8-Day Christmas Cruise on Adventure of the Seas, Southern Caribbean (lots of pics!)

[Cruzin-K]

It would have been Dennis Charles (formerly known as Dennis Sciortino). He's very funny, a hoot at 70's night, and a great entertainer. He's currently on a break (he's hoping for a long one since he went straight to the Jewel from the Adventure).

[nationsgirl89]

Love this review with pictures. Being from Easley SC and a clemson fanatic it makes it that much better!

[Familygoboston]

Hey LMM...I think I mentioned on you MOS thread that I had just searched this since we just booked Adventure for Dec 2013. We are doing the Dutch Antilles trip tho...although I did like the other itinerary, but wasnt sure I could fit in the dates around the girls college/HS schedules (so nice you and your sister will have the same breaks- after Allure next April it will be hard for us to travel as a family:()

 

So here are my questions:

 

1-DH also has status with Marriotts and I did some pre research and did not see the Stellaris..where in relation to the port and airport is it located? It appears it's right on the beach.

 

2-Where were your cabins? Those balconies look roomy! We actually booked early because I really wanted one of the aft balconies, which we did get:D. Our prior balconies on NOS didn't look that large (E1 or 2)

 

3-do you know if they have the MTD on the top floor of the MDR, as they do on most ships? We are hoping so, as we pick cabins based on handy stair walks, and that would be more handy vertically- even though we are waaaay in the stern.

 

4-you mentioned priority boarding- I haven't been to SJ in years, were there separate boarding lines for C & A (somehow we have lived long enough to be Diamond). Ive heard SJ boarding can be kind of a mess...did you experience that? Hoping the priority boarding will help (I will forgo all the free drinks to get on more smoothly..here take my coupons:p)

 

5-Did you notice or remember if you can board and then go out and enjoy Old San Juan? We are hoping to do this, as we really liked it last time and wanted to wander around the shops and fort and get some food there. Last time my diabetic FIL had a sugar crash and we had to go into the absolute first place we found to get him food...and that would be... "hooters" :rolleyes: So, we are clearly in need of redemption in OSJ;)

 

Thanks for tolerating more questions!

[LittleMissMagic]

Hey LMM...I think I mentioned on you MOS thread that I had just searched this since we just booked Adventure for Dec 2013. We are doing the Dutch Antilles trip tho...although I did like the other itinerary, but wasnt sure I could fit in the dates around the girls college/HS schedules (so nice you and your sister will have the same breaks- after Allure next April it will be hard for us to travel as a family)

 

Yeah, it worked out great that we got out of school at the same time. My winter break was about a month, so it was easy to work around Rachel's schedule. Spring break was a little more difficult... this year, we cheated and pulled her out of school for a few days.

 

So here are my questions:

 

1-DH also has status with Marriotts and I did some pre research and did not see the Stellaris..where in relation to the port and airport is it located? It appears it's right on the beach.

 

The Stellaris is very near the port. It's "walking distance" from Old San Juan (it's about a 25-30 minute walk, and I don't recommend it in the heat). It is directly on the beach (Condado). Beach service with chairs is free, but they do take tips (they don't badger you about it, though - they drop off your chair and leave... if you want to tip, then be prepared or tell them to wait. Tipping can work in your advantage, though. My dad tipped a guy, and he put out our chairs for us in the same spot all week before we even got to the beach.). It's also walking distance to many good restaurants - it feels very safe there. The streets are well-lit (However, in Old San Juan, be cautious of uneven pavement... it's not a problem in this area, though). And then there are a few restaurants at the hotel. Here's a link to the site - http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjupr-san-juan-marriott-resort-and-stellaris-casino/ Both times we've stayed there, we booked with points. It's a good deal point-wise (my Dad likes to accumulate points and not spend them... so the fact that we stayed on points means it was a bargain). You have to book a bit in advance if you are using points and staying around Christmas time, though.

 

2-Where were your cabins? Those balconies look roomy! We actually booked early because I really wanted one of the aft balconies, which we did get:D. Our prior balconies on NOS didn't look that large (E1 or 2)

 

We were on deck 8, midship. We were very near the elevators. I'm not sure what room category we were or how that correlates with the balcony size.

 

3-do you know if they have the MTD on the top floor of the MDR, as they do on most ships? We are hoping so, as we pick cabins based on handy stair walks, and that would be more handy vertically- even though we are waaaay in the stern.

 

They do have MTD on the top floor of the MDR. We didn't use MTD, but we were on the top floor, and they had a line for MTD people.

 

4-you mentioned priority boarding- I haven't been to SJ in years, were there separate boarding lines for C & A (somehow we have lived long enough to be Diamond). Ive heard SJ boarding can be kind of a mess...did you experience that? Hoping the priority boarding will help (I will forgo all the free drinks to get on more smoothly..here take my coupons:p)

 

Oh, goodness. Yes, there were lots of complaints about SJ being terrible for embarkation, but we did not experience that. We arrived to the port around noon, and we had a very skilled cab driver who cut through the Princess terminal to bypass many cabs and get us to the front of the line (this guy was a pro - he knew how to navigate around the traffic in SJ, too). As soon as we got out of the cab, there was someone there to take our bags since we were priority (Platinum and above or suites). Regular boarding people keep their bags with them in line, so be sure to notify someone that you are priority. We got onboard very quickly with priority boarding. There was hardly a line for us, and the people running the line were very skilled about which desk to send us to so that we would have the shortest wait. It was a very stress-free experience for us - probably our smoothest boarding scenerio, yet.

 

5-Did you notice or remember if you can board and then go out and enjoy Old San Juan? We are hoping to do this, as we really liked it last time and wanted to wander around the shops and fort and get some food there. Last time my diabetic FIL had a sugar crash and we had to go into the absolute first place we found to get him food...and that would be... "hooters" :rolleyes: So, we are clearly in need of redemption in OSJ;)

 

I have no idea about boarding and then getting off the ship. This didn't even cross our minds, since we had a week in San Juan after the cruise. I think I've heard about people doing this, though, so keep asking around!

 

Let me know if you have any more questions I can (hopefully) answer! :)

Edited June 18, 2012 by LittleMissMagic

[Familygoboston]

The Stellaris is very near the port. It's "walking distance" from Old San Juan (it's about a 25-30 minute walk, and I don't recommend it in the heat). It is directly on the beach (Condado). It's a good deal point-wise (my Dad likes to accumulate points and not spend them... so the fact that we stayed on points means it was a bargain). You have to book a bit in advance if you are using points and staying around Christmas time, though.

 

O my gosh...I thought it was only my DH who hoards points. I'm always telling him...you are not supposed to die with points. :rolleyes:

Luckily, we are staying a good while before Christmas, but I will still probably book and price watch a year in advance.

They do have MTD on the top floor of the MDR. We didn't use MTD, but we were on the top floor, and they had a line for MTD people.

 

 

 

Oh, goodness. Yes, there were lots of complaints about SJ being terrible for embarkation, but we did not experience that. We arrived to the port around noon, and we had a very skilled cab driver who cut through the Princess terminal to bypass many cabs and get us to the front of the line (this guy was a pro - he knew how to navigate around the traffic in SJ, too). As soon as we got out of the cab, there was someone there to take our bags since we were priority (Platinum and above or suites). Regular boarding people keep their bags with them in line, so be sure to notify someone that you are priority. We got onboard very quickly with priority boarding. There was hardly a line for us, and the people running the line were very skilled about which desk to send us to so that we would have the shortest wait. It was a very stress-free experience for us - probably our smoothest boarding scenerio, yet.

 

Thanks will be sure to mention it with out being too ...you know...;)

 

 

Let me know if you have any more questions I can (hopefully) answer! :)

 

Thanks ! You've already been super helpful! I'm clipping and pasting this info into my "Adventure tips" doc. I create one for every trip, a big word doc with clips and pastes of any info I find online. Then when I'm ready to pull the whole trip together I organize it by subject and have the info from many reviews and sources in one doc.

I know I have a problem:p...but everyone who travels with me says they have a great time and can't believe I know all the secrets before we get there! Thanks again!

[luvdisney2010]

I know that y'all likely we not a part of this, but do you remember what part of the day that Santa made his appearance. We will be on the AOS this year for Christmas and will be in St. Maarten Christmas Day. We are looking a planning an excursion, but we don't want our DS 8 to miss Santa. We weren't sure when his meet and greet with the kids took place. If you could help, I would so appreciate it. BTW, I have had a few former students attend Clemson. I used to teach in Beaufort County in the Lowcountry.

[LittleMissMagic]

I know that y'all likely we not a part of this, but do you remember what part of the day that Santa made his appearance. We will be on the AOS this year for Christmas and will be in St. Maarten Christmas Day. We are looking a planning an excursion, but we don't want our DS 8 to miss Santa. We weren't sure when his meet and greet with the kids took place. If you could help, I would so appreciate it. BTW, I have had a few former students attend Clemson. I used to teach in Beaufort County in the Lowcountry.

 

I'm pretty sure Santa made appearances Christmas morning, beginning at 8:00 AM on the pool deck, as well as during the afternoon.

[cctimmom]

only on Page 1 of your trip review and loving it! We are going on Adventure in April, and you have me so excited.

 

My teenage daughter is reading along with me and she LOVES your dress on the first formal night (post #33 -- http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=31890427&postcount=33). Would you have any information on it -- where you got it, who makes it, etc?

 

THANKS! On to reading more......................

[LittleMissMagic]

only on Page 1 of your trip review and loving it! We are going on Adventure in April, and you have me so excited.

 

My teenage daughter is reading along with me and she LOVES your dress on the first formal night (post #33 -- http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=31890427&postcount=33). Would you have any information on it -- where you got it, who makes it, etc?

 

THANKS! On to reading more......................

 

Ohh, that dress! My sister works at a dress shop which dresses Miss America and Miss USA contestants in Greenville, SC, and I found it there last year. I don't remember the designer off the top of my head - something I don't usually buy. I'll check the tag the next time I go home!

Edited August 20, 2012 by LittleMissMagic

[tropicana11111]

Love your reviews on Cruise Critic, LittleMissMagic:) For some reason, the photos on this photo review aren't showing up. I'd love to see them. My husband and I just recently began to take cruises... we went on the Carnival Liberty last year to St. Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk, and Half Moon Cay. LOVED IT and will def be cruising again. Which cruise line, in your experience, is more fun-Carnival or Royal?

Thanks for your input! We're scheduled to go again this summer and we cannot wait;)

[AmandaKaye79]

I cannot see the pictures. Any suggestions? I just see a red X in the spot.

[Mr Elegant]

This review is nearly a year old, and it's my hunch the link to the photos has either changed or the original poster took them down for one reason or another. There is nothing wrong with your computer or tablet. We had the same problem as well until it dawned on us the poster was talking about last Christmas instead of this Christmas. Oh well.

[LittleMissMagic]

Hello, all!

 

I realized a few weeks ago when I was looking back over this TR that the photos had gone away. I had originally linked them through Facebook, at the time thinking that it would be easier to upload them all to one place. However, that turned into more trouble than it was worth. Not to mention, Facebook's last photo update has ruined all of the links. I was hoping to be able to go back and edit my TR to include the updated links, but unfortunately, Cruise Critic only allows editing up to an hour or so after you make the original post. I was very disappointed because I spend a long time writing these TRs with the intent of helping future travelers, as well as keeping an online journal of past vacations.

 

Here is the link to the album in which the photos are currently:

 

They would've been all in order, except Facebook's old photo uploader was giving me trouble, so they start with the photo of my father in the cab.

 

I apologize for the missing links. I now make all of my TRs using my Flickr Pro account, so the links always stay the same, no matter what album I move the photos to (that's the issue I had with the old Photobucket site that I used to use for my TRs).

[LittleMissMagic]

Which cruise line, in your experience, is more fun-Carnival or Royal?

 

So glad you enjoy my TRs and cruising!!

 

Personally, I enjoy Royal Caribbean, and as a whole, I find it more fun than Carnival. I really like Royal Caribbean's onboard entertainment. They host their Love and Marriage (version of The Newlywed) show better than any cruiseline I've seen. I absolutely love Royal Caribbean's Quest show - an adult scavenger hunt that is not to miss if you don't mind getting a little crazy. I find that their shows, from the ships that I have been on, have been of higher quality in costuming and entertainment than Carnival's. And then one aspect I love on Royal Caribbean better than any other cruiseline I've sailed on is the multi-level grand dining room. I like the idea of everyone dining in the same location and being able to see everyone, rather than separate, closed off dining rooms in the ship. It provides for much more entertaining people-watching during dinner. And then, because I am an architecture major, I just can't stand the gaudy neon lights overwhelming every Carnival ship.

 

That being said, I've never been on a cruise on which I was absolutely miserable (honestly, my least favorite cruise was our summer 2012 cruise on the Monarch of the Seas, and I still had a blast). In fact, I've never been on any cruise where I haven't had a fantastic vacation. There isn't a single cruise line I've sailed on that I wouldn't sail on again. I just got home (really- today) from a Panama Canal Partial Transit cruise on Princess, which is more alike than different when compared to Royal Caribbean. Why would I switch to a Princess cruise after I've been, for the most part, completely pleased with Royal Caribbean? Because it was an itinerary that I wanted to do, places I've never been, and I was interested to try another cruiseline. I honestly can't say which of the two cruiselines I favor - I'll choose whichever line is offering the vacation I want. And I'm still interested to try different cruiselines on top of that.

[iheartbda]

BWAHAAAAAAAAA, the link is not working.:( Maybe it's just me.:confused:

[LittleMissMagic]

I just went back and made sure that it was public. It was set to custom, which might have been visible only to friends and networks. Sorry for the bad link!

 

Try this: 2011 Christmas Cruise Adventure of the Seas Photos

Edited January 2, 2013 by LittleMissMagic

[LittleMissMagic]

Looking for the photos? Read the full review with pictures HERE:http://www.victoriaonvacation.com/2012/01/adventure-of-seas-southern-caribbean.html