# RCCL changed our ship and itinerary  (Empress of the Seas to Majesty)



## RedSox68

*
EDITED ON 12/12/17:*  So originally I booked an oceanview on Empress this ship to Cuba for November 2018.  

Got a notice a couple of weeks ago that they were changing our ship -- which changed our room.  This is the room I fought for there months to get -- the one with three beds on the floor instead of a pullman overhead.  Well, the Majesty doesn't have those types of rooms and now we are back in the cubicle.  Plus they changed the itinerary so that now instead of going to Key West, we are going to their island!  

Since my husband now has mobility issues, this tiny room may not work for us at all.  The only reason we are keeping it (for now) is that they are the only line that stays in Cuba for two full days.  

Soooo, new question, anyone been on the Majesty?  We are on Deck 5 in an oceanview.


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## Laz

It has been a long time since I have been on the Empress, but I have been in many a cabin with a drop down bed.  Our daughter loved sleeping in it.  I was not bothered with the bed over my head. I am an early riser, and I did not have to worry about bumping into my daughter and waking her up. One does have to use a ladder to get into the bed. The cabins are small, but you don't spend much time in them. The cabin attendant will raise the bed during the day.


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## RedSox68

Laz said:


> It has been a long time since I have been on the Empress, but I have been in many a cabin with a drop down bed.  Our daughter loved sleeping in it.  I was not bothered with the bed over my head. I am an early riser, and I did not have to worry about bumping into my daughter and waking her up. One does have to use a ladder to get into the bed. The cabins are small, but you don't spend much time in them. The cabin attendant will raise the bed during the day.



Is there a bar to keep the person from rolling out?  I didn't see one in the picture I found.  Thanks.


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## Laz

RedSox68 said:


> Is there a bar to keep the person from rolling out?  I didn't see one in the picture I found.  Thanks.



There is usually a small one up be the pillow


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## RedSox68

Thanks.  Did you ever feel "claustrobic" being in such a small space?  The layout of your pic looks different and yoy may have been in a different room type.  Our room has the main bed, but the extra beds come out over the bed on both sides of the room.  There is no third bed on the floor (I'm assuming that was the couch).  Our room is not actually big enough to have a couch!


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## Laz

Much depends on the location on the ship and the category of room.  Empress is a small ship and the cabins are naturally smaller.  The bottom bed is a convertible couch.  Smaller rooms may not have a couch.  Many times in small cabins we left the upper bunk down and our daughter loved to just hang out up in it.  She was happy and out of the way.  When it was time to shower and get ready for the evening, I would leave the room and hang out on deck, at the casino, or in a bar at let my daughter and wife get ready.  Then it was my turn.  We never spent that much time in the room anyhow (shower, change, sleep).


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## RedSox68

Laz said:


> Much depends on the location on the ship and the category of room.  Empress is a small ship and the cabins are naturally smaller.  The bottom bed is a convertible couch.  Smaller rooms may not have a couch.  Many times in small cabins we left the upper bunk down and our daughter loved to just hang out up in it.  She was happy and out of the way.  When it was time to shower and get ready for the evening, I would leave the room and hang out on deck, at the casino, or in a bar at let my daughter and wife get ready.  Then it was my turn.  We never spent that much time in the room anyhow (shower, change, sleep).



Yeah, I'm thinking that may be our routine this trip.  While we are normally verandah people and become hermits in our room and verandah (we're not pool or casino people), with this small a room and window, we may be one of the many who go out and about the ship during the day.  It will be a new adventure for sure


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## RedSox68

No one else has done Empress of the Seas recently?


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## jedijill

I'm sailing the Empress in October for the 2 night Havana itinerary.  I can report back!

Jill in CO


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## RedSox68

jedijill said:


> I'm sailing the Empress in October for the 2 night Havana itinerary.  I can report back!
> 
> Jill in CO



I would so appreciate that.  What type of stateroom do you have?


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## jedijill

I have an Ocean View stateroom on Deck 4.

Jill in CO


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## RedSox68

jedijill said:


> I have an Ocean View stateroom on Deck 4.
> 
> Jill in CO



I would definitely like to know what you think of the cabin. Our oceanview is on deck 8, but for 3 it's going to be a definite adventure.  Thanks!


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## jedijill

RedSox68 said:


> I would definitely like to know what you think of the cabin. Our oceanview is on deck 8, but for 3 it's going to be a definite adventure.  Thanks!



Will do!  I'm sailing solo so I won't be too cramped I hope!

Jill in CO


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## RedSox68

jedijill said:


> Will do!  I'm sailing solo so I won't be too cramped I hope!
> 
> Jill in CO



Yes, it looks like the perfect size for one -- and a "you better love your roommate" size for two.


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## cleophus12

The picture of the stateroom posted does have a slightly different configuration.  That is a photo I believe of Room 9164 (or 8164) which has the beds in the corner.  Most rooms, however, have the beds that fold right down over the main bed.


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## jojo9610

We just got off of the Empress last week. We were in room 8615 which was an ocean view that had the fold down pullmans. It will be tight with three people. You might be better off by having them split the bottom beds into singles so you would at least have room between the beds, otherwise there's not much room on either side without having to duck around the bunks up top. Either way, you'll have a great time.


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## RedSox68

jojo9610 said:


> We just got off of the Empress last week. We were in room 8615 which was an ocean view that had the fold down pullmans. It will be tight with three people. You might be better off by having them split the bottom beds into singles so you would at least have room between the beds, otherwise there's not much room on either side without having to duck around the bunks up top. Either way, you'll have a great time.



Did you go to Cuba?  What did you think of the ship, food and crew?  

Yes, I had to call special guest services to put the request in to split the beds.  They said they prefer not to, but will upon request.  Here's hoping.   

If they have a sale next year, I may try to get an inside room for our daughter, but right now that adds another $1,500 because it's a single passenger!


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## jojo9610

Yes, we went to Cuba on the 4 night. The ship is older but it was redone a couple of years ago. We had no complaints. The crew was amazing. The food was very good. We were told they had a bigger food budget since they have fewer activities on the ship. We did the chef's dinner one night. It was well worth the money. 

I don't know why they said they didn't like splitting up the beds. The couple we traveled with just told the room
Porter as soon as we got there and he was happy to do it. They do it all the time. Friends traveling together wouldn't be expected to sleep in one bed. 

We took a RCI excursion but had we known we probably would have done a private one. There is a very active FB group that talks quite a bit about the different companies.


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## RedSox68

jojo9610 said:


> Yes, we went to Cuba on the 4 night. The ship is older but it was redone a couple of years ago. We had no complaints. The crew was amazing. The food was very good. We were told they had a bigger food budget since they have fewer activities on the ship. We did the chef's dinner one night. It was well worth the money.
> 
> I don't know why they said they didn't like splitting up the beds. The couple we traveled with just told the room
> Porter as soon as we got there and he was happy to do it. They do it all the time. Friends traveling together wouldn't be expected to sleep in one bed.
> 
> We took a RCI excursion but had we known we probably would have done a private one. There is a very active FB group that talks quite a bit about the different companies.



Thanks for the information.  Yes, I was surprised by the one email response saying that about the beds.  If the request doesn't go through, I'll just ask once we're onboard.  What excursion did you do?


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## jojo9610

We did the 7 hour Best of Havana tour. We had a wonderful guide that was very informative. We toured Revolution Square, Colon Cemetery, Fusturlandia, Hemingway House and we stopped at a cigar store. We also stopped for lunch and at a large market before they dropped us off back at the ship. It was a full 8 hours.


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## RedSox68

jojo9610 said:


> We did the 7 hour Best of Havana tour. We had a wonderful guide that was very informative. We toured Revolution Square, Colon Cemetery, Fusturlandia, Hemingway House and we stopped at a cigar store. We also stopped for lunch and at a large market before they dropped us off back at the ship. It was a full 8 hours.



Did you stop at all the places for photo ops -- or was it more of a drive by?  Thanks for all the tips.


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## jojo9610

We stopped at each stop for about 15 or 20 minutes. Lots of time for photo ops. Hemingway house was longer. There was an outdoor bar with music where we had a drink before going on to our next stop. Lunch was at least an hour with a drink before lunch was served and cigars for everyone after dessert.


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## RedSox68

jojo9610 said:


> We stopped at each stop for about 15 or 20 minutes. Lots of time for photo ops. Hemingway house was longer. There was an outdoor bar with music where we had a drink before going on to our next stop. Lunch was at least an hour with a drink before lunch was served and cigars for everyone after dessert.



Thanks so much.


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## plutolovr

I just got back from the 5-night cruise to Cuba on Empress. We had a blast. If you can do the 5-night, do it!!!  The ship is in great shape, and we had a lively bunch of travelers. The food was great.

Havana was awesome. This trip was me and my adult daughter and we didn't book any ship excursions. We ventured out on our own for dinner, drinks, and music, returning to the ship around midnight. Never felt unsafe walking around the city on our own. We booked a 3 hour classic car tour on our own, and we had the best guide. Found a spot for lunch in the afternoon before heading back to the ship. We booked and did our own stuff because we wanted to support the people, not the government, as much as possible. The ship's excursions are backed by the government.


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## RedSox68

plutolovr said:


> I just got back from the 5-night cruise to Cuba on Empress. We had a blast. If you can do the 5-night, do it!!!  The ship is in great shape, and we had a lively bunch of travelers. The food was great.
> 
> Havana was awesome. This trip was me and my adult daughter and we didn't book any ship excursions. We ventured out on our own for dinner, drinks, and music, returning to the ship around midnight. Never felt unsafe walking around the city on our own. We booked a 3 hour classic car tour on our own, and we had the best guide. Found a spot for lunch in the afternoon before heading back to the ship. We booked and did our own stuff because we wanted to support the people, not the government, as much as possible. The ship's excursions are backed by the government.



That's how we feel about the excursions!  Where did you find the tour guide for the classic car tour -- did you book ahead or just found someone when you walked off the ship?  

We are actually doing the 6-night -- stops in Key West one day, and then Cuba for almost two full days (pulls in at 8 a.m. and leaves at 8 p.m. the next day).  

I didn't know you could go off the ship on your own -- I thought that you were required to stay with a group for that "people-to-people" requirement -- or has that changed?


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## plutolovr

RedSox68 said:


> That's how we feel about the excursions!  Where did you find the tour guide for the classic car tour -- did you book ahead or just found someone when you walked off the ship?
> 
> We are actually doing the 6-night -- stops in Key West one day, and then Cuba for almost two full days (pulls in at 8 a.m. and leaves at 8 p.m. the next day).
> 
> I didn't know you could go off the ship on your own -- I thought that you were required to stay with a group for that "people-to-people" requirement -- or has that changed?



Well we booked a tour, which counts, and no one stops you from going ashore. Remember, it's not the Cuban government or the ship that is putting those things into place, it's the US government, and there are more than just US citizens on the ship, and tourism from other countries has been going strong in Cuba for many, many years. You just need to keep your paperwork for 5 years. Now things may change with the new parameters that were set, but these are not in affect yet. You have to fill out the certification from before you sail, and keep a copy for yourself. I also kept my E-mails from the tour company I booked with, and from the restaurant where we had dinner reservations. 

We booked ahead of time with http://www.oldcartours.com/ and had a great tour guide. They were recommended by someone else we tried to book that was not available.


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## RedSox68

plutolovr said:


> Well we booked a tour, which counts, and no one stops you from going ashore. Remember, it's not the Cuban government or the ship that is putting those things into place, it's the US government, and there are more than just US citizens on the ship, and tourism from other countries has been going strong in Cuba for many, many years. You just need to keep your paperwork for 5 years. Now things may change with the new parameters that were set, but these are not in affect yet. You have to fill out the certification from before you sail, and keep a copy for yourself. I also kept my E-mails from the tour company I booked with, and from the restaurant where we had dinner reservations.
> 
> We booked ahead of time with http://www.oldcartours.com/ and had a great tour guide. They were recommended by someone else we tried to book that was not available.



Thank you so much!  Can you also list the restaurant you ate at?  This information is so helpful.  Thanks to all.


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## plutolovr

RedSox68 said:


> Thank you so much!  Can you also list the restaurant you ate at?  This information is so helpful.  Thanks to all.



We had dinner at La Guarida.


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## JCJRSmith

We are on the Empress next February - not a Cuba cruise though.  Still, traveling with SWMBO. SiL, BiL, and two very good friends from Virginia.  Absolutely looking forward to it.


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## RedSox68

JCJRSmith said:


> We are on the Empress next February - not a Cuba cruise though.  Still, traveling with SWMBO. SiL, BiL, and two very good friends from Virginia.  Absolutely looking forward to it.



Would also love to hear a trip report.  Thanks.


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## raging fire

plutolovr said:


> We had dinner at La Guarida.



Did you make reservations in advance? I tried making a reservation for our trip in November through their website but never got a confirmation back (just an automatic "we've received your request" email). I'm guessing I'm just too early and should try again closer to our trip.


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## plutolovr

raging fire said:


> Did you make reservations in advance? I tried making a reservation for our trip in November through their website but never got a confirmation back (just an automatic "we've received your request" email). I'm guessing I'm just too early and should try again closer to our trip.



My daughter made the reservation. It did take them about a week to get back to her. Remember, they don't have the best Internet service.


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## raging fire

plutolovr said:


> My daughter made the reservation. It did take them about a week to get back to her. Remember, they don't have the best Internet service.



I'll try to be patient then. Thank you!


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## RedSox68

Anyone else with tips or info?


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## jedijill

I won't have anything until the end of October. 

Jill in CO


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## RedSox68

jedijill said:


> I won't have anything until the end of October.
> 
> Jill in CO



And I am looking forward to your feedback.


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## gumbypee

so where are you guys getting the two days in Cuba cruises?  I only see one day from 8 am -8pm on Royal


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## jedijill

gumbypee said:


> so where are you guys getting the two days in Cuba cruises?  I only see one day from 8 am -8pm on Royal



There are special Havana overnight sailings.  I'm on the October 16th cruise.

Jill in CO


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## gumbypee

jedijill said:


> There are special Havana overnight sailings.  I'm on the October 16th cruise.
> 
> Jill in CO




ahhh thank you - my mom wanted to go for her retirement but she only saw the one day ones.  is there a list or something to search for the overnight special sailings?


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## RedSox68

gumbypee said:


> ahhh thank you - my mom wanted to go for her retirement but she only saw the one day ones.  is there a list or something to search for the overnight special sailings?



Our cruise next year is also overnight:  arrive 8 a.m. the first day and leave 8 p.m. the second day.  Our's is a 6-night that also goes to Key West.


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## SDJEL

I just got off this boat. There were three adults in Suite 8100. The room was very small and the beds were not comfortable. Other than that, we had a really good time. Our state room attendant was wonderful and the staff in the dining room was excellent.  There were lots of open public spaces and the ship, although it was fully booked, never felt crowded. The age demographic on the boat was definitely mostly mid 40s and up. I saw less than a dozen children.

They were super organized about the whole Cuba  thing. There were talks in the theater the day before and they were rebroadcast on the television.  Do not miss these talks. They really help prepare us for the day. I did the guided walking tour of Havana. I really felt it was a waste of money. They took us to a cigar and rum store first. Then, we walked around Havana a little bit. The guide was very soft-spoken and I could not hear her at all.   Someone else we spoke with hired a private guide and I would highly recommend that.

We did a one hour tour in one of the classic cars. It was super easy to find somebody right at the cruise terminal. It was about $50 for the hour and totally worth it. It was very hot though. Also, there are no seatbelts in those classic cars. That made me a little nervous. I did end up leaving my iPhone in the car and I did not realize it until after he had driven away. He actually drove back to the market where he dropped us off and gave me the phone back. I was so impressed with his honesty and diligence.

There was a  ship tour that you can take that is an up charge. It was fascinating and I think it was worth every penny. I also did a sushi making class which I thought was a waste of time. The shows were entertaining, but the performers were not up to Disney quality.

I would absolutely take this trip again. If possible, I would do the overnight and Havana so that I had time to go into the real Cuba. It was wonderful to step back in time. One of the women that I traveled with did not enjoy the trip at all. I don't think that she had  A good understanding of why it was so special to be able to travel to Cuba. Also, she found a lack of amenities on the boat a disappointment. She has sailed on previous larger royal Caribbean ships and she wanted the shops and more restaurant choices.  I did feel that the crew was wonderful and that the service was good.

I have been on another Royal Caribbean cruise in the past. It was a smaller boat and it sailed out of Baltimore.   That **** was full of people who drank far too much and partied. I enjoyed the quieter atmosphere on this empress cruise.


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## RedSox68

SDJEL said:


> I just got off this boat. There were three adults in Suite 8100. The room was very small and the beds were not comfortable. Other than that, we had a really good time. Our state room attendant was wonderful and the staff in the dining room was excellent.  There were lots of open public spaces and the ship, although it was fully booked, never felt crowded. The age demographic on the boat was definitely mostly mid 40s and up. I saw less than a dozen children.
> 
> They were super organized about the whole Cuba  thing. There were talks in the theater the day before and they were rebroadcast on the television.  Do not miss these talks. They really help prepare us for the day. I did the guided walking tour of Havana. I really felt it was a waste of money. They took us to a cigar and rum store first. Then, we walked around Havana a little bit. The guide was very soft-spoken and I could not hear her at all.   Someone else we spoke with hired a private guide and I would highly recommend that.
> 
> We did a one hour tour in one of the classic cars. It was super easy to find somebody right at the cruise terminal. It was about $50 for the hour and totally worth it. It was very hot though. Also, there are no seatbelts in those classic cars. That made me a little nervous. I did end up leaving my iPhone in the car and I did not realize it until after he had driven away. He actually drove back to the market where he dropped us off and gave me the phone back. I was so impressed with his honesty and diligence.
> 
> There was a  ship tour that you can take that is an up charge. It was fascinating and I think it was worth every penny. I also did a sushi making class which I thought was a waste of time. The shows were entertaining, but the performers were not up to Disney quality.
> 
> I would absolutely take this trip again. If possible, I would do the overnight and Havana so that I had time to go into the real Cuba. It was wonderful to step back in time. One of the women that I traveled with did not enjoy the trip at all. I don't think that she had  A good understanding of why it was so special to be able to travel to Cuba. Also, she found a lack of amenities on the boat a disappointment. She has sailed on previous larger royal Caribbean ships and she wanted the shops and more restaurant choices.  I did feel that the crew was wonderful and that the service was good.
> 
> I have been on another Royal Caribbean cruise in the past. It was a smaller boat and it sailed out of Baltimore.   That **** was full of people who drank far too much and partied. I enjoyed the quieter atmosphere on this empress cruise.



Thank you for your honest review.  So it appears that we can do Havana on our own and don't have to be with a group?  Did you have to have your Visa and Passport with you?


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## SDJEL

Yes, you can do Havana on your own without a group.  You do have to have your passport. I think Royal Caribbean sent the visas which we filled out and presented when we went through immigration. My mother planned the trip and she had them. They wanted you to make sure that they were all filled out before you got off the boat. 

The other thing that's important is money changing. You can't use American credit cards and there are no money machines. You can go into a bank if you want to. However, there was a place to change money at immigration. The exchange rate and the fees are the same regardless of where you do it. It is easiest to just do it there. The other thing to be aware of  is that it is very difficult to change it back to American dollars. Bring what you want to spend. 

 Everything was very cheap. Rum was anywhere from 1 to 6 dollars a bottle.  Lunch for seven people including alcohol was under $100.  I bought several items of food from street vendors and they were all a dollar apiece. Enjoy!


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## mrp4352

FWIW, I sailed the Empress last year in an inside stateroom. Loved the people and the common areas of the ship. The stateroom was TINY!!  I was glad to be sailing solo - even just two in the stateroom would have close quarters.  It was well-laid out, though - they made the best they could of the space they had.  My biggest complaint was that I ended up on top of Boleros - immediately over the band. I could UNDERSTAND every word the band sang. I wouldn't hesitate to sail the ship again, but I would not do guarantee again after that!


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## RedSox68

SDJEL said:


> Yes, you can do Havana on your own without a group.  You do have to have your passport. I think Royal Caribbean sent the visas which we filled out and presented when we went through immigration. My mother planned the trip and she had them. They wanted you to make sure that they were all filled out before you got off the boat.
> 
> The other thing that's important is money changing. You can't use American credit cards and there are no money machines. You can go into a bank if you want to. However, there was a place to change money at immigration. The exchange rate and the fees are the same regardless of where you do it. It is easiest to just do it there. The other thing to be aware of  is that it is very difficult to change it back to American dollars. Bring what you want to spend.
> 
> Everything was very cheap. Rum was anywhere from 1 to 6 dollars a bottle.  Lunch for seven people including alcohol was under $100.  I bought several items of food from street vendors and they were all a dollar apiece. Enjoy!



How was the food?  Can you recommend any restaurants?  Were you also there for two days?


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## RedSox68

mrp4352 said:


> FWIW, I sailed the Empress last year in an inside stateroom. Loved the people and the common areas of the ship. The stateroom was TINY!!  I was glad to be sailing solo - even just two in the stateroom would have close quarters.  It was well-laid out, though - they made the best they could of the space they had.  My biggest complaint was that I ended up on top of Boleros - immediately over the band. I could UNDERSTAND every word the band sang. I wouldn't hesitate to sail the ship again, but I would not do guarantee again after that!



That's why I stopped doing guaranty rooms -- that and the fact that I discovered the hard way I cannot do a forward room, so can't take the chance of being placed there again.


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## RedSox68

A PP sent me a photo that shows the triple room configuration with one bed on the floor -- but it doesn't list the stateroom number.  

After weeks of trying to get one of these room for the three of us to avoid the overhead pull downs, one opened up just now -- room 7164.  I'm so thrilled we got this room because it wasn't showing online and the inventory department was able to grab it.  At least now we have a little more room!  

However, I have one major question -- the deck plan shows a huge white space next to the wall of our ship that seems to go a good length of that deck on both sides.  Can anyone who has stayed there tell me what is in that space?  And if it is lifeboats, did it cause any noise disruption?


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## Laz

RedSox68 said:


> A PP sent me a photo that shows the triple room configuration with one bed on the floor -- but it doesn't list the stateroom number.
> 
> After weeks of trying to get one of these room for the three of us to avoid the overhead pull downs, one opened up just now -- room 7164.  I'm so thrilled we got this room because it wasn't showing online and the inventory department was able to grab it.  At least now we have a little more room!
> 
> However, I have one major question -- the deck plan shows a huge white space next to the wall of our ship that seems to go a good length of that deck on both sides.  Can anyone who has stayed there tell me what is in that space?  And if it is lifeboats, did it cause any noise disruption?



After looking at the plans, my guess would be that is where the life boats are stored.  The rooms adjacent to those spaces have obstructed views, most likely obstructed by the life boats.  Your room does not have the symbol for obstructed view. Looks like you got a cabin with a little more room.


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## RedSox68

Laz said:


> After looking at the plans, my guess would be that is where the life boats are stored.  The rooms adjacent to those spaces have obstructed views, most likely obstructed by the life boats.  Your room does not have the symbol for obstructed view. Looks like you got a cabin with a little more room.



Yes.  Thanks for the info.  That's what we figured.  I still cannot believe our luck in getting that room from inventory.  And today the prices have gone up several hundred dollars (even though they are supposedly having a sale).


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## jedijill

I got off the ship on 10/21 and totally recommend going to Havana!  I did the Havana overnight itinerary.  The ship was fine.  I had an oceanview room on Deck 4 below the theater.  It was quiet and only one night did I hear any noise but it sounded like someone dragging furniture.  

I wasn't impressed by the food in Windjammer or the dining room.  I ended up at Chops for regular dinner 2 nights and I did Chef's Table on Friday night.  Chef's Table was awesome!  

Key West was great and wasn't hit as hard by the hurricanes as further up the highway.  I heard a local say mile markers 20-50 were really bad.

The first afternoon in Havana I did a bus tour via the ship shore excursion.  The tour guide worked for the government and the tour was definitely pro-government with enough propaganda that I tuned out by the end.  It ended up pouring down rain so after the bus tour I headed back to the ship.  The next day I had a walking tour of Old Havana through a private guide.  It was so much better!  Our guide was able to give us the real scoop about life.  We ate at a palidar (private restaurant) which was very good.  The tour ended with a 30 minute convertible ride.  Havana is an amazing city and the people are wonderful.  When I go back, I will do as much privately in order to support the people and not the government.

I exchanged 100 Euros to avoid the penalty.  I ended up only spending about 80 CUCs.  I bought a liter bottle of 7 year Havana Club rum which was 20 CUCs (roughly 20 dollars).  Food was included in my tour but prices are very cheap for tourists (expensive for locals.)  

I hope everyone has a chance to visit before Havana gets "Americanized" or we lose access to visit again.

Jill in CO


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## RedSox68

jedijill said:


> I got off the ship on 10/21 and totally recommend going to Havana!  I did the Havana overnight itinerary.  The ship was fine.  I had an oceanview room on Deck 4 below the theater.  It was quiet and only one night did I hear any noise but it sounded like someone dragging furniture.
> 
> I wasn't impressed by the food in Windjammer or the dining room.  I ended up at Chops for regular dinner 2 nights and I did Chef's Table on Friday night.  Chef's Table was awesome!
> 
> Key West was great and wasn't hit as hard by the hurricanes as further up the highway.  I heard a local say mile markers 20-50 were really bad.
> 
> The first afternoon in Havana I did a bus tour via the ship shore excursion.  The tour guide worked for the government and the tour was definitely pro-government with enough propaganda that I tuned out by the end.  It ended up pouring down rain so after the bus tour I headed back to the ship.  The next day I had a walking tour of Old Havana through a private guide.  It was so much better!  Our guide was able to give us the real scoop about life.  We ate at a palidar (private restaurant) which was very good.  The tour ended with a 30 minute convertible ride.  Havana is an amazing city and the people are wonderful.  When I go back, I will do as much privately in order to support the people and not the government.
> 
> I exchanged 100 Euros to avoid the penalty.  I ended up only spending about 80 CUCs.  I bought a liter bottle of 7 year Havana Club rum which was 20 CUCs (roughly 20 dollars).  Food was included in my tour but prices are very cheap for tourists (expensive for locals.)
> 
> I hope everyone has a chance to visit before Havana gets "Americanized" or we lose access to visit again.
> 
> Jill in CO



Great report.  Yes, I hope we don't lose access before I sail next year!


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