Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas: A Great Place to Make Memories

The date was October 6, 2002, and my husband and I were about to embark on our honeymoon getaway aboard the Royal Caribbean M/S Rhapsody of the Seas. I had never been on a cruise before, so it was needless to say that my excitement was increasing by the minute. As we pulled in to the parking lot at the pier, we could see the ship shining in the sun as she patiently waited the arrival of her new guests. I could not believe how beautiful she was. The ship was larger than I had ever expected.

When we got on the ship, we were eager to get to our room to drop off our carry on bags so we didn't take time to look around. We wanted to savor the moment of all the beautiful things that the ship had to offer. Our room had two small porthole windows, so there wasn't much of a view. I, being the curious person that I am, had to check out everything, including the bathroom. It took me almost ten minutes to figure out how to turn on the hot water in the shower. And the toilet had so much suction that one might actually fear being sucked down it when you flush.

At five o'clock that evening, the ship pulled up her anchor and set out to sea. No sooner had we left, than six beautiful dolphins were racing gracefully beside the ship. I always expected to see them in beautiful blue waters, and here they were in the dark waters of Galveston. They swam with the ship for about an hour before swimming off.

Before the ship had set sail my husband and I had explored the entire ship from top to bottom. Everything was so beautiful and elegant. Anything made of metal or glass sparkled like diamonds. There were gorgeous sculptures and paintings everywhere.

One of my favorite places was the sun deck. This is where the main pool was. It was beautiful. The temperature was always perfect and very inviting. All around the edge of the pool was a sitting area where the water was only about five inches deep. It was a perfect place to keep cool while getting a tan. We also spent a lot of time here listening to the Jamaican band Hott Sands. The steel drums made the atmosphere feel so tropical.

My husband loved the casino. It was breathtaking and very dark inside. Around the slot machines, the floor was made out of a dark, navy blue marble with flecks of sparkling gold. The other areas had thick, plush carpet of the same color. The ceiling was domed and painted in the same rich color as the floor. All over the ceiling were beautiful glittering stars that sparkled like diamonds in the sky. When you entered the casino, you had the feeling that you were walking in the moonlight.

We also loved the Solarium. I think that this was most interesting place on the whole ship. A second pool is located here. It was the kind of pool where you swim against the current and get nowhere. All along the pool were elaborate Egyptian sculptures. The best thing was the crystal canopy. It is a retractable glass ceiling. On a beautiful day it opens to let the fresh air in. The canopy was so clean that it shined like a polished diamond

Our first port of call was Key West, Florida. We spent the day walking around the island. I brought my swimsuit so I could take a swim in the ocean. When we finally found a beach to swim at, we were disappointed that there was no swimming allowed. A hurricane had recently hit the area, and the authorities feared that the water was not safe for swimming. So instead of swimming, we spent some time looking for seashells to take home with us.

The next night was formal night. I loved the thought of this and really looked forward to it. Dinner was elegant. Our waiters, Perry and Shandor, looked so handsome in their tuxedos. The service was great. When our lobster tails arrived at our table, Shandor and Perry were right there and with a quick flash of a knife, they had the lobsters removed from their shells.

Later we decided to take a romantic moonlit walk on the deck. I thought that it would be so beautiful outside. As it turned out, when we got outside the wind was horrible. It was so strong that it felt as if we might have been lifted off of our feet and thrown from the ship. We didn't stay outside for very long.

There was never a dull moment on the ship. During the day, there were events such as horse races, art auctions, games, slot machine tournaments, and a variety of classes and tours. At night, you could find something for every life style. From ballroom dancing, to country and rock and roll, the music was nonstop as well as the wonderful food. The Viking Crown Lounge is a bar located on the very top of the ship. The walls are made entirely of glass. From here you have a 360-degree view. By day, you can see for miles across the ocean. At night, you can see all the beautiful lights on the ship.

Everyday I would spend some time just looking out at the ocean. I would stand by the rail and look into the water at the wake of the ship. It was pretty to look at the foamy water and listen to the waves crashing against hull of the ship.

Our next stop was Belize City, Belize. We took a tour called "The Tale of Two Cities". This tour consisted of a long ride on a bus through parts of poverty stricken areas and then to the ancient ruins of Altun Ha. The ruins were under major restoration at the time and most of the structures were covered by large blue tarps or were buried under centuries of dirt.

Our final stop was Cozumel, Mexico. As we disembarked, the first thing we noticed was the beautiful blue water. I never thought that water could be so pretty. It shimmered so brightly in the sunshine, and from the pier, you could see the bottom of the ocean and lots of beautiful fish.

Knowing that this was our last port of call, we decided that we would spend the day shopping for souvenirs. We couldn't believe how many shops there were. Everywhere you turned there was always a shop with its owner at the entrance ready to bargain with whomever passed by.

On the way back to the ship, we stopped at an outdoor bar named Senor Frog's. It was on the beach and the view was awesome. The staff was extremely friendly and would come up to you and take you by the hand and out on to the dance floor. They also served you popcorn out of Purina dog food bowls. I thought this was rather strange.

With one more day at sea, we decided to do as many things as we could. We shopped, played games, swam, and took one last chance to stuff ourselves full with more food. That evening, with our bags packed and set out for the crew to pick up, we turned in for the night.

Before we could get off of the ship the next morning, we had to pay our gratuities, and wait in line to see the customs officer. Finally, it was our turn to disembark. I felt sad that it was over, but I was also happy that I had such a great time. When I think about it now, it still feels as if it was just yesterday when I was on that ship. I look forward to the next time that I will build more memories when I cruise again in the future.