David Patterson

Age: 25
Occupation: Teacher
Number of Cruises: 1
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Voyager of the Seas
Sailing Date: October 3rd, 2003
Itinerary: Western Caribbean

This was my first cruise and overall it was a good experience. There are a few things I would like to over though to help out future vacationers aboard this vessel.

Be prepared to wait in line for everything. The embark process takes far too long which is somewhat understandable as it is a large vessel.

It is also understandable that you have to go through security check points but they should be limited as it gets quite frustrating after the first.

The food we had on the ship was amazing and our servers were very hospitable. There were a variety of options for venues and the piano bar was a great time every night.

The newlyweds game was the highlight of the entertainment. The musicals were a little off key in terms of the story line and seemed to drag on. I found the cruise director, Marc Walker, a little lackluster and he didn't seem to have the flair needed for that role.

The ports of Cozumel and Grand Cayman were beautiful and I would visit there again without a doubt.

Ocho Rios leaves something to be desired. The shore excursion we were on to the falls was overcrowded and there was always people in your face peddling your goods. Now I understand their need to make a living as well but it needs to me regulated in some way.

The town itself is not well maintained. There is litter everywhere and it has a certain smell to it. It is reminiscent of Nassau in the Bahamas. I wish cruise lines such as RCCL would put more moneyin to the communities they exploit for their weather and country side. At least work more closely with their local government to make the living environment for everyone there. It would make your overall cruise more enjoyable for your paying customer.

The island of Labadee was beautiful. The landscape of Haiti is breathtaking as you sail a way. There was a variety of activites and everything was great.

I do have two points regarding Labadee.

The first is that of the market they have there which is run by the local Haitians. I was apalled to find that the people working there had numbers on their shirts and not name tags. Now I know that they are not RCCL employees directly but I found this quite insulting I could not refer to someone by their name. I am sure RCCL could afford to purchase some name tags. That country has been through enough and its the least they could do.

The second point is with regards to the kids centre. This consisted of a square box with sand and a few picnic tables in the sweltering heat. There was no play ground or sprinkler system. There was a hose but was not sufficient for keeping the kids cooled down. There was minimal shade and I would be hard pressed to leave my children there if I ever choose to have any.

I am not trying to be cynical but these were some of the things that I felt strongly about regarding this cruise. I only hope RCCL has some access to this and they may make changes for the future.

I did have a good overall experienc and would sail again with them in the future.

Sincerely

David Patterson
Ontario, Canada

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