Adventure OTS - Older Ship?

[sherizel]

I have only been on one other cruise, Carnival Fascination. I had a good time but said I would never go on a cruise again. I like a nice hotel with a pool and the Fascination was terrible. The rooms were super small, you could barely turn around in the bathroom, there was 1 tiny pool, and cheap plastic deck chairs all around. Plus there was not much to do on the ship.

 

My friends and I are planning a vacation and all of them want to go on a cruise. I reluctantly agreed but only if it was a newer ship. We want to go to the Southern Caribbean next summer. The only ship that goes there is the Adventure OTS. I've looked at pictures and read reviews and they are mixed. It looks okay but some people say the food isn't good and the ship is really showing its age. I was looking at other cruise lines but can't find anything that matches our time/destination other than the Adventure OTS.

 

I realize a cruise ship is not a four star hotel experience but is the ship in good shape?

[bouhunter]

The ship should be in "good shape". We have sailed Adventure three times and are going again next winter.

 

But your issues with the other cruise will apply to most ALL mainline cruise ships whether new or not. Rooms are small (unless you pay big bucks for a large suite). Bathrooms and showers are small. Pools are small. Deck chairs won't be anything special. Most of what you didn't like is applicable to most ships, so you probably won't be happy again.

 

MDR food will definitely be average. It is what it is, they're serving 3000 people in a 4 hour period.

Edited September 10, 2015 by bouhunter

[Hotel CA]

You may also find a similar set of ports on Celebrity (the Infinity) also Southern route--also out of San Juan-- a little different experience from the AOS but same Parent company that owns both lines.

 

We liked the Infinity--thought the food was great and service very good but we did miss the things to do on Royal so we would not hesitate to book the Adventure as the Southern ports are definitely our favorites. Our next cruise is a 10 day southern on the Serenade which we are told mimics somewhat the design of the Infinity-- we really enjoyed the glass everywhere with views of the water from anywhere on the ship feeling the Infinity projected .

 

Good luck and hope you enjoy-- the great thing about the ports are they are all different and you have a bunch of them on the Southern route--so unlike a hotel, you are experiencing different people/cultures/food/environs at evry new stop.

[bigque]

Cruising is not for everyone and lot of times I think that if people had what they considered a bad cruising experience, they will continue to look for faults the next time they cruise. Some people love it and some don't. One thing I will say however is that even though I have never sailed on Carnival I don't think that you could compare Fascination built in 1994 with Adventure built in 2001. I believe you should have a much better experience on Adventure than you had on Fascination. :cool:

[tuliplvr]

I just cruised on Adventure and had the absolute best time! I would go on her again in a heartbeat! (been on twice) The only thing that I saw that was worn was on the mini golf course.. other than that I can't complain. I thought the food was very good, service awesome! Very port intensive cruise with fabulous ports. We traveled with our kids so the room was tight for the 4 of us, but with 2 it's fine. Bathrooms small? yes, but manageable. Lots to do at night. Adult only pool area great. It was honestly one of our best vacations ever and we travel a lot.

[searoses]

The adult solariums are heaven....aos and radiance class ships have them...celebrity as well.....makes all the difference to me...

[lovinlife58]

We were on the Adventure in April---Loved it--and going again in Nov. We thought the ship was in great shape, the food very good, the service was super!! Book AOS, you'll have a great time!

[ryano]

I have only been on one other cruise, Carnival Fascination. I had a good time but said I would never go on a cruise again. I like a nice hotel with a pool and the Fascination was terrible. The rooms were super small, you could barely turn around in the bathroom, there was 1 tiny pool, and cheap plastic deck chairs all around. Plus there was not much to do on the ship.

 

My friends and I are planning a vacation and all of them want to go on a cruise. I reluctantly agreed but only if it was a newer ship. We want to go to the Southern Caribbean next summer. The only ship that goes there is the Adventure OTS. I've looked at pictures and read reviews and they are mixed. It looks okay but some people say the food isn't good and the ship is really showing its age. I was looking at other cruise lines but can't find anything that matches our time/destination other than the Adventure OTS.

 

I realize a cruise ship is not a four star hotel experience but is the ship in good shape?

 

Unless you get a Junior Suite or better, you are likely to find that your cabin will be even smaller than Fascination. :eek: I dont think its a hidden secret that Carnivals cabins tend to be larger than Royals. The bathroom will be very small too.

 

The food is average IMO. As pointed out, they are serving thousands of plates in a short time. You will always been able to find something to satisfy you though.

 

Adventure is a beautiful ship though and much newer than the Carnival ship you went on. It has a Royal Promenade which is a great way to navigate the ship or just have a seat and people watch. It wont be the dark centrum with bright neon lights you experienced on Fascination. Those ships are Carnivals worst IMO and should be retired soon.

Edited September 10, 2015 by ryano

[cyntil8ing]

I have been on both ships this year. Carnival Fascination for a last minute spring break getaway and the Adventure for our annual summer cruise.

 

I won't say that Adventure is world's better than Fascination because I really found nothing wrong with Fascination. The pool is standard cruise-ship size and I guess they have replaced the deck chairs since you were on. The deck chairs on Adventure are the old strappy type, unless you're in the Solarium.

 

Fascination:

 

 

Adventure:

 

Deck chairs:

 

 

Solarium chairs:

 

 

We had an outside on Fascination vs suite on Adventure, so there's just no comparison I can offer there. But all ships, even brand new ones, have small cabins and bathrooms unless you book a suite.

 

As for activities, they were pretty much similar, scavenger hunts, trivia, evening shows, though Adventure does not have the comedy shows. However, it does have ice skating and the rock wall, if that's your thing. Both have mini-golf and Carnival has the water slides. Adventure does have the adult pool vs the Fascination's Serenity hot tubs.

 

I would cruise again on either ship.

[dacsmom]

It sounds like cruising is not the best vacation for you. The rooms are going to be small, food is so subjective, and there is not a great deal of pool space. It will also be right before the Adventure goes into dry dock, so she may show more wear. Can't you talk them into a different itinerary and maybe choose a Freedom or Oasis class ship? There is certainly more to do on those ships. I am booked on the Adventure next month and can't wait, but I love to cruise.

[sherizel]

Thanks everyone for your candid feedback. I think cruising just isn't for me. Maybe we can compromise on an all-inclusive resort somewhere. :)

[jimmyzwei]

Thanks everyone for your candid feedback. I think cruising just isn't for me. Maybe we can compromise on an all-inclusive resort somewhere. :)

 

many of the things stated are not any different on any ship (room size + pool size) but my comment is in regards to food in MDR, just my opinion but it is every bit as good as you will find at most all-inclusive resorts especially when you are talking mid-level resorts. Now the few that are high end all-inclusive will be better but then cost will also be comparative to getting a Junior Suite or better with an Ultimate beverage package included.

 

The hardest thing for me on being willing to switch over to a cruise vacation was figuring out what to do on sea days. On my first cruise with sea days (had 2 in a row) I felt trapped on the ship, but i have since worked through that and now actually look forward to them.

[Justmekaren918]

I personally don't think a ship of that age is old; in fact it is a young child in boat terms! RCL does a nice job keeping up their fleet!

 

I will be on Adventure next September, but I was on her slightly bigger sis Liberty! The ship is great! People watching on the Promenade or the many different bars to spend time at! The great productions on board that are pretty NYC comparable! You can take in a 70's party, white party, quest, quiet party and more. Dinning the food is pretty decent for mass produced food! I have to say the choices up in the WJ on Liberty seemed a tad limited at dinner although I was eating just before close for dinner which is probably half of the reason! I choose to eat breakfast at WJ because you get to choose or you can truly get fresh to order eggs made right there!

 

As like others have said! Cabins are not big; unless U drop 7 to 10k for a suite 4 7 days. Bathrooms are small and air freshner is key! Balconies are good and can very in size! Pool furniture is average!

 

I know Royal is trying to either dry dock or during refurbished schedule they have started to install flowrider on Voyager class and Adventure was refurbished in 2014 and it doesn't look like 1 was added then! Not sure when/if they are pulling her out of service to add.

 

The ship is big and lots to do! Great Southern itinerary to be explored! I highly recommend either a Wilberry Lava Flow or Mudslide! Enjoy!

 

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[Darkingnj]

Just off the Adventure this past Saturday. It is an older ship but I didn't really see much wear and tear. They are constantly working around the ship to keep it clean. We had two balcony rooms and there was one day where we received a notice to close the curtains (for privacy) because the balconies would be cleaned the next morning. I didn't notice until my father-in-law mentioned to me that the workers were painting the outside of the ship everyday while we were in port. One thing I noticed is the balcony was half metal (bottom) and half glass (top) as opposed to full glass on the newer ships.

 

Food, entertainment, and activities are all subjective depending on who you ask. I wasn't hungry or bored during the cruise...lol. I would definitely cruise Adventure again.

 

Sometime next year Adventure is going to dry dock, with major changes coming. You can probably find the dry dock date and changes on cruise critic.

[138east]

Bathrooms are small, but the Voyager class ships like Adventure have a giant hottub in the fitness center and a sauna, steam room, and normal sized showers in the locker rooms with lots of space and towels for your " toilette". Otherwise, the insides, ocean view, and E balcony cabins are all the same sized cabins (balcony outdoor space extra).

[Rala]

OP...cruising may not be for you, but I think you would find that Adventure is definitely AT LEAST a couple of steps up from Carnival Fascination. :)

[bigque]

OP...cruising may not be for you, but I think you would find that Adventure is definitely AT LEAST a couple of steps up from Carnival Fascination. :)

 

At least and that is no lie! :cool:

[BobbyD]

Southern Carib itinerary on the Adventure is a great cruise. Love the Voyager/Freedom class ships with the Royal Promenade. It will be a different experience than the Carnival cruise. We were on the Adventure in March and thought the ship was in great shape for an "older" ship. Relax and enjoy!

[westwingjazz]

Cruising is not for everyone and lot of times I think that if people had what they considered a bad cruising experience, they will continue to look for faults the next time they cruise. Some people love it and some don't. One thing I will say however is that even though I have never sailed on Carnival I don't think that you could compare Fascination built in 1994 with Adventure built in 2001. I believe you should have a much better experience on Adventure than you had on Fascination. :cool:

 

 

Exactly!!!! My thoughts exactly!!! I would never suggest the Fascination for a first time cruiser. I have been on 13 cruises and I have cruised on the Fascination ... And it was a turn off. In fact, I stop using the Carnival as a result that cruise[emoji19]

 

 

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Edited September 12, 2015 by westwingjazz

[lovetocruiserccl]

Just got off of her on August 22, 2015. She's in great shape for cruising. She is clean and well maintained. The crew is wonderful. Try it you may enjoy itm

 

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[WendyVF]

I just cruised on Adventure and had the absolute best time! I would go on her again in a heartbeat! (been on twice) The only thing that I saw that was worn was on the mini golf course.. other than that I can't complain. I thought the food was very good, service awesome! Very port intensive cruise with fabulous ports. We traveled with our kids so the room was tight for the 4 of us, but with 2 it's fine. Bathrooms small? yes, but manageable. Lots to do at night. Adult only pool area great. It was honestly one of our best vacations ever and we travel a lot.

 

Tuliplvr - I saw on another thread that you were in 3618. We have that cabin for the 10/31 sailing. How was the area outside of the cabin? The deck plans look weird as if it's all open to the elevator lobby and no hallway to get to the "new" cabins.

[tuliplvr]

Tuliplvr - I saw on another thread that you were in 3618. We have that cabin for the 10/31 sailing. How was the area outside of the cabin? The deck plans look weird as if it's all open to the elevator lobby and no hallway to get to the "new" cabins.

 

I was nervous at first about the location before I got on the ship, but we LOVED the location! We didn't have any trouble being close to the elevator. Noise was never an issue. Honestly I really liked being on deck 3 and where our cabin was located. Easy to get to!

[racerxspeedy]

We just got off Adventure 2 weeks ago. Overall she is in great shape. They recently replaced the hallway carpet and refinished the railing woodwork. Compared to Fascination I think you will be impressed. We never had to work to get a seat by the pool - even on sea days. Just stay away from the "powdered" eggs at breakfast.

[mcatmcat]

The ship is ok but I was told the crew is not that happy because of the locals booking the ship, they are rude and tip less.

[SonicShip]

The Adventure of the Seas has an ice skating rink and the ice shows are good.