Adventure of the Seas - Jan 19-26th...An installment review

[TerpsBball]

Hello,

 

My family and I are just off the Adventure of the Seas. We took the 7-night Southern Caribbean “A” route from San Juan from January 19th through the 26th. My wife is the family photographer, so I don’t have the photos to post (my apologies). I plan on writing a detailed review for everyone (and also as a bit of Post Cruise Depression therapy for me). As I write the installments (daily summaries), I’ll post them. I’ll throw in some of the things we consider as tips to maybe help others.

 

First, a little background… We are a family of four from Maryland. My wife and I are in are 40’s. Our son is 11, and our daughter is 9. We’ve cruised several times and are at the Diamond level.

 

This installment will be called "Pre-Cruise Planning."

 

I am a big-time vacation planner, and my wife is awesome in that she lets me handle (i.e., obsess about) the details once we decide on what we’re doing. We booked this cruise in August of 2012. The price was quite good, and we were able to snag cabin 1388 (Deck 10, corner aft stateroom). We’ve had this cabin on the Mariner, so we knew all the perks about it. We prefer to pay a little each month on the bill, as we feel this way keeps the excitement level up while we are waiting. I check prices constantly, and the price never dropped lower than our original booking price.

 

We planned on traveling to San Juan a day early (January 18th). From Baltimore, the only direct flights are on Southwest. I checked the schedule, and as soon as the flights opened, I booked them. We had an 8:35 am departure from Baltimore on the 18th. For the return flight, the only non-stop flights were at 8:00 in the morning and then at 5:10 pm. We elected the 5:10 flight. Granted, there were other flights leaving earlier in the day, but by the time changing planes was factored in, we would have gotten back to Baltimore about 20-30 minutes sooner than just waiting for the 5:10 direct flight. We purchased the round-trip tickets for $336/each. I checked these prices every day, and they never went lower than that.

 

We reserved a room at the Embassy Suites Isla Verde (the one by the airport). With taxes, etc., the total bill was $255. We like the Embassy Suites and found it very conveniently located. I researched the taxi fare, and it was very reasonable.

 

When we fly, we typically take a rental car to/from the airport. I like the idea of having my car in the garage. In the winter, this is especially convenient. There have been times, like on this trip, where it has snowed while we were away. Digging out my car in an airport parking lot isn’t too appealing. Using a coupon for Budget (it’s the closest company to us), I reserved a car to/from the airport. For 2 full-size cars, I paid a total of $90 ($44 to the airport, $46 from the airport). I don’t count the cost of gas, since I would pay that if I used my own car. So, given the price of parking, $90 isn’t bad. You can also join the rental car companies’ frequent renter programs for free. We have, so we always bypass the counter.

 

As the months ticked away, we examined shore excursions. We booked one for each island, to include San Juan. I’ll detail each one on the respective day.

 

As time approached, we pulled out the packing list and made sure to include things like Gorilla tape (works much better than duct tape), clothespins, old sheet for the beach, etc. We use a lot of large Ziploc bags when we pack, especially for the kids. Each outfit goes into a bag, and then we roll the bag to push out the air. It really compacts the bag, which gives more room. We also mix up the bags between the suitcases, so if one bag gets lost, each person will still have some clothes. We carry a small luggage scale (bought from Amazon). We checked 2 bags and carried on 4. We also had some snacks for the plane. I also purchased luggage tag holders designed for the RCCL tags. I printed all the documents and was set to go. We carry passports, and I made copies to take with us and copies to leave with my parents (who were watching the house and feeding the cat). We also carried copies of the fronts and backs of our credit card, insurance cards, and driver’s licenses. We left copies with my parents, too. We put these in the safe when on the ship. I also carried the phone numbers of the credit card and insurance companies in my wallet.

 

For cruise insurance, I purchased it from insuremytrip.com. I paid $114 for very good coverage.

 

I checked in for the flight 24 hours early (actually 24 hours and 5 minutes) and got B46-B49 as our boarding group. I wasn’t thrilled with that, but there was nothing I could do. I didn’t elect to spend the $12.50 per person to check in early. I figured I’d use the ship’s internet to check in for the return flight.

 

We finished up packing on Friday night, and prepared for an early morning the next day.

 

Coming next… "Pre-Cruise Day"

[sellwingri]

I can't wait for your review! We're on AOS in 33 days and very excited.

 

If possible, please share information about the events on the ship and the cruise director and staff. We love to experience on board activities so I'm anxious to hear about them.

[TerpsBball]

We arose at 4:15 am and prepared to leave the house. With the outside temperature at about 20 degrees, it was a bit nippy. So, I started the rental car and let it warm up while we packed up our remaining items. We wore jeans, sweatshirts, and lightweight jackets, knowing we would soon be in MUCH nicer weather. At 5:15, we left for the airport.

 

The trip to the airport was uneventful, except for a road closure which caused us to take a slight detour. We arrived at BWI (Baltimore Washington International) at 6:20. We dropped off the rental car and boarded the bus for the terminal. Apparently, the parking brake on the bus was sticking, since the bus had a lot of trouble on inclines and started to get smokey inside with the distinct smell of burning brakes. Thankfully, we got to the terminal and off-loaded. The bus driver deadlined the bus right there.

 

We used curb-side check in, and I was pleased to see the airline’s scale was within ½ pound of our travel scale.

 

Getting through security was uneventful, even with a bit of a line, and we were in the gate area by 7. There is a frozen yogurt/smoothie place called Pinkberry there. We got our “breakfast” there. Delicious. They use all-natural ingredients.

 

The flight was scheduled for 8:35, but we didn’t pull out until 9:05. With our boarding numbers, we were in the last 2 rows. No big deal. We were on VACATION!

 

On the flight, our kids worked on their homework (we had gotten stuff for them prior to leaving) and tried to nap a little. We also stowed our sweatshirts and jackets. Four hours later, we touched down in sunny San Juan.

 

The temperature was about 85 and felt so good. Since we were so far back in the plane, it took a bit to get off. After a quick pit stop at the restroom, we went to baggage claim. Within 10 minutes, we had our 2 bags. We asked someone for the location of the taxi stand (things weren’t always too clearly marked at the San Juan airport, in our opinion. More on that, later). We were in a taxi within 5 minutes. Our fare was pre-set ($18) to go to the hotel. The taxi had a huge advertisement on the side door for a strip club. Good thing the door was open when we got in, or we would have had some explaining to do to our kids on what that was!

 

It took less than 10 minutes to get to the Embassy Suites, and we arrived around 2:45. Unfortunately, our room wasn’t ready. However, they held our bags for us. We were hungry, and took advantage of the Outback in the hotel. At approximately 4:15, we were in our room. We immediately changed into our shorts and sought out a grocery store or drug store. If you walk out of the hotel and head left, there is a small, but very nice, park. At the opposite end of the park, there is a police station and a Wahlgreen’s behind it. It’s about a 5-minute walk. We bought some water there (15-pack of Dasani for $2.99 using our Wahlgreen’s shopper’s card). If you were to walk out of the hotel and turn right, there is a very nice supermarket there (another 5 minute walk). In easy walking distance from the hotel there are some other places to eat (Burger King, Ponderosa, Chilis). Even in such close proximity to the airport, it was very quiet. At this time, the last 2 days of a large festival was taking place near Old San Juan. We were glad to be away from the traffic and congestion. The hotel pleased us greatly and we’d gladly stay there again. I should have stated earlier that I booked this hotel as soon as I could (about a year out)….told you I was a planner!

 

When we got back to the hotel, I asked the Front Desk about getting a taxi for the next day. The man said taxis were always at the hotel during the day, so it would be no problem to get a cab. We took in the free drinks and snacks the hotel offers and then headed upstairs for showers and to relax. We were all tired. We turned in around 10.

 

Next up…. “Cruise Day 1 – Embarkation”

[rednancy1]

Subscribing! :)

[sellwingri]

I'm captivated! We're staying at the same Embassy Suites and have in the past but it was great hearing about what's in the neighborhood.

[mjtripper]

Enjoying your review. We leave for San Juan on Friday, sailing on the Adventure on Sunday! This will help with the anticipation!

[TerpsBball]

We awoke early and took advantage of the Embassy Suites breakfast buffet. The hotel was full, so there were many downstairs. We ran into members of a group of 250 people who were members of a salsa dancing club. They were to be on the ship with us. We finished eating, packed up what little we had removed from our suitcases, and affixed our luggage tags on all of our bags. We also put the tags on our carry-ons in the unlikely event we became separated from our bags.

 

Since we had some time, we took another trip to Wahlgreens and also walked along the beach for a while. The beach was about 1.5 blocks from the hotel. Following the beach walk, we checked out the grocery store and then headed back to the hotel.

 

At about 10 we went downstairs. The hotel valet outside got a taxi for us. I asked the driver how much it would cost to go to the Pan American pier. He said $27. So, we loaded up and left by 10:10. The driver told us about the festival going on and said he would detour some of the congested areas. At that time of the morning, officials were starting to close some streets and divert traffic. This driver was awesome, as we skirted around all of it. After about a 15 minute ride, we turned a corner, and there was the Adventure.

 

We unloaded the taxi (I gave him $35) and were met by a baggage handler for the port. All the porters have an ID badge and matching shirts. He took our 2 checked bags and directed us to the priority line. The line had about 15 people in it. The other line had about 50 people in it. As a time reference, it was about 10:30 or so.

 

We waited for approximately 10 minutes and were then let inside the terminal. The terminal is a nice, basic place. There were clean restrooms and large fans (made by the Big A$$ Fan Company…we thought that was funny) keeping the place nice. We were immediately checked in. We received our SeaPass cards and 1 WOW card. In the past, we had received a few WOW cards, but this time it was only 1. We were then very politely directed to chairs. The building was not crowded at this point. The cruise ship had some food staff there with cookies, water, and lemonade. There was a small kiosk selling cigarettes and liquor.

 

When we sat down, we were handed a paper which was an apology for boarding being delayed. We were expecting to board around 11:30, but that came and went. There was a large garage door near our chairs that was closed. We presumed when this opened, we would be let on board. The port workers did a great job of not letting people congregate around the door. Everyone had to be in, or behind, the seating area. I guess my advice would be to get there around 10:30. That’ll give you a chance for a seat.

 

At about 12:15, the doors opened. Again, the port workers were spot on. The conducted an orderly procession through the door. We got the kids wrist bands for Adventure Ocean (more on AO in a bit), and headed up the escalators. There are 2 escalators, side by side. However, the right one stopped. Fortunately, we were on the left one. Up the escalator, we walked on the gangway. At the top of the gangway, we set foot on board and had our photo taken. Then…wait for it…get ready now…that lovely sound…here it comes…the first “DING” of the cruise. There’s nothing like that sound when you waited for over a year to hear it. We had arrived!!

 

We took our bags and headed to the Windjammer (Deck 11) for lunch. The Windjammer is laid out nicely. Upon entry, there is a salad bar. There are serving lines on both sides. The first few spots typically have pasta. The remaining selections are a mixture of hot and cold items. If you enter the rear section of the Windjammer, there is the grill area where you can get hot dogs, burgers, fries, etc. The deserts were plentiful and varied. The area behind the deserts, called “Ketchup Please” has, you guessed it, ketchup. But, it also has other condiments. Water, team, and lemonade are available in different spots. You can ask them to mix the tea and lemonade.

 

Since we were late boarding the ship, our cabin was ready by the time we exited the Windjammer (about 1:15). We entered our cabin, and it felt great. You can go on many websites and see the photos. Storage was ample. We had the regular double bed, and the kids were to sleep on the sofa bed. The balcony rocks! It had 2 lounge chairs, 2 regular chairs, and a small table. There is a shaded area, as well as an area that gets sun. You are directly under the Windjammer, but we never heard noise from it.

 

The bathroom is, well, the bathroom. If you’ve cruised before, you know the deal with size, etc. The shower had doors, not the curtain of some of the other ships. We requested, and promptly received, extra towels, washcloths, and our robes. There was plenty of storage in the cabinets by the mirror. We did notice it took a minute or two to get hot water from the sink (never had an issue with the shower), but once it started getting hot, it was hot!

 

I counted 20 hangers in the closet. Four of them had the clips on them for pants. We also brought about 6-8 hangers. The closet also had shelving on the side, which was very convenient to stack or Ziploc bags of outfits on. There are two US outlets on the dressing table area, but we brought along our Belkin powerstrip. We carried it on, and it wasn’t questioned. There is a hair drier in the top right drawer. My wife and daughter used the one we brought, so I can’t comment on how well it works. I’m just grateful to still have hair. The safe is the push-button kind, so you only have to choose your 4-digit combination. There is a mini-fridge, but we didn’t bother asking the attendant to empty it. We didn’t have anything to put in there, as we left our water on the shelf. The phone has a small clock on it, but you need to use either your phone or bring a travel alarm. The TV was a small flat screen, and you could check your account on it. The rugs, as expected, are a bit worn and you do see a stain here and there, but there was NOTHING serious. This ship is in GREAT shape. One thing we do is carry some Clorox/Lysol wipes and wipe down all surfaces in the room. It doesn't take long and gives some extra protection.

 

We were delighted to have received our checked bags within 20 minutes of getting into our room.

 

We met our stateroom attendant, Irod. He was great. He was very attentive and kind all week.

 

Our tour tickets were on the dressing table.

 

We quickly emptied our bags (this is where the Ziplocs really come in handy) and stowed the empty suitcases under the bed. We then decided to find our table in the dining room and then explore the ship. The dining room is 3 levels (3rd, 4th, and 5th floors). We requested a table for 4, early seating (6pm normally, but 6:15 or so on the 1st day due to Muster Drill). We were assigned table #427 (4th floor, Strauss Dining Room).

 

We then walked up one level to the Royal Promenade (5th floor). Being in port, the shops were closed, but we looked in the windows. The pubs, as well as the Café Promenade, were open. We stopped in the Café Promenade, where my wife got a scone. She said it was delicious.

 

We also went to the Sports Deck (13) and played some putt-putt golf and ping pong. The kids were able to spend some time in the pool. Both pools are salt water.

 

There is a frozen yogurt stand on the right side of the pool deck in the rear, next to the doors to enter the Windjammer. The yogurt (chocolate, vanilla, or swirl) is served on a cone and is quite good. My only knock is it located next to the smoking area. I am not trying to start anything here, but since we are a non-smoking family, we are particularly sensitive to the presence of smoke. I think the yogurt stand, or that portion of the smoking area, should be relocated. The right side of the ship (outdoor decks) is designated as the smoking area. As of January 1st, there is no smoking on the balconies.

 

We wanted to get the kids lanyards for their SeaPass cards, and Adventure Ocean does that. So, we stopped by there and took care of it. They’ve done, and thoroughly enjoyed, Adventure Ocean activities in the past. The staff there does a great job. There were not many kids on this cruise, so 6-8 age group was combined with the 9-11 group. Our kids decided they didn’t want to try that. That was fine with us, as we had a bunch of stuff planned. They certainly could have gone if they wanted. One thing to note is the plastic fasteners on the lanyards break easily. This is one of the many great uses of Gorilla tape. Even if you kids don’t want to take part in the activities at Adventure Ocean, get a lanyard anyway. It’s very convenient.

 

We returned to the room, situated more items, and prepared for dinner. First, at 5:45, we had the Muster Drill. You did not have to bring your life jacket, but you did have to check in. They took attendance. It lasted about 20 minutes. We went to dinner directly after.

 

It was a casual night (FYI…. Formal nights were Monday and Friday. Smart casual was Thursday, and the rest were casual). Many folks, not yet having their luggage, were still in shorts. There was not a problem with this. We met our waiter and assistant waiter (Brendo and Menzie). These gentlemen were phenomenal.

 

I guess this is as good a spot as any to talk about the food. The ship has the new menus, and we found them to be a nice improvement over the old ones. We were pleased with every meal. Yes, there were some meals better than others, but, gee whiz, we are on a cruise ship on vacation! Both our kids ate off the adult menu. My daughter is a very picky eater, but she looks forward to the chilled fruit soups, Caesar salad, grilled chicken, and linguini with pomodoro sauce (available every night). We had savory bites on 4 nights, I believe. My son had escargot several nights. They were snails, not scallops. We are not drinkers, so we had tea or lemonade. The kids also had milk. Desserts were excellent. We all enjoyed them every night. I guess my advice is to enjoy the food and atmosphere. The food, in our view, is quite good overall. There is something for everyone. We didn’t dine in any of the Specialty restaurants. They are supposed to be for guests over 13. However, on the second night, a manager came by and said we could go. He even offered a 20% discount ($80 for us instead of $100). We chose not to. We were very happy with our service and the food in the dining room, but mostly felt our kids weren’t old enough to enjoy the Specialty restaurants yet. They were not upset about it and said they wanted to wait until they were older, so they could be big enough to eat all the food!

 

After dinner, there was a Welcome Aboard Show. We decided to skip it, since we had an early tour in the morning. I believe they had a mime-type act. I heard good things about it. The Cruise Director was a lady named Mercedes. She seemed very friendly and upbeat when we saw her at other things. Announcements were made in English and Spanish.

 

We returned to our cabin, got cleaned up, and prepared for the next day. This was to be our first port, St. Thomas. We also wanted to be on our balcony for sailaway. The ship left between 8 and 8:30. We had a great view of San Juan as we left. We stood on the balcony enjoying the wonderful view.

 

Next up…”Cruise Day 2 – St. Thomas”

 

But first... a P.S. on the planning section. Regarding clothes, we try not to pack our whole closets. For sea days, we try to do just shorts and a t-shirt. I use the same stuff for the 2 formal nights. For the casual nights, we'll bring a few different pairs of pants and shirts so we can mix and match.

[TerpsBball]

We docked in St. Thomas around 7 am, and the ship was quickly cleared. There was a Carnival ship (Valor) in port with us. We were up at 6:30 and headed to the Windjammer by 7:15. We had the “FastCat 2-Island Snorkel and Beach Tour” at 8. After breakfast, we collected 4 towels. You don’t have to give them your SeaPass anymore to get towels. Woo Hoo! Anyway, we sunscreened up and went off the ship. You need photo ID and your SeaPass cards. We used our passports. I would carry them wrapped in a plastic bag if we were doing any water activities so my swimsuit woudn't get them wet on the way back to the ship.

 

We were met at the dock by our tour guide and escorted to the FastCat “Virgin Breeze.” We took about a 20-minute ride to Buck Island (I think that was the name). You were handed snorkel gear (mask, snorkel, and snorkel vest) and given instructions. The guide said the gear is cleaned and sanitized (there was also a bucket of stuff on board to rinse the gear off when you got out of the water). The boat stopped in a secluded cove, and it was “everybody into the pool!” The guide directed us to different areas, and we saw 4-5 sea turtles, a few stingrays, a cool reef, and many fish. After about 20-30 minutes of the guided tour, we were allowed another ½ hour to explore on our own. Upon completion, you loaded up the boat and it headed for a beach. Along the way, there was Coke, Sprite, and rum punch. All were free. The rum punch was pretty high octane and tasted very good. Kidding of course, I told my wife it was as if the bartender took a piece of pineapple and dipped it into a bucket of rum. It went down REAL easy!!!

 

We anchored just off the beach in about 4 feet of water, and you waded into the beach area. There was a stand selling food and some benches. This is where the old sheet comes in handy. It keeps towels, etc. from getting sand-filled. Also, you can keep the rest of your stuff on board the boat. It is safe. We all wore swim shoes, which were nice to have. We found a lot of very nice shells and coral here. You could use the snorkel equipment here if you wanted. The beach area was active with some fish and coral. It was a nice break.

 

After given about 75 minutes on the beach, we loaded back on board the Virgin Breeze and headed back to the ship. Drinks were still available. We returned to the dock around 12-12:30.

 

After changing clothes, we had lunch in the Windjammer, and then walked around the Havensight Mall. This is located right outside the dock. There are a lot of jewelry and souvenir stores here. We also saw a Harley Davidson store, too. There is also a Senor Frogs at the dock, too. We’ve been to St. Thomas previously, and one of the tours we did when the kids were smaller was the Butterfly Farm. This is very inexpensive ($10-15) and is located behind Senor Frogs. We’ve also done a Meghan’s Bay excursion, too.

 

We had to be back on board by around 5 for sailaway. We were on before this, as tonight was the first formal night. So, showered, shaved, cleaned, and pressed, we headed for the dining room. We purposely left for the dining room around 5:30 so we could get a photo taken. If you wait until dinner time, the line gets long.

 

I believe there was a comedian this night for entertainment. The kids were pooped from all the swimming (us, too), so we didn’t attend. We got out of our formal clothes and got extra dessert in the Windjammer and looked at some of the photos from the day before. We also had another early excursion the next day in St. Kitts, so we turned in around 10-10:30.

 

As a note, we chose to have the gratuities charged to us daily. I tracked this on the TV. All were posted under my name, and there were never any errors.

 

Next up…”Cruise Day 3 – St. Kitts”

[Missus Makkem]

Thank you for your well written and concise report on your cruise.

We have been on the Adventure many times and will be back for the TA to Southampton and you have brought back many happy memories of a wonderful ship and the Caribbean.

Keep going , looking forward to the next instalment.

[TerpsBball]

St. Kitts is a stone’s throw from St. Thomas, so we were there early the next day. Again, we were up early, since we had to be ready for our shore excursion by 8. For this day, we took the Skyline Safari Zipline. We met the tour rep at the dock. We were put on a rental car-type bus for about a 20 minute drive to the facility. The guide pointed out some interesting features along the way (former sugar plantations, etc.).

 

The facility is located in the forest area. We received instructions and equipment and then boarded the transport (an older army truck) up the ridge. We were on 5 different lines, up to 1350 feet long. We had a blast. The kids loved it. You finished the ziplining back at the facility. Here, there are the remains of a sugar processing plant. You can read about the process and see the building. You can also walk along the trails around the forest. There is a fresh water stream here, too. Interesting story from the "it's a small world" department...While we were ziplining, we got to talking to some people in our group and asked where they were from. They replied Maryland and live just two counties over (and next to the county I grew up in). We then found out they were to be on our flight back.

 

After we finished up, we were looking at the old sugar plant. A guy who worked on the grounds of the plant offered to give us some info about it. He talked with us for no more than 5 minutes. I knew I was going to have to tip him, which was fine. He said, I get $5 a person for tours. Uh, no. I wasn’t paying $20 for 5 minutes. I gave him less, and he wasn’t displeased. I did find out our zipline guide was taking people around, too. If I had known that, we would have stuck with him. Still, this was a excursion we would DEFINITELY do again.

 

We got back to the ship at lunch time and hit the Windjammer. In the afternoon, we took in the local markets and stores. There were people trying to get you to have your picture taken with a monkey, but they weren’t overly forceful about it. If they approached you and you declined, they simply walked away. We thought it funny the monkeys had little diapers on them, but I guess it was a necessary precaution. How would you convince a tourist to pay you if your monkey just went poop on their head?!?!?!

 

Tonight was a casual night, so we didn’t have to do too much work prepping for dinner. I think we played some basketball and ping pong first. I know there was a towel folding class, ping pong tournament, bingo, dodge ball tournament, water aerobics, etc. during the week. The kids also wanted to do the rock wall, which they did later in the week. A parent has to sign a waiver.

 

I think this was the day to pick up tickets for the Ice Show. A table was set up next to the Café Promenade in the morning. There was next to no line, and we got tickets for 2pm on Wednesday, I think.

 

Dinner was again casual, and we continued to enjoy the new menus. We typically snuck into the Windjammer later on for a snack. There were some items in the Windjammer which were the same as in the dining room.

 

We also checked out some of the shops on board, thinking about what stuff we might like to buy. During the week, there were some sales (t-shirts, polos, watches, jewelry, etc.) which were all well-attended.

 

There were also different bands playing about the ship. We really enjoyed a solo guitarist who sometimes played in the Royal Promenade. Our favorite was a quartet. They played a variety of rock. The drummer was a lady and was an awesome singer. She even sang Guns N Roses “Sweet Child O’ Mine”…very well!

 

Next up…”Cruise Day 4 – Sea Day” (this one might have to wait until tomorrow morning)

[drarill]

Great review!! thanks for sharing your cruise with us!:):)

[ScoutLeoOz]

Enjoying the review - we were on Adventure the week before and wish we had made it a back to back!! Our Daughter and her family were in your cabin that week - you have us to thank for those lounge chairs because they were not there when we got on. There were three people in the cabin and they had just two chairs which was ridiculous!! It took a couple of days of asking before we got the loungers out there. You were also lucky because they were painting the balcony floors our week so we all had a day we couldn't even use the balcony. We seemed to have survived and had a wonderful time!!

[chadbeck]

I was on the same week as you. Just to add to your great review.

 

"The phone has a small clock on it, but you need to use either your phone or bring a travel alarm"

 

-You don't have to bring another alarm with you as you can set a wakeup call.

 

"We had savory bites on 4 nights, I believe. My son had escargot several nights."

 

-Savory Bites were available every night. Someone else ordered the escargot every night as well.

 

"Our favorite was a quartet. They played a variety of rock. The drummer was a lady and was an awesome singer"

 

-I think they were called "Music Motion" and they were great. If people have a chance to see them on a cruise don't miss it. They really had the lobby bar going every night they played.

[1stcruiser1]

Did they have a parade on Adventure? Thanks!

[TerpsBball]

First, thanks to scoutleooz for getting the chairs on the balcony!

 

Okay, since this was a sea day, we slept in a little. Then, after breakfast in the Windjammer, we headed for the pool. Being a sea day, the pool deck was crowded, but we found a spot. There is still a section for gold card (suite) holders. We weren’t in a suite, but it didn’t appear that section was too crowded. Please be careful walking around the deck, as it does get slippery when wet. We saw a few people slip and fall. There are also crewmembers in yellow polo shirts walking around taking care of things. I did see them remove towels/belongings of people who left their stuff on chairs for a while.

 

As stated before, both pools are salt water. The hot tubs were also popular.

 

While the kids swam, my wife got a manicure and hand massage at the spa. The kids and I had bought her this for her birthday. She said it was quite nice. There was really no hard sell of products. We paid $53 (including gratuity) for a 45-minute treatment. Her birthday was in October, so I scheduled the appointment then. I am not sure how quickly the time slots fill up, but I would imagine sea days would be more popular.

 

The shops and casino were open all day. We browsed in the RCCL logo shop. We noticed many items that were not RCCL-logo specific. There were many shirts, jackets, etc. that were Polo or Nautica. They even had shoes for sale. But, there were many RCCL shirts, hats, bags, key chains, etc. All were nice, and we bought some things. There is a liquor/cigarette shop. There were at least 2 jewelry stores, if I recall correctly. Ben and Jerry’s is next to the Café Promenade.

 

RCCL Online is on Deck 8. I used this later in the cruise to check in for our flight. My wife and I each received 30 free internet minutes, and our kids each received 10. I’ll include details in Saturday’s installment.

 

The library is on deck 7.

 

The Business Center (i.e., future cruise desk) is on deck 6. They had scale models of 4 different ships.

 

We hit Johnny Rockets for lunch. This is on deck 12, right side. You can sit either inside or outside. It opens at noon. We got there about 11:45. A few minutes later, there were 5-6 people in line behind us. As soon as they opened, we were seated, and within10 minutes, there were many people there. The food was great. We had the ½ onion rings – ½ French fry plate. They will keep bringing you these if you’d like. We used our 2-for-1 milkshake coupon (my wife and I both had one). Side note….C&A Coupons are now on your SeaPass electronically. My wife, son, and I had burgers, while our daughter had the grilled chicken. My son, daughter, and I had Oreo milkshakes, and my wife had the shake of the day – Peanut Butter. They were delicious. We had no room for dessert. We split the bill between my wife’s and my SeaPass cards, so we could use the milkshake coupons. With the tip, each of our bills was $18 ($36 combined). The service charge is $4.95/person, and I think a shake is $4.50.

 

After lunch, I believe this is the day we saw the Ice Show. It was fabulous. Besides the skaters, they had a guy who did tricks while suspended inside a steel ring. It’s tough to describe, but he was awesome. The Ice Snow lasted about 45 min – 1hr and was well-attended. I spoke with one of the cast later in the week, and this cruise was their last one on Adventure. The cast was transferring to the Explorer (I guess that has been delayed slightly with the noro outbreak on there).

 

I think we played some basketball, and the kids might have gone on the rock wall this day.

 

At dinner, our waiter and assistant waiter continued to impress us with their kindness and service. The head waiter also made it a point to show our kids (and us) some cool magic tricks each night.

 

I know we listed to the 4-person band (Music Motion) at one of the lounges. Again, they were really good.

 

A few nights during the cruise, you could have your photo taken with the Captain. However, I am pretty sure these were on the formal nights. The photos were taken at the Promenade. This day was a casual night.

 

The ship was really smooth in the water. We did feel some vibration in our cabin. It was noticeable, but it didn’t prevent us from sleeping. At no time did we have any soot on our balcony. We did get some water from the window washing of the Windjammer windows. We just made sure to put any swimsuits and water shoes we were trying to dry out under the covered portion at night. We used the clothespins to secure the stuff to the chairs. There is also a extendable wire in the shower to hang stuff on.

 

Next up…”Cruise Day 5 – Aruba”

[CruisingTeacher19]

Was there ssn I've show in the afternoon then? I would really like my son to see it but he goes to bed so early. We are in the March 2 sailing

 

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[CruisingTeacher19]

An Ice not snn I've

 

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[TerpsBball]

An Ice not snn I've

 

 

There were several times for the show, and I believe they were on a few different days. We went at 2 pm. I know another time was 5 pm. So, you shouldn't have any problem selecting the time that fits your schedule.

[Madden05]

This is great information! We board in 4 days.:D

[CruisingTeacher19]

Thanks that is great to know.

 

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[Ken Greco]

Hello UM Terps fan,

We live in Columbia, MD and have been on 9 RCCL cruises. We are thinking of going on the New Years Eve cruise on the AOS. When will you post the rest of the review? How was the beach in San Juan. Did you go to the Quest show?

[TerpsBball]

Hello UM Terps fan,

We live in Columbia, MD and have been on 9 RCCL cruises. We are thinking of going on the New Years Eve cruise on the AOS. When will you post the rest of the review? How was the beach in San Juan. Did you go to the Quest show?

 

Hi Ken,

 

More of the review is coming...see below. The beach in San Juan was nice, but not like the ones on the islands. The surf at San Juan seemed to be churning up a lot of sand, etc. (i.e., the water was a bit cloudy and not the crystal clear stuff on the islands.). We didn't do the Quest, since we had the kids with us.

[TerpsBball]

We pulled into Aruba in the morning (7-8ish). We didn’t have a tour scheduled until the afternoon, so we ate breakfast in the Windjammer and headed into town. My wife likes to see local markets, and there were vendors set up near the dock. There were also brand name stores.

 

Once you are off the ship, you are asked by many people if you would like to take a tour. We politely declined, but other folks did. There was a Carnival ship, Princess ship, and a Seabourn ship in port with us. So, the place was busy, but not overwhelmingly crowded.

 

Our tour was at 1 and was the “Sea and See Adventure.” You were picked up by a bus and taken to the California Lighthouse. Along the way, the guide provided narration of the areas. We passed the beach areas and saw many of the fancy hotels. Upon arriving at the lighthouse, you were off the bus for about 15-20 minutes. You could not enter the lighthouse, but the area was nice for some photos. There were also vendors set up there selling drinks.

 

Back on the bus, we then headed to the pier. We boarded a tendor which took us out to the semi-submersible boat. Once aboard, you were seated below the main deck in an area of observation windows. Each person had a seat. The boat then headed towards the submerged wreck of the German cargo ship Antilla. We weren’t overly impressed with this part of the tour, since at this time of the year, the visibility wasn’t all that great.

 

After the boat portion, we returned to the bus and headed to the north side of the island. As the guide pointed out, that part of Aruba is uninhabitable, due to the volcanic rock. Swimming is even banned on the north side as the waved are VERY rough. It was very nice to see. We also stopped at a natural bridge. Photos here were phenomenal. On the way back, we stopped at another rock formation which you could climb (there was path with a hand rail). On top, the visibility was quite nice.

 

Overall, this was a nice tour. We just wish the visibility on the boat was better.

 

We didn’t return to the ship until about 5:30, but we still made dinner. Initially, we had plans to go to the Windjammer for dinner and even told our waiter and assistant waiter the day before, so they would know not to expect us. We didn’t want to show up at 6:30 or so and make them rush. However, they said it wouldn’t be a problem if we came by 6:30, since we were a table of 4. We did manage to get there by 6:05, so it was no big deal. We are believers of being on time, and we didn’t want to cause the staff any trouble.

 

I think this is the night we took in the show. The performer was a man named Finis Henderson. He did some comedy (clean), impressions, and a lot of music. He was fantastic. At other times during the week there was the Love & Marriage game (they replayed this on TV) and the Quest. Traveling with kids, we didn’t go to either one, although I’ve done the Quest before and it can be hilarious. I also recall some trivia contests (Beatles songs was one of them) in the lounge(s).

 

The ship didn’t leave Aruba until 10, so many people ate on shore. The dining room attendance was noticeably lighter this night.

 

Next up…”Cruise Day 6 – Curacao”

[TerpsBball]

We pulled into Curacao around 7. We had an early tour, so we headed to the Windjammer for breakfast shortly after 7 (that’s when it usually opens). Curacao was interesting. The main employer is the oil refinery. There is a huge (tall) bridge that allows oil tankers to pass underneath. There is also a pontoon bridge that will pivot about one end to let the tankers pass. The pontoon bridge is only for pedestrian traffic.

 

Anyway, we were off the ship by 8 and assembled for our tour, the “Mini Jeep Adventure and Beach.” The mini jeeps are Polaris ATVs. When you book this tour, you book it by the vehicle. In other words, if there are two of you, you only need one ticket. You have to be at least 18 and a licensed driver. When I booked it, it said the kids were not eligible to take the tour. I emailed the tour operator and they said they kids were fine as passengers. That’s what we expected, but the RCCL website was a little confusing. So, we booked 2 tickets (my daughter and I in one Polaris, my wife and son in the other).

 

This tour was great. They took is in a van to the operator’s facility. You had to sign a waiver, and you needed to have your license with you. You were provided goggles for the dust that was coming. We took towels and a beach bag, since the tour ended at the beach. We sat on the towels.

 

They had a lead vehicle and a chase vehicle. The tour started as we drove through town. The chase vehicle would block intersections for the rest of us. When we hit the off-road portion, the lead vehicle driver had us all put on goggles. Good thing. We really kicked up dust. It was great. There were twists, turns, bumps, etc. We stopped along the coast for some nice photo ops. At the stop, you realized how much dust was being kicked up. We wound our way back into town and stopped at the facility. Then, the tour people walked us over to a really nice beach. We were given an hour here. There were lounge chairs to rent, bars, etc. The water was wonderful and clear. After the hour, the tour company drove us back to the ship.

 

After lunch, we headed back into town for some shopping. We walked towards the pontoon bridge, finding several local vendors along the way. Over the pontoon bridge were established stores, as well as local shops. It was a very nice walk. The time to walk from the ship to the other side of the pontoon bridge was about 15 minutes. That’s at a leisurely pace.

 

We had to be back on board by about 5. This night was the second, and last, formal night. We got ready early and had some more photos taken. We figured with more photos to choose from, we might find some good one to take home. Our C&A coupons allowed us 2 free 8x10s (one each for my wife and me).

 

Actually, as I type this, I now know definitively that this was the night for the Finis Henderson show. Sorry, I had my days mixed up. Again, he was fantastic.

 

We continued to enjoy the shops on board and getting snacks at the Café Promenade.

 

Next up…”Cruise Day 7 – Sea Day”

[TerpsBball]

Sadly, this was our last full day on board. Post Cruise Depression was starting to rear its ugly head. We did make the most of the day. The kids spent time in the pool, although we did hit some rain showers for a little while (on and off for about an hour). There was a nice ice carving demonstration, and I think they did some towel folding.

 

In the afternoon, we started the chore of packing. I am glad we had our luggage scale. It doesn’t take much to hit 50 pounds in a suitcase. But, we got it done, and had everything packed up that we could.

 

I’ll touch a minute on the WOW cards. If you recall, I stated we were handed 1 card at check-in. We wanted to give 1 to our waiter, assistant waiter, and stateroom attendant. Each went out of their way to make our trip so enjoyable. I went to Guest Services, and they would give me only 1 more. So, my wife went, and they gave her 1. So, we had our 3. There is an envelope placed in your cabin allowing you to give extra tip money to someone who has “wowed” you. We tipped extra to some folks, but we did it without the envelope. We were curious and asked our stateroom attendant what they receive for a WOW card. The cards are perforated. They keep one half and the other half goes into a monthly drawing. There are prizes like a computer or iPhone.

 

Since our flight was at 5:10 on Sunday, we couldn’t check-in until 5:10 on Saturday. We had elected not to purchase the early check-in option. I went to the RCCL Online location. There were about 75% of the computers in use, as other folks were doing the same thing. When I swiped my SeaPass, my free internet minutes were already pre-loaded. So, I wouldn’t have to visit Guest Services to get the charges removed. I was able to check us all in and print our boarding passes. We were B5-B9, which was great!

 

We had our last meal in the dining room, snapped some photos, and said farewell to the dining room staff. Afterwards, we went down to the photo gallery and picked out our photos.

 

Back at the cabin, we were given luggage tag number 7. We had a tour the next day in San Juan, since we had a later flight. Earlier in the week, a note came with the Cruise Compass regarding early disembarking. You didn’t have to register for it, which was nice. We were told to report to the Imperial lounge at 7:45. The Windjammer would be open at 6 the following day. We packed up our remaining clothes and put our 2 bags outside. We would be allowed to keep our carry-ons for the tour.

 

In the next, and final installment, I’ll also stick in some general comments.

 

Next up…”Cruise Day 8 – Disembarkation, San Juan Tour, and Flying Home”