We won a cruise..Here's the review of Adventure OTS 28.04.12

[uktraveller]

Two weeks ago I posted the news that we had won a cruise in a C&A competition. :D The prize was supposed to be a 7 night cruise in an inside cabin on Navigator leaving Rome on Sunday 29th April but because they hadn’t kept back any cabins for the competition winners, we were switched last minute to the Adventure sailing from Malaga on Saturday 28th April. We found out we were definitely going only 3 days before!

The prize was cruise only, not including tips, flights, transfers etc. …but we were lucky to be able to get reasonably priced flights at the last minute from our local airport and since we don’t like to take the risk of flying in on the day of sailing we also booked a night in the Barcelo Hotel in central Malaga.

 

 

We just had time to do the online checkin before they closed it and we found that our inside cabin had been upgraded to an outside on Deck 3. An upgrade on a free cruise!! Amazing.

 

We were planning to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel, but we got through the airport very quickly and the last bus (11.59pm) from Terminal 3 into the city centre was still waiting outside. In 15 minutes we were outside our hotel. The Barcelo is part of the big shopping, cinema, restaurant complex that surrounds the Maria Zambrano railway station. Despite it’s central location it was very quiet inside (it would have been even quieter if we’d realised that the window was open behind the blackout blinds!). The rooms are very modern, but comfortable and the showers are fabulous. We paid 90euro including an excellent buffet breakfast … we would definitely stay there again.

 

The following morning we took a taxi to the ship at 11.45 and were onboard by noon. I’ve never seen a check in hall so empty!

　

The ship..

You cannot find fault with the public areas of this ship. Everything is clean and well maintained.

Our cabin was 3658. We were slightly concerned that it was opposite Jester’s nightclub and a crew stairwell but we had no need to worry as it was very quiet. Our steward, Wayne, was pleasant and friendly, although we didn’t actually see very much of him. He often didn’t get around to us until quite late in the day, but he kept the cabin clean and provided everything we asked for.

The cabins are looking a little dated, particularly the bathrooms. Peach coloured toilet seats?? We also had some issues with a non flushing toilet and one evening we had no hot water, but this was quickly fixed by maintenance.

　

The food..

We didn’t get a choice of dining, as the booking was so late, and we were allocated to MyTime. We had a bad experience with MyTime on the Brilliance a couple of years ago and have not tried it again since.

It could not have been better. We made a reservation for 8.15 each night. We never had to wait and got a table for 2 by the balcony in the same section every evening. Our waiter, Rosario, was excellent. We thought the food on the whole was really great (with the exception of the poor menu on the 2nd Formal night). Much better than on our Brilliance cruise last October.

We had breakfasts in the MDR diamond area, lunches in Brasserie 30 or the windjammer, and all our evening dinners in the MDR, except for one night in Portofino.

The food in Portofino is definitely not as good as it used to be but we enjoyed it and it’s still good value at $20.

In the Main Dining Room, the Brasserie 30 salad bar was incredibly good. As well as the usual shrimp, chicken etc there had been a real effort to offer a selection of good European meats and cheeses….salami, proscuitto, feta, brie and mozzarella balls. Plus there were bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on all the tables. A big thumbs up!

　

The bars and entertainment..

We started each evening with an hour or so in the Diamond event, which was held in the 19th Hole on Deck 14. We were well looked after by Kisa and met some really nice people in there. After dinner we enjoyed cocktails in the Schooner Bar listening to Luis on the piano. The bars on this cruise were quite busy in the evenings which made for a nice atmosphere…unlike our cruise on Constellation in February when the ship was deserted after dinner.

We didn’t make it to many of the welcome back events or the Captain’s reception…one of the disadvantages of MyTime is that evening events are timed to fit in with traditional dining times, which were 7pm and 9.30pm on this cruise.

We did enjoy the sail into Valencia at a “top tier” event held at the Peekaboo bridge even though it was an odd venue given the cool weather outside….one “lady” was very rude about having to go outside to get her free drinks and nibbles!:rolleyes:

As for the shows, we enjoyed Fourever (think Il Divo) and the ice show, Cool Art Hot Ice, was spectacular.

The CD on this cruise was Abel from Switzerland. In 2006 he drove his motorbike from Geneva to Toronto. It took him 6 months and there were quite a few hairy moments along the way. He did a fascinating talk about the journey on the last sea day. Really interesting.

　

The ports..

In Valencia, it was too far to walk from the dock, so we had to take the shuttle bus ($6pp each way) into town. We seemed to be waiting a very long time for the first wave of buses to return and people were getting quite impatient. Queuing was a bit disorganised, but we eventually made it. From the drop off point there is an attractive walk along a dry river bed down to the Arts and Sciences Museums complex. What an amazing place! There is no need to go inside, the futuristic buildings and lakes are stunning. We had a little time left to wander around the Old Town, but as it was Sunday afternoon a lot of places were closed.

 

In Civitavecchia, we took the train into Rome. It was the May Day bank holiday and lots of museums/ public buildings were closed, so not ideal if this was your first visit to this amazing city. It was also very crowded….I have never seen so many people there! We have been several times before, so were happy to just wander and had a very nice day. Despite it starting to rain at lunchtime!

 

Livorno. This was the only disappointment on the whole cruise. When we got onboard we booked the San Gimignano and Tuscan countryside shore excursion. We have already seen Florence and Pisa, so were looking forward to something different. When we got back on the ship after our day in Rome ( about 5pm) we found a message on our phone cancelling the next days tour. We tried to book an alternative but by that late stage all the spaces were gone on the tours we would have been interested in. We really felt they should have given us more notice of the cancellation.

We had little choice but to stay in Livorno, so we took the port shuttle (5euro pp return) which dropped us off in the centre of town. It was a surprise to find that it’s actually quite a nice place. There was a lively indoor and outdoor market and a good shopping area. There is also a Venetian quarter with lots of canals. We enjoyed the morning looking around and spent the afternoon onboard. The ship was quiet and the sun was shining.

 

Our last port was Ajaccio on Corsica. It’s an attractive, picturesque little place with a French market, nice beach and lots of pavement cafes and shops. We also took a ride on the Petit Train which takes you up to the Napolean monument.

 

Overall, we had a fabulous time….who wouldn’t on a free cruise?

We really enjoyed the Adventure and her great crew.

We will continue to book balcony cabins in the future as we did miss our own bit of personal outdoor space - though maybe not as much as we thought we would.

We do prefer ships that have outdoor dining space and covered solariums…the weather was quite unsettled at times and a covered solarium would have been perfect.

Plus, I’d prefer to have more than 3 days to get ready for my next cruise. :p

Having said that, I’m sure we’ll be back on the Adventure in the future.

 

Thanks Crown and Anchor for the great prize!

[Poorplaya]

Congrats on winning a free cruise, glad it went well and u had fun.

[uktraveller]

If you're sailing this itinerary soon, I have cruise compasses if you want any details!

[ksmdcruisin]

Sounds like you had a fantastic time and having won it, plus the upgrade, made it even better!

[ST-UK]

If you're sailing this itinerary soon, I have cruise compasses if you want any details!

 

That would be awesome. We sail 2 weeks on Sat!

Glad you had a great cruise. Saw you were no happy about the Navigator issue before you went..

[uktraveller]

That would be awesome. We sail 2 weeks on Sat!

Glad you had a great cruise. Saw you were no happy about the Navigator issue before you went..

 

I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

What would you like to know?

[livylotte]

:) Thanks for reporting back to us. Glad it went well.

[jessicalorene]

We did this cruise on our honeymoon and it was fab :) Glad you enjoyed it!

[ST-UK]

I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

What would you like to know?

 

Hi,

As my DD is coming with us (her first cruise) , any info on Adventure ocean. also what night was the Formal night?

 

Massive thanks in advance.

[GGBNJ130]

That's cool! My grandmother won our first cruise many years ago on a NJ Lottery Instant Scratch Off Ticket That Was $3 or $5, It was a Carnival Cruise Lines/NJ Lottery Ticket Called "Caribbean Stud Poker", she hit a Royal Flush, I think, and the prize section that you scratch had a picture of a ship and underneeth it said CRUISE...The last time I saw those tickets Royal Caribbean and NJ Lottery were working together for a 3/4 Night Cruise...When my grandmother won it was, Carnival Sensation we chose out of 3 ships, left out of FL, she got $500 onboard credit which lasted 1 day, and it was a 7 day cruise in a Ocean View Stateroom. I'm hoping the NJ Lottery has one of those instant tickets this year, I don't remember seeing them recently in the last few years past. But if they do come out, i'll buy a whole book for $300...

[Susie51]

Congratulations! I'm glad you have a flexible schedule so that you could leave on such a short notice and get reasonably priced air. Thank you for your review.

[wadden]

If you're sailing this itinerary soon, I have cruise compasses if you want any details!

 

We're sailing on May 26th - same itinerary. I'd love to see the cruise compasses if you have a link. We thought we got a great deal on this cruise until we heard about your fantastic win! Well Done.

[uktraveller]

Hi,

As my DD is coming with us (her first cruise) , any info on Adventure ocean. also what night was the Formal night?

 

Massive thanks in advance.

 

There were 2 formal nights...the first was on Monday (the first sea day) and the second was Thursday (the day in Ajaccio). It wasn't as dressy as other cruises we have done...there were very few dinner jackets, but most people were nicely turned out.

 

There's not a lot of info about the Adventure Ocean on the compass...it does say there's an open house on embarkation day...."come and meet the staff, tour the youth faciliites" from 2.30 till 4pm at the AO on deck 12.

The daily hours listed are...

Day 2 Valencia AO 8am -10 pm, waterslide 11am-1pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 3 At Sea AO 9am-noon, 2pm-5pm, 7pm-10pm , waterslide 11am-3pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 4 Rome AO 7am-10pm, waterslide 4pm-6pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 5 Livorno AO 7am-10pm, waterslide 4pm-6pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 6 Ajaccio AO 8am-5pm, waterslide 4pm-6pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 7 At sea AO 9am-noon, 2pm-5pm, 7pm-10pm, waterslide 11am-3pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Don't miss the ice show...tickets were supposed to be available from 9.30 on the first sea day (monday), but get there at least 20 minutes early!

There is a 70s street party on the Promenade on Sunday and a Dancing under the Stars Deck Party/Poolside buffet on Wednesday. Although that was moved indoors last week because of the weather!

 

Have a great time:)

[clivep]

It was a pleasure meeting you and the others in the diamond event.

 

After dropping off our bags at storage lockers at the railway station we looked for the HoHo bus stop. What a farce! Back and forth between railway station and bus station as everyone we asked gave conflicting reports as to where the stop was. It turned out that stop #1 in the bus station was closed and one had to use the stop #2 outside the railway station. I'll post details on the ports forum to let others know.

 

We got quite wet during the afternoon in Malaga after finishing using the HoHo bus but at least it had stayed OK in the morning at the botanic gardens.

[ollienbertsmum]

Thank you so much for coming back and giving the review.

 

I am doing this itinerary in July and although I did a similar one 2 years ago it was good to be reminded about Ajaccio and learning about Valencia which is a port that I have not yet visited.

 

I would have been upset about the Livorno cancellation. Well that is something for another time - and with more planning you can arrange something yourself. With so little notice Plan B is a little difficult to organise.

 

Thanks again

[LBumb]

good review

[uktraveller]

We're sailing on May 26th - same itinerary. I'd love to see the cruise compasses if you have a link. We thought we got a great deal on this cruise until we heard about your fantastic win! Well Done.

wadden....I'll try to upload the compasses to Photobucket in the next couple of days. Then I'll post a link for you.

[uktraveller]

It was a pleasure meeting you and the others in the diamond event.

 

After dropping off our bags at storage lockers at the railway station we looked for the HoHo bus stop. What a farce! Back and forth between railway station and bus station as everyone we asked gave conflicting reports as to where the stop was. It turned out that stop #1 in the bus station was closed and one had to use the stop #2 outside the railway station. I'll post details on the ports forum to let others know.

 

We got quite wet during the afternoon in Malaga after finishing using the HoHo bus but at least it had stayed OK in the morning at the botanic gardens.

 

Hi there :)

 

Yes, it was a nice group at the diamond event.

Glad to hear that you got to see the gardens.

We took our luggage to the storage place at the railway station and then jumped on the train down to Fuengirola...and yes, we got wet too!!

[fas64]

If you're sailing this itinerary soon, I have cruise compasses if you want any details!

 

We sail on the 26th May and would love to see the cruise compasses.

[uktraveller]

We sail on the 26th May and would love to see the cruise compasses.

I'm going to try uploading them to photobucket in the next couple of days. I'll post a link!

[wolfcathorse]

The CD on this cruise was Abel from Switzerland. In 2006 he drove his motorbike from Geneva to Toronto. It took him 6 months and there were quite a few hairy moments along the way. He did a fascinating talk about the journey on the last sea day. Really interesting.

 

I bet it was hairy...having to ride his motorbike across the Atlantic...:D

[ST-UK]

There were 2 formal nights...the first was on Monday (the first sea day) and the second was Thursday (the day in Ajaccio). It wasn't as dressy as other cruises we have done...there were very few dinner jackets, but most people were nicely turned out.

 

There's not a lot of info about the Adventure Ocean on the compass...it does say there's an open house on embarkation day...."come and meet the staff, tour the youth faciliites" from 2.30 till 4pm at the AO on deck 12.

The daily hours listed are...

Day 2 Valencia AO 8am -10 pm, waterslide 11am-1pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 3 At Sea AO 9am-noon, 2pm-5pm, 7pm-10pm , waterslide 11am-3pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 4 Rome AO 7am-10pm, waterslide 4pm-6pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 5 Livorno AO 7am-10pm, waterslide 4pm-6pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 6 Ajaccio AO 8am-5pm, waterslide 4pm-6pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Day 7 At sea AO 9am-noon, 2pm-5pm, 7pm-10pm, waterslide 11am-3pm, kids pool 9am-6pm

 

Don't miss the ice show...tickets were supposed to be available from 9.30 on the first sea day (monday), but get there at least 20 minutes early!

There is a 70s street party on the Promenade on Sunday and a Dancing under the Stars Deck Party/Poolside buffet on Wednesday. Although that was moved indoors last week because of the weather!

 

Have a great time:)

 

Excellent, Thanks very much.

[uktraveller]

I bet it was hairy...having to ride his motorbike across the Atlantic...:D

 

:D :DHe went the long way round....but he did have to ship the bike from Hong Kong to LA.

[clivep]

Just a follow up on the excursions position:

 

The majority of the passengers were Spanish. Relatively few from UK and fewer from US. I think they had problems finding sufficient English speaking passengers for some of the excursions.

 

In Valencia we did the Valencia & San Jose Caves tour. This was excellent although not suitable for everyone as you needed to be able to climb down into a boat and be able to duck under the ceiling of the caves in places. The coach wasn't full even though it had a number of Spanish on board (presumably the overflow from the coach for those speaking Spanish).

 

In Ajaccio we did the Vizzavona & Spuntinu tour. It was OK but the guide's constant laughter got annoying after a while and the drive was 75-90 minutes each way! There were only a dozen people on the coach so I was surprised this didn't get cancelled.

[uktraveller]

I agree .....I think the passenger make up on this cruise meant that the more expensive/ more unusual tours didn't get enough interest. And I understand the need to cancel shore excursions if they don't get enough takers....it was the fact that they gave us so little notice that was disappointing.