Earlier this month was my first RC cruise. I like this ship!…read more We booked a room (Deck 7) a couple of floors above and overlooking the promenade level. This was a good compromise between an ocean view room and an interior room because we could see some action but also not feel like we needed to get our money's worth out of the room. How convenient to be able to see how long the line for pizza was. And what fun people-watching across from our room and below the promenade. Studio B (Deck 3): Ice skating show themed on... Tarot? Zodiac? Sun and moon? With musical selections from Sarah Brightman's La Luna album and the rock opera Tommy. Fun show and all of the skaters were great! Royal Theatre (Deck 3): Saw 2 comedy shows (Jeff Shaw), a juggler (especially impressive talent @ sea), and a song and dance tribute to music in movies that was more like... showtunes and any song used in a movie rather than something orchestral like we had expected. The seats are comfy for theatre seats. Popcorn sold for $2.50 per container. I'm guessing it wasn't free because then more people would take some and end up throwing it or leaving it on the floor. Casino Royale (Deck 4): Decent time, but we struggled with card use at first. Games were only somewhat engaging/fun. Main dining room (Decks 3-5): We had selected My Time dining, but then I heard a few announcements that we should sign up for a dinner reservation, which confused us, but we did it anyway for 8:30 dining. We went the first night and the waiter was fine, the busboy named Edwin was my favorite staff member for the entire cruise, and a staff member who wasn't our server who will remain nameless unless RC sends me a message interrupted our meal to talk about how many people he manages. He's the reason we didn't return for dinner. We went again for lunch and requested a window area, but regretted it because we were clustered by a bunch of other people and we prefer a quieter experience. Promenade (Deck 5): Shops and good pizza. Pizza included. Ice cream at the nearby counter cost extra, so I didn't try it. Windjammer dining (Deck 11): We favored this buffet over the main dining room. Several salad bars and usually some seating was available. Food variety was good enough that I gained at least 5 lbs in 5 days despite much walking. Ice cream (Deck 11): Soft serve chocolate, vanilla, and swirl. Main pool area (Deck 11): Too crowded always for me to want to swim here. This is where folks with kids or extroverts hang. Solarium, the adults-only pool area (Deck 11): It's glass walled off from the main pool area. It's generally pretty quiet--at least more quiet than the main pool area. Kids can cut through there, but they're not supposed to stay to hang out. I didn't swim, but I got in the 1 of the 2 "whirlpools" (hot tubs) twice. Sports deck w/ Flowrider (Deck 13): We watched the surfing. We were surprised at who did well and who wiped out quickly. This had a smaller crowd than the bellyflop contest in the main pool area. Viking Crown Lounge (Deck 14): A nice bar area from where we struggled to watch the belly flop competition. Before some loud people changed the vibes, it was a good place to read and stay out of the brief and only rain of the cruise. Sun deck (no numbered deck): This is where to go to catch a sun/burn! Great views, though quite windy. Port of call #1: Nassau: We paid for a bus tour as a Nassau excursion and it was pretty bad because we didn't go where we were supposed to go, we weren't permitted to see the back-up location (a fort), our driver was uninformative overall and kept promoting certain restaurants, we had little time at the only activity that was halfway worthwhile (a rum distillery), and we also suspect our driver may have been under the influence. Port of call #2: Haiti: The private beach in Haiti, though, was quite nice. We enjoyed the views from some nature trails. We didn't do any of the rides or adventure activities because of cost. We enjoyed a couple of hours in the water and on the beach and then tried to shop, but were put off by pushy salesmen (I think all were men.) We explored another beach area, ate a little, and then checked out some nature trails that provided good views of the coast and our ship. I'd cruise on Voyager of the Seas again!

This was my first time cruising with Royal Caribbean. I'm on a quest to try every major cruise line…read moreand see who is the best. I was able to snag a black Friday deal to book Voyager of the Seas. I recommend that you either book yourself directly or book with a travel agent. A travel agent costs you nothing, and they literally take care of anything related to your cruise. I booked parking at galveston terminal 10 north lot, which is pretty close to the RC departure terminal. Since this was a 5 night cruise, it ran over a hundred bucks to park. The check-in was easy for the terminal, and it was not chaotic. We got on the ship at 11:45 am. Voyager of the Seas is the first of the Voyager class ships, and it was last refurbished in 2018. The pool was open on the pool deck 11, and we started off there. The reggae music was great, and the yes, the bar was open. Drinks on avg run $14. I did not purchase a drink package, but looking back, I will in the future. This runs around $72 a day. Finally, We got to our balcony cabin on deck 6 around 2 pm. Our cabin steward Christian was an all-star! The room itself was a bit small, and the bathroom was even smaller. For this reason, I will only book suites going forward. It was lovely having breakfast on the balcony a few mornings. Full service breakfast runs $7.95. Hang your order on your door the night before to secure your order. They will call you in the morning to let you know they are on the way. We dined mostly in main dining every day with a few visits to windjammer buffet. Every night was themed. French cuisine was the formal night on day 2. Carribean and Mexican cuisine followed. Do order more than one appetizer, entree, and dessert for yourself. It is included. My favorite dishes were crab cakes, new york strip, coconut shrimp, jerk porkchop, fish sandwich, creme brulee, tiramisu, and yes the vanilla ice cream! We got cafe promenade a few times, which has the pizza and a few sandwiches and desserts. I really liked the pizza and tuna salad sandwiches from here. Overall, the dining was awesome, and the service was good. Entertainment ranged from trivia, casino play, live music, silent disco, karaoke, dance lessons, bingo, a show dedicated to music in the movies, and an adult show that involved adventurous people stripping to their underwear lol. There was also a 70's dance party that was led by the cruise director Kat. We really enjoyed our cruise but felt there were not enough food venues on board, room was small and really only one nightclub onboard. I will book RC again in the future but will book a larger ship next time.

I did a transatlantic cruise and this was so amazing. The ship was on its way to get refurbished…read moreand it definitely could use some updates. However, the overall experience was wonderful and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I enjoyed all the activities. I enjoyed the staff. Most of the food was really good, there again were areas for improvement, but overall it was great. I really enjoyed how easy it was to get around the aft elevators were sometimes of a long wait and sometimes did not want to stop on deck six for some reason. But the zip lining the shows the people the experience the ship as a whole is just wonderful and I can't wait to try her again once she's been Refurbished.

This was my first cruise ever on Harmony of the Seas. Seven nights out of Galveston with stops in…read moreRoatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. The ship is HUGE. So big you forget you're on water and start wondering if you boarded a floating outlet mall. It barely moves and the shows were actually really good. Now the chaos. There is a camera waiting for you everywhere. I have never felt so famous and so annoyed at the same time. You can't even eat at a specialty restaurant you already paid for without someone interrupting to sell you photos. I'm mid bite. Please stop. The ports were fine but the second you step off the ship you're swarmed by solicitors. Honduras especially felt sketchy and the beaches had so much seaweed it felt like swimming in a salad. I paid extra for the deluxe dining package which was a mistake. The app was glitchy, reservations were gone, and I paid for food I couldn't eat. On top of that, they charge an 18.50 daily gratuity per person whether you dine or not. Yes, even toddlers. My two year old apparently has a tab. The staff was amazing and honestly the best part. They work incredibly hard and deserve way more credit. Food was decent overall, with Chops Grille and hibachi being the highlights. The ship itself was insanely crowded and the elevators were packed, so I took the stairs for my sanity. Glad I tried it once, but I'd pick a different cruise line next time. Would not recommend unless you enjoy crowds, cameras, and surprise charges.

This ship was only going to be in Galveston for a couple of months after a 100-million dollar…read morerefurbishment so we had to check it out. It was very similar to Harmony of the Seas which we got to sail on last year and was our fave. Gotta say, the food on here was amazing. Yes, I'm starting this review with the food. From the MDR to Sorrento's pizza, to El Loco Fresh, to the Windjammer buffet that had shrimp(!!!) for dinner on multiple days. This was the most seafood I've seen offered on a cruise buffet. (possibly because it was Easter week). We took advantage of the Solarium Bistro for breakfast to avoid the chaos at the WJ. Pro move, guys. We stayed impressed with every meal. I stayed in an ocean view window cabin at the very front of the ship. The window slants forward so you get extra space in your room, making it feel bigger. They ask that you close your curtains at night to avoid any navigation issues. My room attendant was always present in the hallways as per usual. He was always pleasant with his greetings. Actually, the staff were friendly everywhere. Just walking down the hallway, which I did a lot because my family's cabin was on the opposite end, every staff member you pass by will greet you. The production shows were all good with Mamma Mia being my favorite. I am a fan of the movie so there's that. They had to perform a modified version of the aqua show due to the weather which was fine by me. Safety for the performers first. Some other passengers were quite rude about it though. They played some movies on board. I got to watch Wicked: For Good, which I missed when it was out in the theaters. The game shows were all fun as per usual. I even placed 6th playing The Price is Right. I put the $50 casino credit prize to good use! The ice skating show was the best I've seen on any ship. The performers were really top notch. The comedians were ok but it was cool getting to see them perform in the comedy club venue. Cons: I was pretty bummed out that they ran out of wow bands to purchase. Starbucks also ran out of the Been There series mugs as well. I've yet to purchase a wow band and I've started collecting the SB mugs. Perhaps the downside of going on a sailing after Spring Break. Speaking of which, there were a lot of kids on this sailing as well and I felt like there were a lot of them unsupervised running around. More so than usual. Another reason to avoid cruising in March in the future. I didn't like that they had one of the soft serve stations near a hot tub. The floor was always wet and the traffic flow was a challenge to get through. Overall, glad I got to experience Allure during her short stay in Galveston.

Amazing cruise last week! This ship was unreal. It was huge, beautiful, lots of sights to see and…read morethings to do, and lots of food!! Pros: -On boarding and off boarding was so smooth and fast. I highly suggest downloading the app, submit your passport, photo, and pre check in. The app also includes a ship map, itinerary each day, activities you can add to your calendar, etc. - There is a beautiful central park in the middle of the ship. You'll forget you're actually on a boat! Central Park has a park side Cafe with complementary food, drinks, fruits, and desserts. The salad was pretty good! - We only went to the Windjammer on day 1. Good buffet with lots of options. -There was a fun Boardwalk on the ship with a carousel, hot dog stand with complementary brats and hotdogs, a complementary donut shop and Johnny Rockets restaurant with complementary breakfast daily. The B.E.L.T was delicious. -The Royal Promenade was so fun. Free pizza shop and complementary food at the Cafe Promenade. The bars were nice, including a Rising Tide bar where the bar moves from the Promenade level to the Central Park level. -The main dining had amazing food. 3 course meals. If you don't know, you can order as many items offered on the menu for free. Enjoy a 5 course meal, you're on vacation! -Free continental breakfast room service. We took advantage of that for the 3 port days. So nice! -The staff are SO friendly, helpful, and make you feel pampered. Amazing crew!! The 3 ports from Galveston were Roatan, Honduras, Cozumel, Mexico, and Costa Maya, Mexico. We booked an excursion at every port. 2 put of 3 were great. Cons: -The Chichen Itza excursion out of Cozumel was not worth it. Almost $200 each and the augmented virtual reality portion did not exist. It was false advertising. The travel to get there too, was way too long for the port. Once we arrived I felt very rushed. Book this excursion in a closer port. (We were given a small credit after speaking to guest services.) -The Costa Maya Port was cut short for some reason. We had to be back on board by 12:30pm. -The casino was thick with smoke but there is a non-smoking casino on board. Overall, the pros definitely beat out the cons. We attended some art auctions and had free champagne and wine. Enjoy a little duck hunting, ice skating on board. There is also zip lining, rock walls, shows, karaoke, etc. Something for everyone!

Check in was super quick. They had offered to lock up your phone but I felt better hanging onto it…read more You also have to remove your shoes cause you will get wet regardless of where you sit. It was an overcast day but muggy. So the water and the occasional breeze felt refreshing. Austin was a great guide. We did maybe 8 loops? And even managed to catch sight of some dolphins up against one of the large cargo ships. Would recommend.

I would highly recommend the sunset cruise. It was so romantic. The crew spotted dolphins and…read morewatched for 15 minutes on our way to watch the sun set. So relaxing.

Took the 8p tour on a Thursday. Tyler was great and it felt like he had a very personal knowledge…read moreof the area and its eccentricities. I'm not 100% sure of the veracity of his claims, but he made everything interesting. M Make sure you look for the Groupon!

This was a welcomed activity to do during a week of constant running. I know, it sounds ironic that…read moreI go on a walking tour after spending a majority of my day running around for work. But, it was really needed, and a nice dive into local history, chilling or not. What makes this tour so intriguing is your tour guide. If you are lucky you will get Noelle and be in for a night full of goosebump filled stories of the supernatural. Also, Noelle was just so accommodating, full of knowledge, and ready to answer any and all questions you might have. Our tour started at the library and we headed along our way. You think that starting at the library is a dull idea, but that's where the whole story of haunted Galveston begins. Being told that a majority of what you see of Galveston today was once under water because of how low lying the area was and storm surges. That kind of sets off the whole tour as that ties into a lot of what you are about to see. We started along our way and Noelle was mindful of everyone in the group. Stopping at a nearby gas station to allow people to grab hydration or make a bathroom stop before continuing on with the tour. The first major stop you will see is Ashton Villa. The information you get on this place is loaded with surprises. What's even better is that Noelle airdropped all of us pictures from past tours that can make anyone that doesn't believe into a believer. Ashton Villa could be a review on its own or could easily take up this review by itself. As we continued on we were reminded of what we were told about the storm surges and how the whole area was like a mass grave. We then ended up in front of the house where Robert Durst hide and ultimately took the life of his neighbor. I was oblivious to this and promptly went back home and started to watch the HBO series on him. We continued onto what is known as The Normandy Inn. The website makes this place look worse than it currently is. It is now a fully remodeled building that houses a hotel. Kind of creepy when you hear about the past of this parcel. Especially when they refer to this spot as a portal to hell. Continuing on we visited the house that once held an Egyptian mummy that was buried somewhere on the island, but no details as to exactly where. Along the way, Noelle kept us intrigued by expanding on stories throughout the tour. The one thing that you should do during your tour is take as many pictures as you can. Take their advice to put them on Live mode and take every angle possible. You just might catch something. At the end of the tour we stuck around a bit and talked to Noelle some more and I showed a few of my pictures to her and was confirmed I caught something supernatural. If you don't think you can stomach a tour during the twilight hours, they do have tours earlier in the day. Definitely carve out a chunk of time to do this as it is interesting and lets you in on the area history.

We departed on the Disney cruise from Galveston port and the check in process went very smoothly…read more The kids enjoyed it the entire time, daughter is always asking to go "Mickey boat" again. Food, staff, entertainment, rooms everything was great! Will definitely take the kids back again.

Let me preface this review by saying Disney Cruises are not for adults looking for a quiet getaway…read more My husband and I joined our daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren on a 5-day cruise to Progreso. My anxiety started with booking the cruise. There are so many things you have to do. We joined a Facebook group for our particular cruise. It was helpful but at the same time confusing. You'll need to know about fish extenders, pixy dust, keys to the world and so much more! Checking in for your boarding time, having all your documents, pictures, knowing which excursions and activities you want to do in addition to the included shows and character appearances can all be overwhelming. Do you want to prepay for gratuities? Do I? It's a lot. We were lucky to have a helpful travel agent, Abby McSpadden. She answered all our questions and was so knowledgeable. Don't forget about parking! Flights & Hotels if coming from out of town. There are so many decisions to be made! Once you're on board, things do start to settle down, but there's always something going on. With the Disney Magic, there were a few options for breakfast & lunch, but dinner was scheduled. We had the same dinner staff for all our meals. They really got to know us and our preferences. It made it really personalized. I won't comment on the food. I think everyone is different, but I will say they had something for everyone. The staterooms are small, but I actually thought they would be smaller. We had an excellent host, Imade, who made sure all our needs were met. Even when I was under the weather, he came by to check to make sure I was ok. All the staff were very friendly and helpful. They truly wanted to make all our cruise dreams come true.

It's the famous pier with great views of the Galveston Channel, Battleship Texas, and the…read morewaterfront. You'll see all kinds of seabirds sunbathing on rocks, as well as dolphins frolicking around the ships. They also have dolphin and scenic boat tours that leave from here as well. There are many photo opportunities including the whimsical "High Tide" sculpture by Charles Parks. It's very uplifting. This is also where you can find the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa Museum and the Ocean Star Oil Drilling Rig Museum. Many people stay at the Harbor House Hotel on the waterfront so that they can walk to the Strand Historic District. There are many good restaurants on the pier including Katie's Seafood House where you'll see the mosquito fleet of shrimp boats. We mainly enjoyed watching the wildlife while walking along the pier. It was a cool & breezy day. It was fun seeing the birds carrying around their fresh catch of the day. I totally recommend stopping here at some point while you're in town. It's a great start or end to a day of touring Galveston.

Very cool and a safe space for a stroll There are some restaurants and a hotel near by. There is a…read morecool public art piece here. A young man reaching upward toward a flock of seagulls. By artist: Charles Parks. Not much to see here honestly.

Amazing trip, Adam was a great guide! Will definitely be back to watch the dolphins again!read more

capt adam is the go to captain. hes been around for years!…read morehe knows the lay of the land. the ports the waters whats going on in the area and the changes. the history of it all. most imporrantly , not only do you get an info tour you get to see exactly what you came their to see!! dolphins, and plenty of them. do not miss opportunity to ride with capt adam with baywatch dolphin tours!! we had a great time! thank you!!!

I took a tour with THE Eddy Specter and had a great time. I learned more about the Galveston flood…read moreand the devastation it caused. He brought humanity to an otherwise morbid tale. I highly recommend.

honest no fake or tricks you get history and learn about the areas people. something different each…read moretime we'll worth it and will return

While visiting family in Lumberton, we went to Galveston for a day on our way to Houston. We…read morevisited the Galveston Naval Museum. Upon arrival, we had to pay-to-park, which I thought was weird, especially since you've got to pay an entrance fee, as well! On the flip side, it wasn't very busy that day, so wasn't difficult to find parking! It was very interesting to explore the WWII USS Cavalla Submarine & the Destroyer escort USS Stewart. With few visitors on site while we were, we made it through both vessels quickly, even taking numerous photos! A couple of notable issues include the fact that the museum was undergoing renovation and the only restrooms were 'FRU-FRY' port-o-lets at the absolute end of the tour, adjacent to the gift store. The gift store was a small one-room (10x10) air-conditioned building, (picture a portable storage unit) that had very few mediocre Knick-knacks to choose from (stickers, toys, post cards (who collects post cards anymore???) The choices in the gift store insinuate that children would enjoy the museum. The current generation of individuals is most definitely NOT interested in military armamentarium.

This is a small naval museum on a quiet little island with a fishing pier and park. Touring the…read moresubmarine and battleship was very cool, historic, and in need of restoration. I'm guessing that's why admission runs on the higher side. Still, we had a good, educational hour exploring everything. Just note there's an extra charge for parking.