Rhapsody of the Seas Review

3.5 / 5.0
1,502 reviews

A Fun Cultural Cruise

Review for South America Cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas
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TheBird83
10+ Cruises • Age 40s

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Sail Date: Feb 2016
Cabin: Royal Suite

I had initially booked this cruise because because I wanted to visit new destinations withou having to take an extremely long flight to Asia or Europe. Royal Caribbean immediately notified me that this was a "cultural cruise". This is a nice way of saying that this cruise is catered to Brazilians and the primary language onboard is Portuguese (don't let this frighten you, all staff onboard speaks English).

Starting with the embarkation - lets just say this is definitely not Port Evergaldes or Miami. There is one main cruise terminal serving several ships, so it can get a little busy. That said, like most cruises, there is a baggage drop off area with RCL signs. From there you proceed inside of the main terminal where you are directed to check in counters and receive your SeaPass card. After that you will most likely board a bus and be driven to the ship as it is docked further down the port. It's a similar process to the U.S. But the language barrier and crowds can be a little intimidating just go with the flow. Also, RCL employees do speak English but most of the port contractors do not - learning basic phrases in Portuguese can help. A previous post mentioned this as well. I don't speak Portuguese: eu nao falo portugues. Excuse me, do you speak English: desculpa, voce fala ingles?

Once you are onboard you will notice a lot of the crew speaking Portuguese. Don't worry as they will immediately (and happily) speak English once hey realize you are not Brazilian. Because this cruise is over 90% Brazilian, the primary language spoken by the cruise director and staff is Portuguese. Don't let that scare you from enjoying the shows - the music and dancing were outstanding and there were some production shows in English.

Cabin Review

Royal Suite

Cabin RS

Nice clean and spacious. Access to the concierge lounge is a definite plus.

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