Review: Voyager of the Seas

“You’ll never get bored on a ship.”

“There’s so much to do.”

That’s the word on Royal Caribbean. It’s also the reality.

Boarding Voyager of the Seas in Brisbane for her first voyage into Sydney during this year’s cruise season, I already had a list of things I knew I had to try on my two-day voyage.

Ice skating, Roller skating. Rock climbing. Cocktail by the pool.

But after dropping my luggage off in the twin share balcony cabin I began exploring. My list started to grow.

Spa. Basketball. Golf. Running track. Swimming. Michael Jackson trivia.

There really is so much to do. So it was time to get started.

First up – lunch at a throwback diner.

Serving traditional US hamburgers and milkshakes while blasting music from the greats – the Beatles, Ray Charles, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – Johnny Rockets is a must-try on Voyager of the Seas.

The line’s 50/60s inspired eatery is located on deck 12 and is open from 2.00pm to 11.00pm for lunch and dinner. The menu is made up of hamburgers, club sandwiches and chicken salads.

Guests receive a free entrée – onion rings and a bowl of chips as well as a free dessert – apple pie or a chocolate sundae.

Aside from the amazing food and the throwback experience – service at Johnny Rockets is impeccable with all staff members greeting you upon entry and wishing you well upon departure.

If you stick around long enough, you can also catch the waiters and chefs perform a dance number to ‘Stayin Alive’ [check out Cruise Passenger’s Facebook page later this week for a preview of their performance].

After throwing away months of exercise on a chicken club sandwich [well worth it], it’s time to head to the muster station for a brief safety update. A compulsory requirement when cruising.

The safety officer briefs passengers on procedures during an emergency situation and how to locate and wear a life jacket.

After the update and still full from lunch – I decide it was time to burn off the food with some sport. Located on deck 12 toward the front of the ship is a sports zone.

The zone has a putt-putt golf course, basketball court, roller rink and best part of all – the rock climbing wall.

Unfortunately for me, the rock climbing activities didn’t start until 7.00pm. So instead I picked up a ball and played some ‘hoop’ with a fellow cruiser.

I’m no Michael Jordan, but when on a cruise ship – try something new. I lost of course – seven to one.

Eager to recover from my shameful defeat, I proposed a game of putt-putt. The course is only a couple of steps away from the basketball court [literally a couple of steps] and has three challenges.

Although it may seem like a small course, it will keep you entertained for hours.

The course was quite busy, with a family and a group of friends taking up two of the challenges. So we tried out one of the challenges. Not surprisingly, my ball never made it into the hole.

The sun began to set and it was almost time for the ship to sail away from Brisbane.

Heading up to deck 14 I found an ocean view spot in the Viking Crown Lounge. I just watched as the ship slowly made its way out of Brisbane and into the ocean.

As the sun faded away, my view did too. So I made my way to deck four’s La Boheme for dinner. The French and Asian fused restaurant serves a range of chicken, fish and meat dishes.

A dish that really stands out on the menu is the Red Wine Marinated Kangaroo Filet. It’s served with wattle seed crust, roasted potatoes and truffle oil.

For less daring diners, the restaurant also has a range of alternatives, including the Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast; Broiled Fillet of Pacific Salmon; and Thai Chicken Breast curry.

I chose Creamed Wild Mushrooms served with flaky puff pastry and sautéed mushrooms, cream and herbs for the appetiser. And for my main, I went with the Marinated Grilled Chicken Breast. Both were cooked to perfection.

After dinner I joined the rest of the ship’s passengers at the nightclub in The Vault.

Although I didn’t party for too long, I did take a minute to try-out the ship’s ‘drink of the day’ – Tasmania Tea cocktail – a mix of vodka, gin, bacardi, rum, midori and sprite.

I only have one thing to say about that concoction: WOW they know how to make drinks on Voyager of the Seas.

Did you know the Titanic could be considered a river ship compared to Voyager of the Seas? According to the Voyager’s Captain, Charles Teige, Royal Caribbean’s vessel is three times larger than the infamous Titanic!

That’s just one of the things I picked up on my second day on board Voyager. My second and my last day.

The sun peaking through the curtain woke me up. I stepped out onto my balcony and took a moment to appreciate.

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Now sailing well out of Brisbane, the ship was surrounded by nothing but clear blue waters.

When you’ve been on a number of cruises you forget to appreciate the little (or in this case – big) things. Nature and the ocean.

If your room has a water view, don’t forget to appreciate every opportunity you get. Enjoy nature as it passes you by.

If you’re lucky, like my stateroom-neighbour, you may even spot some dolphins in their natural habitat.

I still had a list of things I wanted, no needed, to try while on board. I was ready to start the day.

But first. Breakfast.

I made my way to Windjammer Island Grill on deck 11.

Serving buffet breakfast daily from 7.00am to 10.30am, the venue offers a variety of food.

Scrambled eggs. Boiled eggs. Bacon. Fruit. Fresh juices. Scones. Pancakes. You think of it, there’s a good chance they serve it.

This morning, I embraced holiday mode and ate to my heart’s desire. I filled myself up on three scones with whipped cream and strawberry jam – yes three, they were exceptionally delicious.

After breakfast I had a tough choice; burn off breakfast calories on Voyager’s outdoor jogging track; dance it off at a Zumba class; or watch men in bathing suits battle it out by the pool for the title ‘Mr Voyager of the Seas’.

Of course I had to go see what it takes to be crowned Mr Voyager of the Seas!

Unfortunately for me (or fortunately) rough water conditions meant the pool was closed off. The majority of passengers were inside the ship. The competition was cancelled.

It may have been a little windy, but the sun was still shining proud. So I hoped on a sun bed and soaked in some much needed Vitamin D.

After a brief nap, I made my way to the crew area to meet Luke Aerowsmith, the ship’s cruise director.

Responsible for on board entertainment, he told me all Voyager shows and activities are family friendly. This ensures guests of any age can attend all on board musicals, comedy shows and classes.

“We have an evening comedy show, we don’t call it Late Night Comedy because we don’t want guests thinking it will have offensive content. Because it doesn’t.

“We call it Comedy Night because it is open to all ages.

“The only thing that makes it late night is the time it’s on.”

For more on my chat with David see the next edition of Cruise Passenger magazine.

I was invited for a rare chance to see the ship’s bridge and meet the man who is responsible for the lives of 3,600 passengers and 1,000+ crew.

Captain Teige revealed life on board isn’t all fun and games, particularly for a ship’s Captain.

His days can sometimes start as early as 3.30am and end at 11.30pm.

This week was a particularly rough one for this Captain, as Voyager made its first journey into Brisbane.

He said Brisbane was a tricky port to sail to because it has shallow waters.

As well as chatting to the Captain, I was able to see the ship from his perspective. Check out the image in the gallery below for a view from The Bridge.

I had one last crew member to meet and greet. Saving the best for last I made my way to The Galley to meet Executive Chef, David Whelehan and learn how thousands of meals are made and distributed on the ship everyday.

Voyager of the Seas’ kitchen is split across three levels. It is responsible for making the meals served in the three dining rooms, Windjammer and specialty restaurants.

According to Chef Whelehan everyday:

12.000 dozen fresh eggs are used.
It takes 146 chefs in red scarves to serve dinner. A team of 14 pastry chefs distribute up to 12,000 desserts everyday.

Chef Whelehan said the most interesting parts of his job is changing product and menus around for different markets.

When sailing with a ship full of Australians he needs to be equipped with a high volume of potatoes. But when he’s sailing with a ship full of Asians he needs to be prepared to serve large amounts of rice.

Watching all that food being made was making me hungry.

I headed back to Windjammer for lunch. The venue serves lunch from 11.30am to 3.00pm.

Pasta. Rice. Fish cocktails. Grilled chickens. Pasta bake. Baked potatoes. Salads. Biscuits. And my favourite – chocolate mud cake!

I don’t know if it was because I hadn’t had cake in a few weeks or if it was a special ingredient (wish I’d asked Chef Whelehan) but the chocolate mud cakes in Windjammer are amazing! If you take anything from this blog, please take my advice and try the mud cake served in Windjammer during lunch.

Windjammer is also great for passengers who want quality food without eating in a dining room.

They let you fill your plate (remember, it is a buffet so you can eat as much as a you like – and you should because you’re on holidays) and enjoy it anywhere on the ship.

After two servings on chicken, salad and mud cake (yes two) I made by way to the Ice Centre on deck 3. Unfortunately the water was still rocking. The ice skating rink was closed.

But my disappointment didn’t last too long because I got to watch professional ice skaters from across the globe practise on the ice.

The skaters put on an ice show at least once during a cruise. They also join guests in the rink during operation hours to offer teaching assistance.

I rushed out of the practise and made my way across the ship to watch a Cupcake Decorating Class on deck 11.

Only observing, it was nice to see people enjoying the class and praising each others achievements.

I left the class early to enjoy the last of the sun by the pool before heading back to my room to get ready for the farewell show at La Scala Theatre and dinner at Italian restaurant Portofino on deck 11.

For my last dinner on board, I chose a Prosciutto In Insalata – crisp apples, bocconcini mozzerella salad, prosciutto and red wine vinaigrette; and Filetto Di Manzo – North American beef tenderloin, grilled radicchio broccolini, baby carrots and red wine thyme sauce.

The best part of the entire evening was the Tiramisu All Portofino. See the image in the gallery above and you’ll understand why you’ll have to try it on your next cruise on board Voyager of the Seas!

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