CRUISE ADDICT JUNKIE: Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas (July 2014)

Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas

4-Night Western Caribbean

07/03/2014: Ft Lauderdale, Florida (Port Everglades)

07/04/2014: Sea Day

07/05/2014: Cozumel, Mexico

07/06/2014: Sea Day

07/07/2014: Ft Lauderdale, Florida (Port Everglades)

"Small ship with a large ship feel"

The count of cruising keeps growing and so does the amount of love we have for cruising. Now me start by saying for a small ship (roughly 78,000 tons) this has to be one of the most beautiful ships that we have ever been on. Maybe the only ugly part of the ship was our stateroom bathroom. The most eye opening area was the Centrum which is the vocal point of this ship. Lot's to see and do on this amazing ship. The Vision of the Seas had many good things about the ship along with our trip as well as a few bad things which we will go into detail with below.

Royal Caribbean treated us very well, everything from fresh fruit in our stateroom and champagne to a tour of the bridge just a really nice time.

Pros
- In the specialty restaurants (Chop's Grille & Giovanni's Table) you are allowed to order multiple appetizers and desserts however main entrees are only one per person.
- Our time in the main dining room started out very slow at first however once they knew we were getting a little annoyed they sped up the process and we were out in no time at all.
- The room service menu had a few options but for the most part they were all tasty and delicious. Much better then the options at the buffet.
- The food demos onboard were really fun to attend with tastings at the end it was very enjoyable.

aerial performances

Cons
Variety of food
activities to do
disembarkment
messy hallways
rude people at shows pushing and shoving in centurm
late time for breakfast

70's Disco Inferno Dance Party

One of the many parties held here in the amazing Centrum! The dance party was great. Our Cruise Director Steve did an great job hosting this along with all of the other activities onboard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qDV9_7lOtw

Aerial Performance

Left us wanting more. We saw them rehearsing during the daytime for the night performance. Really great addition to the ship. However we only wished we saw more of it.

Aquarius Dining Room

Most smaller ships we been on the dining rooms were all one level however on this ship it was multi-level which makes the room feel much bigger. We ate here for dinner on the first night of the cruise. We had 6'o clock dining so we got to our table on time and we were seated, looked at the menu and so on. We asked the waiter why are we still waiting to order ten minutes later. They wanted to get everyone in before they took orders and said not to worry you will be out in time for the shows. So between the time of that and five minutes later (6:15pm) they decided to stick two more chairs at the table next to us so the table would be even more crowded. They could tell we were getting annoyed at this. So after all that they finial took our orders and they promised to get us out in time. We got everything super quick, without being rushed and we were out by 7pm. Talk about good service. Well that could have been since there was only one other couple at the table! No one else showed up. We went again for breakfast which was decent, nothing to out of the box. Same deal with lunch which we didn't even stay for. We asked for a menu on the second sea day to see if it changed from burgers and hot dogs. They said they have no idea what will be on the menu until it's out. Now mind you this is at 11:30am. Food wise everything was cooked perfectly but just very basic items that I could have got anywhere at the buffet and at a backyard bbq.

Art Gallery

Art auctions were going on several days of our cruise and many people always enjoy attending these. One day we have to go again. If anyone is interested the desk is located right next to Cafe, can't miss it!

Boogie Wonderland (Production Show)

We first saw Boogie Wonderland on the Majesty of the Seas and enjoyed it for the most part. Had no idea the same show would be on this ship as well. Nonetheless we did enjoy it the second time around and tried to get better pictures from the show. Unfortunately this was our only production show since they had to cancel our finial one the last night of the cruise due to technical difficulties.

Bridge Tour

We were invited to take a tour of the bridge. If you remember we also took a tour on our last cruise (Celebrity Constellation). This bridge did feel a bit more packed unlike Constellation which felt more open. Still a very cool thing to check out, also meeting the Captain was great! Our first woman Captain we ever had. Have to say out of our 13 cruises we been before this was one of the smoothest.

Cafe Latte-Tudes

Coffee, Ice Cream, Desserts! Why bother leaving this area? You have it all right here. After taking the Ben & Jerry's Factory Tour in Vermont a few months ago we have been pretty hooked on their ice cream, so having it here was a major plus.

Cake Decorating Challenge

What a great addition to the activities with this challenge. Cruise Director Steve and the Head Pastry Chef picked one lucky person from the audience of guests, unfortunately it wasn't me. Nonetheless this was a really fun event. The Pastry Chef was teaching both the passenger and cruise director how to make a cake from start to finish. However when creating their masterpieces Steve had a little bit more fun with his creative way of doing things surely to make everyone who had his cake very happy! Wishing other lines would pick up on this and have more events like this. Really great idea and again as you can see our cruise director was right in the middle of the fun! At the end of the challenge the Pastry Chef informed anyone who wanted to take a tour of the Galley head to the dining room which is right around the corner. We did not attend this tour.

Captain's Welcome Aboard Celebration

Every line does their Captain's Celebration a little bit different from the next. This was definitely one of the nicer ways of doing it. Not sure if it was because it was on the 4th of July or what. First off the Centrum had balloons of the American flag colors (Red, White & Blue) all over the place as well as a giant batch at the top to fall down over everyone later in the night. Just spectacular! Music, dancing and a whole lot of fun!

Casino Royale

We cam,e we saw, and we left! Not into gambling much these days. Have one complaint though, that was the bar. Everytime I would go get a drink it would take forever and they had no idea how to make things. Just a wreck. The casino itself was small and got very cramped at nighttime. Since it is between the Centrum and Main Show Lounge you had to walk straight through to get from point A to point B.

Centurm

WOW! Which is Royal Caribbean's saying when it comes to their ships. We were as soon as we stepped on and looked up into the Centrum. Plenty of dance classes and cooking demos were hosted here. A great place to sit and relax to watch the other guests. Bad thing to keep in mind is the other rude guests that you may come across with when seeing any type of shows. I will explain that in the International Parade of Flags below.

Centrum Shops

Where's my ship! We always try and get a diecast ship when onboard some of the ships and we always see piles of them all over. This time around they had none in stock except for a damaged one that we could get 10% off of. We did find a 3-D puzzle of one so that was doable! The shops were setup really nicely along with contests and sales just about everyday.

Chef's Table

This room is just stunning! It is located in the back on the Main Dining Room. Decor in here much like the rest of the ship was spot on!

Chops Grille

Lack of options when it came down to the menu here as far as steak went. Basically you have two cuts and from that two sizes. We got a cut each and the larger size of them. Food was good, also a tip which we did not know prior is that you are able to order as many or as little appetizers and desserts as you want. Only thing you are limited to ordering one of is the main course. Apps were not really a hit for us. Again everything was cooked perfectly just very bland on some items and didn't care for some others.

Cozumel, Mexico

Hola!! Back in Cozumel! We were here from early in the morning, before the shops opened for the most part and when the locals are still there up your butt to buy this or take a tour here. We were at a different location which was a first for us. If you remember there are two sets of piers. We are usually at the first set with the welcome center / liquor store. This one was not as exciting. No good shops were open besides the small shacks and locals won't leave you alone! Even when you pass the same person a dozen times! So we walked around the streets for a bit and took some pictures. Than off back to the ship to enjoy some quiet time. Did not care for this pier at all.

Giovanni's Table

We ate here on our last night of the cruise. Much like the Chops Grille you're only limited to one main entree and as many apps and desserts as you want. However this is a more "family" theme restaurant. Much like a traditional Italian dinner it is full of different courses and large enough plates for sharing. So we ordered just a few items and picked at it for the most part. Food was enjoyable, however personally I think Chops was better.

Guest Services

Super friendly staff on this ship, especially at the Guest Services desk. They will be more than happy to help out anyone at any time of day or night. Downfall to the ship that the only place to check your folio (onboard account) was here. However lines were never too long and they got you in and out pretty quick.

International Parade of Flags

What a great presentation this was with the Captain. Lot's of music and people screaming for their country also dancing. Just to let you know where the amazing staff on the ship is from. Waiting for this in the Centrum wasn't too fun. We waited for about 2 good hours sitting there watching people and playing cards. Once the event started we grew a new family. Kids, adults, teens which I'm guessing was from the same family who decided to invade our space that we waited so long for so they can get a view. I'm sorry if I bumped you out of my way but learn some manners people please!

Izumi

We had a sushi demo during one of the sea days and the food here was pretty good. They also hosted another more personal sushi class (for a fee), which we did not attend. The area is above the Viking Crown Lounge and shows stunning views from around the ship!

Main Pool

Tons of great events were taking place here during the sea days. A bit on the smaller side with the pool and did not care for that the children's pool was connected to it as well. Still a lot of area to sit, relax and enjoy some great live music. Also a movie screen is preset so that is a major plus, just if they only had something good to watch!

Masquerade Theater

This theater was really nice, however much like seating on the Ruby Princess this theater too was a bit scary with the individual seats. Further back you could still get a comfortable seat and enjoy the shows.

Miss Biceps Competition

Here's an event for the ladies where they can strut their guns! We watched this from the Viking Crown Lounge. Even granny got into the mix to shake things up a bit.

Next Cruise Desk

Enjoying your cruise that much? Why not stop on by and book another one onboard! In our case we booked another one a few weeks before we went on. Actually on Oasis of the Seas! Stay tuned!

Officers vs Guests Pool Volleyball

Never got to see this even on other ships since we were always doing something else. However got to this time and as you can tell our cruise director Steve had a ton of fun! One thing that annoyed us, was the kids sitting all around the pool and none would move delaying the game. Also when their was a dead ball the kids just kept jumping in and swimming to the other side. A few times nearly being smacked in the head by a flying ball. All we have to say is WHERE ARE THE PARENTS! Sorry just a pet peeve of ours.

Photo Shop

Here is the photo shop onboard, right off the Centrum and the shopping area.

Ft Lauderdale, Florida (Port Everglades) (Homeport)

As you could see we had NO TIME to even take pictures inside this terminal. Really can't remember too much of this process, expect for coming home. Okay here's the thing about Port Everglades. It is a lot of big warehousing units which are the terminals which is just desks and chairs. Not like Miami where you have (for the most part) a nice area to enjoy waiting. However the upside is to this port that you're on the ship in no time! However carrying on your bags and being told three different times for when your room is ready gets very frustrating. We had out bags for about 3 hours until our room was ready sometime after 1pm...ugh!!! Coming home was a nightmare due to the issues with disembarkment and having to walk down three flights of stairs with rude people cutting in front of you and tons of luggage. On top of that the rude workers in the terminal yelling at you if you stop because a bag fell. Well sir you deserved to get yelled at! At other times waiting in the long, long, long line for customs and once you get to the front someone from another line cuts you off like your at Disney World and the person has a fast pass! Well in a nutshell that is Port Everglades. However it is very beautiful and very big, tons of memories here for me (Patrick) personally. Way before cruising ever happened.

R Bar

Did not like that this bar was not open all the time like other atrium bars on most other ships. Carnival for example always has someone by the bar working. Here not so much. Not a huge hot spot on the ship.

Rock Climbing Wall
The wall is located at the back of the ship all the way on the top decks. Royal Caribbean is big on this feature.

Schooner Bar

This was a hot spot on the ship, always had people here. Slowest service in the world, also lack of options to where I had to pick a 3rd option for my beer. Trivia was here as well most of the time. Also a good place to hang out if you're having dinner at any of the Specialty Dining Restaurants.

Ship Photo's

Overall the ship is stunning for it's size. We were on Carnival Victory and it is a bit bigger in size but not as many options. We had two specialty restaurants along with a beautiful multi-story main dining room. The decor and coloring on the ship was breathtaking! Plenty of great spots to sit and relax and have some quiet time. Also below we put up a picture of a television screen which is the key to the ship. You have a dining one with all of the menus for every place on the ship for dinner for that day. Along with the other screen showing the activities (Cruise Compass) for the day.

Shore Excursions Desk

Book your shore excursion before they run out!

Solarium

We liked the setup of this area for the most part. Also here is a small cafe which had a few choices, not many though. Did not go in the water but did stick out feet in. Looks very nice at night, especially when the water is rocking back and forth.

Some Enchanted Evening Lounge

Great place to hang out. Some events are here during the day and night. Nice views from here.

Stateroom 3463 (Interior)

Not a bad size room, well compared to last time. Did find on the last morning of the cruise some extra needed storage around the vanity. Bathroom had good storage slots. Room service was surprisingly good.

Sushi Demonstration

Here are some photos from the sushi demo. Great event to attend. Might have been a typo but the Cruise Compass showed that you had to pay for the event, however it was free. The one in the sushi restaurant was a fee event.

Thriller Performance

Three times during the cruise our cruise director Steve hosted a Thriller dance class. Carnival has does a dance class as well. However Royal Caribbean took it one step further and did a even in the Centrum. Awesome event, very short since it's only one song but still very cool!!

Viking Crown Lounge

LOVED THIS PLACE!! Very relaxing and quiet for the most part. Amazing views from around the ship. Great place where you can spend hours playing cards or taking a name or enjoying the pool from a distance away from the blazing Caribbean heat and loud noise of kids.

Vitality at Sea Spa & Fitness Center

Here are some photos of the fitness center onboard.

Windjammer Cafe

Food options were not that great here. No variety at all for the most part. Also another thing we hated much like last time was the shutting off sections to the public. Felt like cows on a farm being herded from one place to another. Lots of places to sit, but very little space at the buffet lines. Carnival and Celebrity does the buffet well with having it where the cooks bring the food out and don't have to navigate through a crowd unlike on this ship. Also the drink machines they had the servers making drinks for everyone and at times walking around with them. On the first day I kept refusing them thinking they were trying to sell me a cocktail. lol. One night the buffet had a make your own pizza station.