See the Sea- Repositioning with RCCL's Vision of the Seas- Hawaii
Written: Oct 15 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Relaxing trip across Pacific, time to enjoy the ship
Cons: Food needs improvement, and "name" entertainment is third rate.
The Bottom Line: Ample time before the ports to really relax and unwind. Shop wisely for best cruise price, and avoid high priced shore excursions. Best for older couples.
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| Minx_In_LA's Full Review: Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas |
FOREWORD: This cruise began a mere five days after the horrific terrorist attacks on America. My family took a vote, and we decided to drive and fly to get to the pier in Vancouver on time. My father was going to see Pearl Harbor again for the first time since his Navy ship cruised out a week before another cowardly attack. Sixty years ago he left during a war, and now he was returning on the brink of a new type of war. We didn't let fear stop us. Please don't let fear stop you from flying, taking vacations, and generally living a joyous life!
This may be the longest review of Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas you'll read. I write what I would like to know about a product or service, and I apologize if you nod off in the middle! I must immediately point out that RCCL held the ship over to the next morning to accommodate late flights and airport delays, and offered to let passengers put their cruise off for up to a year with no cost penalty. The line called the day before we left to double check our travel arrangements, and that was more than my travel agent bothered to do.
Embarking from Vancouver went smoothly, despite added security issues. We were met at the airport, but had to transfer our own bags to the bus and in to the ship's receiving area at the dock. The bags were taken from us only after we had completed our paperwork and been through metal detectors. Our checked bags were not searched or x-rayed, so this seemed to be a bit of a "feel good" measure, but it went quickly. Your paperwork includes your Supercharge card, which will be your ticket on and off the ship at each port, and your charge card for everything on board. Guard it closely!
We sailed on Sept 16, 2001 on the repositioning cruise out of Vancouver, BC to Hawaii. There are five days at sea, which allows plenty of time to become intimately familiar with the ship. The Vision of the Seas is a 914 foot monster at the pier. It can hold 2,400 guests, but on this cruise we sailed with one thousand less. I will honestly say that 1,400 seemed more like the right amount. You didn't notice that we had fewer passengers until the second seating at dinner, when the room was half empty.
ROOMS:
We paid approximately $2000 per person for our room on the "H" deck, on the third "floor", room 3134. (your price will vary depending on air package, discounts, etc.) It was a fairly long walk to the elevators from this room, which you should keep in mind if you have difficulty walking long distances. The room was a fair size, with a nice, large window. Don't expect hotel room sized rooms, unless you pay for the suites on the upper decks. The bathroom is tiny, but adequate, and has a shower, not a bathtub. (Bathtubs are in the upgraded "deluxe" ocean view staterooms. This varies from Holland America, which features bathtubs in the standard staterooms) There are no hairdryers, so don't forget yours. The shower has a clothes line for hand washables and swimsuits to dry, but they dry better in the room itself. There is no self-service laundry room on the ship, and the laundry service is expensive. Bring enough clothes to last the trip! The closets are large enough for the length of the cruise, but drawer space is at a premium.
There is a tiny safe in one of the dresser cupboards, just right for your jewelry and passports. The mini television provides ship information channels, movies, and a sporadic CNN news feed.
Your room steward will drop by to make sure you have what you need. Each night you will find a surprise on your bed, created from pillows and towels. (the cruise line suggests a tip of $3.50 per day per person for your room steward, and they have earned it on every trip we've taken) There is also a phone in your room, but at $7.95 per MINUTE, I suggest you try the Internet cafe instead.
SHIP LAYOUT:
This ship boasts an open, airy, gorgeous atrium known as the Centrum. Scenic glass elevators allow you to enjoy the gigantic silver sculpture in the middle of the space, and there are seating areas on every level so you can people-watch. Level four has the dining room, level five is the purser's desk area, casino, and upper level balcony of the theater. Level six has the photo gallery and shops. Level seven has a posh library, where they rather unfortunately hold a cigar aficionados meeting, and all the books smell of smoke! (I wish they had held that in the card room across the hall) Level eight has the Internet cafe, where fifty cents buys you one minute of time. I routinely spent $4 checking my mail, but it was worth it to keep in touch with family. Level nine has the Windjammer cafe, and that is your breakfast, lunch, and casual dinner spot. Level ten has the fitness center, with plenty of equipment. RCCL's signature Viking Crown Lounge is on the top most level, and provides the most scenic views when entering or leaving ports.
BAR INFO:
Speaking of bars, hold tight to your "supercharge" card. This card is used as ID when leaving or returning to the ship, and for all purchases onboard. The bar frequently takes your card from you, and returns it in a folder with your bar bill. Check to see that it IS your card, and the amount charged is what you purchased. You will be charged a 15% tip on drinks, whether you like it or not, and soft drinks are charged the tip as well.
The Schooner Bar was the most popular, with a piano player during happy hour, and hot treats, but the waiters barely spoke English and invariably delivered scotch and water instead of the requested scotch and soda. (and no way to reduce the automatic tip!)
The Some Enchanted Evening Lounge is a very large room with a dance floor, and that is where the Captain's welcome party is held, plus many events during the day. (lei making, ballroom dance lessons, bingo, etc.)
The Showboat Lounge on the other side of the Schooner Bar was closed, dur to the smaller amount of people onboard for this cruise.
My parents preferred the Champagne Bar right off the Centrum area, where they could hear the nightly band playing and have less smoke than in the main bars.
Drink costs average $4.50-6.00 and soft drinks $1.50.
DINING:
There are three semi-formal nights on this eleven day cruise, and two formal nights. Semi-formal means a coat and tie for the gentlemen, and dresses or pantsuits for the ladies, and formal nights mean a suit or tuxedo for the men, and cocktail dresses or ballgowns for the ladies. Everyone dressed nicely for dinner, even on the casual nights. No tanktops and swim type attire are allowed in the dining rooms at any time. Shorts are fine for casual nights.
This ship offered more elegant areas to parade in your gowns on the way to the dining room.
Dinner tables are sized from ten down to two people, but you have to request a small table when you make your cruise reservation. Breakfast and lunch are open seating, but dinner finds you at the same table every night. If you take an immediate dislike to your table-mates, you must try to have your table changed by the second morning onboard, or you're stuck there. Your waiter will be very anxious to please you, since he expects a tip of $3.50 per day, per person, and he is assisted by another waiter who receives exactly half that amount for filling your glasses and taking your plates. We observed that our waiter was incredibly slow. We had the second seating at 8:30PM and rarely finished by 10:30. They served an appetizer course, a soup course, a salad, an entree, dessert, and after dinner liqueurs.
I must make a point about the food on this cruise. It was disappointingly bland, day after day. We kept ordering different items, hoping for a change, but they were uniformly without taste. Fresh salmon was full of bones and prime rib tasted like boiled hamburger. Every night they had some lamb choice on the menu, which no one wanted in our party. Everything looked spectacular, but someone needs to "kick it up a notch", to borrow a phrase.
Even the desserts were oddly dull. Chocolate was semi-sweet (more like German confections) and cakes were dry and frostings needed more sugar. I can recommend the key lime pie, and the cheesecakes, and the fresh fruit!
Breakfast in the Windjammer was our best meal, and lunch had a good selection of hot entrees and cold wrap sandwiches. Pizza and hamburgers are always available in the Solarium on the pool deck if you miss the Windjammer seating times.
We had lunch once in the main dining room, but felt that lasagna and pork chops and other hot entree choices were too much for a noon meal.
SHOPS:
Wait for the specials in the shops! You will receive a daily bulletin of ship's activities called the Compass each night on your bed. Check it for specials, and wait to buy t-shirts at two for $10. There is a large liquor store, but don't expect to drink in your room. There is a set-up fee, or your purchase will be held for you until you disembark.
The Photo Gallery qualifies as one of the shops, so I will mention that I did not buy even one photo on this cruise. The photographer did not spend a single extra minute to catch a good angle, or keep your eyes from being half-closed. Photos are expensive, between $15-20, and they will attempt to take your picture boarding, going in to towns, on formal nights, and at the dining table. Feel free to tell them to get lost at dinner, and push past them at the ports!
I'll throw a word in about the Casino here. Perhaps they were trying to make up revenue on this cruise, but I have never seen such tight slots! I spent over $20 without getting ONE SINGLE QUARTER in payback. Yes, you read that correctly. It is a very large casino, very beautiful, adorned with statues holding glowing neon lightning balls, and a theme of Roman gods and the horoscopes throughout. There are hundreds of machines, and the usual table games. But hundreds of machines meant less people per machine playing, and everyone agreed the payback was set to next to nothing.
SHOWS:
We especially enjoyed our "behind the scenes" look at the theater productions. It was offered as a "class" during the cruise, and I definitely recommend signing up. We learned that RCCL has stock shows that it uses on their ships, and how each is adapted for the different stages. Don't miss the "Rhythm Nation" show on the Vision. The opening show, and the salute to musicals were very good as well. You'll be stunned that there are only 12 cast members. And bring your earplugs, because the sound system in the Masquerade theater does credit to a Metallica concert.
We missed most of the comedians by choice. We sat through ten minutes of Burt Leigh's "performance", and found him racist, homophobic, and just downright un-funny. ("take my wife, please" jokes) There were two other comedians while on board, but after that- we skipped them.
The "comedy juggling" team of the Hill brothers, on the other hand, was quite amusing, and you'll marvel that anyone can juggle while the ship is rocking.
The audience also enjoyed Paul Borland, Man of a 1000 Voices, but he needs to re-think his opening act of a female country music singer who's claim to fame is that she came in 3rd in a beauty contest...in 1989!
The Masquerade theater is like a Venetian palace, with comfortable arm chair seating with drink holders. The curtain is a magnificent scene from a masked ball, and the murals around the sides of the theater are tile mosaics echoing the theme of the masquerade. Easily the most beautiful room on the ship.
SHORE EXCURSIONS:
All of the shore excursions are amazingly expensive, even by cruise standards. "Highlights" of towns run $29 per person for a bus tour, helicopter tours are generally around $189, snorkeling for $80, a luau for $85, and a national park walking tour on Hilo will run $135, but wow, it includes a picnic lunch?! The one tour I can recommend is the Arizona Memorial tour on Oahu at the conclusion of the trip. Still fairly expensive at $26 per person, but you are whisked off the ship with the tour group and this is the premier tour on Oahu that you wouldn't want to miss due to over-crowding. Please don't purchase the Polynesian Cultural center tour for $87! You can rent a car or even take a taxi for far less money.
HILO:
The ship docks first at Hilo, and you can walk off. Unfortunately, there's no where to walk TO. Buses take you to Hilo Hatties, Walmart, and a city bus "special" tours the downtown. Downtown is old, very 1950's, seedy, and dull. Take the city bus tour for $1, and just enjoy being off the ship for a few hours. There are some areas to swim within walking distance from the pier, but the coast is lined with sharp black lava rocks and not very inviting. That night the ship will cruise past the active volcano on the way to Kona, and it was interesting to watch the lava balls flowing down to the ocean.
Be prepared for heavy downpours if you go in to town. The rain swept in at 2PM and continued unabated until sailing at 6PM.
KAILUA-KONA:
This is the other side of the island from Hilo, and you'll be tendering in from the ship. There's nothing to rush to shore for, so give the tour groups time to thin out before boarding a tender. It's nicer to have a little space between people on the tiny boat! For the first few loads, they will hand out tender tickets in one of the lounges. If you wait an hour, you will be able to board the tender without a ticket and leave at your leisure.
There is a tiny pocket of sand at the pier at Kona where you can swim out past the moored boats. It becomes too deep quickly for anyone but a very good swimmer, and again you have the same black lava rocks on the shoreline. There are more beaches off to the right of the strip of town, and we rented a moped for $25 for a half day, and headed for those.
LAHAINA, MAUI:
You'll be tendering in again on the third and fourth days at Lahaina. The tenders will run all night, so feel free to stay in town for dinner. The town is much more quaint than the previous stops, and everything is laid out for your walking pleasure right off the pier. We got a Hertz one day rental for the great price of $25, and drove along the coast, where you can pull off at any of the beach parks to swim, or pick your own patch of deserted waterline and dive in. The sand was black at the beach we chose, but soft and without any hidden rocks, and best of all- no jellyfish! There are other whiter sand beaches, and the price of the car rental is very worthwhile here.
If you stay in town, there are tons of t-shirt shops, kitschy souvenirs at the ABC discount store, and many jewelry stores. (check out the Venetian carnival masks at Treasures Jewelry/Silver Hawaii, on Front Street- not your usual souvenir!) Freshly sewn leis were available at a card table set up on the lawn of an old church. Five dollars for a spectacular plump pink and yellow plumeria blossom lei was the trip's best bargain.
NAWILIWILI (Lihue):
Thankfully, you can walk off the ship at this port. There is a beach park at the Marriott hotel just a few minutes down the road, and it's visible from the ship. It has a nice, sloping shore, and showers available to rinse the sand off on the Marriott grounds. There's also a bus to Kmart and more t-shirt shops, but I'd recommend just taking a swim and returning to the ship at this port. It's a letdown after Lahaina.
OAHU:
The ship requires you to leave your stateroom by 8AM at this last port of call, and you'll wait in one of the public rooms until your tour is called, or your disembarking color tag is called. If you're getting on a plane later in the day, then a tour is definitely the quickest way to see what you want to see in Oahu and get to the airport on time. But if you're staying a few days, rent a car and get a map and see the sights for yourself.
Waikiki has undeniably gorgeous beaches, is undeniably overcome with traffic and tourists, and worth one afternoon of your time. Don't miss the Arizona Memorial tour, and take a trip through downtown Honolulu. Drive up the Pali highway to the Nu'u'anu Pali lookout for the drop-dead amazing look down at the island spread below. We also like the Waimea falls park tour, where cliff divers entertain the tourists after a little open bus ride up the mountain. (very Fantasy Island)
DISEMBARKING:
On the last night of the cruise, you will pack your bags and place them outside your stateroom door, with colored tags on them provided by your steward- that indicate to the baggage handler whether you'll be on a tour the next morning or leaving with the last group. Remember to keep a set of clothes for morning in a carry-on, and don't put anything out that you wouldn't check with an airline, because the bags get crushed in a gigantic carrier to come off the ship. Room service can be ordered on the last morning, but it's pastry and juice and coffee- no hot entrees. If you get up early you can fight the crowd at the Windjammer for a regular breakfast.
You will disembark in to a large pier building and pick up your own luggage for transfer to your tour bus or taxi. You will already have filled out the custom's form and delivered it to the purser's desk, so there is no waiting to claim luggage.
Your final bill will be delivered to your stateroom on the last night, and you should take the time to review it carefully in the morning. Keep the receipts from the shops and the bars, and double-check them. There is no recourse if you do not go to the purser immediately with mistakes before 8AM on the last morning!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
This cruise is definitely for those who don't mind a long stay onboard for the first part of the trip, followed by a whirlwind look at the islands. You WILL "see the sea". If you've flown directly to Oahu before, and always wondered if you were missing something on the other islands, it's a great way to see what you want to see and keep moving on. The Vision of the Seas is a gorgeous ship, and we have no complaints with the accommodations. Royal Caribbean needs to work on their staff training, (especially English language training) and have a few less comedians and a few more variety shows. And they really need to work on the food!
I would highly recommend taking this repositioning cruise- instead of the island loop cruise, because it gives you ample time to enjoy the ship on the crossing, and see the islands just about the time you wear out on ship's activities. (But I would also recommend checking out Holland America's repositioning offers, if you like to eat food that has a little zip!)
MOST IMPORTANT LAST THOUGHT FOR AMERICANS:
Don't hand out your social security number as if it were a national identification number. IT'S NOT. RCCL will ask for this on just about every piece of paperwork they have. Important financial information can be stolen from you if the wrong person gains access to your name, address, social security number...you get the picture. The purser will want your SSN to cash a check. (one check per cruise, for $200 only, by the way!) Refuse it. Give your passport number instead. Or simply rely on the ATM machine for cash.
Always remember your rights, and refuse to fill out forms that look official, but are actually just so the cruise line can put your information in their database. Official government paperwork has official government logos. Ditch any other paperwork!
FINALLY:
I'm always glad to answer any questions you may still have about this cruise or this ship. My email address is on my profile, or ask in the comments section.
I want you to have a GREAT TRIP!!!!
Aloha!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
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Epinions.com ID:
Minx_In_LA
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Adrienne
Location: Carmel, CA and Abilene, TX
Reviews written: 103
Trusted by: 99 members
About Me:
Writer, artist, musician- everyone's favorite dilettante. Update July 07-still sneaking around-see below.
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