Review: 5 Nights on Empress of the Seas (with 50+ Pictures!)

[pmck]

You bet, having fun revisiting last week's trip.

 

We were the only ship at CocoCay. It was my third time there, and I don't recall visiting with another ship. Can't imagine how that'd be :o

 

We spoke to one of the bartenders that day on the island and he said that last week there were 2 RCI ships there. There were certainly enough beach chairs, but I'm glad ours was the only ship there that day! ;p

[UMDelt]

Empress of the Seas Review - Continued

 

Our final full day included one of my favorite stops - CocoCay, Bahamas. The weather was almost perfect and we opted to rent a cabana for the day.

 

The only downside was the cluster @#*!@ of a line boarding the tenders. Crew members were directing passengers to form lines upward, wrapping around the stairs starting from Deck 2 and ending beyond Deck 5. Not a big issue, but the chorus of angry passengers against line jumpers was very amazing. I may or may not have been part of the "chorus" at times. :p

 

Onboard one of the tender boats heading for the island

 

I've been to both CocoCay and Labadee and never rented a cabana. The price always seemed too steep for me. This time around was different though. We wanted to go snorkeling, and the cabana's included two sets of snorkeling gear!

 

Outside view of the private cabana area

 

Looking out of our cabana; Norwegian Epic can be seen in the distance

 

Perfect view of our ship from the cabana

 

I'd rent a cabana again in a heartbeat. The seclusion and extra perks (especially the included snorkeling gear and floating mats) made the price worth it. I also think my wife might mandate one next time. :D

 

More cabana pictures on the next post.

 

 

COMING UP NEXT:

Day five: CocoCay, Bahamas - Continued

[A&L_Ont]

Great review. Love the pictures and the nautical drama too. I'm looking forward to the rest of the review.

[UMDelt]

Empress of the Seas Review - Continued

 

Although there was a bar in the private cabana area, their offerings were lackluster and wasn't stocked with limes, lemons, etc. On such a beautiful tropical island though, I didn't mind making the extra few steps to find other bars.

 

The private buffett was nice, but had pretty much the same offerings as the regular buffett.

 

Rum Rummer and a "surprise" tropical drink... that looks just like the Rum Runner

 

Don't try this at home, kids

 

No beach in front of the cabana, but the view was amazing

 

This is me. No caption available; try again later.

 

All good things must come to an end - returning back to the ship

 

Overall, another great CocoCay experience. A random tip: if your snorkeling goggles get foggy, they have anti-fog spray at the rental desk. :D

 

 

COMING UP NEXT:

Conclusions, thoughts, recommendations, etc.

[nolimits]

Was there Bloody Mary Brunchs on seadays ? I read something here on CC

[UMDelt]

Empress of the Seas Review - Continued

 

Conclusions & Last Thoughts

Let me leave you with some high-level conclusions and last thoughts, specially focusing on the positive aspects (I've given some criticism in previous posts):

 

Food

First, let me say that I'm one of the biggest critics of Royal Caribbean's food. I know what many will say, "But it's subjective, blah blah blah..." Oh, please. It's gone downhill over the decades. Period.

 

With that said, I'm not trying to troll (seems that way, though :D) but do some "level setting" here. I'm singing a different tune for this cruise. The venues on Empress all had outstanding food, even the Windjammer (for the most part) and MDR. I was most impressed with "Chef's Table," although I can't remember the last course since they gave us so much wine.

 

Service

Top-notch. I've always had a good experience with Royal's service, but Empress of the Seas is a cut above the rest. The second part of the phrase, "small ship, big heart" certainly holds true for the crew. Our MDR waiters specifically (Cirspolo and Viktor - shoutout to you, gents!) were outstanding.

 

Stateroom

Like most ships from the early 90s, most of the staterooms are rather small. I cannot comment too much, since we stayed in the Owner's Suite. The balcony was hands down the largest I've ever experienced (even compared to hotels on land) and the bathroom had a, well, ummm... bath. (Which is rare onboard this ship.)

 

Decor

The multi-million dollar renovation certainly has brought the decor into the 21st Century. In some ways, she's showing her age, but only if you're really trying to find fault. The Boleros lounge is decorated beautifully in a Cuban theme; it was one of my favorite places to hang out. The Cuban coffee they make fresh es muy delicioso.

 

Overall

I often read about concerns with the ship's age and overall quality. In fact, I think we had some in this thread. Let me say at a high-level, Empress of the Seas is a great ship with an even better crew. I've been on quite a few Royal Caribbean cruises (I'm a 3-night cruise away from Diamond) with experience on the bigger Oasis and Voyager class ships. That said, this was one of my favorite cruises. Not only would I sail on her again, I've already booked another trip with her this July to Cuba. (Anyone going on the July 29th sailing?) No, she doesn't have the "bells and whistles" like FlowRider, iFLY simulator, bumper cars, etc. you'd find on the newer ships, but that was perfectly fine for me personally. Don't get me wrong, I love the big ships too! I'm sailing on Liberty in January.

 

I was critical about about the "subjective food" argument above, but certainly everyone has their own tastes for a cruise. So the Empress of the Seas might not be the gal for you if you require all those "bells and whistles." (Which is perfectly fine.) However, if you love the classic cruising experience with a modern twist, then don't shy away.

 

Thanks, CC!

Thanks to all who read and commented on this post! Hold me accountable for doing more reviews! ;)

[Yorkvillain]

Awesome balcony

 

 

Agreed. Beautiful balcony.

[UMDelt]

Empress of the Seas Review - Continued

 

Oh, and this guy says "hi" to everyone :)

 

[GWBonthego]

Thank you for this review -- well done, bravo!!! :D

[UMDelt]

Was there Bloody Mary Brunchs on seadays ? I read something here on CC

Not much of a Bloody Mary guy, so not sure. Sorry.

[Clarea]

Thanks much for this review. The photos are stunning!

[MrsB05]

We just got off of the Empress, also on this 03/27/17 sailing and I have to tell you... get ready for a fabulous trip. We had THE BEST time! I too read all of the not-so-good reviews including one that just said "Good Luck". Everything was great, the food, the entertainment.. we saw a comedian, a ventriloquist and a juggler (all awesome). They also had a piano player in the Schooner Bar who was fantastic. I think I heard that he was getting off the ship after our cruise though.. Not sure. The crew was outstanding, friendly and enthusiastic and helpful!!! We sailed to Cozumel and CocoaCay and LOVED both islands. Of course, the 80+ and sunny weather for the entire trip also helped. The ONLY negative thing that I can say about the entire trip, was that every once in a while, there was a faint sewage smell in a hallway. The very last day, when we pulled into Miami, very early in the morning, the smell enveloped our cabin and it was strong for about 5 minutes. Then it disappeared as fast as it came. It wouldn't stop us from sailing again on this beautiful smaller ship. We were in room 7672, towards the back of the ship and found it to be extremely comfy and well maintained. Our cabin steward, Harold was very nice and accommodating. It was small, but there was a place for everything, plenty of hangers in the closet, room under he bed for luggage and lots of shelves in the bathroom for our beauty aids. The bed was so comfortable!! More room than most hotels that we've stayed in. The cruise director CeCi was wonderful. She was funny and outgoing and we loved seeing her and following her activities. I was so sad to get off of this ship. We have sailed 5 other times, always on Princess and always on much bigger ships. My husband said the he would probably want to do the bigger ship next time, mostly because of there only being 1 pool (which was always crowded) on this ship. One more thing.. the drinks are a little pricier than I remember (of course we haven't sailed since 2009) they were $12 + 18% gratuity on each one, bringing 2 drinks to a grand total of $25. On the 3rd day, they offered a drink card which was $59 (before gratuity, so more like $69) and you could get 10 - $12 drinks with it. They just punched the card for each drink. You save $50 on each card. We definitely did a few of those on the trip. If you have any questions, I will gladly try to answer them. Otherwise go and have a wonderful time. Don't listen to the cruise snobs that tell you that this ship is awful. Form your own opinion and have a ball!

 

Patti

Thanks, Patti. So good to hear. We cruise on Royal fairly frequently and really wanted to try Empress because she's sailing out of Tampa come May (or maybe sooner) close to where we live. We're easy going but all those reviews, wow; couldn't believe the negativity.

As for drinks, yes, LOL, not cheap! Drink cards or packages are typically worth it if you have more than "a few" per day.

[MrsB05]

Thanks again for your review and the gorgeous pictures. I'm feeling a lot more at ease based on yours (and others) comments. Really, I should know better by now to get waylaid by all the nay-sayers out there.

Life (and vacations) are what you make it.

[UMDelt]

Sounds like my wife of 36 years. The bad news is, it never changes.

 

Haha, I'm only a couple years into mine but I already know the journey I'll be on......

[UMDelt]

Thanks again for your review and the gorgeous pictures. I'm feeling a lot more at ease based on yours (and others) comments. Really, I should know better by now to get waylaid by all the nay-sayers out there.

Life (and vacations) are what you make it.

 

Bingo. And remember, negative reviews tend to be written more often than positive reviews.

 

If you go into the cruise expecting a Quantum, Oasis, etc. class experience, then you'll be disappointed. In some ways they're an "apples to oranges" comparison though. But if you're looking for a classic cruise with a modern twist, you'll love Empress.

[tright]

This was the first ship we sailed on. We sailed on her when she was The Nordic Empress. We then sailed again on her for our 25th wedding anniversary. Seeing your beautiful pictures has me wanting to book another cruise on her. thanks for taking the time to share your pictures and write your review.

[EatonDoolittle]

Thanks so much for taking the time to review the Empress. Like you and many others, I'm looking forward to taking her to Cuba in a few months after she moves to Tampa.

 

Your review, and watching the Netflix docuseries "The Cuba Libre Story", has gotten me even more excited to go.

[UMDelt]

I believe I read earlier in your post that you will be doing Cuba in July, thus I will be anxiously awaiting your review.

 

Hold me accountable for that review! Took me 3+ years since joining CC to write my first one :p My sail date is July 29 returning August 2.

 

does anyone know if the same crew and entertainment will stay with her then?

 

Each member has their own start/end contract date that varies on length. So not every crew member will be the same for me as it was with you. But many will be :) Cannot speak to the entertainment too much. I believe many of the entertainers (e.g. comedians) come and go by cruise...

 

Loved your pics and review.. I don't recall seeing you on the ship, but wish we had the chance to meet you and your wife!!:cool:

 

Likewise!!!!!

 

Thanks much for this review. The photos are stunning!

 

Thanks, Bob. Congrats on the 100K post threshold :D (Now your post count celebration is extending beyond its dedicated thread!)

 

This was the first ship we sailed on. We sailed on her when she was The Nordic Empress. We then sailed again on her for our 25th wedding anniversary. Seeing your beautiful pictures has me wanting to book another cruise on her. thanks for taking the time to share your pictures and write your review.

 

Aww, well make sure to let me know if you decide to book! Memories of the Nordic Empress was the inspiration to book this non-Cuban cruise on Empress of the Seas.

[CulverCityCruisers]

Great feedback. Would love to see how nice Boleros looks, but I guess we will set it on our 5/15/and 5/20 Cuba Sailing.Great job. THANK YOU

[UMDelt]

Great feedback. Would love to see how nice Boleros looks, but I guess we will set it on our 5/15/and 5/20 Cuba Sailing.Great job. THANK YOU

 

Cruise Critic has 90+ photos of Boleros: http://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/empress-of-the-seas-1103/boleros-283998/

 

They have a special bar too menu that includes drinks I didn't find on the rest of the ship. For example, their "Coconut Mojito." Very tasty (coming from a beer and bourbon drinker...)

[MrsB05]

Cruise Critic has 90+ photos of Boleros: http://www.cruisecritic.com/photos/ships/empress-of-the-seas-1103/boleros-283998/

 

They have a special bar too menu that includes drinks I didn't find on the rest of the ship. For example, their "Coconut Mojito." Very tasty (coming from a beer and bourbon drinker...)

Oh yum. Definitely gonna try that!

 

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[grandmarnnurse]

fun ship freddy---we always fly into Ft Lauderdale, also, as it is not only much cheaper for us, it is the only airport I can fly non stop out of Buffalo, NY to catch a cruise out of either Ft Lauderdale or Miami. SAS has a reasonably priced shuttle into Miami, but you have to book ahead.

 

 

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[Sungold]

Thank you for the awesome review and pictures. I also sailed on Empress this past fall. I loved it and never felt I was on a "small" ship. Your balcony was indeed a treasure! Thanks for sharing, and please post reviews again.

 

 

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[Snit13]

Fantastic review. Looking forward to your July Cuba review. I tend to ignore the negative rewiews as I too believe a cruise is what you make it. Anxiously awaiting Saturday when we board the Brilliance.

 

For some reason which I can't explain, you and your lovely wife look very familiar. Wonder if we crossed paths in the past. Enjoy life together as we have been doing for 38 years.

[Arod1313]

Thanks for your review. Great pics. Sailing on her next week to grand cayman and key west. Looking forward to nice weather!

 

 

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