5 Night Key West & Havana Overnight (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: August 27, 2018
Ship:
Empress of the Seas
Cabin number: 4036
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
OK, if this required. the cruise wasn't perfect. Service was good, but couple mistakes made by shore excursion director, bad organisation of medical service and not comfortable disembarkation bring grades down. Big surprise was additional payment for internet services, all other cruises include it in tour price. Also you are having mandatory charged gratitude, which is nonsense/ Gratitude is a way to thank somebody for outstanding work and can't be mandatory charged. So we finished paying this mandatory part and paying additionally to the stuff really deserved our appreciation. I'd compare this experience to Frontier airlines which gives you an inexpensive flight and then charges for everything additionally. Those hidden price additions are unfair and look like scham to me.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Restaurant service was very good. I'd like to thank our water Victor and his assistant Jason for their very good work. Dinners were very good, but morning food was a little less tasty.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
We needed my wife's blood pressure take. But the medical facility was not opened and to get this simple operation, not taking any medical knowledge or experience you have to claim outstanding medical condition, pay for the case being opened and survive the risk that your blood pressure is abnormal for a regular person and you can be hospitalised because of that, doesn't matter that mid-high numbers are normal for you. it would of been so simple to put 4100 blood pressure tool out of that facility to let everybody to get his/her pressure on demand.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
All stuff worked very good, but the guy, responsible for shore excursions. On the first day he announced that because of a long line at currency exchange area we will do it on the tour. On the bus local guide told us that she doesn't have time for currency exchange.To our sorry we trusted excursion director and crue member at the excursion buses, who confirmed exchange on the tour, and didn't exchange money in terminal. This way we skipped all souvenir shopping and had to cover it second day early morning when we went on shore and ran around the terminal close area to buy couple presents for our relatives and friends.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Ship is clean, cabin stuff was perfect and very helpful, but it's an old ship (1990) and you feel every maneuver starting from engine coming on.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin was too small, shower was very uncomfortable.
Ship tip
Better go with a newer ship, even if your cruise is a little more expensive. You are paying big money, add couple dollars for your comfort.
First day tour provided by Royal Caribbean was a little too politicised and gave very little explanation on a visited places. The gide got really enthusiastic at liquor-cigar shop, she brought us on the tour. I could feel that this is the main goal of ours - to buy rum and cigars. Second day walking tour on historical Havana was much more interesting and educational. that tour came from Shore Excursion Group. The guide really knew Havana history and shared it with us.
Must have been in Cuba, we didn’t experience any lines at currency exchange. All those fee are disclosed upfront but you have to read it. Never heard of internet being included for free.
Walmart has portable blood pressure cuffs available so your wife could take her pressure whenever she wants. That way you wouldn’t have to wait for medical to open.
You must be British and not have read anything on the cruise ticket documentation that you were sent. All of that stuff is disclosed upfront and even on their website before you buy.
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