Rhapsody of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

My wife, grandson and I enjoyed this cruise very much.  We have done a Princess cruise to Alaska, 17 Disney cruises to various locations including Alaska and now a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska.  The Rhapsody of the Seas was an impressive ship for this trip and had good entertainment and a multitude of things to do on at Sea days.  My grandson had a great time and is looking forward to a RCI cruise with his family and us

in 2016.  We booked 3 more cruises while on the ship for our 50th wedding anniversary in September 2015.

The food was very good and we felt it was better than other cruise lines.

I did not enjoy paying for sodas and juice for my wife but she liked the fact that she could get the items at any bar.

For a 17 year old ship, it was in great shape and loved the cruise as is evident my our future bookings.

First, let me say that Alaska ROCKS as a destination. It's absolutely gorgeous, and the more you can get out -- whether it's helicoptering, whale-watching, renting a car or dogsledding -- the more you will enjoy it. That said, the Rhapsody Of The Seas cruise is merely okay because it includes only TWO ports of call, Juneau & Skagway. I know other Alaska cruises have additional ports of call at Sitka, Ketchekan, and others. Rhapsody does stop in Victoria, B.C., but frankly, that is a town that takes less than 2 hours to explore and it's simply not as amazing as Alaska. There are at least 3 full "days at sea" with Rhapsody and 1 partial day, which is just too many. Especially when you consider that it can be windy and rainy even in the summer!

Other elements of the cruise that are also "just okay" in my book: the food and the onboard activities. The main dining room has about one good entree per meal, with the rest  being okay to poor. Windjammer has its usual limitations, being a large, crowded buffet, so I didn't expect much from the quality of food and that's about it delivered. If you're fine with casual fare, the Park Cafe in the Solarium actually has the most consistently high quality foods for breakfast and lunch. As for the specialty restaurants, I would NOT recommend Izumi, the japanese restaurant. Very high prices for very poor sushi. We didn't try Giovanni's or Chops Grille, but have heard lukewarm reviews of both.

Regarding the onboard activities, can you abide by trivia, trivia, and more trivia? That's about all there is! The ship is smaller, so they don't have "name acts" for the evening entertainment. A few of the singers and dancers are in the 7-8 (out of 10) range; some are 4-5. They try really hard, so I don't want to diss them too badly. Basically if you keep your expectations in check, you won't be (too) disappointed.

The ship is still in good shape, though a few upgrades are recommended: several people commented on replacing old shower curtains with glass or lucite shower surrounds, for example.

My final recommendations: splurge on the helicopter glacier tour -- it's worth it. Also, rent a car and drive the Yukon Highway. The scenery is spectacular with several deep green glacial lakes. The Cliffside Restaurants near the  Canadian border has great food and great views of the mountains and you're sitting almost directly over a river! Gorgeous. And the summer dogsled musher's camp is fun. Especially the one in Carcross, Canada (via rental car).

This was our second cruise with Royal Caribbean.  Our first cruise was on Explorer of the Seas, wonderful experience. Rhapsody of the Seas does not compare.  When we arrived our room had a sewage smell, then on day two of our cruise, the toilets wouldn't flush, and there was no water to take a shower.  Then on day five, we arrived (in the middle of the night) to our room to find the floor wet, caused by a sewage problem from the room down the hall.  We contacted Guest Services, and they sent technicians  to the room to extract the water from the carpet. Upon completing this task, the techs informed us that they were going to leave the blower to dry the floor, I informed them that we could not sleep with a blower blowing all night, once again we contacted Guest Services, we were then temporarily moved to another room, leaving all of our belongings behind.  The following morning, we had to contact Guest Services to get an update on our room. The initial response was that the room wouldn't be ready until after 6:00 p. m. that day, so my response was "What are we suppose to do in the mean time, all of our belongings are in the other room?"  At that time, the decision was made to move us to the new room.  We met housekeeping, who helped us move our belongings to the new room.

The entertainment wasn't what we expected nor as good as we experienced on our first cruise, however, the wait staff, room attendant and food was GREAT.  The Captain was very personable, and approachable.

Our Shore Excursions experience was wonderful!  I would do this cruise again, but on a different ship.

I am a diamond member on Royal Caribbean and I have been traveling with them since a very young age. This particular ship was not the type of ship to have "large amenities" such as the new ships that are coming out…and to me that is okay! With the larger ships that are coming out, more and more people fell obligated (in a sense) to experience all the activities that are available onboard the ship. I respect that notion, because I myself would do the same thing. However, it is nice to go on a ship where there is less to do. What this means for me is that there is more time to relax.

The best aspect of our trip was by far the diamond lounge. The incredible staff, the fully stocked bar, and the complimentary food offered were all great aspects of our trip. The only thing that was different from other cruises was the hours that is was open. Because of our dinnertime, it made it difficult somewhat to attend the events held in the diamond lounge.

The one negative aspect of our trip was the new regulations that are held by Royal Caribbean regarding our pre-booking for our next cruise. I will warn you: normally if you put the $200.00 down for a future cruise you would get $100.00 onboard credit toward your next cruise if it was a 7 day cruise. Well, that has changed. You now only get $25.00. Also, the “free items” you once could get have also changed. Obviously, they do not give you the coupon booklet any longer; they just put the items on your sea pass card. Nonetheless, the advantages have changed drastically.

I enjoy the company and all it has to offer, but for continuing customers, be aware of the changes. I was not and was highly disappointed with what I found out. Our cruise was great, but the information I received was not so great. Hope this helps!

The cruise is OK as expected, every one on board including the guests and crew members were so friendly and polite. It was a pleasure to be on board.  The water did stop running for half a day in my room. A photographer took a picture for me and  my wife, then my wife alone, but refused to take my picture alone, even when I requested for it.  Other than that, food was excellent and services are outstanding. Not enough time on land though, a one way cruise to Ankerage and take the flight back might be a better choice.

Well trained service staff, not considering that rude photographer, of course!

We had a wonderful time.  This was our first cruise and we were very impressed with the ship and all the staff.  Everyone was kind and ready to help with anything we needed.  The food was great as was the entertainment throughout the cruise.  We would definately recommend this cruise to everyone.

Scenery spectacular.  Food on the boat mediocre at best.  Waiter recommended chicken cordon bleu.  Deep fried with a bone in it.  Think about that.  Lasagna was horrible.  Had Junior  Suite on back of the boat.  That was great.  Room very nice.  The main nighttime entertainment again mediocre.   Movie night was good.  On cruising days not much of interest to do on the boat.  Thank goodness for the World Cup.  Specialty restaurants very good.  Reserve three nights get 20% discount - worth it.   Salad bar at lunch in Edelweiss was the best part of breakfast/lunch.  In Juneau take blue shuttle(easy to buy tickets off the boat) - 1/2 hour bus drive  to Mendenhall Glacier and hike the Nuggett trail (easy hike)  Spectacular - trust me don't miss that.  If large party (like 6 or more) call Skagway Van tours and have them take you on a tour in Skagway again trust me on this one as well.  (think husky puppies and seeing mountain goats) Much better than the train.  British Columbia go see the Butchard Gardens. 

There were 7 of us on this cruise from July 4-11, 2014. From the start we had a bad experience. This was my 6th cruise 2nd with Royal Caribbean. From my past experience I had high expectations for this cruise and boy was I let down. The ship was old, and none of the crew had answers for you. They acted like they didn't understand what we were saying to them. The casino pit boss never smiled and never greeted any of the people at the tables playing. The dining room dinners were very good. However the Windjammer food was always the same stuff. It almost seemed like we were eating the leftovers from the dining room the day before. One of the things that disappointed me the most was that they were always trying to sell us stuff. I went on the cruise for vacation to relax and here they are trying to sell me things that I didn't want or need. The tables on Deck 9 outside and in the Windjammer cafe were always dirty.... I would not reccomend this cruise ship to anyone.

This is the second cuise that my family has taken. The first cruise was with a different cuiseline Carnival conquest. The first day on the cruise aboard Rhapsody, we walked to our room on deck 3 and was overwhelmed with the smell. Smelled like we were standing in an outhouse. Smelled like this the entire trip. Our room smelled okay until we lifed the toilet seat. The rooms and their decor are in need of some updating. Our last cruise on carnival the room was nicely decorated, included bathrobes and a towel animal every night. Rhapsady gave us 2 towel animals the entire cruise and no bathrobes. A dirty cleaning towel was left in our room on one occasion. Often the cleaning carts were left in the hallway creating an obstacle course to our room. The food was just OK, nothing spectacular. We sat in the My Time Dinning on several occasions. But the food portions were so small that we found ourselves going to the buffet to fill up. The staff were friendly, but not as friendly as the staff on Carnival. On Carnival you can walk down the hall and they greet you by name. We celebrated my daughters 16th Birthday on the Rhapsody and the staff treated us very nicely. But I had to bring all my own decorations since Rhapsody no longer decorates your room for birthdays......just quinceaneras...... The things that we enjoyed were each of the three ports. We also liked Bingo and a few of the evening shows. The comedian they had the first night was pretty bad, the only one who laughed at his jokes was himself and the ones that had too much to drink.

I would never sail on this ship again. Carnival conquest is far superior.

Cruise was excellent!  We all had a rocky 1st day in the North Pacific but the inner passage was smooth as glass.  The cruise up Tracy Arm Fjord to Sawyer Glacier was the high point of the week.  We plan to return to Alaska in the future and do a cruise/land tour.

Service, accomidations entertainment, and food all were above and beyond what we expected.  Would definitely recommend this experience to anyone considering cruising on the Rhapsody of the Seas.

Rhapaody of the Seas is a much older ship then any other I have been on and does not have all the glitz and bling that they have but the service was outstanding and far better then the others so a plus,  I was disappointed in the entertainment and felt it did not hold up to the other lines but those with me had never been on a cruise before found it enjoyable.  I did find the bathrooms to feel larger again a plus.  We ate in the Edelweiss restaurant and our wait staff was outstanding.  Overall, it was an enjoyable cruise and one I will always remember with fond memories.

Everything exceeded expacations, from the dining waiter staff, bar staff and stateroom service, all exceptional. We highly recommend this Cruise and want others to enjoy. It's a smaller ship but due to it's so many highlights, "Bigger is not always Better". Loved it.   

Beautiful ship, excellent service and food.  Ports of call were lovely.  Would have liked to have been able to get closer to the glacier, but otherwise, everything was amazing.  Could not have asked for more attention to our every need. 

For our first time cruise the experience was amazing - the Tracy Arm Fjord was a stunning sight to see.

The ports of call were interesting to go to - and our shore excursions were a highlight. However, in Skagway the business people were rude and a bit pushy towards potential customers. In fact, if I ever returned to Skagway it would be for our shore excursion - which was the glass blowing and not for the city. In fact, if you were looking for a shore excursion in Skagway, I would recommend the glass blowing experience - I felt it was a highlight of my trip.

The Windjammer food was good and diverse for being an international cruise ship - this is where we ate at for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes it got a bit too packed and they had to shuffle people around. As for the food, I wish there was a bit more for vegetarians to choose from but overall they had a good selection of foods. I recommend that you get there as soon as they open or late to avoid the crowds. I did not go to any of the formal dinning rooms, because the Windjammer and the Parks Cafe was technically included in the cruise ticket price. The Parks Cafe was located in the Solarium and it had small snack-like foods to select from. The food from the Parks Cafe was good for small time hungers, as they offered foods such as yogurts, muffins, fruit cups, and sandwhiches.

I don't think I would get the Royal Replenish package again - I felt it was a waste of money - and they had coffee and tea always sitting out. 

The Stateroom Attendants were friendly and kept our rooms clean - they cleaned it two times a day.

This is my second cruise to Alaska.  The last was 25 years ago.  Just as spectacular as I remember.  Skagway and Victoria were new stops for us, and really both were different kinds of treats.  Can never put in words the experience.  You have to go yourself!

beautiful scenery no bugs moderate temp.the blue galacier was my fAVORITE ALSO WHALE WATCHING the dining room experience was excellent with ian and joseph as our waiters they were very accomadating to our needs and wishes excepy for not being able to get us moree rummbaba on the night after it was served  I had creme brulee every night delicious also our room wqas kept immacultely cleaned  Wayne? also did excellent service he even got me an extra cushion because the bed was a little hard for my taste and an extra blanket to keep us warm thanks again boys              gwen

This was our 3th cruise on as many different cuise companies. I can say that the Rhapsody of the Sea was the best that I've been on. The room steward fulfill any request that I asked and was always happy and friendly whenever he saw us. Even the other Stewards knew our names and the relationships to ours in our group. The Waiter and his assistant were great in meeting all of our special needs at our two 8 people tables. We had one member of our group that needed a special diet and the Maitre D helped arrange it every night. The Waiters taught us all tricks and showed us magic, they also celebrated a birthday and anniveries for members of our party. The food was well prepared and also cooked as asked. We had our grandsons with us and they were treated like royality. The Captain went out of his way to show the whole ship the glacier by turning the ship 360 degrees - 3 times. The evening shows were truly Family friendly and well produced. Drinking was available but not to the extreme as in other cruise lines we've been on. My only complaint was that I would have liked one more Port of Call at Katchikan. We were well informed on the shopping and tours available at the different Ports and we took advantage of several as well as others that we booked before the cruise.

We traveled with a large family group. The service was outstanding. The room steward introduced himself soon after we arrived at our room. The room was well taken care of. My husband has medicine that must be kepy cool, he brought a cooler and made sure ice was replenished. Our dining room service was all that you can hope for. Very attentive, my husband has very strict dietary needs. Every night the head waiter would review the menu for the next day and have food prepared for him that was wonderful and met his restrictions. The captain was very personable. The ship was well run, very organized. Embarking and disembarking was very orderly and quick. A pleasant change from the last cruise we were on with Carnival. It took very long periods of time to stand in line to get off the ship and back on. I have been on 8 cruises, Royal Caribbean is the best. Rhopsody of the Seas is a smaller ship, but for Alaska it was perfect! Enjoyed the fact that we were not constantly bombarded with drink offers. That becomes very annoying on some cruise lines. Would recommend this to others.  Kudos for the great job!!

This was our first experience in cruising. We learned a lot! We found that you have to be prepared to fill your own time when the provided activities aren't of interest to you. We had not expected this, so therefore, our first few days were not the best.  However, we became acquainted with the ship a little more and found ways to spend our time. I can't say enough about this amazing ship and its crew.  The ship was always clean and "in place". Each morning all areas were back in place and neat and clean. The crew in all areas were pleasant and interested in making sure you were having a great time. They were like one great big family !I was pleased that we could understand everyone..they all knew enough English to talk with us about a variety of topics. (my daughter had been on a cruise where they couldn't even understand the announcements!) I would not hesitate to book on this ship, or for that matter, any of the Royal Caribbean ships as I expect that they are all as well run as this one. The reason I gave this cruise only 4 stars was due to the activities.. I found them less than I had expected and would have enjoyed more lectures on the background history for the ports of call that we would see. Other than that, the food was great, the crew was great, and accommodations were great !! Everyone was very helpful! Alaska and its glaciers were, of course, absolutely beautiful. We had not been there before, but were told numerous times that the weather we were experiencing was exceptional.. absolutely perfect!