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Cruising has
become the only way to vacation for an increasing number of
Americans and Canadians looking to take advantage of beautiful untouched
and extensive
coast lines around the world. There is an
ever-growing fleet of cruise ships on our planet's major waters. Cruise
ship companies continually try to out-do themselves and their
competitors, resulting in larger ships with increasingly more
embellishment to impress guests.
| This article covers
life on board a grand cruise ship and
offers helpful advice and tips on how to go about the cruise experience
and what to expect. This is a review of the fabulous cruise
ship, Royal Caribbean: Sovereign of the Seas. It left Port
Canaveral in Florida in May of 2004, cruised its way to CocoCay, and
ended up in Nassau, Bahamas.
Royal Accommodations
The Royal Caribbean: Sovereign of the Seas is considered to be a
full-sized ship with 14 floors of cabins and entertainment. I thought it would take the entire
duration of my cruise to explore the ship but soon found my way around
the floating city |
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The cabin was
decent given that you are on board a ship. Prices can vary depending on
where you purchase your ticket. In our case, it came down to spending an extra
$10 for a window, which was money well-spent.
Some
vacationers complained that if there were three or more people in a
cabin it was a tight fit. The stateroom attendant did a great job of
making your bed, turning it down, leaving a piece of wrapped chocolate
every night on your pillow and leaving nice towel folding art such as a
monkey or rabbit (and if you leave your sunglasses in the cabin they
will end up on the towel art).
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"...I
heard someone on the ship ask if the toilet water was saltwater
or freshwater. I sure was not going to find out!..." |
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Inside the cabin,
about the only thing you heard were the engines of the ship in the
distance and when the ship's air conditioner broke down, you could hear
the clanging of tools. The only annoying sounds came from the toilet
flushing! It left a lot to be desired and I heard someone on the ship
ask if the toilet water was saltwater or freshwater. I sure was not
going to find out!
My daughter slept
nearest to the window and could hear singing coming from somewhere but
we could never figure out where. They do have a television in the cabin
but it was pretty much stuck on playing reruns which is something you
could understand since you are on a cruise ship and should be out aving
fun during your vacation, not hiding in your cabin!
This Royal
Caribbean cruise also had a cinema but be warned that the screen was
small, the sound quality left a lot to be desired, and there were
distracting lines at the bottom of the screen (although that may have
been due to the film itself). The funny thing was that whatever they
showed in the cinema, they showed on TV in your cabin!
Food,
Food, and More Food!
If you love to eat, hop aboard this cruise ship! The food for the most
part was delicious. You feel like a king or queen with the formal
dining areas and the glorious service of the waiters. A few choice items
on the menu included Prime Rib, New York-style cheesecake, steak,
escargot in garlic and melted butter, duck, chicken, hamburgers, and if
you go up top to the Windjammer Café then you can have all the pizza
and hotdogs you can eat.
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"...The
ship never sleeps and you can always find something going on at
any hour especially around the pool deck. So singles could be
out and about all they want, with a multitude of places for them
to go...." |
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Alcoholic drinks
go for about the same price as you'd find in a land-based bar which is
impressive. I had a frozen strawberry daiquiri for under $5. Unlimited
soda costs around $27.00 and they give you a cool looking insolated can
to tote around the ship. Water is complimentary (other than in your cabin where
they charge $3.50 for a large bottle).
Juice, ice or hot tea, and coffee are also complimentary.
Activities
Cruise ships have a lot to offer to keep their vacationers busy. These
days they don't have a choice but to keep our short attention spans from
making us bored! Some of the more popular activities included the Sexy
Man Leg Contest, Belly Flop Contest, two pools, hot tubs, casino, art
auctions, Broadway shows, comedy clubs, rock climbing, basketball,
ping-pong, bingo, and the two cinemas, among many others.
If you are
cruising with children, you can still sneak away for some of the time.
Royal Caribbean offers fun activities for the little folk as well, which
frees up time for you! The ship never sleeps and you can always find
something going on at any hour especially around the pool deck. So
singles could be out and about all they want, with a multitude of places
for them to go.
Singles
Scene
Cruise ships can be great pick-up spots. Think about it... if
you do not have a chance to hit on someone on a given night, you may
find them sunbathing on the deck the following day or getting wasted and
partying the following night. They aren't going anywhere and neither are
you! Cruise ships can be a great place for a vacation fling. If it works
out on the ship, you can hang out when you get to your destination (in
this case Nassau), and if it doesn't, then you can move on once the ship
is docked and you disembark. Note that many cruises do not travel in
circles but rather bring you to a final destination at which point you
fly home. Be yourself, let your hair
down, and have fun because when you leave, there is a "slim chance
to none" you will see these people again, unless you really want
to! Island
Stops
The first stop on our specific tour was the island of CocoCay. This was a private, secluded island and the excursion packages
from the ship will let you plan ahead for activities such as scuba
diving, snorkeling, parasailing, swimming, sunbathing, and mingling with
the vendors. Everyone had to wait in long lines to get on what they
called a "tender" which is a boat that holds 250 people which
carries you over to the island of CocoCay. I sort of felt like a cow in
line at the slaughterhouse, with some 2,500 other cows!
The small island
destinations of the cruise ships have become mini-economies. With
tourists eagerly waiting to spend their US dollars, islanders are
prepared to sell all means of products and services. During our first encounter with the local women
on the island, they insisted on braid our hair - for a fee of course.
Whether you had long, short, or no hair, they wanted to braid it! As
part of these new business opportunities, the vendors frequently nag you
to purchase their goods. This is an impulse buyer's worst nightmare!
The various
island destinations of cruise ships are expanding in number. Many
islands have different delights that can be had. On our tour, if you were not into the beach scene,
the island itself was a great place to take a romantic stroll. Other
islands might offer a busy market, town, or geographic location to
visit. Also, you must consider the amount of time you have on any given
island.
Final Destination: Nassau, Bahamas
The day the ship docked at Nassau just happened to be an off-day.
Usually there are about 5 ships in port at the same day causing about
15,000 or more tourist to come splashing down on this small city. The
cruise ship will warn you not to take any tours through the local people
because they have their own excursions that they want you to pay for and take.
I am not an
"average" tourist and expect more than just a shopping
trip so I took a tour of Nassau for about $28. I ended up experiencing what most tourists do not.
Behind the colorful buildings of downtown Nassau and the Atlantis
Nassau Hotel, I had the view of the city that you may not want to see.
The island is only 7 miles wide by 21 miles long and the tour I took
hauled me down to the poor neighborhoods where there is a church on
every corner and a liquor store beside every church. I asked about the
crime rate and was told it was about 2% which I thought was not bad. The
drinking age I was told and I will quote this from the tour guide was
from "age 2 to toothless." The drinking age is really 18 but
it is infrequently enforced.
The Atlantis Nassau Hotel is a sight to see. It has a very nice water
fountain out front and inside there is an enormous aquarium. The 50,000
square foot casino has the typical 25 cent slot machines up to the $100.00
slots, blackjack tables, and the usual Las Vegas-style games. Bring lots
of money and expect to lose it since the truth is, you cannot beat the
casino. Still, it can be fun for a while. You can stay in the Presidential Suite for a mere
$25,000.00 per night - 1 week minimum! Famous people who have stayed in
the suite include Michael Jackson and Oprah. If you cannot
afford the Presidential Suite, they do have rooms that are actually
affordable. All
Good Things...
Though the ship was to take a slow cruise back to Port
Canaveral, it ended with a medical emergency onboard which left us
racing to the port. If
you love to party, sunbathe, and meet a lot of cool people, take a
cruise for your next vacation.
A word of caution: Though your cruise has ended, your body still thinks
it is on the ship and you may suffer from side effects which pass after
a few days. These might include the feeling of your body swaying as it did on the
ship, and nausea.
Not to worry though, a few days on solid ground and you will be back to your
old self. Overall
Rating
The following ratings are based this particular Royal
Caribbean cruise:
| Overall
Rating |
 1/2 |
| Shore
Excursions |
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| Service |
1/2 |
| Food |
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| Entertainment |
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| Fitness &
Recreation |
|
| Value for
Price |
|
| Cabin |
1/2 |
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