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Review of Navigator Western Caribbean, January 15 - 20

kmurph22

By kmurph22,
in Royal Caribbean International

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kmurph22

kmurph22

Posted
Posted

Hi everyone!

 

I know I love reading reviews about upcoming cruises, especially when they are specifically about the ship & itinerary I'm going to be sailing... so for all you future Navigator cruisers, here it is!

 

This was a trip for DH and I, both 40's, WITHOUT our 4 kids. ahhhhh! We aren't big show people so there aren't any reviews of the shows here.

 

We flew to Ft. Lauderdale a day ahead and stayed at the Renaissance near the port. Very nice hotel. There was a LARGE quinceanera group from Costa Rica -- something like 450 kids... they were polite but couldn't avoid being loud and everywhere just by their sheer numbers. I will admit to being happy to learn they were going on Oasis, not Navigator! The Walgreens across the street came in very handy when I discovered I had left my hair brush at home.

 

We arrived at the port around 11:15. We were in a suite, so we got to wait in the special waiting area. They started boarding around noon. We were lucky, deck 10 was already open so we were able to drop our bags in our cabin, JS # 1636. This cabin was clean and roomy and we loved the location. I've never had a cabin with a walk in closet before, what a treat! We went to the Windjammer for a nice lunch, which wasn't all that crowded yet, surprisingly.

 

I thought the ship was beautifully decorated. The art work is just stunning. As others have reported, there is a little evidence of age, such as stains on carpets and chipped tile in the bathroom. But overall, it has a very nice ambience.

 

We toured the fitness center and spa on the first day and were selected for a demonstration "pulse and tongue" analysis. Sounds weird, I know. The licensed acupuncturist on board felt our pulse and looked at our tongue, and used this information to tell us, surprisingly, about many of our already known maladies (DH's heart issues, my hypothyroid). She was trying to sell a consultation which was something like $130? I forget exactly. We didn't do it, but we did get a few good health tips from her anyway. We entered the spa raffle and DH won a free facial -- yay for ME! I enjoyed the facial that evening, because it had to be used on a port day.

 

Because of the surprise facial, we were a bit late in planning for dinner. We had My Time dining, and by the time we wanted to eat, it was almost 9pm. So, thinking it would be quicker, we went to the WJ instead. We got there in time to get a plate but they were already cleaning up (a few minutes before 9pm closing, I might add). Oh well, we didn't need to eat that much tonight! We played in the casino for awhile -- NOT winners, boo -- and grabbed a sandwich later at the Cafe Promenade.

 

The next day was a sea day. I went to the Solarium to grab us two chairs around 9am. (and I STAYED there.. I am not one of those :)) The place didn't even start to get full until around 11:30. In fact, at many points throughout the trip, we both noticed that the ship felt "empty". There was a sign on the first day that no cabins were available, and from my own checks beforehand I don't think there were many. So either they weren't sailing full, or DH and I were just on a different schedule from the masses. Back to the Solarium.. they were teaching a scuba class in the solarium pool. The scuba teacher, a male, had to be the best piece of eye candy I have seen in a long time! stripping off that wet suit... yummy. And the funny part was, my DH was the first one to comment on him! He had every eye at the pool, yee ha! So if you go, watch for the "Scuba Guy" as DH and I referred to him for the rest of the trip.

 

We hit the gym that afternoon and discovered the lovely jacuzzi inside... much hotter than the solarium ones. We like it hot. :D

 

That night we had dinner at Portofino. WOW. I've read a few comments about the food going downhill on this ship, but I personally thought Portofino was excellent. The waiters were so well trained and the meal was just delicious -- beef carpaccio, lamb chops, and shrimp risotto were all superb.

 

Later we discovered Don Alexander in the Schooner bar. I think this was Elton John/Billy Joel night. He took lots of requests and it was fun. This guy plays the saxophone and the piano AT THE SAME TIME. Pretty amazing. We weren't too pleased with our casino results the night before so we kind of avoided it tonight. DH was also disappointed that they didn't run the poker tournament he had signed up for, there weren't enough players.

 

Day 3: Grand Cayman. We did the Native Way Rays, Reef, & Rum Point tour. It was perfect! We had never been to GC. I loved the stingrays... we've done a dolphin excursion before but those are so "sterile"... you're in a man made cove, wearing life vests, etc.... the stingrays were right out in the wild! Then we snorkeled a reef and enjoyed a nice lunch at Rum Point. Our ship had a fairly early departure so we didn't get to spend as much time at Rum Point as I would have liked to.

 

We liked Portofino so much, we went back tonight! We called when we returned to the ship; only 6pm and 9:30 reservations were available so we took the 6. We also attended the Platinum & Diamond reception after dinner. They said NOT A WORD about any C&A changes, for those who are interested. There was one couple who had been on 48 cruises and they were given a bottle of champagne. At one point the Housekeeping Director came up to us and asked how our cabins were... I told him we were very happy. We didn't eat, because we had just had dinner, but the drinks were surprisingly free flowing. DH got two glasses of a very nice vintage port. Back to the Casino (still NO luck), hung out at the Promenade for awhile, and turned in pretty early because of the long day.

 

Day 4 was Cozumel. Windjammer around 9am -- where is everybody? Really, again virtually no crowds. We went to the gym , and then we did the RCCL Mexican Cuisine Class which had a noon meeting time. Luis was just as advertised. Good clean adult fun! And, uh, those margaritas packed a punch hee hee. Lucky DH was paying attention to the time, I was dozing on the beach after the class when it was time to go.

 

No dinner plans tonight so we tried the main dining room for the first time. We arrived there around 8pm and there was no wait at all. We got a table for 2. There were plenty of available tables. We both ordered the Prime Rib. I would say it was above average, but I have had better. Service was good, but clearly the servers in the specialty restaurants are the award winners. Back to visit Don Alexander in the Schooner, it was Neil Diamond night. Can't miss!!! We really enjoyed this as well, his voice was great for Neil. We again played it cool in the casino. A couple of $9 martinis is much cheaper entertainment, at least for me.

 

By this point in the cruise, I had made an observation about myself and I think it applies to all those who enjoy cruising: you really need to be an extrovert to enjoy a cruise. I love people. It's prime people watching for me! You will have many people joining you in virtually all activities except sleeping (hopefully, ha ha). You will see these people throughout the ship. Strangers on the elevators will almost ALWAYS talk to you. Same with people at the next table in the WJ, who you keep losing $ with at the roulette table, or who you keep seeing in the sauna. If you don't like making small talk with strangers, honestly, cruising is probably NOT for you! But it is for me, so back to the review.....

 

Day 5 was our last sea day. We tried breakfast in the main dining room and I really enjoyed it.. eggs were perfectly cooked, servers were attentive, and we met some lovely passengers. Back to the solarium for the morning. DH wanted to try the casino again and I arrived to meet him around 1:30 just when the slot tournament was starting. I've never done one of these so we figured "why not" (as RC says!). What fun! I qualified for the 2nd round but came in 2nd place. Oh well. The winner of the whole tournament got a free cruise. The entry fee was $25 per person.

 

Then it was time for more sedate gambling.. final jackpot Bingo! Usually, when we cruise with the kids, we will drop hundreds on Bingo. We know it's crappy odds, but the kids get a real kick out of it and it's good family time. This time, we only went once for the jackpot. They had these neat machines -- I had seen them before on NCL a few years ago -- that track your cards for you. 30 automated cards for $50. We didn't win, but I found it a little more relaxing... especially for the cover all game, it was not so stressful making sure you didn't miss something! The final jackpot was only about $1000 (kind of disappointing.. I guess a lot of people were like us and avoided bingo all week.). In fact, it became clear just how much profit they make on bingo. I would say there were at least 100 - 150 people at the final bingo. I know not everyone spends $50, but I think the minimum package was $30. If 100 people spent $30, that's $3000. Where was the rollover money? I don't know, but I think I won't play too much bingo on my next cruise either. The kids will have to suffer with other activities.

 

Dinner tonight was at Chops. We ate early because DH wanted to play Name that Tune at 8pm. Chops was also outstanding, I had filet and DH had bone in ribeye. Just yum. And I love the fact that you pay one price and get all the sides you want, unlike a steakhouse on land. We played Name that Tune and came in 2nd (darn, no tshirt for us!) but it was fun. Then we hit the casino briefly, and.... wait for it.... we WON! Not a lot, but we recouped some of our losses at least. We went to final Karaoke that evening.. DH had been promising me he would sing for me ! Disappointing, though, because the machine was broken. People made the best of it, with a few (including DH) singing a capella but this was tough without all the words on the machine. One lady got up and taught a hip hop dance, and one of the crew members did some singing with his ipad backup music .. I forget his name but he was terrific!

 

Time to get ready for the worst part of the cruise: disembarking. We did the self roll-off and found it very convenient. Customs was kind of slow but that wasn't RC's fault. We walked off around 10am (we had a late flight) and had to wait at least 45 minutes for customs. But, I would do the walk off again.

 

Well, this was longer than I anticipated but I hope this helps someone! Feel free to ask any questions!!!

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

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Hi everyone!

 

I know I love reading reviews about upcoming cruises, especially when they are specifically about the ship & itinerary I'm going to be sailing... so for all you future Navigator cruisers, here it is!

 

Great review!

 

I can just HEAR your enjoyment and pleasure in your descriptions.

 

:)

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maxxedout2

maxxedout2

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Nice review. This was my first RCI cruise. I was impressed. Navigator

and staff just awesome. Planning more RCI 5 nighters now.

 

Agree. Portofino (did it twice) was terrific, Chops (once) was great too.

Hated tedious MDR but the Buffet was quick and awesome as long as you

get there when it first opens. The view from WJ is awesome.

 

 

Entertainment, top notch.

 

 

 

:cool::cool:

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DebNJoe

DebNJoe

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DebN Joe, the Formal night was first sea day, which was Day 2.

 

That is what I figured, thanks for confirming! That will be Easter Sunday for our sailing :)

 

We are sailing with family members - total of 9, including my parents in their 80s and my 2 young nephews. The dining times are either too early or too late for our liking, so wondering how well My Time would work out for such a large group. From prior experience on CCL, they had trouble accommodating such a large party and often had to wait 2 hours or split into 2 tables - but they did not take reservations, at that time anyway.

 

Did you notice if there were many large tables available in the My Time section, also where in the MDR is the My Time section?

 

Thanks again!

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green eyed lady

green eyed lady

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is there a midnight buffet or chocolate buffet or late eating anywhere other than room service? Thanks, after a night of fun it's sometimes good to eat something. Glad you had a great time. Going on her in March!

 

Promenade cafe is open 24 hrs. They have small sandwiches, scones, cookies, pizza...all very yummy ;)

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kmurph22

kmurph22

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Hi Green eyed Lady,

 

Yes, they had quest as well as the Love & Marriage show. We didn't go to either but heard good reviews from others. Both are good ways to spend a kidless cruise! If your kids or whoever they are staying with have email, you can send them an E card from the RC Online computers, it only cost one minute worth of time (we bought a package, but the most it would be is about 65cents.). It's cute.

 

DebNJoe, re: My Time, there was a group of 8 next to us, and it looked to me as though there were many tables open that they could have combined to create a larger table. We went around 8pm and the My Time section was only about 1/2 full. But, I guess every cruise and every night can be different... I would suggest talking to the maitre'd and making a few reservations at whatever time you think will work for you and your group.

 

And yes, Geoffandval, I was going to mention the Promenade cafe also! Yummy late night pizza! I didn't see a chocolate buffet anywhere, but there were a couple of late night parties by the pool and there may have been some food there as well.

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jonbgd

jonbgd

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Hi Green eyed Lady,

 

I didn't see a chocolate buffet anywhere, but there were a couple of late night parties by the pool and there may have been some food there as well.

Yep there was some chocolates up @ the pool parties but also Ice cream and other deserts besides the food

 

BTW.... Thanks for the great review as we were on her for a B2B last month and enjoyed as much as it sounds like you enjoyed it

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junker

junker

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Thanks for your great review. Our third NOS cruise is coming up! I am sorry to hear the Navigator will be leaving the Carribbean permanently for the Mediterranean. We love the NOS for that winter getaway!

 

Portofinos on the NOS is by far my favorite specialty restaurant thus far. The one on the Celebrity Century came nowhere near Portofino's quality of food and service. On the Century the wine steward, waitstaff, maitre de', were all running around like fools. It was so distracting. And the place was half empty!! It was like watching a Keystone Kops movie, only speeded up!

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DebNJoe

DebNJoe

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DebNJoe, re: My Time, there was a group of 8 next to us, and it looked to me as though there were many tables open that they could have combined to create a larger table. We went around 8pm and the My Time section was only about 1/2 full. But, I guess every cruise and every night can be different... I would suggest talking to the maitre'd and making a few reservations at whatever time you think will work for you and your group.

 

Thank you again, I think we'll give it a try!!

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toxicfairy

toxicfairy

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We will be on the NOS in Feb. for our first time! My DH surprised me with this cruise so I am soooo excited ! I have been trying to read everything about the NOS but most of what I find is old (not that much has probably changed). It was great to find a recent review ! Plus we are in our 40's also so it was nice to hear a review from some one in our age bracket.!

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kmurph22

kmurph22

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Hi bravostar!

 

Yes, they did offer Luggage Valet. It was $25 per person, up to 2 bags per person, I believe, plus the cost of whatever your airline might charge.

 

We self disembarked, the only real headache there was trying to find space on the elevators but then we were leaving the ship during 'rush hour' around 9am.

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

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Thanks for the great review. We are booked for April 28th. I am very nervous about our 11AM flight back to Boston.

Did you happen to notice if they offered Luggage Valet on this ship. I really did not want to to self embark.

 

Luggage Valet is offered, but not all airlines participate in the program.

 

Unless there is some serious problem, you should make your 11 a.m. flight with little to no difficulty, if you are flying out of FLL.

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klady1

klady1

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Thank You so much for the review! My sister and I will be on the NOS in 19 days (but who's counting?). She's got some food issues and is somewhat picky so we are hoping that the buffet (Windjammer?) will be sufficient. Is there a large variety of foods there? I'm guessing yes, but just want to be sure. Thanks again!

~Katie

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kmurph22

kmurph22

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Thank You so much for the review! My sister and I will be on the NOS in 19 days (but who's counting?). She's got some food issues and is somewhat picky so we are hoping that the buffet (Windjammer?) will be sufficient. Is there a large variety of foods there? I'm guessing yes, but just want to be sure. Thanks again!

~Katie

 

OH yes, the windjammer was full of options as always. Salads, fresh fruit, soups that changed daily, many bread selections, cold cuts, burgers/hot dogs, pizza, chicken, pasta.... she should have no problem!

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kmurph22

kmurph22

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Weather was beautiful! Warm but not too hot, 80's on all of the islands and sea days. A little cloudy in the afternoon on our first sea day; A few morning clouds in Cozumel, nothing to worry about.

 

Water in Cozumel wasn't choppy that we could tell, but we didn't really spend a lot of time at the beach.

 

The cruise was very smooth, waters were calm throughout.

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