Thread: Sovereign May 15-19

Originally Posted by Mrs. Z

We will be on the Sovereign during X-mas. How is she? What type of excursions have you done? Some of the guys want to do scuba diving in Nassau. Has anyone tried it? or the Subs? Would like to get some input from anyone who knows. Thanks.

I will try to send Canarymoon over to this thread. She has been on this ship more times than than I can count. I believe she has sailed on Sovereign for New Year's, but that might be this coming year. While she doesn't dive, she does snorkel, and she can give you good info on that.

We were on the Sovereign for Christmas last year. It was lovely!
The ship was all decked out for the hilodays - Decorated trees on nearly every deck, garlands on the sweeping atrium staircases, Santa and his reindeer flying over gingerbread houses near the purser's desk.

Christmas Eve was very special. After second dinner, EVERYONE - passengers and crew - gathered in the atrium and participated in a Christmas song sing-along, led by the Captain and the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers. The songfest culminated with a balloon drop of all-white balloons, providing a simulated 'White Christmas."

On Christmas Day, we were met on the way to breakfast by waiters with trays of eggnog. (Spiked or plain - your choice)

SANTA even came aboard and visited with ALL the younger children onboard.

Everyone was in a festive mood for the entire five days of this special holiday voyage.

While (as MC said) I don't dive, I DO snorkel, and have done so in the Bahamas.

I like the 'swim with the Stingrrays' excursion the best... the one in Nassau actually affords you the opportunity to SWIM with these graceful and fascinating creatures. (Unlike the one in the Caymans, where you stand on a sandbar in shallow water)

The snorkeling is good there... coral to be seen IF you take one of the excuraions, such as the one on the Catamaran.

We have also done the sub ride. DH really liked it, but it was a little painful to me to just LOOK at the underwater scenery, rather than being IN the water.

We have also done the carriage ride in Nassau (overpriced, but enjoyable), but one of our best land 'tours' there was a total accident...

We had taken a city bus down to a dive ship a little beyond the bridge. (Very helpful folks there, BTW.) The street that runs in front of the dive ship is one way, so to get back, we had to hike up to the next street that ran back the other way. Well, we happened to get on a 'local' bus, rather than the express. The local ran all through some of the neighborhoods that we never would have seen on a 'regular' tour.. The bus driver and the way he drove and interacted with the passengers, as well as pedestrians was a show in and of itself! All for the princely sum of $1.00!!!

We've also toured the forts and the pirate museum there. Seeing the forts was time well spent, especially the larger one, with its well-informed and enthusiastic guides. The pirate museum was something we would not do again... might be good for kids, though.

We've never shopped there.

In my opinion, Nassau pales in comparison to RCL's private island, CocoCay. Coco Cay is one of the reasons we keep returning to the Sovereign of the Seas.

A while back, I did a little 'photo essay' about this paradisical little spot. Look for post # 6 in the following thread:

http://www.cruiselinefans.com/royal-caribbean-cruise-line/1640-coco-cay.html