motorized chair scooter. Disembarkation was also quick and easy, getting off on Deck 1. They apparently have straightened out the luggage craziness. You are given a color/number tag. We were Lavender 3. We went into the terminal, found lavender and found its "3" section, and bingo, there was our luggage. We had parked very close to the terminal so loading our luggage was very easy. We were on the Turnpike about 20-25 minutes after our color was called!

Like Eric said, the only real difference about dinner on the first night is that the times are changed to 5:30 and 9:00 to accommodate the Muster Drill at 8:30. You go to your regular table. We thoroughly enjoyed dinner all nights. We had Anthony (waiter), Riccini (asst waitress), and Dave (head waiter). We had a wheelchair and an active 8 yo boy with us and the staff was so accommodating. The table was always set with a chair removed for Colette so that she could just zip into her spot. Tommy (the 8 yo) adores shrimp and he always had a shrimp cocktail waiting for him (and choc. milk)Dave has a great sense of humor and kept us chuckling. You are in good hands if you get them. My biggest problem was that I always wanted too many appetizers! I was stuffed when the entree came. I even turned down dessert a few times due to wonderful appetizers! :eek:

We had lunch once at the Windjammer and dessert was the best part. We ate one lunch at Johnny Rockets. It was tasty and fun. Loved the onion rings. Tommy adored it and loved to swing by there after Adventure Ocean and pick up fries to go. BTW, even Tommy thought the pizza at the Windjammer was inferior! The pizza at Cafe Promenade was MUCH better and downright decent. Good cookies, too. Our friends had the continental room service breakfast one morning and said that it was fantastic. We ate breakfast at the Island Grill in the back of the Windjammer. That is where they make omelets to order. Yum.

We loved to watch the Voyager go under the VZ Narrows Bridge. One note - it was chilly up on deck. Do remember to wear a jacket or sweatshirt that night. We didn't and were so cold. We ended up buying hot chocolate. It was really good and hit the spot - but a jacket would have helped even more!

The guys ice-skated on Monday and had a ball. We saw the ice show on Tues. night. Wow!!! Do not miss it!

We rented a minivan from Enterprise in Saint John. We went to the Reversing Falls and Irving Nature Park. We enjoyed both. At the falls, we went to the observation deck next to the restaurant overlooking the falls. It was just about low tide and we were fascinated with the tidal drop. At the park, we got there at low tide and the change of tides. Watching it come in on the mud flats was fascinating. It came in very quickly. We drove around the entire park. It was beautiful - we were there mainly to observe the tides. We didn't see any animals except lots of mosquitos! The drive through the park is very scenic, breathtaking at times. After the park we drove into Saint John and ate lunch at the City Market. We had a lobster roll, fish and chips, and seafood chowder. All were delicious. Note to lobster eaters: You can get cooked whole lobsters at the market for 10.95 CAN per pound. "Steamers" right across from the pier was also recommended for lobster. Tom was really disappointed that he didn't eat lobster in Saint John. It was 20.00 per pound in Lunenburg. Definitely go for the lobster in Saint John! Renting a car was also quite reasonable (it worked out to about 35.00 US per couple for the day).

We were supposed to have a car from Enterprise in Halifax but they didn't reserve it. They were terrific and did find us a brand-new Chrysler Pacifica from Budget. We drove to Lunenburg - an hour and a half from Halifax. It is lovely but it was rainy and foggy and very crowded. We left and leaded toward Peggy's Cove. We had a good seafood lunch at the Islandview Restaurant at Western Shore near Mahone Bay. It was right on the bay and had a gorgeous view even in foggy conditions! It was so foggy and gloomy we skipped Peggy's Cove. Looking back, we wished that we had skipped Lunenburg and gone to Peggy's Cove instead. But we would have missed the best seafood chowder my New England bred husband had eaten since he was a child!

We did have a balcony cabin (7306). We thought that maybe it would have been a waste because of the fog and weather. Not at all! Tom took the GPS with us and he had a blast standing out on the balcony tracking our position. We also saw a number of dolphins. Also, when traveling with a child, it gives us somewhere to go while he falls asleep. It gives us our own version of a suite. Our steward was Lincoln. I tried to get him to come back with us but he decided to stay on the ship! :D He was responsible for 12 cabins. He said that the Voyager would be switching to team stewards in a couple of months. He was quick, friendly, and good at towel sculptures. We had a stingray, dog, monkey, and elephant.

Yesterday, the sun finally came out. The guys went in the hot tub and in the pool. We got to see stars and the fullish moon and an almost sunset.

Now, back to reality...