Visions of Sugarplums - Live from Vision of Seas 12/22/23 to 12/30/23

[Nadey]

Thank you so much for posting about your trip. There will be a girls trip for us in APRIL on Vision  and two people have never cruised before it will be close for us to drive between four and five hours on traffic. Just wondered if the swimming pool is heated . And happy new year.

[Another_Critic]

24 minutes ago, Nadey said:

Just wondered if the swimming pool is heated .

There is an outdoor pool, plus an indoor pool in the enclosed solarium.  I don't know if either pool is heated.

[BND]

8 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

There is an outdoor pool, plus an indoor pool in the enclosed solarium.  I don't know if either pool is heated.

Pretty sure they both are, but don't expect really warm water.

[Rubyfisch]

21 minutes ago, BND said:

Pretty sure they both are, but don't expect really warm water.

This is correct. People were swimming outside last night when it was in the low 50s. I didn't go in the outdoor pool, but the indoor pool was not really cold, but also not really warm. Many people seemed to think the hot tubs were too cold (I thought they were perfect). I think they were probably set at 37 or 38 C (so around body temperature).

[Rubyfisch]

So in case anyone was curious, I ended up taking an Uber from the airport, as I didn't feel like waiting over an hour for the train. Also - Amtrak charges way too much for same day tickets. It was $45 for an Acela ticket from BWI to Union Station. It was less than half that yesterday. 

 

I'm still glad I went to the airport, as the Ubers were significantly cheaper and more plentiful. And my Uber driver was happy with long ride down to Alexandria, which may not have been the case at the port.

Edited December 30, 2023 by Rubyfisch
Adding more text.

[Rubyfisch]

I'll do a couple of wrap up posts over the next day or two, but feel free to keep asking questions, etc.

[Rubyfisch]

I'm going to through some of the take aways now - not sure how many posts this will be or when I'll get through them.

 

Precruise Purchases

 

The Key

 

My opinion on the Key is about what it was beforehand - if you can get it for around the same price as the internet, and your traveling solo, and you'd buy internet, definitely get it. It makes day one so much easier. I was in the first ten people aboard. I didn't have to worry about any of my stuff. I actually really liked the reserved theater seating. I could show up 10 minutes before the show and get a seat without climbing over fifteen people. I could leave before the end to get to dinner without climbing over the same fifteen people. And I think the seats were marginally more comfortable.

 

The Refreshment Package

 

I go back and forth on this one. I'm not sure it's really worth it in terms of dollars and cents, but I also know myself and likely wouldn't get that iced latte unless it was prepurchased. I don't know if it would make more sense to get a coffee card and the soda package (I much prefer seltzer water, even from the bar gun).

 

Lunch at Chops

 

For me, this was one and done. It was too much food and a style of food that isn't my favorite.

[Another_Critic]

57 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

I actually really liked the reserved theater seating. I could show up 10 minutes before the show and get a seat without climbing over fifteen people. I could leave before the end to get to dinner without climbing over the same fifteen people. And I think the seats were marginally more comfortable.

Is the reversed seating for Key in the back on deck 5 with suites, pinnacle, and diamond plus?

[Rubyfisch]

2 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Is the reversed seating for Key in the back on deck 5 with suites, pinnacle, and diamond plus?

It's in the balcony on deck 6 with the suites and I think the other people with high status.

[Another_Critic]

4 minutes ago, Rubyfisch said:

It's in the balcony on deck 6 with the suites and I think the other people with high status.

Apparently it's in a different location than Grandeur and Enchantment.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, I do remember that location when I sailed Vision.

[Rubyfisch]

5 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Apparently it's in a different location than Grandeur and Enchantment.

 

Actually, now that I think about it, I do remember that location when I sailed Vision.

I have zero recollection of where it was on Enchantment, even though I had the Key. I didn't use it on Enchantment, but I also didn't go to all of the shows last year.

[heatherandnick]

Thanks for the review!  We were on there with you so it was fun to read and see the photos.  You captured my egg drop contraption, and also my husband’s!  Great cruise!

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

4 hours ago, Rubyfisch said:

The Key

 

How was the lunch with this? I'm contemplating doing The Key, but not 100% there yet.

[Rubyfisch]

19 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

How was the lunch with this? I'm contemplating doing The Key, but not 100% there yet.

I didn't go to it this time. I decided to try Chops instead. I went last year to the Key lunch and it was just okay. It was nice to have somewhere peaceful to go before the cabins were open.

[Rubyfisch]

25 minutes ago, heatherandnick said:

Thanks for the review!  We were on there with you so it was fun to read and see the photos.  You captured my egg drop contraption, and also my husband’s!  Great cruise!

It was funny - the people around me were super surprised your parachutes worked.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 minute ago, Rubyfisch said:

It was nice to have somewhere peaceful to go before the cabins were open.

 

Thanks! That - plus the ability to check carry-ons and have them taken to your cabin - is what I'm most interested in. I've gotten spoiled to Celebrity where you can go and dump your stuff and get your key card before doing anything else (and before cabins are open) - so carting it around until cabins open is not something I'm looking forward to.

[Rubyfisch]

Excursions and Ports

 

Ron John's Shuttle

 

I know a lot of person see Port Canaveral as a wasted stop, but I've enjoyed it both times. Last time I did the ship tour of the area, which has a couple of stops and some interesting history. This time I took the shuttle to Ron John's. It's very convenient and drops you off right by the beach. Everything was closed other than Ron John's (it was Christmas Eve), but it's a really nice beach to walk on, and there were restrooms and outdoor shoes and foot wash stations. I think it's totally worth it for a solo or even a couple - more than that and a taxi or Uber is probably best. Although I'm not sure how plentiful those were on Christmas Eve (understandably).

 

Resort World at Bimini

 

Okay - a lot of people seemed to hate Bimini as well - I really enjoyed it and would take it over Nassau or Freeport any day. I spent $35 for Resort World. I thought it was totally worth it. The free beach right by the port also looks nice. I'd be thrilled to go back any day.

 

Coco Cay

 

I'm seriously looking at itineraries to back to Coco Cay - it's so perfect. The food is good, the water is nice, and the setting is beautiful - it really is a 10 out of 10.

 

Freeport

 

I didn't do much at Freeport. I think it's an okay port for a short day off the ship in the port area and a relaxing ship day. I quite enjoyed doing morning trivia, heading to the port area, walking around and getting a drink, then going back for some solarium time and then lunch and more trivia. 

[Rubyfisch]

9 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Thanks! That - plus the ability to check carry-ons and have them taken to your cabin - is what I'm most interested in. I've gotten spoiled to Celebrity where you can go and dump your stuff and get your key card before doing anything else (and before cabins are open) - so carting it around until cabins open is not something I'm looking forward to.

That's the best perk for me - I honestly think of I didn't have the Key, I'd consider not getting on the ship until much later (although that's hard in Baltimore with the early sail away times).

[perfect match]

Thank you very much for this review, @Rubyfisch. Your photos were terrific. You had some great sunrise and sunset shots, and I loved that you were able to capture some photos that others on this thread recognized! I’m a little late in saying this because the moment is now past, but I hope you had a Happy New Year! 🎊🎆🥂

[Engineroom Snipe]

5 hours ago, perfect match said:

Thank you very much for this review, @Rubyfisch. Your photos were terrific. You had some great sunrise and sunset shots, and I loved that you were able to capture some photos that others on this thread recognized! I’m a little late in saying this because the moment is now past, but I hope you had a Happy New Year! 🎊🎆🥂

@perfect match. Ditto. Thank you @Rubyfisch.for taking your time to share with us.

[Rubyfisch]

Overall Thoughts and Impressions

 

The Ship

 

She's an older lady, but in good shape. Sure, there's some rust, but you try being at sea for that many years. The carpets in the public areas looked brand new, and my waiter told me all the chairs in the MDR were replaced the last time the ship was dry docked.

 

I know someone asked me up the thread about plumbing issues. After eight days aboard, I'm pretty convinced that nearly all the plumbing issues are caused by guests flushing things they have been repeatedly told not to. For example, the hotel director suggested they fish out Windjammer napkins from the pipes as a regular occurrence.

 

The Crew

 

They are fantastic. This may have been the highest level of service I've ever had on a cruise, including my Holland America one. The assistant waiter had a crumb scraper ... I haven't seen one of those in a while. At breakfast in Windjammer, they had carts with all the beverages they pushed around constantly to give people tea, water, coffee, and juice. And they had people circulating with drinks at lunch and dinner.

 

The activities staff was also wonderful - I really liked Bal as the cruise director. And Zoe, the hotel director, was very present and wonderful.

 

My Room Steward

 

I'll be honest, I was not looking forward to the change to once a day. I am not sure why, given that at least half the time we stay at hotels we have the do not disturb sign out most of the time.

 

I didn't see my steward until the second morning, which didn't fill me with confidence, but I said I'd prefer to have my cabin made up in the afternoon/evening. It looked like most people wanted morning service.

 

I have to say, he was fantastic. Like, I didn't know what people meant when they said their room stewards were fantastic. But he was. I think he might have made mine up first in the afternoon around 4 or 4:30, as it was always done when I got back to my room after whatever I was doing. And everything was perfect. I liked having my room to myself during the morning service time, as I found myself needed to go back to the room between 8:30 and 10:30 way more than I would have thought.

 

The Food

 

I know food is very subjective, but I liked nearly everything I had. Okay, the hush puppies in Windjammer were inedible and the chicken marsala was ... I guess mostly edible. But everything else was great.

 

I went to Windjammer for breakfast every morning - it was all hot, tasty, and well prepared. Seriously, if you haven't tried the Indian breakfast stuff, you should.

 

For lunch, I mostly went to Windjammer. They only had one line open on port days, but that didn't cause any issues. Again, the food was good. There seemed to be fewer options than on larger ships, but there was always something I wanted. The flow on sea days took some getting used to - there are two buffet lines, each with two side. Each line has the same things, but the two sides have different things. So you kind of have to circulate around to find out what all the options are. I also had lunch in the MDR once, which I really enjoyed, but some of my table mates weren't thrilled with their selections. The service was also kind of slow. Apparently, it was really slow on the other sea days.

 

For dinner, I had the late traditional seating, which is my favorite. The service was excellent, as was the food. For people griping about the new menus and lack of classics, I'm not sure they have looked at the menus recently. A lot of stuff has been added back. I think onion soup four nights. And grilled chicken was always available. I never saw anyone being told no for requests for things on the menu, like "can I have more broccoli" or "could I get a side of mashed potatoes."

[Rubyfisch]

If you've gotten through 12 pages of my ramblings, you probably don't need my advice or suggestions, but I think my one piece of advice for any vacation is to manage your expectations and understand what you are signing up for. 

 

For example - Vision is an old ship, that means more limited options. Also, it's not hot in the Bahamas in December. Like, it's warm, but not hot. And the water is ... Not warm.

 

Also, if you are on ship where there is diversion, medical, weather, or otherwise, look at the map of where the ship is in the morning. I saw people dressed up for and talking about Disney on Day 3 at breakfast. A quick look at the map would have said we were over 250 nm away. It was obvious to me that we weren't going to make it there for hours.

[Rubyfisch]

Okay - I think I'm done. Still happy to answer questions if anyone has them

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year.

 

Here are some parting photos from the fireworks in Alexandria, VA yesterday evening (this is from the 6 pm set ... I was asleep by midnight):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jodiwinn]

5 hours ago, Rubyfisch said:

Okay - I think I'm done. Still happy to answer questions if anyone has them

 

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year.

 

Here are some parting photos from the fireworks in Alexandria, VA yesterday evening (this is from the 6 pm set ... I was asleep by midnight):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for the wonderful report. Super fun to follow along! Happy New Year!!

[Sunshine3601]

Happy New Year!    Thank you for such a well done live report.   Your photos and commentary were Great!    Thank you for sharing your vacation with all of us😊