Definitely would recommend this cruise. We were with a small group of 16 so we booked 8 cabins which gave us a group discount. Use the RC Air to Sea transfer to get to the ship if you're traveling any distance and RC guarantees they will get you on board on time or to the first available port; we were traveling from NC to TX by air and flights tend to run late nowadays so this was our insurance. Loved every minute!
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth and organized, no problems!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Main dining room couldn't have been any better with service. The food was great with the exception of the prime rib; I had it twice and both times it was full of gristle making it tough to cut. Didn't visit any specialty restaurants this trip. The buffets were excellent also.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
We were very active on the ship. There was always something to do. Everything from trivia games, dance lessons, napkin folding, Italian hand gestures lessons, egg drop competition, and so much more!
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The Vision of the Seas orchestra is exceptional! The sceduled entertainment included a hypnotist, vocalists, pianist, magician, and even a Motown headliner show (my favorite) and more. All were amazing performers.
Children's Programs
There were very few children on board this cruise; less than 20.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
All of the ships personnel were not only friendly but also engaging! They went above expectations to ensure we were enjoying our cruise.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship was clean. There was one common area ladies room in the centrum that had a bad smell towards the end of the cruise. May have been a maintenance issue. Our cabin toilet would not flush very late one evening, we called maintenance and they had it fixed very quickly. Overall, I'd give it a 4.8 on a 5 scale.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Perfect cabin size for two ladies with plenty of storage! Very clean. Our cabin steward (Rawle) was amazing!
Ship tip
Watch your cruise compass for special drink and laundry deals. Make sure you read through it each evening. Lots of good information but the print is small sho you may need to take a magnifying glass.
Did the Vivo Beach Club excursion. It was a very nice beach club, very clean and they have a nice locker room with showers. Just wish this excursion was an hour or two longer. We had a buffet lunch included which was nothing fancy but very tasty!
Did the 5 Star Island Tour. This tour was excellent. Again, the time we were able to stop at the Mountain Top to take picture, shop and get a daiquiri was only 30 minutes. An hour would have been better. Spent about 2 hours at Magan's Bay Beach which was busy but beautiful. Our tour driver, Michael Smith aka Denzel, was the best!! He made this tour so much fun. I would definitely book this tour again. I only give the port a 4 because I wasnt impressed with the shopping, food or people close by the port. Get out of the port center and people, shopping and food is so much better.
My favorite port on this cruise. We did the Sete Cidades wine tasting tour and stopped at crater lakes. The wine tasting was not exciting at all but the bus tour was excellent! We stil had plenty of time to explore Ponta Degalda, do some shopping and have a bite till eat before heading back to the ship.
Didn't do an excursion but walked in to the main shopping district in the city center where we found a shopping mall a few stories high. It was quite far away and really not worth the time. The mall stores were pricey and fairly americanized. I'd recommend staying closer to the port and enjoy the small shops.
We did the Novelda Wine tasting excursion. Nice excursion and tour of the winery. Our tour leader was excellent, funny and very informative! We also made a few stops on this excursion; plenty of opportunities for pictures. After our excursion, we went to El Portal for a late lunch. This restaurant was highly recommended by a few people. It was very busy and definitely a hot spot for the locals. And it's within walking distance from the port.
No excursions here but lots of opportunities for pictures. We had planned to do the hop on hop off bus but never did. I was told that's the best way to see Palma.
Barcelona has it all. Plan to stay up late! We stayed 2 nights at an authentic Spanish hotel near Plaza Catalunya (Hotel Continental Palacete) right on Las Ramblas. I highly recommend this hotel if you want to be close to everything and have the full Barcelona experience. We were close to everything. We also did a tour of the Gothic District and a traditional flamenco show with drinks and tapas afterward. Excellent. We had booked this through an independent ticket agency well in advance.
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