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Voyager of the Seas

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Voyager Of The Seas

Cruise line Royal Caribbean

• Port Canaveral (Orlando, Florida)
• Galveston (Texas)
• Piraeus-Athens (Greece)
• Civitavecchia-Rome (Italy)
• Barcelona (Spain)

Voyager Of The Seas current position

Voyager Of The Seas current location is at Caribbean Sea (coordinates 20.91509 N / -86.72374 W) cruising at speed of 17.4 kn (32 km/h | 20 mph) en route to GALVESTON, USA. The AIS position was reported 1 hour ago.

Current itinerary of Voyager Of The Seas

Voyager Of The Seas current cruise is 5 days, round-trip Western Caribbean Cruise . Prices start from USD 530 (double occupancy rates). The itinerary starts on 06 Apr, 2024 and ends on 11 Apr, 2024 .

Specifications of Voyager Of The Seas

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Voyager Of The Seas Itineraries

Voyager of the seas review, review of voyager of the seas.

The 1999-built Voyager of the Seas cruise ship is the first Voyager-class Royal Caribbean liner, followed by the sisterships Adventure OTS , Explorer OTS , Navigator OTS , Mariner OTS . At the time it entered service, Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas was the largest cruise liner in the world, heralded as the most revolutionary ship ever built.

The vessel (IMO number 9161716) is currently Bahamas- flagged (MMSI 311317000) and registered in Nassau .

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCG's largest fleet by both vessel number and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 3400-passenger ship Voyager OTS has been bypassed in size by the Freedom-class and the world's largest Oasis-class liners. However, it's still between the largest ships in the world, with a range of the most un-cruise-like places at sea.

The most revolutionary ship ever built changed forever the cruising industry with such never-before-seen facilities as an ice skating rink/TV studio/concert arena, rock-climbing wall, in-line skating track, horizontal atrium (now known as the Royal Promenade), and inside staterooms with a view. The rock-climbing walls are now on every RCI vessel, and the Ice Skating Rink and other facilities might also be enjoyed fleetwide.

Decks and Cabins

Voyager Of The Seas staterooms (1708 total, in 34 grades) include 121 Suites, 669 Balcony, 228 OceanView, 157 Promenade View, 533 Inside (including Virtual Balcony). Most cabins are sized 150-160 ft2 (14-15 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 50 ft2 (5 m2). The largest is Royal Suite (1090 ft2 / 101 m2 plus 215 ft2 / 20 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 27.

The boat has 15 decks , of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 9 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

From the meals in the Sapphire Restaurant, ship's main dining rooms, to the buffet choices in Windjammer Cafe and options available at 24-hour Cafe Promenade, food aboard Voyager of the Seas is well prepared with plentiful choices, especially considering ship's capacity.

The Windjammer buffet restaurant offers an egg station at breakfast and a carving station at lunch. Vegetarians will do better in the MDR at lunch. The buffet features the items offered on the main dining room menu. The Italian-themed Giovanni’s Table charges a US$20 per-person cover charge (specialty beverages, wine, beer and soda are paid separately), and offers a multi-course meal.

Follows the complete list of Voyager of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• Main Dining Room (839-seat complementary venue fka Sapphire Restaurant/aft-positioned)
• Windjammer Cafe Lido buffet restaurant (310-seat, offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11.30-3:30 pm, and Dinner 6.30-9 pm)
• Giovanni’s Table (Italian specialty restaurant, reservations recommended)
• Chops Grille (80-seat steakhouse/seafood)
• Izumi (Japanese cuisine)

Johnny Rockets (capacity 80 seats/1950s-style burger bar) was another specialty restaurant selling fast food favorites like hot dogs, burgers, chilli fries, onion rings. However, this signature for RCI eatery was removed during the drydock refurb in 2019.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

During the day, cruisers will find plenty of activities aboard Voyager of the Seas, such as bingo, art auctions, dance lessons, seminars, rock-climbing wall competitions and even sexy man contests. Poolside, a live band plays a blend of American and Caribbean songs.

Nighttime features the gorgeous La Scala Theater inspired by the legendary La Scala in Milan, Italy. Decor elements include a stage velvet curtain with jewel-like embellishments and Murano glass chandelier. The theater sets the scene for exciting Broadway-style production shows. The ice skating show is another must-see.

Onboard Voyager of the Seas clothing is casual during the day. Evenings dress is either casual, smart casual or formal. On casual nights, suggested clothing is sports shirts and slacks for men and sundresses or pants for women. On smart casual nights, men have to wear a jacket and a tie, while women wear dresses or pantsuits. On the formal evenings (one or two per cruise), men might choose between tuxedos or suits and ties, while women wear cocktail dresses.

Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, supervised Youth program, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

Follows the complete list of Voyager of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• La Scala Theatre (1347-seat, features two grand productions per night with dance, acrobatics, comedy and game shows)
• Screening Room (54-seat cinema)
• Studio B Lounge (700-seat indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a spot for ice shows, cooking demos, game parties)
• Focus Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery (art auctions are organized in the Cleopatra’s Needle Lounge)
• The Centrum (social hub); Star Lounge; The Golden Room (Casino Royale invitation-only VIP guests lounge); Next Cruise Lounge; Concierge Club (26-seat; suite and past guests only); Viking Crown Lounge and Bar; Crown Lounge (fka Diamond Club Lounge & Bar for past guests only/27-seat); High Notes Lounge and Bar (60-seat jazz club) with Crows Nest (70-seat observation room)
• Schooner Bar (150-seat piano bar); 130-seat lobby bar; Ben and Jerry’s ice cream bar; R Bar; Pig and Whistle English Pub (40-seat); Duck and Dog English pub (75-seat); Pool Bar; Sky Bar
• Casino Royale (500-seat)
• Cafe Promenade (108-seat, 24-hour; serves snacks and drinks, as well as Starbucks specialty coffee)
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs); Sea Trek Dive Shop
• Royal Caribbean Online Center (Internet computers room; 24-hour)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 7 jacuzzis; 4 pools
• Solarium lounge (includes Park Cafe, pool bar and adults-only pool area)
• Outdoor movie screen
• Video Games Arcade; Optix Teen Disco club; Living Room teen lounge area; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Adventure Ocean kids lounge area
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball court); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Wall; Voyager Dunes Golf Course
• Skylight Wedding Chapel (40-seat, provides religious services).

During drydock 2019 refurbishment (September-October), on Voyager OTS was installed The Perfect Storm (dual-racing waterslide complex) aft on Deck 13 (opposite the Mini-Golf Course and between the FlowRider and the Sports Court).

The Perfect Storm is complimentary and includes 2 racer slides (“Cyclone” and “Typhoon”). Both spiraling slides are positioned portside and accessed via a 3-floor-high, glass-enclosed swirling staircase. There are no age restrictions, but there are passenger height and weight requirements - min 48 inches (122 cm) and max 300 lbs (136 kg).

Itineraries

Voyager of the Seas itinerary program is based on Australia and New Zealand cruises out of Sydney . In the summer, Voyager sails in Asia with departures out of Hong Kong and Tianjin . On relocation voyages between Australia and Asia (RepositionCruises.com), Voyager OTS visits ports in Thailand and Vietnam as well as Singapore .

Season 2018-2019 (April through June) had Royal Caribbean's longest-ever Southeast Asian program. The ship had scheduled total 90 departures (3- to 9-nights roundtrips from homeport Singapore ) including:

• 3-day weekend cruises to Malaysia (Penang-Klang)
• 4-day to Malaysia and Thailand (Penang-Phuket)
• 5-day to Klang-Penang-Phuket
• 5-day to Laem Chabang (Bangkok overnight)
• 7-day to Klang-Penang-Langkawi-Phuket (overnight)
• plus B2Bs (back-to-back cruises)

Voyager OTS had scheduled an Asian 2021 program with homeporting in Tianjin-Beijing (China to Japan, starting August 1st) and in Singapore (starting November 4th), but in July 2021 the deployment was canceled (through April 2022).

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, Voya ger OTS was paused for 2 years (March 2020 thru April 2022), restarting on April 15th (9-day repositioning from Barcelona to Copenhagen). The European program was based on Baltic roundtrips from homeports Copenhagen Denmark and Stockholm Sweden . Followed Canada-New England itineraries (out of Boston MA ) and in the Southern Caribbean (out of San Juan Puerto Rico ) .

In 2021, RCI also planned to homeport Voyager OTS in Los Angeles California (June through December) for 3-4-night roundtrips to Mexico, but the deployment was canceled.

Note: On Sept 18, 2022, Voyager OTS returned to the USA (docked at Boston's Flynn Cruiseport) for the first time in 10 years. For the last time, the boat visited the US in 2012 (April 12th, Port NOLA New Orleans) during a relocation voyage from the Caribbean to Asia via Europe and Suez Canal . In Asia, Voyager OTS was homeported in China (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tianjin), Japan (Yokohama), Singapore.

Voyager Of The Seas - user reviews and comments

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Voyager Of The Seas Wiki

Voyager is Royal Caribbean's first Voyager-class liner, with sisterships Adventure , Explorer , Mariner , Navigator . Voyager OTS was built in 1999 by Kvaerner Masa ( Turku Finland ) - shipbuilder of all vessels in this series. The company is now part of STX Europe (a division of STX Holding, South Korea). In 1999, Voyager OTS was the world's biggest passenger ship . They used to call it "floating sea'" because of its innovative design. All Voyager-class liners were world's biggest - until the arrival of the Cunard liner RMS Queen Mary 2 in 2004.

Voyager OTS was christened on November 20, 1999. The inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) started on Nov 21. Vessel's godmother was Katarina Witt (notorious figure skater / Playboy model). Fun fact is, that Voyager is the first ever cruise vessel to have an ice-skating rink, rock-climbing wall and Royal Promenade (marble-paved street / approx 3/4 of ship's LOA length).

Since 2018, liner's Captain is Wu Huimin - RCI fleet's first Asian (Chinese) shipmaster.

Itineraries 2016-2017 Asia charters

In 2017-2018, the ship was also operated under charter for roundtrips out of Singapore . The charterer was the travel agency TIRUN Travel Marketing - RCCL's exclusive representative for India. The scheduled cruise ship charter itineraries ranged from 3- to 8-night in length and targeted specifically Indian passengers. Among the visited ports were Malaysia ( Kuala Lumpur ), Thailand ( Phuket , Bangkok ), Vietnam ( Da Nang , Nha Trang , Penang ).

Voyager OTS refurbishment 2019 review

The ship was " Royal Amplified " in 2019 as RCI fleet's 4th vessel redesigned and upgraded by RCI's newest drydock refurbishment program . Voyager OTS also received some fleet-first (and industry-first) features during the scheduled 2019 drydock (41-day project, September 10 through October 14) in Singapore  (at Sembawang Shipyard).

Deckplan changes after drydock 2019 included:

• added "The Perfect Storm" - aquapark with two waterslides (Typhoon and Cyclone).
• added "Battle for Planet Z" (laser tag course) in "Studio B" (ice-skating rink)
• redesigned "Adventure Ocean" (kids facilities), upgraded kids programming (children 3-12 yo)
• added Royal Babies and Tots Nursery (for babies and toddlers). Until 2019, Voyager OTS was the fleet's only liner without a nursery.
• Teens-exclusive hangout was updated and was added an adjacent outdoor laid-back/sun deck.
• Ship's wellness complex (Vitality Spa and Fitness Center) on Deck 12 was enhanced and enlarged. The complex was relocated from forward to aft.
• A total of 72 new staterooms (interior and balcony) were added. New "family cabin" categories were introduced - CB (Connecting Balcony), CO (Connecting Oceanview), CP (Connecting Promenade Interior) and CI (Connecting Interior).
• An exclusive Suite Lounge (with an outdoor seating area) was added for passengers booked in Grand Suite and above.
• Diamond Lounge was created for "Crown and Anchor Society" members (by RCI's loyalty program).
• Johnny Rockets (80-seat burger bar) was removed.

Voyager OTS' "Royal Amplified" 2019 drydock project cost USD 97 million.

Voyager OTS refurbishment 2018 review

The ship’s drydock refurbishment 2018 resulted in the following deckplan changes:

On Sports Deck 13, the RCI’s signature waterslides “Cyclone” and “Typhoon” were installed (next to the FlowRider simulator).

On Spa Deck 12 (aft), the new “Slashaway Bay” kids aqua park was added. This is an interactive water play area (with cannons and geysers) replacing the old Outdoor Youth Area (aka “back deck”).

The new water park and the duo of waterslides were first introduced on the ships Liberty of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas (Oasis-class).

Voyager OTS refurbishment 2014 review

The list of deckplan changes after ship's May 2014 drydock included:

• (On deck 2) 4 new oceanview cabins were added in the place of the Board Room (starboard). Also, the Theatre was renamed from “Coral” to “La Scala”.
• (On deck 3) 19 new interior cabins (category Q) were added in the area of “The Vault” (Disco Nightclub, 297 seats). Also here, the “Photo & Art Gallery” (starboard) was renamed to “Focus”. It was also reduced in size, making space for 15 new Oceanview cabins (category I). Another 5 cabins were added portside. Main Dining Room was renamed from “Carmen” to “Sapphire” (level 1).
• (On deck 4) “The Vault” was replaced by “Giovanni’s Table” (Italian restaurant). The “Aquarium Bar” (portside section) was replaced with “The Tavern”, and its starboard section – with “Art Gallery”. Also here, the Main Dining Room was renamed from “La Boheme” to “Sapphire” (level 2).
• (On deck 5) the show lounge was renamed from “Cleopatra’s Needle” to “Star Lounge”. The “Connoisseur Club” was renamed to “The Golden Room”. The “Ben and Jerry’s” was renamed to “Ice Cream Parlor “. The “Champagne Bar” was replaced with the “R-Bar”. The Main Dining Room was renamed from “Magic Flute” to “Sapphire” (level 3).
• (On deck 6) an interior room (number 6137, forward) was added and the “Business Services” desk was renamed to “Next Cruise”.
• (On deck 7) an interior room (number 7139, forward) was added.
• (On deck 8) an interior room (number 8237, forward) was added and the “Royal Caribbean Online” was renamed to “RC Online”.
• (On deck 9) an interior room (number 9237, forward) was added and some Inside cabins were converted to Virtual Balcony (category VB) staterooms.
• (On deck 10) an interior room (number 1233) was added. Stateroom categories were changed – from category L to K, and some were converted to VB-Virtual Balcony.
• (On Lido Deck 11) in the main pool area, a huge movie screen (outdoor theatre) was installed. Also here, the “Bridge Overlook” was renamed to “Peek-A-Boo Bridge”. The “Day Spa & Fitness Center” was renamed to “Vitality at Sea”. The Portofino restaurant was replaced with “Chops Grille” (steakhouse). During the refurbishment, the “Island Grill” bar and the “Florist” shop were both removed.
• (On Spa Deck 12) spa cabins were added around the ship’s bow area. The “Optix Teen Disco” was renamed to “Teen Disco” and the “Video Arcade” was added. The “Adventure Beach” kids play area was renamed to “Outdoor Youth Area”.
• (On deck 13) the In-line Skating Track was replaced with the FlowRider simulator.
• (On deck 14) the portside-location rooms “Cloud Nine” and “Seven Hearts were replaced with the “Izumi” (Asian restaurant). The starboard-location “19th Hole” lounge was replaced with the “Diamond Club” – a signature venue for “Crown & Anchor” (RCI loyalty program) members only.
• Cabin amenities were upgraded with new flat TVs in all cruise staterooms.
• Digital signage (way finders) on several decks were installed. These touch-screen boards allow you to know your way around the ship.
• Wi-Fi coverage was upgraded to shipwide.

Onboard entertainment options were upgraded with the “DreamWorks Experience” (themed characters entertainment).

• Royal Caribbean International

Voyager of the Seas 11/4/23 The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

By luckybecky , November 13, 2023 in Royal Caribbean International

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Hello Cruisers!

I have a lengthy commentary about our recent Western Caribbean cruise on the Voyager of the Seas. If you are interested, I welcome you to follow along. We had a good time, but this wasn’t my favorite cruise of all time. I have quite a few criticisms and I know some people don’t like to hear anything negative about their favorite cruise line. This was just our experience. YMMV. We still had a great time! Any opportunity to travel and every day on a cruise is a gift to us. We don’t let these little things ruin our time.

My adult daughter had some vacation time that she had to use soon, or lose it. And she had a birthday coming up, so we booked a last minute mother-daughter cruise out of Galveston.

We left San Antonio at 8:15am, arrived at the cruise port about 12. We parked at Park 2 Cruise, a few minutes’ walk to RC terminal. Make sure you have reservation because they were maxed out. We arrived at the terminal at 12:15. Our boarding time was 12:30-1:00.

Easiest embarkation process ever! No one checked our boarding time, or else we were close enough that nobody cared. NO wait at all to check in, or for security. No lines whatsoever. The terminal was very nice. Lots of seating that looked comfortable, but we didn’t have to use it. Got right on board.

Also, they seemed completely unconcerned about booze smuggling. I had 2 bottles of wine in my suitcase (as allowed) which were not checked. Some cruise lines inspect every bottle to be sure you aren’t trying to smuggle on liquor. Likewise, coming back from Costa Maya, I had a nearly full bottle of water which sailed through security without being checked.

We went directly to our muster station, took maybe 30 seconds to check in. We had watched the short safety info in the app on the drive down.

Took the elevator to deck 11 to Windjammer, very crowded as expected but we miraculously found a table by the window. We ate light because we have Chops tonight. The buffet looked very typical. I just had a salad and some veggies so can’t really comment on the quality of the food because a salad is pretty basic. There seemed to be a good variety and everything looked good.

Here's the terminal

All aboard!

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Cabins were ready at 1:00 on the dot, so as soon as we finished eating we were able to go to our cabin. I had carried my luggage on so I wanted to drop it off. LOVED the cabin. I am a balcony person. I always want a balcony. But this was a last minute trip that we really hadn’t planned or budgeted for, so I couldn’t justify the cost of a balcony. We went with Category 2T promenade view inside cabin 7591.

I was not looking forward to an inside cabin because our last inside cabin experience was poor. On Carnival Dream we had an inside that literally barely fit the bed. There was a tiny desk with a tiny stool. The bed took up the entire space. It was claustrophobic and I really didn’t like it. So I was very happy to see that this promenade view cabin had a small sofa and a bay window seat, as well as a chair (not just a tiny stool) at the desk. The window made it feel much more airy.

My daughter had left her suitcase with a porter outside. It was delivered to our room around 3:30 or so.

This cabin does not appear to be updated. I had read somewhere that this ship was updated just last year, but the cabin does not appear so. The outlets for example: two US and one European outlet at the desk. Newer or updated ships seem to be installing USB outlets, and ports near the bed. None of that here. The furnishings didn’t look new, and drawers didn’t open and close smoothly. Bathroom mirror looked very old, peeling around the edges. Telephone looked positively ancient, and didn’t look like it had been cleaned in years. It was pretty disgusting. Don’t get me wrong, the cabin was fine, but I’m just saying that it doesn’t appear to have been updated in a long time.

Beds needed separating. Our steward took care of that while we were at supper.

I unpacked, then we went and explored the ship. Made reservation for Izumi for later in the week (we tried to do it in the app but it wanted to charge us. We had pre purchased Chops +1 package so there should be no charge).

Here's the cabin

Here is an example of what I mean about not being updated, the mirror is worn. But the room was fine.

We reserved my time dining. Not impressed. Doesn’t start until 6:45! Every other ship I’ve ever been on, I’m pretty sure they all started at 5:30.

We like to eat early so we have lots of time in the evening for shows/activities. And you can’t just sign in on the app when you are ready to eat, as some cruises have us do. You have to reserve. I don’t know what happens if your plans change and you miss or want to change your reservation time. This does not seem like “My Time” dining. It seems like the times are actually rather limiting. The earliest reservation time we could get for tomorrow was 7:15. We reserved dinner for 6:45 for a couple of nights later in the cruise. We don’t like this at all! On 15 cruises, I’ve never had one that didn’t allow my time dining until almost 7pm.

Back to our room to change for dinner, and Tara unpacked. I watched sail away party while she did that.

Sail away party:

Watched a parade/show in the promenade. Kinda weird.

Went to the Viking Crown lounge at top of ship for about 20 minutes while waiting for our Chops reservation time. No waiter came to us during that time. It’s a really nice lounge. Here is the view from there:

Good and Bad

Arrived at Chops at 5:50 (6pm reservation time). It was not crowded. We got a nice table by the window. Service was hit and miss. Our waiter was very personable but there were a few issues. Small things but they sort of added up. It took about half an hour from the time we were seated until we got drinks. The bar seemed to have trouble with my daughter’s cocktail requests even though they were items listed on the Chops menu in the app.

Salad: I ordered the goat cheese salad that is supposed to have apple, cranberries and pecans. Mine came missing the apple. I asked to sub blue cheese for the goat cheese and this was done. Bacon appetizer was OK but not amazing. My daughter enjoyed the crab cake.

Filet mignon was disappointing. Was served at room temperature. I don’t know how long it was sitting before it came out to our table. We had the opposite problem on our last RC cruise. Is it that hard at a supposedly high end steakhouse to serve a properly cooked steak at the proper temperature? Yes, apparently it is. The filet was good, but I have definitely had better. Not really juicy. Chocolate cake was delicious! Very rich. Apple pie was very disappointing. Did not taste freshly baked. Crust was hard, not flaky. Dinner took approximately 2hrs 15 min. The steakhouse does not have upgraded glassware. Just the same very ordinary wine glasses as everywhere else on the ship. Carnival has (as of my last sailing) really nice larger glasses.

Apple salad missing the apple, with gorgonzola instead of the crispy goat cheese:

Filet mignon

This dessert was really good

The apple pie was just OK

After dinner went to welcome aboard show. Very funny comedian, Steve McGrew. I really enjoyed the show.

Then, casino. Very crowded, hard to move around. Seems small for this size of ship. Very busy. Very tight passing by slot machines, the bar, etc. Smoky. I was told by crew that only one corner of the casino is designated smoking, but it seemed like people were smoking everywhere – including a woman chain smoking at the video poker machines which are directly in front of the bar where staff should have noticed this. The pool area also was very smoky. Which seems kinda weird since this is an area where many kids are hanging out.

My favorite game is video poker. There are only 4 video poker machines. And $1 minimum. No 25 cent VP. I didn’t play. Lost a few bucks very fast on a penny slot and said no thanks. During several spins in the casino over the next few days, I never received waiter service. Had to go to the bar to order drinks.

Back to cabin. Can hear music from I guess Pig and whistle 2 decks below, at least until midnight. I don’t go to bed early so it wasn’t really bothersome but you might not like it if you are an early to bed person.

Sorry, I did a bad job of photos on this trip. I don't have any photos of the welcome aboard show or the casino.

I slept late. It was DST time change, we gained an hour. Daughter went to breakfast 8am, buffet was packed.

I did a brisk walk on deck 4, several laps over about 40 minutes. I had checked out the gym yesterday; it looked very small for this size ship. The weather was nice so I didn’t try to get a treadmill. Just walked outside.

Then we went to the solarium, which is poorly designed because the only way to get from the forward elevators to the main pool area and Windjammer is through the solarium. So you have lots of traffic including families and kids through the adult only area. The hot tubs were extremely crowded and the solarium area was very loud. Security came and asked one large group in the hot tub to tone it down. They were enjoying their cruise very much. The whole area was super noisy. Definitely not the “serenity” adult area we have experienced on Celebrity and Carnival.

However it still is a nice space, quite a few loungers where you can look out at the ocean, some by the pool, two very large hot tubs, a bar that usually wasn’t too busy, and this is one of the few areas on the ship where we received waiter service.

Lunch at Giovanni’s Table. Better deal than steakhouse and better service. Chicken piccatta was the best thing we had. Cheese board was excellent. Service from Michael was very good.

Cheese board appetizer

Chicken piccata, very good

This is the fish, I think a Branzino? Don't remember for sure. Tara wasn't crazy about it.

Desserts were really good

After lunch I had a short unsuccessful spin in casino.

The earliest reservation we could get for dinner tonight was not until 7:15. This meant that we could not see the 8pm production show. We were seated at a table at the entrance. I mean, right at the entrance. With a nonstop stream of diners coming in and out right by the table. It was an awful location, I don’t even know why they would put tables that close to the entrance in a high traffic lane. We asked to be moved and they accommodated us, moving us to a table about 10 feet away.

The menu seems noticeably shorter than our last (and only other) RC cruise last year. Fewer options. I wish I had taken photos of the menus so I could be more specific and do a side by side comparison, but I’m sure that we had fewer options. The menus I saved from last year had about 10 appetizer options, including four rotating choices along with six “classics” such as french onion soup and escargots that were on the menu every night. The menus we saw on this cruise had only about six choices and no classics that were always available. For entrees, last year we had about 7 rotating choices each night in addition to two “classics,” salmon and NY strip. On this cruise that number was reduced to about seven total. Also, lobster was never available at no charge, not even in the steakhouse. This change in the menu was a huge fail IMO. I’m really sorry that the classics menu has disappeared. I’m sure this has been discussed extensively here but I haven’t been following this forum because we hadn’t planned an RC cruise until this one came up at the last minute.

There was a long wait for first course, then everything arrived at once. The food was not bad. Pretty typical MDR dining. Good but not amazing. Portion sizes were plenty.

Sorry, I'm not sure why some of my photos are showing up sideways or upside down.

French onion soup

This is the cheese plate that is on the dessert menu. We ordered it for an appetizer.

Wedge salad

Beef tenderloin was good. I honestly think it compared favorably to the Chops filet mignon

Due to our dining time we had to choose between the production show and the game shows. We picked the game shows. This is why we like to eat early when our port excursion times allow – so we have plenty of time for all the evening shows.

We went to Finish That Lyric show and Perfect Couple show. Both were a ton of fun. Disappointed to miss the production show. We really liked all the game shows that we went to, led by the entertainment staff with passenger participation. As you can see, the participants were very enthusiastic -- as was the audience. 

perfect match

Thank you! I’m enjoying your review. 

Day 3 Costa Maya

Slept late again.

Dining room opened early for lunch due to port time, so we went there at 11:00. Buffet wasn’t going to open until 11:45. Our excursion was scheduled for 12:15 so we needed an early lunch. We had a nice table by the window and were able to watch coming into port. I had a hamburger, daughter had caesar salad with chicken. Both were good, nothing really amazing. Service was excellent. While at lunch we noticed the waves looked really high and we were surprised we couldn’t feel the ship rocking more.

Went to the theater for our excursion at 12:15. A bit of a line to get off, scanned our cards and approached the gangway. A lady with a stroller was in front of me. She started to push the stroller on the gangway when a huge wave hit and washed over the gangway, missing her child in the stroller by inches. It was quite startling. We joked that she might be getting wet a little sooner than she bargained for, and we proceeded across the gangway. My daughter was right behind me.

As we crossed the gangway we heard voices behind us shouting at the passengers to stop. My daughter was literally the last person off the boat at that gangway. There were one or two other gangways open and they were all on walkie talkies, and all stopped debarkation. We proceeded down the pier with no one at all getting off after us. Debarkation had only been open for I think 10-15 minutes at this point, so not a ton of people off the ship yet. I don’t know how long debarkation was halted. We noticed a bunch of passengers arriving at the Beach Break about an hour after we arrived.

This video was taken later, when we got back on board.  The seas were still very rough, but I think a little less so than when we debarked. 

We went down the pier to meet our excursion. We were first in line. Signed the waiver, waited about 20 minutes before being led to our bus. The pier was much less busy than normal, because of the delayed debarkation for many. We had the Beach Break with Open Bar excursion. It took about 10 minutes to get to the beach. We got loungers right at the water edge. The water was quite cloudy, much more so than the last time I was here. We swam a little, lounged around, checked our phones (which we have had in airplane mode for the last 2 days), had a couple of drinks. Called home while we have service.

We only stayed at the beach for about 2-3 hours. My daughter hated the unrelenting parade of people trying to get us to buy stuff. She just wanted to read her book but kept being interrupted every 60 seconds by someone selling bracelets or cigars or Hawaiian shirts or a kid trying to give us a “free” rose. Headed back to the ship when it started to lightly rain. Crammed into a minivan taxi with 7 of our new best friends. Quite a cozy ride.

Back on board we went back to our room to take turns showering. Went up to bar for a drink. Then went to deck 4 to watch pier runners. Amazed at how many people are just ambling back to the ship 15-20 minutes after 6:15 all aboard time.

Here are some pics from the beach

We had 6:45 “my time” dining reservations. As stated, we prefer to eat earlier. We have never encountered this late dining time on any other ship, and we don’t like it. We don’t do set time dining in case we have a late shore excursion or whatever, but we usually eat quite early so that we can spend the evening seeing the shows and doing other evening activities.

And even though it is “my time” dining, you still need to make a reservation (although there was a “no reservation” line). So there is really no flexibility at all.

So we go to the dining room and they try to seat us – again! – at the table right at the entrance. Are you kidding me?! I mean this dining room is huge and they are going to seat us at the table right at the entrance again? These tables are awful, IMO. There are about 4 of them that are directly at the entrance. Everyone going in and out is going to be going right past your table. That is not the dining experience I want. We asked for a different table and they moved us 10 feet away, to the exact table we had last night.

Look, I don’t want to be a Karen. But it doesn’t seem unreasonable to not want a constant parade of passengers brushing against you for your entire meal. I would be happy with virtually ANY other table in the dining room but this one at the entrance is ridiculous. I'm not sure how well my photo shows the problem. This is the table where they wanted to seat us. There was a nonstop stream of passengers directly behind it, and also coming from the other side. Photo taken from the table where they moved us.

At the end or our meal, someone came and apologized. He said he will make sure we are not placed at the entrance next time, but will give us the same table 10 feet away. OK, that’s better than nothing. I appreciate that they are trying.

Dinner: strip steak was not bad – cooked to medium rare as requested, but was very thin. French onion soup and caesar salad were very good. Chocolate cake also was delicious.

We finished supper just in time to race over to the main theater. Saw Michael Holly, a comedy act. Very funny and entertaining. I really enjoy the shows. After this, we quickly went directly from the theater to Studio B, the ice rink, to see the show there. It was also very entertaining with great talent.

We really enjoyed both shows. After, I went to the casino. I have not been impressed. As noted, it is very crowded, smoky, and they don’t have my game of choice (25cent video poker). But I decided to give it a shot.

The ugly  (not RC’s fault):

So I sat down at a slot machine. I had a drink that I had almost finished. It still had a sip or two. Some guy walks by, points to my drink, and says, “are you finished with that?” I was a little taken aback, this guy didn’t look like a waiter. I was like, what? He repeated, “are you finished with that?” I was so confused because why would some random dude be asking me this? Does he want my drink?!? So I sort of shrugged my shoulders, or something, I’m not sure what I said. And he says “OK because I can’t find anyplace to put this” – and he drops a cigarette in my glass!! Right in front of me on my slot machine!! And walks away.

I could not believe it. Are you serious?! Because there was still ice in my glass, the cigarette did not go out but sits on top of the ice, smoldering. After half a second of disbelief, I got up and went after the guy. With the glass. I said, “dude! You can take this with you. Do NOT leave a smoldering cigarette in front of me!” and I put the glass in his hand.

And just to be clear, we were not in the smoking section of the casino. Although the smoking area is not well defined and the smoke is noticeable everywhere. But still. This was the most dickish move I can ever remember.

Like I said, I don’t want to be a Karen. I’m sorry about the dining room seating; maybe that wouldn’t bother you but it did bother me. But this guy? Seriously?? Who the heck does that?

Anway, I'll be back tomorrow to finish this review. We have Cozumel coming up and then another sea day. 

Every time I walk into the dining room and pass the tables by the door I tell myself I hope I never ever have one of those tables. 

The "bad" about the cigarette guy makes me madder than any of your other bads. 

travelberlin

Thanks for your review! It is very detailed and well written. Could you please kindly give some more details of the cabin location? Is it very noisy? Are you still hearing music every night fr9m deck 5? What is in front of the cabin? What bars are below?

Great review.  I was on the Voyager out of San Juan last December and agree with your review of Chops. 

I'd personally just go to the Windjammer and get food at dinner.  Can you go to the later shows?

16 hours ago, SG65CB said: Every time I walk into the dining room and pass the tables by the door I tell myself I hope I never ever have one of those tables.   

I'm glad it's not just me feeling that way about the entrance tables! 

12 hours ago, travelberlin said: Thanks for your review! It is very detailed and well written. Could you please kindly give some more details of the cabin location? Is it very noisy? Are you still hearing music every night fr9m deck 5? What is in front of the cabin? What bars are below?

There were only cabins above and below. I always try to get a deck where we are sandwiched between other cabins, never with a bar or nightclub directly below, or buffet directly above. We never heard a peep from the cabins above, below, or to either side. The window did muffle the noise from the promenade (2 decks below), but was not completely soundproof. We could hear whenever there was music down there. This was pretty much every night apparently coming from the Pig and Whistle Pub which was below and to one side of us, usually up to around midnight.  Also on embarkation day there was a parade and dance performance in the early evening that we could hear from our cabin. 

11 hours ago, jean87510 said: Great review.  I was on the Voyager out of San Juan last December and agree with your review of Chops.  I'd personally just go to the Windjammer and get food at dinner.  Can you go to the later shows?

You're right, if we went to Windjammer we could make the shows. But we really enjoy the full service dining experience on board. If we could go to dinner before 6pm, we could make the early production show and then the later game shows. Most ships that we've been on do the "big" show in the theater twice each evening, usually 7-7:30pm, and again at 9 or 9:30. But not being able to start dinner until almost 7pm (or later) means we can't do that early show. We have not run into this scheduling issue on other ships. As long as we are back from excursions early enough, we can eat early and then make the early show, and the later game shows or comedy club as well. Oh well. First world problems, right?

Day 4, Cozumel

Breakfast buffet was very good. I was really impressed by the omelet station. You order your omelet and they give you a pager so you don’t have to stand around waiting. This is a huge improvement that I have not seen on any ship. Because many people were already off the ship by the time we went, it didn’t take long at all to get my omelet and it was very good.

We have been to Cozumel before and didn’t plan an excursion. We got off the ship for only about an hour and walked around the shopping area. My daughter was very put off by the aggressiveness of the vendors. We didn’t stay long and got back on board.

Went to the Solarium which was very uncrowded. Tara got a clamshell and I had my choice of loungers. The hot tub wasn’t crowded at all, unlike other days, and things were quiet – also unlike other days when some groups were very loudly enjoying the hot tubs. We enjoyed this quiet time around the pool.

Windjammer is completely closed when the buffet is closed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this on any ship. Usually the seating area is open, and you can go in to get ice water or tea. I’ve often seen people using this area to read or play games even when the buffet is closed, but on this ship they close and lock the entry doors so you can’t go in.

Bad: Music from the promenade was very loud on 70s night in our room. It ended shortly after 11pm. If you are an early to bed person, this could really be bothersome. How did people know about 70s night? Many passengers dressed in 70s garb. We had no idea about this.

Izumi was our best meal so far. I had yaki udon noodles with beef, excellent. Pork dumplings were delicious. Tara had Tonkotsu ramen and it was very good. Also the crispy rice spicy tuna, and truffled creamy losbster tempura roll. Everything was very good and service was excellent. I don’t like sushi but there was plenty for me to eat here.

The production show was disappointing. Just a hodgepodge of songs. I stayed for most of it but left a little early. The performers were great, I just felt that the show itself wasn’t that exciting. I know, I know. I've carried on about how much I want to see all the shows and then I complain that I didn't like this one. Sorry.  😳   But the Majority Rules game show was fun.

We had a very lazy day. The pools and hot tubs were so crowded. We didn’t even try that. Especially after the raucous behavior we’ve seen in the past few days in the Solarium hot tubs. On some ships (many) the adult areas are more quiet zones (even called “Serenity” areas) --- but they are nothing like serene on this ship except during port times.

There weren’t a lot of activities we were interested in. The usual trivia and bingo. If you are into the rock climbing or flow rider, this would be a good time to do those. We didn’t try them. We packed in the afternoon, hit the casino, took a nap, read a book. Just generally took it easy. Went up to the helicopter pad and took pictures of the sunset.

Lunch in the buffet. Windjammer is a very typical cruise buffet IMO. Nothing that stands out (except the omelet station as already mentioned). The only other free options for lunch are the dining room, and pizza on the promenade. They also serve a very limited selection of sandwiches and desserts there. We missed Guy’s Burgers and Blue Iguana cantina from Carnival which serve food made fresh to order.

Staff were not as friendly as on other ships. This was really quite noticeable to me. On many ships, we have had bar waiters learn our names and drink preferences on day one, or just crew in general being very friendly and helpful. Greeting us, asking how our day was, that kind of thing. On this ship, we experienced much less of that. Nobody was rude, they just seemed all business. It was actually quite striking, compared to our past cruising experience. Also bartenders on other ships are like whirling dervishes, pumping out drinks at high speed. Not so much here. My daughter wondered if maybe there have been staff cutbacks, resulting in poor morale.

Our assistant waiter Soma in the dining room was one exception. He was very cheery and helpful – and by the way he is going home tomorrow after 7 months on board. Maybe that explains his happy mood. Our room steward was also very nice and greeted us by name, but we only saw him occasionally and didn’t really have much interaction. (By the way, we got only 2 very simple towel animals on this 5 day cruise. Not a big deal to us but I know some people enjoy these.) In general, I would say everyone was just doing their job but I didn’t get the friendly, personal vibe I have had on other ships.

The cruise director was not as animated and ever-present as some others we have met. He didn’t really make much of an impression on us.

Battle of the Sexes show was hilarious. Go early to get a good seat. Afterwards, we saw Steve McGrew again. Another great show. We really enjoyed these.

We had a beautiful sunset for our last night. The helicopter pad is a great place for watching sunsets, pier runners, or port arrivals.

Here are some pics from supper. Sorry some are loading upside down again. 

Beef carpaccio

Chicken parmesan. Our waiter brought a very generous portion of shredded parmesan to sprinkle on top. 

I asked for a small side of broccoli or any vegetable to go with my chicken parm. I got a whole plateful!

I think this was a lemon tart.

Day 6 Debarkation

We woke up at 7am. We were already fully packed. We dressed quickly, tossed a few last items in our suitcases and ready to go before 7:30. We kept waiting for announcements. Every other ship I’ve ever been on is making frequent, loud announcements, trying to keep the process moving efficiently. At the bare minimum, they usually announce when the ship has been cleared and debarkation is officially open.

Radio silence. Finally a few minutes before 8:00, I suggested we just head out even though there had been no announcement and the feed on the TV had not indicated that debarkation had begun.

As expected, a madhouse. Forget getting an elevator. We expected that and were prepared to carry our luggage down the stairs. Joined the line which snaked from the elevators through the dining room to the outside deck and around the back.

Once we reached the terminal, it was a very fast and easy process. Facial recognition only, no passport check or customs or anything. Took about 45 minutes to get from our cabin, to off the ship and in our car.

Overall, we had a good time. As I said before, we never let small concerns ruin our vacation. I’ve made numerous comparisons to our past cruise experiences and I don’t think this particular cruise compared particularly well. However on the positive side this was the best inside cabin we have ever had.

I know that some people disparagingly refer to Carnival as “the Walmart of the Seas.” Well, truth be told, I think Carnival is doing a better job for cruises out of Galveston in terms of dining and entertainment. The steakhouse and production shows have definitely been better on Carnival. And this cruise did not compare favorably to our only other RC cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas. I’m sorry, RC loyalists. These are just my opinions. I’m interested to hear what others think about all this. But we still are grateful that we have the opportunity to cruise. There’s always good and bad on every vacation, some things are great and sometimes things can go sideways. It’s OK. We enjoy ourselves no matter what.

Thanks for following along. Happy cruising!

20 minutes ago, luckybecky said: Day 6 Debarkation   We woke up at 7am. We were already fully packed. We dressed quickly, tossed a few last items in our suitcases and ready to go before 7:30. We kept waiting for announcements. Every other ship I’ve ever been on is making frequent, loud announcements, trying to keep the process moving efficiently. At the bare minimum, they usually announce when the ship has been cleared and debarkation is officially open.   Bad Radio silence. Finally a few minutes before 8:00, I suggested we just head out even though there had been no announcement and the feed on the TV had not indicated that debarkation had begun.   As expected, a madhouse. Forget getting an elevator. We expected that and were prepared to carry our luggage down the stairs. Joined the line which snaked from the elevators through the dining room to the outside deck and around the back.   Good Once we reached the terminal, it was a very fast and easy process. Facial recognition only, no passport check or customs or anything. Took about 45 minutes to get from our cabin, to off the ship and in our car.   Overall, we had a good time. As I said before, we never let small concerns ruin our vacation. I’ve made numerous comparisons to our past cruise experiences and I don’t think this particular cruise compared particularly well. However on the positive side this was the best inside cabin we have ever had.   I know that some people disparagingly refer to Carnival as “the Walmart of the Seas.” Well, truth be told, I think Carnival is doing a better job for cruises out of Galveston in terms of dining and entertainment. The steakhouse and production shows have definitely been better on Carnival. And this cruise did not compare favorably to our only other RC cruise on the Brilliance of the Seas. I’m sorry, RC loyalists. These are just my opinions. I’m interested to hear what others think about all this. But we still are grateful that we have the opportunity to cruise. There’s always good and bad on every vacation, some things are great and sometimes things can go sideways. It’s OK. We enjoy ourselves no matter what.   Thanks for following along. Happy cruising!

I think this was a very fair review and I enjoyed reading. I know many people like leisurely meals but 2+ hrs at Chops is way too long to me. That mother/daughter time must have been very nice!

28 minutes ago, fla33023 said: I think this was a very fair review and I enjoyed reading. I know many people like leisurely meals but 2+ hrs at Chops is way too long to me. That mother/daughter time must have been very nice!

Yes, it was nice! My daughter is a great travel buddy. We've done several trips together. 

I agree about the time at Chops. I checked the time on my photos to make sure I was right about that. As mentioned, it took half an hour just to get drinks. Apps arrived at 6:34pm, almost 45 minutes after we were seated. Entrees at 7:14pm, another 40 minutes later. We had arrived at the restaurant at 5:50pm, so that's a long time to get the entree on the table. Dessert came at 7:48pm so almost 2 full hours to the minute. By the time we finished dessert we had been there about 2 1/4 hours. That is a long time. I don't like being rushed through a meal, but this was too long even for me. 

momof3cruisers

Thanks for all the info. Doing this cruise in Feb, directly after returning from the same itinerary on Carnival Breeze. I’m looking forward to what the differences will be. My daughter and I have also gone on a few trips with just the two of us. Always a great time to share and make memories.

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Voyager Of The Seas: An Honest Review

December 23, 2023

Wanting to book a cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of The Seas and are curious if it is the right fit for you? Read this honest review of the ship, activities, staff and more.

Voyager of The Seas was launched on November 27, 1998. At the time of it’s release it was the largest cruise ship in the world.

Voyager is the lead ship of it’s class which also includes Adventure, Explorer, Mariner and Navigator.

It has the capacity to hold 3,114 passengers and is 137,276 GT.

Voyager has had several additions over the years. In 2014 a movie screen was added by the pool and they also added a flowrider. It was amped even more in 2019 which added some cabins and the water slides. Then again in 2020 to add the ice skating rink.

Since Voyager is one of Royal’s older (and now smaller ships with the addition of the icon class) it is important to do some research on if it is the right ship to choose for your cruise vacation.

Read my honest review of different categories of the ship.

This post is all about Voyager Of The Seas.

Activities On The Ship

Even with the ship being older it still offers a variety of activities you can participate in.

Things to do on Voyager:

• Water Slides
• Pools/Hot Tubs
• Rock Climbing Wall (the first one at sea!)
• Ice Skating
• Shows/Theme Nights
• Movies On The Pool Deck
• Alcohol Tastings
• Adventure Ocean For Kids
• Solarium For Adults

If you’re going on a shorter cruise I believe this ship would still have plenty of activities to keep you entertained. It is lacking some in the excitement that the newer and larger ships offer.

If you were going on a week or longer cruise and don’t like to just relax, this ship might become boring at some point.

The staff on Voyager of The Seas were amazing! I did not come across a single staff member that was not friendly, helpful and extremely professional.

The shining stars for our cruise were our waiters in the main dining room. They accommodated needs before even needing to ask for them, they gave helpful tips for food choices and also what to do in ports/remembering the time change and were fantastic at their jobs.

I would recommend the staff on Voyager to anyone! Did not have a bad experience at all.

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Cleanliness

The ship while being old still was extremely clean. I did see staff several times cleaning the stairs, tables, etc.

I did not have any complaints when it came to our room. It wasn’t the prettiest since the ship was built in the 90s and we are well into the 2020s now but it did the job.

Ship Appearance

For it’s age, the ship still looked well maintained.

I do not personally care for some of the decor or look of the pool decks on older ships but that is just my opinion. I knew what the ship looked like when I booked it and didn’t mind that it was old because the price was so fantastic for a 5 night cruise.

There weren’t any stains I noticed, broken parts, etc around the ship. Royal Caribbean does a good job of making sure it’s product still presents well to the consumer.

While the ship does not overly impress since it is pretty old, it is maintained well. Some may not mind the age but others who have been on bigger and better ships will most likely be disappointed.

I was pleasantly surprised with the food on Voyager of The Seas!

It is important to note that I did not attend any specialty dining restaurants while on this cruise.

The complimentary venues on Voyager are:

• Main Dining Room
• Windjammer Buffet
• Cafe Promenade

Some people believe you need to eat at the specialty venues or book a newer ship to have decent food while on a cruise. While I do agree that the included food is not the best food you will have in your life, you can find several stand outs that are delicious!

Main Dining Room: The majority of dishes that I chose were actually pretty good. I never have the highest of hopes with the complimentary food but almost everything I had was better than I thought it would be.

It’s also important to take into consideration the chef’s selections and the opinion of your wait staff. Everything in those categories I had were some of the best options.

The only bad dish I had on this ship was the caramel flan. It literally tasted like a burnt cigarette on top. I had other people in my family try it and they all agreed. Not sure what went wrong, if it was just my dish or if all of them tasted that way but it was the worst thing I’ve ever had on a cruise ship.

Windjammer: I thought the buffet on Voyager lacked as many options as I have seen on other Royal ships of similar size.

The breakfast had tons to choose from but lunch had less than I expected. I did still find some great dishes and desserts. I never had a problem with them being out of anything I wanted to try.

The standouts for me in the windjammer were the pork schnitzel and the cookies. Normally I don’t grab the cookies on Royal ships but I tried several this time and they were all SO good!

Cafe Promenade: We ate here a little less than I normally do on Royal cruises but this was my least favorite experience with the cafe.

Don’t get me wrong, everything I had was still very good and I never had to wait too long.

In regards to the pizza, I am used to seeing lots of variety on Royal ships for their pizza but on this particular cruise it was mostly just cheese or pepperoni slices and nothing different except one time.

I personally booked an interior room for this cruise so that’s what most of my experience will be centered around. I did also go into my in laws balcony room which was much nicer than mine but I did not experience an ocean view or a suite.

My interior room was very dated but I expected that of a ship built in the 90s. I don’t care about having the nicest room or the newest decor since I’m not in my room much, but it is a nice addition if you do.

The room was clean, just large enough and everything worked correctly. The only downside was just the fact that the decor was not very nice.

My in laws balcony however I was pleasantly surprised with! The wood on their desk space and their bathroom seemed to be upgraded from what I had in my room. Their room was probably one of the additions Voyager had in 2019. Otherwise I couldn’t see why their room would look much nicer and newer than mine.

For reference they were in room 1170. It was a beautiful room that I would recommend if you’re looking for a balcony.

Most of the rooms since they have very dated decor are nothing to write home about but they get the job done, were clean and had everything we needed.

If you’re going on an older ship like Voyager I wouldn’t really recommend spending more money to buy a suite in comparison to what you’ll get on a suite for a newer and larger ship but to each their own.

I think a balcony would be the best choice for most people looking to cruise on this ship. I personally am fine with interior rooms since I don’t spend much time there and it is the most cost efficient.

Overall Thoughts:

I enjoyed my cruise on Voyager of The Seas. I also go into a cruise knowing exactly the product I’m getting so I leave little room for disappointment.

Everyone is different and will expect different things but knowing I was going into an older and smaller ship comparitively in Royal’s fleet now and also not upgrading my dining or anything, I was not upset about anything because I had scaled my expectations. I could see how some might be a little disappointed if they have been on newer and nicer ships and didn’t research Voyager but otherwise there is nothing wrong with the ship.

Some even prefer the older ships to the newer models cruise lines are building now. If you are someone who prefers that Voyager might be the right choice for you since they still had tons to do and the staff were excellent.

I do have to note I enjoyed Voyager a little less in comparision to other ships I’ve been on in the same class (Adventure & Marnier) but still had a great cruise and no complaints.

This post was all about Voyager of The Seas.

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This Is Amped Up Adventure

Voyager of the seas.

The amped up Voyager of the Seas® is packed with more ways to play.

Take on three stories of twisting, turning adventure on two high-speed waterslides in The Perfect Storm℠ or go head to head in a glow-in-the-dark laser tag clash in Battle for Planet Z℠. Hang ten on the FlowRider℠* surf simulator or recharge and reinvigorate at the spa and adults-only solarium. Plus enjoy Voyager Dunes, ice-skating, rock-climbing wall, and totally reimagined spaces for every kid and teen. 

Next-Level Adventure

Voyages that go all out.

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GET READY TO TRAVEL ON A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

This isn’t your same-old, never bold vacation. This is a boredom busting adventure for the whole crew. 

NEW THRILLS

Race to the finish line on two high-speed waterslides on The Perfect Storm℠. Or go head to head in a glow-in-the-dark laser tag clash in Laser Tag: Battle for Planet Z℠.

EXPLORE ONBOARD ACTIVITIES

PALATE-PLEASERS

Take a flavor-filled journey to the exotic Far East at Izumi. Find your element with rustic Italian dishes served with a contemporary flair at Giovanni’s Table. Indulge in the cut above the rest hand-cut steaks at Chops Grille. Or embark on a globetrotting gourmet adventure at Windjammer Café.

EXPLORE ONBOARD DINING

ICE SKATING SHOWS

Come for the g-force spins. Stay for the spectacular ice dancing. The Studio B ice rink presents dramatic ice shows starring a cast of professional skaters from around the world. Enjoy dazzling costumes and choreography filled with amazing spins, leaps and lifts.

EXPLORE SHOWS & ENTERTAINMENT

explore caribbean, med and beyond

Set out on a thrilling adventure on Voyager of the Seas®. Scope out Western Caribbean gems like Cozumel , or head to a legendary Euro summer vacation through the Mediterranean or Greece . No matter which destination you choose, you’ll embark on daily discoveries across breathtaking, bucket list coastlines.

MED SIGHTS & GREEK DELIGHTS

Kickstart your weeklong bucket list adventure from Barcelona , Rome or Athens  onboard Voyager of the Seas®. Soak up the sun in Valencia . Savor authentic Neapolitan pizza in a cozy trattoria in Naples . Or wander through iconic blue domed churches in Santorini .

EXPLORE MEDITERRANEAN CRUISES

GETAWAYS FROM GALVESTON

Galveston is your gateway to a thrill-topping, island-hopping vacay in the Western Caribbean. Wander through ancient Maya ruins in the Yucatán Peninsula. Snorkel in the turquoise waters of Cozumel . Or go ziplining in the jungles of Roatán . The tropics are calling.

EXPLORE WESTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISES

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Sailing on Voyager of the Seas ®? Here's everything you need to know before you go.

Voyager of the Seas ® is your ticket to a thrilling adventure. Packed with more ways to play, you’ll never be bored onboard. Adrenaline seekers take on shriek-inducing twists and turns on The Perfect Storm℠ waterslide duo. Or tame waves on the 40-foot-long FlowRider®* surf simulator. When it comes to dining, you’ll find mouthwatering options from all corners of the globe. Indulge in everything from juicy steaks to fresh-baked pizza. And you’ll be dazzled night after night with an array of entertainment including showstopping ice skating performances with jaw-dropping stunts and spellbinding choreography.  

Things to Do on Voyager of the Seas

March 8, 2024

Plan the best vacation with all included onboard cruise activities and experiences! Discover the top 10 things to do onboard Voyager of the Seas.

Free Cruise Activities | Voyager of the Seas

As one of the best cruise ships sailing, the Voyager of the Seas offers an abundance of free onboard cruise activities & vacation experiences.

Family Cruises | Voyager of the Seas

Envision your next travel vacation, as you plan the best family cruise getaway while sailing onboard the Voyager of the Seas. Unexpected cruise activities.

Best Cruise Restaurants | Voyager of the Seas

With an abundance of onboard cruise restaurants and fine dining experiences discover the top cruise foods aboard Voyager of the Seas.

OUR BOLD ROYAL AMPLIFIED SHIPS

Royal Caribbean® is amping up your favorite cruise ships with never-before-seen thrills, the cuisines you crave, and more unforgettable experiences day and night. This is Royal Amplified℠ — the future of adventure.

EXPLORE OUR AMPLIFIED CRUISE SHIPS

CRUISE SHIP VOYAGER OF THE SEAS REVIEWS

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• Travel Updates
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World’s biggest cruise liner’s huge Australian move

Cruising has become a big deal over the past few years, even among Gen Z-ers, which is why this liner has made a big move in Australia.

‘Fail’: Aussie destination is being ‘boycotted’

Aussies horrified at American’s milo act

Qantas slashes fares to popular destination

Cruising has become a big deal over the past few years even among Gen Z, with more Aussies hitting the seas than ever before.

To keep up with the demand, Royal Caribbean (RCL) has announced the debut of a new ship — Anthem of the Seas and after five years has brought back Voyager of the Seas with its new homeport of Brisbane, as it prepares for a wild summer season in Australia.

RCL is the world’s biggest cruise brand with 27 ships globally.

“We have many Australian guests who are returning cruisers on Quantum and Ovation, so we’re bringing in new ships to the region as a unique opportunity to provide our guests with fresh itineraries, while of course still being able to provide many of the signature favourites people know and love,” Gavin Smith, managing director for Royal Caribbean AUNZ, told news.com.au.

He said Anthem brings new experiences including the Queen inspired musical, We Will Rock You, and retro themed diner, Johnny Rockets, while Voyager offers guests three storey waterslides, ice-skating and minigolf.

“We’ve had a bumper year in Australia this season which was partially driven by young families as well as millennial and Gen Z passengers who have increasingly taken to cruising,” he said.

“Multi-gen families are also a key guest for Royal Caribbean in Australia driving the demand, as often we see the grandparents booking suites for themselves, and supporting with rooms for the rest of the group, which in turn introduces their younger family members to cruising.”

Mr Smith said cruising is shaking up the holiday industry in Australia as Aussies look for value and ease amid cost-of-living pressures.

@baileyparker__ cruise ships are absolutely wild #royalcaribbean #anthemoftheseas #cruise #fyp ♬ Che La Luna - Louis Prima

@cruisingwithcalandra Anthem Shining Bright.. @royalcaribbean #anthemoftheseas #cruising #travel #dronevideo #drone ♬ Stars - BCD Studio 9ver

“We’re anticipating the next season will bring high levels growth led by younger guests, we’re looking forward to a rise in cruise converts as more Aussies will get a true ‘something for everyone’ holiday experience.”

He said they’re also seeing strong demand from first time cruisers who are “really embracing and understanding the benefits” to this style of holiday.

@cruise.blog Have you sailed on Voyager of the Seas? #cruise #cruiselife #cruiseblog #cruiselife #cruisewithme #royalcaribbean #voyageroftheseas #royalcaribbeancruise #voyager #cruisereview #galvestoncruise ♬ Calm Down X Love Nwantiti - DJ Drek

“On a cruise, all of your needs are met from the moment you step on board. Where else can you visit multiple countries and only unpack once without the need to spend precious holiday time in airports or pay for expensive hotels in peak summer periods?”

But it’s shorter cruise adventures that are currently the most attractive among travellers.

“Guests are taking shorter holidays, but more of them for example a family may take a 7-night holiday to the South Pacific, plus parents also enjoy an adult only wellness weekend with friends,” Mr Smith said.

He said on Anthem, there’s more weekend getaways than ever before so groups of friends can enjoy getting away for a wellness retreat and indulge in “adults only spaces and spa”.

More Coverage

The ship will makes its debut in Australia when it arrives to Sydney in November 2025 with 24 holidays ranging from three to 18 nights across New Zealand, the sunny Australian coast and islands of the South Pacific.

Voyager will sail from Brisbane for the first time from December 2025, with 20 holidays to choose from and a new destination in the line-up – Luganville, Vanuatu.

Sailing is between November 2025 and April 2026.

One of Australia’s most popular islands has made a move that’s left Aussies furious with some even vowing to “boycott” the hotspot.

An American social media star promises he is a Milo pro now after being absolutely roasted by Aussies for making this hilarious mistake.

A major airline has slashed airfares to a holiday destination that more than a million Australian holiday makers flock to every year.