AOS 1/23-1/30 Mini-Review

[cgrout78]

I'm not making this very long because so many of the things that people write about in reviews are so terribly objective that they end up being not all that helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. No, I didn't bring my compasses home with me, so I do NOT have those available.

 

Ship- Beautiful ship, very well maintained. Didn't feel crowded except in the windjammer area at mealtimes where it was hard to find a table occasionally.

Walkways never felt crowded, elevators were sometimes, but taking the stairs was good exercise. Lots of places where we could find a quiet spot to play cards, especially during the day.

 

Cabin- We had 8282 which as a mid-forward balcony. I don't know that on this busy of an itinerary I would choose a balcony again, I don't think I got the chance to enjoy it properly. We DID use it, but not as much as I had hoped. It was also kind of ugly with a big pipe running across the top. The cabin itself was enough room for 2 with a LOT of space for storage. I was impressed by that. I banged my elbows a couple of times in the shower, but it was fine. We still had the old tv (no flatscreen), but since we weren't there to watch tv, it wasn't a dealbreaker

 

Food- Ahhh...the food, the most subjective of topics. The food was fine. The windjammer was probably comparable to Old Country Buffet or Golden Corral. The dining room a bit better than that, I would call the dining room fair to good. There wasn't anything all week that was AMAZING, but nothing that was terrible either.

 

Shows- We didn't see much of the shows, the Ice Skating show was really good. We had a Beatles tribute band that was ok (I'm a HUGE Beatles fan so I'm picky), and a singer/voice impersonator that was pretty good. We didn't go to the other production shows. The game shows were really good.

 

Activities- There were activities going on ALL THE TIME. There was trivia, art auctions, art tours, bingo, karaoke, dance lessons, pool games, even on port days which I was really amazed by. You could really keep yourself busy almost 24 hours a day if one chose to.

 

Service- Totally outstanding. Always being greeted with a hello and a smile. Our dining room staff (Marco and Paulo) were fantastic...always friendly and entertaining. Paulo made us laugh until we hurt. Bar staff that knew me by name by the 3rd day of the cruise made me feel special. Our room steward (Nonni) was perfect. Room was always neat and clean, ice bucket always filled, towel animals every night. I have no idea where she hid herself, but was always about with a good morning chit-chat and a good evening.

 

Overall it was a great cruise. My only issue is that it was REALLY busy. We had 5 stops and that was too much for me. I was exhausted by the end of the week. I know you don't HAVE to get off the boat, but I felt like I should and I think my next cruise wouldn't have more than 3 stops over a week, more time to decompress between stops and to use my balcony!!!

 

Hope you enjoy my little write-up and again if you have any questions feel free to hit me up!!

[kimberley]

Thanks for the review.

[sparks1093]

Thanks!

[Elkhornne]

Thanks for taking time to post.

[family cruisin']

Thanks for the post! Can you tell me what time they let passengers start boarding?

[cgrout78]

We were one of the later ones to get off the boat, about 10:45 and there were people lined up outside the terminal already. We had done a tour the day we embarked, so we didn't get on until about 4, but I think I heard others say that they were on about noon or so. Our luggage got to our room within a couple hours, I was very impressed.

[mrsd2fan]

thanks for the review..will be on AOS starting Sunday..I've been on AOS before, so I know what to expect..I love it and can't wait to be there again...I have been worried that the extra port will be too much, but I bought a supply of the 5 hour energy...lol

[cgrout78]

thanks for the review..will be on AOS starting Sunday..I've been on AOS before, so I know what to expect..I love it and can't wait to be there again...I have been worried that the extra port will be too much, but I bought a supply of the 5 hour energy...lol

 

 

5 ports WAS a lot. I would have to say this qualified more as a "trip" than a "vacation" since I was going all the time, not as much downtime as I would have liked. I can see how others would love it though. I just think it wasn't for me. :D