Voyager of the Seas cruise ship evaluate: A information to Royal Caribbean’s first megaship

At a look

• The OG Royal Caribbean ship that debuted the road’s signature Royal Promenade, with bars, cafes and outlets clustered in a single indoor area
• Thrilling onboard points of interest like a rock-climbing wall and ice-skating rink
• A wide variety of free and specialty eating choices, together with Italian, Asian and steakhouse fare

Voyager of the Seas overview

You’d wish to dip your toe into the world of Royal Caribbean‘s top-deck-attraction-infused ships, however the line’s newer behemoth vessels intimidate you. Let me introduce you to Voyager of the Seas.

When Voyager debuted in 1999, the 14-deck, 3,602-passenger vessel was the world’s greatest ship. At the moment, it does not even crack the highest 50, as a gradual stream of bigger vessels carrying double the variety of passengers has hit the seas through the years.

Voyager may be smaller than Royal Caribbean’s latest vessels (I am taking a look at you, Utopia and Icon), but it surely’s stocked with amusements. The truth is, it debuted lots of the line’s signature points of interest, together with a towering rock-climbing wall and an ice-skating rink.

Voyager was additionally the road’s first vessel to characteristic a Royal Promenade, an indoor thoroughfare lined with cafes, bars and outlets. (Whereas Voyager contains a promenade space, it doesn’t have themed neighborhoods, as discovered on Oasis Class ships.)

Quick ahead a couple of years. Newer lessons of ships started to eclipse Voyager, and renovations have been inevitable. A $97 million refurbishment in 2019 introduced forth a slew of upgrades, together with a brand new pair of three-story waterslides (dubbed Good Storm), an unique out of doors patio area for teenagers and 72 further inside and balcony cabins. The ship’s children membership, Journey Ocean, additionally acquired a glow-up, which included a brand new nursery area for infants and tots.

That stated, Voyager is as soon as once more beginning to present its age, and that is particularly noticeable when it is docked beside shiny new vessels like Icon and Utopia.

Nevertheless, Voyager of the Seas is a manageable ship, and it is the perfect sampler for households who search a scaled-back however action-packed cruise trip. Past the onboard points of interest, passengers have loads of methods to remain busy throughout their cruise, together with each day actions, dwell music and nightly productions.

Households aren’t the one vacationers who will really feel at dwelling on Voyager. Singles, {couples} and older passengers will even take pleasure in their time on board. Numerous fun-loving cruisers ages 60-plus have been on my crusing, together with three girls I overheard discussing plans to hit the waterslides later that day.

Our crusing was absolutely booked, however other than occasional bottlenecks alongside the Royal Promenade and some queues throughout peak meal and present instances, crowds have been well-controlled. Site visitors alongside the Royal Promenade flowed easily most days. Nevertheless, when outlets lined tables brimming with merchandise down the middle, passengers flocked like moths to a flame, making the world really feel cramped.

Moreover, the Cafe Promenade seating space felt tight, with little room between tables. A few of the tables have been butted up towards the full-size prop automotive and British-style cellphone sales space. It appeared that tables and chairs have been shoved collectively to offer area for a particular occasion and have been by no means put again the place they belonged. Nonetheless, I by no means felt claustrophobic throughout our crusing.

Voyager of the Seas cabins and suites

Cruisers have a bevy of choices on Voyager in the case of lodging. 4 most important varieties embrace inside windowless cabins, outdoors or ocean-view rooms, balcony cabins with sliding glass doorways that result in a semiprivate out of doors space and spacious suites.

Past conventional inside cabin choices, the ship options inside Promenade View cabins, which look out over the Royal Promenade (ideally suited for people-watching). Moreover, greater than 100 connecting cabins can be found on Voyager — nice for bigger households or teams touring collectively.

Do you want room to unfold out, or are you searching for an unique cruise trip expertise? You will have plenty of selections for extra-spacious lodging on this ship. These embrace a 277-square-foot Junior Suite, a 381- to 547-square-foot Grand Suite (one or two bedrooms), a 406-square-foot Ocean View Panoramic Suite (no balcony), a 506-square-foot Proprietor’s Suite and a commodious 1,260-square-foot Royal Suite.

Most suites sleep as much as 4 company. Nevertheless, the Ocean View Panoramic Suite sleeps as much as six company, and the two-bedroom Grand Suite can accommodate as much as eight individuals.

Suite company take pleasure in perks akin to precedence check-in, boarding and departure, reserved seating at onboard exhibits and VIP most important pool deck seating. Passengers in Grand Suites and above can even entry the unique Suite Lounge on Deck 14 with each day complimentary continental breakfast and drinks, plus a personal out of doors space. Voyager doesn’t have Coastal Kitchen, the unique included-in-fare restaurant for suite company.

My husband and I booked a balcony “assure” cabin, which suggests we chosen the kind of room we needed (a balcony) however let Royal Caribbean resolve the place on the ship it might be. We have been fully glad with our aft cabin (close to the again of the ship) on Deck 6. I had ready myself for a totally obstructed view, however I used to be pleasantly shocked. Whereas our balcony ignored one of many lifeboats under, we had a transparent view of the open sea and past.

Our balcony was a bit extra enclosed than a standard balcony, however I really loved it. The thicker dividing partitions offered a little bit of privateness you do not usually have with typical balconies. Usually, noise and loud conversations from my cabin neighbors trigger me to curb my time spent on my cruise balcony.

Our cabin was outfitted with one king-size mattress that you may separate into two twin beds. (Some balcony cabins characteristic a fold-down Pullman mattress that may sleep as much as three individuals.) The mattress was extraordinarily agency. At first blush, I feared it might be too exhausting for me to be comfy, however I slept nicely each night time and awoke refreshed.

Our residing space had a three-seat sofa positioned reverse the vainness and cupboard space. A number of drawers and extra cabinets within the closet offered ample storage for all our garments, sneakers and digicam gear (chargers, tripod, zoom lens, and many others.).

The toilet included an enclosed bathe, mirrored drugs cabinet-style storage, bar cleaning soap and a trial-size model of Royal Caribbean-branded toiletries (lotion, bathe gel, shampoo and an amenity package). A dispenser crammed with all-in-one hair and physique wash was mounted within the bathe.

Our cabin did present indicators of its age — bits of peeling paint, a couple of dings on the wall and a wonky cupboard door. These imperfections have been straightforward to miss, because of our amiable and environment friendly cabin steward, Jennifer, who meticulously maintained our room.

Moreover, Voyager of the Seas affords 26 accessible rooms in numerous cabin configurations, that are extra spacious and have wider doorways and entryway ramps. The cabins additionally characteristic facilities akin to roll-in showers with benches, decrease bathrooms and sinks, plus decrease closet bars.

Voyager of the Seas eating places

Complimentary eating choices on Voyager of the Seas embrace the primary eating room, which serves breakfast, dinner and lunch on sea days; the Windjammer Market buffet (breakfast, lunch and dinner); pastries, mini sandwiches and pizza served on the Cafe Promenade; and free ice cream at Sprinkles on Deck 11. General, the meals was high-quality — the primary eating room dishes and buffet choices have been hit and miss, however the pizza was persistently scrumptious.

The primary eating room menu included a wide range of dishes for each palate, even providing a minimum of one vegan dish every night time. We ate two meals right here — one dinner and one breakfast. (I had deliberate to have dinner in the primary eating room our final night time, however I ended up not feeling nicely and needed to skip dinner altogether.)

My dinner (Caesar salad, escargots and herb-crusted salmon) was a little bit of a combined bag. The escargots appetizer was on level, however my salmon was overly salty and a bit dry. Service was stellar, although, because of Vince and Ronnie. Throughout our meal, a pianist serenaded us with dwell classical music (provided most nights), which elevated our eating expertise.

Breakfast in the primary eating room was a beautiful different to the buffet at Windjammer Market. It was quieter and fewer crowded, and my espresso cup stayed crammed with out my having to maneuver an inch. Each our most important eating room breakfast dishes — made-to-order omelets and eggs Benedict — have been tasty.

Windjammer Market provided commonplace buffet fare throughout a number of stations — salads, sandwiches, hen, seafood and the like. A collection of worldwide delicacies was additionally obtainable (curries, pasta, fried rice and different objects). I attempted a number of totally different objects over two lunches, with various levels of success.

Grilled greens and fish have been stable, however my made-to-order veggie burger lacked taste. My husband raved concerning the hen strips. He additionally sampled the lasagna and some totally different pastas at dinner and reported favorably. Windjammer on Voyager closes store at 9 p.m., so if you happen to get the munchies after that, your solely choice is a mini sandwich or slice of pizza at Cafe Promenade (open 6 a.m. to three a.m.)

Voyager is dwelling to a few specialty eating places serving dinner nightly, with lunch seating on sea days. We sampled all three and had persistently implausible meals.

Izumi was our first dinner on board, setting our expectations fairly excessive for the rest of the cruise. It was tucked away on a nook of Deck 14 reverse the Suite Lounge, offering an intimate environment. We shared the eating room with solely a handful of different company, including to the serene vibe.

This sushi and Asian-fusion restaurant was hands-down top-of-the-line sushi meals I’ve had on land or sea. The rolls have been contemporary and flavorful, and our server, Mary, ensured we lacked nothing for a implausible eating expertise. Cruisers should purchase menu objects a la carte or go for the prix fixe menu ($40 per particular person). The prix fixe choice comes with one small plate (salads, soups and appetizers), two giant plates (sushi, sashimi rolls, ramen and poke bowls) and one dessert.

Our meal at Chops Grille was one other spotlight. From the shrimp cocktail and crispy goat cheese salad to the grilled Atlantic salmon and filet mignon — each course was top-notch. (Should you’re a botanical-forward cocktail fan, the lavender vodka martini is a should.) The fee for a meal right here is $63 per particular person.

We additionally had a tasty dinner at Giovanni’s Desk ($48 per particular person), the ship’s specialty Italian restaurant. We loved practically good seafood linguini and pasta Bolognese. No matter you order, do not cross up the tiramisu.

You’ll be able to ebook a personal Chef’s Desk expertise, which contains a six-course meal and wine pairing. It takes place on a mezzanine-type touchdown between ranges 4 and 5 of the primary eating room.

Buy specialty and boozy coffees at Cafe Promenade, which serves Starbucks model espresso. In contrast to on the stand-alone Starbucks outposts on different ships, drinks right here fall inside beverage package deal choices. Room service can also be obtainable, and carries a service price of $7.95 per order, however continental breakfast (espresso, pastries, cereal and fruit) is free.

For-fee treats can be found at Scoops by Sugar Seaside (on Deck 5 at Cafe Promenade space). I acquired confused as a result of the Cupcake Cabinet was listed on each the cell app and the ship’s deck plans on Royal Caribbean’s web site, however was nowhere to be discovered on the ship. I inquired at visitor companies and was instructed it had been eliminated, however cupcake-decorating lessons are typically provided in Giovanni’s.

Voyager of the Seas bars and lounges

Voyager of the Seas is chock-full of locations to get your drink on. The Pig & Whistle, the road’s British-style pub, was a comfortable spot alongside the Royal Promenade for a pint or a cocktail. Most people on our crusing appeared to favor imbibing and people-watching on the tables simply outdoors the pub. Usually, these tables have been full, whereas solely a few tables have been taken inside.

I loved the decor within the Pig & Whistle, however the environment would have felt extra genuine in the event that they sometimes swapped the loop of pop-rock tunes with some conventional Irish music. A singer-guitarist carried out every now and then, which added to a pub-type atmosphere, even when her repertoire consisted of acoustic variations of pop songs.

The Schooner Bar was the hub for trivia video games and different onboard competitions, plus dwell piano music a couple of instances all through the day. It was additionally dwelling to a darn good “Sea & T” (gin, Lagoon Bay liqueur, easy syrup, lemon juice and tonic water).

The Sky Bar and Pool Bar have been top-deck choices for a poolside rum punch or watermelon margarita, whereas the R Bar on the Promenade on Deck 5 gave the impression to be a favourite hangout for a lot of passengers throughout our cruise. A handful of different bars are situated all through the ship in or close to high-traffic venues such because the theater and the on line casino.

In case you have Diamond, Diamond Plus or Pinnacle standing with Royal Caribbean’s Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program, you’ll be able to hand around in the unique Crown Lounge. Company can take pleasure in complimentary mild bites all through the day, a devoted concierge and different perks. The Crown Lounge is situated beside the Star Lounge venue on Deck 5.

In a enjoyable nod to trendy developments, each bar menu on the ship included a mocktails part. Schooner Bar’s Berry Press (strawberry and lavender syrup, lemon juice and membership soda) was splendidly refreshing, the proper steadiness of candy and tart.

As with every Royal Caribbean cruise, you should buy your drinks a la carte or buy one of many line’s drink packages, which might prevent cash if you happen to plan to drink a variety of sodas, bottled water, specialty coffees or alcohol.

Voyager of the Seas actions

Voyager of the Seas is the perfect ship for passengers who like to remain lively, however do not need to be inundated with choices. Ours was a warm-weather crusing, so naturally, the highest decks noticed a variety of motion. On the primary deck, two swimming pools have been separated by a deck space, which appeared to assist handle crowd congestion on busy sea days. 4 sizzling tubs (two giant shaded and two smaller ones) provided extra methods to benefit from the water.

Close by, the 18-plus open-air Solarium pool space was dwelling to a decent-size pool, two sizzling tubs and a bar. Loungers and cabana chairs have been plentiful, however most have been claimed by 8 a.m.

Should you crave extra motion, head to the again of the ship to jet down the 2 Good Storm waterslides, hit the waves on the FlowRider surf simulator or scale the rock-climbing wall. The sports activities courtroom is the spot for volleyball, pickleball, basketball and soccer video games. Moreover, the ship’s miniature golf course was a preferred pastime for households throughout our crusing.

Associated: The wildest points of interest you may discover on a cruise ship

Indoors, Voyager of the Seas’ modest spa homes a hair salon, nail studio and 10 therapy rooms for massages (together with a {couples} therapeutic massage room). It lacks a thermal suite space (no sauna or steam room), however locker rooms and showers are within the adjoining health middle.

Within the health middle, passengers can use a wide range of cardio gear (treadmills, Peloton bikes and elliptical machines), plus free weights and train balls. Favor your train with a contact of sea air? Hit the jogging observe on Deck 12 (six laps equals 1 mile). Parts of the observe are flanked by rows of lounge chairs that replenish with solar worshippers oblivious to your operating tempo. I witnessed a couple of close to crashes.

Within the Royal Theater, do not miss productions akin to “Broadway Rhythm & Rhyme,” which showcases songs from Broadway favorites like “West Facet Story,” “Chicago” and “Dreamgirls.” The show-closing duet of “And I am Telling You I am Not Going” was so good that it gave me full-body chills.

Different headliner acts on our cruise included a comic and juggler; these visitor performers differ from crusing to crusing. I missed the comedy present however totally loved the juggler, Mr. Edge. Enjoyable reality: He started his profession as one of many authentic jugglers for the inaugural crusing of Voyager of the Seas over 25 years in the past. This crusing was his first time returning to a Royal Caribbean ship. Discuss a full-circle second.

I used to be additionally wowed by “Ice Odyssey,” the ice-skating present in Studio B. The costumes, choreography and spectacular methods stored my eyes glued to the ice. Along with watching spectacular ice-skating productions, passengers can take a spin across the ice throughout all-skate classes provided a handful of instances every single day (no price, however reservations are required).

Extra highlights for me included laser tag, which passed off in Studio B. We bobbed and weaved by inflatable obstacles in a battle for world domination. It is free to play, however you have to reserve your spot.

I used to be shocked at what a sizzling commodity the cardboard room/library was. Each time I popped in, a minimum of three or 4 teams have been enjoying board video games, playing cards or working puzzles. On sea days, each desk was crammed.

Households had many alternatives to have enjoyable along with actions akin to selfie scavenger hunts, bingo and household karaoke time (which offered a number of variations of “Let it Go” in your listening enjoyment). Dwell music was additionally obtainable within the Royal Promenade, and in bars and lounges at numerous instances of the day.

Voyager’s for-fee arcade is situated close to the Journey Ocean children membership space on Deck 12. Should you’re into a distinct sort of gaming, the ship has a on line casino, providing poker, blackjack, slot machines and different methods to check your luck.

Different actions that may be on the each day planner embrace arts and crafts classes, dance lessons, sports activities competitions, pool video games, dwell music and scavenger hunts. Well being and wonder, jewellery and artwork seminars are additionally standard, and you’ll take part with out making a purchase order ultimately. We had a blast testing our trivia abilities (we failed), studying how one can make lovely towel animals and watching our shipmates channel their internal Beyonce throughout karaoke within the Star Lounge.

Voyager of the Seas itineraries and pricing

Voyager of the Seas is presently crusing to the Caribbean and the Bahamas from Port Canaveral (Orlando) in Florida.

In Might, it is going to reposition to Europe and sail Mediterranean and Greek Isles itineraries from a number of ports in Greece, Italy and Spain by the autumn. The ship will then make its approach to Brisbane, Australia, by way of Africa and Asia. It should sail Australia and South Pacific cruises throughout the winter and into the spring, then reposition to Seattle by the use of Hawaii.

In summer time 2026, Voyager will swap the Mediterranean for the Final Frontier, crusing seven-night round-trip Alaska itineraries from Might by September from Seattle.

On the time of writing, fares began at $617 per particular person for a five-night Japanese Caribbean cruise. A seven-night Western Mediterranean crusing began at $1,062 per particular person; seven-night Alaska sailings began at $789 per particular person. (All charges are for inside cabins and are primarily based on double occupancy.)

Voyager of the Seas for households

Households can have a ball on Voyager of the Seas. Its Journey Ocean children membership affords free organized actions (video games, arts and crafts, and many others.) for cruisers ages 6 to 12. The Royal Infants and Tots program offers drop-off childcare (for a price) for kids ages 6 months to three years. Moreover, after-hours childcare (from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.) is obtainable for ages 6-12 for $10 per hour, per little one.

Teenagers (ages 13-17) can relax of their designated space, the Dwelling Room, which contains a cool out of doors patio area referred to as the Again Deck.

Voyager of the Seas accessibility

Along with the accessible rooms talked about beforehand, Voyager of the Seas has a number of options to accommodate passengers with restricted mobility. All public areas on the ship are accessible, with gradual inclines at entrances and huge hallways. Most doorways are automated, and particular accessible public restrooms with automated doorways are situated all through the ship (though not all public restrooms are accessible).

Whereas there is no such thing as a elevator to the Skylight Chapel on Deck 15, a motorized stair carry chair is offered. The primary pool and a whirlpool on Deck 11 are each geared up with lifts.

Backside line

Voyager of the Seas is a superb match for cruisers who need to check the waters of attraction-filled Royal Caribbean ships with out being overwhelmed with too many selections.

The ship won’t have a skydiving simulator or zip line, however its thrilling twin waterslides, rock-climbing wall and different points of interest will preserve children and fun-loving adults entertained. Add to that stable eating choices, full of life bars, implausible theater and ice-rink productions and a wide range of each day actions, and also you seemingly will not be lacking the additional points of interest or the crowds of Royal Caribbean’s extra gigantic ships.

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