After spending a month in dry dock, Royal Caribbean’s Vision of the Seas made her triumphant return to South Florida, and the PCT team was on board Sunday to experience the first sailing of the newly revitalized ship.
What a glorious day for a one-night “cruise to nowhere” from Miami! During our 18 hours on board, we checked out the new decor and updated venues, sampled cuisine from new specialty restaurants, joined in the festivities on deck and were genuinely “wowed” by the dazzling aerial performance and spectacular light show in the Centrum. Here are some observations from the PCT team:
FromNathan Johnson: The variety and quality of the food exceeded my expectations – the sushi samplingin Izumi and shrimp ravioli at dinner were delicious!
From Jessica Miller: Love the new digital signage – I have no sense of direction, so I’m continually checking to make sure I’m headed where I think I’m going! And I love to see what’s going on in real time around the ship.
From Sean Patrick: The Masquerade Theater is a beautiful venue for meetings and award presentations.
Melissa Beadle added: The secondary lounge, with ocean views and comfy seating clusters, is the perfect venue for creative brainstorming sessions or breakouts. The number of specialty restaurants provides many opportunities to reward top producers of any incentive.
From Nathan Johnson: The stunning Centrum makes a dramatic first impression when you board the ship.
R. Slate continues: And the evening aerial performance and light show was a definite Wow experience!
Jessica Miller noted: There were plenty of intimate venues and cozy nooks throughout the ship to meet up with friends or enjoy quiet moments.
Nathan Johnson said: The giant movie screen on the pool deck is cool, but I also love the adults-only Solarium Pool – it’s a lovely area to relax. The evening pool party on deck was a fun event, the flashing glasses and rings distributed to guests added to the Party Atmosphere!
Of course, we didn’t have time to experience all the cool new venues and features on the revitalized Vision of the Seas, so here’s a list.
The new features on the Vision of the Seas Include:
Entertainment & Lounges
- New Centrum experience, including jaw-dropping aerial spectacles
- R Bar, located in the Centrum
- Jumbo outdoor movie screen
- Concierge Club and Diamond Lounge (for Pinnacle Crown & Anchor Society members, Diamond members, and select suite guests)
Dining
- Chef’s Table, an intimate dining experience
- Chops Grille, Royal Caribbean’s signature steakhouse
- Izumi, Asian fusion
- Giovanni’s Table Italian restaurant
- Park Cafe (complimentary)
For Families
- Royal Babies & Tots Nursery
Technology
- Digital Wayfinder ssignage
- Pervasive WiFi
- Flat-screen TV’s
General Consensus
We all agreed that Vision of the Seas is a great, value-packed ship for meetings, incentive travel programs and special interest cruises. Her smaller size (999 staterooms/1998 guests), makes Vision especially appealing for smaller groups who want a more intimate experience without sacrificing the variety of entertainment and dining options found on the bigger Royal Caribbean ships.
The main show lounge accommodates 870, the secondary lounge has seating for 570, and there are three small conference rooms, as well as several other venues that your organization can use for meetings and group events. And of course, meeting space and A/V is always included!
Vision of the Seas Itineraries
In November 2014, the ship will move to Tampa and offer 7 night cruises to Western Caribbean ports.
Every Ship is the Best Ship
The 1998-passenger Vision of the Seas joins 12 other ships in the fleet that have already received extensive upgrades and Oasis-class enhancements. Four additional Royal Caribbean ships will receive makeovers in 2014-2015, making “every ship their best ship”.