Diana Sloderbeck

Age: 49
Occupation: Homemaker
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Name of Ship: The Voyager
Sailing Date: March 9th, 2003
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

March, 2003 We just returned from our cruise to the Western Caribbean on the Royal Caribbean's Voyager, and came back feeling spoiled rotten! It was hard to come back to the real world! We hope this review will give you helpful information. This was our first cruise. My husband and I are about 50 years of age, with an 11-year-old son. Our older son and his wife, both around age 20, went with us, too. It was their second cruise. (They had cruised on RCI's "Grandeur of the Seas" for their honeymoon.) They had come back so excited about it, that we wanted to cruise, too! (By the way, we think cruising is extra-fun if you can go with family/friends.) We decided to fly from Kansas City to Miami a day early, so that we wouldn't have to worry about missing the ship. We spent the night at the Miami Bayside Marriott, which gave us a great view of the ocean harbor and the ships! We highly recommend getting to your ship early to board. We were there by 10:45, and were checked in and on board by 11:30. It was nice to be able to check out everything before it got crowded! We got pictures of the Royal Promenade (the Voyager's "main street") while it was still Empty! (Believe me, THAT never happened again!) Then, we had time to tour the ship to become familiar with where things were located.

We were not able to check about our dining room seating arrangements until dinnertime, but we ended up with a nice table in the corner with an ocean view. Contrary to some of the Voyager reviews I had read, we thought the food and service were excellent! (We dined at Carmen's.) The lobster was tender, and our waiter even took it out of the shell for us. Our waiters were very attentive and eager-to-please. There was more than enough free food to eat--Johnny Rocket's offered amazing onion rings and hamburgers, the Cafe Promenade had good pizza, sandwiches, and cookies, the Windjammer had great breakfast items, and the Carmen restaurant had wonderful dinners! We recommend eating breakfast at the Windjammer, (especially if you're in a hurry to make an excursion) because it's buffet-style of serving makes it a faster place to eat. They have anything you'd want for breakfast, and, on the Island Grill side of the

Windjammer, they'll make fresh omelettes for you. We were glad that we purchased a Coke card for about $20 our younger son, as he was then able to get "free" pop for the week, anywhere on the ship. Every morning, you will receive a newsletter, "The Compass," with the complete schedule of events for the day. (Save them for souvenirs!) The Ice Show is definitely a must to see! They started selling the tickets on the second morning of the cruise at 9 AM, but be there by 8:30, if you don't want to wait in a long line! We enjoyed the show, "Dreamscapes," too. The Broadway hits show was pretty good, but could have used more singing and less dancing.

Try to see the ship's parades, (Mardi Gras, etc.) as they are very colorful and entertaining. Our room was on the 7th floor, and we were glad that we paid a little more to get a balcony. We loved the view, and fell asleep to the sound of the ocean waves each night. From the 7th floor and up, the balconys are glassed-in, so that you can see the ocean as you lay on your bed. The only stressful time for me was sometimes when we'd get back to the ship from port, and have to quickly shower and change for dinner. (We had the early dinner at 6 pm.) You might try to plan your excursions/shopping so that you have a little time to rest before dinner. The first port, Labadee, Haiti, was wonderful for swimming and relaxing on the beach. A little band was playing reggae music there.

For lunch, RCI offered barbequed hamburgers and all the trimmings there near the beach. Our older son and his wife para-sailed at Labadee, and loved it--they could see the whole island! We tried to do a little shopping there, but it was too high-pressure. Jamaica was next--we loved the river-rafting excursion! (In fact, the van ride TO the river was an adventure in itself!) We also went to the new Jimmy Buffett's restaurant and shopping area, and enjoyed it all, with no problem, mon!

Then, Cozumel...1 word--PANCHO'S! (restaurant) I had read SO many reviews that recommended it, and it was one of the highlights of our trip! The strawberry margaritas were huge, and it was the best Mexican food we've ever had! I loved my chimichanga! The fajitas were delicious, too. We rode horses through the jungle there, and liked that a lot. Grand Caymans--the snorkeling excursion here was THE biggest highlight of our trip! It was amazing--crystal-clear water, beautiful fish...I wish we could do THAT EVERY day! We went out on a boat with about 15 other people and a captain. (We did not choose to do the swimming-with-the stingrays-excursion--just not our thing.) We also went on the Atlantis submarine, but it was a letdown after the excitement of snorkeling on our own. Cozumel was our favorite place, but maybe that's because we women got to do lots of shopping there! (It had the best bargains!)

Some tips: Pack your own hair dryer, as the ones on board have a button that you have to hold down constantly. Also, a small travel iron comes in handy. If at all possible, invest in a digital camera so you can take all of the pictures you want! Allow time to relax--we would plan fewer excursions, like one per island, (instead of 2) or even stay on the boat during one port. Ladies, for the formal nights (2) wait till you're on board and you can buy shawls for only $10 each at one of the shops on the Royal Promenade. They had lots of colors--except white. Also, on the last day of the cruise, some of the ship's shops offered 25-50% discounts, and RCI T-shirts were half-off. The only suggestions we had for the Voyager to improve on, were hotter hot tubs, and some benches around the ship to rest/wait on. You will love cruising on the Voyager--remember, the ONLY hard part about cruising is going back home!!! Here is my suggested packing list for a woman: 2 formal dresses (long or short) with shawls, 1 pair black slacks, 2 long-sleeved blouses, (to go with the black slacks) 1 white sweater, (for nights on deck/balcony, and for the cool dining rooms) 2 sundresses, 1 pair denim shorts, 1 pair khaki/beige shorts, 1 pair denim jeans, 3 tank tops, 3 short-sleeved casual tops, 1 pair good white tennis shoes, (to wear on ship) 1 pair old tennis shoes/sandals or watershoes, (for excursions) and 1 pair (black) dress shoes
 

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