Empress of the Seas

Editor's note: Empress of the Seas is no longer part of Royal Caribbean's fleet. As of 2020, the ship belongs to Cordelia Cruises, an India-based cruise line.

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For cruisers who have sailed behemoths like Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, the 1,602-passenger Empress of the Seas — the smallest Royal Caribbean ship — may just seem quaint. It’s also the oldest: Entering the fleet in 1990 as the Nordic Express, it was transferred to Spanish line Pullmantur Cruises in 2008 before returning in 2016 following a $50 million refurbishment.

This ship was built well before the line was best known for dozens of restaurant choices and activities such as skydiving simulators, ice skating, a massive last-night parade with DreamWorks characters on stilts, acrobatics classes, and zip lines — and the rhythm of life onboard is comparatively quiet. But, even after the refurbishments, it has retained some old-world elegance, and many design details reflect the “The Love Boat” days. While we loved the retro details — including the old-school casino, the heavy curtains of the Royal Theatre, and the dramatic staircase in the atrium — some people might find these details dated.

That said, all the stalwarts are here: Windjammer Café, the “Quest” scavenger hunt for adults, Boleros, and sophisticated Viking Crown Lounge. And not only is the ship a bit quieter than the bigger vessels, there are also plenty of low-key spaces — a small library and seating areas on Deck 9, and seating areas facing floor-to-ceiling windows on Decks 6,7, and 8 make finding a quiet place to relax easy.

The ship also offers a wide variety of programs for families. If you want to enjoy dinner with your family, “My Family Time Dining” means kids are served first in the dining room and the kids’ crew will pick them up right from dinner to take them to Adventure Ocean. The Adventure Dining program, which allows children to dine with the other young aquanauts while adults get some private time, is complimentary, while the late-night kid party (from 10pm to 2am) costs $7 per hour. Parents can also leave kids older than 3 in the kids’ club on port days if they want a bit of exploration time.