Worst RC cruise we've ever been on

Navigator of the Seas Cruise Review to North America

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 32

Overall rating:

2 out of 5
Verified Review
Navigator of the Seas

Western Caribbean

Sail date: December 18, 2016

Ship: Navigator of the Seas

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 9628

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

I'm hardly certain where to start...with the food, I guess, which is usually a highlight of a cruise experience. It was terrible--at the breakfast/lunch buffets, the nightly dinner seatings, and the specialty restaurant we went to (Giovanni's)--both in regard to the offerings and the quality. And the portion size--the tortellini main course consisted of FOUR tortellini. There was no steak offering unless you wanted to pay a significant upgrade fee (more than a whole steak dinner at a regular restaurant). Water refills were infrequent and at no point was I offered a glass of wine with dinner--I had to hunt down the wine steward each night to request one.

 

There was at least one less public restaurant on board this ship than on the other four we've been on, so breakfast/lunch was a madhouse--if you could find anything edible. Even the french fries were consistently horrifically inedible. The only food option after 9pm was room service, which consistently took 1.5 hours to arrive and was nearly inedible.

 

I discussed the food situation with other guests and with the staff, and they all agreed. One staff member told me to never take an RC cruise out of Miami because they're the worst ones...but that's where they're headquartered, which seems odd.

 

Service in general was spread thin--across the restaurants, staterooms, and other areas--and nothing like we have had before.

 

The stateroom itself was dirty when we got there (lip prints on the mirror) and stayed that way. The beds were uncomfortable. The balcony was even smaller than usual and barely the depth of a chair.

 

The entertainment was okay-ish, other than the ice show, which was VERY well done and definitely of the quality I expect on a spendy cruise.

 

If this were my only RC cruise I would likely never cruise with them again. As it is...I've invested quite a bit to get to Platinum status and am not really sure where to go now.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

1 out of 5

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Entertainment

3 out of 5

Service and Staff

3 out of 5

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
The cabin itself was of a nice size. The closet was very large, The bathroom had a tub, although it couldn't be used as such because the lever for sealing the tub was rusted off.

Ship tip

I wouldn't recommend sailing on this ship until it goes through some sort of management-level overhaul. There's clearly a problem at the top.

Ports of call

Nassau, Bahamas

1 out of 5
One of the worst port areas I've disembarked in. The ships offload into a small market area which leads to an absurdly fake high-value shopping area crowded with high-pressure local salespeople.

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

3 out of 5
I didn't leave the ship because such a significant emphasis was placed on having to rent a shade "shell" in order to enjoy the beach.
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