Rhapsody of the Seas Review

3.5 / 5.0
1,502 reviews

Rhapsody of the Seas September 6, 2013

Review for Hawaii Cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas
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gossabee
6-10 Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Sep 2013
Cabin: Junior Suite

Well, this is my first review of a cruise on Cruise Critic. We just arrived home after our 12 night cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii on the Rhapsody of the Seas. We started our cruise by arriving a day early so we could start acclimating to the time change coming from NY. We stayed at the Pan Pacific which is located right above the cruise terminal. It could not have been any easier to embark the next day. We were able to send our bags down at 10:30 am and we were on board the ship just after 11:00 am. When we first arrived on board we were greeted by a very friendly and helpful staff. We knew just then that this would be a great cruise. After receiving our luggage and getting into our cabin, I knew I had made the right choice to choose an aft cabin suite. The balcony was as large as the room and the views in whatever port we were in were just amazing. No, we did not spend the whole cruise on our balcony or in the cabin. LOL. We booked the Chef's Table dinner before embarking with the package for the other restaurants because we thought it would be nice to enjoy a fantastic dinner on our 25th anniversary. This was by far the best dining experience we had on the ship the whole 12 nights. Don't think that the rest of the nights were bad. They were all good and the food was always up to or better than par restaurant dining. We purchased the premium alcohol package before embarking also. We felt that having 5 or so drinks a day while at sea would be worth the package. It tuned out to be well worth the price. The ship remained as clean the entire time as it was the day embarked. The staff only grew more friendly with every day that passed. We participated in a lot of on board activities hosted by the cruise director which were all a lot of fun. You certainly become well known on a ship when you participate. We did meet the captain on the first formal night for pictures. We have taken pictures with other ship captains and that was the last time we saw them. Captain Sullivan was much different. When we did see him again, he asked us "How are you enjoying your 25th Anniversary cruise?" WOW, he actually remembered us from taking a quick photo with him. We did see him throughout the rest of the cruise and he was a very personable man that takes the time to get to know and enjoy his guests. The entire staff worked so hard to make our cruise a very special one. I do have to give great praise to the R Bar staff for really going the extra distance for my wife and myself. This bar led by Mixologist Joseph Foster went above and beyond what others rarely ever do. When they knew it was our anniversary and we were having dinner at the Chef's table, they sent an anniversary cake to the table for us. We shared with the rest of the guests and had a very memorable evening. The ports of call were all very beautiful and a lot of friendships have been made.

All of that being said there were some things that could possibly be changed that would make this cruise even better. The nightly shows at the theater were at best dull. Some other venues on the ship were good but not great. Our favorite show was the Hawaiian band. These guys were great. Work definitely has to be done for entertainment.

We did cruise through a debris field one night and picked up a rather large fishing net in one prop. This caused the ship to vibrate quite violently. Nothing could be done until we reached land. Hey, this happens. No fault of the Captain or crew. They did fix as soon as possible.

Cabin Review

Junior Suite

Cabin JS

Great space, fantastic balcony, lots of storage, quiet, shakes a lot when a fishing net is entwined in prop.

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