Review/Comments

Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International
Ship: Sovereign of the Seas
Date of Cruise: March 16 - March 20, 2003

Bahamas on the Sovereign of the Seas
By: Janet

This was the first cruise for my family: my husband (54), our daughter (14), and myself (49). We will cruise again, because it was a very relaxing vacation, and the phrase, “floating hotel” fits the description of what a cruise truly is. No worries about driving, cooking meals, entertainment, shopping.

I was most worried about checking in with all the proper paperwork. Upon arriving at the Orlando airport, there was a RCCL person with a sign on the way to the baggage claim area. We checked in with her immediately, got our bags, and had to wait about 30 or 40 minutes for the next bus to the ship. When we got to the ship, there were tons of people—but we checked in approximately 30 minutes after we departed the bus. It was easy for us, because we were one of the last buses to arrive.

Warning: Have all your paperwork completed before you leave, and things will go smoothly. We bought these hanging passport “wallets” that go around one’s neck for our birth certificates, ID’s, plane tickets (bought them at REI). They were VERY handy for organizing everything in one place—no digging in purses, wallets, etc.

Once on board, we found our cabin, then had to get ready for the mandatory safety drill. After the safety drill, we headed back to our room. We saw our luggage, so grabbed the suitcases and went back to our room to unpack. We had one of the cheaper interior cabins on deck 2, so it took a lot of organization to get 3 people unpacked and not feel “cluttered”. Yep. The room was small, but I read a lot of suggestions on the internet, and we were comfy and organized without tripping all over ourselves. The cabins are showing signs of age, but they were clean and our cabin steward, James, responded instantly to every request we had. He was SUPER!

Suggestions--packing: We put a hanging canvas shoe rack in our closet (purchased from Lowes) and this organized everyone’s shoes quite nicely so we weren’t tripping over them. We took a couple of pairs of shorts for each of us with 4 or 5 tee-shirts that would go with both pairs of shorts. We wore the shorts more than once, and swapped out fresh tee-shirts each day. We did the same with nicer pants and tops for the dining room. There is a miniscule closet in the interior staterooms, along with 4 small drawers at the small, lighted desk area in the stateroom for things like underwear, shorts, etc. I packed all my clothes on coathangers so I could just unpack and “hang”. There were about a dozen coathangers already provided in the closet. My daughter had a smaller rolling suitcase which she put under the bed. She dressed from her suitcase every day. I also took a small basket to put in the bathroom for my make-up, toiletries, etc. My daughter loved having the TV, so she could watch all of her programs.

DINING: We had first seating—6 pm—because that’s the time we normally eat. We had difficulty making it to the dining room at this time each day—except for the day at sea. We found that if we did a 1 pm excursion, we couldn’t get back, showered, and changed in time to make it to the early dining time. Next time, my family will either have to force themselves out of bed earlier so we can go on early excursions, or we’ll have to sign up for the second seating. I’m an early riser, so eating at 8:15 pm might be difficult. We ate most of our meals at the Windjammer Café, which I thought was very well done. My daughter is a “carb baby” and they had LOTS of carbohydrates with the cuisine. We did make the dining room on the last night and the food was EXCELLENT. We went to breakfast a couple of times in the main dining room during open seating. I was amazed that we placed an order, was served pretty quickly, and the food was good and hot. If you are a coffee addict, though, everything I read about the coffee is true. It’s bad. There’s always food somewhere, so you won’t have to worry about going hungry. The wait staff in both the dining room and the Windjammer were wonderful.

My only regret is that we decided before-hand that we wouldn ’t go to the formal night captain’s dinner. I wish we had. Everyone looked wonderful—even the teenagers in their suits and fancy dresses! We were quite exhausted the first day with check-in, unpacking, so we went to bed VERY early Friday night.

SUGGESTION: The next cruise we take, we will arrive a day early and go to the ship as soon as we can get onboard so we’re not so exhausted on the day of check-in. That was a lost day….. On day 2, we were supposed to go to Cococay, and I was INCREDIBLY disappointed that we were in the middle of a storm with winds at 70 knots, seas at 7 feet, and lightening ripping across the sky. The captain continued on to Nassau, and we ended up spending 1-1/2 days in Nassau.

When we docked, it took about 2 hours before we could leave the ship. We decided to shop in downtown Nassau for souvenirs on the short day, then sign up for the Blackbeard’s Cay beach excursion on the full day. The excursion said 3 hours, but one hour of that time was getting to/from the little island on a boat. We ended up with only having 2 hours on the beach. (Enough for me, since I’m not a beach bunny, but if you want to spend more time on a beach, pick another excursion.) We did swim in the crystal clear water (82-degree water temp), and lay out on a chair to catch some rays. That particular day it was 88 degrees in Nassau! The last day was a day at sea, so I let my family sleep late. I got up early, hit the pool, and read a book. I shopped some in the shops and just lazed around. Very relaxing.

We never went to any of the late night shows; I just can’t handle wee-hours partying. But, if! you like to do that, you can—plenty of shows, music, dancing, etc.

My daughter wouldn’t go to the teen thing for her age group—because she’s 14-1/2 and didn’t think it was fair that she had to hang out with 12 and 13 year old “kids”. She wanted to lie about her age and join the teen group for 15-17-year olds, but I wouldn’t let her. She’s very shy, and I thought hanging out with kids as old as 17 was probably not the best thing.

All in all, we had a very good time, the ship and its staff exceeded our expectations, and it was a wonderful first-time cruise experience. We are already planning to go on a second cruise, but we’ll do at least a 7-day cruise with more ports of call (in case there’s lousy weather). I would cruise with Royal Caribbean again. It’s a great value for the money. I did hear a couple of other folks say that their experience on other cruise lines was superior to RCCL; On the flip side, I talked to some who ONLY cruise RCCL. And, as one past cruiser said, “if you look for problems, you’ll find them—no matter what cruise line.” I agree. Go with the attitude of having a great time—and you will….I did not have one bad experience on Sovereign of the Seas, and would sail on it again (except, I want to see different ports now! I agree with others that, once you’ve seen Nassau, you’ve seen it…time for new and exciting ports of call!)

DISEMBARKATION/LAST NIGHT PACKING: It took us 1-1/2 hours to pack on the last night, and we had our suitcases outside our cabin by 9 pm (all suitcases need to be outside your door by midnight on the last night). We put yellow duct tape on our suitcases, and the next morning when we went downstairs to get them, we could see the yellow duct tape immediately! We had our suitcases within 5 minutes, and we were at the bus 10 minutes later. We were at the airport by 11:15 a.m. (for a 5:40 pm flight), and the US Airways attendant put us on an earlier flight. We were on stand-by for our connecting flight when we got to Charlotte, NC, and we DID manage to get our stand-by flight, arriving home 2 hours earlier than expected. The line at the Orlando airport check-in was fairly long, but we were able to check in quickly. I wouldn’t plan a departing flight before 2:30 pm, though, in case the lines are extremely long at check in….

Oh, and one last tip. You don’t need LOTS of cash—except for the casino, and souvenirs in Nassau. On-ship purchases are put on your ship card, which is billed to your credit card. Make sure you have a credit card. One man came on board without a credit card (he was set up with a cash account), and when it was time to settle his account, he didn’t have enough money. I don’t know what he did. We spent $288 on board (included souvenirs, drinks, tips, excursions), and probably spent another couple of hundred dollars in cash in port, at the airport, travel to/from the airport, etc.

GO AND HAVE A GOOD TIME!

Overview

What happens when you take a perfectly serviceable, ultimately seaworthy and older but beloved ship, and refit it for the 21st century? Does the ship lose out? Are the details that made it special lost in the refurb? Or do the passengers win?

Royal Caribbean's 17-year-old Sovereign of the Seas, a smaller vessel than most of the lines' others (it's roughly half the size of its Voyager-class ships!), was once the largest and most elaborate cruise ship at sea. And in the past few years, it was showing its age, not only in the normal and expected wear and tear of an older ship, but also in its amenities as well. The expectations of the cruising public have changed so much over the past decade or two that what used to be considered top of the line is now regarded as tired and passe.

But, rather than retire the Sovereign or sell it off to a European tour-and-cruise company, Royal Caribbean decided to give the ship a more-than-major facelift, in the process upgrading its public rooms, adding areas that are popular on its more modern ships, and expanding its teen and children's programs.

Indeed, there is no question that the newly reborn Sovereign of the Seas has a whole new look and a young, vibrant attitude. Big verandahs were added to 62 of its cabins, the dark and closed-in buffet area was scooped out and expanded, soft goods were replaced throughout the ship, lounges were rearranged to maximize space, some a la carte food options (Johnny Rockets, Seattle's Best Coffee, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream) have been provided, and two incredible teen and children's areas have been created.

Sovereign now sails three- and four-day Bahamas itineraries from Royal Caribbean's handsome new port in Cape Canaveral, and is a shining example of what can be accomplished in a successful ship refurbishment.

Sovereign of the Seas has two main dining rooms: Mirage on Deck 4 and Illusions on Deck 3, each with two seatings. Meals are elaborate and well planned, and even on the shorter itinerary, traditional fare like lobster and prime rib is available. The pastry chef is exceptional, preparing desserts that look like works of art.

The buffet (or cafeteria-style) restaurant is located forward on Deck 11. What used to be a closed-in unappealing space has now been expanded, lightened, heightened and renamed. The Windjammer Marketplace soars with colorful murals and lighting to the deck above, which is surrounded by Johnny Rockets and Sorrento's Pizza. The food at Windjammers is freshly prepared, with a carving station and additional areas including traditional and deli fare, Asian eats, salads, and desserts. The drink station is also located here, and while we appreciate the coffee, the little peel-packs of "coffee whitener" and the smallish plastic cups left us cold.

Johnny Rockets is a paean to 1950's-style drive-in restaurants, with big juicy burgers and thick malts and shakes. There is a surcharge of $3.95 per person to eat here, and the sodas, malts and sundaes are served a la carte. Sorrento's Pizza, on the other side of the open area above the Windjammer, has tables that resemble pizza slices and bright-red chairs. There is no charge for this restaurant. Access to these two spots is via a stairway in the Windjammer Marketplace. Wheelchair-bound guests can get to these restaurants via the aft elevator to Deck 12, and have to cross the open deck.

Room service is more elaborate than on most other cruise lines, with hot breakfast items and even a modified dining room menu available to all guests, not just those in suites.

Sovereign of the Seas also offers midnight snacks, but rather than buffet style, they are delivered to the lounges (Boleros, Schooner Bar, Voltage) and casino where you can enjoy them between midnight and 1 a.m.

The new jewel-toned carpeting and upholstery has made a huge difference in spiffing up the public rooms on Sovereign of the Seas. They look vibrant and alive, from the Viking Crown Lounge at the top of the ship to the centrum-area shops, shore excursion desk and photo gallery.

The best of the refit, though, is the addition of Bolero's, Royal Caribbean's Latin-flavored lounge, which features salsa and merengue, Latin-style jazz, and drink specialties that include mojitos, caipirinhas and a wide range of tequilas. Just sitting around the dance floor in this lounge is invigorating, with feet automatically tapping to the beat. In fact, I was enjoying my time there so much that I found it hard to go to the Follies Theatre for the headliner, which on that night was Frankie Avalon. Choices! I did manage to go, but returned to Bolero's later when it had turned into a dueling-pianos cabaret. I enjoyed that almost as much as I enjoyed the salsa music and dance.

The Follies Theatre has also been refurbished, and its deep red walls lined with Toulouse Lautrec-style prints, red banquettes, seating areas and box seats on the upper levels make it thoroughly enjoyable. Line of sight and sound quality are both excellent.

Royal Caribbean has "ramped up" the public spaces and entertainment venues on this ship, with even the names of the rooms indicating hip, hot action. Voltage, a cabaret theatre on Deck Eight, at the aft, is simply gorgeous, with a great stage area, club chairs and tables, bright new fabrics and furnishings.

The Schooner Bar, adjacent to the casino, looks out along the port side of the ship and has a clubby, low-key feel compared to some of the other noisier, more vibrant lounges.

There are several conference rooms and a business center on Deck 7. Deck 5's central atrium area is home to the ship's shops, which include the usual logo items, duty-free perfumes, liquor and cigarettes, and some other specialty items that are put on display in the middle of the center. There is also a Caribbean-themed shop, a jewelry store, a Bijoux-Terner $10 store. Adjacent to the shops is Latte'tudes, the coffee shop in partnership with Seattle's Best Coffee, and the ice cream shop featuring Ben and Jerry products, both available at an a la carte charge.

The Internet Center, or Royal Caribbean Online, is located both in the Centrum area on Deck 6 and in the Business Center on Deck 7. There are several packages that can be selected, and wireless is also available for those who have laptops with wireless cards. Hot spots are located in several areas surrounding the centrum but not in the staterooms, nor in, for example, the Crown Viking Lounge.

Smoking is allowed in certain limited sections of most bars, on the outside decks and in the casino. Cigar smoking is only allowed in the Viking Crown Lounge. No smoking is allowed in any of the restaurants, in the atrium area or in the Follies Lounge.

There is no self-serve laundry on Sovereign of the Seas.

Most of the cabins on Sovereign are, in a word, tiny. The new fabrics and carpeting can't do anything to make them bigger, but they are clean and new looking, and efficiently designed with great storage spaces and surprisingly roomy bathrooms. Superior oceanview categories are slightly larger than regular oceanview, with more storage options. Each cabin has a small television, newly renovated bath with shower, and two twin beds that can be made into a queen.

Deck 10, where the upper level of accommodations are to be found, has seen the addition of 62 balconies; large, deep, comfortable, with see-through Plexiglas outer railings and classy cloth mesh lounge chairs. The suites -- owner's, grand, royal and mini -- have been beautified and refinished with marble flooring, granite countertops, new light fixtures and trendy, elegant carpeting, bedspreads, seating areas, drapes and bed skirts. All of the suites on this level have bathtubs, large televisions and elaborate storage space.

Caveat: The porcelain bathtubs are lovely, but they are raised about six inches from the floor and are very deep. They are difficult to use for a stand-up shower for those in the six-foot-tall range, and they are really hard to get into and out of -- to bathe or to shower -- for those with hip or knee joint problems.

Picture people stopping dead in their tracks, hanging over the railings in the atrium to listen to the Rosario Strings play a tune so beautiful and so familiar ... yet elusive. I recognized it right away as Shania Twain's "From This Moment," but let's face it: A classical trio that can take a country music ballad and make it sound like Mozart is pretty exceptional.

All of the entertainment on this ship is fabulous, from the silly waiters in Johnny Rockets who -- occasionally and startlingly -- break into song to the elaborate productions in the lovely (and beautifully refurbished) Follies Lounge.

The new production show for the Follies Lounge, "Dancin' Thru The Movies," is elaborate, colorful and joyous. There are occasional headliners in the theatre as well; on my voyage we had Frankie Avalon, who -- with the exception of his graying hair -- looks hardly a day older than he did when he starred in "Beach Blanket Bingo."

The addition of Bolero's, located in the middle of the ship and spanning its width, is brilliant. The Latin-flavored band Tropical Breeze plays close-your-eyes-and-listen jazz tunes but really lights up the joint when it starts playing salsa and merengue to which couples can get up and dance. And for those of us who are less light on our feet, the band plays several line-dance songs too, so you can Conga in relative anonymity. Late in the evening it transforms into a dueling-pianos venue, with Dennis and Marcus challenging each other with rock and country tunes.

For quieter fare there's piano entertainment in the Schooner Bar and guitar music in the Viking Crown Lounge.

Caribbean Wave hangs out on the pool deck enhancing the atmosphere with calypso and reggae.

Voltage, the new disco at the aft of the ship hosts rockin' beats most of the time, including "Rock-a-Roake" for those brave enough to take the microphone, and the band Devilicious providing contemporary tunes.

Movies are shown on in-cabin televisions on a rotating basis, but oddly, only one movie is played per day on each of the two movie channels, repeating over and over again. Other television selections include CNN, ESPN, local satellite offerings, and shipboard information including port overviews and shopping.

The large casino has a huge variety of table games, slots and poker machines.

Royal Caribbean has positioned itself as the cruise line for active lifestyles, and Sovereign is no exception. From the 30-foot-tall rock climbing wall at the aft of the ship to the well-equipped fitness center and spa, opportunities are plentiful for those who want to keep up their regimen of exercise.

The Sovereign Day Spa and Fitness Center, at the aft of Deck 10, offers a wide variety of treatments including massages and facials, and a "dry float" bed that provides hands-off heat and massage therapy in a dark, quiet room. Exercise equipment includes treadmills, stationery bikes, weights and cardio machines. Pilates, yoga and spinning (indoor cycling) classes are available for a small fee ($5 to $10); aerobics classes are complimentary. The spa itself is newly renovated, with Italian tile flooring and a warm Tuscan look; make reservations early so you can get the treatment you want. A salon is also available for hair and nail treatments.

There are two pools on Deck 11, with two hot tubs between them. There is a walk-around track but no jogging track, and what used to be the sports area with basketball has now been handed over to the teens for their exclusive use.

Casual during the day and resort casual in the evenings. There is one formal night per cruise, suits for men are fine, cocktail dresses or all-out sequined gowns for women are acceptable. No shorts, swim suits or tank tops allowed in any of the dining rooms in the evenings.