Navigator of the Seas: May 17-25

[rraider1961]

I have finally found my land legs after a wonderful cruise on the NOS to Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel. We had a very nice M&M and gift exchange and met some wonderful people, although I understand from some that RCI failed to deliver a number of invitations which caused some of our online friends to miss the festivities. So, I thought I would do a little review/reflection post as well as entertain questions that any may have.

 

Embarkation: I had read many posts about the recent delays and troubles with the embarkation process in Galveston, and feared that we might experience some of the same. My fears seemed justified when our hotel shuttle seemed overwhelmed with the demand. However, they figured it out and upon arriving at the terminal at about 11:30 we were very quickly processed through and on the ship by just a bit after noon (full disclosure: we did have priority boarding, but all lines seemed to be moving quickly). Rooms were ready by 1:00 and all festivities were in full swing. Our bags were in our stateroom by 3:00 (they could have come earlier, but that was when we went back and checked), muster was promptly called--although the usual clueless and insensitive stragglers held it up past 4:00--and sail away was on time. A great beginning!

 

Stateroom/concierge service: We were in a GS (first time) after usually sailing in a JS, and I do not think we will be able to go back. The extra room was extraordinary. We ate breakfast on the balcony twice, which was a treat. Our stateroom attendant, Dom, was professional, prompt, friendly, and very accommodating. We only had to ask to have ice in the cabin the first day and he made sure it was there everyday afterward. He took care of all requests and made our experience much more enjoyable. No complaints here about that. Just one small glitch--RCI still needs to work on mattresses. I know that it is difficult to make the numbers balance and provide high quality bedding, but the thin things that are currently used could be better.

 

We did not make great use of the concierge services, but when we did Ricardo (concierge) and his staff were very professional and prepared. We made it to the CL only twice, primarily because they did not have my preferred liquors (Crown Royal or Blanton's bourbon), but when we were there it is was enjoyable.

 

Public Areas: NOS, like all its Voyager sisters, is an elegant, beautiful ship, and the recent refurb has made it all the more so. The Promenade was gorgeous, and the new chandeliers exquisite. The new carpeting throughout the ship is 10X better than the older stuff that was, frankly, loud and almost reminiscent of a 70s disco. The pool area was clean, functional, and chaise lounges clean and in working condition.

 

Food: Ok, here we go with everyone's favorite topic. MDR: Is the food in the MDR 5 or 4 star quality? No, but it is still pretty dang good. When you are cooking for so many one cannot expect a 4 diamond rating, and frankly, with the affordability of cruises today that would be very wishful thinking. That said, I did not eat a single meal in the MDR that I did not enjoy, and there were many dishes that were outstanding. The service was, as always, impeccable, and our tablemates were wonderful and ended up to be people we really enjoyed socializing with for the whole cruise. WJ; Ok, it is a buffett, so it's not like it is anything more than that. It is functional food that we used primarily for lunch on sea days. It's middling and institutional, but not awful. I would like to see different selections each day--the same thing over and over is very boring. We did use our gold card perk to have ala carte breakfast in Chops, which seemed to be a touch higher quality than the WJ offerings.

 

Specialty Restaurants: We dined at Sabor and Chops. First, Chops: Chops is a very good steak house, with attentive service. The new menu is not too much of a change from the old, although the absence of a ribeye is disappointing. I love the decor and "supper club" feel of the decor at Chops, and it may be the most romantic place to dine on the ship. On previous visits to Chops on the Mariner of the Seas I have raved about the food, but I have to say that this time the quality seemed a touch below that. I had a filet, and it was a bit chewy and not as flavorful as ones I had had in the past. Our dining companions selected a NY strip from the extra charge menu; it looked ok, and they agreed that it was fine but perhaps not top of the line. I hope that this was a one time glitch and not a trend. Sabor: Let me make this clear--do not miss the opportunity to dine at this tremendous addition to the specialty restaurants. It was by far the best meal we had on the ship, and next time we will do this at least twice. The portions are ample, so for most people splitting appetizers and entrees will work (and I am a big eater as my waistline attests!). Make sure you have the made at your table guacamole as it was some of the best I have eaten. The queso fundido is to die for, with great, gooey, white cheese, scallions, and chorizo. The ain course of carnitas was wonderful, and I sampled my wife's quesadillas and they were also outstanding. But the best part of Sabor is dessert. You don't choose a dessert at Sabor, they bring small portions of all six of their selections to your table and you enjoy them all--and all of them are great. the cafe con leche is marvelous, the coconut flan sublime, and the empanadas and churros exquisite. If you are also inclined--and I was--enjoy a tequila flight as well.

 

Drink Package: We chose the Ultra package, and while we perhaps did not exactly break even on the price we thought that the convenience and ease of ordering was still worth it. It is a personal decision that you have to make and there is no right or wrong choice. We would do it again.

 

Wine and Dine Package: What we will never do again is this wine package. In a word, it is awful and a rip off. The wine list that comes with the package is limited and contains very inferior wines. Some that we ordered I would not have served to a wino on a 3 day bender. We complained, were refunded the balance, and ordered off the full menu for the remainder of the voyage. Those wines are also wildly overpriced, but they are drinkable.

 

Overall: This was a very fine cruise, one that we would do again. In fact, we are in January 2015!

 

If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

[camreesmom]

Do you happen to know the order of the MDR menus? We want to eat at Sabor & Izumi but want to see which nights we want to skip the MDR :)

[Bigtex1622]

Did you use the On-Board Internet?

 

:D

[Saving Up To Be Eccentric]

Earlier, I'd posted on the NCL boards about if I should take my mom on an NCL Jewel or RCI Navigator cruise; I anticipated that I'd need to post on this one as well to get a balanced opinion. But they said I should try NOS! :eek:

That being said, I've not cruised with Royal before, but have been reading up on this board, so I'm afraid I need some clarification. As a newbie, non-diamond type, will I need to get reservations or tickets before the shows? How strict are they on seating times; if we show up 15 minutes late or early will we be seated? Are the times 5:30 and 8:00 (it's not obvious from a quick tour around their website) for first and second seating?

[Susie51]

We will be on NOS in March in a GS. We liked the GS décor on our cruise on EOS. What is the décor like on NOS? Do you have any pics? Did anyone in your group try the flow rider? How was it?

Edited May 30, 2014 by Susie51

[BillOh]

although I understand from some that RCI failed to deliver a number of invitations which caused some of our online friends to miss the festivities.

 

That happened to us on Allure in May of last year as well. I started that roll call and it ended up exploding into about 10,000 posts and 18 months of pre-cruise fun so we all knew each other well and had communicated when the time was. About 11pm the night before as were turning in, I got a phone call from the groups coordinator that her printer wasn't working so she was calling me with my invite. :confused:. I thanked her and went to bed. I later found out at least 6 people never got theirs.

[Loves_Dogs]

Did you use the On-Board Internet?

 

:D

 

I am currently using the internet on board Navigator. Bought the unlimited wifi package for 1 device. If I remember correctly it was $189. I can check my account and will let you know if the price was different. I believe it was $229 for 2 devices to be able to access wifi at the same time.

 

It is obviously not as fast as my internet at home but it's not bad compared to what I have used in past cruises. I brought my Nook tablet and it's nice to be able to logon anywhere on the ship.

[nascar junkie]

Thanks for your "balanced review". I was beginning to wonder with all the negativity we'd made a mistake booking our July cruise. Ist time on Royal and Navigator. We are in an e-2 balcony, deck 7, won't eat in the specialty resturants, we're not wine conisours( basic wines will do) and will not have all the perks of a suite resident or C&A traveler. Our needs are very basic, clean room, a couple of extra pillows and daily ice. We have MTD and will be dining alone. Only question for me is how was the pool situation regarding getting a couple of loungers? Have heard horror stories on this and I refuse to be a chairhog. With school out, I realize the number of kids go up dramaticly but that for me is not really an issue. Sounds like for the most part, no major issues on yours.:confused:

[LBumb]

great report

[Keith1010]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise and thanks for taking the time to write and share this report.

 

Keith

[Susie51]

I am currently using the internet on board Navigator. Bought the unlimited wifi package for 1 device. If I remember correctly it was $189. I can check my account and will let you know if the price was different. I believe it was $229 for 2 devices to be able to access wifi at the same time.

 

It is obviously not as fast as my internet at home but it's not bad compared to what I have used in past cruises. I brought my Nook tablet and it's nice to be able to logon anywhere on the ship.

 

Will I be able to use my Kindle Fire and my DD her ipad to use the wifi and post to cruise critic using this plan?

[Lexus1224]

Thanks for your "balanced review". I was beginning to wonder with all the negativity we'd made a mistake booking our July cruise. Ist time on Royal and Navigator. We are in an e-2 balcony, deck 7, won't eat in the specialty resturants, we're not wine conisours( basic wines will do) and will not have all the perks of a suite resident or C&A traveler. Our needs are very basic, clean room, a couple of extra pillows and daily ice. We have MTD and will be dining alone. Only question for me is how was the pool situation regarding getting a couple of loungers? Have heard horror stories on this and I refuse to be a chairhog. With school out, I realize the number of kids go up dramaticly but that for me is not really an issue. Sounds like for the most part, no major issues on yours.:confused:

 

You will not regret sailing on the Navigator. I just finished my first cruise (on the NOS) last week, and loved every minute of it. I was in a balcony on deck 6 and it was definitely suitable for two people. Perfect amount of space! I did not eat at any of the specialty restaurants because I found the MDR quite suitable (and we really got along with our tablemates). Your question regarding the pool deck. It started getting full early, but chaises were always available. Maybe not right next to the pool, but there were some open.

[BlueSkiesTX]

Do you happen to know the order of the MDR menus? We want to eat at Sabor & Izumi but want to see which nights we want to skip the MDR :)

 

You took the post right out of my keyboard :D...we sail NOS on 6/1 and would like to do the exact same thing (Sabor and Izumi). OP-please let us know if you get a chance and thank you for your review. I can hardly wait! :)

[nicwoodard]

LOVE the review! We are on the NOS on July 6th... Can't wait! I appreciate your observations, and great to know about Sabor and M & M... Thanks again...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[George C]

Did they have a dinner with the ship officers?? we had that at end of April for all suite guests it was a nice dinner, we booked this cruise again with new bogo rates for April 2015

[Loves_Dogs]

Will I be able to use my Kindle Fire and my DD her ipad to use the wifi and post to cruise critic using this plan?

 

Yes, you will be able to use your Kindle Fire and Ipad to access the internet after you purchase an internet package. Any device with wifi ability (including phones with wifi) will work.

 

My Nook didn't connect automatically like I was told it should have. Since I am, uh, technically challenged shall we say, my son had to set it up for me. Once he did that, it was easy as pie to login.

Have a GREAT cruise!

Edited May 30, 2014 by Loves_Dogs

[Lexus1224]

The one meal I remember offhand was our second formal night. That was the lobster tail and prime rib evening. Don't miss that one!

[rraider1961]

Let's see if I can answer the questions I can:

 

The GS decor was very nicely done and fresh looking. I have photos but have not gotten the camera out and downloaded them. Will post ASAP

 

MDR Menus: This is the rotation I remember *particularly from memory are Wednesday night when we have dinner with officers; Thursday we were in Sabor; and Saturday we dined at Chops* (main courses): Classics always on the menu are as follows: Linguini with Pomodoro sauce; Angus beef sliders; Grilled Chicken Breast; broiled Atlantic Salmon; Aged Manhattan Strip Steak. For extra charge, each night you can order: Whole 1.5 pound Maine Lobster ($29.95); Surf and Turf, Lobster and 10 oz. Chops filet ($37.50); Chops Filet ($14.95).

Sunday: No clue--skipped dinner!

Monday: Grilled Chicken Salad; Singapore Noodles; Sole Meuniere; Roasted Chicken; Mustard Crusted Roast Beef; Yukon Gold Potato Pie

Tuesday (First Formal): Beef Filet; Three Cheese Tortellini (all I can remember)

Wednesday: Tandori Chicken Salad; Rigatoni Pasta; Fish Seafood, and Mash; Roasted Turkey with Apple bread dressing; Rosemary Lamb Shank; Sweet and Sour vegetarian chicken chunks

Thursday: Shrimp Insalata Mista; Lasagna Al Forno; Garlic Tiger Shrimp; Chicken Marsala; Filetto Di Maiale Arrosto con Salvia (pork tenderloin); Eggplant Parmagiana

Friday: (Second Formal); Slow Roasted Prime Rib; Lobster Tail (you can order both); Thai Chicken Breast; Soy meatballs

Saturday: no clue

 

I did not use on board internet

 

Shows/entertainment; The only tickets you will need to get before are the ones to the ice show. Pick those up at a kiosk on the Promenade the first night. Show times are Monday afternoon; Tuesday afternoon; and Wednesday evening. All others are first come, first served, but I would recommend arriving 30 minutes before show time to keep choice locations. If you arrive right at showtime, chances are it will be full. Times are 6:30 and 8:30

 

Flow rider: too old to try! I did watch and it looked like I would have had a blast 20 years ago!

 

Pools: As the earlier post alluded, there were plenty of deck chairs, but the best ones are usually taken by 10:00 A.M. I saw no egregious chair hogs. I have always found the Adults-only Solarium much more enjoyable.

 

Yes, there was dinner with the officers in Windjammer for suite guests: It was Wednesday night and was a great meal and a fun time.

 

Fire away if you have more!

[BlueSkiesTX]

You are awesome! Thank you!

[DREAM Cruisers]

Thanks for the wonderful post and lots of good information.

[George C]

The Ice show was one of the best shows I have ever seen on sea (that was my 57 cruise)

do not miss that.

[ctrinco]

What is the name of the ice show on NOS? Is it the same show as Freedom?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[rraider1961]

What is the name of the ice show on NOS? Is it the same show as Freedom?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I believe it was "Ice Dancing" with a ballroom dancing theme. And yes, it was outstanding.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

Edited May 30, 2014 by rraider1961

[Caribbeansunrise]

We were also in a GS and also had Dom for cabin steward. I will wholehartedly second your comments. He was wonderful.

 

About the flowrider - Our son (early 40's) tried it and loved it. We were back on board from Roatan early and there were only 4 people using it. You can sign up for an hour for $69 and will be placed with about 5 or 6 people. No need to do that if you are on board during a port day. A family can book an hour for $320.

 

One note though - If you fall and get caught in the middle, it will blow your drawers off. Saw more than one person coming up desperately pulling up their swim suit!

[Susie51]

Thank you for answering our questions. Looking forward to the photos.