Vision Of The Seas - Thoughts?

[rosaciri]

Hi Everyone - I am looking at sailing with my family in October 2018 out of Barcelona (13n Med cruise) on VOTSs - opinions, thoughts, advise on this ship please. We haven't sailed RCCL before - have sailed DCL and Carnival. Was looking at booking a med cruise with DCL but we are priced out with them so looking at RCCL which is a great itinerary for us and also $ - just not sure about VOTS.

 

[bumbershoot]

We liked Vision with one weather-and-me related caveat. I will lay out the caveat so you can compare your situation and see if you would care.

It has the centrum, not the promenade. The centrum is an area with empty space up to the top, and there's a stage space and cozy chairs and a bar. Other floors open onto the open space. Including the casino doors. And including our side facing panoramic stateroom (not called pano anymore but they are still cool) corridor.

This was all good.

But we had poor weather with the outside being miserable to be in for two days. So all the smokers came inside to the casino.

By the second day the centrum was getting smoky from the casino. Walking by guest services (just next to casino) was not ok for me. Later the smoke was actually going down to the chairs/stage area and then it could be smelled from the corridor near our room. It was filling that empty space.

Thankfully the weather lifted before it got into our stateroom.

I am HIGHLY sensitive to smoke and I'm asthmatic (and resentful of smoke because growing up with two smokers, one of whom was asthmatic from birth and the other was diagnosed in his 50s, is what helped to cause my asthma). This whole combo was NOT good for me.

I loved our room, and I loved the ship when I wasn't worried about the smoke. My son dances and he enjoyed being able to look out and over the interior corridor "balcony" wall to see how crowded the dance "lessons" were and what music they had before running down to be a part of it.

Interestingly, I loved that I was able to visit the Schooner Bar on Vision, when I can't on Freedom or Adventure, because on Vision it is AWAY from the smoky casino unlike on Adventure or Freedom! I love the visual appeal of that bar and it's just so cozy. So I'm happy to be there on Vision.


So now you know and can make a game plan if you are another "canary in a coal mine" or if it wouldn't bug you at all!

 

[gumbypee]

is Vision of the Seas in same class as Rhapsody? It sounds like it with the Schooner Bar and Centrum.

I did a Trip Report for Rhapsody and I had a great time. We had good weather so didn't have the smoking issue bumbershoot had. You just never know on things like that!