S. Wilson

Age: 41
Occupation: Safety Manger
Number of Cruises: 1st cruise
Cruise Line: Royal Carrib.
Ship: Rhapsody of the Seas
Sailing Date: August 8th, 2004
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

This was our honeymoon and our first cruise all in one.

I can not say enough about Rhapsody of the Seas. We were very surprised when we boarded the ship and say the interior for the first time.

Boarding was not as troublesome as initially thought. We arrived around 1:00 pm, during peak check-in time. As we made our way through the check-in line, a kind older gentleman let us “cut” through the line and we completed our check-in in less than 20 minutes. We received our sea-pass card and went straight to the gangway.

Once we entered the ship, we immediately went to the room to drop our carry-on luggage. The “Centrum”, the center of the ship, is absolutely breathtaking. Picture a 7-story glass elevator with winding stair cases and a water fall at the base of the stair case, and you have the “Centrum”.

We upgraded several times to a balcony room. To me, being my first cruise and a honeymoon, it was worth every penny. If I take another cruise, I will continue to get a balcony room. We used it every night, and had breakfast delivered to the room several times, taking in the views from the balcony.

Our room was very spacious, offering plenty of storage and drawer space for our belongings. We did what every first-time cruiser does, we packed too much. But, the room was very nice and clean. I was surprised to see the bathroom was larger than I thought. It is amazing to see how much “space” they can put into a guest’s room.

We unpacked, and made our way to the Windjammer Café for some lunch. I really did not know what to expect, but again, walking throughout the ship, it was easy to navigate and find your way around. The Windjammer Café was an open café style area where we had a great lunch buffet, with plenty of food to choose from. There is no excuse to say you could not find anything to eat—there is food everywhere on the ship.

We had early sitting for dinner and found that when I made reservations, I had chosen a small table, which meant a table for two. This was really not what I wanted, but since we were honeymooners, I did not make the effort to move tables, but would recommend that you book a large table so that you can meet other guests. Again, for us, it was fine, but next time, I will make sure that I understand the “table arrangements”.

I can not say enough about the dinners offered every night. A complete four-course meal. The selections were fantastic. The wait staff was at your beck and call and after the first night, remembered your choice of drinks, salads, etc. They were simply amazing.

We had dinner in the Edelweiss Dining room almost every night. Our head waiter was “Allan” and our assistant waiter was “Fernindad”. They were very professional, courteous and always made sure we had everything we needed.

We participated in several of the activities throughout the week. On the ship, there is always something going on and I recommend that you try everything. We played bingo, shuffleboard, the 70’s disco dancing to the Country and Western night. Each evening you will get a cruise compass brochure in your room that will advise you of the next day’s planned activities. It is never a dull moment.

We booked two excursions through the ship and I would recommend that you do this on your own. We found out too late, that we could have found a better deal once we were on shore in the excursion choices we made.

We visited three ports while on the cruise. On Tuesday, we were in Key West. I was disappointed in this port. We did not book any excursions, but choose to walk and shop (every woman’s passion). The prices at all the ports were high and shops were not really willing to negotiate on their prices. I would rather spend my time and money snorkeling or parasailing, etc. In the evening, Key West really comes alive with street dancers, shows, entertainers all found in Mallory Square. Duval Street is the main street where you will find shops, restaurants and plenty of entertainment. I had my picture taken with a snake, iguana and parrots for $30.

Due to Hurricane Charley, we did not make it to Grand Cayman, which was a big disappointment for everyone on the ship. Never put all your eggs in one basket. We had planned to do most of our shopping there. We were detoured to Costa Maya. We were told that this port was nothing like Cozumel or Grand Cayman and to be prepared. I found it to be pleasant. Once you leave the ship, there are trolley cars that will take you to the end of the pier. There is a large Market Area where you can find many shops and restaurants. There is a large saltwater pool in the middle of the square with a swim-up bar. You can get massages, temporary henna tattoos; there was plenty to do. The water was unbelievable.

I have never seen such blue water before. We chose to snorkel. And again, I would recommend scheduling excursions once you are on shore. We went about 15 miles from the ship and snorkeled for an hour or so. The water was a little murky due to the rough seas from the Hurricane, but we did enjoy ourselves. We were in port for about 8 hours, which seemed like it was 8 hours too short. I would have enjoyed spending more time in the Market Square.

The next port was Cozumel. We have never traveled outside of the US, so both of these ports were a pleasant surprise to us. The water was out of this world. Crystal clear all the way to the bottom. With our balcony, we were able to watch ship dock, see the sights without ever leaving our room. I am spoiled to a balcony from this point forward.

We had booked the dolphin-snorkel swim. We did not have a lot of time to shop as we needed to meet the tour group at noon. We took a taxi ride to town ($6), very reasonable. We found some bargains, but again, found for the most part, prices were set and not negotiable. I think that if we had more time and were able to get “off the beaten path”, we would have done better. Everyone was very nice and helpful and friendly.

The dolphin swim was nice, but I would not do that again. The price was a little steep for the outcome. We were actually with the dolphins less than 30 minutes. They take your picture with every move and then try and sell it to you. With the water being so clear and beautiful, I would recommend other “water sports”. After the dolphin swim, we had some free time before we needed to get to the ship so we went to the beach next door and snorkeled.

This was the highlight of the cruise. I can not say enough about the snorkeling in Cozumel. I wish I had been a certified diver as I would never had left the water. We saw stingray, barracuda, sergeant fish, and tons of others. As soon as you get in the water and swim 10 feet, the bottom drops and you are floating in crystal clear water. We ventured into a restricted area and was told to swim back into the park area. A employee of the park offered to take us on a guided snorkel tour. It was great. He took us out to where we saw lobster. He actually fed the fish and as the fish gathered around us, we were able to literally pet them. What a picture with your underwater camera.

We traveled back to Galveston on Saturday. It was depressing knowing that we would soon be ending this venture. I would recommend a cruise and Rhapsody of the Seas to everyone. We had 63 honeymooners, 600+ children/teenagers on the ship. I believe the ship was completely booked. The cruise director (Peter Banfield) was a riot. He kept us laughing and entertained everytime we saw him.

You can not go wrong if you choose this ship and this particular cruise. Only thing, watch out for Hurricanes. We are going to go again, just to be able to make it Grand Cayman.

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