Cruise Review
By Marty Trencher, Thu Dec 8th

The newest of Voyager class vessels, Royal Caribbean hasintroduced in December 2002 the Navigator of the Seas. One offour ships that can claim to be "the world's largest", completewith a roller blade track, ice skating rink, and rock climbingwall. Plus a boulevard full of shops, bars and cafes known asthe Royal Promenade, and a 1950's style diner: Johnny Rocket's,great for burgers, dogs and shakes and a nickel jukebox. Plus aLatin jazz bar and a Ben & Jerry's ice cream parlor.

We sailed on a 2 day special Inaugural cruise. Navigator willalternate between 7 day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises.Our observations are limited to the time we spent onboard.

If you have sailed on the Voyager of the Seas you will noticethat the steel oval framings of balconies are gone, replacedwith full-length glass and teak railings.

As big as it is, Navigator never felt over crowded and we wereable to experience a variety of activities without the longlines one would of expected for a cruise ship that houses 3800 +guests.

Three main dining rooms, Swan Lake, Coppelia and The Nutcracker,which are actually all part of one three-story venue offertraditional assigned seating dining. For breakfast and lunch,it's open seating. Windjammer and Jade offer a sumptuous buffet,with Jade featured some very innovative Asian/ Fusion cuisinethat would delight anyone's palate with the subtle flavors ofthe Orient. At dinner time, Windjammer and Jade are a casualalternative to the dining room. We thought the wait staffservice was good and the food was well prepared, thepresentation consistent and the choices plentiful. Allconsistent with what you find at a fine-dining establishmentback home. If you visit the Royal Promenade, you will findpastries in the morning, sandwiches, pizza and deserts at nightas well as Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream and Berringer Wines. AtJohnny Rockets, the 50's themed diner style restaurant featuresred naugahyde booths, Formica counters, a jukebox, signatureburgers, hot dogs, chili, french fries and onion rings. The foodhere is included. All you pay for are Cokes, and ice creamshakes.

For an upcharge of $20.00 per person you can dine at eitherPortofino, an Italian specialty restaurant or choose ChopsGrille, A New York style restaurant featuring a high qualitysteakhouse menu. Make your reservations as soon as you getonboard cruise or you may never get the opportunity to enjoy it.If you get a sweet-tooth or hunger pains ( How could you? ) at2:00AM, no problem. Navigator offers a limited room service menuavailable round-the-clock.

Visit the Connoisseur's Club where you can enjoy aperitifs andfine cigars or stop by the Champagne Bar, An elegant but cozyatmosphere to share a glass of wine or champagne. As winelover's we enjoyed Vintages, the first totally dedicated winebar afloat. Here you can savor wines from the world's finestwine producing regions featuring Robert Mondavi and Beringer,with wine appreciation programs. The staff is well versed in thehistory and education of wines. Wine tasting can highlighted theessences of wine and the staff helped pick the right kind ofwine for us. On the Royal Promenade you'll find the Two Poet'sBritish style pub and Cafe' Promenade that features Seattle'sBest Coffee. Then there is Schooner Piano Bar, and Bolero's anupscale 'Latin Lounge" featuring composers of Bolero's and otherpopular rhythms of the 50's and 60's. Plus there are a number ofBars scattered

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throughout the ship.

The Navigator of the Seas' Library has one of the largestcollection of books I have ever seen on a cruise ship. We wereable to surf the net and check our e-mail at Royal CaribbeanOnline. ( 20 work stations available at an extra charge )

On the upper decks you will find two main pools and anadults-only pool at the Solarium. Workout at the ShipshapeFitness center or the Spa. Here you will find spinning bikes andfree weights, treadmills, cross trainers, bicycles, weightmachines and a thalassotherapy pool. The ShipShape Spa has anocean-view salon, massage rooms, and a relaxation area withocean view.

Send the kids to Club Ocean with what Royal Caribbean calls theworld's largest youth facility afloat. There is Navigator Dunes,a nine-hole miniature golf course, roller blade course, Joggingtrack, full-size basketball court, golf simulator and towering200 feet above the sea a rock climbing wall designed tochallenge experts and beginners alike. ( Too scary for us- noguts, no glory )

In the Viking Crown Lounge, we found the Cosmopolitan Jazz Club,a great cosy lounge for drinks and good vibes. There is also aCard Room, 19th Hole Golf Bar and Navigator has a Wedding Chapelthat can accommodate 60 guests.

We had a balcony stateroom with twin beds that can be convertedto queen size bed, private bathroom, phone, closed-circuittelevision, mini bar and a hair dryer. No complaints here. Thecabin was a good size, though not huge and the balcony reallyadded to the spacious feeling. Nothing beats a view of the seaand the stars at 1:00AM. Very romantic.

There are 1,500+ staterooms of which over 900 are ocean view andof those, 0ver 700 have a balcony/verandah. There are alsointerior cabins, with over a hundred of those with a window thatoverlooks the Promenade. The cabins have twin beds that can beconverted to queen-size. If you bring your own laptop you canhook-up right in your cabin to internet access at an extracharge. If you are looking to go over the top, check out theRoyal Suite: a separate bedroom with king-size bed, privatebalcony with a hot tub, whirlpool bath, living room, wet bar,dining area, tv/dvd entertainment system and a baby grand piano.

Broadway style show productions at held at Metropolis. In "Now &Forever", the cast performs music and dance from such shows asDreamgirls, The Producers, and Mamma Mia. An ice extravaganza inStudio B on Deck 3,"Ice Dancin'," features an international castincluding Russian, Canadian and American skaters. Great show.You will need a ticket to see the show as space is limited. Atother times, there is open skating for guests. There is singingand dancing in The Ixtapa Lounge, and a variety of musicalchoices at venues throughout the ship ranging from classical,rock, country western, and jazz.

A really fun to watch experience is the Mardi-Gras Parade where-- jugglers, comics, costumed characters and other performersparade through the Royal Promenade and perform for you.

Adventure Ocean, Royal Caribbean's youth program is a greatexpereince for your kids. There is a 22,000 sq.ft.area thatincludes computer stations with activities divided into agegroups:(1)three to five year olds,(2)six to eight yearolds,(3)nine to eleven year olds, and(4)teens; twelve tofourteeen and fifteen and seventeen. You will find an artstudio, large play area, themed events, and science programs.Adventure Art by Crayola projects...and a lot more activites,too numerious to mention here.

Navigator has an outdoor area for teen parties with music andfood service. Fuel is the teen disco, complete with dance floorand Internet Café. Teens also can hang out at The LivingRoom....or play games in the video arcade.

Baby-sitting is available.

Overall, we give Navigator of the Seas an 8 ( out of a possibleperfect 10 ). We think Navigator is a great for honeymooners,couples and families and especially for groups. There's plentyof room and lots to do for everyone.

About the author:Travel Professional