Will never sail on this ship again, for obvious reasons. Husband is nearly put off RCL completely until I reminded him, we have had great cruises in the past. This was an anomaly, sadly for us. We had been waiting for this trip for five years. We were supposed to take this in February of 2020 and RCL postponed us until Jan 2023. We were not allowed to change ships without losing money, nor we were allowed to change anything else. So we were held captive on to this ship - so wait five years for a cruise and have it be this bad is really upsetting.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Smooth, stress free and uncrowded
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
We get that the pandemic hit the cruise industry hard, but impaling future crusiers with the losses that the industry incurred seems to be oxymoronic. The drink packages and individual drink prices were insane. We were offered a package for $1,800 EACH, with the second person in the cabin being FORCED to purchase an additional package for 40% off. That is beyond insane, so we didn't get it. And we kept out drinks to two per day. That was the first insult. The second was the food. Absolutely inexcusable that the food was inedible. We understand that the vendors are set, policy is set by corporate and even the recipes are set - but cold, flavorless and overcooked is inexcusable. I am not a fussy eater, but there were 5 out of 9 meals that I just pushed away as unable to choke down. This is the first time I've ever had food this bad on any cruise and we've taken over 20 cruises.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
A small ship, Vision of the Sea's is limited, at best. But the ONLY activities were bingo, karaoke, and insipidly lame trivia games. Worse the 'entertainment' was so sub par as to be painful, so after three attempts, we gave up, knowing it wouldn't get better . We retired to our cabin after dinner every night as there was literally nothing else to do. Sea days were the same, very few places to sit, very few corners or private alcoves.
It's just time this ship was retired. Everything was rusty, smelly and tired. Despite the overhaul 6-7 yeas ago, it is just tired.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
Answered above. Just Grade D comedians, worse musicians, worse yet 'magic' - these are performers that cannot get work anywhere else. When you are embarrassed for the performers, you know it's bad. We attempted 4 different shows, and the audience was less than 30% full at any of them, which shows everyone knew it was a waste of time.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
It's obvious they know they are on the worst ship in the fleet, so they make up for it with winning attitudes, kindness, patience and abundant positiveness. At one point we were told this crew was voted the 'best in the fleet' - we would agree with that 100%. So much so. that they all deserve a better ship. If our accommodations were sub, I can't even fathom how bad theirs are, after working 15-hour days, 7 days a week.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The interiors were kept clean, as much as possible for a ship this old. When we boarded there was an overwhelming stench of sewer and/or human urine in our passageway (deck 7) and which our cabin assistant was valiantly trying to subdue. Without saying there had been a sewer leak, back up, flood - he nonetheless worked hard to reduce the odor, never quite winning.
We saw staff constantly polishing, cleaning, wiping down - so it's clear they are trying. But you can only put so much paint on a dying vessel, before you call it what it is. Just time to retire. All over the exterior it is clear, especially when re-boarding after a stop, that there is an abundance of rust that they simply paint over. At one point, we were embarrassed to board next to the newer, nicer, clearly better ships next to us, like we were getting on the ugly sister boat.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin was kept clean and tidy by our cabin attendant, a great guy - David Smith. A true hero in the effort required to keep things this old, nice. The bathroom stunk of mold and urine, only because after nearly 30 years of excrement and uring, the pipes could not be every cleaned enough to rid of the smell. The mold was clearly UNDER the flooring and around the shower. In addition, the showers are understandably small, but by having a shower curtain instead of a solid shower door (a cheap and easy replacement) we are constantly fighting the curtain sticking to us in the tiny space. Very clearly an ignored issue during refit.
The sink also stunk of sewer, whenever leaning over to brush teeth or use a water pic, the odor flowing up out of the sink drain and overflow hole was unbearable.
The crew did an amazing job, but they are only human. Again, time to retire this ship.
Ship tip
Choose another ship. There are no words to describe how much this will impact your trip. There are no tucked away space, no entertainment that isn't painful to watch, food is beyond basic, poorly prepared and seasonless. Drinks are overpriced and packages are even more overpriced. For these prices, you will be happier on a newer ship, trust me on this. The Norway was the oldest ship in the NCL fleet, but it was graceful and offered so much more than this elderly lady who has gone way, way, way past her prime.
Literally effortless. Our ports were Labadee, Haiti, St. Maarten, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Antigua, with two days at sea going down and two days at sea returing.
So much of a cruise is what you make of it. You started with frustration with RC and the older ship, that is where you ended. Personally, I'm very sorry your cruise didn't go well. For you, I hope you never cruise an older smaller ship again. Stick to the mid size and larger ships.
Wow, If what your saying is true, my only vacation this year will be on the worst ship of the Royal Caribbean fleet!! Fortunately, my glass is always half full. Any day on a cruise ship is better than being in cloudy North Eastern Ohio in the winter!!
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
