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Hi

I was on the 11 day Carib. sailing, Empress of the Seas, leaving San
Juan on 28 Feb. We went to St. Marten, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Barth,
Curacao, Grenada, St. Lucia, Margarita Island, and Aruba.

It was a nice cruise, the passengers were pleasant - a mix of Seniors
and Honeymooners with a little bit of everything else thrown in. Not
many kids at all. Except for the one at sea day, the ship did not feel
crowded at all.

Nearly everyone I spoke with seemed to think that the crew were VERY
nice, one of the nicest and most accommodating they had ever met. Nearly
everyone also thought that the food was merely OK, and not very good.
They also ran out of prime rib on prime rib and lobster tail night.

Many people took the option of eating dinner in the Windjammer - there
were a LOT of empty tables in the main dining room. People felt like it
was a very casual cruise and they didn't want to sit and "dine" for
hours on end. Very few people were in Portofino's whenever we walked by.

I spoke with the head chef and mentioned that the food was good, but
that I found some of the soups very salty, and he started laughing.
Apparently 2 cruises back they had a TON of complaints that the food was
too salty, so they cut most salt out, and had a TON of complaints that
the food was bland! So this cruise they were adding salt back slowly...

People told me that the late night dancing and such was completely dead.
The spa people said that they had a very quiet cruise - it was so port
intensive that few people got massages or hair done or whatever.

Lee

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"leek" <katman-CuT-iT-oUt-@-CuT-iT-oUt-uic.edu> wrote in message
news:katman-CuT-iT-oUt--210050.15240828032005@newsx.cc.uic.edu...
> Hi
>
> I was on the 11 day Carib. sailing, Empress of the Seas, leaving San
> Juan on 28 Feb. We went to St. Marten, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Barth,
> Curacao, Grenada, St. Lucia, Margarita Island, and Aruba.

> Nearly everyone I spoke with seemed to think that the crew were VERY
> nice, one of the nicest and most accommodating they had ever met. Nearly
> everyone also thought that the food was merely OK, and not very good.
> They also ran out of prime rib on prime rib and lobster tail night.


Thanks for your review. We took this cruise last November and found this to
be true..The crew was one of the nicest we have ever had. Our cabin steward
was a jewel..always happy and willing to please.
Quite a port intensive itinerary, wasn't it! I agree about the food...just
okay, except for the lobster which was very good.

Did you find many dressed for formal night? Most that were on our cruise
stayed informal or smart casual.....

--Jean

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leek wrote:
> Hi
>
> I was on the 11 day Carib. sailing, Empress of the Seas, leaving San
> Juan on 28 Feb. We went to St. Marten, Barbados, St. Kitts, St.
Barth,
> Curacao, Grenada, St. Lucia, Margarita Island, and Aruba.

Great itinerary, but exhausting. By the time I got to Curacao or
Grenada, I'd be ready for a break. That's when I'd start getting lazy,
book the "beach break" excursions and veg on a beach for a day, to
reenergize.

> It was a nice cruise,

Sounds like an atmosphere I'd enjoy - very low key, laid back, casual.
I was very impressed with the friendliness of the crew on Enchantment
OTS this past August, but not at all impressed with the food - similar
to your experience. At least RCL has got the service part down. Now,
they just need to step up with the food, and they're all set.

Thanks for the review. Brief but full of useful and insightful
information.

Lee

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In article <qM%1e.3760$oy3.3063@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com>,
"Jean O'Boyle" <j.oboyle@removefudged.sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> Did you find many dressed for formal night? Most that were on our cruise
> stayed informal or smart casual.....

In the dining room, yes. But that wasn't the case all over the ship.
Lots of people wandering around in shorts and whatnot.

And there were lots of empty tables in the dining room.

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In article <1112108437.736877.217560@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
"LeeNY" <leeschw@campmor.com> wrote:

> > I was on the 11 day Carib. sailing, Empress of the Seas, leaving San
> > Juan on 28 Feb. We went to St. Marten, Barbados, St. Kitts, St.
> > Barth, Curacao, Grenada, St. Lucia, Margarita Island, and Aruba.
>
> Great itinerary, but exhausting. By the time I got to Curacao or
> Grenada, I'd be ready for a break. That's when I'd start getting lazy,
> book the "beach break" excursions and veg on a beach for a day, to
> reenergize.

Well Grenada was a Sunday, so there wasn't much to do there anyway

> Sounds like an atmosphere I'd enjoy - very low key, laid back, casual.
> I was very impressed with the friendliness of the crew on Enchantment
> OTS this past August, but not at all impressed with the food - similar
> to your experience. At least RCL has got the service part down. Now,
> they just need to step up with the food, and they're all set.

I thought it was mostly people's expectations. You just can't go on RCCI
and think you are getting anything other than a decent banquet hall
meal. People think they are getting some 5-star experience, and it just
isn't.

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"leek" <katman-CuT-iT-oUt-@-CuT-iT-oUt-uic.edu> wrote in message
news:katman-CuT-iT-oUt--84E47C.13175829032005@newsx.cc.uic.edu...
> In article <qM%1e.3760$oy3.3063@newssvr30.news.prodigy.com>,
> "Jean O'Boyle" <j.oboyle@removefudged.sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>> Did you find many dressed for formal night? Most that were on our cruise
>> stayed informal or smart casual.....
>
> In the dining room, yes. But that wasn't the case all over the ship.
> Lots of people wandering around in shorts and whatnot.
>
> And there were lots of empty tables in the dining room.

One couple told us that they thought it was a NCL ship that had Freestyle
dining so they did not come prepared. So many of the cruise lines have ships
with similar names that if one does not cruise often, it is hard to keep
them straight..
Come to think of it, one formal night, there were not that many
attending..Buffet must have been busy.
On the Empress of the Seas our son had spent the entire day out scuba diving
and on a catamaran, getting back late and did not want to wear his tux, so
he called room service and they told him that they would bring him whatever
was on the dining room menu ..Well, he ended up with escargot, shrimp
cocktail, Caesar's salad, two lobster tails, rice pilaf, raspberry creme
brulee and wine, all served while he relaxed in the cabin!

--Jean

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Jean O'Boyle wrote:

> On the Empress of the Seas our son had spent the entire day out scuba diving
> and on a catamaran, getting back late and did not want to wear his tux, so
> he called room service and they told him that they would bring him whatever
> was on the dining room menu ..Well, he ended up with escargot, shrimp
> cocktail, Caesar's salad, two lobster tails, rice pilaf, raspberry creme
> brulee and wine, all served while he relaxed in the cabin!

When we were on the Rhapsody there was that evening I was sick. Kevin
didn't want to leave me alone, so he ordered room service. He had a
limited selection from the dining room menu to choose from, not the
complete dining room menu. I know you were on the EOS after we were on
the Rhapsody, I wonder if this is different for different ships or a
change in policy on RCCL?

sue

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"Sue and Kevin Mullen" <kjmullen@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:YsudndrL0KGbftTfRVn-sw@comcast.com...
> When we were on the Rhapsody there was that evening I was sick. Kevin
> didn't want to leave me alone, so he ordered room service. He had a
> limited selection from the dining room menu to choose from, not the
> complete dining room menu. I know you were on the EOS after we were on the
> Rhapsody, I wonder if this is different for different ships or a change in
> policy on RCCL?

I really don't know, Sue..Maybe because we had the Owner's Suite, do you
think? But didn't you and Kevin have a suite on the Rhapsody? It would be
interesting to know, as we had no other benefits..it was our third RCCL
cruise..I do know they had the friendliest crew on the seas on that ship!
;-)

--Jean

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Jean O'Boyle wrote:
> "Sue and Kevin Mullen" <kjmullen@comcast.net> wrote in message
> news:YsudndrL0KGbftTfRVn-sw@comcast.com...
>
>>When we were on the Rhapsody there was that evening I was sick. Kevin
>>didn't want to leave me alone, so he ordered room service. He had a
>>limited selection from the dining room menu to choose from, not the
>>complete dining room menu. I know you were on the EOS after we were on the
>>Rhapsody, I wonder if this is different for different ships or a change in
>>policy on RCCL?
>
>
> I really don't know, Sue..Maybe because we had the Owner's Suite, do you
> think? But didn't you and Kevin have a suite on the Rhapsody? It would be
> interesting to know, as we had no other benefits..it was our third RCCL
> cruise..I do know they had the friendliest crew on the seas on that ship!

We were also in a suite on the Rhapsody. Believe me Kevin had a nice
meal and didn't starve that night. The worst part of the meal for him
was when it was delivered and I told him to take that food out of our
cabin before I got sick again(grin). The crew was the best, esp our
cabin stewardess and the housekeeping staff. They took excellant care
of me when I was sick. When our cabin stewardess saw me out and about
with a smile on my face the next day, she grinned ear to ear and was
truly happy that I was ok.

Now if Carnival would do something about the smoke and RCCL would
improve the food, I would love to cruise on both lines again.

sue

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leek wrote:
> Hi
>
> I was on the 11 day Carib. sailing, Empress of the Seas, leaving San
> Juan on 28 Feb. We went to St. Marten, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Barth,
> Curacao, Grenada, St. Lucia, Margarita Island, and Aruba.

Lee,

Could you expand a bit on Grenada post-hurricane?

I'm thinking of doing the same itinerary and have visited St. Maarten,
Barbados, and St. Lucia - but the other islands will be new to me.
Any ports you especially enjoyed?

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One wonders what they thought when they got their cruise docs saying
"Royal Caribbean" on them lol!

Jeff


Jean O'Boyle wrote:

> One couple told us that they thought it was a NCL ship that had Freestyle
> dining so they did not come prepared. So many of the cruise lines have ships
> with similar names that if one does not cruise often, it is hard to keep
> them straight..

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"Jeff Coudriet" <jeffcoudspambegone@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:ihp2e.34169$mq2.32493@trnddc08...
> One wonders what they thought when they got their cruise docs saying
> "Royal Caribbean" on them lol!

LOL, Jeff! I wonder if they even put the two together? Maybe they read NCL
brochures and thought they were reading Royal Caribbean...I wondered about
that later, myself....maybe their first cruise and they were not at all
cruise savvy! We just chatted shortly in the line into the buffet, so I
don't know...

--Jean

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In article <v3o2e.11073$Pc.10054@tornado.tampabay.rr.com>,
greatviz <invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

> Could you expand a bit on Grenada post-hurricane?

It looked nearly completely flattened. There were no shops open (it was
Sunday) and very few people. Most people did excursions to beaches or
whale watching.

> I'm thinking of doing the same itinerary and have visited St. Maarten,
> Barbados, and St. Lucia - but the other islands will be new to me.
> Any ports you especially enjoyed?

Hmm - great (expensive) shopping on St. Barths - but almost everything
closed for lunch. I took a tour of the Jewish sites on Curacao and it
was very interesting. I did Sea Kayaking on St Margarita Island, which
was a lot of fun. There was a lot of shopping on Aruba, but it was just
like all the other islands - just more of it that was the port we
stayed late on, and people enjoyed going out bar-hopping there. I liked
Barbados, the rum is not nearly as good on St. Lucia St. Kitts was
cool - we did an "eco hike" and got to eat all sorts of wild stuff in
the forest.

Hope this helps,

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