Review: Rhapsody of the Seas - Impressions of the Public Areas, Our Stateroom & Dining
Stacy
Trip Date 12/22/2018
Posted On 01/14/2019 17:13:42
Destinations | Cruises | Review of Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas | Review of Venice to Rome Cruise | Review of Transatlantic Cruise | Royal Caribbean | RCI
Our recent back-to-back cruises on Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas marked our 31st and 32nd cruises
together. For those of you who don't know a lot about us as cruise ship passengers, we are a cruise lines worst
nightmare! We are not loyal to any one cruise line and we typically choose inside, ocean view or highly discounted
cabins. We don't sail with children, we are happy with the included dining options, and we don't drink much, don't
gamble and don't shop much. We usually explore ports on our own or with private tour guides. We are not spa or beach
club or salon patrons ... you get the point - we use a cruise ship mainly for transportation to get from one place to
another. It's almost surprising that cruise lines will even sell us a cabin!
Although there are positives and negatives about every cruise ship, cruise line and cruise itinerary, our goal is to always
make the best of every opportunity that we have to cruise. Truth be told, we've enjoyed every cruise on which we've
been lucky enough to travel. Of the four cruise lines on which we have traveled together (Celebrity, Norwegian, Princess
and Royal Caribbean), our tenure with Royal Caribbean is the shortest. Our first cruise on the line was less than
two
years ago!
After 21 days aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas, we had a good opportunity to experience much of what the ship
offers. If your cruising habits are in any way similar to ours, this post will give you an idea of what cruising on the ship
mainly for transportation is like. (Note that the few negative comments are intended not to dissuade anyone from sailing
on the Rhapsody, but as an attempt to provide a balanced review for anyone trying to decide whether or not the ship is
for them. Personally, other than to those who are miserable on older or smaller ships, if the itinerary and price were
right, I would certainly recommend the Rhapsody.)
Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas
Rhapsody of the Seas - The Ship
The Rhapsody of the Seas is not new but, considering its age (21 years), it has been well cared for. Rumors about Royal
Caribbean's sale of the ship were constant from the time that we booked our cruises. Although future sailings are still
being sold, during our sailing we began hearing that a buyer had been found. Only time will tell if the ship soon leaves
the Royal Caribbean fleet.
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By the end of our 21 days aboard, we were pretty comfortable with finding our way around - always taking the stairs to
go up or down. (Since we often overeat on cruises, we successfully avoided the elevators to get some exercise as one
way to counteract the calories we were taking in.) I have to admit, however, that even though the ship is among the
smallest in the fleet, we did rely on the various maps early in our journey.
Rhapsody of the Seas Map and Interactive Screens
Beginning at the top of the ship, our impressions of the public venues that we experienced can be found below.
Deck 11 (Viking Crown Lounge)
Admittedly we did not spend hardly any time in the Viking Crown Lounge. In fact, we never stepped foot inside
until our final sea day. The main reason we visited the lounge was that we heard positive comments from so many
passengers about the venue. I sure wish we would have checked the lounge out sooner as it seemed to be a great place
to relax with a friend or a book ... and with a great view of the pool deck and outdoor screen.
View from Viking Crown Lounge on Rhapsody of the Seas
Deck 10 (Running Track, Rock Climbing Wall)
We were regulars on the Running Track - at least on sea day mornings during our transatlantic cruise. Scott and
I, along with a few others, joined Sandra of the ship's Activities Staff to Walk a Mile (or more). With all
that walking, I guess we can say that we "walked across the Atlantic"! Between walkers and runners, the track (which
required four loops for a mile) got a good amount of use.
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The few times that we walked by the Rock Climbing Wall it was closed due to high winds or not timing our visit
during the limited operating hours. I'm not sure that we really would have attempted to scale the wall, but it would have
been fun to watch some others do so.
Rhapsody of the Seas Rock Climbing Wall
Deck 9 (Main Pool, Solarium)
While we never swam in the pools, we did make good use (almost daily) of the outdoor whirlpools. The
temperature was warm (as compared to other cruise ship hot tubs which always tend to be set cooler than on land) and
all four tubs had bubbles. We enjoyed meeting and visiting with fellow passengers, watching the Chive TV
videos on the outdoor screen and listening to the Poolside Party Music.
The employees at the Towel Station, located between the main pool and Solarium, were diligent with the
scanning of key cards when passengers either checked out or returned towels. It was interesting, however, that guests
returning from shore to the ship were given towels after a rain shower, yet no cards were scanned. While I understand
the desire to eliminate theft, similar inconsistencies on other Royal Caribbean ships makes me wonder whether the
check-out step is really necessary. (After all, many of the towels are quite worn any way!)
Deck 9 - Main Pool and Whirlpools on Disembarkation Day
On prior Royal Caribbean cruises we were regulars in the Solarium "adults only" whirlpools. On the Rhapsody,
however, we avoided them as they lacked the bubbles that lead to relaxation. (Prior to boarding, I had read complaints
dating back several years on Cruise Critic about this same topic, so we were prepared. Although it seems that
the lack of bubbles is by design, based on the number of negative comments heard on the ship and read online, maybe
this should be reconsidered.)
Although we never played, we did notice that the ping pong tables were located in a great place as they were
mostly shielded from the wind.
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Deck 6 (Centrum Shops, Loyalty Desk, Photo Gallery, Schooner Bar, Shall we Dance Lounge)
Although we are not big shoppers, we did spend more time browsing in the Centrum Shops than typical for us
when cruising. Between both cruises, we had $225.00 in onboard credit and we were trying to make a plan on how to
best use it. The shops were pretty typical to other cruise ship shops that we have visited, and offered similar promotions
on items such as watches, T-shirts, chains by the inch, etc. (We ended up with a nice watch for Scott, some earrings and
a bracelet for me plus a couple of T-Shirts.)
On the second of our two cruises, we paid two visits to the Loyalty Desk - more on the reason for our visits in
the section titled Crown and Anchor Society Benefits. The desk, situated between a seating area and the
Photo Gallery, is in a rather awkward location. When there is a line of people waiting to see the Loyalty
Ambassador (which there were during both of our visits), the line blocks the walking path for guests headed to look
at photos.
Rhapsody of the Seas Loyalty Ambassador Desk
Another place that we spent more time than usual was in the Photo Gallery. In our earlier cruising years, we
sometimes purchased a photo or two, however after so many cruises together, we try to avoid nearly all photographs
taken by ship photographers. On the second of our two cruises, however, Scott won a free photo during the
Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle. We decided to have some photos taken on a couple of the formal nights - even
though we didn't really bring along any formal clothing ... nor did I bring any makeup along. (That will teach me a
packing lesson for the future!) As with many of the older ships, passengers search through the photos organized by day
and time (with some also available for electronic viewing).
Our Rhapsody of the Seas Christmas Photo
Other than walking through to get to the lounge located in the ship's aft, we spent limited time in the Schooner
Bar. We paused several times during our walks to either stop and visit with fellow passengers or to listen to a trivia
question or two. We also paused on a few occasions to hear the evening musical entertainment which rotated between
an orchestral string duo and a pianist playing and singing in a piano bar atmosphere.
In addition to being the location for the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingles, the Shall We Dance Lounge was
the home to evening karaoke. While the seating was comfortable, unfortunately the sound equipment in the
lounge has seen (or heard) better days. For members of the audience, the background singing and music was much
louder than the actual karaoke singers. Even the best of the singers complained about the equipment from their
perspective as well.
Although we often entered the theater on deck 6, we always sat on the lower level to be a bit closer to the action. The
two story Broadway Melodies Theatre is well designed with the vast majority of seats having unobstructed views.
(The view from only a small number of seats are blocked by poles, but the good news is that those are only on the far
sides of the theater.)
Rhapsody of the Seas Broadway Melodies Theatre
Our only gambling in Casino Royale was to redeem the Spin to Win tokens that we were rewarded as
members of the Crown and Anchor Society. It was nearly unbearable for me to stay in the casino long enough
for two spins on the first cruise due to the overwhelming smell of cigarette smoke. Fortunately, several fans and air
purifiers appeared at some point early in the second of our cruises which made a tremendous improvement. During our
first cruise, we avoided walking through the casino to reach the theater, however that became no longer necessary.
As is common on many cruise ships, the 24 hour Guest Services desk was located on the balcony one floor
above the Centrum. On a positive note, it was sometimes fun to watch the happenings below while standing in line at
the service desk. We always find the location odd, however, as it can be difficult to have a conversation at the desk with
the sounds from a loud event or music drifting in the air. (Or, maybe that is by design?)
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Deck 4 (Next Cruise, Centrum)
Located just off of the Centrum was the Next Cruise sales office. We did stop by to take a look at the upcoming
cruises primarily to get some future cruise ideas. We timed our very short visit with a team member so that it was during
a time when there were no organized activities in the Centrum.
All decked out for the holidays with a menorah in the early part of our cruises and a lighted Christmas tree for the
duration, the Centrum is where it's at on Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Compared to the newer and larger
ships, the main difference on the Rhapsody is that the Centrum is quite small - even for the reduced passenger load.
Unfortunately the holiday decor negatively impacted the seating as the view from some of the chairs and sofas was
blocked by the beautiful tree. (For those seated in chairs on the Centrum balcony viewing the goings on from above,
garland also blocked their view.)
Christmas Decor in the Rhapsody of the Seas Centrum
Stateroom Experience
The hallways which are home to staterooms on the Rhapsody of the Seas are adorned with a variety of framed items all
related to the performing arts. Ranging from photos of individual singers and musical groups to posters from classic
broadway performances and more, it was fun to pause as we walked through the corridors.
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Although we reserved our back-to-back cruises several months apart, we luckily were able to stay in the same stateroom
(3116) for all 21 days. Our Category 2N Oceanview Stateroom was on the port side toward the ship's aft.
Welcome to Stateroom 3116 on Rhapsody of the Seas
Upon entering our room, there were two hooks on the right (behind the entry door when it was open) which were perfect
for hanging our jackets. The bi-fold door hiding the closet was on the left. Half of the closet had a number of permanent
hangers for longer apparel and the remaining half had two tiered hanging rods. The storage above the closet where life
jackets are often located was very limited - there is no way they would fit on the top shelf in this closet so they were
laying on the floor. Other than the shelf above, there was no shelving in the closet.
Entrance Hallway with Closet (inset) of Cabin 3116
Across from the closet and just beyond the the two hooks was the bathroom door (which also had several hooks on the
inside). Although the bathroom is not as nice as those on the newest of ships, it was actually in quite good condition and
was completely functional. The shower had a plastic curtain (ugh!), but it did it's job and kept the water from flowing or
spraying out of the shower. The toilet was next to the shower with shelves, the sink unit and mirrors on the opposite
wall. The four open shelves plus one drawer were small, but had plenty of room for the two of us. There was a limited
amount of storage below the small sink as well.
Bathroom in Stateroom 3116 on Rhapsody of the Seas
Occupying the remainder of the cabin was the bed with a two drawer night stand on each side. In addition to the mirrors
in the bathroom and above the desk, there was a fairly large mirror on the left side of the bed and a full length mirror
between the sofa and closet door.
Stateroom 3116 - Category 2N Oceanview Stateroom
Since we were traveling by train for a week before boarding the ship, we packed less than if our traveling was solely by
cruise
ship. With that in mind, we had plenty of room for all that we had with us, although we did use almost every drawer and
shelf in the cabin. With a few more hangers, we would have even had plenty of room for the formal wear which didn't
make it into our bags this time.
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Dining Experience
We did not purchase drink packages nor specialty dining meals therefore we didn't experience the service or quality of
food/drinks at any of these venues. I was actually hoping to dine at Chops Grill, however could never justify the
cost. We were once offered a 25% discount off of the $39.99 plus gratuity regular price, and did consider a meal there.
We finally decided, however, that the total cost for two was more than we would spend at most steak restaurants on land
- and the additional cost was on top of the meal price already included in our cruise fare.
Following are our impressions from the restaurants at which we did dine during our three weeks aboard.
Deck 9 (Windjammer Cafe, Park Cafe)
The buffet style Windjammer Cafe was, if not the least crowded, at least one of the least crowded cruise ship
restaurants of its kind at which we have dined in the recent past. Of the three daily meals, breakfast was the most
crowded and on port days when many passengers were rushing to disembark at the same time, it was sometimes
difficult to find an open table. Midday and evening dining, on the other hand, were never crowded at the times that we
chose to dine.
Due to the combination of serving hours, ease and simplicity, we chose to eat breakfast every morning in the
Windjammer. There was a combination of both made to order egg dishes plus serve yourself eggs, breakfast meats and
sides, breads, fruits, international fare and more. Although there was a wide variety, I was a little disappointed that, for
the most part, the breakfast menu did not change from day to day. I loved the smoothie shots available each morning,
but wished there was variety in the flavors like on other Royal Caribbean ships.
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While we didn't eat lunch on most days, we often paid a visit to the Windjammer in the final serving hour for cookies or a
light snack (like the chocolate buffet that we stumbled upon one afternoon). We both love the afternoon and evening
complimentary drink selection - especially the Vitality flavored water. (As I have commented on previous Royal
Caribbean reviews, we do prefer to serve our own drinks rather than having pre-filled cups. On more times than I cared
to count, I took a sip from a pre-filled cup of flavored water only to realize that the ice was mostly melted and the drink
watered down.)
Chocolate Buffet in Windjammer Cafe on Rhapsody of the Seas
Although we only ate dinner on deck nine on two evenings, we often headed upstairs for some flavored water (and
maybe another dessert) before closing time. I noticed that there seemed to be some sort of "special" each evening
ranging from fajitas to fish and chips and more. On the final night of the first of our back-to-back cruises, we dined with
people who raved about the seafood buffet offered on the previous evening. After hearing this, we began inquiring about
the date that it would be offered on our second cruise. About one week into the cruise, we learned that the date had
finally been nailed down. (We have gotten accustomed to the table tents announcing the featured entree for the evening
on one of the competitor cruise lines on which we have sailed more frequently.)
Seafood Buffet in Windjammer Cafe on Rhapsody of the Seas
The servers who made rounds in the Windjammer with juice and coffee at breakfast and a variety of drinks and even soft
serve ice cream and cookies at lunch were a nice added touch. Our biggest and only real disappointment with the
Windjammer was the more limited hours as compared to other cruise lines on which we have sailed.
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Although the menu at Park Cafe (located in the Solarium) was quite limited, other than room service it
was the one and only location on the ship offering food, snacks and desserts both late at night as well as in between
meals. While we didn't frequent the location, I did enjoy their roast beef sandwich with horseradish. When the
Windjammer was closed, Park Cafe was our go to place for drinks - we just wish they offered flavored water. (It was fun
to see if we happened to arrive during the time when they were offering individual serving bags of potato chips, too!)
Park Cafe on Rhapsody of the Seas
Deck 6 (Cafe Latte-tudes)
In our quest to spend all of our onboard credit we did make a few visits to Cafe Latte-tudes. John
Michael and Max, the two employees who were there during every one of our visits, were cheerful, helpful
and had great personalities. We tried the Iced Caramel Frappe on our first visit (not our favorite drink) and switched
to shakes made with Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, also $4.50 plus gratuity each.
Menu at Cafe Latte-tudes on Rhapsody of the Seas
Decks 4 and 5 (Edelweiss Dining Room)
Just a week or so before leaving home, we realized that we had chosen early dining for one of our two cruises and My
Time Dining for the other. A quick call to our travel agent was all that was needed to change our request to my time
dining for both. While breakfast and lunch are served on Deck 4 of the Edelweiss Dining Room, passengers with
My Time Dining are assigned to Deck 5 for dinner. (We actually only ate lunch in the main dining room twice, and my
favorite menu item was the made to order salad bar.)
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We find it difficult to make dining reservations on Royal Caribbean since the time for the evening show varies from day to
day and is not announced until the evening prior. On the first of our two cruises, we planned our dinner time from day to
day based on our evening plans. As we enjoy meeting and eating with others, we always asked for a Sharing
Table and our request was accommodated on most evenings.
During our transatlantic cruise, however, sharing tables were very difficult to come by. Luckily we were invited to join a
group of four with space at Table 23, a table for eight that they reserved for the entire cruise - the only down side was
eating at 5:30 each evening. In reality, the timing time worked out well as Luis (our Waiter) and Manas
(our Assistant Waiter) were excellent and strived to ensure that we could complete our meal in time to see any of the
evening shows that we preferred. (Dining early also made it much easier to skip lunch, plus we enjoyed our
companions!)
Although, in our opinion, the quality of food served on all cruise ships has declined through the years, we enjoyed our
meals. I was most disappointed in the dessert offerings in the main dining room. Of the eight desserts listed on the
dinner menus, only two changed from evening to evening. The remaining six desserts were offered nightly:
Apple Pie
Creme Brulee
Ice Cream (Chocolate, Vanilla or Strawberry)
Royal Cheesecake
Royal Chocolate Cake and
Fruit and Cheese Plate.
While I have experienced repetitive nightly dessert offerings on other cruises, however the number of repeat desserts
was much lower (like two). After 19 days of seeing these same desserts on the menu, I was definitely wishing for some
new menu items.
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The Rest of the Rhapsody of the Seas Story
For part two of our review of the Rhapsody of the Seas, take a look at Review: Rhapsody of the Seas - Impressions of Activities, Events & Entertainment. In addition to our general comments, you'll also have access to the Cruise Compass for each day of both of our cruises.
Favorite Cruise Ships
Here are two questions for you:
Based on both the public venues and staterooms, what cruise ship is your favorite and why does it rank as your
number one?
Based on all things dining (meal quality, selection, dining venues, restaurant staff, etc.), what cruise ship is at the
top of your list, and why?