OCD Planner's NAVIGATOR Post Dry Dock Pictorial Review

[BecciBoo]

Cindy: can't believe we never saw each other. Couldn't make the cabin crawl, the Nlaws wanted lunch at Johnny Rockets around that time.

 

Loved!!! the Virtual Balcony, great concept and on Saturday, the aft view of the wake was up. They were tweaking the system though so it still needs work, but when the sound is finalized it will be fantastic. I fell asleep on my bed listening to the sounds of the port hustle and bustle...it was great, but the sound only came back on Saturday for a few minutes. The way they mounted the screen it reflects on all 4 sides of the cabin so you see the view from all over the cabin and it really pushes out the walls and takes away the tomb effect.

 

I'll be doing my review this morning with pics also....again Cindy so sorry we missed you.

[angogl]

I am STOKED about our virtual balconies!!!! May never have to spring for the real thing now!!!

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

[overthehillcruiser]

As delayed as the ship was, will they skip a port?

[ace1zoe2]

While I’m waiting for my pictures to upload I thought I’d do a mini-review of the cruise in general. These are my thoughts and my opinions and everyone is entitled to their own. These were my personal experiences on the ship and others may have experienced totally different service, personalities, etc. And as always food is subjective J

First I will start with the good:

Arrival & Parking:

We arrived on Galveston Island about 10:45am and proceeded to Galveston Park & Cruise. We were parked & on a shuttle within 10 minutes and about 5-10 minutes later we were in the port terminal. Our experience with Galveston P&C was excellent.

*Embarkation:

We arrived at the terminal a few minutes after 11:00, the lines were short and were moving quickly. For the first time, hubby had his Leatherman Multi-Tool taken away from him by security. It took an extra minute or two for them to log who it belonged to & he was told we could pick it up after the cruise. Next we were instructed to stop by the liquor table as we had a 2 bottle neoprene wine bag in clear sight. The man there just looked in the bag and sent us on our way. We could have easily taken on 2 bottles each as they didn’t ask if we were traveling together or what cabin we were in etc. Our friends who were traveling with us had a similar bag in clear view but they were not asked to stop at the liquor desk. We were processed and onboard within 20 minutes.

The Ship:

I spent the first hour or so wondering the ship from top to bottom taking pictures (which I will start posting as soon as they are uploaded to Photobucket) while hubby stayed with our carry-ons in the Schooner Bar. The ship is gorgeous! The colors and fabrics are beautiful. There is a lot to do on this ship and you can stay as busy or relaxed as you choose to. There a lots of lounges, clubs, dancing venues, mini golf, the flow rider, pools, hot tubs, video arcades, ping pong, lots of deck game, outdoor movies, theater performances, various bands playing around the ship, specialty restaurants including Sabor, Chops, Giovanni’s, Izumi, Johnny Rockets, as well as free dining in the Windjammer, Main Dining Room & Promenade Café.

Our Cabin:

We stayed in stateroom 8390 which is a corner after cabin on deck 8. We experienced our first J/S on our last cruise and it was a little disappointing going back to a standard balcony cabin… that little bit of extra room in the J/S and its nice bathroom really do make a lot of difference. Our cabin was clean and there was plenty of room for our 4 night cruise. The balcony is oversized and had a small table and two regular deck chairs. There was plenty of room to have guests over to enjoy the view and a nice glass or two of wine J The upholstery has all been updated, the curtains looked new and they have removed all coffee tables from all rooms now. Sorry I forgot to ask if the mattresses had been replaced. I just know ours was great & we had no problem sleeping on it. Once thing about 8390, with it being on the corner there wasn’t room for a full size balcony door and we only had a regular door that opened to the outside. The door only had glass in the top half and there was no other window so I was really disappointed by this at first. But it ended up being no problem since the balcony size for me made up the difference. I would not hesitate so book this cabin again. If you consider an aft balcony just realize it is a long walk to & from your cabin. We didn’t mind this because it gives us extra exercise, which we both need.

Service:

We personally experienced excellent service onboard. Our stateroom attendant was Michael. He showed up within minutes of us arriving in our cabin and asked what he could do to make our vacation wonderful. He brought ice twice a day, room was always cleaned when we returned to it. Sent hubby’s suit out for pressing the first night and made sure it was back before 5pm the second day, which was formal night.

Our waitress was Natalia from the Ukraine. She was a young girl who has been working for RCI for 16 months and she had an outstanding personality. She was probably the best waiter we’ve had to date. She got a “WOW” card on the second night and never failed to entertain and serve us with her beautiful smile. Our assistant waiter was Satyajeet from a small island off of Madagascar and he was wonderful as well. By the second night he knew what everyone wanted to drink before and after dinner and had it waiting for us. Both were at the top of their game. Our Head Waiter was visible and stopped by the table several nights. He actually served us on the 3rd night because Natalia was out ill. The bar server was great also. One in our party had a the same drink each night and on the last night he served it within minutes of arrival without it even being ordered.

Food:

We had dinner in the MDR each night and had no complaints. A few entrees were a little bland but for the most part the meals were all good to excellent. No one in our party of 6 was disappointed with the food. Oh, and let me just say that the Lobster were the largest lobster I have ever had on a cruise ship that were free! Much larger than any previous cruise, it made the others seem like prawn or langostinos.

We had lunches in various venues from Johnny Rockets to WJ to Promenade Café to Izumi. The girls had Izumi on the first sea day and it was the first time the venue had been open to the public. There were a few kinks with service (waiting on water and sometimes a little slow) but the food was outstanding! I would definitely eat here again. The guys had Johnny Rockets the same day and enjoyed their burgers, fries & onion rings. A couple of days we had WJ and selections was really good with burgers, dogs, carving station, pastas, salads, international foods, desserts, etc… you should not have a problem finding something you like here.

*Entertainment:

We did not go to the production show the first night but our friends did and they enjoyed it. We went to the second night’s show which was an a’capela (sp) country band that won the Sing Off (a television talent contest) and they were really good. We also went to the Love and Marriage Game Show and it had us laughing out loud. We loved the ice show, they were fabulous! The special entertainer from Russia was outstanding on her “ring” that she performed on (pictures later).

Perks:

Diamond Lounge:

This was our first cruise as diamond and therefore we finally got to go to the DL as a perk. It was located in the old “19th Hole” club space near the Viking Crown Lounge on Deck 14. If is nicely appointed with comfy seating and an ocean view from anywhere in the room. It also features an outdoor seating area overlooking the sports deck and has sea views. Appetizers were served nightly as well as beer, wine and mixed drinks. The DL concierge was very friendly and spent time each day talking with us. We went to the DL 3 of the 4 days for about 20 minutes before dinner for a glass of wine for me & champagne for hubby. The concierge said it was no problem taking our 2nd glass to early dining.

Concierge Lounge:

For some reason that I can’t figure out, we also had separate key cards for the concierge lounge. We were not in a suite and are only diamond… so the second day we stopped by the CL before dinner. It was nice but is a square room with no windows. They basically were serving the same things there and the CL spoke to us but no one else did. For me, it was just ok. I would pick the DL over the CL just for the views of the ocean.

Welcome Aboard Reception:

This event was for all passengers and was held on the promenade. The captain mingled and took pictures with people and later spoke from the overhead bridge. Drinks were being passed out and I think everyone was enjoying themselves.

Upper Tier Event:

The event was held at 4:45 in the Theater on the only port day and was very lightly attended. I would estimate 40-75 people were there. There was a country band that played a few songs. The drinks were passed but no appetizers were available. We had 5:30 dining so we headed out around 5:20. It was a nice event.

Behind the Scenes Tour:

We received an invitation to do the behind the scenes tour of the Theater which required an RSVP by the second night at 8pm. Invitation with day & time followed on the third day. The event was held on our second sea day at 11:45am. You were required to wear closed toe shoes and report 5 minutes early. Hubby and I were 2 of a total of 5 people on the tour, which made it really nice to be able to ask questions and take pictures. The theater manager conducted the tour, he is from Romania and has worked for RCI for 15 years. The dance captain and singer, Danielle was also there to answer questions. She is from NY and has worked for RCI for 7 years. Also a male dancer from Peru was there and he just came onboard within the last year. We spent about 45 minutes getting a tour and really enjoyed it!

Welcome Back Amenity:

We received the same welcome back basket as our previous cruises. It is appreciated but really not necessary. It has some dried fruit and shortbread type cookies. We also received two standard sized bottles of Evian water.

Diamond Amenity:

On the second day we received a small plate of cookies and chocolate covered strawberries. It was unexpected and a nice touch.

We especially liked the “FREE” portrait coupon that we both received. We were able to receive two group photos for free!

We also each received 1 hour of free internet which was nice to check emails but even though they installed invasive Wi-Fi that is available anywhere on the ship, it is still painfully slow if you are trying to do anything like uploading pictures J

 

Now for the bad:

Portraits:

Apparently they have a brand new system that was just installed during dry dock. All the tests they ran passed with flying colors… until the first night when the system crashed! None of the pictures were lost but the system did not sort the pictures… so there were literally thousands of pictures that were in plastic bins all over the portrait studio that you personally had to sit and flip thru to find your pictures… and they were not together. It took HOURS to find you pictures if you were patient enough to wait your turn to find them. We were able to find most of them but had to get staff to help us find the ones we really wanted to purchase. This was an EPIC FAIL. By the final night the system was back on line and they were working to get everyone’s photos into their personal “folios”. Future cruises should not have this problem.

*Fog Delay:

There was absolutely nothing that RCI could (or should) do about the weather. The captain was very forthcoming with information beginning at 7am on arrival day. He updated us every 30 minutes throughout the day with what information he had.

By 11:30 the entertainment staff had set up a movie in the theater to begin at 12pm. The wii area was open for families, they had games going on in the Viking Crown Lounge, a band playing in the Star Lounge and more.

The WJ was open for lunch (which was super crowed as it was the only venue for the first couple of hours for 2900 people). They finally opened Johnny Rockets and the Promenade Café for service as well.

At noon we were also told that we could go back to our cabins if we would like. However we just hung out in the same area we had been all day. It was a LONG BORING day for us, but we do not blame the cruise line whatsoever. They were doing everything that they could.

I asked if they would give us all free WiFi for sitting around all day but they didn’t go for that. They did however give me 15 minutes free to at least check in with family and CC J

Debarkation:

Not to be mean but it was a cluster. Everyone wanted off the ship, at the same time! Express carry-off (which is what we were) was supposed to go first but you had everyone trying to walk off at the same time. It took us about 45 minutes to finally get off the ship and another 15-20 to get thru customs. It was the worst debarkation we have experienced… but it was also the first delayed arrival we’ve experienced. It will not prevent me from sailing with RCI or out of Galveston in the future.

We finally arrived home at 11:00pm last night. Tired, but we had an overall great vacation!

Final Thoughts:

We still love RCI and believe that they do everything in their powers to give there cruisers a “WOW” experience. I read last night they had already given the next cruise passengers OBC for missing lunch. I’m sure most weren’t onboard for dinner either so I’m betting they get even more OBC.

I should be able to start uploading some of the several hundred pictures at lunch today. If you have questions about other specific aspects please feel free to ask.

Edited February 10, 2014 by ace1zoe2

[houstoncruisers2001]

Thanks, can't wait for the pictures.

 

Being an ex-limo driver and being a galveston cruiser I've seen plenty of "clusters" in Galveston.

 

The term "gridlock" also comes to mind.

[BlondieB]

Our waitress was Natalia from the Ukraine. She was a young girl who has been working for RCI for 16 months and she had an outstanding personality. She was probably the best waiter we’ve had to date. She got a “WOW” card on the second night and never failed to entertain and serve us with her beautiful smile. Our assistant waiter was Satyajeet from a small island off of Madagascar and he was wonderful as well. By the second night he knew what everyone wanted to drink before and after dinner and had it waiting for us. Both were at the top of their game. Our Head Waiter was visible and stopped by the table several nights. He actually served us on the 3rd night because Natalia was out ill. The bar server was great also. One in our party had a the same drink each night and on the last night he served it within minutes of arrival without it even being ordered.

 

 

ahhhhh Natalia!! She is amazing amazing amazing! Our large group had her in December. She is so animated, passionate and gives absolutely stellar service. She was by far the best waiter we've had on any cruise! A true gem. She did tell us she applied for Quantum. I'd love if she were going to be on the ship for our November NOS sailing but it's not likely.

 

Thanks for your review!!

[oneplustwotx]

Thank you so much for your review! Can't wait to see the pictures. Did you happen to get a peek at any of the new Deck 12 cabins (even though they aren't ready yet)? I wonder how much movement will be felt up there, being so high up and so far forward.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[ace1zoe2]

Thank you so much for your review! Can't wait to see the pictures. Did you happen to get a peek at any of the new Deck 12 cabins (even though they aren't ready yet)? I wonder how much movement will be felt up there, being so high up and so far forward.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Sorry I did not get to see any cabins other than the cabin crawl. All the doors were closed upon arrival.

[lmares1968]

"We stayed in stateroom 8390 which is a corner after cabin on deck 8."

 

We booked 8352 / Deck 8 for our upcoming cruise in November. I was actually looking at 8390. :) Looking forward to reading more of your review today. I can't wait to see the pics.

[jktheangel]

Ace. I have a few questions

 

Did you purchase alcohol package? If so were White Russians and lava flows included? What was the average drink price. Do they have free style coke machine. Did jr serve breakfast like on allure or just lunch / dinner

 

Thank you I appreciate your answers and gleefully await some pictures

 

 

Jamie

[ace1zoe2]

Ace. I have a few questions

 

Did you purchase alcohol package? If so were White Russians and lava flows included? What was the average drink price. Do they have free style coke machine. Did jr serve breakfast like on allure or just lunch / dinner

 

Thank you I appreciate your answers and gleefully await some pictures

 

 

Jamie

 

Sorry we did not purchase the alcohol package. I drink wine and was allowed 2 bottles carry on which was plenty for our 4 night cruise. We also had access to the DL which helped.

 

JR was not open on boarding day for lunch, nor was it ever open for breakfast. I believe that is only available on the larger ships.

 

Sorry but there were NO coke freestyle machines. Just the standard fountains.

 

I would guess standard drink prices were the $8-10 range but I'm sure I'll quickly be corrected if wrong ;)

[BlondieB]

Ace. I have a few questions

 

Did you purchase alcohol package? If so were White Russians and lava flows included? What was the average drink price. Do they have free style coke machine. Did jr serve breakfast like on allure or just lunch / dinner

 

Thank you I appreciate your answers and gleefully await some pictures

 

 

Jamie

 

We had the ultimate package in December and the lava flows were included.....and we had LOTS of them :D..... other friends had white russians and they were included as well

 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Forums mobile app

[ace1zoe2]

 

 

 

 

 

[ace1zoe2]

 

 

 

 

 

[SULROSS]

I had a crew member show me the cabins on deck 12. The hallways are all carpeted and look complete. The cabins are all carpeted, but all are in a state of work. They have dressers and things that will eventually be up against the wall, but were in the center of the room with wires and items still hanging. The passengers on the 2/23 will be the first to use these cabins. The views from the windows in the cabin was pretty nice. Ready to be in my cabin on the 3/2 cruise.

[ace1zoe2]

 

 

 

 

 

[ace1zoe2]

 

 

 

 

 

[ace1zoe2]

 

 

Diamond Lounge:

 

 

 

Cosmopolitan Lounge:

 

 

[ace1zoe2]

 

 

 

Ok, that's it for an hour or so. Will try to post more during my lunch hour :)

[jktheangel]

We had the ultimate package in December and the lava flows were included.....and we had LOTS of them :D..... other friends had white russians and they were included as well

 

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Forums mobile app

 

 

Is the ultimate the 500 or the 400. I am looking at the 400. I don't drink but a few times a year but my friend wants me to get it because she is. Lol

 

 

Jamie

[oneplustwotx]

I had a crew member show me the cabins on deck 12. The hallways are all carpeted and look complete. The cabins are all carpeted, but all are in a state of work. They have dressers and things that will eventually be up against the wall, but were in the center of the room with wires and items still hanging. The passengers on the 2/23 will be the first to use these cabins. The views from the windows in the cabin was pretty nice. Ready to be in my cabin on the 3/2 cruise.

 

 

Did you feel much movement up there, or on the ship in general when far forward? Thanks!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[ace1zoe2]

Did you feel much movement up there, or on the ship in general when far forward? Thanks!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

There was a lot of movement during this cruise for some reason. You could feel it all over the ship. A lot of veteran cruisers were commenting on it. They never put out the barf bags so it wasn't too bad.

[oneplustwotx]

Good to know. Thanks!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[eroller]

Thanks for the photos and mini-review!

 

Quick question. Since the two-story nightclub was removed to make way for inside cabins and a Mexican speciality restaurant, where is the disco/nightclub now?

 

Thanks!

 

Ernie

[ace1zoe2]

Thanks for the photos and mini-review!

 

Quick question. Since the two-story nightclub was removed to make way for inside cabins and a Mexican speciality restaurant, where is the disco/nightclub now?

 

Thanks!

 

Ernie

 

The disco is now in the Viking Crown Lounge on deck 14 from my understanding.