Of course, there are many other places to while away the evening hours, such as a disco and casino, as well as an array of 12 lounges and bars - including a karaoke lounge, a cigar bar, an English pub, a sports bar and a champagne lounge - to suit most any mood. Passengers can find live music, from jazz to Latin, throughout the ship during late afternoons and evenings.
Deck 11 is home to a salt-water pool surrounded by four large Jacuzzis and to an adults-only area with a pool and Jacuzzi. More than 1,500 lounge chairs line decks 11 and 12, although on days at sea, you have to be quick to grab one by the main pool. Seating in more secluded spots overlooking the sea is pleasant for sunning or reading. On Deck 12, a jogging trail circles above the pool area and around the front of the ship. And through the gates at the aft are the children's center and a shaded water park for younger passengers.
Passengers can find more action on Deck 13, with basketball/volleyball courts, a nine-hole miniature golf course, inline skating (guests must bring their own roller blades) and a 30-foot rock-climbing wall, which towers 200 feet above sea level.
The rock-climbing wall and the ice rink (on Deck 3) are favorite attractions. Rock climbers might occasionally have a short wait, which they can fill with a nearby game of ping-pong or a few holes of mini-golf. Ice skaters are allowed onto the rink 50 at a time during the general sessions. Skates are available at no cost. Adults and children interested in ice skating lessons should watch for signup times soon after boarding.
A state-of-the-art Theater, La Scala, offers additional entertainment, such as Broadway revues, a "Beatlemania" show and comedy routines that you might see on Leno or Letterman.
The fitness center on the Voyager of the Seas offers a full circuit of weight machines and free weights and 20 treadmills, 14 elliptical steppers and there's room for classes in aerobics, yoga, pilates and spinning.
The two-floor spa, with its earth tone decor, warn scents and spiral staircase leading down to a Jacuzzi, sauna and the fitness center, offers a host of treatments, from facials and body polishes to aroma stone therapy.
Staff members from the children's center, Adventure Ocean (Deck 12), greet children as they board and give them identification wristbands (which also helps families to reunite in case of an emergency). Young passengers are grouped into five age levels: three to five, six to eight, nine to 11, 12 to 14 and 15 to 17. Children may stay all day, breaking for meals, and then return for the evening, until 1 a.m. if desired. Older children have access to a teens-only arcade and a disco and can participate in organized games such as volleyball and basketball. For the youngest of passengers, parents can arrange babysitting by screened staff members.
Dining: Passengers can dine at the main restaurant (open for breakfast and dinner) where the three-tier design allows for a tranquil ambience. The tables seat anywhre from two to 12 guests, and the menus are inspired by the flavors of the islands. A lot of families with young children choose one of the buffets or take the kids to Johnny Rockets (open for lunch and dinner). Those seeking a more intimate atmosphere should make dinner reservations at Portofino, the ship's high-end restaurant, where waiters discuss in detail the preparation of the classic Italian offerings.
Excursions: Some excursions can be booked in advance online, but once on board, guests find dozens more options. Luckily, they can exchange prebooked tickets. The types of excursions that generally fill up first on Western Caribbean sailings are swimming with dolphins, parasailing, river tubing, reef and wreck snorkeling, horseback riding and off-road 4x4 drives. For passengers seeking less strenuous activity, there are cultural performances, trips to butterfly farms and rides along shipwrecks in semi-submersibles. To avoid long lines, guests can book excursions from the televisions in their cabins.
Special Services: Passengers in wheelchairs find most parts of the ship to be accessible. The Voyager of the Seas helicopter pad allows for medical evacuations, which may reassure passengers with health concerns.
For couples wanting to tie the knot aboard a cruise ship, a range of wedding packages is available. The ceremonies, which take place only when the ship is in port, are held in the Skylight Chapel (Deck 15), where up to about 40 guests may attend.
Itinerary: From its homeport in Galveston, Texas, the Voyager of the Seas offers seven-night sailings of the Western Caribbean. Stops include Roatan, Honduras; Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and George Town, Grand Cayman. The ship returns to the Mediterranean from May through December.
Voyager Of The Seas
True to its youth-oriented image, Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas continues to deliver an energetic cruise experience. After its debut in 1999, when it entered Royal Caribbean's fleet as the largest ship in the world, the 142,000-ton, 3,114-passenger Voyager of the Seas became famous for its rock-climbing wall, ice-skating rink and a promenade resembling a city street line with shops and cafes. Although the ship has since been eclipsed in size by Cunard's Queen Mary II and Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, it still packs a punch with its attractions, especially for guests new to cruising.
Accommodations: Of the 1,557 staterooms, 939 have ocean views, including 765 with balconies. All staterooms have two beds that convert into one queen-size bed, and all have well-lit vanity areas, closed-circuit TV, phones, minibars and hair-dryers. For children, the room stewards add an extra touch at night by folding room towels into the likes of scorpions, bats and elephants. For disabled passengers, there are 18 accessible staterooms.
Cruisers who hesitate to book for fear of seasickness will be fine in most areas of this big ship in calm seasons but should probably book cabins on the lower decks. Anyone who likes the feel of a slightly rocking ship, especially at night, will be content drifting off to sleep on the ninth deck and above.
