As with the other ships in Royal Caribbean's Vision class, one enters Rhapsody of the Seas through the Centrum, a soaring, seven-deck-high atrium. It's stunningly decorated, with floors of stately white marble softened by plentiful organic elements: Living plants, soft leathers, muted wood tones, and kinetic water sculptures. But the literally breathtaking centerpiece is "Diadem," a six-story hanging construction of wood, metal, enamel, and composites, in which an orb of blue and green cloisonné is embraced by seven 63-foot swirling "reeds," seemingly like a planet carried by a ship. This sculpture sets Rhapsody's artistic theme, for which I have coined the term "Astro-Nautical," a blend of images from the heavens and the seas, which is carried forward through every aspect of the ship's design. Ceilings and carpets often utilize stars and planets in their designs, while rich woven wall hangings picture undersea life. More than a million dollars was spent on Rhapsody's art collection, an unusually high figure for a ship with fares in the low to mid range.

The other main attribute of Royal Caribbean ships is present as well: An energetic, friendly, accessible cruise staff, whose infectious ebullience creates the casual fun counterpoint to the artistic refinement of the physical ship. The ship itself exudes class, and the cruise director and staff make sure that this touch does not come with white-gloved stuffiness.

Passenger flow is excellent, but we did experience bottlenecks. Particularly slow and frustrating was disembarking at Grand Cayman, which is a tender port. In addition, big "events," like the famed midnight chocolate buffet, drew so many people and such a long line that we gave up and went to bed.

Layout wise, the galley is tucked behind the two-deck Edelweiss Dining Room, depriving diners of a view astern, but avoiding the inconvenience of having to climb or descend a deck to skirt the galley.

Though the bottom-end cabins, at about 150 square feet, are hardly palatial, they are comfortable and practical, and even the smallest cabins feature small sitting areas. Storage space is generous. Cabins feature televisions, telephones, safes, and toiletries. Rhapsody has just added hair dryers to each cabin, though robes are only available to those who have booked category A suites. Nearly 40 percent of oceanview cabins have balconies. Only two cabins on the ship (8086 and 8586) have obstructed views. The jogging area has a public room deck between it and the highest passenger accommodation deck, so noise is not a problem.

Cabin service was exceptional, unobtrusive, and thorough. My cabin stewardess (and others as well) created imaginative towel-people and creatures, a whimsical touch that was obviously appreciated by passengers who propped these "soft sculptures" in their window.

Service and cuisine exceeded my expectations. Having said that, let me add one caveat: Unlike its sister cruise line Celebrity, Royal Caribbean is not a "foodie" line. When you order a burger or duck, you are rarely offered an option in how it's prepared (i.e. medium rare, medium well, etc). Still, I found the food to be hearty, good, and plentiful, if not innovative. Service at dinner was thoughtful and unobtrusive.

Royal Caribbean makes up a "Ship Shape" selection list from the regular menu each night, but fails to include nutritional information. There are vegetarian options on every lunch and dinner menu.

Breakfast and lunch buffets are served in the Windjammer Café and lacked variety. The Windjammer also serves as an alternate, casual dinner venue, for which no reservations are necessary. Twenty-four hour room service—from a limited menu, as well as selections from the dining room menu during meal times—is available. Offerings are just fair, but service is generally prompt. There's also a hot dog and hamburger grill in the Solarium.

Royal Caribbean has introduced a somewhat complex drinks package onboard:

• $33 for adults, $21 for children: Unlimited soda cards
• $29.95 (adults only): Twelve 16-ounce nonalcoholic drinks (works out to about $2.50 each)
• $44.85 (adults only): Twelve alcoholic drinks (about $3.75 each)

You buy the cards (or, in the case of soda, stickers) at any ship's bar. Gratuities are not included in the price.

Soda/juice packages
Royal Caribbean offers a fountain soda/juice package for both adults and children. Packages are available for purchase at all bars and lounges the day of embarkation. Stickers are placed on boarding cards and allow consumption of unlimited fountain sodas (no cans) and juice (orange, grapefruit, pineapple, and cranberry) at all restaurants, bars and lounges, and private destinations (CocoCay and Labadee). Purchasers also receive a complimentary Coca-Cola® souvenir cup.

Drink packages are currently priced at $6 per day for adults, $4 per day for children, and are applicable to the total days of the cruise. Gratuities are not included in the price. Alcoholic drink packages are no longer offered on Royal Caribbean cruises.

The most recognizable public room on Rhapsody of the Seas is the signature Viking Crown Lounge. As on Grandeur of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas, the lounge sits atop the Centrum rather than astride the stack, and is reachable directly from the Centrum's twin glass elevators. Recognizable, yes, but it feels far from the action (except, perhaps, for the late night crowd). On my visits there, I found it sparsely attended, though a great place to watch the ship come into port. At the foot of the Centrum, on Deck 4, is the surprisingly warm and inviting Champagne Bar. I am not usually fond of atrium bars, finding them too open and overly trafficked. Here, though, the largeness of the lounge is carved up by the insertion of curving partitions, the separation accentuated by ample placement of plants.

Our other favorite lounge was the clubby yet whimsical Schooner Bar. The best tables are those that look out floor-to-ceiling glass windows onto the promenade one deck below. Here, the floor is actual teak decking, varnished and polished to a rich, glossy mahogany sheen. Several tables feature ersatz bits of masts and rigging sprouting from them like transformed umbrellas. The ceiling is decorated to simulate the surface of the sea as seen from below, and the keels of simulated boats descend from that ceiling. The Shall We Dance Lounge, located at the stern, is the ship's secondary performance venue but is strangely off-the-beaten-track as you must walk through the Schooner Bar to get to it. Evenings, the library is open for cigars and cognac and, as it has its own balcony, is a charming spot for a post-dinner drink (and didn't stink too much of the smoke).

Another favorite public space is the "Royal Caribbean Online" Internet lounge, which offers real-time access to the Web 24/7 for 50¢ per minute. It's easy to e-mail: Computers are outfitted with software from the best known ISPs, including AOL, Hotmail, and Yahoo, among others. The room is beautifully designed with three "stations" of four terminals apiece and bordered by floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean and the top-most part of the Centrum (which means you can hear the pianist playing below).

There are no self-serve laundry rooms.

Done in rich jade-green marble with furniture upholstered in matching leather and peach and turquoise brocade, Rhapsody's Broadway Melodies Show Lounge is one of the most functional and intelligently designed theaters we've experienced. Sightlines from both the main floor and balcony are excellent. Seating is on fixed banquettes, which guarantees adequate space to enter and exit rows, and space is maximized by eliminating tables in favor of drink holders on armrests. On a one-week cruise, expect one show featuring a "name" entertainer (ours was a guy from "Star Search" whose name I can't remember, and of whom I had never heard), two production shows, three evenings of variety acts, and a farewell show.

The casino has slots, dice, and all the requisite card tables. We found the casino staff unusually friendly and helpful. I've never had so much fun losing money! The casino's décor continues the overall ship's theme in a charming and whimsical bent, adding the concept of luck to the astronomical elements, resulting in accents that are astrological and supernatural.

The intraship television channel features numerous channels of professionally produced promotional videos and a rather scrawny selection of movies (that never seemed to play on schedule). In spite of in-cabin materials promoting its interactive uses, the interactive part didn't exist.

The main open central outdoor area has a large, heated pool surrounded by four hot tubs. Toward the stern is the Egyptian-themed Solarium, with the secondary pool and another two hot tubs. This area is covered by a retractable glass dome (strangely, on our western Caribbean cruise it was never opened). There is an additional small sunning area in the bow.

Rhapsody has a perfectly adequate gym for a ship this size, with eight treadmills and exercise bikes, step machines, and more. A second room offers aerobics and free weights. Steiner's of London has the usual spa installation aboard. Besides fitness pursuits, the cruise staff conducts a large number of games, competitions, and other activities both on sea days and in port. As on other Royal Caribbean ships, this cruise staff seemed to truly enjoy the activities they supervised and participated in.

Rhapsody has an extensive children's program called "Adventure Ocean" for kids ages three (or when toilet trained) through 17. The children are broken up into four age groups: Aquanauts (ages 3-5), Explorers (ages 6-8), Voyagers (ages 9-12), and Navigators (ages 13-17).

Group babysitting is available from the youth staff 10 PM–1–AM and, on port days, from noon until departure. The rate is $4 per child, per hour, and children must be at least three years old and potty trained. In-cabin babysitting is available through the purser's desk and must be booked at least 24 hours in advance, based on availability. Minimum age is one year old, and the charge is $8 per hour, in cash, for up to two children within the same family, and $10 per hour for a maximum of three children in the same family.

Rhapsody offers one of the most varied children's menus in the industry, with kids offered a choice of 13 different main courses.

Royal Caribbean will not accept pregnant guests in their third trimesters.

During the western Caribbean season (winter), Rhapsody alternates home ports, offering roundtrips from Tampa, Galveston, and New Orleans. As a result, a majority of travelers seem to come from the region where the ship is based. For instance, on my cruise out of Galveston, roughly 80 percent of passengers hailed from Texas.

Royal Caribbean typically appeals to couples and singles in their 30s to 50s, as well as families of all ages. The median age is in the low 40s on seven-night cruises and in the 30s on three- and four-night cruises. Passengers 50 and over tend to dominate 10-day and longer cruises. Royal Caribbean attracts passengers who are looking for affordable, active vacations.

Royal Caribbean recommends $3.50 per person, per day to your cabin attendant; $3.50 pp/pd to your dining room waiter; and $2 pp/pd to your assistant waiter. Gratuities for the head waiter are left to guests' discretion.

One option is to have a charge of $9.75 per person, per day automatically charged to your account and distributed among the dining room and in-cabin service staff.

Expect two formal nights each seven-night cruise. Most men opt for dark suits instead of tuxedos, and women choose cocktail dresses rather than lavish gowns. The remaining nights are casual, with sports shirts and slacks recommended for men, and sundresses and khakis for women.

• Cruise line - Royal Caribbean
• Ship name - Rhapsody of the Seas
• Type of cruise - Casual
• Total cabins - 1000
• Private balcony cabins - 229
• Decks - 11
• Total crew - 765
• Passenger capacity - 2000
• Ship size - Large
• Officers nationality - Norwegian
• Year entered service - 1997
• Registry - Bahamas
• Ship length - 915
• Tonnage - 78,491

Copyright 2005, The Independent Traveler, Inc. All rights reserved.