Royal Caribbean, Vision of the Seas Review

Overall Rating

Great itinerary
Helpful, friendly staff
Well designed ship for Alaska
Good shore excursions

Very minor... Some confusion in Photo Gallery over prints not developed

Overall, this was a good cruise. We had a wonderful time. This was our 8th. (4th on RCCL). Although Vision is 8 years old, she is in pretty good shape. She is kept immaculate at all times. The only things that need attention are a few areas on the ship where upholstery or carpets might need replacing in the near future (Some Enchanted Evening Lounge and Windjammer Cafe). The rest of the ship was in great shape, especially the Schooner Bar and the Masquerade Theater...Both looked brand new. It was very easy to get around the ship, and it felt just the right size to us for Alaska.

Our Jr. Suite was spacious and comfortable. The only thing that could have improved it was to have a couple more amenities in the bathroom, as there was only one small bar of soap and a shampoo dispenser in the shower. Lotion and conditioner would have helped.

The food overall was good. If you have never sailed on Celebrity, you might think it was very good. However, to us, nothing compares with the food on Celebrity. They go the extra mile. The Midnight Buffet on Vision was somewhat lackluster...Big gaps between displays, fewer items than in past RCCL cruises. If you have ever sailed on the Voyager class ships, you might think this ship is a let down. We sailed on the Navigator last year and it was amazing, but I somehow can't imagine a ship of that size doing the inside passage, as it is too large and too many passengers in port. Vision does not have a sports bar, and unlike the Navigator, we had to pay for the regular Seattle's Best coffee, which surprised me, but then, you can always go up to the Windjammer and get a regular cup of coffee out of the machine, which is fine.

There were some very good things we experienced on this ship. Our booked shore excursions were in our cabin in an envelope when we boarded. Our cabin attendant was always available to us, and brought us anything we needed. The cabin was quiet and clean. Everyone was very friendly. The embarking and disembarking process in Seattle was amazing, and quick compared to Miami. We felt pampered, and now they even offer an express Valet check out service for disembarkation for a fee of 15.00, which is worth every penny. You get your airline boarding passes the day before you disembark, special white tags for your luggage, and once your luggage is taken from the hallway the night before you leave, you never see it again until your final destination! And, you can get off the ship early with no hassles or lines! That in itself made the cruise so wonderful for us, especially since we had to travel across the US to get home, and our bags were waiting for us when we arrived home safely. We loved Alaska so much that we want to see more. We are booking another one in 2008 on the Summit (Celebrity) for 13 days.

Our father had an outside cabin on deck 2. Although it is small compared to the Jr. Suite, it is well designed, and it did not feel cramped to us. They have a mirror on one wall which adds depth. The shower is small, but functional, and it had a shower curtain rather than a sliding door, which would have been better. A room like this would be fine for no more than 2 people, but for 4 it would be claustrophobic. There is a large inside cabin with more square footage than the outside cabins.