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'Falling' for the Adventure of the Seas Jan. 13, 2013


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We booked our Adventure of the Seas cruise as kind of last minute (for us) getaway & to join our friends Robin & John who we met on our Spirit cruise three years ago. They were on the second week of a B2B.

 

This ended up being a very different cruise than what we had planned. My husband & I are usually very active but I ended up in a wheelchair & on crutches for the whole trip (except for the 1st two hours). I tried to stay very positive as sometimes ‘life happens’ & hopefully for me the wheelchair is only temporary.

 

We had a great cruise in spite of my 'injury'! It gave me a whole new perspective on life in a wheelchair, especially when you need to go to the restroom & cannot get there unassisted! You definitely have to limit the rum punch on unlimited rum punch catamarans as it is way too much trouble to get to the toilet! Luckily we had plenty of help from friends.

 

We definitely had to live by the 'when life gives you lemons make lemonade' on this cruise (especially when I caught a cold the last couple of days) but we really did have an amazing time & met a lot of new friends as we always do!

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Oh my goodness...I do hope you are recovering! My hubby injured himself on one of our cruises when he tried to imitate James Brown during a contest. He pulled his hamstring and was bedridden the rest of the cruise. I think we had 2 1/2 days left, but it was not enjoyable. Take care and feel better!

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I do have pics from this cruise but unfortunately not nearly as many as usual since I am usually the photographer in the family & I was having a hard enough time getting around without dealing with a camera. I do have quite a few pics from our excursions that I will post.

 

Our trip started out wonderful! Our daughter dropped us off at the Nashville airport & we arrived in plenty of time to grab some breakfast & our bag was under the weight limit. :D We flew Delta & had a smooth flight. I love Richard Gere & there was a Richard Gere movie playing in route from Atlanta to San Juan. My husband asked me how much I had to pay them to play that movie. I thought it was a good omen!

 

We took a cab to the Comfort Inn in Condado. The staff at the Comfort Inn, especially the front desk staff is wonderful, the beds are comfy & the free breakfast is pretty good. The location is a short distance from the beach & there are restaurants & bars nearby. I would not stay there again though. The hotel definitely needs an upgrade. The walls in the rooms are paper thin so you can hear EVERYTHING going on in the other rooms & hallways, the elevators are antiquated & stop a little above or below the floors, the restrooms are tiny, we had two towels, one hand towel & one wash cloth for the two of us, etc. The rooms have a musty smell. They put us in room 211 post-cruise & the smell was so strong we had to change rooms . It was a nicer, bigger room than we had pre-cruise & it overlooked the pool but the musty odor seemed to be coming from the air conditioner & there was mold growing on the bathroom ceiling. :eek: It was fine for a one night stay but I would not want to stay any longer. The staff was very nice & accommodating though.

 

We walked up the street & checked out the beach then got an appetizer at a Mexican Restaurant to tide us over until dinner. Next we went by Walgreens to get wine & bottled water to take on the ship. Everything was going GREAT & we were so excited to be on vacation! It started drizzling. No big deal! It is the Caribbean!

 

We made our way back to the hotel with our purchases & this is where our cruise took a different direction than the one we had planned.

 

Going down this hill I slipped on the wet metal covering the sidewalk & fell, almost in slow motion.

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Of course this photo was taken when it was dry. That thing turns nasty when wet! :eek: Definitely not my favorite spot in San Juan.

 

I wrenched my knee & twisted my foot. My husband asked if I was ok & I said I was not sure. I train horses so my body is used to some tough times but this hurt like he**. We had only been in San Juan about two hours at this point. Oh well, life happens!

 

It actually felt better when I walked on it so we met up with friends & went to dinner. I thought after a good night’s sleep (the beds at the Comfort Inn were very comfy) I would wake up good as new. Not so much. I barely slept & finally learned to move my leg by picking up the pillow it was lying on. Not a good sign.

 

The next morning we decided to go to the ER before we got on the cruise ship to get my knee checked out. Bad idea! After three hours waiting in the ER with everyone around us coughing (sorry I felt bad for them but did not want to catch their germs especially the day before a cruise) my husband finally went back & found the doctor. He was in his office on his laptop & said he could not see patients because he could not get his password to work on his computer! Really!?! We got our deposit back & left.

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Ok. I think I got all the negatives of the whole trip out of the way already except for ending up in a wheelchair for the rest of the cruise & catching a cold. The rest of the trip was AMAZING!!!

 

The lines were craziness long when we got to the ship & we asked about getting a wheelchair since I could barely walk at that point. They had us bypass the luggage line & just put our luggage through. We told them we wanted to go see the ship’s doctor as soon as we got on-board & they called & we were told again to bypass the lines & go in. I really do not like to take advantage & felt bad ‘cutting’ line but I would have had a really hard time standing in that line & might have done even more damage to my knee.

 

This was our ist photo getting on the ship. Luckily you can not see I am only standing on one leg.

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We got on the ship & found out the ship’s doctor would not be in until 4 so we went to our cabin.

 

Since this was an unplanned vacation I did not want to spend a ton of money & wanted to try something different anyway. We usually get a balcony but booked a promenade cabin. OMG! I LOVED our Promenade cabin!!!

 

Did I say we absolutely LOVED our promenade cabin! Lol ! When we booked it the promenade cabins were less expensive than an inside cabin. Friends that had an inside said our room was a lot larger & we loved that it felt ‘open’. Other friends that had a balcony liked our cabin too & said they would book a promenade cabin next time. We enjoyed having two couches overlooking the promenade. It was nice to be able to people watch & see the parades from our bird’s eye view.

 

We were in cabin 7591 & you could hear some noise from below especially the bass from the music but it did not bother us. Our cabin was over the General Store & across from the Gravity Sports Bar. If I ever cruise on a ship where promenade cabins were available again I would definitely choose one.

 

These are pics of our cabin (taken later in the week).

 

Our door sign

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A great place to 'sightsee'!

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The view from our window

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Plenty of storage

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I hobbled up to the Windjammer & had a WONDERFUL salad. They have the best salad bar. I also like that on RCCL the waiters bring you your drinks once you are seated.

 

Our informal get together with our roll call group was at 4 at the Sky Bar so we went by for a few minutes before going to the infirmary. It was great to put faces with names! I did not get to meet everyone because I stayed seated & we only stayed a few minutes. :(

 

 

Next we visited one place on the ship that I have never visited before & hope never to again, the infirmary. The staff there was great though. The X-ray technician was funny & the ship’s doctor was an absolute hoot. Unfortunately he said I had tendon damage & a possible cartilage tear in my knee & said I had to be in a wheelchair for the rest of the trip. He wanted me to see an orthopedic doctor in Antigua but I chose to wait until we got home. He said whiskey was the best medicine! :) I asked him if rum punch would work & he agreed that it would! :D:D

 

The photo nobody wants to have taken!

 

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I was shocked at how inexpensive the infirmary visit was. They told us it would be $150 plus X-rays but when we got our bill it was only $125 altogether. They gave us a wheelchair to use for the week & we went back down & got crutches to use on the islands since they do not allow you to take the wheelchair off the ship. I was not sure if we were renting or buying the crutches so my husband called back down to the infirmary inquiring about it since I needed a way to get around San Juan post-cruise & the airport & they told him to take the crutches with us.

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OMG.

 

Do hope you intend to give us more information on what happened and how you are doing now....

 

I had an MRI done on my knee & foot. I go back to the orthopedic doctor today for the results. Trying to use the power of positive thinking that it is just a sprain! :)

 

I really enjoyed your review before we left for our cruise. Your pics were great & it was like being there before we ever saw the ship! Unfortunately I do not have a lot of pics this time but I can look at yours when I want to remember the ship! :D

 

Oh my goodness...I do hope you are recovering! My hubby injured himself on one of our cruises when he tried to imitate James Brown during a contest. He pulled his hamstring and was bedridden the rest of the cruise. I think we had 2 1/2 days left, but it was not enjoyable. Take care and feel better!

 

 

How funny! Not the part about him getting hurt! At least he was doing something interesting when he injured himself! A much better story to tell! I just sound clumsy when I tell people I fell walking down a hill! :eek:

 

Thanks for the review, especially with the photos.

 

You are welcome. Writing this is good therapy for me right now as I have way to much idle time with my injury. I don't sit still well at best so at least I am doing something! As I said I do not have a lot of photos of the ship since I did not have the best advantage for taking them from a wheelchair but I do have quite a few from our excursions that I will post.

 

Juli

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I had an MRI done on my knee & foot. I go back to the orthopedic doctor today for the results. Trying to use the power of positive thinking that it is just a sprain! :)

 

I really enjoyed your review before we left for our cruise. Your pics were great & it was like being there before we ever saw the ship! Unfortunately I do not have a lot of pics this time but I can look at yours when I want to remember the ship! :D

 

 

Juli

 

You're welcome :)

Glad you're on the mend. Sprains are extremely painful. Hope you're back to top form soon :)

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So sorry to hear about this! But it sounds like you made the best of a pretty nasty situation. Kudos to you!

 

Let us know how you fare with the docs. I seriously think knee injuries are the worst -- too many moving parts in there!

 

Ann

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Fingers crossed for a good report from the Dr. :) Soooo sorry to read about your fall. I love your positive attitude. My first cruise I ended up in the infirmary too. Not fun! I can't wait to read how you managed your excursions! Thanks for taking the time.....:D

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Thanks for the well wishes. :)

 

Just returned from the orthopedic doctor. I was hoping for better news but I have a torn MCL & bruising on my knee & have to be in a stabilizer & use crutches 24/7 for 6 weeks & can not put any weight on my leg & then therapy. Hopefully no surgery! :)

 

They have to redo the MRI on my foot because although I told them a dozen times it was my foot that was hurt not my ankle they did the MRI on my ankle.

 

OK, for anyone that has ever worn a leg stabilizer how do you deal with it? :eek: It is making me crazy not being able to bend my leg!

 

I am DEFINITELY a Type A personality & very independent so sitting still for any length of time is very difficult! However now I can not even put on my own shoe & going to the bathroom is a major ordeal! :eek::eek:

 

I am going to allow myself another few minutes to be whiny & then I will move on! :D I realize that some people deal with way more on a daily basis & I am very appreciative of good health so this is a minor inconvenience!

 

I will add more to the review tomorrow & we really did have a great cruise in spite of my injury! Our day in St. Lucia, the friends we cruised with & met, visiting the wonderful islands & getting to spend some down time with my wonderful hubby made it all worthwhile!

 

Juli

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Being a nurse and an avid cruiser I have a couple of suggestions.

1) Follow all of your doctor's instructions. It will help to achieve a much better outcome.

2) Take all prescribed pain meds as this will also aid in healing.

3) (now the cruiser in me comes out) Gather all of the photos you were able to take given your injured condition and to your review.

4) Post a very long and detailed review here on CC to keep your mind off the fact that you are in an immobilizer.

5) Allow us; your CC friends, to ask questions and keep you occupied for hours answering our questions. Again to keep your mind off of the injury.

We promise to do our best in keeping you busy so that you can heal and not go crazy with the mobility issues.

I hope that things heal well and you do not need surgery.

Edited by Kevin's girl
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Being a nurse and an avid cruiser I have a couple of suggestions.

1) Follow all of your doctor's instructions. It will help to achieve a much better outcome.

2) Take all prescribed pain meds as this will also aid in healing.

3) (now the cruiser in me comes out) Gather all of the photos you were able to take given your injured condition and to your review.

4) Post a very long and detailed review here on CC to keep your mind off the fact that you are in an immobilizer.

5) Allow us; your CC friends' date=' to ask questions and keep you occupied for hours answering our questions. Again to keep your mind off of the injury.

We promise to do our best in keeping you busy so that you can heal and not go crazy with the mobility issues.

I hope that things heal well and you do not need surgery.[/quote']

 

Thanks for the advice! I am in a much better frame of mind today. I just hate to be dependent on others. It is very humbling!

 

I am very involved in a Christmas charity where I put in craziness hours in Nov/Dec so if I have to be 'down' now is a much better time for me. It will also give me time to research our next cruise! :D:D:D There is always a silver lining to every cloud!

 

Juli

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I have to say at this point I LOVE Insure My Trip. :) We bought the Travel Guard Gold policy & they have been wonderful up to now. In 14 cruises this is the first time we have ever had to use trip insurance but I am so glad we had it as I was not sure if we would have to cancel when I fell plus we had no idea how much the medical could run. Trip insurance is such a small price to pay for that protection!

 

We called them before we headed to the hospital in San Juan & they were so nice & polite. They called us several times during our cruise to see how I was doing & to see if there was anything else we needed. I was so impressed. Of course we paid the medical bills & have not settled with them yet but I am sure there will be no problem & if there is I will definitely post about it! lol!

 

Juli

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I have to say at this point I LOVE Insure My Trip. :) We bought the Travel Guard Gold policy & they have been wonderful up to now. In 14 cruises this is the first time we have ever had to use trip insurance but I am so glad we had it as I was not sure if we would have to cancel when I fell plus we had no idea how much the medical could run. Trip insurance is such a small price to pay for that protection!

 

We called them before we headed to the hospital in San Juan & they were so nice & polite. They called us several times during our cruise to see how I was doing & to see if there was anything else we needed. I was so impressed. Of course we paid the medical bills & have not settled with them yet but I am sure there will be no problem & if there is I will definitely post about it! lol!

 

Juli

 

Thanks for the info on Insure My Trip / Travel Guard Gold. I'm impressed that they called you while on the cruise. I hope your knee heals quickly and the foot MRI doesn't show any more problems.

 

I agree with Kevin's girl, beside following the doctor's advice, that you should post to get your mind on other things, like cruising. And planning the next trip is a great way to do that too. By the end of 6 weeks you should have everything nailed down. I really like the planning phase - all the possibilities! :)

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The staff on the AOS was ABSOLUTELY amazing & they were all so helpful & always smiling. They seemed to be having a good time too & it made our cruise much more enjoyable. Every staff member we encountered offered extra assistance with me being in a wheelchair.

 

Our cabin steward Dwayne Ainsley from Jamaica was BEYOND amazing. In addition to keeping our cabin spotless, our ice bucket full & always calling us by name he won me over when I asked for an extra pillow the first day because the doctor had said to sleep with one under my knee & every night after that when he turned down the bed for the night he placed the pillow under the blankets where it would be right under my left knee. I know the cabin stewards have a lot of cabins to clean & a lot of people to take care of but I really appreciated his taking the time to do that for me. It made me feel special & he seemed like such a genuine person.

 

Here is my 'specially made up' bed!

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The 1st night we got home after our cruise I got in bed & realized I did not have a pillow under my leg. My DH, J.R. had to take over for Dwayne. :D

 

We had MTD & never had to wait more than a few minutes for a table. We always had the same wait staff, Taylan Subasi & Marija & they were very good.

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This was ‘our’ table. We had a little too much fun at dinner & we laughed so hard some nights I am sure our waiters thought we were crazy!

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There was one dessert that got us tickled. It tasted good we just thought it was ‘funny’ looking!

 

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The hostess in the dining room always greeted us by name & told us our friends were waiting on us at our table (it took me longer to get ready while balancing on one foot). I do not eat seafood but my husband raved about the escargot & the lobster.

 

We ate at Johnny Rockets once when we got back on-board after our excursion in Barbados. There was no line & we were able to get a table outside & enjoy the view. The cost was $4.95 per person.

 

We ordered room service almost every morning for breakfast as we had an excursion planned every day & it was much faster since my husband had to get two plates while I sat & watched. Our breakfast arrived promptly. We usually ordered a bacon (we asked for crispy bacon) or sausage plate that came with eggs, potatoes & toast & we ordered a fruit plate. The Danish plate was also good. The orange juice was delish!

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The Ice Skating Show was INCREDIBLE, the Love & Marriage Show was funny & the Quest was HILARIOUS!

 

We enjoyed the shows we went to but did not make it to all of them this time like we usually do. We never had a problem finding seats even if we got there as the show was starting. The Ice Skating Show, the Love & Marriage Show & the Quest were the most crowded shows.

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Obviously I could not dance so this cruise we did not even check out those venues. I went wherever I was pushed! :D We did check out the Piano Bar.

 

The ice skating rink & the rock climbing wall looked like a lot of fun on AOS (of course I was a ‘watcher’) & the miniature golf & basketball courts were top notch.

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There were a lot of really nice ‘quiet’ areas to get away from it all.

 

The pools & hot tubs looked great. A lot of the hot tubs were undercover which was nice if it was raining or you had too much sun. With my injury & such a port intensive cruise we never got a chance to try them out though.

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Our friends did the Behind the Scenes tour at $150 pp & thoroughly enjoyed it. They also purchased the photo package for $300 that included all the photos taken on-board. I thought that was a great deal. They said it was only $250 if they had bought it online pre-cruise. INCREDIBLE deal! I would definitely do that next time as I scrapbook & love to have the photos taken on each island with the dates.

 

The safes on the AOS open with a number code you enter.I like that a lot better than the ones that open with a credit card since we are not always in the cabin at the same time.

 

We met a broad range of friends from Canada, Portugal, Ireland, the UK & of course the US. People make the cruise & this cruise was no exception!

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Hi

 

Glad you managed to have an enjoyable cruise even with your accident.

 

We're on Adventure in September, i was wondering whether you had the new menus on your sailing and what you thought of them?

 

Love the photos so far, hoping you have some more :)

 

Louise

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Thanks for the info on Insure My Trip / Travel Guard Gold. I'm impressed that they called you while on the cruise. I hope your knee heals quickly and the foot MRI doesn't show any more problems.

 

I agree with Kevin's girl, beside following the doctor's advice, that you should post to get your mind on other things, like cruising. And planning the next trip is a great way to do that too. By the end of 6 weeks you should have everything nailed down. I really like the planning phase - all the possibilities!

 

I have been very impressed with the customer service through Insure My Trip/ Travel Guard Gold. Unfortunately their insurance ended when we got home. It would have covered the MRIs if I had them done on one of the islands. Luckily I have good health insurance. MRIs are not cheap. :eek:

 

I agree. Planning the trip & building up anticipation is a big part of the whole cruise experience! I love Cruise Critic! There is such a wealth of information on here that really allows you to make the most of your cruise!

 

Hi

 

Glad you managed to have an enjoyable cruise even with your accident.

We're on Adventure in September, i was wondering whether you had the new menus on your sailing and what you thought of them?

Love the photos so far, hoping you have some more :)

Louise

 

I can not imagine any cruise not being enjoyable. This one was just a little 'different'. We still had an incredible time!

 

We have not cruised RCCL in a long time so I don't know if the menus were new or not. As I said my husband LOVED the escargot & the lobster. I loved the salad bar in the windjammer. Other than that I have to say I was not that impressed with the food. Nothing was bad but nothing really stood out as being great to me either. Maybe that was because I was catching this cold (that I still have :() & my taste buds were off. We definitely did not go hungry though!

 

I actually have more photos than I thought I did, just not as many as I usually take. I have a LOT from our excursions.

 

That ship and itinerary are my absolute favorites! I hope you're feeling better soon.

 

I agree the ship was beautiful & although we have cruised to the southern Caribbean on the Victory we had never been to St. Croix or Antigua. Loved them both especially Antigua! Thanks for the well wishes!

 

What a great, positive outlook you have! Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

Thank you!!!:) My philosopy is you can have a great day or not, the choice is yours. I choose to enjoy life!

 

Thanks for info. What happaned to you can happen to any of us. Makes me think for future. No one thinks about twisting an ankle and what the implecations would be.

Alex

 

Actually it was my knee & foot. For some reason the doctor did an MRI on my ankle instead of my foot though. :confused: I was happy to have travel insurance when I encountered that man eating sidewalk! :D

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