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My Adventure review, Mom perspective

LillCruiser
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LuCruise

LuCruise

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Really loving your review. Thank you for sharing. What amazing photos...and you have so many amazing family ones to treasure.

 

Question about CoCo Cay aqua park...I'm assuming they provide life jackets?

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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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Really loving your review. Thank you for sharing. What amazing photos...and you have so many amazing family ones to treasure.

 

Question about CoCo Cay aqua park...I'm assuming they provide life jackets?

 

 

 

Yes they did. They’re required and they have a little rule briefing on land before they let everyone head out. There is also a lifeguard watching over everyone.

 

And thank you!

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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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Good morning Day 7! 7:30 wake up and I beat the alarm today! The kids were at our room and ready to go before 8. I can tell we all want the most out of this day.

 

There was an excitement on the ship today. Like everyone was feeling the last day-itis and wanted to do everything they meant to do during the week. We even lingered a little longer at breakfast.

 

Side note, if you enjoy hot tea they have a Chai Tea bags available mainly in the WindJammer. I didn't find it anywhere else on the ship. They also have hot milk with the creamer options. I really enjoyed having a cup of the chai every morning. The coffee isn't as bad as I was expecting. It's very very strong. My husband didn't mind it at all but once I found the Chai I was good to go. Also you will mainly only see Lemonade and Tea as a drink option but they do have Strawberry Kiwi water. You just have to ask for it from one of the drink stations in the WJ. It's worth asking for. Especially when you've had your fill of the other choices.

 

Today was the DAY! Gianna was going to conquer that middle rock wall if it was the last thing she did! It's great because she made friends with the instructors at the wall and they truly were cheering her on. My small but mighty girl DID IT! She had so much applause and that was so fun to see too. I love how they do that on the ship, everyone just cheers everyone else on. After she conquered it she then decided to try color blocks of the other side, the girl likes a challenge!

 

Side note - If your kids are of a certain age, I think under 13, you have to be present when they go on the flowrider, rock wall, ice skating, and I think the slides as well. They actually have the kids point to their parents and we always just gave a wave and they were allowed on.

 

After the kids had their fill of the things we needed to be present for they wanted to swim. Aaron and I took advantage of that and grabbed our books and sat in the Solarium. Just a few feet outside of where the kids are. It was so relaxing and just what I needed for the last afternoon. I even snapped a few pictures. I have fallen in love with the view of the water. It's just amazing to look out and not see any land at all.

 

The kids did not want to go to the main dining room for our final dinner so we agreed to go to the WindJammer. There was a parade at 5pm down the Promenade so we wanted to catch a little of that. We actually watched it from our deck 7 on one of the little bubbles that pop out from the sides by the elevator. You won't want to be here if you REALLY want to see the parade, but for us it was perfect. The parade was really colorful and fun and we are glad that we made time to see it.

 

Off to dinner we go. AND WHAT A SURPRISE IT IS! The WJ is dressed up a bit with a fun farewell that I won't spoil for you (It was at lunch too), but I had no idea it would be seafood night. SO much seafood. Lobster tails, shrimp, calamari, octopus all prepared in different ways. There are other food too, but it was really fun to see so much new and exciting ways to enjoy the seafood. I don't know what was on the final dinner menu in the Main Dining Room, but the WindJammer definitely made everyone happy tonight.

 

At 7 we went to the farewell show. There was another comedian for the night and she was really funny. It was great to see the week in review too!

 

Side note - we packed our suitcases before dinner. As much as it kinda sucks to do that job, I'm really really glad we got it done when everyone still had energy and wanted to get it finished fast to get back out to the ship.

 

After the show it was starting to head into sunset time and we really wanted to get some pictures and see it first hand from the Helipad. The Helipad is located on deck 4. Walk all the way forward and you will see a set of stairs. Go up the stairs and keep walking down the hallway and you will end up right at the Helipad. We were very lucky to have it all to ourselves tonight. Brayden was at a game in the Teen club so only Blake and Gianna were hanging out with us. If you can catch a sunset at sea, do it. It's breathtaking.

 

The Teen Club had their farewell party tonight and the boys both attended. We had them meet up with us at 10 to hang with Gianna while we went to see the adult comedian. I really enjoyed that time with Aaron and she was a funny comedian. After the show the boys went back to the party and we did the late night snack thing one last time with Gianna.

 

Everyone met back at our rooms and we ended our last night with a hard plan for tomorrow morning. It was a jam packed day and even though it was our last, saying good night came easy because everyone was spent.

 

Good Night Day 7.

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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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Good morning Day 8. 5 am wake up for me. I really wanted to try and catch a sunrise and I figured today would be beautiful having NYC as the backdrop. I quietly got out of bed, threw on my jeans and jacket and made my way out of the room.

 

I was so surprised by the amount of people already up with their suitcases ready to go. I made my way to deck 4 and went straight to the helipad. Unfortunately it was really overcast and there wasn't much of a sunrise to see. I did still enjoy those private moments to myself, all alone out there watching our ship make the final sailing into port.

 

On the way back to the room I took advantage of the quiet ship and snapped a few more photos. I remember just having a moment of gratitude for the entire week and all that we were able to experience. Early mornings will do that to ya.

 

Back to the room and time for everyone to wake up. We needed to be out of our rooms by 9 so it was time for our final WJ breakfast. Everyone was happy/sad this morning. We all had our favorites one last time. I was really surprised to see an entire full breakfast. For some reason I expected it to be less since it would be so short. It wasn't and it was a really nice surprise.

 

After breakfast we walked around a bit and then went back to the room to get all of our things. After that it was time to head for our designated station and wait to be called in our group to disembark. They had coffee, tea, and juice stations in the waiting areas and it was nice and relaxing.

 

We waited a short amount of time and then they called our number. Noooooooo. But here we go, making our way down the gang plank and BOOM, we are off the ship.

 

Finding our luggage was pretty simple as was exiting through Customs. Surprisingly we didn't have to declare anything, even the alcohol that we purchased. It was really quick and off we went.

 

We wheeled our luggage right to our car in the parking deck and our amazing vacation on Adventure came to an end.

 

Goodbye Adventure of the Seas.

 

Until next time....

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njmomof2

njmomof2

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I have to agree that making friends with the staff on the rock wall and flowrider has always been something my boys have done. My younger one is also big on the rock wall and it's one of the reasons he enjoys the walls on ships other than Oasis class. Those ships use belaying ropes, so you don't get that interaction from the staff and all the cheering and direction you get when someone is at the bottom. On one of our trips, he was there so much, they gave him a toolbelt and told him to go up the wall and start tightening the handholds!

 

Your redheads are beautiful, as is your middle son, and your pictures are lovely. Your enthusiasm came through in your report, and I'm sure you'll be back on a ship soon.

 

I really enjoyed your trip report. It makes me sad that we had to cancel our August trip on Adventure, but a new roof is pretty important when living in NJ LOL!

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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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Final thoughts:

 

 

 

Remember to bring a jacket or hoodie. It can be cool at night with the wind and even the air conditioning can make you yearn for some warmth.

 

 

 

Go on the slides. Get in the pool. Eat the ice cream. It's vacation.

 

 

 

Be flexible.

 

 

 

Pick 1 or 2 things you really want to do each day. That way the schedule won't stress you out. Especially if you are a planner and a tiny bit controlling like moi.

 

 

 

Parking in the port was worth the money. $20 a day and we went right to our vehicle and didn't have to wait in the really long, congested line waiting for a pick up.

 

 

 

Try out the teen/kid club. Be ok if they don't prefer it. Gianna had zero interest after she tried it out. She felt they did way too many indoor activities and she really just wanted to be outside.

 

 

 

Take the stairs. HA, just kidding. That's up to you. The elevators were definitely busy at times but seriously, take it with a grain of salt. If you're rushing to a show, the stairs will do just fine. And you'll definitely feel the burn.

 

 

 

If you're curious, I gained 3 pounds. I ate like someone that should have gained 10. I've been home a week and the weight is already gone. So indulge if that's your thing. It was lovely.

 

 

 

Take pictures but leave your phone/camera behind too. It was great to really be present and not worrying about where my phone was.

 

 

 

Go to the Welcome Aboard show. It actually got the kids interested in seeing some of the shows.

 

 

 

Check out the duty free store. We thought they had some great deals

 

 

Try the creme brûlée. Seriously.

 

I wish you a wonderful cruise and thanks for reading along and allowing me to relive mine!

Edited by LilTurano
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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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I have to agree that making friends with the staff on the rock wall and flowrider has always been something my boys have done. My younger one is also big on the rock wall and it's one of the reasons he enjoys the walls on ships other than Oasis class. Those ships use belaying ropes, so you don't get that interaction from the staff and all the cheering and direction you get when someone is at the bottom. On one of our trips, he was there so much, they gave him a toolbelt and told him to go up the wall and start tightening the handholds!

 

 

 

Your redheads are beautiful, as is your middle son, and your pictures are lovely. Your enthusiasm came through in your report, and I'm sure you'll be back on a ship soon.

 

 

 

I really enjoyed your trip report. It makes me sad that we had to cancel our August trip on Adventure, but a new roof is pretty important when living in NJ LOL!

 

 

 

Thank you. I’m so sorry you had to cancel, but yes, real life stuff like a roof is really important.

 

I’m so glad to hear that you experienced the support from the staff too. It really makes it fun for everyone. And how cool with the tool belt!

 

We are already talking about next year, so I’m sure you’re right. We will be cruising again soon.

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YankeesFan4Life

YankeesFan4Life

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Your posts have been so tremendous, thank you so much for sharing!!! I just posted earlier on a new thread about how my son and I drove to the ship today to get a sneak peek at her, 2 weeks before we board! We are all super excited, and you gave us all tremendous insight and tips, looks like we'll be at the WJ the last night too!!!! Glad you had a great time, and I can't wait to share our family's experiences too!

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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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Your posts have been so tremendous, thank you so much for sharing!!! I just posted earlier on a new thread about how my son and I drove to the ship today to get a sneak peek at her, 2 weeks before we board! We are all super excited, and you gave us all tremendous insight and tips, looks like we'll be at the WJ the last night too!!!! Glad you had a great time, and I can't wait to share our family's experiences too!

 

 

 

Oh my gosh how cool to get a sneak peek!!

 

Thank you and I hope the tips come in handy. And I hope you love the WJ for that final dinner. We were there pretty early so I can’t say what the seafood looked like after a few hours, but going early meant we had an amazing amount of choices.

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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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As the lead "cast member", you left something out of your description----great author! Beautiful writing and beautiful family! Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

 

 

Thank you for this! I really enjoyed writing it all out.

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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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Ahhhh, such a great start. Can't wait to read the rest.

 

I remember the feeling of awe we had when stepping onboard for our very first cruise. And it was the "little" Majesty of the Seas. We still get butterflies when taking that first step off of the gangway and onto the ship.

 

Dan.

 

 

 

That gives me great hope that it will always be that way for us as well!

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LillCruiser

LillCruiser

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Yes, that middle one is tough - she did well to get the other two done. The next time you can challenge her by having her use only one color of hand holds.

 

 

 

It’s so funny that you said this! By the end she was saying “What color Mom?? I’ll just go up blue handles only this time!”

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