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Ship Details
Began service: November, 1999
Guest capacity: 3,114
Total staff: 1,176
Length: 1,020 feet
Passenger decks: 14
CDC
inspection score: 95
Voyager of the Seas Overview
The Voyager of the Seas cruise ship departs from
Miami, FL, Bayonne, NJ, and Barcelona,
Spain. Throughout the year, she offers ocean cruises to Bermuda and throughout the Caribbean.
Check Dates &
Prices for cruises to Bermuda and throughout
the Caribbean.
In 1999, Voyager of the Seas entered service
as the largest cruise ship in the world. She was regarded
as the most revolutionary ship ever built, with features
such as an ice skating rink/TV studio/concert arena, rock-climbing
wall, in-line skating track, horizontal atrium, and inside
cabins with promenade view. The rock-climbing walls are
now aboard every Royal
Caribbean ship and the ice skating rink, and other
features, can be enjoyed on the line's other four Voyager-class
ships.
Voyager of the Seas spent two-weeks in dry dock
in May 2004, the ship is sparkling and looks like new.
Little has changed on board: Spinners,
the site of a revolving arcade and four-deck-high roulette
tower on the Royal Promenade, was underused
and has been replaced with a perfume shop. And a Ben
& Jerry's shop was added recently, also on
the Royal Promenade. Otherwise, everything
else is as it was in 1999.
The biggest novelty is a new seasonal homeport. Beginning
this spring, many Voyager of the Seas passengers
in the Northeast are able to drive to their cruise from
May through October when the ship sails alternating five-night
Canada and nine-night Western Caribbean itineraries out
of the new Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne, New Jersey
(Bermuda will replace Canada in 2005). The rest of the
year, Voyager of the Seas offers alternating
seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages out
of Miami.
Cabins
Of the 1,557 cabins,
939 are outside (and of those, 765 have balconies).
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There are 618 inside cabins,
but of those 138 have promenade views. All staterooms have two beds
that convert to queen-size, private bath, phone, interactive TV, mini-bar,
hair dyers and air conditioning/heat controls.
Bathrooms are on the small side, but functional, with a shower enclosure
as opposed to a curtain. Veranda furniture was limited to two chairs
and a table.
The ship has a variety of suites including Royal Family Suites
with a balcony that can accommodate eight persons and offer two bedrooms
with twin beds that convert to queen-size (one room with third and
fourth Pullman berths), two bathrooms, and living area with double
sofa bed. The most lavish accommodation is a Royal Suite
with balcony featuring a separate bedroom with king-size bed, private
balcony with hot tub, whirlpool bathtub, living room with queen-size
sofa bed, wet bar, dining table, entertainment center and even a baby
grand piano.
Dining
The three decks of the ship's main restaurant are named for
famous operas: Carmen, La Boheme
and the Magic Flute, and feature themed decor including
lavish opera costumes, a crystal chandelier and grand staircase. The
food was excellent and service was friendly and lively.
Portofino ($20 charge) is an alternative, reservations
required, Italian restaurant serving dishes from antipasto to tiramisu.
Johnny Rockets, the 50s-style diner with red booths,
jukeboxes at the tables and Formica counters, was our favorite restaurant
for lunch or a snack. They serve burgers, cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches
and chili cheese fries, plus scrumptious milkshakes and malts. There
is a $3.95 per person charge to eat at Johnny Rockets
-- whether you eat in the restaurant or order for take-out. Beverages
are available for an extra charge. Johnny Rockets
has outdoor seating, but sit inside so you can catch the impromptu
mini-shows put on by the waiters and cook.
The Windjammer Cafe on Deck 11 offers
casual, buffet breakfast and lunch with panoramic ocean views. Casual
dinners are served in its aft section, the Island Grill,
also offering spectacular views.
Cafe Promenade on the Royal Promenade
is a sidewalk cafe, great for people watching, that serves continental
breakfast, sandwiches, pizza and pastries. Sprinkles
is a free, 24-hour frozen yogurt station, next to Ben &
Jerry's on the Royal Promenade. There is
24-hour room service including a breakfast menu with egg dishes. Full
dining room menus for lunch and dinner are also available for in-cabin
dining during restaurant hours.
Entertainment
The La Scala Theater is a state-of-the-art 1,350-seat
show lounge inspired by the legendary theater in Milan, Italy. Sightlines
are excellent. It sets the scene for Broadway-style production shows
with a cast of 16 singers and dancers. The revues got enthusiastic
standing ovations. The ice skating show is a must-see.
Things are jumping late into the night at The
Vault, a two-level dance club with a futuristic theme.
High Notes is the club housed in the Viking
Crown Lounge where a quartet played jazz until the
wee hours. The Rosario Strings, a classical trio,
entertained in the main dining room and the piano bar. Pete
Wickersham, a one-man-band, entertained in the British
pub. For those who want to catch the big game, Scoreboard
on the Royal Promenade and the 19th Hole
in the Viking Crown Lounge area have satellite TV.
Fitness & Recreation
You can practice your figure eights
in the ice skating rink, go in-line skating on the rollerblade track,
play basketball, volleyball or paddle ball in the full-length sports
court, climb to 200 feet over the sea in the rock-climbing wall, miniature
golf, golf simulator, three pools, six whirlpools, and a jogging track
(five times around equals a mile).
The ShipShape Center and Day Spa
has 14 massage and treatment rooms; relaxation area with sea views;
full-service beauty salon; ocean view workout area with stereo and
TV monitors; 66 Reebok machines including 20 treadmills; free weights;
and an aerobics area with wood-suspended floor, mirrored wall, two
large-screen TV monitors and wrap-around windows. One of the spa's
nicest features is its round hydrotherapy pool. The spa offers a full
menu of exercise classes including various levels of aerobics (some
classes have a $10 fee). Prices for treatments were on the high end
-- a 50-minute massage and/or facial costs $120.
Adjacent to the spa is the Solarium with a pool and
two whirlpools.
Public Areas
Voyager of the Seas' most compelling
space is the Royal Promenade on Deck 5. It
has the look and feel of an upscale shopping mall. There are designer
boutiques, a sidewalk cafe, and a British-style pub.
The Royal Promenade is four decks high, longer
than a football field and wider than three lanes of traffic. There
are no windows, but it sets the scene for street entertainment and
festive Mardi Gras-style parades -- complete with stilt walkers, a
swaying inflatable dancer, streamers and confetti, and music from
New Orleans, Rio and other cool places.
A $10-million art collection decorates the Promenade,
11-deck Centrum atrium, lounges and other public
spaces. A notable piece in the Centrum atrium is
The Dancer & The Tutu by Larry Kirkland, consisting of two integrated
sculptures of stainless steel, aluminum cable, acrylic, glass and
gold and silver leaf with transmitted lights.
Our favorite lounges were the nautical-inspired Schooner Bar,
the Champagne Bar, and the Viking Crown Lounge
up on deck 14 for panoramic views of the sea and port arrivals and
departures. The Skylight Wedding Chapel is on the
highest point of the ship located just above the Viking Crown
Lounge.
The Aquarium Bar, whose tanks are filled with 56
tons of saltwater, was devoid of its beautiful tropical fish during
our sailing as the tanks had undergone maintenance and it would be
a couple of weeks before the fish could be returned to it, according
to a crew member.
The Casino Royale has 300 slots and tables for blackjack,
craps, roulette and Caribbean Stud Poker. Other public spaces include
a two-story library/Internet Cafe (charge is 50 cents
per minute; and Internet access is available in the cabins for $100
per cruise), card room, and conference center.
There is no self-service laundry onboard, so pack accordingly if you
want to avoid laundry service fees.
Kids
The ship's Adventure Ocean
club rates as one of the finest children's facilities afloat with
indoor and outdoor play areas. Indoors are computers, a rock-climbing
wall, videos, Sony PlayStation systems, books, video arcade, crafts
area and more, and outdoors the children have shuffleboard, deck checkers,
tricycles and tic-tac-toe. Adventure Beach has a
pirate ship splash pool and water slide. Teenagers have their own
club and disco, Optix.
Royal Caribbean's Adventure Program is a free,
year-round children's program for kids 3 (must be toilet-trained)
to 17, organized into five age groups. "Edutainment"
programs include Adventure Science with hands-on
experiments such as Wacky Water Workshop, and Adventure
Art by Crayola.
Group babysitting is available from 10pm - 1am in the Adventure
Ocean center. Cost is $5 per hour per child. Children must
be at least 3 years old and toilet trained. In-Cabin sitting is available
through the Guest Relations Desk and must be booked
at least 24 hours in advance. Children must be at least six months
old. The charge is $8 per hour, in cash, for up to two children within
the same family, and $20 per hour for a maximum of three children
in the same family. There is a two-hour minimum requirement.
A soda package for children up to 18 years of age allows unlimited
soft drinks (prices vary with cruise length; $20 for a seven-night
cruise).
Expert Voyager of the Seas reviews are edited by Michelle, and provided by Ian and Cruise Critic.com,
an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can
help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation.
Check Dates & Prices
for cruises to Bermuda and throughout the
Caribbean.
Voyager of the Seas cruise reviews
Cruise
Ship Inspection Report
All passenger cruise ships arriving at US ports are subject to unannounced
CDC inspection. Voyager of the
Seas Score: 95
Cruise
Critic: Voyager of the Seas
The Cruise Critic gives Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas a
4+-ribbon rating.
Web links
RCL
Cruises
Request a brochure, or find a travel agent who represents Royal Caribbean
Cruise Line at the company's official Web site.
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