Jaynay

Thank you so much for your review and looking forward to your final thoughts as well. Loved the pictures and particularly all the info from the excursions, loved your detail as I'm sure many will find your info very helpful in planning our future trips!!

Thanks so much for your great review.  So much FOOD porn!  Hopefully all that partying worked off the calories!

I enjoyed the pics and info on the cruise and airports too. I have two TA's in the fall (there and back from FL) on RCL so this was helpful.

Thank you Laurie for a wonderful review. I just finished it, checking in every few days. I'll be on the westbound TA Voyager out of Barcelona in November so will be watching for your westbound TA in October for sure!

I love the bird pictures that you included from the islands. Aren't they beautiful?!  Thanks for including them.  We go to Merritt Island every year, particularly the cooler months, when birds are here for the winter. It's such a peaceful ride, you never know what you'll see. And, always, gators toward the end of the drive, for those who don't get much of a chance to see them.  Thank you so much for sharing.

On 4/19/2024 at 12:47 PM, prmssk said:

As we sat on the promenade watching the sea, a Brown Booby (common sea bird we see on cruises) flew right by and spent some time fishing right next to the ship.  These birds amaze me as they spend so much of their life at sea, rarely seeing land and they are quite beautiful.  This time I had my camera on me so captured some great photos.  

 

 

 

But enough of birds which I recognize doesn't interest most cruisers.  We attended the Captain's Corner with Captain Jaret and Cruise Director Dan.  I was a bit surprised it wasn't more highly attended.  On other cruise lines talks like this by the Captain fill the theater.  It was a fun hour that went by fast with some great questions and humor.  Let me share some of what I learned.

 

Captain Jaret is from Newfoundland, Canada.  He has been with Royal Caribbean 25 years and has commanded all five voyager class ships which are his favorite.  His reason is that the Voyager class ships have more horse power per ton and for the passenger's benefit they have more elbow room.  I would definitely sail this class again for that reason.

 

 

He talked briefly about the Discovery class coming out in 2029 which will be similar to the Voyager and Freedom classes.  He put his plug in for convincing Royal to let him Captain this new ship.  Clearly, he is excited about this upcoming class.  

 

A question was asked about dry dock happening in the fall.  A number of participants are on the transatlantic cruise either to or from dry dock (or both). Wouldn't that be fun?  The ship is in Europe for 19 days which would be an ideal amount of time to explore some of Europe.  If only we had the time off....

 

He talked a little bit about dry dock.  They have these large blocks that are no more than about 2 meters high that the ship sits on.  They design exactly where to put the blocks based on the specific ship going into dry dock.  Divers are in the water as they slowly enter dry dock to help guide the ship which then ties up and then the divers stay in the water once the dock is closed and the water slowly drained to make sure it sits right.  It sounds like quite the process!

 

The Adventure's top speed is 22.5 knots.  They need to use 5 of the 6 engines to achieve that speed (one engine is reserved as a backup).  A headwind has the most affect on their ability to achieve that speed.  They can drop down to 4 engines at about 21 knots, 3 engines at about 18 knots, and 2 engines at about 14 knots.  The ship takes on about 1,000 tons of fuel at Port Canaveral each cruise - 300 tons of HFO and 700 tons of MDO (I hope I got those acronyms right).

 

Starting with the Harmony and all ships built since, they have an ALS system (Air Lubrication System) which creates bubbles at the hull to cut down on friction and help the ship go faster.

 

The top three senior officers are the ship's Captain, the Staff Captain (2nd in command), and the Chief Captain (3rd in command).  Those three senior officers are on the Bridge for every arrival and departure.  Otherwise, the ship is generally run by the other officers.  A senior officer would get called up when there is high traffic or low visibility.  1st and 2nd Officers work 8 hour shifts.

 

Captains and other senior officers usually work 10 weeks on and 10 weeks off.  Some of the other officers on the Bridge work 14 weeks on and 14 weeks off.

 

At each port, a local pilot boards.  They are the expert on the local tides, dock, which ballards can take how many lines, etc.  In the US it is required they take command, although the Captain is still responsible for the ship and the Captain's staff still do the docking.  Local pilots also work as a translator with lineman in foreign ports.

 

When deciding whether to back into the dock or pull in forward, a lot of factors come into play.  Sometimes they are doing drills on certain lifeboats.  Other times the current or swells play a role and with some docks, the location of the gangway matters.  Cozumel is one of the hardest ports to dock at because of the combination of currents (which are ever changing) and wind speeds.

This is great information! Thanks for posting. I'll be on the referenced Enchantment transatlantic cruise in October (to Lisbon, Portugal) but taking Voyager back from Barcelona. Just retired so that will be my longest cruise(s) ever. Also, just got off 5-day Mariner last week and we were in Cozumel - we watched the docking but didn't know it was a difficult docking, they made it look so easy.  So many ports that you are reviewing are new to me so I'm loving it. Thanks so much for your review!

Thank you so much for your trip report.  I am really enjoying it! The info on Brightline is helpful. I live near Orlando and contemplating using Brightline for a future cruise.

I was searching for something else when I stumbled on your cruise review. I've read some of your other reviews and just wanted to say how much I enjoy them!

On 3/9/2024 at 9:42 AM, dreameral000 said:

I never been on a transatlantic cruise and we are considering the Adventure of the seas on October. It leaves port canaveral and arrives in Lisbon. Do the cruise lines increase the daily events/activites and offer more choices? Does rcl offer guest lectures. Not sure if  I would get bored, but consensus appears I shouldn’t. Looking for any input would be welcome. What else is different than a 7 day cruise besides the sea days.

Thanks for asking this and to all who responded. I, too, am booked on this cruise and it will be my first TA and traveling SOLO.  I wasn't sure if RCI did guest lectures on sea days. I hope so. I do plan to start my day with a walk in the mornings, as was suggested. Is entertainment offered every night in the theater?  The Adventure is a bit older, so not as much to do on her when one thinks of the newer ships (I like both types as long as there aren't so many teenagers on board 😆). 

I am active on roll calls too, so that is helpful. To the OP join us there if you haven't already!

Thanks for all the valuable insight.  Baggage/Packing is going to be interesting since it will be a 32 day trip and no washing machines on Royal Caribbean ships. They do provide laundry services but I have heard that it is very hard on clothing, often called the Boil and Fry 😝 And I plan on work out clothing, too, but that is normally very light and washable in the sink. Gotta keep the packing minimal so I can handle all the baggage handling between ships/hotels/airports...

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your vacation to do a review of your trip.  I almost booked a front ocean balcony like yours for our upcoming TA on Adventure in October but while I hesitated it was booked by someone else. Got our normal balcony instead.  Would love to know if the shaking windows continued to be a problem...

On 2/10/2024 at 10:31 PM, teddie said:

I did spy some cranberries in it.  It used to have sliced almonds on the top--those are gone...

Confession:  on disembarkation day, I bring a baggie with me and nab 4 or 5 slices to bring home 😇

I'm so guilty...  truly the only food thing I've brought home for me and only once (so far)...  I call it sweet cranberry bread and could only find it at Cafe Promenade on Harmony last year.  Better than any dessert in the Windjammer or MDR.  Thanks for being a partner in my crime 😁

And once a long time ago when my husband couldn't go with me, the MDR waiter gave me some of those small olive rolls that DH loved, can't remember the name. DH was all smiles. He's asking now if RCI still has these for our upcoming April cruise, but I guess that's another thread.

On 2/12/2024 at 6:53 PM, LindaD22 said:

On Brilliance of the Seas from Sydney, our first cruise as Diamond 💎 

Wow! This is a much nicer gift from the Chef!

Sorry you are getting our yucky weather in Florida.  We are further up from you in Central Florida and, well, pretty much the whole state has had constant, mostly drizzling, rain both Saturday and Sunday (today).  Really hard on all the NASCAR fans (not one) in Daytona Beach.

Same as the OP - I was researching Sorrento's too and don't see it on RCL Mariner's promenade deck plans either. 

Sorrento's offers pizza, but I don't remember the Promenade Cafe offering pizza (see earlier post here). Are they one and the same on the Mariner?

And, as far as late night snacks, based on previous cruises, Sorrento's pizza is Included (no charge). If Playmakers offers pizza (haven't been there yet), there would be an upcharge. Just a consideration...🤑

So is there a Sorrento's on Mariner, and if so, can someone tell me where it is? It's such a perfect simple pizza snack/lunch...😋

Reviewing your report months after your cruise in preparation for our upcoming April cruise... thanks so much for a really thoughtful and helpful review. And thank you for your honest pro's and con's along the way and in your summary.

Just wanted to say I am really enjoying your review!

On 2/5/2024 at 10:19 PM, SoloAlaska said:

Book easy connections or prearranged transport. Don’t try to do everything I personally would suggest taking a ship transfer to the airport in Lisbon. Give yourself enough time to not stress about making your flight. Book a direct flight. Then get yourself a great hotel in Barcelona and enjoy the city. 
 

Have a plan. Keep it simple. Make sure you’re not carrying too many pieces of luggage. Enjoy an amazing trip.

Thanks for the hints!  

On 2/5/2024 at 5:24 PM, dahirsh said:

not what you asked for, but tell me more.  Ships? dates?

 

Depart Adventure of the Seas, Oct 25 2024 Lisbon

Return Voyager of the Seas, Nov 10 Barcelona

I went ahead and booked the flight via TAP, direct flight.

Do you (we) solos have a harder time booking transport (uber) etc.? Do you find that transports take advantage of you pricewise traveling solo?

I am planning my first SOLO and first 2 TA, with the TA's being 4 days apart. Husband can't handle so many sea days without going stir crazy.

I've always done all the cruise planning for us, so I'm used to that.  I'm very used to the cruise line and the departing and returning port (Port Canaveral). The people on the Roll Calls seem very friendly, experienced TA folks and many already know each other.

The only thing keeping me from clicking the Book Cruise button are the connections from one TA to the other.  I will be sailing to Lisbon, hotel, fly to Barcelona, hotel, then sail back home.  Doing this with my husband is one thing if I get rattled, but by myself????

Any tips to make the anxiety go away when doing this (all the connections) solo?

Thanks for your responses.  Daylight in the room without the heat, I suppose. Not sure I'd like an inside room for my first TA(s). I like a room on the cooler side for sleeping but sunlight coming through the widow/balcony when its cool out. 

I'm not a sun bather though.😝

Why does it have to be so confusing??!!!

I am planning my first Fall (October &  November) TA - Eastbound in October and returning Westbound in November. If I decide to pick a balcony or ocean view room, which side of the ship is the best location for good light? Thinking it'll be cool then so sun would be good.

Many thanks!

Loving your review! What southern ports are you visiting?

On 11/26/2023 at 9:52 AM, nu_cruzer1 said:

There should be more transparency in the gratuity process and that would shut down future threads on this topic.  Royal can put an end to these gratuities threads very easily.

Exactly

Thanks to all for this info. I'm trying to plan for 4 adults and this is giving me ideas. thanks again.