Please help me with a cruise question?

Question

i am going to go on a royal caribbean cruise more than likely and i want a newer ship. at least a 2003. what ships are good? and why? and have u been on one?

Answer 1

The only cruise I have been on was Royal Carribean. The ship was Monarch of the Seas...I had a blast!!

Answer 2

Voyager of the Seas is a good one I have been on that one.

Answer 3

Jewel of the Seas

Having already sailed on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance and Serenade of the Seas, two similar vessels in the line's Radiance class of ships, I was already pretty well primed for what to expect on Jewel of the Seas. Jewel, which debuted in spring 2004, is the fourth and last limb on this Royal Caribbean family tree.

At 90,090 tons (which counts on the high end of mid-size these days), Jewel of the Seas, like its siblings, has just enough space for some of the storied Royal Caribbean innovations, such as a rock climbing wall, gorgeous solarium pool, expansive Adventure Ocean kids facility and two lovely alternative restaurants. At the same time, its layout is so well designed I hardly ever was reminded that the ship carried 2,100-plus other passengers.

That's why, before embarking on a recent six-night Western Caribbean cruise, my expectations were on the high side. I anticipated that Jewel would be a beautiful ship in a physical sense, with lovely dark woods throughout that were countered by an infusion of glass and light. I surmised that service would generally, for such a large vessel, be quite good -- if a tad uneven. And I assumed that the cuisine, in true Royal Caribbean style, would be adequate when you considered that the ship's culinary staff caters to several thousand folks -- but not necessarily superb.

The big surprise to me was that Jewel of the Seas did not only meet my lofty expectations -- it also exceeded them. So many elements of the trip were truly exceptional that I found myself comparing the cruise to those taken on luxury lines that sail smaller ships -- and charge significantly higher tariffs.

Among the pleasant surprises:

Cuisine had markedly improved and I'm not referring to the alternative restaurants (which I've always thought were pretty good) as much as the main dining room, particularly at dinner, where roughly half the ship is ordering and eating simultaneously.

Entertainment ranged from the fabulously ridiculous (like the always funny Newlywed Game) to the elegantly sublime (the Rosario Strings).

The ship was indeed beautiful. I have never been a fan of over-hyped art collections, and yet there were some pieces that were so gorgeous (particularly a series of hauntingly beautiful photographs on the main staircase landing between Decks 5 and 6) that I made it a point to take the stairs several times a day just to admire them.

Service was consistently top-notch in all areas. On a couple of occasions, my cabin steward, seeing me return to my cabin with arms full, ran, literally, half a corridor ahead of me to open the door. At dinner in the main dining room, waiters remembered us -- even though we only attended intermittently. Staffers at the purser's desk were unusually helpful and attitude-free.

As a result, for the first time in a long time at Cruise Critic, a ship that's firmly planted in the mass-market category receives an overall rating of five -- which places it in the lofty firmament of only a handful of luxury ships (such scores have heretofore only been bestowed upon small, luxury-oriented ships whose lines charge a heftier price tag). Jewel earned the rating particularly for its top-notch entertainment, family facilities, and better-than-usual cuisine and service -- and for offering exceptional value for money.

We do offer a caveat, however: Our Jewel of the Seas trip was an exceptional experience but it still should not be measured against luxury lines. That's because it is a big ship. Which means you may have to fight for a deck chair on a sunny sea day and pay out of pocket for a myriad of expenses, from fancy coffees to soda. In tender ports you'll have to line up for a ticket. Standard staterooms (with or without balconies) are pretty small and bathrooms offer fairly basic amenities. And on embarkation day passengers are expected to vacate cabins by 8 a.m. -- and wait in public areas for color tags to be called.

Even so, there were times when I had to remind myself, when listening to the elegant Rosario Strings in the Champagne Bar or dining sumptuously at Portofino (Jewel's alternative, Italian-themed restaurant), that I was traveling on a ship where a cabin could cost as little as $100 per person, per night.

On my last night, dining at Portofino, I overheard a fellow passenger make what seemed like an audacious request -- the type of thing you could get away with on an $800-per-day cruise -- but not, certainly, on this one. "I would like my tiramisu delivered to my cabin precisely at midnight," she barked. I waited for the waitress to offer a "that's impossible," the standard big ship line. But she didn't. She just replied "yes, madam." Perhaps the waitress misunderstood? When the snippy passenger repeated the demand a second time -- and got the same affirmation -- I was frankly stunned. For a moment, I felt as if I'd entered another cruise universe -- that of a clubby small luxury line.

At the meal's

Answer 4

The Pacific Princess is a great boat!  It has a really cool bald captain, his mischevious teenage daughter, a pimpin swinging doctor, the same smooth black bartender at every single bar and a really hip, happening theme song!

Answer 5

Royal Caribbean's newest ships are amazing!!!  If you want a ship with a lot to do go with one of the following:  Voyager, Explorer, Navigator, Adventure, Mariner, Liberty, Independence, Freedom.  They all have rock climbing, ice skating, inline skating, pools, mini golf, etc.  The Liberty, Independence and Freedom also have a Flowrider (surf simulator) which is a blast.  The ships are huge and the Royal Promenade (central part of the ship) is where all the shops and extra dining places are and it is just like the inside of a very extravagant mall.  They have a parade that goes down the middle of the Royal Promenade and you can't miss it.  Also, when you are onboard a Royal Caribbean ship, be sure not to miss out on Quest.  It is an adult game and is a blast!  I have been on the Liberty, Voyager, Serenade, Rhapsody, Splendor, and Monarch (which is one of every kind of their ships).  

Answer 6

Oh I love royal carribbean

the explorer of the seas and its sister ships are SO MUCH fun.

You can rock climb, roller skate, mini golf, ice skate, swim and do millions of other amazing things!

Answer 7

Post 2003 Royal Caribbean ships

Mariner of the Seas - 2003

Seranade of the Seas - 2003

Jewel of the Seas - 2004

Freedom of the Seas - 2006

Liberty of the Seas - 2007

Independence of the Seas - 2008

Oasis of the Seas - planned 2009

I spent six months aboard the Jewel as a member of staff.  That class of ship that Jewel belongs to, known as the Radiance Class, is my favorite class of ship.  For me, I really like all of the views of the sea that ship has.  It seems no matter where you go, there is always a view of the sea.  Even working on the ship, and being on there for six months, I would often times find myself looking out to the sea as I was doing my cruise ship duties.

Answer 8

i would go to royal carribeans website and read about their newest ships and where they are located.

secondly i would go to cruisecritic.com. People there are really nice about giving info about their own experiences aboard ships.

have a great time.

Answer 9

the titanic