Overall Score
| BERLITZ'S RATING |
| |
Possible |
Achieved |
| |
| Ship |
500 |
333 |
| Accommodation |
200 |
119 |
| Food |
400 |
221 |
| Service |
400 |
260 |
| Entertainment |
100 |
66 |
| Cruise |
400 |
47 |
| |
When first introduced, this ship (together with its two sisters, Monarch of the Seas and Sovereign of the Seas) was an innovative vessel. Royal Caribbean International’s trademark Viking Crown lounge and bar surrounds the funnel and provides a stunning view, but it has no soul and looks dated. The open deck space is very cramped when full, as aboard any large ship, although there seems to be plenty of it. There is a basketball court.
The interior layout is a little awkward, as it is designed in a vertical stack, with most of the public rooms located aft, and the accommodation located forward (this ensures quiet areas) There is, however, an impressive array of spacious and elegant public rooms, although the decor calls to mind the IKEA school of interior design, despite a revitalization in 2007 when all cabins were refreshed and more casual eating options introduced. A stunning five-deck-high Centrum lobby has cascading stairways and two glass-walled elevators.
There is a decent two-level showlounge and a selection of shops, albeit with lots of tacky merchandise, and an “All items at $10” store – good for souvenirs. Casino gamers will find blackjack, craps, Caribbean stud poker and roulette tables, plus an array of slot machines in Casino Royale.
Among the public rooms, the library is a nice feature for quite relaxation, and there is a decent selection of books. An internet-connect center has 10 workstations, but the cost if quite high; the ship is also wi-fi enabled – but there is a cost, of course. The entertainment program is quite sound, and there is a decent range of children’s and teens’ programs (teens have their own chill-out room – adults not allowed) and cheerful youth counselors.
This fairly smart-looking resort ship provides a well tuned, yet impersonal, short cruise experience (3- and 4-day Bahamas cruises year-round from Miami) for a lot of passengers. The dress code is very casual. In the final analysis, you will probably be overwhelmed by the public spaces, and under whelmed by the size of the cabins. Because the public rooms are mostly located aft (accommodation is located in the forward section of the ship), there is often a long wait for elevators, particularly at peak times (after dinner, shows, and talks). But at least the restrooms are quite welcoming.
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publications 2010
Berlitz Guide © Apa Publishing 2008
