AOS review - and yes, it's long!

[Ocean State]

This was our first cruise, and we were traveling with our 2 boys, ages 7 and 9. We also traveled with 8 other family members, and this was their first cruise as well! We chose Adventure of the Seas because of the ports, Aruba, Curacao, St. Martin and St. Thomas. We booked a room with a balcony, located on the 9th floor near the elevators. This location turned out to be perfect since it was so convenient to stairs and elevators. The ship is awesome and is great condition, offering so much for the traveler to do.

 

 

We flew to San Juan a day early in case we had snow up here in New England. We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel, which was beautiful. The hotel room cost about $215, but well worth it. The hotel was right on the ocean, and featured a nice pool, hot tub and of course, the beach.

We arrived at the pier about 12:15 pm and had prepared myself to deal with long confusing lines. However it was very organized and we were on the ship in 20 minutes! We enjoyed lunch in the Windjammer where we spotted many other travelers wearing their New England Patriots jerseys! It was the night of the big game against the Colts. So it was easy to make some new friends.

 

We were in our rooms by 2 pm and had our luggage by 4:30 pm. Our room and balcony was nice and had more storage than I expected. Due to the big football game, the muster drill was not held that first night, but instead the next morning at 10 am when we were at sea. The first night dinner was not that tasty, but many people were rushing thru dinner to get seats for the game..so it didn't seem to matter much. Our waiters and staff were very friendly and always made dining a treat. We watched the game in the sports bar on the Promenade which was a blast especially when the Patriots were winning! We finished watching the game in our room, depressed with the outcome. But heck, we were on a cruise so cheer up! The ship left dock about 20 minutes earlier than expected at 9:40 pm.

 

The next day was a sea day, so we climbed the rock wall (ok, I didn't climb, but my husband and boys did), played basketball, mini golf, etc. It was a beautiful day, but hot under the direct sun. We visited the pools for a little while, it was the only time the ship feel somewhat crowded. It was the 2nd week for the new cruise director, but he is experienced and got the crowd going for a men's sexy legs contest. We went to the Cruise Critic meet and mingle where we met some new pals and were lucky in the raffle!

 

We went to the orientation for the Adventure Ocean club and were impressed with the staff. The boys loved the club and they took them to Johnny Rockets during formal night dinners (no extra charge). The boys would visit Adv. Ocean club most nights after dinner and we would visit the casino. The club staff was very well trained and professional. We made sure to tip the Adv. Ocean staff on the last night of the cruise.

 

The service on the ship was very good however our state room attendant was lacking in consistency. One day we had no toilet paper, and no spare either. And even though we used the laundry service, he didn't remember to give us new laundry bags. So I couldn't send out the laundry as much as I wanted to. Some days we had a bath mat, and other days it was missing in action.

 

Aruba: we had booked the Seaworld Explorer on line prior to the cruise. It cost $134 for the 4 of us, pls $20 in roundtrip taxi ride. It was good, but not excellent. We arrived back from the boat ride around 2pm and went to the Renaissance Hotel to see if we could get a day pass to their private island, which were available. Passes for adults cost $50 each, includes lunch, a drink and watersport. Kids are free, but no lunch (or cocktail either!) The island was beautiful and I wished we had spent the whole day there. Lunch was good and they also didn't charge us for the kid's meals either!

 

Curacao: we went to the Sea Aquarium, and then the beach next door to it. Cost for sea aquarium for the 4 of us was only $45.00. It is not a fancy place, but still very interesting.

 

St. Martin: we went shopping and then to Divi Little Bay beach, where we rented chairs, towels and an umbrella. The port is very organized with nice shops right at the pier. Cab ride was $16 each way for 4 people. My husband bought a watch on this island for a good price, better prices than the other islands.

 

St Thomas: we took a cab ride ($32 for 4 people) to Megan's Bay which is gorgeous! The taxi ride was scary since the roads are so winding and they drive on the opposite side the road&the driver took us to a high lookout over the beach first so we could get some fantastic photos. We rented some chairs and snorkeling equipment and stayed for several hours. Lunch was tasty pizza slices. The beach facilities are not glamorous by any means, but the beauty of the beach makes up for it. After the beach, we went to the St Thomas skyride to Paradise Point. Cost for $18 for each adult, and I think $9 for kids. Somewhat pricey but the delicious frozen Baileys Bushwhacker drinks make us forget the ticket price. The view is nice and you can see the cruise ship as well.

 

We didn't see too many shows on the ship, but the Ice Show was fantastic. I had figured it to be a lame ice capades, but it was so much better than that! My husband and I used the fitness center a few times as well. It was clean and gave us a chance to burn off some calories!

 

Leaving the ship was very organized and we were in the 2nd group which was called at 8:20 am, even thought our flight was not until 2 pm. Getting the luggage was easy enough (once we remembered the tag color!) and the taxis were awaiting us. Traffic was light going back to the airport.

We had a fabulous time on our first cruise and can't wait to return to AOS again! Feel free to ask any questions, since this was my first cruise, I always appreciated the info from this board. :rolleyes:

[SarafinaSarafina]

Thanks for the review. I'm going on the same route in May and am very excited. I've already decided to go to Divi beach by your recommendation, as well as paradise point.

 

Also, I'm glad to hear about the AO program. Were they very interactive with the kids? Or were they more just there to watch them? My younger brother is going with us (10) and he's a bit shy, so he needs some direction and planned activities to get going. Also, I didn't know that the kids could go to johnny rockets on formal nights, that will help! He's not so interested in dressing up so I'm glad he has another option.

[ckrobyn]

Ocean State - Thanks for an excellent review!

 

I am surprised by the fact the Muster drill was postponed until the morning after the ship sailed! I was not aware this was allowed....I though the Muster had to take place BEFORE the ship sailed??? Learned something new today!

[Ocean State]

Serafina,

they are very interactive with them, that's why the kids love it so much! There are themes for the day/night; sports, space, pirates, etc. My nephew is 10 as well and he didn't even want to go into the ports! Plus then the kids see each other in the dining room (they tend to sit families in the same section) and they feel that they have pals all over the ship - and from all over the world! Plus there is no additional charge for the Johnny Rockets on formal night!

[fordslovetocruise]

What time did the ship leave Aruba? Only asking because you quoted that "you wished you where there the entire day." The itinerary says the ship departs at 1 a.m.???

[Ocean State]

yes, the ship did leave Aruba at 1 am...I wished we had not done the seaworld explorer in the morning, and we had spent the entire day at Renaissance Island...the island closes at 7 pm! And we didn't arrive until 2 pm...

[Shannon12]

Ocean State - Thanks for an excellent review!

 

I am surprised by the fact the Muster drill was postponed until the morning after the ship sailed! I was not aware this was allowed....I though the Muster had to take place BEFORE the ship sailed??? Learned something new today!

Robyn...muster has to take place in the first 24 hours.

[RoosterSharkey]

You were also very helpful in my question regarding our return flight. Since St. Thomas is the last port before returning to San Juan, U.S. customs is not an issue upon disembarkation, correct? So, barring a really unusual circumstance, if we dock in San Juan at 8:00 AM, do you think we'll have any trouble making an 11:10 flight back to NY?

 

Glad you had such a good time, and thanks again for posting!:D

[jimbug]

Just as an FYI, it's maritime law that the muster drill take place within 24 hours of boarding :-)

 

Oh, and P.S. - thanks for your review, OceanState! We'll be on that route in August and can't wait. Can you tell me more about Divi Little Bay? Was there an entrance fee? How much were chairs/umbrellas/food/drinks, etc.?

 

Thanks!

[Ocean State]

RoosterSharkey, as for your flight, I can only base it on my experience, but I would have been able to make an 11:10 am flight. The airport asks you to be there 1 1/2 hours prior, so technically you need to be there for 9:40 am and that would have been possible on my cruise. It all depends upon your comfort level. Have a great time!

[Ocean State]

Jimbug, the taxi ride to Divi Little Bay was $16 for 4 people, and the cost for 2 chairs, towels and one umbrella was $20 (kids didn't sit!). The lunch cost was what you would expect, about $10 each for a burger, sandwich or nice salad...etc. Service wasn't quick, but the food and drinks were good. There was also a small beach 'shack/tiki place' that offered frozen drinks (tasty!) and a barbequed rib or chicken lunch. We figured that going on our own was much less than the RCI excursion. There was no charge to go on the beach. The jet ski rental was $45 for 30 minutes,and we rented snorkling equipment but the price escapes me. And the restrooms were very clean and nice. It is mostly a timeshare place from what I could tell.

[CoronaCpl]

Excellent review Ocean State. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on that awesome ship! Truly makes us want to book on AOS again this year. So far our favorite itinerary. Happy to hear you enjoyed it.

[Tlyn]

Ocean State, your review is great - thanks for posting it! We are going on AOS in 10 days with our two daughters (11 & 9). It'll be our first cruise.

 

Did you book your excursion to the Aquarium through RCI? And did you book this ahead of time?

[EMBFlyer]

You were also very helpful in my question regarding our return flight. Since St. Thomas is the last port before returning to San Juan, U.S. customs is not an issue upon disembarkation, correct? So, barring a really unusual circumstance, if we dock in San Juan at 8:00 AM, do you think we'll have any trouble making an 11:10 flight back to NY?

 

Glad you had such a good time, and thanks again for posting!:D

 

I was on the AOS a couple of weeks ago. You don't clear Customs in St. Thomas, only Immigration. They're are announcements and information in the Compass a day prior to St. Thomas. It takes place in the dining room on Deck 5. They mark your SeaPass card and look at your passport. It happens early in the morning, but only takes about 10 minutes at most. You won't be allowed to leave the ship in St. Thomas until you've cleared Immigration. You will have to clear Customs in San Juan, the morning of arrival. It takes only a few minutes after you've claimed your luggage.

 

If you have an early flight, make sure you tell Guest Relations. They'll want to see your flight confirmation to make sure. They'll also take care of you with the proper tags and Exit Pass. The AOS does not offer a Self-Disembarkation program like the other ships (supposedly due to San Juan's pier). We were off the ship by 7:30, I think. It was pretty painless. We had a 10:15 am flight and made it with no problems. Just make sure you tell Guest Relations and are in the first group off.

[nrunnion]

Did you hear anything on your ship about checking your luggage before you got off with a $10 additional charge and having the airline take it to the ship? There are so many answers to this question that I would really like to sort it out. Some folks say that two weeks ago this existed, others say no. Did you hear about it?

thanks

[EggDropErin]

Thank you for the review. We also enjoyed our cruise aboard Adventure last year. I wouldn't hesitate to go back! :D

[Ocean State]

Tlyn,

we didn't book the aquarium thru RCI, really there is no reason too. We just walked up to the window and paid our admission. It is not crowded at all. It is not a glamorous place, but still interesting. In St. Thomas there is another place, Coral World, that is supposed to be good. We didn't get there but our other family members did and like it alot.

 

Nrunnion, we took our own luggage with us to the airport, however when you get off the ship, I did see Airlines there and you could (I imagine) check your luggage. However the lines seemed somewhat long and there were 3 or 4 airlines,but I can't recall exactly which ones.. It wasn't really a hassle to bring your bags with you to the airport, unless you are traveling with many many bags..sorry to not have much info for you!

[Annefran]

yes, the ship did leave Aruba at 1 am...I wished we had not done the seaworld explorer in the morning, and we had spent the entire day at Renaissance Island...the island closes at 7 pm! And we didn't arrive until 2 pm...

 

Ocean State, we are thinking about doing the Renaissance Hotel in Aruba on our April AOS cruise. Someone indicated you come off the ship, short walk to hotel where you buy accomodations and then they boat you out to their island for the day. Questions: Is the hotel hard to find? Is it best to get there early in the day? Do they have boats going back and forth that you can leave whenever you want to? And of course, how did you like it?

 

Thanks!

[Ocean State]

Annefran, the hotel is easy to find and a short walk from the pier. When you come off the boat and walk thru the area to exit the port - you then turn right and walk down the main street past little shops, etc. The hotel is located on the left hand side of the street - ask any local and they will point it out to you. We didn't get to the front desk until 2pm, and we were able to buy passes. Their boat runs every 15 minutes or so from the hotel to the island, so there shouldn't be a long wait (hold onto your hat on the boat ride, my son lost his Patriots hat!). And we liked it very much! There is an area for topless bathing, but we stuck to the side with clothes! We rented snorkle equipment for the kids, and the lunch was really good. The adult lunch & drink were included in the pass, and we were supposed to pay for the kids lunch and drink, but the waitress smiled and said no charge for them either! (There was no kids menu, and sandwiches/salads are about $9 - $10 each). :)

[Annefran]

Thanks for the info, it's greatly appreciated. Sounds like a fun relaxing day for us the first day we are in Aruba. We will shop the next day, woo hoo....:D

[nursegrrl8]

Ocean State, your review is great - thanks for posting it! We are going on AOS in 10 days with our two daughters (11 & 9). It'll be our first cruise.

 

Did you book your excursion to the Aquarium through RCI? And did you book this ahead of time?

 

 

did you go to rollcall?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=326165

[Tlyn]

did you go to rollcall?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=326165

 

Yep, in fact, we'll be the Meet & Mingle. See you in 10 days!!!:)