This was a wonderful first cruise and I’ll definitely be cruising again. The Rhapsody was gorgeous and staff excellent.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Very organized and fast. We showed up around 11:30 and were sitting at a bar at noon.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ended up eating in the Windjammer (buffet) except for dinner the last night. The food was better than I expected. I found it a step up from your typical buffet as foods were in pots on some sort of flat top burner. Not being a buffet fan I was surprised to like it- nothing was too dried out and nasty.
The last dinner we ate in the MDR (main dining room) Edelweiss and it was phenomenal. I had Tiger Shrimp and it was the most tender shrimp I’ve ever had (though difficult to remove from the shell).
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
I actually was so busy talking with new friends that I didn’t do ANY onboard activities but there were A LOT! Each day the Compass listed by time what was available.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Again I was so busy chatting with new friends that I didn’t attend any entertainment offerings outside of the Centrum. They had amazing things going on there and you can’t help but go up to the railing and watch.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
My very first meal in the Windjammer Jesus came up and introduced himself. He was the ONLY one to do so. Drinks were available but if you wanted anything other than the free stuff you had to wait for a server which was not long.
Our room attendant never introduced himself to me (he may have to my boyfriend) but he was always in the hall to great us, ask how our cruise was going and see if we needed anything.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
I found the ship to be plenty clean. (Be careful if you are on the deck where the sea spray hits because the railings will be covered in salt) as other members said, Rhapsody definitely shows her age but it was beautiful. I couldn’t get over how ornate it was.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
The cabin was very clean, size as expected and bed was comfortable. If you’re particular about pillows bring your own. As an obese couple we were worried about the shower size but it worked out just fine- just be careful on a rough sea day or you might fall out!
Ship tip
Things I packed per research that were very handy:
1. A non-surge protected power strip. There was one outlet in the vanity and one in the bathroom that appeared to be the European style so I couldn’t use it. We definitely needed the extra outlet for the extension cord for our CPAPs (extension cord and distilled water provided by RC) and number 2...
2. A fan. OMG so happy I brought a small fan. I’m used to a stand fan in the bedroom at home plus for my taste the cabin stayed quite warm. You also can hear a variety of noises and the fan helped quiet them.
3. Towel clips- I was only able to lay out the first day at sea (we had cool weather the last day at sea) and forgot to take my clips with me and my towel barely stayed on the chair.
There is bar soap so no need to pack that or shampoo if you aren’t picky.
Chairs on the upper deck were roped together and impossible to move- difficult to climb on so like everyone says- get there early if you want a good chair.
Don’t lose a towel! I could swear I returned my towel the last night but was told I didn’t and had to pay $25. No big deal but...make sure you do it and they scan your seapass.
Port was very nice- organize and boarding was seamless. There was a health form to fill out that was a surprise and was awkward as you had to find a pen and a place to put the paper to write on it.
Our RC Stingray excursion was canceled due to lack of interest. There were others that combined snorkeling etc. but we opted to “wing it”. The daily Compass includes a port map and we weren’t sure what we wanted to do so we walked out of port and were approached by someone offering a bus tour of Georgetown for $20. We did this and it was a bit underwhelming but we did go to Hell and send postcards as well as stopping at the Tortuga store and purachasing too much rum :) the weather was overcast and eventually rained so we grab conch fritters before going back to the tender. (We only waited a short while and the tender took 15 min.)
We had no plans in Cozumel and wandered outside of the port. We were approached by someone offering to go to Playa Uves beach resort for only $6. We asked about all-inclusive and ended up paying $65pp. (Should have negotiated) for $6pp the cab took us there. The resort was beautiful the salsa good and our server Will was amazing. He brought drinks before you even finished and if you said “surprise me” he did! I recommend the “Bob Marley”. There are a few shops on site and when we thought the prices were too high they would come by later in the day offering lower prices. At the end of the cruise we felt like we still overpayed. We got back to port with a bit of time and I bought a Peridot ring at a jeweler directly across from the port for $105. They originally wanted $668. I’m convinced it’s worth $30 but after all those included cocktails...
We signed up for a trip to Lamanai ruins through the ship. It was AMAZING. By far our most favorite of the cruise. It showed the excursion time of 3-1/2 hours but it was actually all day. Our tour bus driver was so knowledgeable and funny and really gave a history of Belize rather than just point out places. When you arrive you are at a bar and can get a drink to take on the speedboat. The 20 minute speedboat ride (fast and fun!) takes you to the ruins where you have a one mile guided tour. The guide went slowly and stopped frequently to tell you about different trees, artifacts etc. so that everyone could catch their breath. If daring (and fit) enough you could even climb the tallest one! After boating back to the bar a Belizean lunch was provided that was sooo good. On the hour ride back to the port another guide explained how to food was made. Back at the port we basically only had time to use the restroom and grab the next to last tender.
Viva Mexico! We scheduled a beach break directly through Nohoch Kay and it was great. The friends we made onboard came with us and were able to join us as walk ins. This was the only resort we could find a reservation at last minute. We were the first people there around 9am (cab was $3pp one way) and had the entire beach to ourselves. It was gorgeous with still shallow water all the way to the reef. The food was excellent. The frozen drinks seemed weak but the beer was good and...ask for tequila shots...very smooth and we joined the group next to us from another cruise ship so the server brought the entire bottle and just joined us in shots! There were several vendors along the road selling handcrafted souvenirs at a way more decent price. We bought a ton! Back at the port we walked around a bit (this port may be man made but it felt very authentic and had a gorgeous pool are).
We opted for the “self assist” option since our flight wasn’t until later that night. We had breakfast and left at our leisure. There was no line and we could not believe what a breeze customs was.
We will be cruising on the Rhapsody the end of February. This will be our first cruise and I’m super excited. So glad to read about your trip and that the ship was really nice. Hopefully we will have as good a time as you did.
Rhapsody was our 1st ship also back in 05. Liberty was next 11 years later on 16 same departure date on both. The day we met 10 29 so it was a 40 anniversary of meeting on the liberty. Trying carnival in dec of this year on the glory. 40 th anniversary of marriage the day we get back .Then have the newest RC ship the Symphony in oct 2019. Love cruising
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