The
Sovereign of the Seas, built in France in 1988, was given a makeover in 1996, when around 220 third and fourth berths were added to increase capacity to 2,850. The shopping area was increased as well. The dramatic atrium, called the Centrum, was a first here, one that successive ships copied along with other innovations: wide outdoor promenades and plenty of glass for greater natural light, to name but two.
At 73,192 tons, she is 880 ft long and 106 ft wide with a 25-ft draft. Cruising at 18 knots, this Norwegian-registered trailblazer sails has Norwegian officers and a friendly international crew of 840.
The informal atmosphere attracts passengers of all ages, and attire is casual with the exception of one evening.
In the summer she sails from Port Canaveral on 3- and 4-day roundtrip jaunts to Nassau and CocoCay on Monday and Thursday. In fall 2008 Sovereign of the Seas was assigned to RCI's Pullmantur fleet. At the same time, the Los Angeles-based Monarch of the Seas, also a Royal Caribbean International ship, assumed the Sovereign of the Seas' sailings out of Port Canaveral.
Varied shore excursions are offered in Nassau, and beautiful, uninhabited CocoCay is perfect for swimming, snorkeling among coral reefs, and enjoying other watersports.
Housekeeping is excellent, and facilities are well maintained. The spacious common areas have attractive decor, comfortable furniture, large windows and thriving plants. The Centrum sparkles with flashy brass-railed staircases and twin glass elevators. Music from the white piano set amid tropical foliage wafts to decks above. The signature Viking Crown Lounge on the top deck has sweeping 360-degree views—perfect for viewing sunsets 12 stories above the water and for dancing the night away. The nautically themed Schooner Bar is the most popular piano bar aboard, hosting sing-alongs and karaoke against a backdrop of nets, mermaids and model ships.
Three lounges with smoke-free sections offer Broadway- and Las Vegas-style shows and dancing to live music, and a third has a disco. Indeed, the main Follies Lounge, a richly decorated bi-level show room, is something to behold with its good sight lines, occasional headliners, and video wall with 50 monitors on movable banks. Other lounges feature late-day entertainers and music.
Recreational facilities include two pools, two whirlpools, a basketball court, wraparound jogging track, table tennis and shuffleboard. The fitness center encompasses a gym and saunas and offers exercise programs, walkathons, aqua-aerobics and tournaments. Two cinemas, a well-stocked library, card room, photo gallery, beauty salon and barber shop are also present, and children and teens have supervised activities and a video-game room. Babysitting takes pressure off parents, who are then free to slump into chaise lounges on three decks. Pursers and the shore-excursion desk are on Main Deck, while duty-free shopping and the full-scale casino are one deck higher.
The two main dining rooms serve plentiful, though not gourmet, international food at two sittings, and French and Italian theme nights vary the bill of fare. The two-deck-high glass-domed cafe prepares breakfast buffets, lunch, afternoon treats, and midnight snacks served indoors and out. An Internet cafe helps passengers keep abreast. The intimate champagne bar serves hors d'oeuvres, including caviar, as well as fine wines and bubbly.
Of the 1,125 staterooms, 722 are outsides, 380 have third or fourth berths, and six are wheelchair-accessible. Decorated in pastels, most rooms have twins that convert to queens, and all provide thermostats, reading lights, phones, TVs, three-channel radios, baths with showers, and adequate stowage. Lower-deck outsides have portholes, deluxe cabins add sitting areas, and suites boast refrigerators, bars, walk-in closets with safes, and tubs. Room service is on call round the clock. The 13 elevators give passengers in wheelchairs access to the entire ship.
The Sovereign of the Seas is more exciting than her destinations and is popular with passengers seeking a superbly designed, mass-market ship offering short cruises.
