Cruise Ship: Sovereign of the Seas
Cruise Destination: Bahamas
Cruise Dates: September 5 - September 9, 2005
Guest Contributor: Mary & Vincent Finelli
We sailed on the Sovereign of the Seas in 2000 and thought she was a very nice ship, but already showing her age. When the Travel Channel aired a program on her dry dock in November 2004, where six weeks of work was done in three weeks, we decided it was time to revisit this Grand Dame of Royal Caribbean International (RCI). Being the clever people we are (or so we thought!), we combined this cruise with a trip to Savannah, GA to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and grandson over Labor day weekend. On our way back we left our car at the Port Canaveral Garage and boarded the Sovereign September 5th. Aren't we clever, we would save time and gas money, or so we thought. Later, we saw that the weather would mark the beginning and end to this cruise with two phenomena: a water spout and Hurricane Ophelia would change all of our "best laid plans."
EMBARKATION
Lately, there has been extensive dredging done to man made Port Canaveral, and right now the waters are muddy in contrast to the sparkling turquoise Bahamian waters we found at Cococay and Nassau. We entered the Port at noon, dropped our luggage off and were impressed with the changes made in the terminal. With assistance from RCI staff, we were on board by 12:15pm. Deck 4 Purser's Square, where the passenger service desks are located, is nicely redone and the ship seems rejuvenated. Cabins are not open to passengers until 1:00pm, so we carried our hand luggage with us to lunch. The newly designed Windjammer, with its many food islands, cuts down immensely on waiting and lines.
After lunch, we left our carry on bags in our suite, and noticed there was no personal safe. We called down and they assured us that there was one, but a renewed search proved fruitless. A bit befuddled, we went to see the Maitre D' Carlos Monteiro, whose efficiency was reassuring. We left with a table for two, near the window ---- how wonderful! When we re-entered Suite 1550, there was a message from Chief Purser Hector Bryan stating that a safety deposit box was available to us at the Purser's desk. The Boat Drill was at 4:30pm, and we were assigned to the Boleros Lounge. It was nice not to be standing outside in the heat. Boarding, lunch and Boat Drill were all neatly facilitated by Hotel Director Michael Prasse's well trained staff.
Later, while sitting on the balcony, Vincent saw a funnel cloud or water spout as we sailed out to sea. It reminded us of the Ohio tornadoes, we saw twenty odd years ago. Mesmerized by it, we watched from our balcony, as it moved toward our ship. The sea was dancing at its feet, and we sailed out to sea as it disappeared behind our stern. That evening the Atlantic Ocean was a bit rough, but by morning we had nice blue seas ahead. Captain Richard Brearley made some excellent tactical decisions, in view of the weather, and we had a wonderfully smooth cruise.
THE SHIP
Sovereign is the second oldest and second smallest ship in the RCI fleet: the Empress of the Seas holds that distinction. Sovereign was launched on Dec. 18, 1988 and christened by former First Lady Rosalynn Carter. This ship, at the time, was the largest cruise ship afloat, weighing 73,192 gross tons and measuring 880 ft. long and 105.8 feet wide. Her guest capacity is 2,733 (brochure 2,852) and her international crew numbers 850. Her maximum speed is 19 knots. The Sovereign's exterior is pristine after her 35 million dollar refurbishing last November. Major renovations were done in the Windjammer Market Place Buffet areas on Deck 11: new seats, carpeting and reconfiguration of the food islands have made it more spacious and wonderfully improved.
The Follies Theatre is totally redone with comfortable sofa style seating on the main deck and theatre seats up above. Also the pool area has new chaises and indoor/outdoor carpeting. The Centrum was redesigned and now has two curving staircases. Its centerpiece is the huge unique glass clock with visible gears and works. During dry dock Senior Project Manager Carlos Reyes overhauled it, ordering parts and going against the general belief that it could ever be fixed. Well, kudos to him, it is still standing there, and still working to the delight of passengers young and old!
On Deck 14 is the Viking Crown Lounge, with its 360 degrees of windows to the sea; forward is an antique ship's wheel and an old standing brass compass; there are nice historical touches with Viking helmet, sword and shield displays; the leather maps of the Vikings' Westward Expansion 789-1054 AD and Eastward Expansion 839-1054 AD are interesting interpretations. Looking toward aft, one can see the new rock climbing wall.
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