Anyone Back from The Empress?

[dolfinmusic]

Would love to hear about the cruise! Please share! :)

[dolfinmusic]

Anyone???

[Laurie12820]

There is another thread on this board about the Philly to Bermuda Empress. I should have C&P'd the link here, but I forgot to. Just search from Philly and Bermuda on this board! Hope that helps!

[dolfinmusic]

Thanks - I know - I started it ;)

 

It was moved to the Floataway Lounge so unless everyone goes there to read that board - they will not see it and post on it. I know I never go there.

[stillababe]

I'd like to hear about it too. I'll be going on 7/22 and am wondering if there is enough for teens to do. DS is not too happy that I booked on a ship without a basketball court, but the extra time in Bermuda was worth it to me (compared to Explorer's 5 night from Bayonne). I'm hoping that there is enough to keep him entertained, such as the karaoke-idol, etc.

[Laurie12820]

Why would they move it there?! That makes no sense!

[dolfinmusic]

I'd like to hear about it too. I'll be going on 7/22 and am wondering if there is enough for teens to do. DS is not too happy that I booked on a ship without a basketball court, but the extra time in Bermuda was worth it to me (compared to Explorer's 5 night from Bayonne). I'm hoping that there is enough to keep him entertained, such as the karaoke-idol, etc.

 

 

I went on a tour of the Empress on Saturday and picked up a Compass. They have a little breakdown of events onboard for the week and Karaoke Idol is on there!

[bibb]

Hi Everyone,

 

This is a review I wrote on the Empress when it was the Nordic Empress (November/December 2003). It doesn't tell a lot about the ship but we really liked it. We cruised on her, as the Empress of the Seas, again in April 2005 (11 Days). I think it's a great ship. About us - We're up at breakfast in the Windjammer about 8:30AM, we do the early seating in the evenings, catch all the shows, dress formal on formal evenings, dance until the wee hours and get to bed between 1:30 and 3:00AM.

 

Here's the review:

 

November 28, 4:00AM. – We packed the bags into the pickup and headed out for Boston’s Logan Airport, 1 hour and 20 minutes away, barring any problems. We checked the truck into long-term parking, got the shuttle to the Delta terminal and hit the curb-side check-in. We connected with Glenn and Peg, the other pair in our foursome, in the security lines and on to have some coffee before boarding. During boarding, we encountered “Pet Peeve #1” – people who block the aisle in the plane to stow their 17 carry-on bags they managed to get passed the check-in, then take off their coat, then go into 4 of the carry-ons to get paperwork/newspapers/CD players, then trim their toenails – well, you get the picture. We were flying Delta Song and they sell you snacks but we felt that we could survive the 3-hour flight and intended to turn them down on the food. However, they offered 1000 bonus miles if this was your first purchase on Song and you used your Delta Card. So, we had a bagel. After the nice flight, we got a van to the Marriott Downtown on Cass Street. It was cold in Tampa and we wore sweatshirts and jackets.

 

This hotel deserves mentioning time and time again. The personnel were simply outstanding and provided us service that we never dreamed of. It was cold in Tampa when we arrived and after putting our bags away, we elected to go walking and asked the desk clerk where were some good eating-places. She sent us to an area about 3 blocks away with several options. One was a small Jamaican restaurant and we chose it. Again, what a special place to eat and I can’t say enough about the people who worked there. The bad part, none of us got the name of it so that we could recommend it. When we returned, we hit the hot tub out by the pool until a rainstorm came and the winds drove us inside. The vacation was on and we were having a ball. How could it get better? It did.

 

November 29 - When we checked out of the Marriott at 10:30AM and were waiting for the shuttle to take us to the ship, the manager thought it was taking too long and ordered a taxi, prepaid, tip and all and, because of so much luggage, the young man behind the hotel desk got his personal car to follow the cab with the excess luggage.

 

We arrived at the terminal still wearing long pants, sweat shirts & jackets and put the luggage against the wall (at what we thought was the end of the line) so that Glenn and I could check on where to go. At this time, I should mention that Peg is suffering from some extreme diabetic issues and along with being very weak and still recovering from gall bladder and hernia surgeries last May, she was just declared legally blind. Walking tires her out quickly so she and Karen guarded the luggage. Just as Glenn and I were returning, the porter grabbed our bags, and took us inside to check-in. (We happened to be by the door they opened). Mind you, like almost the first ones in. Inside, we were about 4th in line and we were on the ship by 11:15. We had to wait until noon to get into the Windjammer for lunch.

 

We unpacked and found plenty of storage space with some to spare. We had an outside cabin and, with the king-size bed in the middle, the sides were a little crowded. The bathroom was small like the older ships and the shower was even smaller. If you took a hot shower, the draft caused the shower curtain to stick to you like glue. :) There were a number of shelves that we did not use. We were very happy with the room.

 

The muster. We reported on time and everyone was lining up when they announced that it would be 30 minutes later. No biggie for us. It went well.

 

Once we set sail, we picked up rough seas fairly early. We dined at a table for 10 and eight were a lot of fun. The other 2 were nice but not fun. The waiter, assistant waiter and the dining room bar waiter were all super. At the High Society Lounge, Karen and I danced quite a bit to a small band called FYI (they were very good). As the ship rocked, we did some great, unscheduled recovery steps. :) We met and talked with the girls in the band and that made for more fun.

 

November 30, a day at sea – Rough seas to some degree all day but they really got rough as we rounded the West Coast of Cuba and tested many passenger’s sea legs and stamina.

We spent the day exploring the ship and doing nothing, in general. “Pet Peeve #2” – “People who are too good to stand in line”. They bypass everyone in the buffet line and then cut in for the item they want. Karen elbows me in the ribs when I tell them what I thing or just block them. One little lady shoved a big man for pushing his way in and shouted at him, “And I’m not sorry either!” He looked at me with a shocked expression and I told him to move on.

 

December 1, Grand Cayman – Friday night, before leaving home, I e-mailed Ruth at Captain Marvin’s and asked for the four of us to be put on their afternoon Stingray City tour and we would find out if she did when we arrived there Monday. (Typical TA – take care of everybody else’s tours but forget my own) She did it and we had a wonderful experience. The rays were particularly aggressive and were all over everyone making it a “Super Experience”. Karen related feeding them to holding your hand on a vacuum cleaner hose; swoosh and the squid is gone. We were back at the tender before 5:00.

 

That evening was formal and, in the dining room, everyone observed the dress code fairly well. Out on the ship, it was hard to tell who was what. Was it the early sitting dressed and the late sitting still in swimsuits, shorts, and casual wear or just people who chose not to dress? After the dining room changeover, the opposite; did the first sitting change into causal or what? There was too great a mixture to tell what people were doing. ”Pet Peeve #3” – “Ladies dressed in beautiful dresses and looking their best while their partners looked like they just crawled out from under a car.” AND, this was all the way from young adults to elders. I don’t care if they weren’t formal but at least try to dress to compliment your lady and her dress. We turned in for the evening about 1:30AM.

 

December 2 – Another day at sea. It’s now time to mention that we had been, as the Captain said at his reception, “Chasing little sunny spots” three days now. The seas were rough and sunshine had been minimum at best. It was warm (unless you just came out of the pool wet) but windy and cloudy. ”Pet Peeve #4” – “People who stand at the coffee urn to put in their sugar and cream and then stir the coffee totally oblivious of the line behind them.” AND, these are the people who leave the papers, creamer cups, sticks and spilled sugar all over the counter right in front of the urn. GO TO YOUR TABLE TO DO THIS!!!!!

 

December 3, Belize – We got off the tender and negotiated a tour to the Altun Ha Mayan ruins with Carlos for $30 PP. This was a fabulous and educational tour. The photo opportunities were endless and it was a direct to and from tour without the driver taking you to his cousin’s souvenir shop on the way. It was also a tour where you ride right up to the ruins in your cab and no long walks (sometimes in mud) like some of the other tours. We didn’t do any shopping. An outstanding Port for us.

 

December 4, Cozumel – There were six cruise ships in port and that meant tons of people and lots of traffic. Along with the Nordic Empress was RCI’s Navigator, NCL’s Norwegian Wind, CCL’s Sensation, HAL’s Veendam, and Costa’s Mediterranea.

 

We walked the guided path through all the pier shops and finally got a taxi to Chankanaab Park ($5 PP). As we started walking the nature trail through the Mayan and Aztec replicas, we picked up a wonderful guide named Manuel. He was an employee of the park so the tour was free but worth a substantial fee. He was really good and informative. After the trail, we visited the dolphin area and headed for lunch at Carlos N Charlie’s. A line dance was in progress when we entered so it was a little crowded trying to get to the table but we also knew that the fun had begun. The only thing we did while we were there was get up on our chairs (or table for some) and do the “Chicken Dance” but we were never without laughter watching the crew pulling tricks on customers with fake roaches or mixing drinks in their heads and patting their bums. We had been given a coupon for free nachos so we had those and some enchiladas.

 

Our only “need-to-buy” items were some serapes so we shopped around and got some for $5 each. They are to put on the back seat of my truck to collect Sam and Sparky’s shedding hair so we were interested in price more than quality but, you know what, they were also surprisingly good quality. Then it was back to the ship and formal night number 2. Two of our tablemates didn’t make the dinner; they went to Carlos N Charlie’s and slept through dinner. :lol

 

“Pet Peeve #5” – Self-Righteous people who don’t like something (in this case Carlos N Charlie’s) and choose to lecture about it. If you don’t like something, discuss it with your Significant Other but don’t preach to the dinner table. I’m outspoken in the other direction and will respond quickly and with certainty.

 

December 5, Day at Sea – This is one of those “been there, done that” days. After a late breakfast, Karen and I prowled the ship looking for anything we might have missed. It was very windy and a little cool if you were not in the sun and blocked from the wind. Karen and I decided to hit the hot tub. We had joined John and Judy in the hot tub one evening around 10:00PM and it was great. Another time we just sat and had coffee under the gazebo next to the tubs. ”Pet Peeve #6” – (Part 1) Unattended children and parents who think the rules don’t apply to their kids. The sign very specifically says, “Children under 16 must be accompanied by their parents.” While we were drinking our coffee, 5 kids 6 to 12 were having a field day in one of the tubs. (Part 2) Diapered children don’t need to be in the pools. On another day, the children’s pool was unavailable to other kids because the crew had to drain and clean it. I don’t need to explain more.

 

That afternoon we prepared our tip envelopes and wrote letters to the Captain praising our waiters and steward and to each of the staff that helped us. The tipping policy was your option. Instruction in the cabin offered you the opportunity to charge your tips on your Sail Card, if you wanted to, but you must request it. We believe that the service was in first person so the tips should be also. I asked the waiter, the assistant and the cabin steward which way they preferred and they confirmed that it took about 2 weeks to get it if you charged it but they said it was no problem. I insisted that they drop the courtesy and speak truthfully and they each said they would rather have it in the envelopes. The waiter joked that he would save more if it was charged but he liked the cash.

 

We began to hear about the weather back in New England and started to anticipate problems and delays.

 

December 6, Back in Tampa – We had early departure tags and got off the ship on the first call. ”Pet Peeve #7” – People who don’t clear their accounts and foreign travelers who haven’t complied with the customs requirements and they ignore the calls on the morning of the debarkation. The entire %$#& ship is held up by customs and these inconsiderate dodos don’t seem to care or are too dumb to realize what they are doing.

 

Customs in the terminal was very slow. If they are ever going to handle Voyager Class ships, they will have to do something. The Nordic Empress, as small as it is, caused long lines and delays. Once in the baggage area, the four of us grabbed a porter and breezed to the outside and the gentleman controlling the taxi traffic quickly got us a van to the airport. Once out of customs, smiles all the way.

 

At the airport, (December 6,7,8) the problems began. Our 11:00AM flight was cancelled and we were put on the 7:35PM flight. Then we were put on the 6:15AM Sunday morning flight. We checked into the Airport Marriott. About midnight, I checked on our flight and it was cancelled. Then we were put on the 2:30PM Monday flight. I could dwell on the pains we went through with Delta and their “automated system” but it would just be whining. I talked to a supervisor Monday morning and heavily criticized their telephone call-in system because it was chaos with no queuing system and caused many passengers to lose their tempers and that spread to everyone they had to deal with afterwards. ”Pet Peeve #8” (New) – Delta.

 

Wrap-up. The ship and its service were outstanding. The food, I think, was not quite up to RCCL’s usual quality but we didn’t have to cook it and it was served well so no problem. The entertainment was very good. Ports and excursions (best yet) were all outstanding. Weather – touchy for the first 5 days but not a problem. Seas were rough. Air down and back were OK but Delta could have handled the delay better. The Tampa airport is great. The Airport Marriott was very, very good and accommodating to the rush of delayed passengers.

 

Special – The Marriott Downtown Hotel at 102 Cass Street in Tampa is simply outstanding and its staff is twice that. I can’t recommend them enough. We showed up at the Hotel Desk about 10:30 or a little before to check out and grab the hotel shuttle to the Pier. There were a lot of people using the shuttle and the hotel manager called us a taxi, prepaid including the tip, because, as she put it, we were having to wait too long. To put this into perspective, we were checked-in and on the ship by 11:15 so you can imagine how long we had been waiting. We told her that we were fine but this was her thing. The taxi could not handle all the luggage so the young man behind the desk, got his personal car and followed the cab with the excess bags. Do me a favor and use them on your next Tampa trip.

 

Oh, the TA? Outstanding, of course. :lol Oh, that's me.