We went on this cruise with a group 10 (9 of us are retired) including 4 brand new retirees. Since we are a group ranging in age from 55 to 80 (most in the 55-65 range) we were looking for an active cruise agenda and some fun ports of call. Most of us are fairly novice cruisers (less than 5 cruises) and we wanted to keep to a cruise of less than 7 days. We thoroughly enjoyed the cruise agenda and the staff of the Vision of the Seas was top notch. The ship is a bit on the smaller side and is dated in some areas, but is a beautiful ship inside and out. The food was excellent and the stops at Coco Cay and Key West were fantastic. Our only negative was Nassau. The city has some nice restaurants and attractions, but the locals are very aggressive around the port in hawking debarking passengers for taxi, tours and other offers ... its a but unsettling. Additionally, the city is not all handicapped friendly ... streets and sidewalks are narrow and uneven without many ramps or access points for wheelchairs. We hit some rough seas on the return trip to New Orleans and several of us were a bit queazy over the final day and evening. Overall, a great experience made so by the staff of the Vision. Read Less

We wanted to leave out of New Orleans since we had never done that before. Also, since we live in East Texas, we wanted to drive. I thought it would be a nice trip to drive to the port and take our time getting there. I was not disappointed. The drive was nice and pleasant. I heard that it would take the ship about 8 hours to get our of the Mississippi so I wanted the opportunity to say that I had done it. I found that to be interesting. I usually sail from Galveston and I wanted the opportunity to visit new ports for a change. I love Key West so I really wanted to go. I had sailed on Vision once before and we enjoyed the experience so I wanted to try it again. I knew that the opportunity to sail Royal out of New Orleans was limited so I did not want to pass up the opportunity. The only shore excursion that was booked was a bungalow at Coco Cay. We shared this with my niece and her husband. It was well worth it. We had our lunch in there since we were located far enough that they have golf cart type transportation that they use to take you there. We had Bungalow 19. It had a nice view of the ocean and the restrooms were right behind us. The floating bar was awesome. Drink packages work on Coco Cay. You will need cash if you wish to purchase souvenirs from the vendors. The tide went out and we save conch shells everywhere! The food was very good. We had no complaints at all. The only slight issue we had was in Chops. The crab cake was served cold and the bacon was not cooked crisp. The shareable portions were not enough for four people. The steak was the best ever! Lots of people dressed up for 70s Night so that made it really fun! We found that we participated in activities that we normally do not participate in. The egg drop was really fun and we enjoyed participating. There were very few children on this cruise. The Parade of Flags is a definite don’t miss! Getting on and off the ship was easy. The only issue was that the streets around the Julia Street Port are closed due to construction but people directing traffic were extremely helpful. We dropped our luggage off before we parked our car. If you go early enough and are waiting to check in you can walk to the Riverwalk from the port and have breakfast at Cafe Du Monde. You can go after you park your car for the cruise and not have to worry about public parking while you are there. Then just walk back over to check in. They sent me an e-mail that said our sea pass would be in our room but they handed it to us when we checked in. Getting off was super fast and easy too. We had #3 and our time was 8:10, but we were called, got our luggage, our car, and on the road before 8:20. I would definitely go on this cruise again! Read Less

We chose this ship to sample the smaller ship. We also have never been to New Orleans, so we spent a few pre-cruise days exploring NOLA. We got a pretty good deal and was happy to sacrifice lack of “active” activities. We also decided to make this a 100% casual cruise. We New the ship was old and did not offer as much as a large ship. With that being said, our expectations were low. We had a ocean view room 2582. Boarding process was smooth and was one of the easiest we have experienced. We had the beds split to have better window access. Splitting the bed also makes the room feel larger. The bed mattresses were old and stiff. Everything else was to be expected for a room of this size. Was a little bothered that you could not access account through the TV. We ate at the buffet since this was a casual cruise. Food was hit and miss as far as the quality. Service was also lacking, we had servers pass us with the drinks and dessert sampl. Some of the employees were in great moods while others did not seem happy to be there. We went to a few shows, two comedy, and one magic. Both of the entertainers were great and I would pay to see on land. One of our ports of call was Key West. With a Key West stop, you will need to go through an immigration process. This is required since you are re-entering the US from foreign countries. This was fast and efficient. They had each group sorted by your muster station. Once your muster station was called, you went through a line in the dining room and you met with a border patrol agent. This actually turned out to be a great thing. When we arrived in New Orleans, we did not have to go through customs. We walked off the ship with our bags. We were off the ship and on an airport shuttle in less than 10 minutes. Read Less

Overall, this ship was flat out boring. There is no entertainment besides trivia, lame shows, and seminars for the purpose of selling something. The ride through the Mississippi and gulf was extremely bumpy a couple of days during the trip, it is a smaller ship, however. The food was average and super repetitive. I enjoyed Nassau, and Key West, however, Cococay was an absolute joke and scam. Pros: Specialty dining. Good Service. Cons: Cococay- this place is a flat out scam, it is not the Bahamas, just some little island Royal Caribbean bought. It is a construction warzone. There is nothing open and the shops there are way overpriced, not to mention, they tried to charge $8 for a cocktail inside of a pineapple (deluxe drinking package did nothing to negate the charge). The food was brought from the ship and was bland. Rough ride- as stated earlier, it was a rough ride for 2 days, it was almost unbearable because of the constant jerking around. No entertainment- unless you are in your 70s, you will not enjoy any of the lame activities they offer. It is all filler and predicated on selling you more stuff. Food- way too repetitive and bland. Read Less

This was our 4th cruise with RCCL and by far our favorite! We loved the Vision and her crew. Our waiter was absolutely amazing, making recommendations and making sure everything was to our liking. He had a great personality and gave us great, personal service. The food in the windjammer and MDR was excellent! The windjammer staff did a great job of keeping the buffet area stocked and clean. There were always plenty of options for each meal. We did MTD and were able to walk right in for our table at our reserved time. Our stateroom attendant was also great, quickly taking care of our room in the morning and evenings. The ship was lovely and the activities staff constantly had fun things going on. The ship did not seem dated to me, despite previous reviews I had read. Everything looked updated and clean. The entertainment was good but I would have preferred more variety than the 3 comedians. In the past we’ve had magicians, aerial acrobats, etc. I definitely recommend the Vision! Read Less

We have sailed on NCL a lot, although our 1st cruise was on RCI. We chose this one for NOLA and the cruise ports. We were surprised at the good condition of the Vision, going on 21 years old. We prefer the smaller ships. Had the BOGO specialty rest. pkg. (Chops and Giovanni's) which were both very good. Dinners in MDR were also good. Entertainment was so-so. The 2 production shows were very well done, but are dated. The 9 piece band was excellent and did their own show one night. Our balcony cabin 7106 was fine, except the old bed sagged steward Amade did a good job. The other 2 nights in the theatre were comedians who were pretty good. We went to Chaccoben ruins in Costa Maya through Native Choice and the guide was excellent. Went to Allegro in Cozumel through Resort for a Day, and altho the buffet was just OK, the pools and grounds are lovely. We just walked around Georgetown, G.C. a little where there were live chickens on the sidewalk in front of the KFC ! We got to the port about 1:30 and breezed through check-in. Walk-off was smooth as well. We would do it all again. Steve Read Less

Our daughter booked this cruise for her family, which included a 6 year old, 4 year old, and a 14 month old. We found an interior room a few doors down last minute so we booked our cruise to join them. I knew nothing about Royal Caribbean or the ship when we booked. Our previous cruises have been on Carnival. We really liked the layout of the ship and we could easily get anywhere within a few minutes. On the flip side, we had some rough seas and really felt the rocking. I had to take motion sickness medicine three different times during the week. I really felt bad for the kids' adventure club staff and the kiddos during those times. The kids' club is located in the front of the ship on deck 10. The kids handled it way better then me. I had to get back down to deck 4 on those days. The kids enjoyed going to the kids' club. The baby went to the Royal Tots a little every day. He did prove to be a challenge for the ladies but they kept at it. We are pretty sure he got to hang out with the captain's little baby boy some of the time. Our dining experience was super! The only dining time left when we booked was at 8 pm. Meanwhile, our daughter and family had My Time Dining. The hostess was very accommodating and made us standing reservations all together in MTD for 5:30. Our waiter, Estrella, and assistant waiter, Gede, were the BEST! They were great with the little ones, including having fruit bowls ready for them each evening when we first sat down at the table. They really made our dinners enjoyable because of their attentive timing and service!! We ate most meals in the dining room as it was easier with the kiddos. We did eat a few in the Windjammer and enjoyed the offerings as well as Ida, our area server, and Angelina, who greeted the kids by name each time we went there. We had an interior cabin for the first time ever. We were worried about it but we actually ended up liking it better than an outside cabin. Our daughter's window was dirty, plus we think we slept better since it was darker. The shower curtain kept trying to get intimate with me making it very difficult to shave my legs. Cabins are dated but the bed was comfortable. Our room steward, Dhanny, took great care of us even though I could never remember to put our magnet out alerting him that he could come make our room up. He was always around with a smile on his face. Entertainment staff was good. Entertainment overall was okay. Never made it to the 11 pm Viking Club dancing and I am a young 55 year old, which probably was on the young side of the median age on the cruise. I wish we would have known about some of the special events prior to leaving home. I would have brought tropical, mardi gras, and disco clothes as well as fun materials for the egg drop contest. Ports - Cozumel is fine but we've been there 4 times now. The port information guy suggested a beach place for us. It was bad. When you pulled up there was a sign that said "Absolutely no refunds." Luckily, our taxi driver waited while we checked it out. He whispered to me that he would take us somewhere better. He took us to the Paradise Beach Club, which was perfect. My hubby and I had actually been there before but couldn't remember the name of it. Costa Maya we never have to go to again. Grand Cayman was just ok. Some of the locals don't seem as friendly and care more about the money. The port transportation buses don't leave until every seat is filled and they wanted to charge for the baby even though he didn't take up any seat. We went to another beach club for a little while and then did some shopping back near the port. Overall - the 6 year old said he wanted to go on a cruise every year until he is 100 so I'd say it was overall a hit. Our daughter was very satisfied with the kids' programming and service so she is on board with cruising again in the near future. We will most likely join them as long as it is a slightly bigger ship. I love cruises but don't like being seasick. A little bigger and newer ship would probably be better for that. Read Less

We loved Vision of the Seas. We’ve sailed on Oasis and although it has more things, we loved the friendliness of the other guests, the staff, the cleanliness and the ability to find things to do on the ship much better. I live near Baltimore but chose to cruise out of New Orleans. We had a great time and loved sailing from there as well as Baltimore. Grandeur and Vision are so similar. The staff was exceptional Cruise director was awesome! Loved all the activities and games we played. We were never bored! We did both indoor and outdoor activities. Loved finding the Compass was available on the app on our phone. We could check it often! Meals were delicious. We have favorites The Schooner Bar was our meeting spot for our group and we ended up including our table mates in activities there as well. We agreed to sail again on Vision! Read Less

Our original cruise itinerary was changed via Royal Caribbean cuz they decided to take our boat out of service for maintenance. Left with no choice due to the dates we had locked in we were forced to pick this boat. The crew and staff were beyond great!! BUT the boat needs to be gutted and completely overhauled. Its old and stinky. Everything smelled like pee. The boat only has 2 bars inside and both of them had "entertainment" after dinner. A piano in the schooner bar that played boring lounge music. It was so dull and dreary the place felt like a funeral. The centrum had the R bar with a live band that played the same dull and boring music. The musicians looked like they wanted to throw themselves off the ship. You know its bad when the only good music you can find to dance to is during karaoke and most of the singers are horrible. I'm 43 yrs old. I don't want to have to wait till 11 to go to the club to dance. i want live upbeat music all the time. Royal Caribbean needs to change their music and entertainment on the boat. Get with the times its not 1940 anymore!!!! After 7 nights i couldn't wait to get end the cruise. Read Less

We are Diamond Plus and have over 25 cruises with RCCL. This was our biggest disappointment. We love New Orleans and had a great time prior to the cruise. There were 11 people in our party, including a 3 year old. Embarkation and debarkation went well. Loved that customs performed on board prior to New Orleans. We had a JS and the room was fine. Our steward was as OK. Didn't seem thrilled with his job. For some reason, after several days, we had to agree on a location to place dirty glasses and request replacements. Bath tub had mold. We were very disappointed with the change of itinerary with substituting Miami for Coco Cay. We enjoyed the train ride with butterfly conservatory excursion in Key West. At $29, it was a good deal. Been to Nassau too many times to count, but it was a beautiful day to walk around. We Ubered to South Beach in Miami. The cruise director and activity staff were excellent. Best "Meet and Mingle" I've attended. Lots of activities in the centrum. We had fun participating in the egg drop contest. We also enjoyed the passenger "Thriller" performance. Although, I wish these things were advertised, so that we could be prepared.The production shows were good. Guest entertainers were also good. (Not great, but enjoyable.) The 3 year old enjoyed the Adventure Club. The Diamond Lounge is very small, but they loaded 3 drinks on our seapass card, and we could go to other bars. (Missed meeting new people.) Food and service at the Chef's Table was excellent. Food and service in the MDR was terrible. Because we were a large party, we agreed to sit at 2 tables near each other. The service was the slowest ever experienced. Out of the 6 nights we ate at the MDR, I was only asked once if I wanted a drink (iced tea) and only once (not the same evening) was I asked if I'd like a refill. We brought wine onboard and was initially told that the corkage fee was $26. (About fainted). When challenged, they said is was now $15. Several of us ordered prime rib one evening. It was so tough, it truly could not be cut with any knife. When my husband spoke to the maitre de, he offered to bring him a steak. (Not anyone else at the table.) The steak was ice cold. One evening, some of our party at the table next to us was asked to leave, because they needed the table. They actually brought people over who hovered next to the table, tapping their feet. They knew we were together - and they had to know that the only reason we were not finished, is that they were slow. I enjoy the tutti salad for lunch in the MDR. I asked if they had ranch dressing, and was curtly told that they can't have the same dressings every day. (even though they had about 6 choices that day.) So, I went the next sea day to check it out - and they had all the same dressings as before, but not ranch. I miss that they don't spoon sauce over shrimp cocktails or over desserts. (It's do it yourself). I believe that some brilliant person at RCCL thought that this would save a few minutes. This times a thousand passengers means reduction in wait staff. Boy can we tell the decline in MDR service since we started cruising. I was impressed with service in the Windjammer. They quickly cleared tables. I was asked several times if I'd like coffee or anything. The food was standard. Truly hoping that this was an isolated experience and that our next booked RCCL cruise will not have these issues. Read Less