Will we be bored on Navigator?

[OceanCruise]

We are in our forties and have been on 6 Celebrity cruises and 2 Carnival cruises. We would like to try RSSC as we prefer a more refined experience and don't mind dressing up. However, we do not like to sit by the pool or go to the bar/disco but still like to be active/entertained. On our cruises we always enjoy the casino, Bingo and all the trivia contests, games, shuffleboard, darts, cooking demos, wine tasting, crafts, etc. (except of course things like the hairy chest contest) We have usually found the Broadway style shows to be mediocre but do very much like comedians and specialty acts (not so much a string quartet or solo musician). So, would we be happy on the Navigator? What kinds of activities are there? Is there always something going on? What are the shows like? We are also debating about bringing our 15 year old son. He has been to many fine restaurants and acts/dresses appropriately so that is not an issue. What specific activites do the teens do? I realize there is no arcade or tons of kids. Are there organized board games, sports or computer access for the teens?

[wishIweretravelling]

This may not be the right cruise line for you. RSSC tends to emphasize ports over on-board activities. There's the usual array of bingo, trivia contests, etc., but that's about it. And, there are no activities oriented toward children or teens. The evening entertainment is mixed. I just got off a 7-day cruise on the navigator. Two evenings were an ensemble performing broadway or 60's and 70's theme music. Two were a singer doing a mix of styles, and two were a comedian.

 

I'm an RSSC loyalist, but this is not the cruise line for people who like to be entertained on board ship during the day. And, even though they've started marketing to families recently, their on-board activities have not caught up to the marketing.

[reggiescoobie]

Hi, I am the same type of traveler as you seem to be. I think alot depends on when you are traveling. Some of the ships have more activities around the holiday sailings. I would like to give you some hints but dont want it posted. Sometimes I feel only positive things get posted here and I feel bad if I have something negative to say. If interested email at reggiescoobie@aol.com and I will give you some helpful information. Thanks Julie

[Dolebludger]

It is difficult to answer this question without first knowing the proposed itinerary. The Navigator of course offers things like trivia contests, bingo , poolside lounging, and afternoon teas with live music. Unfortuantely, I've never seen live matinee shows on the Navigator or any other RSSC ship, and I think this would be a good idea. And there are lectures about the locale to be visited and general subjects as well. Radisson seems to be up grading these recently, and some have said that their quality now rivals Crystal. Programs for children and teens tend to be a bit "under-developed."

 

The Navigator, however, offers something that some view as an extreme luxury in traveling --- and that is privacy and freedom from lines and crowds. The Navigator works best (along with all RSSC ships) when the itinerary is port intensive and not "heavy" on sea days. Radisson really does ports right, with lectures on the local culture and attractions that are not "infomercials" for local merchants. Radisson's offered excursions have a lot of content, and are reasonably priced in light of this. And, dress on the Navigator is actually more casual than on most of the mass market ships we used to take. Guests dress very well, but just in a less formal mode. Depending on your itinerary, there may not even be a formal night. If there is one or more, a dark suit and tie will do just fine for men, as will a tux if you wish.

 

Hope this helps,

Richard

[dougburns]

I could not disagree more with Richard and crys! We always do cruises on RSSC that are not less than 10 days; most being in excess of 14 days. All of our cruises have a lot of sea days(the longest so far was 26 days with 16 at sea). We have never been bored on the RSSC ships. On the longer cruises with a lot of sea days they always have a lot of activities during the day; everything from country fairs to dance lessons to various group participation games in addition to the normal stuff. If you enjoyed Celebrity you'll love RSSC. It's like the difference between the Ritz-Carlton and Motel 6. We have friends that used to cruise Celebrity. Once they tried RSSC they said they could never go back to any other line. Other friends who cruise RSSC with us went on Carnival because their kids wanted them to go along. They said it was like a battleship compared to the RSSC ships. Try it; you'll love it!

[Chat Kat]

I could never go on Celebrity again after RSSC. I hate the RCCL nickel and diming and the lines. The production shows are quite acceptable on RSSC. There is always something to do on the ships. There are games and videos and a good library. There are enrichment lectures, dance lessons, a very good gym and spa, wine tasting, cooking demos, Trivia and Tea are big. The computer Lab has lessons and there is always access available. The food is far superior to Celebrity, especially since 9/11 when most have scaled back. I have met 15 year olds that enjoy the ships on all of my excursions. Actually, on one of the ships, there were few teens and the teens on board had some special attention to keep them interested. The Social Director and Cruise Director arranged things specific to the kids. I think a lot would depend on where you were sailing. It is quieter and there are relatively few lines to get off the ship. As for seadays, there seems to be plenty to do. I am in my 40's.

[OceanCruise]

Thanks for the helpful replys thus far. I would love to hear from others also. The itinerary we are considering is Bermuda from NY. We have been to Bermuda several times before but I see that RSSC does have some different and interesting excursions. Regarding the spa-- I don't really care for how Steiner operates the spas on some of the other ships (so so quality and annoying sales pitch). Is the spa here managed by a different company?

[Dolebludger]

Doug and all:

 

I did not mean to imply that there was nothing to do on the Navigator. The enrichment lectures alone, which I mentioned being as good as Crystal's (said to be the historical leader in this area) should reflect that. I always have plenty to do, although the things I've found to do are rather "laid back" (such as attending a lecture). I obviously like the activities, as I keep returning!

 

Now your post brings up activities that EVEN I didn't know about, and I'll sure check them out the next time on the Navigator --- and there will be a next time. Thanks for the new info!

 

Chatkat:

 

You are like so many of us who will just never go back to the "nickle and dime" lines. Radisson is not totally all inclusive (examples are shore excursions of course, and alcohol at some times), but it is inclusive enough for me. So when I find myself at a time when I can't quite scrape up enough money to take Radisson at the moment, I DON'T take a mass market line! I just stay home until I can beef up my finances and take Radisson later. I think I've got a lot of company!

 

Thanks,

Richard

[JanMD]

I would have to agree with Richard. We enjoy RSSC. We have been on Princess and Celebrity. There are pro's and con's for both lines. Radisson has an excellent service and food is great. In the Caribbean, we do miss the evening shows. But, in Europe we loved the ship, we never went to a show, we were beat. There are several activites to do during the day. From movies in the afternoon, to the computer lessons, dance lessons, etc. We always have a sailaway party up on deck and there is lots of food and drinks. For dinner, there is free wine with your dinner and if they don't have what you want, they will get it for you. The same way with with dinner.

Regarding kids: the caribbean lines have an excellent crew to take of the kids. Last Christmas cruise, you would never have known that kids were on board, they were so busy. And very, very well behaved.

 

Regarding the activites for a teenager, they things set up for that age. They will meet up with other's that same age. But, it is hard to answer you since you did not say which sailing or where you were going.

 

If you want to go on a cruise and not have to think, then this is the line for you. We shall be in Celebrity next year again. We will be prepared for the soda's, drinks, etc. to be tacked on. But, we look for the iternary and they have it for us next year.

 

I was on the RSSC Marnier then on Celebrity Mill and it was sure close to the Radisson way. For me, it is one step up from the Celebrity and they now have the cc class on the Mill ship.

 

Just tell us what iternary and that will guide us for helping you more. And yes, I am also in my 40's. And after working so much, when you get on the ship in the caribbean, you just want to take it easy, and that is what you can do. We always get off the ship and do our own thing.

 

Hope this has helped.

Jan

[JoAnne B]

Personally, I prefer itinerary-free sea days when I sail. I've sailed both the Diamond and Voyager transatlantics (as well as other lines), and have two more booked. I've never had time to become bored and hate to see the cruises come to an end! RSSC manages to offer a wide range of activities without the pressure to "do something"`if you really feel like curling up with a book. If you feel that you must constantly be entertained, a few port days may fill out your schedule so that you can enjoy the sea days. I think it's a lot easier to meet people on the smaller RSSC ships than on the mass market ships. If there's a sociable crowd on board, there's always plenty to do!

[wirelessmouse]

I'm having a problem deciding as well. We would like to cruise from NY to Bermuda. I wanted a balcony cabin, but there is not one on the Navigator, so we were looking at Norwegian.

 

I am firmly stuck in the middle between the two. I do not think the pricing is terribly different, considering the premium charge for a balcony cabin on Norwegian. I am sure there also will be considerable charges for our wine (and champagne).

 

I did want to be in Hamilton for the street fair though. Is it really a festival like one would see in Europe, that goes on into the night? Or is it more of a daytime activity?

 

Also, is the food (and lines for food) much of a noticeable difference between the two lines?

[Chat Kat]

We were on the Navigator to Bermuda in June. We paid for a balcony upgrade and we used it once during the entire cruise. We were so busy out of the room and in Bermuda, off the ship that we were sorry we paid extra for the upgrade.

[SkiCruiser44]

I have sailed both Radisson & Celebrity and like both for different reasons. For the Bermuda/NY run I would recommend the Navigator - the ship is the nicest one of all the cruiselines on this itinerary. We had a non-balcony cabin and it was just great for this trip (I wasn't sure how I'd feel without one but it we didn't miss it - the balconies on this ship are not that big but the cabins are wonderful). I will say I personally did not find enough to do on this ship in the evenings - it could be you are in port for 2 nights but I prefer the evening activity of Celebrity. I also enjoy having several choices of things to do in the evening and that was very much lacking on this ship. We sailed in late May so there were not a lot of kids - there is very little for kids even teens to do on this ship. There is plenty enough to do in Bermuda in the evenings though. The food is the best we've had on a ship and the service was outstanding. Unlike most I will continue to sail Celebrity (I don't have a problem with the nickel & diming - it doesn't make or break a cruise for us!!) I also love the aft balcony cabins on the M-class ships and look forward to our Alaska sailing next year in one now that they are Concierge Class.

In my opinion give Radisson a try - it's a nice treat but for me it's not the only way to cruise.

Enjoy!

 

Kathy

[wirelessmouse]

Thank you very much. I guess I thought we would spend a lot of time in Bermuda at night. Is there a "curfew" time to be back on the ship in the evenings? Or should we worry about our safety?

 

And a weird question: Are there any strange smells/odors that would help me to choose Radisson Navigator over Norwegian Crown to Bermuda?

 

While my husband is "used" to accommodating odors (particularly JP4) and seems particularly unaware of funny smells, I can usually pick out what/where/how clean our surroundings are.

 

I know that sounds really weird, but one time we booked a hotel sight unseen and weren't aware of the exotic restaurant inside the building. My nose is a little bit sensitive and we ended up transferring to different lodging. Probably the only person to have done that in history I guess.

[SkiCruiser44]

The Navigator is spotless - there are no odors anywhere on this ship. It is one of the cleanest ships we've sailed. I would choose this ship of any NCL ship 10 hands down!!!! Go for it to me this ship is the best choice for Bermuda.

We boarded in Norfolk so we had NYC as a port day which was great - we enjoyed that and didn't have the hassle of boarding in NYC - Norfolk was so easy!

 

Kathy

[petlover]

My sister and brother-in-law cruised to Bermuda on NCL Crown and were LESS than enthusiastic about the ship....in fact, they said they would never consider going on it again. I don't think it is up to par of some of the newer NCL ships. I'd opt for the Navigator!

[sdf89]

Oceancruise:

I think you can tell that the answer to your question is not one word.

Just a few decks up from me is a fun "name that tune" game going on during our single sea day. Earlier, there were some lectures. In 35 minutes, yours truly will hopefully win at Bingo.

 

Still, this is nothing like RCCL and Princess, where there are not only activities every hour, but even enough that by week's end, you wonder if you had missed some good ones. That's all i can say on the boredom question.

 

AS for night entertainment, I will vote that it exceeded my expectations with one caveat below. The quality is quite good and there is a varied entertainment. There is an emphasis on old favorite songs; but I say great! Now for the caveat, because of open seating at dinner, the shows always start at 9:45PM,,, we went to sleep about 1/2 of the nights before the show.

[dougburns]

Believe all of the RSSC ship spas are now operated by Carita.

[Dolebludger]

Wirelessmouse:

 

If you have the choice of going on the Navigator or NCL to Bermuda --- for about the same price --- then there is no choice at all. If cruise lines were compared to automobiles, then Radisson would be the Mercedes Benz and NCL would be the Chevrolet Caviliar (sometimes even less). One does have to do a two category upgrade to get a balcony on the Navigator --- compared with the "zillion category upgrade" on NCL. The value of the superior food alone on Radisson makes up any cost difference here -- if there is one. And then there is the better Radisson service that comes from fewer guests per crew member, the absence of lines and crowds that comes from this and more space overall per guest, the included soft drinks, and included hard drinks at times. If your alternatives to Radisson were Silversea, Sebourn, Crystal, or even Celebrity, you would have a closer call. But NCL? Not even close to the same league as Radisson!

 

Hope this helps,

Richard

[wishIweretravelling]

I also love the Radisson ships, and I would be reluctant to cruise any other line. But let's not mislead the questioner here. I was just on the NY to Bermuda cruise last week, and rather doubt that the activities during the days at sea would be satisfactory to a family with a 15-year-old boy. The days in port are fine--there's more to do than there's time to do it in. But the activities during the days at sea are not much to speak of, and there's nothing oriented to the younger set. If your son is mature for his age, and would enjoy things like enrichment lectures, he'd probably be fine. But he can't do the casino, and bingo and trivia contests only get you so far.

 

I'm a little surprised that there were no balcony rooms on Navigator. Only a handful of rooms don't have balconies. But, be warned--while at sea, the balconies are of limited use because of the sea spray. But they're great while in port. We were on the starboard side, and thus overlooked the town of Hamilton while in port. It was great to watch the town wake up over our own morning coffee.

 

Really, for service and ambience, RSSC can't be beat. But, I have to disagree with some friends above. It's quite likely that you (or at least your son) will be quite bored for at least 2 days of this trip.

[wishIweretravelling]

By the way, if you do do this trip, be sure to sign on for the Jessie James snorkeling trip that goes over a couple of shipwrecks in the Bermuda triangle. Best snorkeling trip I ever did!

[Dolebludger]

Well, I feel that any 15 year old runs the risk of being bored on ANY sea days on ANY ship. At least on Radisson, he can drink a coke without signing for it or having a "pass!" The "children" or "teen" programs on the mass market lines are so "phony" and, to my observation, few kids enjoy them. I sure wouldn't have when I was 15. I would have enjoyed just being on a ship, and would have enjoyed the ports. Being taken to a place with children or teens and being told "OK kids, lets do this" would have been a "bummer!" When I was 15, I would rather have had what is offered on Radisson than on the "mass market" lines any day.

 

But, really, at 15, I would have preferred one of Radisson's port intensive cruises. And I really would have preferred the Paul Gauguin, with its port a day itinerary and lots of water activites. But, if Bermuda is a "given", at 15 I would have detested what the other lines have to offer, and would have much prefered Radisson. I liked a "class act" then no less than I do now. Maybe more so.

 

If, at age 15, your child appreciates a "class act" as much as I did when I was that age, just book it!

 

Hope this helps,

Richard

[Jacqueline]

In the summer there are going to be plenty of peers on the Bermuda run.

A balcony is not necessary on a ship like the Navigator where there is ample deck space.

All ships are limited in programming while in port in Bermuda (which is unique to Bermuda as far as I know). There are certain prohitibitions against onboard entertainment. The concept is for tourists to spend $ in the port and support the local economy. There was spare programming on Celebrity also.

A fifteen year old will probably not wake up till noon on a sea day ! The generally enjoy congragating around the pool/hot tubs, etc.

Raddison does position itself to families for Bermuda and Alaska.