What Cruising Means to Us:
Mary & I have said this many times and we will continue to say it, the reason we call our cruises ‘Honeymoons,’ is we can’t think of a more romantic, intimate, exciting way of spending quality time with the one you love, then when on a cruise. Unless you have cruised, you can’t imagine how wonderful and romantic it is to be with your loved one a luxurious cruise ship.

The Royal Caribbean Line Has The Most Beautiful Ships Afloat:
Different industries have different awards. Motion pictures have the Oscar's, Broadway has the Tony's and the TV industry has the Emmy's. If there was a best ship designers award, the Royal Caribbean design team would sweep the field. They are in a class by themselves. The designers of the public areas do a superb job of blending a combination of materials that have a beautiful visual effect. They do all the areas of a particular location with a thoroughness you don't often see. As much thought is given ceiling areas, as is given to the walls and floors. Then they further enhance these beautiful settings with a variety of exquisite furnishings. Not only are their designs beautiful and innovative, they are also extremely functional. On the new Eagle Class ships, like the Voyager, it is very easy to get around the ship because the traffic patterns are so well laid out, that you get the feeling you on a ship  half its size. There are many beautiful cruise ships but in our humble opinion, they pale in comparison to the ships of the Royal Caribbean line. We are going to tell you some of the stand-out highlights of some of the Royal Caribbean ships we have sailed on.

R. C. Eagle Class Ships–A Forerunner of Ship Design of the Future:
Regardless of how many cruises you may have made, if you haven’t cruised on an Eagle Class ship, you will be dumbfounded by the brilliance of the design.  The Royal Promenade is unlike anything you've seen on any other cruise ship. It is without a doubt the most innovative, unique design of a public area that the cruise industry has ever seen. It's hard to find the words to  adequately describe it, but we'll do the best we can.

The Royal Promenade is absolutely, stunningly beautiful. Whereas all other ships Atriums are vertical,  the Royal Promenade of the Eagle class ships runs horizontally the length of two football fields. It is 40 feet in width and is five stories high and joined at each end by two spectacular Atriums, encompassing eleven decks. In the open area of each Atrium is a magnificent sculpture hanging from the eleventh deck to the lower decks. A stunning design innovation which I'm sure will be adopted by other lines.

As you walk down the Promenade, you get the feeling your strolling down the street of a very upscale area of town? The lower level on both sides of the street, is the location of various stores, taverns and restaurants. You will also see a beautiful, cherry red Morgan sports car, parked on the side of the street. There are number of people sitting at tables in front of the Pig N Whistle Bar, some enjoying a pint of Guinness.  Surely a little bit of Ireland at sea. And last but not least is the Café Promenade. It is open 24 hrs. a day and is one of the most popular venues on the Voyager. It's a Café that serves delicious deli type sandwiches, pizza and an assortment of mouth watering cakes, pastries and cookies. You can sit inside or at tables on the Promenade deck and join fellow cruisers in the popular  sport of people watching. Twenty four hour restaurants are one of the ways the cruise lines are replacing the mid night buffet, and it works.

Above the stores and restaurants are the back walls, large bay windows, of the 138 inside cabins that face the Promenade deck. The large Bay Windows allows you view all the activity that is taking place on the Promenade deck, without ever leaving your room. This is another first for Royal Caribbean. It's an innovative way of making inside cabins more desirable. Mary & I had Atrium cabins on two previous cruises and  found them to be very comfortable and very quiet despite all the activities taking place outside.

The ceiling of the Promenade deck is four stories high and the source for lighting the area. The lighting changes according to the time of day and the activities taking place. When you go to the Promenade, it's like your going into town. As you walk down the street, you get the feeling your leaving one neighborhood and then entering another. You meet people coming and going. Many stop for a few words of conversation. If you don't walk the Promenade at least two or three times a day, you feel like you missed something.  There are a number of private little niches where you can do some people watching, while observing the latest happenings in the mall. It's an attraction all in its self.

Voyager of the Seas review:
http://www.cruisereviews.com/RoyalCaribbean/VoyageroftheSeas22.htm

The One of a Kind Aquarium Bar, Voyager:
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the Aquarium Bar. The thought and detail that went into the construction of this lounge is mind boggling. The lounge encompass's the entire wall area around the stairways of the aft atrium on deck #3. It is what it's name implies, it is a true aquarium. Amazing as it may seem, this entire area is a wall of glass, containing 52,000 gallons of water and hundreds of brilliantly colored tropical fish of all descriptions. It is one of the most strikingly beautiful areas we have ever seen, on land or sea. Can you imagine the enjoyment of being surrounded with tropical fish swimming around you, as you sip a cocktail before dinner. It’s a venue you will not want to miss.
 
The Solarium Areas--Another Unique Feature of RC Ships--One of Our Favorites:
Some lines have a covered pool area but no one does it like Royal Caribbean. What makes RC solarium pools different is they have a different theme for each of the Solarium areas on their ships. A couple of examples.

Brilliance Solarium:
As soon as you enter you will see three large Indian elephants at the far end of the pool, adorned with elaborate head dresses, surrounded by a waterfall spilling through the lush vegetation into the pool. These huge elephants, twenty five foot tall,  were carved from solid gray stone. Also, on the sides of the pool are two smaller sculptures of kneeling baby elephants. There is a bridge across the far end of the poll and on the opposite end is a large Jacuzzi with a pink canopy. Behind the very attractive chaise longues stand four bronze Buddhas`. There is dense vegetation wherever  you look. The Solarium on the RC ships is one of our favorite at sea venues. Everyone we have seen has a different theme and are very impressive, but the Solarium on the Brilliance is truly special. The East India theme of the Solarium and the Spa, is absolutely breathe-taking.

Brilliance of the Seas review:
http://www.tomandmaryscruisereviews.com/BrillianceReview.htm

Enchantment Solarium:
If someone led you blindfolded into the Solarium pool area and then removed the blindfold, you very well might think you were in a Roman Garden in ancient times. The focal point of the Solarium is a rectangle pool situated between two Gazebo like structures that house two large Jacuzzi. The Gazebo like structures have four marble columns supporting a concrete roof with brass cupolas. The outer pool area is also lined with a row of marble columns connected by a large circular concrete beam that was a trademark of Roman Architecture. Three brass tiger heads, a foot above the water level on both side walls of the Gazebos, spew a continuous stream of water from their mouths. The entire back wall is covered with foliage, with a planter of colorful tropical plants at its base. Live garden plants are everywhere. Hedges in planters. Ficus trees in abundance. All very colorful, very pretty. The roof is moveable so it can be closed in inclement weather. To insure that the peaceful tranquillity of this area is maintained, anyone under the age of sixteen is not allowed to use the pool.

There was a short order restaurant called, you guessed it, the Solarium Café. They serve Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Pizza and  are open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. The design team did an excellent job of creating a very realistic replica of what a Roman Garden might have looked like in ancient times. If you like quiet pool time, the Solarium is for you.

Enchantment of the Seas review:
http://www.cruisereviews.com/RoyalCaribbean/EnchantmentoftheSeas4.htm

We Are Often Asked What Ship We Recommend For a Family Vacation.
It is our opinion, the Eagle class ships are, without a doubt. the best possible choice for a family vacation that will fulfill every ones expectations. If your planning a family vacation, don't look any further than the Eagle Class class ships. It's a truism that if the children are having a good time the vacation will be a success. But if the children are not happy, there are bound to make a lot of family members unhappy. The children's facilities on the Eagle Class ships  are without a doubt the very best at sea. The Royal Caribbean "Adventure Ocean" youth programs, offers the young people something to do every minute of the day. It covers every age group. 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and 13-17. Teens have their own private coffee house and disco. There is also a huge video arcade with most of the latest and greatest video games that alone would keep a youngster busy for days. RC has group baby sitting from 10 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. A charge of $4 per child for children three years or more. $8 pr hour for in cabin baby sitting for children one year and older. RC also has a soft drink program for the kids. It costs $20 for a card for all they can drink during the cruise.

Now that we have the kids taken care of, lets talk about Mom & Dad and Grandma & Grandpa. The reason the Eagle Class ships are such a good choice for the family vacation is that there is something exciting and interesting, for every age category. Mom & Dad and Grandma & Grandpa, did you ever think you could ice skate while cruising in the Caribbean? Did you ever think you could do in-line skating on a track with padded side walls? Did you ever think you could challenge Grandpa to a golf match while at sea? Did you ever think while Grandpa is playing golf that Grandma could be playing Bingo or getting a massage? Or how about you Dad. Do you want a chance to test your mettle at rock climbing or maybe a game of basketball? There is literally no end to the number of interesting activities for all age groups on these floating resorts/recreational centers. If your thinking of having a family vacation or a family reunion, don't look any further. The Eagle class ships have all the amenities for you and your family to have the vacation of a lifetime.

Explorer of the Seas review:
http://www.cruisereviews.com/RoyalCaribbean/ExploreroftheSeas16.htm

Some of the Friendliest Crews at Sea:
Being retired restauranteurs, we enjoy  good  food, but we are especially interested in the way a dinner is presented. We have found that there is something very special about the way the dining room servers of Royal Caribbean take care of their guests. There are very professional in the way they conduct themselves but they also display just the right touch of friendliness that adds immeasurably to the enjoyment of a meal. This is not an accidental occurrence because we have experienced this whenever we sail with them. Their Hotel Managers do an outstanding job of training their personnel. On most of their ships, toward the end of dinner, the waiters put on a little show. On one of our cruises, at the end of dinner, the lights were dimmed and a drum roll began and all the waiters took off for the kitchen. It looked like they were going on strike. It wasn't long before they came out of the kitchen doing the Caribbean shuffle with every other one balancing a plate of lighted candles on his head. They called it the dance of fire. Everyone stood and applauded. On another night, they retired to the kitchen and then reappeared in colorful Caribbean attire and danced through the isles singing the disco number, Hot, Hot, Hot. Then when everyone stood and applauded they asked the guests to join them in doing the Macarena. It was really a special moment. Can you imagine a dining room of close to a thousand people of all sizes and shapes doing the Macarena. On what they called International Night, they again returned to the kitchen then reappeared waving flags from all the nations of the world while singing "We Are The World." Next to us was a table of eight English people. Our waiter Zad, being the diplomat he was made sure he had a British flag in his hand when he passed their table. They rose in unison, standing with their hands over their heart and sang, the British Anthem, "God Save The Queen." On the final night of the cruise the entire crew, chefs, waiters and servers gathered on the upper level at the head of the stairway. A spokesman thanked everyone for cruising with Royal Caribbean and then asked everyone to join the crew in singing Auld Lang Syne. At the finish there was a thunderous burst of applause and a spontaneous show of affection between the passengers and the crew members. There was a lot of hugging, an occasional kiss and a lot of teary eyes. The dining room staff of the ‘Enchantment' epitomizes what people are seeking when they cruise and what brings them back time and time again. People love to be catered too and pampered. We left the dining room each evening with a very warm feeling in our hearts. We has similar experiences on many of the RC ships.

Splendour of the Seas review:
http://www.cruisereviews.com/RoyalCaribbean/SplendouroftheSeas4.htm