Royal Caribbean now sails from year round doing 7 night cruises from Galveston to the Western Caribbean on the Navigator of the Seas. The Navigator of the Seas just underwent extensive upgrades and enhancements which we recently saw when we were on the relaunch of the ship from Galveston.
The Navigator of the Seas was first launched on Jan. 25, 2002. She was once the largest ship in the fleet and still ranks among the largest passenger ships in the world. She holds a maximum of 3,807 passengers with a crew of 1,213. She offers 15 decks of cabins and fun for all ages.
The Navigator of the Seas contains US $ 8.5 Million dollars in art, displayed in stairwells and public areas. Navigator of the Seas’ main centrium sculpture spans over seven decks and is based on the bubbles a scuba diver makes when swimming under water. Her promenade also features lighting that changes color based on the time of day and with events occurring on the ship.
In January 2014, Navigator of the Seas spent a month in drydock to receive “Royal Advantage” upgrades, including installation of a Wave Loch FlowRider surfing simulator, an outdoor movie screen, digital signage, ship-wide Wifi, new Concierge and Diamond lounges, a nursery, and the changeover of the Cafe Promenade and Portofino restaurants to the Park Cafe and Giovanni’s Table concepts first introduced on the Oasis class cruise ships. 81 new staterooms were added throughout the ship, including 38 cabins added to the front of Deck 12 in front of the spa and 43 cabins built in the space formerly occupied by the Dungeon nightclub, the boardroom, and the photo gallery.] 98 inside staterooms received a “virtual balcony”, an 80-inch floor-to-ceiling high-definition television displaying live views from outside the ship.
From now until November 2015 she will sail for 7 nights from Galveston to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Falmouth or Roatan, Belize City and Cozumel.
So what is there to do on the Navigator of the Seas? Well you have 16 bars, clubs and lounges for starters, 10 pools and whirlpools, climb a rock wall that overlooks the sea, or challenge yourself on the basketball court, ice-skating rink or mini-golf course. Liven up your nights on the Royal Promenade, with parades, dancing and duty-free shopping deals. How is that for starters? Oh and I forgot the Flowrider on the back of the ship where you can practice your surfing skills on Royal Caribbean’s signature surf simulator. I never did master that, some of the best wipeouts they said they had seen in years. You can also just sit out by the pool and enjoy a movie or sporting events on the 220 sq foot outdoor movie screen. If you do this at night, while at sea, there are blankets to keep you warm in the night breeze.
For those on a budget, the Navigator of the Seas offers what they call ‘virtual balconies”
where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the sea with expansive real-time views of the ocean and the destinations all from the comfort of your inside stateroom!
For you spa lovers, choose from over 100 treatments including medi-spa treatments and acupuncture in the spa and enjoye the Solarium, an adults-only retreat with it’s own pool and whirlpools. The state of the art Fitness Center offers classes including toga and tai chi.
For dining, I can promise you, you will not go hungry on the Navigator of the Seas. The main dining room is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner like on most ships. Other complimentary options include the Windjammer Café, where I ate one night for dinner as they had most all of the options being offered in the main dining room but more casual and quiet than the main dining room, the Café Promenade for coffee and pastries/snacks and room service. Room service is complimentary from 5am to midnight. From Midnight to 5am there is a last night service charge.
For a small additional fee you can also choose to dine at Chops Grille, the Navigators signature Steakhouse, Giovanni’s Table Italian Restaurant, offering Italian classics, Sabor Modern Mexican restaurant, which offers some fantastic guacamole and refreshing margaritas, Izumi restaurant offering delicious pan-Asian cuisine and a la carte sushi selections, plus Johnny Rockets where you can get their famous hamburgers and dine al fresco on the desk by the restaurant, Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, do I need to tell you about that place and then don’t miss the Cupcake Cupboard in the Café Promenade with wonderful designer cupcakes that everyone will enjoy.
If you have kids the Navigator of the Seas will make a very happy family vacation destination. Onboard the Navigator of the Seas, Royal Caribbean offers the Adventure Ocean Youth Program, a teen disco. For those with babies and tots there is the Royal Babies and Royal Tots program for ages 6 to 36 months. The Royal Babies and Tots Nursery the little tykes are cared for by trained professionals where the kids will enjoy specially design programs. Daytime and evening drop off is offered. The hourly fee id $6 an hour in the daytime and $8 an hour in the evening.
The Navigator of the Seas even offers a Babies 2 Go program, where you pre-order Huggies® diapers, wipes and cream, and Gerber® organic baby food to be delivered right to your stateroom, when you arrive and throughout your cruise.
Now for older kids there is the Just of Kids program for ages 3 to 11 where they break the kids down into 3 age groups, the Aquanauts, age 3 to 5, Explorers for ages 6 to 8 and the Voyagers for ages 9 to 11. Each group have their own area and activities to keep them busy and happy.
Kids and teens can enjoy activities into the late evening with extended hours in the Adventure Ocean and teen-only spaces. An hourly rate applies after 10:00 p.m. After Dark Fun for Kids on Royal Caribbean After a special family dinner, what better way for kids on Royal Caribbean ships to spend the night than partying with new friends at the Late Night Party Zone!
The kids age 3 to 11 also have an arcade where they can play everything from Pacman to table hockey to the latest Guitar Hero and an H2O zone, a fun filled water park with interactive geysers, water guns, pools and waterfalls. It’s so much fun you might find yourself there playing with the kids!
Now if you have little girls you might want to sign up for the Barbie Premium Experience. Available on the Navigator of the Seas, and all Royal Caribbean ships, the Barbie Premium Experience brings aboard the fab-tastic style of the world’s most famous fashion doll! Girls age 4 to 11 set sail on a Barbie dream cruise complete with fun, fashion and runway moments. Make lifelong memories and take to the waves in true Barbie style! The cost is $199 per child. Click here for more info on the Premium Barbie Experience – http://www.royalcaribbean.com/statichtmlpage.do?pagename=barbie
Now for teenagers, on the Navigator of the Seas, they break them out into 2 groups, one ages 12 to 14 and the other 15 to 17. There is a teen spa, a teen-only hang outs, the arcade and pool and sports desk to keep them busy and active.
When it comes to dining for the entire family, the Navigator of the Seas offers My Family Time Dining, which is offered for the first seating time in the main dining room, for children ages three to 11. Kids enjoy their meal within 40 minutes of seating, before heading to the evening’s Adventure Ocean activities. The program starts the second evening you’re onboard. After that, you can use it each evening or whenever you wish.
As for my personal thoughts and experiences on the Navigator of the Seas, the spa, as usual, was tops on my list. Nothing like a massage on a day at sea, sitting in the sauna and relaxing after a workout in the fantastic gym on this ship. Plenty of state of the art equipment and floor to ceiling views of the ocean make you want to go to the gym.
I had a grand suite so the room was plenty big and the balcony could easily have held 8 people or more. It was nice to have a bathtub in the cabin and there was plenty of closet space in the cabin. Cabin service was outstanding with fresh fruits and ice on hand every time I turned around.
One night I skipped eating in any of the dining rooms and elected to dine in the Windjammer Café. It was very casual but what I liked most was that I could select pretty much anything being served in the main dining room but there were just a few people dining up there and it was nice and quiet. One evening I decided to eat at Johnny Rockets and enjoy a burger and onion rings while sitting in one of the tables outside the restaurant, al fresco style with fantastic views of the ocean and fresh ocean breezes. Again most everyone else was at the dining rooms so it was quiet and not crowded at all.
The alternative dining options are outstanding. The guacamole in Sabor was perfect, the steaks in Chops Grille could not have been better and the Italian food in Giovanni’s was outstanding. It is well work the few extra dollars it costs to dine in the alternative dining places.
If you are looking for evening entertainment, there is no end to your options. I enjoyed the ice-skating show in Studio B, then left to play the tables in the 9,623 sq ft casino that has 293 slots and 17 tables. The next night I was enjoying the show in the Main Theatre and then headed over to Baleros a Latin-themed lounge for some dancing.
The Navigator of the Seas offers 15 bars and clubs that have no cover then there is the duty free shopping to tempt you some more.
The Navigator of the Seas, sails roundtrip from Galveston for 7 night cruises from now until Nov. 2015. Right now interline rates start at $391 for an inside cabin in September. Oceanview cabins start as low as $518 in late August and Balcony cabins start at $651 in late August. To make reservations contact InterlineTravel.com at 800 766-2911 and you can book Royal Caribbean Interline Rates with NO BOOKING FEE!
Surfing on Royal Caribbean – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxP4X-Vg5aI