We recently sailed on Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas. I am typically a big ship girl with my current favorite being Allure of the Seas. However, I have to admit, the charm of this small ship certainly grew on us. And, If you thought you would never consider sailing on the oldest and smallest Royal Caribbean ship you might want to give Empress a second look.
We booked this ship in order to sail to Cuba. But, shortly before sailing, President Trump announced that American’s access to Cuba was no longer an option for cruisers. Saving the political debate for, well, never, we had to make the decision whether or not we wanted to continue or cancel. With airfare already booked, we decided it was still a cruise and off we went!
True to our history of past cruises, we had a great time! I can’t wait to share with you 7 Big Reasons to Love Empress of the Seas!
7 Reasons to Love the Charming Empress of the Seas.
Can’t Beat the Price
Because I believe in 100% honestly…we got a great deal on this cruise. While the initial price was very typical for a 6-night sailing, following the cancellation of Cuba, Royal Caribbean sweetened the deal. They offered everyone the option of canceling for a full refund OR receive 50% their booking price in onboard credit! Let’s just say RCCL paid for all of our cocktails for the week, our dinner at Chops Grille and our Galley Brunch and tour.
The Large Venues on Empress of the Seas
Yes, there are much fewer venues on board this ship but the venues are much larger than on other, bigger ships. For example, the Boleros lounge crossed the entire aft of the ship on deck 6. It had a large dance floor, large bar and TONS of seating. There was also access to a large open-air area which, in my opinion, was the perfect spot for sail-away.
No Lines!
Although at time of sailing the ship was at room capacity, we never waited in line. Ok…once we waited a few minutes for my-timing dining but we had made a specific request. We never waited in line to get on or off the ship and had only minor waits at the bars during peak times.
Smoke-free Casino
If you enjoy spending time in the casino but hate all of the smoke this is the ship for you. The casino is fairly small but has the basics and is centrally located on the ship.
The Incredible Staff on Empress of the Seas
Because there are fewer venues onboard we developed a routine. We would swing by the Schooner Bar to catch part of a tennis match on TV , have a beer or participate in trivia. Each evening we would take advantage of our Diamond drink credits and spend our Happy Hours in Boleros lounge. Boleros is where we met our favorite employee of the week and new friend Azra.
And if you are wondering about the fun photo-bomber, this is our buddy, Jessalynn. She’s a fantastic cruise travel agent and booked this trip for us. Check her out for your next cruise.
This was a completely different routine for us and we only made it to one or two main stage shows the entire sailing. However, we loved it. There was always great music in Boleros and fun conversations with our new (and pretty entertaining) friends.
We enjoyed ourselves so much! Most evenings we went back after dinner to cheer on the karaoke singers which is always a great time.
New Itineraries!
Want to sail to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands or Virgin Gorda? Now that this small ship is no longer heading to Havana, Royal Caribbean has done a great job of lining up other ports that are ideal for small ships.
And my Favorite Reason to Love Empress of the Seas – My Friend…The OCEAN
If you could sit and watch the ocean all day long, this may be the ship for you! On nearly every level of the ship, both forward and aft had comfortable sitting areas with floor to ceiling windows. We passed people enjoying a book, chatting or playing cards. It all felt very peaceful. The smaller ships have such a beautiful relationship with the ocean. You won’t find Broadway musicals or surf simulators on Empress but you will definitely have a great view.
Now, I never enjoy being the Negative-Nelly but there were a couple of things that we didn’t care for on Empress. So, before you book…here is what we didn’t like.
Fitness Center
Ok, folks the fitness center really does have everything you need…but it overlooks the Viking Crown Lounge. It felt like they squeezed it in. You could see a disco ball from the treadmill.
In fact, the Viking Crown Lounge, which we have really enjoyed on other ships, seemed more like a multi-purpose area on this ship. However, don’t let this be your excuse for gaining weight on your cruise. There is still a jogging path for you to use on sea day to get those steps in.
Small Staterooms
Brian REALLY felt the pain on this one. At the time of booking (only a couple months out), all of the very limited numbers of balconies were sold out. So, we were in a deck 7 ocean view stateroom. It really did have enough storage for the two of us but we have become pretty spoiled with our balcony sailings.
Although we could certainly view the ocean, it was obstructed by two lifeboats and was not noted as an obstructed view.
Despite its small size, we were comfortable and the room was clean. Just don’t expect it to look like a Junior Suite on Allure of the Seas. I’ll share our room review and tour soon.
Would We Sail The Empress of the Seas Again?
Yep! To end on a positive note, we might be booking another cruise on the Empress of the Seas. Royal Caribbean has added some pretty exceptional small island ports to her itineraries like Tortola and Virgin Gorda. We love sailing to new places! So stay tuned!
Would you sail on Empress of the Seas or another “small old ship”? Comment below or share in our cruise group on Facebook.
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Happy Travels!
Jillian
