8 Night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 25, 2019
Ship:
Empress of the Seas
Cabin type: Suite
Cabin number: 7506
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 5 years ago
Review summary
Empress of the Seas provided a wonderful experience for a bargain price. The crew performed flawlessly and their enthusiasm was contagious. It was apparent that the guests seemed to be all having a pleasant cruise experience. In fact, I never heard anyone expressing a single complaint or negative comment while on this cruise. I feel the ship best fits the demographic of those who are not "party animals" or action-packed thrill seekers. It may not be the best choice for youngsters or teenagers who are expecting more activities. Couples looking for carefree relaxation and just the right touch of elegance should really enjoy Empress of the Seas.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was swift and efficient. We spent about 2 minutes at the counter and then directly boarded the ship.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food was tasty, proper temperature and well presented. The staff was overly courteous and attentive. The buffet offered a high level of diversity and all selections appeared to be freshly prepared.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Trivia and games/contests were interesting and well attended.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The entertainment was high quality and popular. I especially enjoyed the comedians.
Children's Programs
This was not applicable to me because I did not have any children on this cruise and did not familiarize myself with any of the Children's Programs.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The ship's crew was exceptional in all regards. Everyone was energetic, professional, engaging and courteous. It was apparent that the crew enjoys working onboard this cruise ship.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship's layout is very easy to navigate and all venues are in excellent condition and extremely clean. The ship is one of the more tenured vessels in the RC fleet but it does not show its age and does not show any neglect.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The suite was large and comfortable. My suite was located on the starboard side forward with a large front-facing balcony with two loungers and a table with 4 standard chairs along with an ottoman type stool/table. The suite was clean, the bed was as comfortable as my new mattress at home. The bathroom has an adequately sized bathtub/shower. There is an abundance of storage cabinets and drawers. The lighting is excellent inside the suite. The air conditioning worked like a champ and the suite never became warm or humid during the cruise.
Ship tip
Although the Empress of the Seas lacks the more modern "whiz-bang" attractions, the comfort and intimacy of cruising on a smaller vessel more than compensates for the absence of the latest attractions. I would recommend Empress of the Seas for a more laid-back elegant vacation rather than an action activity type of cruise.
We just toured San Juan on our own agenda. We have been here several times before. From our observations and experience, San Juan has made great strides in recovering from the hurricane devastation a few years ago.
Nice views and nice people. We took a three hour open air "Jeepney" tour around the entire island. There were a lot of views but a lack of stops made photo opportunities very difficult.
We took a taxi to the downtown shopping area (4 USD per person each way). The shopping was easy and the shop touts were not overly obnoxious trying to reel in the tourists.
We disembarked within 5 minutes of assembling at the assigned lounge area. The wait for Customs and Passport Control was minimal and our bags were easy to grab and head to the curb for transportation.
My wife & I will be sailing on the Empress December 9-16. A laid back relaxing experience is exactly what we’re looking for. I am a little surprised you stayed on the ship at Coco Cay rather than taking advantage of the Chill side of the island. On the other hand, you probably had the entire ship to yourselves! Thank you for your review!
That's wonderful! I truly hope we have the same experience on the Empress. I have a handicap parent I am traveling with and wanted a smaller ship. This will also be our first RC sailing. Truthfully I was hoping for a more laid back vibe so hopefully this ship fulfills our needs. Thank you for the review!
Did you go recently? I found a steal of a deal price for Empress Of The Seas for December but most of the reviews were terrible. A lot of people complained of smelly cabins, sewage backup in their toilet, dirty carpet and dirty furniture in their cabin. Thank you!
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