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Royal Caribbean International

MV Sovereign of the Seas

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Mark Williams
# previous cruises: 4
Date of Trip: January 5, 1997
Itinerary: Caribbean

Great 3 day cruise getaway on Royal Caribbean's, Sovereign of the Seas. All in all, the whole experience was an all inclusive affordable vacation, on par with a very good hotel - but not 4 stars by any means. Plenty of food, not gourmet but good considering the number of people they serve at once. A beautiful Bahamas weekend, clear water, beautiful beaches, and shopping - it's all what you make it. There is so much to do both on and off the ship.

I live in Florida so for cruises out of Miami the cruise line provides complimentary bus service from cities throughout Florida. Alternatively, if you fly to Miami your travel agent along with the cruise line will give you transfers to the Port of Miami.

We had a standard outside stateroom which means a large window on the Promenade deck near the front of the ship. If you're not an early riser, you won't like this location as you hear the anchors and tenders pulling into port, however I like the real "feeling" of being on a ship and love to get up early as there's much to see and do. The rooms are small but if you're used to a cruise ship, you usually are only in your cabin to sleep and shower. If you need bigger and better accommodations, they are available but you'll pay for it and on a 3 day cruise, "short cruise", money is usually a consideration.

The food was bountiful but average at best. The dining room had the best food and service, while the Windjammer Cafe up by the pool which is open for breakfast and lunch is more like cafeteria food. In the dining room, the food was better especially the steak & Prime Rib. Desserts were surprisingly not worth the calories. Service in the dining room and throughout the ship was good on the whole.

1st day, enjoyed sitting out by the pool with a cool drink all afternoon while people were boarding prior to sailing. You can board around noon but the ship doesn't sail till 5:30 so we took advantage of the day and got to the port by 11AM. Shows are good in the evening and even though the casino was enticing, after a full day, we usually didn't stay up past midnight.

2nd day, took a boat out to a reef in Nassau and enjoyed excellent snorkeling, excellent rum punch. We also rented mopeds to explore Nassau. 2 hours on the mopeds was plenty. You can visit the famous straw market as well as the many jewelry, clothing, liquor and perfume shops.

Last day, there is a private island called CoCo Cay to enjoy the beach, snorkeling, and water sports all day. If you want to just stay on the ship, there are a lot of activities too, if you're not a beach person.

Wonderful fully equipped fitness center on the ship, aerobics classed, running track and spa for facials, massage, etc. "Shipshape" (if you don't overeat!) There are a number of pools and lots of deck chairs for sunning, 2 hot tubs, and 2-3 pool bars for a cool one.

Not overrun with kids, but a great program to keep them busy all day. The best vacation you can imagine for families, but if you're a single or a couple, you won't feel overwhelmed with the kiddy set at all in my experience.