Southern Caribbean Cruise
Vision of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Southern
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 36
11 Night Southern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 05, 2022
Ship: Vision of the Seas
Cabin number: 4017
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 2 years ago
Review summary
Overall, the cruise was wonderful. There are some problems that need to be reviewed and solutions enacted. The problems may stem from post COVID19 workforce issues seen everywhere. I still recommend sailing with Royal Caribbean, and will continue to do so in the future.Embarkation
Embarkation was smooth, but note that if many passengers arrive at once, there may be delays because of how the terminal is set up. The check-in area is one level up. There are a couple elevators and escalators but no walk-up ramps.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Food in the buffet was a bit salty at times. They ran out of coffee nearly every morning. They also ran out of flatware and cups periodically throughout the cruise. This occurred because some crew members would pick up one plate and then wander around while their coworker busted their tail to keep tables cleared.
The main dining room food was very good, but service was slow. On the last night of the cruise, our assistant waiter was sent to cover several other tables leaving our head waiter to handle multiple tables with more than fifteen guests on his own. One guest spoke to the supervisor, Dev, who argued that there were no issues with service. Clearly that was not the case as the service was so slow we missed the seven o'clock show more than once. Our seating time was five thirty.
I gave four stars because most of the food was great and our head waiter was doing his best to manage everything on his own.
Onboard Activities
Spent most of our time in the solarium. The music on the main deck is too loud to enjoy the area. We did watch the big screen a couple times. The screen needs repair in a couple places.
Entertainment
Some of the entertainment was really great, while others were meh.
Children's Programs
Didn't cruise with children.
Service and Staff
Our stateroom attendant Neha was fantastic! She went out of her way to ensure we had what we needed to be comfortable. She showed genuine interest in our care.
Hemanshu our head waiter did everything within his power to provide great service. Things that went wrong were out of his control. His supervisor, Dev, denied that there were any issues in the main dining room while all the guests at our table observed otherwise.
Interaction with other crewmembers were very positive.
Ship Quality
While nothing can be done immediately, the Windjammer buffet line setup is not great. The main lines are a few steps from the entrance. The walkways on either side are roughly forty-five inches wide. People entering and leaving get entangled with those who are selecting food from the line.
The common areas were basically clean. There was a common problem with dishes remaining on tables in both the main pool and the solarium area. Perhaps a repository can be set up, and guests asked to bring their used dishes there.
Cabin / Stateroom
This is an interior room. We did hear some music from the centrum, but it was not loud enough to create an issue. There was enough room for us to move around, but we really didn't need the small table.
Our stateroom attendant made sure our room sparkled!
Ship tip
Unpack once you finish your emergency briefing. It keeps you from struggling with your suitcases in a small area.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Embarkation point. Parking was fairly close to the terminal. The terminal could experience bottlenecks if many passengers arrive at the same time because of the number of elevators and escalators available. In fact, on debarkation day there were issues with the elevators. Anyone with a scooter or more than one bag could not leave until it was fixed.
Didn't book any excursions here. This is a fairly industrial port. We did walk around a bit, but returned to the ship early.
This is a very industrial port. Booked the Panama treasures excursion. The write up was a little misleading. The ruins mentioned consists of a bridge (small) and a small building. I thought it would be bigger. The Reposa Factory was very interesting. The guide was delightful and knowledgeable. The information does mention the travel time was one and a half hours one way. Please note that if there is any traffic, or an accident it will take more time.
This is also a very industrial port. Booked an excursion that provided transportation. Our guide was knowledgeable, but there were some issues. For example, the stop at the fort was only 15 minutes providing absolutely no time to explore. There were so many street vendors it was like swatting mosquitoes. Truly impacted our ability to see the fort in the short time we had. The tour seemed more interested in stopping in locations where purchases could be made. One location was apparently an old jail. This location had a walk-up area from which a beautiful view of the ocean can be seen. I doubt the other touring folks were aware. Finally, in the last location our tour guide was supposed to ensure we received water. She was the only one (that I saw) that received a bottle. She rushed us through the museum then through the town to the inquisition palace. When asked how many people she provided a number and then told the attendant that if they aren't here, they aren't here. Several of the tour attendees had walking canes and could walk, but not swiftly. At the final tour location several people got separated from the group. I saw one elderly couple walk right by us. I tried to stop them, but they thought I was a street vendor and kept going. It took a few attempts to get the tour guide's attention so she could redirect the couple. She was busy negotiating with the coffee shop management to allow coffee purchases (the store would not let us in). I would not take this tour again. In fact, I will think long and hard about getting off at this port. I don't like having so many people get into my personal space trying to sell something. I understand they are trying to make a living, but it is both irritating and frightening for some.
All the excursions were booked before the cruise sailed. This is a pretty port but there was not enough time to explore anything other than the shops that stayed open for the ship.
Nice port. Booked an excursion which traveled part of the island by oversized van. The guide was very knowledgeable. While we saw the flamingo habitat, and some flamingos, it was from a distance. Not a negative thing, just information. The salt flats were incredible. It's amazing the amount of salt that is harvested from the sea there! In town, they were repairing the streets due to much more than average rain from a month or more prior. This only mildly limited the ability to explore the town. The shop keepers were pleasant, but the prices were high.
Another very nice port. There are shops and restaurants within walking distance from the ship. Booked an excursion to the Hato Cave. It was interesting, but not quite what I anticipated, but still interesting. Note that this cave is HOT! Instead of needing additional clothing, wear shorts! The tour guide was very pleasant and very knowledgeable. She took care to ensure the group was together for the walking tour.
Disembarkation
We drag our bags to get off the ship. Apparently, the ship was not prepared for the number of people who wish to exit on their own. They had us line up a the Masquarade Theater. Not many people sat in the theater. The line looped around into the casino. there was quite a bit of confusion as people came off the elevator and didn't know there was a line. As mentioned earlier, the port had elevator issues which further delayed passengers with more than one bag or who were walking impared.