Company Overview:
When
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines was founded 1969 by
a diverse collection of Norwegian companies, the
name and company focus was intended to meld the
majestic reputation of the Norwegian royal class
with the dawning age of dedicated Caribbean
cruising out of Miami. Today, RCI is also a
major player in Alaska, Mexico, New
England/Canada, Hawaii, and Europe, too, but
being merely another cruise line is not what
they are most noted for; the mainstay of their
reputation is for building ever larger and more
innovative vessels that pack in more features
per ship than most cruise lines can manage to
extend across an entire fleet. They were the
first to put rock climbing on a ship, a skating
rink, and on their newest ship, Freedom of the
Seas, they even have a "Surf-Rider Wave Pool"
which generates a constant, surfable wave of
water for surfing or bellyboarding.
By
1972, Royal Caribbean was the cruise line
Carnival aspired to be; with three regularly
scheduled Caribbean cruise ships back when
Carnival was still struggling with a single,
aging Greek passenger ferry made into a
Caribbean cruiser. Royal Caribbean had the lead
in passenger volume for many years, and for many
people are still the preferred cruise line of
the two, but without a doubt, still, a day does
not go by when Royal Caribbean does not look at
their windows at the Port of Miami and wonder
what Carnival is doing. In fact, it is the
ongoing rivalry between the two lines that is
largely responsible for bringing about the
modern age of mass market cruising as we know it
today.
So, if the question of which is
better is the reason why you are reading this
review. Without a doubt, Royal Caribbean is
farther along the cruise industry's cutting
edge, ever innovating, ever challenging the
received wisdom about what a cruise ship can do
and be. But, are they better? In some areas yes,
but it is hard to compete with Carnival's
ability to establish and embellish a simple
concept; build fun ships with good food, and
make sure the staff understands the concept.
Royal Caribbean may have many more things to do
onboard, but Carnival may be arguably "more fun"
based solely upon their attitude. Where Royal
Caribbean may be aptly described as "something
for everybody" Carnival embodies the concept of
"fun for everyone" with more personalized
service, better food, less focus just on sports
enthusiasts, and better stage entertainment.
But that is not to say a Royal Caribbean cruise
should be missed! If any cruise ships deserves
to be sampled at least once, as possibly several
times, it is one of the Royal Caribbean
mega-ships. These ships define the concept of
"the ship as the destination" more than any
other cruiser in the world, with an onboard
water park, ice skating, rock climbing, surf
riding, a variety of pubs, large casinos, and
simply the biggest ship imaginable; larger than
Carnival's biggest by over 30%. Even if you
don't care to get wet, skate or climb rocks,
don't dismiss the people-watching wow factor.
One of Royal Caribbean's best tricks has been to
repeatedly announce, build and sail the biggest
cruise ship in the world. In fact, they relish
announcing such a new ship will be built usually
the same week as Carnival announces it has just
launched its biggest vessel ever. For instance,
at almost exactly the same time Carnival floated
out the first post 100,000-ton cruise ship ever,
Royal Caribbean trounced the publicity by
announcing they would build one of nearly
140,000 tons. Thus was born the Voyager class,
the first of which their current "Largest cruise
ship in the world," Freedom of the Seas, is an
offshoot.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines,
is the company that operates Royal Caribbean
ships and is a subsidiary of parent company
Royal Caribbean International which also owns
Celebrity Cruises (acquired in 1977).
The
oldest ship in the fleet is the Empress of the
Seas, formerly the Nordic Empress. At a mere
48,000 tons she is a dwarf among the newest
superstars of the fleet, but she was one of the
first ships the company ever sailed and holds a
dear place in its heart. Cabins are a tiny 130
sq ft in keeping with the plan by the original
founders to make cabins smaller and public rooms
more inviting. However, in 2004 she received a
facelift and today she sails an eclectic
combination of itineraries from 3-days to Nassau
to 7-days cruise from Philadelphia to Bermuda to
11-day deep Caribbean cruises.
RCI
launched first the first ship to be called a
mega-liner, Sovereign of the Seas, in 1988, and
at the time, at 73,000-tons, no one could
believe a cruise ship could ever be so big. The
ship also had the first atrium at sea, a concept
other cruise lines scurried to copy. Two sister
ships were quickly built and launched. Today,
these smaller vessels mostly sail 3 and 4-day
cruises on the East and West Coast.
With
the Vision-class ships (Vision and Splendour of
the Seas launched in 1995, 1996), Grandeur and
Enchantment of the Seas (1996, 1997) and
Rhapsody and Legend of the Seas (1997, 1998),
Royal Caribbean made their signature Viking
Crown Lounges more easily accessible by perching
them atop the "Centrum" (the atrium) giving the
ships an easily identifiable space age look.
These ships also used more glass than had
heretofore been thought possible, delighting
their passengers with remarkable sea views.
In November 1999, RCI launched the
highly anticipated Voyager of the Seas, at
138,000-tonsand 3114 passengers the biggest
cruise ship ever, which introduced such further
innovations as an ice skating rink, a rock
climbing wall, and a rollerblade rink. Such is
the Voyager's class's immensity that it actually
has its own Zip code -- 33132-2028.
Smaller, but offering enhanced
entertainment options similar to the
Voyager-class, the Radiance-class vessels that
debuted in 2001 sported all glass elevators
facing the sea, and were propelled by a new
smokeless and vibration-free engine, with Azipod
propulsion.
By the end of 2003, Voyager
had four sister ships in service; until the
delivery of Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 in
December 2003, they were the biggest passenger
ships in the world. But now RCI has reclaimed
the record with its first Ultra Voyager ship,
Freedom of the Seas. Fully 18 stories high,
Freedom of the Seas carries 3,430 passengers
(double occupancy) and 1,400 crew.
Before
the 2004 Bermuda season, Empress of the Seas,
formerly Nordic Empress, underwent a major
revitalization, including the addition of more
dining areas, an expanded spa and gym, a new
card room, and the conversion of two existing
lounges into a Latin themed bar and the
nautical-themed Schooner Bar.
In sum,
Royal Caribbean has managed to attract a lot
more than the stereotypical "overfed, newly wed,
or almost dead" passenger, by offering a cruise
experience that's at once classy and tons of fun
? at a very reasonable price.
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Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
Experience:
When a
Royal Caribbean executive famously coined the
phrase "mass with class" to describe his
company's vessels, he wasn't whistling Dixie.
Before anything else, you must describe RCI's 21
vessels as beautiful. But be assured that the
line has plenty of personality to go with its
looks, as witness its marvelous entertainment
and remarkable fitness and spa facilities.
These, make no mistake, are wonderful
ships for families with children of all ages,
including teens, who have their own private club
and disco; family staterooms and suites are also
available on the newer ships. Service is
friendly and efficient and the food much
improved.
Alternative restaurants with
menus that don't change over the course of the
cruise are available on Voyager-, Radiance- and
Vision-class ships, each charging a $20
per-person cover. Make reservations as early as
possible in your cruise or you may get locked
out.
The cabins on the older vessels
(Sovereign/Monarch/Majesty of the Seas, Empress
of the Seas) are almost comically cramped; even
the newer Vision's staterooms are small compared
to those of other lines in the same price range.
All staterooms come with a
twin-that-can-be-converted-to-queen bed, private
bathroom, phone, closed-circuit television, mini
bar and hair dryers, and is decorated in bright
colors presumably intended to evoke the
Caribbean.
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Fellow Passengers
Who
doesn't belong on a Royal Caribbean ship? They
have something for everyone and it is almost
impossible to imagine not having a great time.
They are active, sports oriented ships for the
most part, not for retirees looking for the
library.
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Taking Kids:
Royal Caribbean's
Adventure Ocean youth program has age-specific
facilities and programs supervised by youth
counselors for Aqaunauts (age 3-5, must be
toilet trained), Explorers (age 6-8), Voyagers
(age 9-11), Navigators (age 12-14) and Teens
(age 15-17). A new program for infants and
toddlers 6 months to 3 years, in partnership
with toymaker Fisher-Price, offers children
accompanied by an adult 45-minute playgroups
involving storytelling, creative arts, music and
a variety of Fisher-Price learning toys and
games. Adventure Ocean runs year-round in the
Caribbean, Bermuda, Bahamas, Mexico, Hawaii and
Alaska. Organized activities are offered from 10
a.m. to 10 p.m., with group babysitting from 10
p.m. to 1 a.m. for a fee. Teen centers are now
open past 2 a.m.
Private babysitting is
offered from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., provided
sitters are available, for children from six
months old at $8.00 per child per hour, with a
minimum of three hours and a $2.00 per hour
charge for each additional child.
The
Vision, Voyager and Radiance-class ships all
have private teen clubs and discos, and
supervised teen activities are available on
RCI's private islands.
On Voyager and
Radiance-class ships, Adventure Ocean Computer
Centers have age-appropriate software and
staff-guided tutorials.
There' a special
menu for children -- Captain Sealy's Kids Galley
Menu, to name names. A Fountain Soda Package can
be purchased for the cruise. The package
includes fountain sodas and juices at all bars,
lounges, dining rooms and private destinations.
Kids 17 and younger pay $4.00 per person per day
plus a 15% gratuity. For teens 17 and older, and
adults, the charge is $6.00 per person per day
plus the 15 % gratuity.
The Vision,
Voyager and Radiance-class ships all have family
staterooms.
RCI has a seven-night
"Orlando Experience" package, a seven-night
program featuring a four-night Sovereign of the
Seas cruise from Port Canaveral, accommodations
at the Portofino Bay Hotel a two-day pass to
Universal Studios, $20 meal voucher at Hard Rock
Cafe, one-day admission to the Guinness World
Records Experience attraction and a 15% discount
on Alamo car rentals.
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Shore Excursions:
RCI
offers the active cruiser moderately priced
excursions with plenty of water sports, golfing,
and sightseeing, all of which may be booked
online up to ten days before sailing. Newer
options include canopy tours and adventure tours
like rafting.
Tipping:
Royal Caribbean
suggests a per person per day gratuity of: $3.50
for the stateroom attendant ($5.75 for those in
suites); $3.50 for the waiter; $2.50 for the
Assistant Waiter; and .75 for the Head Waiter.
These may be paid in cash or charged to your
onboard account. For children sailing as third
or fourth passenger in the stateroom, tipping is
at the parents' discretion.
A 15 percent
gratuity is automatically added to all beverage
tabs. Gratuities for room service, spa, casino
and other staff are at your discretion.
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Repeat Passenger Programs:
RCI
offers four sailings annually geared specially
to members of the Crown & Anchor Society members
receive discounts at onboard shops and special
discounts on select sailings; four program
levels with added amenities; admission to Crown
& Anchor clubs in select ports; onboard
recognition; and a quarterly newsletter. For
more information call 800/526-9723.
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