I originally booked to go to Cuba but kept the booking once that port was cancelled. It wasn’t the greatest itinerary (key west and coco cay) but I still had a blast. The food and beverage service was great. The crew is the best I’ve experienced yet. The ship does show its age a bit but is perfect for a shorter cruise. The casino was very small and had a lot of older games but the bar was great for mingling. Occasional sewage smell, sometimes strong, in common areas. I would recommend Empress of the Seas if you like a nice, relaxing time and don’t need a ton of activities and amenities the larger ships offer.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
I arrived pretty early and was able to get right on. I appreciated the curbside baggage check, short/quick moving security checkpoint, and the ease of checking-in, I was from door to waiting area in under 10 minutes. It couldn’t have been easier.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
I stuck to the buffet, which was a little repetitive, but always excellent. The fact it’s a small ship meant little to no lines. Loved having a bar in the Windjammer.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There was one, smaller pool with a kiddy section and a few hot tubs. Always lots of open chairs and tables in the pool area. Amazing upper level with a handful of hammocks. Great bar and wait service in the pool area too. I love the big screen movies under the stars but they played Shazam 3x on a 5 day cruise. There is also a rock climbing wall, some ping pong tables, and group activities, mostly trivia.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
I saw Stephani Parker perform Whitney Houston songs in the theater. She was pretty amazing.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The staff and service are where this ship excels. I have no idea how they do it, but every person I encountered remembered my name. It was mind blowing. Absolutely loved Jess the “washy washy” guy.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Designed fairly well. There isn’t a lot to it, but I love smaller ships. You can walk from one end of the ship to the other in about 2 minutes. There was a sewage smell occasionally in the common areas.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I was solo so it was the perfect size. More hangers than I needed. The beds was already configured as a king. Small porthole window provided some nice natural light. The bathroom is tight, but that’s cruising!
It was an overcast and occasionally rainy day but I enjoyed the Old Town Trolley tour. It goes throughout the island so you can even see the part that looks like Any Town, USA. The drivers all had different anecdotes. With 13 stops, it hits all of the attractions or gets you really close. Lots of bars, so if you arrive early watch where you walk, lol.
Awesome place. Great food and beverage service, all included included in your fare/drink package. Lots to do but doing nothing sure was a blast too. We were the only ship there so again, no lines, no waiting. They have a ton of cool excursions including swimming with the pigs!
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