Rhapsody of the Seas

I was invited this week by Royal Caribbean to spend the day on Rhapsody of the Seas – and what a lovely day it was.  She spends around 6 months of its year departing from Australia and the rest of her time in Alaska. Without having actually cruised on the ship, it had a lovely feel to it with the visual highlight definitely being the atrium. 

It is one of the older ships of the fleet, but sometimes I think this is not a bad thing.  It is not huge by shipping standards these days, but big enough to ensure you won’t feel crowded if it sails at maximum capacity.

People
So who sails on Rhapsody of the Seas?  You will find a nice mix of age groups with the average age of ship patron around 45 years.  This means you will get young singles, couples, families with small tots to teens and seniors who may be retired.   It means that the experience is not especially geared to seniors travel, but I don’t think that really matters on this ship. 
One of the cons is that it doesn’t have a singles program or gentlemen hosts.  However, they do have their fair share of singles patronage.

Staterooms

I viewed all the options.  All the staterooms had at least a small sitting area and I thought even the low-level cabins offered good value for money and didn’t feel cramped.  The accessible rooms were spacious for wheel-chairs.

Entertainment, food, and activities
•    Great options and something for everyone.  From karaoke to your traditional piano barman as well as your usual shows, you definitely won’t be bored
•    All the usual ship entertainment options  mean that your every hour can be filled by something or you may simply choose to relax in one of the bars or bright airy spaces
•    Both formal and casual dining available with room service if you don’t or can’t go out for a meal
•    Plenty of vegetarian and fish options if you don’t eat meat.  I hear that the Indian kitchen staff will whip up a mean vegetarian curry if you ask nicely 
•    Healthy options available if you wish to avoid that feeling of scurvy toward the end.  I don’t know about you, but I always end up eating to excess when I cruise
•    It bothers me that I would have to pay for a cappuccino, but that is one of my personal gripes…

We like:
•    Great ship for getting a big family group together
•    Good mix of different age groups on the ship
•    Great for kids, grandkids from tots to teens.  I love what they do for teens.  A supervised nightclub open ‘till 2 am with DJ’s and themed nights.  It is definitely not embarrassing to be with Nan and Pop or any member of your family if you are a teen on this cruise
•    Great value for money when you look at the specials for this ship
•    Decent wine packages that don’t cost the earth
•    Drinks and cocktails were very reasonably priced
•    Not pretentious, but relaxed and friendly atmosphere

I am thinking of going on it later in the year with the kids and Chris.  I would love to hear your views and comments on the ship if you have sailed with Rhapsody of the Seas.