As you step aboard the Navigator of the Seas, you know you are one of the Royal Caribbean fleet, first of all there is the customary ‘Royal Promenade’, complete with Wine bar, British Pub, Ben & Jerry’s, and the duty free shopping!
But the thing is, with Royal Caribbean, you forget that this is just not ‘The Norm’ on other cruise lines. The atmosphere was really buzzing as new cruisers where boarding. Naturally, first stop was the Windjammer, buffet on deck 11, once again, exceeded our expectations, with a real good choice of food, including some great deserts (The trifle was to die for!) and I do like the selection of fruit drinks they have available complementary in the buffet, as well as the ‘Help yourself’ ice cream machine!
Now full, let’s take a wander round the ship, so up to Deck 13, to find the climbing wall (Only 40 meters above the sea!) the sports court, Mini golf (I did get a hole in one, after six attempts!) and the customary ‘Flow Rider’ with 60,000 gallons of water a minute thrusting up at you.
Going down a deck, there are the kids clubs, with screams of delight all around, they are obviously having the time of their lives, and to the front of the ship there is the Vitality gym & spar, and there really well equipped, with plenty there to make sure all the good food you are going to be experiencing gets worked off!
We then went and checked out the stateroom, we had a Balcony (I do think they are worth the extra if you can stretch to it) as you would expect, spotlessly clean, the storage space was more than ample, great bathroom, with one of those power showers (Love them!), and the balcony was a real bonus, especially on a sunny day and I do like having breakfast on room service, so you can watch the world go by, as you drink your coffee, and have breakfast as the ship calls into port.
Next the Lido deck, the pools look so refreshing, and the addition of the big screen is great, they were showing some really fun stuff on when we were there, and it adds to the atmosphere on board too. Maybe time for a quick visit to the Sky Bar, and then on to the solarium some chill-out time in one of the whirl pools and the sunshine.
Of an evening, you have some great dining choices, there is the main Sapphire Dining Room, set over 3 floors, with spectacular chandeliers giving a feeling of opulence, where you can enjoy a multi-course dinner, or maybe you would like to choose one of the speciality restaurants? I personally love ‘Chop’s Grille’ the steaks here are to ‘die for’ also the Mexican restaurant ‘Sabor’ where you are treated to a modern twist on a Mexican foodies heaven. My top tip here is leave room for the desert… I promise, it won’t disappoint!
After dinner, it’s show time! And you won’t want to miss the grand Metropolis Theatre shows, they are just breath taking, and also make sure you catch one of the ‘Ice Shows’ in Studio B, they have to be seen, and if you fancy a go yourself, at selected times in the day, you can have a go on the ice rink too! Later it’s on to the Star Lounge, where there is all sorts of fun, from Bingo, quizzes, comedians, even Karaoke !
If you fancy a good old sing-a-long the Schooner bar should fill that gap quite nicely, and there is Jazz in Boleros, but if you are just looking for a quiet relaxing drink, with fabulous views, there is no better place than the Viking Crown Lounge on deck 14 is the place to head, even if it’s just for a night-cap.
No matter what kind of holiday you are looking for, be it ‘Action Packed’ or just ‘Lounging back’ with a good book, the Navigator of the Seas has something for everyone, and my final little hidden gem, the ‘R Bar’ just off the promenade on deck 5 – the Mixologists here preform their magic on the cocktails … and they are always prepared to go off menu, and mix anything you fancy. Cheers!
