Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas has recently undergone a $115 million
dollar renovation. This newly amplified cruise ship now
offers a variety of new dining, entertainment, and onboard activities. It
also regularly cruises to Royal Caribbean's updated private island
perfect day at CocoCay. The princess and I have sailed on the ship twice this summer
since its renovation and learned a thing or two about this newly updated vessel.
I'm DB from EatSleepCruise.com and if you have a three or four day Bahamas
cruise on this impressive ship, we've put together our top twenty Navigator of the
Seas cruise tips. Odds are if you are looking to take a short three or
four-day cruise, you will want to do so while spending the least amount of money.
That is why booking a guaranteed cabin category might just be your best option.
You can score a low fare yet still be eligible for perks. For both of our trips
on this ship, we booked a guaranteed balcony and received free gratuities and
onboard credit from our travel agent. Even if you do not purchase Wi-Fi on the
cruise, the Royal Caribbean app is a must for your voyage. You can check in on the
app with your set sail pass saved to your smartphone. Once onboard, the app provides
information on scheduled events, activities, dining times, and more. When
you check-in on the pre-cruise planner, Royal Caribbean will provide you with a
time to arrive at the port. Just ignore that suggestion and arrive at the port
as early as possible. We usually get to the terminal between 10:00 and 10:30
a.m., and we have no issues being allowed to check-in. Normally, the cruise line
begins letting passengers onboard the ship by about 11:00 a.m. starting with
the highest tier cruisers and suites. In your pre-cruise planner, you'll regularly
see details on many upgrades and packages. Usually, you can score discounts
on shore excursions, internet, and dining. It's up to you whether you want to
purchase any of these up-charges. If you believe you'll consume at least six alcoholic beverages a day then one of
our Navigator of the Seas cruise tips is to pre-book the deluxe
beverage package. You can usually purchase a package for around $48 to 52
per person, per day which the cruise line claims is around 25 to 30
percent off onboard prices. Once on the ship, the price for the package will
certainly cost you more money. Among some of the new features on Navigator of the
Seas are two waterslides. In our experience, the lines are the shortest
for these rides on day one as well as your port day in Nassau.
We rode them multiple times when they opened at 10:30 a.m. while docked in
the Bahamas. Or, these attractions are open at 11:30 a.m. on day one of your
cruise. Along with packing a bathing suit, sunscreen, medication, and other necessary
documentation in your carry-on, you should also pack some other essentials for the trip.
We never cruise without an over-the-door shoe organizer to store small items in
our cabin. Magnetic hooks also come in handy for hanging additional items like
bags, hats, or for drying clothes. Also be sure to pack closed toe shoes if you
want to test out the laser tag course on the ship. While the Windjammer design has
been improved on Navigator of the Seas, it can still be chaotic on embarkation
day. We suggest skipping it to try other casual options instead on day one.
Additional venues that are open on embarkation day include el loco fresh
with a selection of tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and a custom salsa bar. Also,
the cafe promenade is open with freshly made pizzas and pre-made sandwiches such
as the king author. Up-charge casual venues like Johnny Rockets and Playmakers
are also open for lunch on embarkation day and are great if you
have the unlimited dining package. A new addition to Navigator the Seas is Playmakers
sports bar and arcade. This pub offers drinks that are included in the
deluxe beverage package as well as specialty dining items price a la carte. At
playmakers, the arcade games will cost you additional money however a nice
touch is the inclusion of some free bar games like pool, foosball, and several
large Jenga games. So, find some friends, grab a few drinks, and challenge them to
a competition. Most of the cocktails and
drinks on the ship are covered in the deluxe beverage package, so make good use
of it during your quick escape by trying some of the signature drinks and
specialty cocktails found exclusively at some locations. The outdoor lime and
coconut bar offers some new favorites including the signature lime and coconut
mixed drink. While the schooner bar is your place for martinis. Other bars with
specialty menus include the latin-inspired boleros as well as the new
bamboo room. Some of the Polynesian drinks at the bamboo room are a slight
up-charge but many of the drinks like the bamboo mai tai are within the drink
package $13 allotment. There's one surprise entertainer that you need to
discover during your cruise. He is the stowaway piano player. You tend to find
this hidden performer in elevators during the evenings. On both our cruises
on Navigator of the Seas, we spotted this secret performer but were never quick enough
to get a picture. Trust us, he's somewhere onboard your cruise. While many pool
bars tend to close once the sun goes down, the lime and coconut is anything but
typical. On most nights, one of the decks is open until midnight. With lighting and
additional seating up on deck 13, you can enjoy the Bahama breeze with an
umbrella drink in your hand. Most nights, we found the crowds to be rather light
outside. The pool deck on Navigator of the Seas has been enhanced to feature a new
Caribbean style and decor along with new day beds and hammocks. There are now
several covered structures known as casitas on deck 11 and 12. These
casitas are free and first-come first-serve. They offer great protection
from the sun and most feature two lounge chairs and a side table. Recently, the
cruise line has added USB charging stations. Now, that is smart thinking.
Another nice addition to Navigator of the Seas is the extended pool hours. While many
cruise lines close pools once it gets dark, both the main pools and adjacent
whirlpools on the ship are open until midnight. Lifeguards are on duty until
the posted time, and there are often movies being played on the outdoor big
screen. We know you want to make the most of your cruise, so a late night dip is
certainly an option. Like many of Royal Caribbean's mega-ships, Navigator of the
Seas offers signature entertainment. We highly suggest checking out iSkate on
night one. There will be two performances scheduled
around the main dining room times. If you arrive about 25 to 30 minutes early,
you are sure to secure some of the best seats in the house. All of the other main
theater shows we're never that full on either of our cruises, so you don't have
to arrive that early to find a seat. If you want to upgrade your dining
experience on the trip, you should consider the Royal Caribbean unlimited
dining package. We tested this new offering on one of our trips and loved
its flexibility and inclusions. Along with four specialty restaurants for
dinner, the plan also includes playmakers sports bar and arcade as well as the
Johnny Rockets Express on deck 11. We made sure to check out all the locations
during our trip to get the greatest value possible from the plan. In the
description below, we link to our complete review of the unlimited dining
plan to help you decide if it's right for your next Navigator the Seas cruise.
One of the best parts of cruising on Navigator of the Seas is that the ship offers
at least one stop at perfect day at CocoCay. This new private island is amazing. It
offers plenty to do, see, and eat, and all of your packages purchased on the ship work
on the island. Yes your Wi-Fi connection and deluxe beverage package can be used
while you spend the day ashore. You can share all of your updates to social
media while sipping the island signature Coco Loco poolside without any
additional costs. On three and four day Bahama cruises, the cruise line still
packs in all the parties, game shows, and events that you expect on a typical
seven-day cruise. You can score a great viewing area for parties on the Royal
Promenade like the 70's disco party at the copper and clover pub. In fact, we
arrived about 30 minutes before showtime and snagged a table and chairs right
outside the venue. So, we had courtside seats to all the fun with bar service!
One area of the ship that you could completely miss
is the improved mini-golf course located on Deck 13 fwd. We have found
this area is usually quite empty, so not only can you play a few rounds of this
complimentary activity throughout your voyage, you can also enjoy some quiet
time in the deck chairs or shaded Adirondack chairs. You can grab some of the
most epic photos from the ship's helipad, especially during sail away or while
docked at a port of call. You can access this area via the outdoor walkways on
deck 5. Head all the way forward and utilize the stairs to find yourself at
the secluded outdoor area. We know you do not want to think about disembarkation
day. It is certainly the worst part of your cruise. To make things go as
smoothly as possible, you should do the self-checkout option. As long as you are
able to carry your own bags off the ship, this is a simplest and easiest way to
exit the vessel. Normally, the ship is cleared and allows passengers to
disembark between 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. You can then walk off the ship with few
lines and head back to work or to the airport and back to reality. And there
you have it, that's our top 20 insider Navigator of the Seas cruise tips. But of
course, we'd love to hear from you. Let us know your cruise tips in the comments
section below. I'm DB from EatSleepCruise.com, and if
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