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Friday, June 26. Last day and a sea day!

This day started with some solo quiet time. The ladies slept in, so I parked myself outside the Windjammer on pool deck with coffee, a plate of fresh fruit and a book.

After about 90 minutes my wife and one of my daughters met me and we went to the main dining room for breakfast. FYI, the dining room on deck four is reserved for Diamond and above for breakfast. Everyone else heads to deck three. We all had eggs benedict, though mine was on a crab cake instead of an English muffin. They were tasty, but all of our eggs were over cooked. The service for the hot food was also a bit slow. The breads, pastries and beverages were fast, and there were plenty of offers for refills.

We hung out at the pool for the rest of the day. There was a barbecue on the pool deck for lunch. The cooks were grilling chicken, burgers and sausages, along with serving up various side dishes. We didn’t want to wait in the long line so we headed in to the Windjammer for lunch.

After lunch we went to see about booking a cruise for next summer. The prices were CRAZY! We decided we would have to do more research and wait for a sale. We might even have to change cruise lines if we can’t find something affordable. :eek: After that we went to the cabin to start packing.

Nobody felt like going to the dining room for dinner, so we went to the Windjammer. We were really pleasantly surprised with dinner there! They had sushi, a cooked-to-order pasta station, a Mongolian grill, steaks cooked-to-order, as well as most of the offerings on the MDR menu. They also had a big cupcake display. We are actually rethinking the whole eat in the dining room every night thing.

After dinner we went to the show. It was called Can’t Stop the Rock, and featured music from films. It was pretty good. After that it was back to the cabin to get the bags out.

Saturday, June 27. Debarkation.

After a final Windjammer breakfast, we checked the room one last time and headed to the dining room on deck four, our scheduled waiting area. We were in group 15, and our scheduled departure time was 9:45. We got to the dining room at 8:45, and the first 14 groups had already been called. We figured it wouldn’t be too much longer, but we ended up sitting and waiting until the scheduled time.

We breezed right through to the baggage area, and there were many aggressive porters wanting to grab bags. We had heard that the porters get people through customs more quickly, so we hired one. There was a separate customs line for porters, and it was much shorter than the other lines. The porter took our bags right to the cab, and we were on the way to the airport at 10:05. We tipped the porter $20.00 for the six bags we had.

We were at the gate at 11:15, and the flight took off a little earlier than its scheduled time. One thing to remember about the airport in San Juan. You have to have all your bags scanned at the agriculture scanner and get a sticker before checking your bags.

Our flight was fine up until landing time. We were due land at 5:00 in Baltimore, but there was a storm over the city. After circling for a while, we had to land at Dulles to refuel. We left Dulles at 7:00 and got the gate at BWI at 7:45.

That’s it! All in all, it was a very nice cruise, though I have to say, we really like the nine nighters better than the seven!! Any questions, feel free to fire away!

Steve

Thursday, June 25, Barbados.

This was probably the best day of the entire cruise! We had decided that we would spend the day at The Boatyard, a beach with a restaurant and bar.

The walk down the pier from the ship was actually a bit long. There were shuttle busses taking passengers to the terminal area. There was no cost for the busses, but the drivers expected a tip. The walk would probably be a solid seven or eight minutes. The terminal was filled with various duty free shops. Right outside the terminal was where folks got cabs or had the opportunity to book private excursions. There were plenty of helpful people to point us to the cab stand.

The cab cost $5.00/person to the Boatyard. The Boatyard cost was $15.00/person and included one beverage, a chaise lounge, umbrella for two, and the cab ride back to the ship. There was a water trampoline, a floating ice berg to climb on, a high dive and a rope swing. The beach was really, really nice. And, since we were the only ship in port, it was not too crowded.

The complimentary drinks were limited to a couple of rum punches, soda or juice. There was a full bar and menu. Sandwiches started at around $13.00 and included a good size serving of fries. We had two club sandwiches to split between the four of us, and with the fries we were fine.

The bar offered up a happy hour between 11:00 and 12:00 and later from 2:00-3:00, where they offered two-for-one rum drinks. They also announced free shots for those 17 and over. No glasses. With music blasting, people would just open their mouth and a bartender standing on a chair poured in rum and a mixer. It’s kind of like being at Senor Frogs!

We really had a good time at the Boatyard. After we got back to the port, we hit a couple of the stores then went to the ship and spent some time on the balcony with a cheese plate from room service and a couple of beers. Then, it was time for the second formal night. Lobster tail!!

After dinner it was trivia, karaoke, the shops and then to bed.

Next up, sea day!

Enjoyed the review, I was going to ask age of daughters but you mentioned it. I have a 17 yr old going when we go in Oct., did she by chance get any of the teen activity compasses? Unfortunately, her brother is only 3 so I'm hoping there's some things that she can do to meet some people. Although, since this will be the first cruise with brother she may opt to stay around with us some this time as she loves her brother, most of the time.

She stopped doing the kids club two cruises ago. She reached a point where she wanted to hang out with us and her older sister. My 20 year old also stopped at 17. I don't think they even looked at the teen compasses.

Wednesday, June 24. St. Lucia

We were up early for a Windjammer breakfast since this was our only excursion day. We booked the ship’s boat trip to the Pitons. The excursion cost $69.50/person, and was scheduled for four hours. Everyone gathered in Studio B at 8:00 and then we headed to the boat at 8:30. It was a catamaran, and the cost included beverages and snacks. There was plenty of seating under cover, as well as being able to sit on benches at the stern or chairs at the bow. There were also a few tables in the shade.

The crew pointed out various points of interest as we cruised along, and after about 45 minutes we stopped at a small beach to go for a swim. The only way to get off the boat was to wade through two or three feet of water to shore, so if one didn’t want to get wet then they just stayed on the boat, which is what we elected to do. There were locals in boats who paddled around selling trinkets and tropical fruits. We stayed at the beach for 30-45 minutes then continued on to the Pitons.

Once we left the beach, the crew offered rum punch and beer, as well as the water and soda. The beer cost extra. I didn’t buy any, so I don’t know the cost. The included snacks offered were bananas and small cheese or tuna sandwiches. The sandwiches were more bread than filling. There were also some packaged chips for sale.

The boat ride was quite nice. The weather was good, the waters calm. We cruised to two villages and then to the Pitons. They were quite majestic to see. After we left the Pitons and started heading back, the crew cranked up the music and the party began. Everyone seemed to be having a grand old time singing and dancing.

We got back to the dock around 12:45. We had lunch in the Windjammer then hung out at the pool for the rest of the day. After that it was dinner and the Schooner.

Final port day tomorrow. Barbados.

Tuesday, June 23, St. John, Antigua

We decided to spend this day at Darkwood Beach. When we got to the pier there were cabbies everywhere, all aggressively trying to get customers. There may have been so many because we were the only ship in port. (Actually, we were the only ship in port at every stop this week.) The cab cost $8.00/person each way. That felt a bit steep. And the ride was a bit of an adventure. We were in a six person SUV, and my wife and daughters banged their heads on the roof more than once as the driver zipped through town. The driver also picked us up at a pre-arranged time.

Darkwood charged us $5.00/chaise lounge, and we had the choice of setting them up near the building in the shade or out in the sun. We chose to sit in the shade and just pulled the chairs a couple of feet to get sun when we wanted. They were also offering two chaise lounges and six beverages, beer, water or soda, for $35.00. The beach was really quiet and the sand very nice. We had brought some snacks with us so we did not order any food. We stayed until 3:00 and then headed back to the ship. There were some nice shops at the drop off point, so we looked around a bit and then headed in.

Dinner was again in the dining room and then back to the Schooner. My 17 year old and I decided to go to the ice show. The doors supposedly opened at 8:30 for the 9:00 show. We got to Studio B at 8:40, and it was already too late to get two decent seats together. We decided to head back to the Schooner for a little while and then went to the theater for the Love and Marriage Show. My wife and 20 year old opted out of the show and headed to the cabin. The show was as funny as it always is.

That evening the sea got quite rocky. At 9:30, the captain asked everyone to stay off the pool deck. There was a pool party and midnight buffet planned for that evening, so the ice show was canceled and the festivities moved to Studio B.

Tomorrow, St. Lucia.

Were all the stores open on St. Maarten - specifically Phillipsburg? I've read conflicting reports that on Sunday they are mostly closed.

We only went to the boardwalk area, and everything seemed to be open there. When we were at St. Maarten last time it was also a Sunday and there were quite a few closed shops, though some were opened.

Keep the info coming. Getting my ideas down for oct. we do a lot of the same trips/ships. Look into my Sept 2016 one. Join us?

Alaska, right? Sadly, we can't do September. Gotta vaco around school schedules.

Here's some pictures. Sorry I don't have too many pictures of the interior of the ship itself.

There are three pictures of the cabin, the main dining room, the cooking area at Giovanni's Table, two views of San Juan from the ship, the ship from the water taxi on St. Maarten, two of St. Kitts from the ship, three from St. Johns, Antigua, three from St. Lucia, the third being the Pitons, three from The Boatyard on Barbados, and the last the harbor pilot exiting the ship at Barbados.

Thanks so much for taking the time to write-up a review of your cruise:) We will be sailing the same itinerary on 9/12. I was about to make dinner reservations and noticed only available specialty restaurant was Giovani's. We haven't been on AOS since 2002. Am I missing something, aren't there other specialty restaurants onboard besides Giovani's??:eek:

 

Thanks again for your review!!

Giovanni's is the only specialty restaurant. There's also Johnny Rockets. Giovanni's is GREAT!!

Monday, June 22, St. Kitts

We awoke to Liquid Sunshine! WHATEVA. We were on a cruise!!

The rain didn’t stop the ships excursions or folks heading to shore, so we took advantage of the wide open Solarium. Read, napped, drank, napped some more, (drank some more!:D)

We had lunch at Johnny Rockets, played cards in Cloud Nine, and my DW enjoyed a Cosmo in the Viking Crown before dinner. The Viking Crown was offering $6.00 house martinis from 5:00-6:00, which consisted of either a gin or vodka Martini, a Cosmopolitan or a Lemon Drop. I opted for an $8.00 Jack OTR. Oh, while I’m on the subject of drinks and prices, the cost for alcohol wasn’t terrible. Jack Daniels or Jameson was $8.00, Kahlua and Cream was $10.00, 16 OZ domestic beer was $6.00, 12 OZ imports $7.00 (I believe.) I think the DOD was $7.95 including the glass. The one time I felt ripped off was when I ordered a Jim Beam Old Fashioned. They charged me $12.00. Really!?!? The Beam shouldn’t have been more than $8.00, and $4.00 for bitters and fruit was a bit much.

After dinner in the dining room and then the Schooner for trivia, we went to the show which featured a comic who juggled and did some nice balancing tricks with a unicycle and a ladder. After that it was bed time.

Next up, Antigua.

Sunday, June 21, St. Maarten

The ship docked about 8:30 and folks started getting off around 9:00. We had a leisurely breakfast in the ‘Jammer, and then got off around 10:30. Breakfast was normal fare at the buffet, with one glaring exception. There was no smoked salmon! Lox didn’t show up in the Windjammer until Wednesday or Thursday.

This was our second time on St. Maarten. The first time we took a private tour, so this time around we opted for a beach day. We took the water taxi to the boardwalk. The cost was $7.00/person for unlimited use, or $5.00/person for a one way fare. If one opts to walk, it would take 10-15 minutes. Once we were at the boardwalk, there were vendors renting chairs and umbrellas. We opted for four chairs, one umbrella and a bucket of five beverages, beer, water or soda, access to restrooms and Wi-Fi for $35.00. One could get two chairs and an umbrella for as little at $10.00. The weather was great and the water excellent for swimming.

We didn’t stay all that long. We headed back to the ship around 2:00 for lunch in the Windjammer, and then dinner in the dining room at 6:00. We had early seating, not My Time Dining. The waiter was ok. He didn’t talk much, and made no suggestions until out third night in the dining room. The assistant waiter was pleasant and efficient. He was always ready to refill the water glasses, and once he realized how much we all love the savory bites, he made sure he had enough in his basket. And, after asking for lemon for the water, there was a plate of lemons on the table each night. The food was good, and as expected, there weren’t many changes to the menu since we last cruised with Royal.

We opted out of the show that evening and just spent time in the Schooner playing trivia and listening to karaoke. We headed to our cabins around 10:30.

Up next. St. Kitts.

Great and detailed review so far ... Anxiously waiting for more ... Any pictures?

I do have pics, but I'm not sure how to post them. Any hints on how do do that, or should I just research.

I thought only 6th floor balconies were all metal? When you say your balcony was surrounded in metal, do you also mean there was no glass front to see the ocean? Or do you just mean the side walls were metal? I had a friend traveling with us in August move her room to the 7th floor from the 6th bc of the metal balconies and now I'm wondering if she'll be disappointed because I misled her?

The balcony was metal on both sides and glass panels in the front. The cabin was right before the hump, so that might have been the reason.

Here’s a review of our swing through the southern Caribbean on the Adventure of the Seas.

The cruise lasted from June 20-June 27. We flew in from Baltimore on July 19, and stayed at the Embassy Suites. The hotel was about a five minute cab ride from the airport. ($19.00 + tip) After checking in we walked to a local fast food place for lunch. This was an independent place, not one of the chains that are also in the area. After lunch, we went to the Pueblo Market, which is also a short walk from the hotel, where we purchased water and wine to carry on the ship. There is also a Walgreens within walking distance.

The Embassy Suites is nice, though it crowded. At the nightly managers reception the line to get a drink was a 10-15 minute wait. Breakfast the following morning was also a bit of a wait, more so if one chose the omelet station.

Day One. Embarkation!!

The cab to the port took about ten minutes. The cost for four people and six suitcases was $27.00+tip. We got to the port at 10:45 and dropped off our bags. The doors opened up at 11:00. Being Emerald, we were directed to a shorter line. We were on the ship at 11:30, and the Windjammer opened for lunch at 12:00. A couple of notes about the Windjammer. Adventure is the second Voyager class ship we’ve been on, the other being Explorer. The first thing I noticed is that Adventure has a full bar at the back end of the Windjammer. There were also two less food stations on Adventure than on Explorer, which resulted in more seating room. The food layout was different also. On past ships it seemed that everything that was in the front section was also in the rear. The only salad station was at the very front of the Windjammer, so if you found seating in the back, you had to walk all the way back to the entrance to get salad. On the port side, they had various breads and deli selections for sandwiches, but in the back they had all the bread but no meat and cheese. (I’m not sure about the starboard side.) Some days on the port side there were desserts on a round station, other days it was a taco bar. There was one antipasti bar in the rear on the port side. The food itself was fine throughout the week. There was always something to choose from, and it was quite edible.

The cabins opened at 2:00. We had connecting balconies, my wife and me in 8308 and our girls in 8306. We were a bit disappointed with the balcony. It was solid metal all around, so it felt like we were in a cave. The girls had a glass panel on one side of their balcony. We were hoping that we would be able to open the panel between us so we could spend time together on the balcony, but oh well!! Also, since the cabins were connecting, we had a single chair instead of a two person couch. Pamela was our room steward, and she was really sweet. And she kept us in ice and glasses for the wine!

Dinner the first night was in Giovanni’s. It was the second time we’ve had dinner at Giovanni’s, and it was absolutely wonderful. And, there’s a 20% discount if you dine there the first night. Antipasto, baked mozzarella, scallops for appetizers, risotto, crab ravioli, and spinach crepes for the pasta, and steak all around for the main course.

The ship left port just before 8:30, the scheduled departure time. Everyone was really tired and we called it an early night.

Next up, St. Maarten.

Thanks Bob, one more question if you please. The Safes, how big are they, and hpw are they locked?

We were in in interior and the safe was small and a credit card was needed to lock it.

Steve

I so wish the cruise lines would just do away with gratuities. Call them what they've become. A SERVICE CHARGE! Add them on the the costing the cruise and be done with it.

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This will be our first time using MTD. We have reservations for 7:00. If we were to get to the dining room around 6:30 or 6:45, will the staff attempt to seat us then or have us wait until our reserved time.

Thanks and Happy Cruising!!

A couple of years ago a crew member explained how the back to back worked. She said all passengers met In a specific area and were all taken as a group to clear customs and get new sea pass cards then brought back on board. The whole process took about 10-15 minutes.

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We will be on the same cruise on 8/14. Some one else posted all of the daily compasses and it showed 2 formal nights and 7 casual was it the same for you?

Yes. Formal on Friday, the first sea day, and Thursday, the first of the last two sea days. The rest were casual. No smart casual nights.

Thanks.

 

I was hoping for a good piano player in the Schooner Bar because we like to spend time there.

 

I read on CC that some of the other ships no longer have singing in the MDR. I guess it must be up to the Captain.

The piano player wasn't terrible, just not our style.

We are on the Exots on Thursday. Glad you enjoyed your trip.

 

Do you remember what the entertainment in the theater was and who was the piano player in the Schooner Bar?

 

Also, did they sing in the MDR?

 

Were there a lot of children?

 

Thanks

Last week we had a comedian/musician and a rock show, along with the usual RCCL singers and dancers.

Only sat in the Schooner for a little bit of the piano player. He wasn't that great, so we checked out the guitarist/singer in Crown and Kettle. He was pretty good.

The usual wait staff parade a couple of times.

Plenty of children.

And enjoy the Washie Washie lady at the Windjammer in the morning!!

I have a question. How long did it take you to disembark on Saturday morning? We had luggage tags #17 and were called around 9:30 after all was said and done we were on our transportation at 11:30. The line was not moving for awhile. Meanwhile the other family in our party had luggage tags #21 so they were still in the MDR when we left. They got called not long after us and were off and waiting for us around 10:30. We also missed our shuttle from Hilton in Staten Island so we had to take a taxi van (there were 8 of us) for $150 :eek: My dad and his wife were able to get on the shuttle.

We had #17 also. We weren't in the dining room when the numbers were called, but I found out about 9:50 that it was time to get off. We waited forever in the elevator area on deck 1 because the buses were running slow. Once we finally got on a bus, we sat waiting to get off while two other buses emptied out. I think there were a few wheelchairs on one of the buses that was slowing things down. I think we finally got to the car around 10:45. Even the customs officer who cleared us commented that it was taking a really long time to clear the ship.

We just booked a Christmas Cruise on the Explorer, was little worried after I read some reviews that it was tired and worn looking. I sailed on the Explorer in 2001 when she was fancy brand new. Was it run down?

She's a little tired and in need of her scheduled dry dock, but we have no complaints about her. She's clean and the only thing I saw that wasn't working was one of the machines in the casino.

Could you post lots of pictures of the ship and ports?

Here's a sampling.