Adventure of The Seas Photo Review 4/19/2015 (S.Caribbean B)

[amyscruising]

Hubby is going to 'hate' that cabin for is 50th birthday in October....

[Familygoboston]

I'm glad so many of you will be hating that cabin in the near future :p It will be truly awful and I'm sure you will hate it ;)

[Familygoboston]

Thanks for reviewing Old San Juan. I will be there in October for a few days pre-cruise, and excited to try the chocolate creations. I really want to try the grilled cheese and chocolate. What did you have and did you like it?

 

We didn't have the food, just desert, because we just had lunch at Parrot Club, but the place was banged out and everyone seemed to be enjoying it!:D I don't think the chocolate is gratuitous, just an element of the dishes (think like mole dishes!)

[cruiseclues]

Really enjoyed your Photo Review. :):):):)

Edited May 13, 2015 by cruiseclues

[BillOh]

 

Well, at long last, photos are ready, it's time to do a full photo review!

 

 

Perfect timing. Just last night we decided to book Adventure for our 2017 cruise.

[Teeara]

Day 1 Embarkation Day San Juan

 

Balcony Cabin # 7688

 

There are no words...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So of course I'm going to add words!

 

Whats on it/sun/shade: Many people ask about the "obstructions" ... this balcony is under another above which creates a coved or sheltered area. It was mostly shaded most of the time. But you could find a sun patch from the "port hole"; you can see how large that is compared to me in photo #3, certainly enough for the sunbather in the family. There is a post, you can see in picture #2, but it's not in the way of anything. There is more than enough room for the 6 pieces of furniture out there. (7 with our banished coffee table) Our daughter turned the 2 adjustable dining chairs into a lounger by laying both chairs flat and putting them seat to seat.

 

Views and Privacy: When you look outward you see a panoramic ocean, when you look down you see the blue "canopy" below...I so rarely noticed it that at one point I made an actual effort to think about it and see if by looking at it I could tell if it was a roof to the deck below. If you have a cabin on deck 6, you have a rail that blocks your access to the blue canopy, but the balcony is on the same level as that blue canopy. There is also another large "porthole" on the corners of deck 6, but these are not accessible to the people in the corner cabins on deck 6. (you can see this in the last photo) The balconies above on Deck 8, 9, and 10 are shallower and don't have the "porthole" on the balcony (though one has a port hole in the room!) Some of the cabins above and below may be suites or larger cabins and have wider balconies, but our attendant told us this was the largest balcony on the ship.

 

Unlike the Radiance class aft balconies, (the only others I've experienced) you really cannot see or be seen by anyone else in aft balconies above or below unless you lean over the rail, so we found it much more private, visually, but remember you can still hear and smell! (we had a smoking neighbor- but we didn't report since we were not bothered by this often and I'm sure our noise was annoying too!- we aren't known for being quiet as mice!) You can see the very end of deck 5, which is an outdoor smoking area for crew. We used our balcony extensively, and rarely saw crew out there (when do they have time, really?) When we did see someone smoking it was rare and we never ever smelled it from that deck. We never noticed soot.

 

Noise and Comfort: We did find that there was slightly more motion (barely detectable) but we had a very smooth cruise. We did however notice significant additional "business noise", clanking, and thumping and thrusters, especially when we were docking at port early in the morning. Whether this bothers you depends on what kind of sleeper you are. I'm a light sleeper and noticed it, my teen, not so much! It usually happened an hour before I had planned to get up to head out to the islands anyway, so it did not detract from the experience of that balcony!

 

So in conclusion, do not book this balcony- ever (on the same week I want to sail!) We loved it!

 

Hey there Kathy! Looks like they fixed up the balcony on 7688 from when we last had her in 2011. And I love the taller table!!! Perfect for eating outside rather than on the little dinky table. I so wish we had been able to sail with you. Maybe you could join us on the Navigator in 2017? We've got a great roll call going already and we're 2 years away from sailing!

[naeema674]

[Familygoboston]

Really enjoyed your Photo Review.

Thank you!!

 

Perfect timing. Just last night we decided to book Adventure for our 2017 cruise.

 

Well, well, well, we seem to always be following each other around on cruises;)

 

To everyone following along:

 

I'll be very busy today...working and also seeing DD inducted into the honor society tonight:D (in our hyper competitive high school they do this at the very end of the senior year to prevent blood letting, mayhem, and murder- and that's just the PARENTS!;) Needless to say, we are very proud, and wouldn't miss a minute!

 

When I return later, I will start posting the Sea Day and photos around the ship, but if you like your ship tour straight up, you can preview it here without the narrative on our website:

 

http://www.goseeittravel.com/adventure-of-the-seas/

 

Enjoy, and see you all later!:D

[BillOh]

Thank you!!

 

 

 

Well, well, well, we seem to always be following each other around on cruises;)

 

http://www.goseeittravel.com/adventure-of-the-seas/

 

Enjoy, and see you all later!:D

 

Funny how that works out. I did look at the pictures. Adventure does remind me a lot of Voyager, and we would love to repeat our first cruise on her again. This will be close, and the itinerary I picked up includes the ABC islands so that would be 3 new ports for us.

[Ladysilver]

Really enjoying your review and great photos! :D

[Jezbel716]

Great review so far. We leave on Saturday and I went to your website to view the pics and she is just as I remember from 10 years ago on my first RC cruise! :)

[Familygoboston]

Hey there Kathy! Looks like they fixed up the balcony on 7688 from when we last had her in 2011. And I love the taller table!!! Perfect for eating outside rather than on the little dinky table. I so wish we had been able to sail with you. Maybe you could join us on the Navigator in 2017? We've got a great roll call going already and we're 2 years away from sailing!

 

We missed you Teeara! Everytime I looked out across the stern to the other side, I saw "your" cabin and realized you weren't there we were supposed to be Boaton girls anchoring the corners of the ship:(

 

I'm so glad you could reschedule! I doubt there's a Royal cruise in our 2017, we've got a graduation and plans to celebrate our anniversary in the fall; maybe in the Med or Adriatic? We are waiting till after our Azamara cruise to decide if we would want to sail Azamara again or try a new line! But you never know- we did love that cabin!

[cruiselife4me]

Can't wait for more. I have ALWAYS wanted to book that aft room. Hmm....maybe after our next Adventure cruise. :) In all truth, that balcony beats our Grand Suite long but skinny balcony. What was I thinking??

Mary

[Familygoboston]

Day 2 Sea Day

 

Monday morning...I knew I had overdone it when:

 

my husband said, and I quote: "what does it say on the spreadsheet that I am supposed to wear this morning?"

 

Oops, that WAS NOT the point of the thing, what had I wrought?

 

Anyway, we managed to get dressed and get ourselves up to the Windjammer for dinner. We left this behind:

 

 

 

 

 

Our DD wanted to try sleeping out on the balcony at least once and she decided that the first night was the best choice since we'd be at sea the first day and she didn't risk waking up to find a whole dock crew grinning at her at dawn! She brought her hammock with her, but decided that the new loungers looked just as comfortable, so we never set up the hammock (also, we knew if we set it up we would need to take it down every time we left the balcony for safety's sake). After spending her first night out there , she decided she got too cold in the middle of the night and it was too bright too early, so she slept on the pullman bed the rest of the cruise! (we could have told her that, but she's at that age where she needs to figure these things out for herself! ;))

 

We returned to the balcony for the rest of the morning to read and in my case write my blog.

 

 

 

 

 

At about 11 AM we went around the ship to get some more ships photos and then went to attend our Roll Call Meet and Mingle at 11:30 AM in Jester's.

 

 

 

 

The Meet and Mingle was about 20 people. We didn't have a very active RC, but our RC "founder" Karena was there, I think she may have been proud of how much luggage we brought along on this cruise! Tino, our Activities Director from France (and speaks, like 6 languages!) was humorous and lighthearted and ran a quick and efficient M&M! He kidded that every M&M he does, has one person who when they introduce themselves by their screen name everyone goes "ohhh" and act like a rock star was a introduced. I'm embarrassed to tell you I was that person...as soon as I said "Hi, I'm Kathy....FamilyGoBoston", an excited murmur went up and it was open season for Tino to mock me (and I'm certain I deserved it!), my husband pretended he wasn't with me, and I might have blushed.:o

 

However everyone we met was wonderful! Tino joked that 1/2 the people there had a screen name and knew what this was all about and the other 1/2 were just dragged along by the "computer person"- he got that just about right! ;) The usual high value goodies (key chains and visors) were awarded to the lucky ticket holders and then everyone disbursed back to the fun and activity of the ship! And then I returned to obscurity among the rest of nearly 3300 other passengers who have no idea about Cruise Critic (thank heavens!)

[Familygoboston]

Day 2 Sea Day

 

A Ship Tour

 

Since we spent Monday mostly eating and lazing on our balcony, we used the day to blog about our pre cruise adventures in San Juan and take ship photos for this report! I posted a ship tour on our website here:

http://www.goseeittravel.com/adventure-of-the-seas/

 

It is far easier to load photos and edit there than here, but I will do a mini tour here...more photos on the blog!

 

From bottom to top, stern to bow..here is

 

ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS

 

Deck 3

 

The Dining Room

 

 

 

 

Deck 3 Vivaldi is the bottom level, deck 4 Strauss, and deck 5 is Mozart (My Time Dining)

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Gallery

 

[Familygoboston]

Day 2 Sea Day

 

Ship Tour

 

Deck 3

 

Studio B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a little saying in Maine when people ask for directions: "you can't get the'ah from he'ah" (translation, "you can't get here there from here"...which is not as ridiculous as it sounds, since along the coast of Maine, many places you can see and even spit on, are not easily accessible if you don't have a boat! Also it takes into account the condition of the road- many are dirt or just slightly matted grass paths which don't really count as roads without 4WD. And lastly, Maine lacks any meaningful East/West roads and heading in that direction, or the reverse, does have the feel of impossibility!)

 

Well, Studio B is one of those places you can't get to... It's back to back with Jesters Night Club, but you can't pass through Studio B to get to Jesters.

 

Jesters Night Club

 

I find these nightclubs on this class of ship to be the creepiest places on the ship...they were even given creepy names like "The Dungeon". Adventure takes it to a new level with jesters creeping on you from above, and from stain glass windows while you are getting your grove on on the dance floor, it's dark and looks like some medieval torture chamber. (My DD loved it since she is fascinated by everything medieval!)

 

Not only is it weirdly themed, it's even more weirdly located. It's almost impossible to find, unless you are looking for something else, (like Studio B) then you keep ending up there and can't figure out how to get where you want to be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the trick, after several sailings on this class:

 

Anytime you want to go from fore to aft (or the reverse) you can't do it on deck 3 (deadends)and if you do it on deck 4, you must pass through the smokey casino, so always go up to deck 5 (Royal Promenade) to travel across the ship. If you want to get to Studio B or Jesters always go to deck 4 and take the Centrum stairs down, if you try to go from deck 3, you will end up at the dead end with creepy jesters mocking you (serial killers might be in there during the day, no one can be sure!) Not surprisingly, some ships in this class are being redesigned to put cabins on 3 and change the access to the night club on deck 4.

 

Lyric Theater

 

This is looking to deck 3 level from deck 4 (deck 4 is the balcony level)

 

 

 

 

[Familygoboston]

Day 2 Sea Day

 

Ship Tour

Deck 4

 

So again, stern to bow, we have the dining room, some bars, and the casino with the upper level of the Lyric theater in the bow. Because the casino is smoking, we did not spend much time on this deck. We found the smoke does not confine itself to the casino and there was significant smoke smell in the lounges adjacent to the casino.

 

Casino:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Schooner Bar

 

This was the venue for the trivia contests, karaoke and other sing alongs. It was a popular place, and usually was banged out most nights. The piano guy was Jim Maneri.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Centrum (forward, you can see the Imperial Lounge on deck 5)

 

[JimAOk1945]

Familygoboston,

 

How can we find that view of the peek-a-boo bridge? Sorry if you already addressed this. We will be on the AOS in December.

 

Thanks

[Familygoboston]

Day 2 Sea Day

 

Ship Tour

Deck 5

 

In the stern is the top floor (MTD) of the Main Dining room. Our daughter noted that the appearance of the cushiness of the chairs dropped considerably from deck 3 (most cushy) to deck 5 (least cushy) so it that matters to you, plan accordingly!

 

Royal Promenade:

 

Deck 5 is dominated by The Royal Promenade, which was a big consideration for us to take this cruise. Our 18 yo found Jewel just a bit lacking in activity in 2012 (as did her dad in 2013) So Adventure was the only ship out of San Juan we looked at for this trip because of the Royal Promenade. One of the things I love about this class of ship is that deck 5 also hosts an outdoor promenade (the traditional walking deck with life boat stations). I do love that this ship offers the hustle bustle of the RP, while also offering the traditional, relaxing (and now, no smoking) promenade!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Duck and Dog:

 

Terry Dobson, who both sounded and looked like Sting, did a sing a long here every night, and because it's non smoking, it was also very popular!

 

 

 

 

 

Sports Bar:

 

This place was usually pretty quiet...really it appeared to host one or two guys a night who had been banished from the cabin during "getting ready" time for formal nights. But we appreciate having this venue on a ship since we like to follow our teams even when we are sea. Unfortunately, other than large prime time contests, the ship broadcasts ESPN international and you'll have to watch "futbol" (soccer) and see any important US team news on the crawl or sports news shows. For instance one passenger went 2 days before I used my unlimited internet to update him on NHL playoffs. His wife was staring hate daggers at me while I was looking it up for him! The same ESPN station is available in your cabin too.

 

 

 

 

 

Ben and Jerry's and Promeade Cafe:

 

So we didn't spend a lot of time at the Promenade Cafe, they had a selection of pastries (that looked really, really good!) pizza (that looked ok) and sandwiches (which looked good, but we don't really eat) The Promenade Cafe is open 24/7, is all complimentary and there is a free coffee and water station 24/7, as well as a specialty coffee bar for extra charge. (that menu is on my website)

 

However, we did spend a lot...ahem...a lot of time at Ben and Jerry's. Not to put too fine a point on it, but pretty much after the internet and a bag of laundry, the bulk of our sea pass bill was either Ben and Jerry's or Johnny Rockets shakes!

 

 

 

 

 

[Familygoboston]

Day 2 Sea Day

 

Deck 5 Royal Promenade

 

Shopping:

 

The downside to the Royal Promenade is the constant "sales" offered at various shops which clog the area. It's not so bad that they put items out in the middle to sell, (which if you can slalom your way through, you can just ignore) but there is a woman who was shrieking over a loudspeaker nearly every time the ship was sailing (blessedly, they can't sell anything from the shops while in port). She's either running a raffle or whipping the crowd into a frenzy before the "opening" of one of the shops for sales. Another downside is that nothing is ever priced lower during the sale, it's just "featured" for the same prices you can buy it at any other time. And they never run out of merchandise, so there really is no urgency. (Think about it, next week they have to run the exact same sale and the week after that and the week after that...etc.!)

 

Shopping scrum:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know some people love to shop, so if you do, there are plenty of opportunities, but don't fall for the idea you have to be there during the "sale", shop when it's convenient for you! There is a logo shop, a liquor and smoke shop, a clothing shop, an accessories shop and a fine jewelry shop. If you are a shopper and you enjoy the blood sport of the Royal sales, I posted the list of them here so you don't miss one!

 

Shopping Schedule:

http://www.goseeittravel.com/adventure-compass-southern-b

 

 

Live entertainment on the Promenade:

 

 

 

 

 

This is Jeffrey Malazo, who played classical guitar on the Royal Promenade every day. I could sit within 100 feet of the shops and sales, and peacefully enjoy his music (except for the shrieking), so I made the argument in a blog post that even if the idea of the shopping scrums horrify you; it shouldn't be enough to discourage you from cruising because these kinds of encounters make it well worth it (especially when other's shopping help keeps your cruise fares lower!) You can find that post here:

 

What Happens on a Sea Day:

 

http://www.goseeittravel.com/travel-blog/2015/4/23/what-happens-on-a-sea-day-aboard-adventure-of-the-seas

 

 

 

 

Imperial Lounge:

 

This is where Crown and Anchor events were held, as well as some of the interactive game shows, and (wait for it...) the art auction.

 

 

 

 

 

[Familygoboston]

Familygoboston,

 

How can we find that view of the peek-a-boo bridge? Sorry if you already addressed this. We will be on the AOS in December.

 

Thanks

 

Its coming Jim!!! Soon as we get to the top ;) But I do have photos of it already on my website, under SHIP TOURS drop down, choose "Adventure of the Seas"

[micmacmissy]

The downside to the Royal Promenade is the constant "sales" offered at various shops which clog the area. It's not so bad that they put items out in the middle to sell, (which if you can slalom your way through, you can just ignore) but there is a woman who was shrieking over a loudspeaker nearly every time the ship was sailing (blessedly, they can't sell anything from the shops while in port). She's either running a raffle or whipping the crowd into a frenzy before the "opening" of one of the shops for sales. Another downside is that nothing is ever priced lower during the sale, it's just "featured" for the same prices you can buy it at any other time. And they never run out of merchandise, so there really is no urgency. (Think about it, next week they have to run the exact same sale and the week after that and the week after that...etc.!)

 

This drove my husband NUTS when we were on Indy. This 'shopping promotions' woman (what is her correct title, anyway?) accosted us every time we walked through the promenade, handing out sales fliers. One day, she tried to hand my husband the same flier 4 different times. It became a running joke on that cruise.

 

She was also handing them out on port days as you tried to exit the ship. It reminded us of living in NYC, where you have to walk eyes ahead, hands at your side to avoid all the flier-passer-outers! No. Eye. Contact. Just. Keep. Walking. Hands. In. Pockets!

[Clarea]

...This 'shopping promotions' woman (what is her correct title, anyway?)...

Port and Shopping Guide.

[Familygoboston]

Day 2 Sea Day

 

Decks 6,7,8,9,10 are all stateroom decks, except in the middle of the ship is a space set aside for some purpose

6: Next Cruise Office

7: Library

8: RC Online (computers)

9: Concierge Club (handy to the suites; most are on 9 & 10)

 

Deck 11 is where the fun stuff starts again!

 

Deck 11 (stern to bow)

 

Windjammer

 

This is a well organized and roomy Windjammer. There are several "stations" all of which to me seemed to have more or less the same stuff, but Ocean Boy set me straight and says there are subtle differences, so check them all out before committing!

And for your sanity...go left, it's almost ALWAYS less crowded!

We generally found the WJ to be easy to navigate, we never had trouble finding a clean table, although the staff was often cleaning it as we settled in. What I liked about this crew was that if they cleaned it and you sat, they then asked what you'd like to drink and returned with it very promptly. I really liked that, and it doesn't happen on every ship!

 

The food was generally good for a buffet and we always found something tasty to eat! The FroYo station is just outside the WJ doors on the starboard by the pool deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giovanni's

Is located on the starboard side,a nd has an open kitchen where food is cooked to order with some different ingredients. We ate there on Day 6, so I'll have a review then and more photos.

 

 

 

 

 

They have this neato Vespa on display outside of Giovanni's, just for fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Pool Deck

 

I'm sorry we didn't get more photos of the pool or Solarium, but we didn't spend a lot of time up there. With our huge balcony, we mostly sat out there. They have added a big screen tv playing some kind of "punked" show or ads for other ship board events and we noticed that everyone was usually glued to it. Several nights they had movies under the stars, and they were pretty well attended with folks cozying up in deck chairs to watch! I do have a couple to share!

 

 

 

 

 

And from the upper deck:

 

[Familygoboston]

Day 2 Sea Day

 

Deck 11 Solarium and Peek A Boo Bridge

(Here it is, Jim!!)

 

The Solarium is an open style solarium with padded loungers, some in the sun by the pool and some under the covered "sunroom" area. There were also some tables by the windows. Unfortunately, this Solarium is a major through way to the pool decks and WJ, from the forward stairs and elevators, so it's a very lively place populated by people moving through, including children, and not the quiet area you'd expect from an adult only Solarium. I did not have any "good" photos of the Solarium, so Hubby didn't process them, but I think he should have listened to my demands so I could have at least posted some "bad" ones!

 

At the end of the Solarium there is a door to a deck that wraps around the fitness center and spa. You'll see this sign at the exterior door (opposite the stairwell door)

 

 

 

 

 

You'll walk out and around to the bow and see a little covered area with benches and a window below to the bridge. There are some instructions about not banging on the window (duh? But can you picture it, some one would say "hey!!" knock, knock...bang, bang "smile, captain!!" flash! Then the next bang, bang you hear is the ship hitting something!:rolleyes:)

 

When we went up there it was quite empty and we took photos (which are allowed according to the sign) and at one point an officer noticed us turned and waved to us! In this photo you can see the Spa/Fitness center reflected in the peekaboo window.

 

 

 

 

 

You'll notice that the helipad is in view in this photo..that is accessible from deck 5, there are some benches and I'm sure it's busier during sailaways but...we got this photo one night, and literally had the place to ourselves. Like the Peek A Boo Bridge, it's one of those little places a lot of people don't know about or use, so if the sales on the Royal Promenade or the parade through the Solarium are getting you down ;), head to deck 5 or deck 11 and enjoy something different!!

 

Helipad (access from deck 5)