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Rhapsody 11/13-11/20 Review

DivotMaker

By DivotMaker,
in Royal Caribbean International

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DivotMaker

DivotMaker

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Just returned form our Western Caribbean cruise on the Rhapsody. This was our fifth cruise, but our first with RC. I'll make this short and to the point, but if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.

 

We went a few days early and stayed in Houston at the Hampton Inn. Great place to stay with a decent (and free) breakfast. Traveling with a family of 5, you try and save wherever you can :-). Had dinner at Cracker Barrel Friday night and visited the Space Center on Saturday. Also went to the boardwalk and a hamburger place called Tookies (I think that was the name) that was very good and seemed to be a local hangout. We just happened to run into some old friends at Tookies that live in Houston, so it was kinda neat.

 

I'll try and break this down in sections:

 

Ports

 

Our itinerary was Key West, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. We were traveling with another family of four, so there were 9 of us total. We got into Key West around 3pm, and there was a light sprinkle for about 30 minutes or so. We walked all over town and went to Mallory Square to watch some street performers. Pretty interesting and entertaining for the kids. The clouds just wouldn't part, so we didn't get a good sunset unfortunately. Key West was okay as a port, nothing overly special in my opinion.

 

In Grand Cayman we tendered to the dock and went on a hunt to find something to do (we rarely schedule excursions through the ship). We negotiated with a driver to do a tour around the town and see all the highlights. We were dropped off at seven mile beach where we rented snorkel equipment and had some fun in the water for a few hours. We saw a few fish, but not a lot. The kids really had a kick though. We were going to do the stingray city tour, but the guide told us we'd be wasting our money with the weather (again, very cloudy, and a little rain). After snorkeling, we walked around town and the rain started coming down hard for a few minutes. We tendered back around 2:30 and called it a day.

 

As for Cozumel, the captain made the decision to skip the port due to the bad weather and his uncertainty that the tenders would be safe for passengers. As much as I didn't want to miss Cozumel, his decision was the right one.

 

All in all, the ports weren't very exciting since we missed Cozumel. The kids had fun though, so that goes a long way in my book.

 

Ship

We've been aboard Carnival, Norwegian, and Princess, and the Rhapsody ranked near the top. Very clean ship overall. I honestly can't think of anything negative that could be said about the ship's appearance.

 

Room

We stayed in Grand Suite 8008, and were very impressed. I took some pictures and video, and if anyone would like, I'd be more than happy to e-mail you a link to view them. The room was very spacious and had plenty of closet space. The bathroom was amazing, very large with a huge tub and double sinks. The balcony window was the full width of the room and provided a very nice view. Our only complaint was that we were directly beneath the Windjammer Cafe, and we'd hear those rolling carts late into the night going over bumps in the floor. Aside from that, it was a very good room--Close to everything, and located such that there wasn't any foot traffic outside.

 

Staff

I found the staff to be the best of any ship we've been on. Our room steward was awesome. A very pleasant lady that really enjoyed her job. Our wait staff was great as well. The kids seemed to enjoy Adventure Ocean, and it was hard to pull them away at closing/meal times.

 

Entertainment

The entertainment was decent, not exceptional, but not poor. Some of the activities just weren't our style, and since that was personal preference, I don't fault RC. I kept all of the Daily Compass sheets, and would be happy to scan them and e-mail them out if someone wants to take a look. Since we missed Cozumel, we were unable to pick up the last night's entertainment, which I was really looking forward to (comedy/music).

 

Food

We ate in the dining room for dinner each night, and it was pretty good. They had a good selection of food, and the kids' menu was pretty diverse. I think my wife even ordered off it one night. The Windjammer Cafe was typical to most ships, a good variety and average taste. They did have a good salad bar that I visited for lunch most days!

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation

The smoothest of any experience we've had. We were on and off the ship in less than an hour each time. Great job on that.

 

That's about all I can think of. If I missed an area you'd like more info on, please let me know.

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DivotMaker

DivotMaker

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Something else I forgot to mention. There's an 888 number you can give people on land to reach you on the ship, but it's $7.95 a minute. I was given a long distance (Florida) number while on board that only has the associated long distance charges that you can use to reach someone on the ship. If anyone wants the number, I'd be happy to e-mail that as well.

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jwlane

jwlane

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be more specific on the actual address?
We've stayed at 2 Hamptons near NASA, and found both to be excellent. Many CCers are looking for pre-cruise lodging in the Houston/Galveston area, and thought your experiences might be helpful.
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Oma24boys

Oma24boys

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My husband and I traveled with 4 other couples this same cruise and we all had a wonderful time. We celebrated my BIL's 44th birthday along with our pastor and his wife's 18th anniversary. This was the first time on the Rhapsody for the 4 couples and the second time for hubbie and I.

 

I have to agree the service was the best we had ever experienced in all of our cruises. Even the Head Waiter made an appearance at our table every night at dinner...not just the token visit the night before tips. He did a fabulous job! We were not real thrilled with the Activity Director and staff...except for Janet (from another planet). She really got involved with the passengers. I have to agree the shows were not the best but they were still entertaining. We always managed to find something fun to do even when we missed Cozumel. I am ready to plan my next cruise!:p

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txmomof3

txmomof3

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We are also a family of 5 going on the Rhapsody in March. We are staying in a GS as well. Was there enough space for all of you? Did it seem as though you were crowded? My children are small, but I am just curious. I would love to have the link for the pictures and video. Also, was the noise from the windjammer really loud? Do not want the kids to wake up any sooner then necessary. Thanks for any information that you could give. :)

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dderm

dderm

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DivotMaker

 

We are on the Rhapsody in January (sailed on her last January in JS) and also in a Grand Suite - would love to see your photos and video. Please email link to me at aka__sally@hotmail.com

 

Thanks!

 

We were in GS 8516 and GS 8016 last year immediately before and then after the drydock. Here's a link to several cabin pics for a GS suite on the Rhapsody. http://community.webshots.com/album/212872498qgLkZe

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lindnet

lindnet

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Divotmaker, I'm pretty sure Tan Lake was really wanting to know the OTHER number to get ahold of someone on the ship, that didn't cost as much as that 888 number. Right, Terrie?? And thanks for the review, I can't wait to be on this ship!!

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DivotMaker

DivotMaker

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We've stayed at 2 Hamptons near NASA, and found both to be excellent. Many CCers are looking for pre-cruise lodging in the Houston/Galveston area, and thought your experiences might be helpful.

 

Hi jwlane--Here are the details of the place we stayed:

 

Hampton Inn & Suites Houston/Clear Lake-Nasa Area

506 West Bay Area Blvd

Houston, Texas 77598

Phone: 1-281-332-7952

 

I highly recommend it. Very clean, convenient location to shopping, freeway, etc. About 30 mins from the pier if I remember correctly.

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DivotMaker

DivotMaker

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Divotmaker, please email the 888 number to me at teresa@1-its.com. We have an ill family member and would like to give the number to our faimly on land. Thanks for the review.

 

My recommendation is to NOT use the 888 number, as it costs $7.95 per minute. I was given this number on board from the purser's desk: 305-982-2019. Apparently, this is a Miami number that you can call and are then transferred to the ship you are trying to reach. You should only have to pay long distance fees (a few cents per minute usually). We used this a few times and it worked great.

 

Something else worth noting: While on board, we used the phone to call home to give our relatives the 305 number, and were not charged the $7.95 per minute. We were told that the first 2 minutes were free, and I did stay on under 2 minutes when I made the call.

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DivotMaker

DivotMaker

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DivotMaker, what was Captain Teo's first name? What country is he from?

 

Hi, for some reason I thought Teo was his first name...I did some searches on this site and found "Teo Strazick" being referred to a few times. I looked back over my material I kept from the cruise, but I couldn't find anything mentioning where he is from. I did go to his "Captain's Corner" talk on Day 7 and found him to be a very interesting man. Extremely intelligent and a great sense of humor.

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DivotMaker

DivotMaker

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We are also a family of 5 going on the Rhapsody in March. We are staying in a GS as well. Was there enough space for all of you? Did it seem as though you were crowded? My children are small, but I am just curious. I would love to have the link for the pictures and video. Also, was the noise from the windjammer really loud? Do not want the kids to wake up any sooner then necessary. Thanks for any information that you could give. :)

 

We have three children, ages 8 months, 7, and 10, and we had plenty of room. It did not feel crowded at all. I think you'll find it very pleasant. The noise bothered my wife more than me. It wasn't so loud that it woke the baby, and she's a very light sleeper. Our older daughters weren't affected by it either. Hope that helps :-)

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