Worst RC cruise we've ever been on
Navigator of the Seas Cruise Review to North America
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
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
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
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)
2 Comments
jsm04d 7 years ago
I agree with the majority of this review, as I was on the same cruise and was highly disappointed with the food until we happened to share our feedback with a Windjammer employee who immediately told the head of the MDR, and he ordered us off-menu items for the rest of our cruise. The curries, jerk chicken, wings, etc. he brought us were so much better than the menu items. I wanted to clarify two things from the review. After 9 p.m., there are two other options for food: Johnny Rockets (carries a $7 cover charge) and the Cafe Promenade (included) that served pizza, assorted sandwiches and roll-ups, pastries/desserts, and Ben & Jerry's (additional fee). But yes, if you wanted something heavier, room service is the only option. Also, on Labadee, Royal Caribbean pushes the cabanas to an extent, but they aren't needed. They provide beach loungers on-site for free, and Columbus Cove is filled with palm trees to pull your lounger up under so you can have free shade. This is what many people do - just pull their loungers up under the palm trees. They also have large covered areas where they serve lunch, so you're in the shade then as well. If you go to Labadee again, please get off the ship. You missed out on an awesome beach day.