Rhapsody of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

My wife and I invited another couple to join us on this cruise. We are Diamond Level members and our friends are 1st time RCCL passengers. We had requested a dining room table for (4). Our Sea Pass cards all had the same table number,(214), but when we arrived at the Dining Room for dinner, we found that we were not sitting at the same table. Another couple were also given table 214 by mistake and when asked to move to a different table, they refused. My wife and I could not sit at the same table as our friends, even though it was a mistake made by RCCL. We were told there was nothing that could be done and either my wife and I or our friends would need to be seated at a table with 6 other people. I found this unacceptable and my wife and I did not eat in the Dining Room at all.

 

On the first night of the cruise I found that the mattress on my bed was completely useless. When I sat on the middle of it I sank completely down to the wire mattress support. I have a couple discs in my back that cause quite a bit of pain if not supported properly. I showed the room attendant, he agreed that it was in terrible condition. I asked if a newer mattress could be put in place or if an "egg crate" topper could be used, because I not only need support, but I need a cushion as well. Instead, the large sag in the middle of the bed was filled with multiple layers of firm mattress pads and fillers which leveled it out, but made it very hard and no topper was available. I had eleven days and nights of on and off leg and back pain. I was not happy.

 

We have always enjoyed cruising with RCCL along with Celebrity. We have never had any issues to speak of and have always recommended RCCL to all our friends and family. We were very disappointed that this had to happen when we had our friends with us. My wife and I have (4) more future cruises booked with RCCL, the next one being in January. I hope there is not a repeat of these type of issues.

 

William & Sharon Alex

 

 

although we're seasoned travelers, this was our first cruise, & a good choice it was. Even though the seas were very rough & the itierary had to be altered due to rough seas & port strikes, we managed to enjoy the experience. We were surprised at the comfort & roominess of our state room. All the staff were exceptionally pleasant, efficient & helpful. Abundant food; evening meals were particularly good. The short stays in port were difficult for us as we enjoy staying several days in order to get to know a place. But a cruise is more like a tasting experience; you find out if you want to return for a fuller experience. Ephesus was our favorite stop. We arranged an excursion through a private company & that worked well. 

 

This was our 10th wedding anniversary trip. We had a great time and made many new friends. I got to see Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, Ephesus & Naples  and even ride a donkey. We had a great time.

Our cruise began with 2 days of stormy seas & medical emergencies but Cpt. Dimas and his crew sailed us through until we reached the sunny Greek islands.  And despite several port closings & changes, all of the crew from the cabin porters to the bartenders to the talent rallied to make sure all guests were well attended to and entertained!  The boat was always clean, the food & beverages never stopped, the Spa was very relaxing & the Entertainment was excellent!  

 

Beware of the RC excursions - we booked several and each one ended with a 5 - 15 minute sales pitch from a local vendor.  I was not happy to pay to be subjected to such sales tactics while on my vacation!  However the excursion we booked thru USAirways in Rhodes was delightful and informative.  

 

The most memorable day was when we arrived at Santorini due to another port closing - Such a beautiful island with so much to see & experience!  Overall our first trip to Europe was wonderful!

Estas son mis segundas vacaciones  en Europa. Fue un viaje muy bonito aunque las condiciones del tiempo fueron Fuertes y otros percances se unieron como la huelga de los puertos en las islas griegas. A pesar de los inconvenientes pudimos disfrutar de nuestras vacaciones y llevarnos experiencias lindas para nuestra familia. Agradecemos a todo el staff de Rapdhosy of the seas por la excelente labor realizada durante nuestra estadia.

excelente crucero, excelente staff, excelente capitan Dimas y excelente viaje lo pasamos cheverisimo.

 

 

 

We enjoyed this cruise; the ports of call were excellent and the ship itself is very nice.  The cabin and dining room staff were pleasant and onboard entertainment was good. 

 

Nevertheless, we have agreed that we will not book another cruise on Royal Caribbean.  In the words of others, it seems that Royal Caribbean constantly is “ripping off” its customers.  Examples:

A 1 liter bottle of water from the stateroom mini-bar is priced at $6.00 A 1.3 ounce can of Pringles also is priced at $6.00 When our $95.00 trip was cancelled in Athens, by asking employees in the port cruise center, we learned of an express bus—port to the Acropolis—with a €4, 24-hour ticket Transfer from the ship to the train station in Civitavecchia—a 10-15 minute ride—cost $25.00 per person; transfer to FCO cost $75.00 per person (x 40 persons per bus = $1,000 or $3,000!) Royal Caribbean “strongly advised” online check-in for return flights but charged $15.00 for one hour of Wi-Fi access

We were pleased with the service provided by our Cruises Only agent, J.J.  She was knowledgeable and accessible when we needed to contact her. 

If you like crowds then you would like this cruise. I guess that's what the cruise line wants. The ship was crowded but at least you can find some place to get away. We signed up for a 5 port Cruise package. There was one tour guide per bus full of people. They gave out headphones which never worked. Impossible to hear so most people just put the earbuds in their pockets and tried to maneuver the crowds in the ports of call. 

Rome was clear blue skies and sunny when we left Civitavecchia port and sailed for a day through calm seas to Chania (Hania) Crete. Crete was a real surprise, with towering mountains, some snow capped up to 8 months a year, and crystal water shorelines.  We enjoyed Lake Kournas and the Arkadi Monastary (now that's a story for you) and especially loved walking around ancient Rethymnon with its lazy portside cafes and Egyptian lighthouse.  We stopped in some shops and met locals who had their own brand of Raki liquor which we bought and nice spices. Many jewelry stores, but some had unusual pieces and the price was definitely right! Best Calamari I've ever had, and I live in Hawaii where we have great Calamari.  On to Mykonos, incredible white buildings against the stark hills and bright blue ocean. Red and blue roofed churches, many family owned, and windmills set on the hill. Delos island should not be missed, my husband and I were channeling Marc Antony and Cleopatra and what they must have seen as they docked and shopped on this once wealthy merchant island (the first mall ever?) now it is amazing but up to the imagination as Persians and earthquakes have taken their toll. Most significant dig in Europe and a fun boat ride out to it. Strolled Little Venice and chose a café to have a wonderful Souvlaki and gyros lunch with delicious wine and ouzo before heading back to the ship.  Turkey was another surprise, again beautiful towering mountains, crystal clear seas and lovely people.  Our tour of Melitus, Didyma and Ephesus was jaw dropping.  We missed Mary's House, but saw lots of the places where Paul preached and stirred the pot, in some of the most amazing ancient theatres and ampitheatres ever - still fairly intact. Didyma had the towering columns reminiscent of Luxor, and the Library at Ephesus was reminiscent of the one at Petra, impressive, as were the wide marble streets.  And they've only scratched the surface.  Non skid soles for these tours, please!  Shopping was terrific and in fact most of what we bought we found in Turkey. Gorgeous rugs, yes, but don't miss the hand hammered brass and copper items (we found a hand made Turkish coffee set for our son) the amazing hand done fine ceramics (8 piece mezze platter for the daughter) and glassware and metal work.  The government shop by the Port had beautiful authentic (with papers) treasures and great prices (if you are willing to bargain).  On to Santorini.  We boated to the new harbor, caught a bus to tour Akrotiri, again jaw dropping, drove to Oia and walked and shopped and took pictures and then bus again to Fira to walk and shop, check out the museum that has the actual pieces and wall mosaics found in Akrotiri, 3600 years old look like they were made yesterday, and took the funicular (long line) back to the ship. Other options include walking up to Fira and over to Oia and back on a cliff trail and walking back down to the ship the way you walked up, steep but fun for those who need a workout or don't have the patience to stand in line at the top, or taking a boat to Burnt island that is an active (they say dormant, but again, I'm from Hawaii and it is active) caldera and hiking around. Lots of tenders to pick you up at the bottom whenever you arrive and take you back to the ship.  Athens was our next stop, cleaner and brighter than I had expected, lemon, lime and orange trees in full fruit in the city, we got to the Acropolis early and were the first group up to the Parthenon as the sun peaked through the columns. Great picture taking and tour before the other million people made it up the stairs. RC got us there early and it made all the difference, in fact they always got us to sites before any other ship tours and this was wonderful.  My husband had seen this 30 years earlier and said that Athens was much cleaner and the Acropolis complex so much more intact than he remembered.  We hope to come back in 5 years and see it even more so. that afternoon after a sumptuous lunch at a 5 star hotel, we drove down the coast to Cape Sounion to see Apollo's Temple. Cannot stress enough how beautiful this drive was. Ocean coves, beaches, yachts, just gorgeous. The temple itself and the views were amazing and will be in my head for a while.  Last stop was Katakolon, a small seaside port and  the original Olympic complex and the first track and field field. than off to visit Mercouri Winery amongst the beauty of the olive trees and vineyards and sample their delicious wines and a mezze platter.  Other people had eaten lunch so the platter was mostly between my husband and I and was incredible with their wine. We had a chance to talk to the family representative, he said that wine is to enjoy, not critique, and we agree. Having said that, their wine was quite nice.   Back to Rome, day at sea which we needed because we were fairly worn out. Except for the Shore Excursion people messing up our disembarkation tour of St. Peters and the Sistine Chapel, and then telling us we were on our own to figure it out (which we did with the help of excellent guest services, thanks for nothing Shore Excursion buffoon) all went well on board. Our favorite spot was Izumi and the Bar area just below it on the 11th floor, quiet and panoramic with a really humorous waiter, and we loved the sushi making class.  Most of the music on board was too crazy disco or Motown or just silly for us, we like jazz of all kinds none to be found, but that's ok.  Theatre shows were mostly too dancy and hokey, but we loved, loved Hector is Magic, a terrific magician who included wonderful audience participation.  I'd pay to see him again. We came for the scenery and culture and were wowed by all of it.  Next time we'll bring our kids!

The Rhapsody of the Seas is mediocre at best. Older and dated ship. You had to be back on the boat very early each day, normally around 4-4:30, this is so the cruise line can save money on port fees. The food was OK, nothing to write home about. The specialty restaurants were better by far, but they come at a fee. Older crowd. Not good for 20-30 year olds, especially if you are single. The club shut down early every night. There was no place that stayed open on the ship to get a late night snack, etc. Long lines at dinner even if you had a reservation. And what really rubbed me the wrong was the fact that they charge you a fee for room service and that they charge you for the bottled water in the room even if you buy a beverage package. I did not spent $60 a day on a beverage package to hear that the water in the room was from a "different inventory." Lastly, don't waste your money on the internet it was not compatible with Apple IOS 9 and was down half the time we were at sea.  

This cruise is very family oriented. The ship was beautiful and the entertainment was hilarious. The staff on the cruise was extremely friendly and the service was excellent.

The cruise exceeded expectations. We traveled with 2 other couples. The shore excursions we booked through Royal were outstanding, superb guides. We enjoy being on smaller ships. 

Really enjoyed our cruise - the Rhapsody of the Seas is a smaller ship, ~2000 guests, which made it a wonderful experience. While the ship could have had a smidge more shops or slightly larger showers in interior cabins, we wouldn't have changed much else. The staff were incredibly friendly, the ship was very comfortable and the itinerary was great. The only thing that could have been better on itinerary was an extended day or overnight in Santorini (maybe skip Crete?). Really a fun cruise and one I would recommend for anyone looking for an intro trip to Greece.

Just completed our 9 day cruise with Rhapsody.  Great itinerary with the Greek isles, Athens and Kusadasi/ephesis.  Very pleasing cruise, staff and accommodations. 

The ship, staff, food, etc... were fantastic!  I will definitely cruise with Royal Caribbean again.  Although RC was awesome, I'm not sure I would recommend traveling to Greece right now.  This has nothing to do with RC, but with the country itself.  

It was the first cruise for us and overall we had a good expirience

Besides days on a sea when ship was overcrowded

Service was good in a Maine dinning room but food  quality can be better 

This is a smaller cruise ship so don't expect the usual experience that comes with being on one of the larger ships.  Overall, the staff was great - very friendly and courteous at all times.    

The drawback for this cruise was the entertainment and food.  For the most part, there was limited entertainment after dinner.  Instead of having multiple events at the same time so that one could choose based upon interest, we found ourselves going to one show after the other just to keep our selves occupied.  Not that we were interested in what we were seeing but needed something to occupy our time.  

The food was okay.  Breakfast was basically the same options every day.  Lunch wasn't bad.  The BBQ was the best food offered for the entire cruise.  At dining, the wait staff was exceptional.  They kept us more entertained where we almost did not want to leave.  Dining food was not the best.  I ate at a specialty restaurant the last day and regret not trying the other restaurants on other nights.  

Overall, the ports of call make up for the drawbacks from the ship.  

 

 

Rhapsody of the Seas is very old and the entertainment and food options were extremely lack luster. This was my first experience with Royal Caribbean and I have heard amazing things about them but I was very disappointed. I traveled with a group of 15 and 12 others have been on Royal Caribbean before and they said this was the worst ship, food, and shows they have experienced. 

I've seen other reviews about the 'okay' food on board, but frankly the food we found was delicious, fresh and varied.  The service was attentive and overall experience enjoyable.  We had several teenagers in our group and they had an amazing time in the Teen Section of the ship. 

Stateroom - good.  Service - excellent, impeccable.  Food - mostly good, but several things missed the mark, not excellent.   Entertainment - very good.  Shore excursions and transfers - good, but some hurry-up-and-wait.  Complaints - 1. not enough deck chairs, guest "territory marking" made chairs unavailable even though vacant for extended intervals.  2. we expected more Greek food items on a Greek cruise. 

Great food and drink! Chef's Table and Izumi were especially good. The casino was also great. The entire staff on board really impressed me. I thought the Entourage Duo was a great act, the remainder of the entertainers, not so much. The outdoor movies were a total bust because it was impossible to hear the dialogue over the noise from the hot tubs and the smoking section. The stateroom was perfect, always clean. I did not appreciate the penalty for booking shore excursions with outside sources. There should not be a need to get up early and wait in line for tender tickets.