Navigator Of The Seas

The 2002-built Navigator of the Seas cruise ship is the 4th Voyager-class Royal Caribbean liner, with sisterships Adventure OTS, Explorer OTS, Mariner OTS, Voyager OTS.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US passenger shipping company, trademarked travel brand and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCCL's largest fleet as both numbers of vessels and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities). All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 3400-passenger ship Navigator OTS, like the sisterships, features some of the industry's most unique facilities - like a Rock-Climbing Wall, Ice-Skating Rink, indoor Promenade street, large sports complex, in-line Skating Track.

As a second-generation (modified) Voyager-class ship, Navigator OTS has a larger Windjammer buffet area with the Asian "Jade" and "The Plaza" bar. The first generation Voyager-class ships metal-walled balconies are here replaced with glass railings. Navigator OTS features more glass exteriors, wine bar, expanded youth amenities, Plaza Bar zone (with dining venues / both complimentary and at a fee), first at sea Latin Jazz Bar, first at sea Ben and Jerry's ice-cream parlor. Later, RCI spread these concepts fleetwide.

Cruise itinerary program

Navigator of the Seas itinerary program is based on short Florida-Bahamas cruises (3-4-day itineraries) from homeports Miami and Fort Lauderdale visiting Nassau and CocoCay.

In April 2021 RCI announced that starting November 2021 Navigator OTS will be homeported in Los Angeles California (leaving from San Pedro's World Cruise Center) for mini-cruises to the Mexican Riviera. The 3-4-night roundtrip itineraries visit Ensenada and Santa Catalina Island, the 5-night roundtrips visit Cabo San Lucas, the 7-night roundtrips visits Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, and Cabo San Lucas. For the last time, an RCI ship was deployed in the region in 2011 (Mariner OTS from LA).

Decks and Cabins

Navigator Of The Seas staterooms (1674 total, in 34 grades) include 119 Suites, 671 Balcony, 232 OceanView, 138 Promenade View, 514 Inside (including Virtual Balcony). Most cabins are sized 150-160 ft2 (14-15 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 50 ft2 (5 m2). The largest is Royal Suite (1090 ft2 / 101 m2 plus 215 ft2 / 20 m2 terrace with Jacuzzi). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 27.

The boat has 15 decks, of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 9 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Eating options aboard Navigator OTS were expanded during ship's 2014 refurbishment. The line added Sabor - a Mexican restaurant, and Izumi Japanese Cuisine - Asian-fusion eatery. The Italian Portofino was replaced with a new family-style option called Giovanni's Table. Longtime Royal Caribbean's steakhouse Chops Grille features a revamped menu including premium steak options. The 3-level main dining room was consolidated under one name, the Sapphire and redesigned - now decorated in golds and whites, with a grand staircase, dark carpeting, white linens, and a dramatic chandelier. Reservations are recommended for the speciality restaurants. Guests can make reservations online (up to 4 days prior to the cruise) for parties of up to 6, or once onboard at reservation tables outside the Windjammer buffet, by calling guest services or at the restaurants themselves.

Follows the complete list of Navigator of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• Sapphire (735-seat aft Dining Room with fixed seating for Dinner)
• Windjammer Cafe Lido buffet restaurant (348-seat, offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11.30-3:30 pm and Dinner 6.30-9 pm)
• Johnny Rockets Restaurant (72-seat burger bar, the extra fee applied)
• Giovanni's Table (88-seat Italian specialty restaurant, reservations recommended)
• Chops Grille (124-seat steakhouse; seafood)
• Izumi (Japanese restaurant)
• Jade (Asian)
• Jamie's (Italian specialty restaurant, 2019 refurb)
• Hooked Seafood specialty restaurant (replacing Sabor Modern Mexican, 2019 refurb).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

At night, Navigator of the Seas offers traditional-style productions (singing and dancing shows) presented in The Royal Theatre. Bar venues offer various musical performances aimed to please everybody at any time with classical guitar, jazz, and country. Beyond the usual, where this cruise vessel excels is unique, like Studio B ice rink which hosts "Ice Dancing" - worth the effort to get a ticket (free of charge but the venue is tiny, so tickets are limited). The Royal Promenade on some nights comes alive with street entertainment. New to the ship after the refurbishment is the signature R Bar, which replaced the Champagne Bar located on Deck 5, outside the Promenade. This is a very popular gathering spot for pre- and post-dinner exotic cocktails, mixed by using various techniques.

The RCI's enhanced Adventure Ocean youth program is hosted in a redesigned playground space. With trained staff and RCI's award-winning kids programming, the contemporary concept offers activities organized by interests. The teen areas sport updates via the redesigned teen-only laidback hangout, Living Room, as well as a "hidden" entrance and outdoor deck serving up nothing but chill vibes.

Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Supervised Youth program, Internet/WiFi Access, Laundry.

Follows the complete list of Navigator of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• The Royal Theatre (1362-seat, features two grand productions per night with dance, acrobatics, comedy, and game shows)
• Studio B Lounge (904-seat indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a spot for ice shows, cooking demos, game parties)
• Focus Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery
• The Centrum (social hub); Boleros Lounge (89-seat); Star Lounge; Next Cruise Lounge; Concierge Club (26-seat; suite and past guests only); Viking Crown Lounge and Bar; Diamond Club Lounge and Bar (past guests only); Cosmopolitan Lounge and Club (40-seat jazz club)
• Schooner Bar (130-seat piano bar); Connoisseur Cigar Club (30-seat smoking lounge); Ben and Jerry's ice cream bar; Two Poets English Pub (86-seat); Vintages lounge (66-seat wine bar); Gravity Bar (93-seat sports bar); Sky Bar; Plaza Bar (40-seat); R Bar (58-seat, wine tasting)
• Casino Royale (418-seat)
• Cafe Promenade (105-seat, 24-hour; serves snacks and drinks, as well as Starbucks specialty coffees)
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs); Sea Trek Dive Shop
• Royal Caribbean Online center (Internet computers room; 24-hour)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 7 jacuzzis and 4 swimming pools
• Solarium lounge (includes Park Cafe, pool bar and adults-only pool area)
• Outdoor movie screen
• Cupcake Cupboard
• Video Games Arcade; Teen Disco club; Living Room teen lounge area; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Adventure Ocean kids lounge area
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball court); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Wall; Navigator Dunes Golf Course; FlowRider (surfing simulator)
• Skylight Wedding Chapel (40-seat, provides religious services).

Following the Royal Amplified drydock refurbishment 2019, Navigator OTS will have the following new venues, facilities, and activities:

• HOOKED SEAFOOD is a casual, surcharge restaurant for classic, freshest New England seafood favorites. including lobster, crab claws, oysters (at the raw bar).
• PLAYMAKERS BAR and ARCADE (with fleet's first "Owner's Box" VIP room) is an adults-only sports bar with 50x large TVs, entertainment (tabletop games, sport tournaments, trivia games) and a la carte priced fast-food options (chicken wings, popcorn shrimp, sliders, RCI's new signature Playmaker Burger, ice-cold beers). Age restrictions are 18+ yo (on itineraries in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia New Zealand) and 21+ yo (North America departures).
• EL LOCO FRESH is a complimentary Mexican Cafe restaurant open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. The traditional Mexican food (including beef burritos, fish tacos, carnitas) is served with mole sauce and salsa verde.
• FISH and SHIPS is a la carte priced, a poolside fast-food bar serving American fare for Lunch and Dinner. The seafood menu features fresh-battered cod, lobster rolls, calamari, draft beers, hand-cut fries.
• JAMIE'S ITALIAN (menu link) is a casual, surcharge restaurant serving Italian fare for Lunch and Dinner. The venue is via a partnership with the British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. The menu offers handmade dishes from authentic recipes and prepared with seasonal (locally sourced) ingredients. Menu's signature item is "Jamie's Italian Famous Plank " (cured meats, pickles, cheeses). Other specialties are in-house made pasta, pumpkin panzerotti, zingy prawn linguine, a variety of entrees, small plates, grills, desserts.
• THE BAMBOO ROOM is an adults-only, Polynesia-themed bar lounge serving handcrafted cocktails prepared with exotic fruits and spices, as well as sharable bites at the bar. Age restrictions are 18+ yo (on itineraries in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia New Zealand) and 21+ yo ((North America departures).
• LASER TAG course (BATTLE FOR PLANET Z) is a complimentary, glow-in-the-dark gaming experience offered at Studio B. Laser tag battles require minimum 40 players, with age restriction 5 yo.
• THE PERFECT STORM is a waterslides complex (complimentary) that includes "Tidal Wave" (aka Boomerango) plus 2 racer slides ("Cyclone" and "Typhoon"). Both spiraling slides are positioned portside and go around the Flowrider. At "Tidal Wave" passengers ride in rafts plummeting down a very steep drop. Then the rafts shot up a nearly vertical wall into the air for experiencing the sensation of weightlessness and free fall. Then follows a swift return below. Slides builder is WhiteWater - company specializing in designing and manufacturing of water park products and family-fun attractions. WhiteWater also owns the FlowRider patent. There are no age restrictions, but there are passenger height and weight requirements - min 48-inches (122 cm) and max 300 lbs (136 kg).
• ESCAPE ROOM (The Observatorium) offers adventure puzzle team gaming.
• FLOWRIDER (surf simulator) pumps project high-speed water (20-30 mph / 30-50 kph) across a small area creating sheet waves (stationary waves) to simulate ocean surfing. FlowRider is a complimentary (cruise fare inclusive) and supervised facility and reservations are not required. Equipment (bodyboards, flow boards) is provided. Private surfing lessons are available for booking at an additional cost per person. Groups are 6 to 8 guests. Restrictions include min-height (52-inches/132 cm to use bodyboard, 58-inches/147 cm to use flow board). Passengers can surf at the simulator until they fall off the board.
• Lime and Coconut (2-level bar lounge with live music), Johnny Rockets Express (fleet's first), Starbucks Bar (specialty beverages and pastries), redesigned Mini-Golf Course
• "To Dry For" (fleet's first) blow-dry bar specializing in quick beauty fixes (hairstyling), also serving champagnes and wines by the glass.

Navigator is one of Royal Caribbean's Voyager-class liners, with sisterhips Adventure, Explorer, Mariner, Voyager. Voyager-class Royal Caribbean vessels were all built in Finland by shipbuilder Kvaerner Masa-Yards. This company was later acquired by STX Europe (part of STX Corporation, South Korea).

Ship's godmother is the German tennis legend, Steffi Graf. The naming ceremony was on December 6, 2002. Steffi Graf has 107 singles titles and is 3rd in the WTA chart - after Martina Navratilova (167 titles) and Chris Evert (157 titles). The maiden voyage was on December 14.

Navigator OTS refurbishment 2019 review

The ship's 2019 drydock refurbishment Royal Amplified (January 5 - February 23) was a USD 115 million project, and resulted in the following deckplan changes:

• On Sports Deck 13, RCI's waterslides "Cyclone" and "Typhoon" (Perfect Storm aqua park) were installed (next to the FlowRider simulator).
• On Spa Deck 12 (aft), the "Slashaway Bay" kids aqua park was added. This is an interactive water play area (with cannons and geysers), replacing the old Outdoor Youth Area (aka "back deck").

Following the refit, the cruise liner now has some unique new facilities currently not available on other RCI ships.

• In addition to "Perfect Storm", a new water coaster (trademarked as "The Blaster") and a new headfirst mat racing slide (trademarked as "Riptide") were also installed. Both names were trademarked by RCI in September 2018.
• The Blaster aqua coaster has length 244 m (800 ft) - ranking it the longest at sea 2-person raft slide.
• The Riptide mat racing waterslide features a transparent tube.
• Also new for the fleet is "To Dry For" - new blow-dry bar (specializing in quick beauty fixes/hairstyling) and also serving champagnes and wines by the glass. "To Dry For" was trademarked in July 2018.

The list of other new venues and activities includes:

• Lime and Coconut (2-level bar lounge with live music)
• Bamboo Room (bar lounge)
• Johnny Rockets Express (fleet's first)
• Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade (with "Owner's Box" VIP room)
• Starbucks Bar (speciality drinks and pastries)
• new restaurants (El Loco Fresh, Jamie's Italian, Hooked Seafood)
• The Observatorium (Royal Escape Room)
• Battle for Planet Z (laser tag course at Studio B)
• redesigned Mini-Golf Course

Navigator OTS refurbishment 2014 review

The ship's February 2014 drydock resulted in the following deckplan changes:

• On deck 2, Metropolis Theatre was renamed to Royal Theater. Also here, Board Room was removed and replaced by 4 new oceanview cabins.
• On deck 3, Dungeon disco was replaced with 19 new inside cabins. Also here, the Photo & Art Gallery was renamed to Fucus and reduced in size (to make space for 15 new oceanview cabins /starboard). Another 5 new cabins were added portside. Dining Room was renamed from Nutcracker to Sapphire.
• On deck 4, Dungeon (disco upper level) was replaced by Sabor Modern Mexican (speciality restaurant). Dining Room was renamed from Coppelia to Sapphire.
• On promenade deck 5, Ixtapa Lounge (show lounge) was renamed to Star Lounge. Also here, Champagne Bar was replaced by R-Bar. Shore Excursions desk was added. Dining Room was renamed from Swan Lake to Sapphire. Cupcake Cupboard (bakery) was added.
• On deck 9, Interior cabin category M was changed to Category VB (Interior Virtual Balcony).
• On deck 10, Interior cabin categories (K, L) were changed to Category VB (Interior Virtual Balcony).
• On Lido deck 11, in the main pool area, a Jumbotron (huge movie screen /outdoor theatre) was installed. Pool deck's flooring was updated. Also here, Giovanni's Table (Italian restaurant) was added.
• On Spa deck 12, new Spa cabins were added around the ShipShape Spa complex (categories Panoramic Oceanview, Balcony). Also here, the RCI's signature Nursery was added. The Living Room size was reduced. Back Deck (kids deck) was removed for the FlowRider's support.
• On deck 13, FlowRider (surf simulator) was added. Also here, the In-line Track was removed and the Navigator Dunes (mini-golf course) was moved from starboard to portside and a new golfing area was added.
• On deck 14, two multipurpose rooms (Cloud Nine, Seven Hearts) were replaced with Izumi (Asian speciality restaurant). Also here, "19th Hole" (sports bar) was replaced with "Diamond Club" (past guest lounge).
• New room type was introduced - virtual balcony cabins (on decks 9, 10). It as done as an "upgrade" of 81 existing Interior rooms, which now feature real-time ship camera views.
• New "Panoramic Ocean View" cabins were introduced (spa deck 12), which feature floor-ceiling glass walls as windows.
• Wi-Fi coverage was upgraded to shipwide.
• Digital signage (way finders) on several decks were installed. These touch-screen boards allow you to know your way around the ship.

Cabin amenities were upgraded with smart HDTVs in all passenger staterooms. Public areas were renovated with new carpeting (hallways, corridors, stairs), new furniture (in lounges/bars).