My b2b Navigator holiday cruise

[lucywestie]

So I was the one who just before cruised posted a thread about "freaking out" about the upcoming cruise. Well I am happy to say there was nothing to worry about! Despite numerous bad reviews this was a good b2b cruise.

 

We drove down from Canada to Fort Lauderdale where we spent two nights before going on the 5 day cruise on Sunday 18th Dec. Before I go any further I do have to say, "America, get off your phones and stop texting while driving". We drove I81 and I-95 all the way down and it was ridiculous what we saw. Anyway, I digress.

 

5 night portion was a stop in Nassau and Labadee. Didn't like Nassau but absolutely loved Labadee. Best $45 we spent was on one of the clam shell beach shelters for the day. Total peace and quiet and I think only 2 other couples on our section of the beach. The "public" areas where there was no charge were absolutely jam packed with people and way to noisy for my tastes.

 

We had a balcony on deck 9. Great room and great cabin attendant. We have never had a balcony before so we are spoilt for life now. Before anybody asks me questions, we did not do a drinks package and we did not do the VOOM thing. This was a 16 day cruise with a total disconnect from the email and texts etc.

 

The Navigator is in pretty good shape. There were some minor dings and damage around the place but nothing major. While we were in port they had gone around and re-varnished the balcony handrails on our deck so they are obviously trying to keep on top of things.

 

Food is very subjective and on this cruise we just saw it as fuel to keep us going. Only ate in the main dining room once for Xmas dinner and the rest of the time it was either the specialty restaurants or Windjammer. Loved Sabor and went there a couple of times and we also ate at Chops and Giovanni's which were both also superb.

 

They were offering lunch time deals at Sabor and Giovannis for $20 per person with a slightly different menu for lunch. Great food and service and a Tiramisu do die for!

 

The second half of the b2b was an 11 nighter from Miami to Bonaire, Antigua, Aruba, St Kitts, San Juan and Labadee. We did no ship excursions but instead either pre-booked our own or chanced our luck at quay side when we disembarked.

 

In Bonaire we went with Woodwind for a morning snorkelling cruise. 20 people in the group and they had all the equipment you would ever need. They even had prescription masks for those with glasses which made my wife very happy. It was $55 per person and very well run though the catamaran they use could probably do with an overhaul.

 

The one let down for the whole trip was Antigua. We disembarked and we used the local taxi company who were on scene organising groups of people into tours. We were excited to go and see Nelsons docksyards but it was not to be. Even though we confirmed it with the dispatcher we ended up being in a group of 10 people crowded in a mini bus really built for 8. Went all over the island but saw one beach, Falmouth harbour and then back. Absolutely terrible. Also, I know there is poverty world wide but at least have some pride in where you live, keep it tidy maybe. From what we saw Antigua is one big dump.

 

Now, Aruba. Totally different story. Disembarked again and avoided the crowds right at the terminal and walked towards the cruise port gates. Right at the gates there are a row of booths and at the front is one marked as the Aruba Tour Association. Group of older guys all in smart but casual matching shirts and very approachable. Anyway, we did a tour with two other couples and it was fantastic. Cost was $25 per person and Felix was our guide. Went all over the island he obviously has a love of the place and the people. Well worth using them on the day when you arrive. Very clean vehicle and we were in and out of alot of the more popular tourist spots while groups on the bigger busses were still trying to load and unload 40 people. Small tour was the way to go.

 

In St Kitts we had prebooked a tour with Thenford Grey (recommended on CC) and again we had a great 5 hour tour. There were supposed to be 10 people in the group but only 5 of us turned up so we had a bus built for 20 for the 5 of us. Went up the Batik factory and gardens, to the old fort and then back along to the more touristy side before dropping back into the town. Nice knowledgeable guide who once again was obviously proud of his island.

 

In San Juan we did our own walking tour and we were pleasantly surprised how close everything seemed to be to the port. It was a scorching hot day though and we ended up not going into the two forts but just looking from the outside. Being originally from the UK I have seen my fair share of old forts and fortifications so I was particularly worried about not going in. We did walk down to the cemetary which was fascinating to see.

Took a stroll back through the cobbled streets and bought a very nice but expensive Panama hat before heading back towards the ship. We did go in a place called Senor Frogs but after being served two glasses of flat diet coke and then being ignored for 30 minutes we walked out letting the manager know. They werent particularly bothered as there was a line up out the door. Obviously a more college crowd type bar if the drinking games were anything to go by, not our cup of tea.

 

On Christmas day there was a full christmas dinner in both the Windjammer and the main dining restaurant. They also had a visit from Santa for the kids plus some carolling etc. With the heat and the sun though it just didnt feel like Christmas to us!!

 

We went to two of the ice shows that were put on. One was a christmas themed show and the other was an "ice dancin' spectacular". Not bad considering the amount of space they have to work in. No tickets were required and there was always seating available.

 

Our only one big concern about the ship was the lack of a quiet space to just sit back and relax without the constant blaring of music. No matter if a room such as the Viking lounge etc. wasnt being used for anything, they still had the music cranked up. I know we had a balcony to retire to but still, there really was no need for all the noise. One day in the Windjammer they had it cranked so loud in one portion we got up and left along with a bunch of other tables. On the way out we saw the supervisor who was not amused and went back into the area to sort it out.

 

I must admit though that the lack of announcements was refreshing. There was usually one in the morning from the bridge with info about where were going etc. One from the entertainment director in the morning and then maybe one in the afternoon and that was it. On occasion there was also a separate announcement that they just did for the attention of Spanish speaking cruisers.

 

Being a holiday cruise the 11 day part was packed to the gills. A member of crew told us there were approx 3700 people on board. Lots of big family groups and gatherings. No real issues though the promenade got busy in the late afternoon or on sea days. Lots of chair hogs out and about in the Solarium area though. Very frustrating and nothing seemed to be done about it. We saw the same family in the same seats day in day out for 5 days, pretty amazing how they achieved that!

 

Final thoughts: I think that now I am fast approaching my 50th birthday we need to change our style of cruising. Royal is obviously catering to a family dynamic which is fine for some and not for others. We dont need Flow riders and climbing walls and belly flop contests to keep us happy. We have cruised on smaller ships before and I think there were just to many people for us to be totally comfortable.

 

We had problems with the tv in our room for a few days before it got so bad we called guest services. Within 5 minutes our cabin attendant was at our door closely followed by her supervisor, and then 1 minute later by an electrical technician. It was 830pm and they all agreed the tv needed replacing. I could tell that they didnt really want to ask if it would wait till the next day so I just threw it out there. Had a bit of a laugh with them about demanding a free cruise because of the lack of tv, anyway, next day we got a bottle of wine and call from guest services. Great customer service that was prevalent throughout the cruise.

 

But saying that, none of my fears were realised and a lot of those reviews from people that were either on the Mediterranean cruise or trans Atlantic cruise (prior to Navigator heading south) need to be taken with a big grain of salt. I certainly wasn't expected a luxury style of cruising but we did get pretty good value for our money (even though these holidays cruises are a lot more expensive). Crew were excellent and very friendly. Our cabin on the 11 nighter was close to the bridge and on a couple of mornings I was outside the door in my pj's and being greeted by the captain and senior officers! nobody batted an eyelid.

 

In future I think we will either look at the smaller RCI ships or even some of the other lines that maybe cater less to families and maybe more towards a slightly more genteel crowd lol. Either way it was still a good cruise.

 

If you have questions just post them and I will try and reply though once again. I didnt use VOOM (even the crew said it was so slow it was terrible) and I didnt do any form of drink package.

Edited January 8, 2017 by lucywestie

[easyboy]

That was a long drive to FLL I'm impressed. We too always start a cruise with an open mind despite the negative reviews. Glad you had a good one.

Thanks for the review.

[exelsor]

Really nice review, i have never been on navigator before or that class, so its good to hear some honest info on it. Look forward to trying it in the future now Thanks :)

 

 

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[BillOh]

So I was the one who just before cruised posted a thread about "freaking out" about the upcoming cruise. .

 

I remember your post, thanks for coming back. I will return to Navigator someday I hope. Antigua looks like it has some beautiful beaches, but we too got stuck on the worlds worst excursion, but ours was booked through the cruiseline.

 

I don't think they offer it anymore, but if you see this one run!

 

[Clarea]

Thanks for the report.

 

We find the outside promenade on deck 4 a quiet and peaceful place sit back and relax.

[Wrh2016]

Thank you! I remember your post because I felt some of the same anxieties about our upcoming Navigator cruise in February. I am so glad to see that you enjoyed your cruise. Thank you for following up with a great report. We are really looking forward to sailing on the navigator in a few weeks.

 

 

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[terrierjohn]

Thanks for the report.

 

We find the outside promenade on deck 4 a quiet and peaceful place sit back and relax.

We are on Navigator later this year and that's good to know, however while checking out You Tube videos and various photos, the prom deck seems to have very few seating areas, is this correct?

Edited January 8, 2017 by terrierjohn

[Clarea]

We are on Navigator later this year and that's good to know, however while checking out You Tube videos and various photos, the prom deck seems to have very few seating areas, is this correct?

It may vary ship to ship. It's certainly not packed with lounge chairs like the pool deck, but we usually find some to use.

[George C]

Thanks for review, we will be returning to our favorite ship in November

[johnritt]

Thanks. I remember your post and may have even commented on it.

 

We are following you in a week and I'm happy that you had a good time. I am looking more and more forward to the cruise and your review certainly helps.

 

Though I don't know RCI at all as of yet, as this will be my first RCI cruise too, I do know Celebrity and think that that is a line you might look at in the future. I'm thinking it is probably a quieter, less kid and more adult oriented cruise if that is what you're looking for. I'll know for sure in a couple of weeks (as much as a single little 5 day cruise can tell anyone for sure).

[TejasPenguin]

We're on the Nav next month and looking forward to it! Thank you for your thoughtful post.

 

 

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[Teeara]

Thanks for your review. I felt it was honest and in good humor.

 

I agree with you about Americans and texting while driving. I'm American and it drives me freaking batty to see people texting and driving. If your kids can't do it YOU can't do it. There is nothing that urgent that can't wait until you get to your destination. Put the darn phone down and pay attention. End of discussion.

 

We are going on a 9 night NOS cruise in April. Our itinerary is different from yours but I appreciated your insights for future cruises.

 

As for the quiet aspect of cruising, we pretty much hang out on our balcony all the time. I don't want to be with a bunch of noisy folks and blaring music. So we spend our time on the balcony. Since this was your first cruise with a balcony you might want to consider that the next time you do cruise.

[JTBCruiser]

Good review, Thx! Sailing on her March 2018.

[Dr. Pam]

Thank you for your review! We are onboard on Jan 20 for the ABC islands! Cannot wait to escape this cold!!!!!