Adventure of the Seas 3-5-16 sailing now onboard

[lauraodonnell86]

Giovanni's Table was very good. Since this is the only specialty restaurant on board it was quite busy.

 

We each had the filet mignon. It was equal to Chops on other ships. We also shared a pasta dish and a caprese salad. While service and quality was great, they just serve way too much food. Looking at our table and neighbor's tables, there was so much uneaten food at the end of each meal.

 

In our stateroom tonight were our departure luggage tags, already. Also instructions for disembarkation in San Juan on Saturday morning. Seemed to go by so quickly...

 

Sad for you that your cruise is almost over :(:( hate seeing the work "disembarkation" starting showing up.

[minn0315]

It s day 7, Friday. At sea. Bright sunshine.

 

The drink of the day is Caribbean Sunshine, $10 (plus 18%). On other threads some have posted that drink prices vary wildly for the DofD. Not here. Consistently $10 each and every day.

 

The dinner menu is Pomodoro. Chef's selection for entree is rosemary lamb shank.

 

Entertainment this evening is Balancing Act of Luis Dalton, Lyric Theater, one show only, 7:45. There is one last ice show in Studio B at 3:00 pm. There is also Adult comedy at 11:00 pm in Lyric, featuring Phil Palisol.

 

I have my galley tour at 11 this morning and we have lunch, lasagna, at GT.

[Hawaii697]

Good morning. Thank you for sharing your "live" review. I"m glad to see you're having a great time. I'm the organizer for our upcoming group cruise with 30 family members. Sailing in June. Your review has answered a lot of questions for us. We cant wait to take our first Royal cruise. :D

 

A few other things I'd to confirm, does Johnny Rockets serve breakfast? If so, is there a cost? Does the MDR serve breakfast and lunch on sea days? Thank you again for your live insight.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

It s day 7, Friday. At sea. Bright sunshine.

 

The drink of the day is Caribbean Sunshine, $10 (plus 18%). On other threads some have posted that drink prices vary wildly for the DofD. Not here. Consistently $10 each and every day.

 

The dinner menu is Pomodoro. Chef's selection for entree is rosemary lamb shank.

 

Entertainment this evening is Balancing Act of Luis Dalton, Lyric Theater, one show only, 7:45. There is one last ice show in Studio B at 3:00 pm. There is also Adult comedy at 11:00 pm in Lyric, featuring Phil Palisol.

 

I have my galley tour at 11 this morning and we have lunch, lasagna, at GT.

You've done a super job of sharing many key points on your cruise. Thank you.

 

By the way...you'll enjoy the galley tour...wait until you see how shiny and spotless they keep those kitchens!

[minn0315]

On this ship JR doesn't serve breakfast. On oasis class ships they do and it is complimentary. We've been on Oasis and my wife will be on Allure in about 60 days.

 

MDR does complimentary breakfast every morning. Lunch there is only on the sea day.

 

If you are in a GS or above there is complimentary cooked to order breakfast every morning, except disembarkation day, in Giovanni' Table. On some other ships with a Chops the breakfast for suites is there, as we experienced recently on Navigator.

[Hawaii697]

On this ship JR doesn't serve breakfast. On oasis class ships they do and it is complimentary. We've been on Oasis and my wife will be on Allure in about 60 days.

 

MDR does complimentary breakfast every morning. Lunch there is only on the sea day.

 

If you are in a GS or above there is complimentary cooked to order breakfast every morning, except disembarkation day, in Giovanni' Table. On some other ships with a Chops the breakfast for suites is there, as we experienced recently on Navigator.

 

Thanks much for your response and clarifying meals in the MDR.

 

Enjoy your day!

[minn0315]

Galley tour was interesting. Everything is so clean and food temperatures and safety are #1. We each got a white chocolate covered strawberry at the dessert prep station.

 

Giovanni's lunch was fantastic as always with the phenomenal lasagna. To keep the amount of food to a reasonable amount we simply had the lasagna. Just with that we were stuffed!

 

A word about our tipping. We did pay for pre-paid gratuities when we booked our cruise. This is our own preferences and experiences; not advice to others, simply our opinions. I have the premium drink package that includes an 18% gratuity. However, if a bartender is generous with his pours of liquor and really is attempting to please me, I give an additional $1 bill US to show my appreciation. Most of the time they put it directly in their pocket; rather than adding a tip to the receipt, those are pooled per my understanding. I prefer to reward the individual.

 

At the specialty restaurants, even if we received the dinners free from our TA, I tip 20% of what would have been the charge; i.e. Last night at GT was free to us but it as worth $60. So we tipped $12.00. Since we also had complimentary cooked to order breakfasts in GT each morning we tipped our busboy and waiter this morning, the last full day of the cruise.

 

In the concierge lounge where unlimited alcohol is served for gratis, we tip $1 bill US for each and every drink. Just like we would do for free drinks in Las Vegas when gambling.

 

I am tipping my stateroom attendant an extra $20 because she did extra things without asking. For example if we left clothing lying around she would fold it and place it on the table and brought a bucket of ice without our asking.

 

We are also going to tip our concierge who went out of his way to do extra things for us.

 

I also tipped the porters in San Juan pre cruise.

 

While our MDR waiter and assistant did their jobs very well, I didn't think they did anything extraordinary that deserved an extra tip beyond our prepaid gratuities. We only ate at MDR twice in 7 days.

[minn0315]

This has been a wonderful afternoon at sea. Sunny, breezy and everyone on board.

 

When the ship is rocking rolling side to side slightly the large pools become mini wave pools. If you are at the sides it is like surf coming into you. If you are in the middle of the pool the current will take you from one side to the other. I enjoyed it.

[minn0315]

I think that some of the most fun things we enjoy are the "side" shows. For example on the pool deck today, the sea day, was the Sexiest Man Alive contest and then the world Champion Belly Flop contest .

 

These may not sound like your cup of tea, but what makes them fun is the audience really getting in to it and taking sides and cheering. The other pool deck fun today was "If you know the song, Dance it". It was those songs that we know the dance moves to: YMCA, Macarina, Gangnam Style, and other line dances that we hear at wedding receptions. Great audience participation and cheering and laughing. We think these little things should be enjoyed.

 

As are the Battle of the Sexes, Love and Marriage, Quest, etc.

[dbleyle]

Thank you so much for your live reviews. We are on the red-eye tonight to catch that very cruise tomorrow morning and your reviews have been so helpful. Glad you had a good time!

[krazy4kruisin]

A very enjoyble read. Thank you so much!

[SailingSal]

I so enjoyed reading your daily postings:)

Makes me so more excited that next week we will be sailing away! 5 more days in we will be in San Juan:cool:

[minn0315]

This is day 8, disembarkation.

 

There is only one non-flight between SJU and MSP. It leaves at 5:20 pm. So to burn some time we booked an exclusion through Royal. "Old and New San Juan with airport drop off."

 

Our luggage tags were # 4. So we took our carry on bag and met in the Imperial lounge with others taking excursions at 7:30. About 7:40 they led us off the ship into the terminal. Luggage was in neat rows and we found ours easily. My wife's bag looked like a spotted cow and my bag had "Happy Holidays" ribbons on all sides.

 

Customs was a breeze. Off the ship to bus waiting for tour, 16 minutes.

 

Tour was less than spectacular. 3 hours and we made only two stops: the cemetery and church well before you get to the old fort, and second stop the old fort. Only restroom available was at the visitors center at the old fort. The tour driver was hard to understand. We arrived at the airport just before 11:00 am.

[Pandabear90]

how is the nightclub on board? any good? or did you notice any place with a dj for some dancing?

[minn0315]

I need to back up a little about this morning.

 

When you leave the terminal people are waiting with signs for your tour. They then take your big bags as well as you overhead carry on bag and put them in a closed box like truck. They tell you will see your bags at the airport. You keep your purse.

 

So we are done with the tour. Many other tours were dropped off at the Central terminal. Our driver took us to terminal D. Our bags were indeed waiting. We entered the terminal at these doors. This is a defunct terminal area.

 

I found someone who looked like they worked there who directed to our right to the, you guessed it, the Central terminal. This is huge long walk to find Delta. (The actual B & D gates are behind the food court area beyond security here, so maybe the front of D terminal is being remodeled.) So we get in line and put our bags up on the scale and the agent asks if we have goon through "agriculture screening". What?! There were no signs or agents at the beginning of the check in lines telling us to do that first! Grrrr...

 

So we find the agriculture place and they have no one to organize lines, etc. there are actually two screening areas, side by side but one is on the left and one is on the right. You put your bags on the belts that go through, what looks like an x-Ray machine . It actually has sensitive "sniffers", looking for fruits or vegetables that should not be taken to the US mainland. (Apparently they do this also in Hawaii, but in the two times I was there we didn't go through this).

 

They then place a green tape on your bags telling the airline agent that all is well. So we go back to the Delta counter, with our now fruit and vegetable free luggage, and start the check in process again.

 

We do have TSA pre check that we paid for and went through the vetting process back in November. So that part of security was very quick.

 

Delta does not have a Sky Club lounge at SJU. So if you have an American Express platinum card that gets you into Sky Clubs for free, you can ask AMEX to send you a free "Priorty Pass" for other airports. So we used PP and are spending time here until we board.

 

Thank you to all who took the time to read this review/diary. Adventure is a wonderful ship. Bon voyage!

[minn0315]

Some of the nightclub venues, i.e. The Viking crown lounge started at 11:00 pm and the the closing time is not listed, just the word, "LATE"

 

There was also a DJ spinning tunes ( a lot of Motown on this sailing)

in smaller venues, also until late.

 

I can't address the participation or crowds as we are sleeping by 11, sorry.

[EJPhilly]

Did you happen to notice tour guides for San Juan Happy Tours when you were looking for your tour? We had planned to do the same post cruise tour you did, but im thinking i have to book something else. And our flight doesnt leave till 6:00. No way im hanging in the airport all day. Thanks. Loved following your review!! Great job. [emoji106]

 

 

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[DJLDRUMS]

Sailing her 5/7. Looking forward to your review. [emoji4]

 

 

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We too EJ, three couples from the Boston, MA. area will by sailing on 5/7 as well. Two couples D+ and one couple Gold reaching Platinum after this cruise.

Looking forward to being on the AOS again, been about 7 years since last time. We did the Anthem in January and will be doing it again with 19 family and friends on 7/15.

Had we not already planned the July cruise after experiencing what we did in January we probably wouldn't be taking it again. But...live and learn !

[sailaway04]

Quick questions. Were there porters on disembarkation day to help with the luggage and skip the lines for those who can't walk that much?

 

Is there a discount if you book on board that first day for G's Table?

 

 

Thanks so much for the review, making me excited for our go round soon! :D

[minn0315]

Yes to porters! They were all over the place.

 

No discounts on GT at all this week, $30 pp for evening and $20 pp for lunch on sea day.

[Santo23]

@minn0315 - thank you! so very much for the review. We board Adventure this Saturday and your insights and perspective are very helpful, thank you again.

[Sorry Muffin]

I'm enjoying your review. Currently considering a cruise on Adventure in Dec 2017.

[JTBCruiser]

You mentioned free soft drinks in Johnny Rockets....is this some new? In the past there was always a charge for soda unless you had the soda card...

 

DW and I were on the same cruise and ate here one night. Soda is included in the $6.95 fee. In fact, I got a "to go" cup before we left.

[missvictoria121]

We board on May 28th, but not the same route. We're leaving out of San Juan but we go to St. Martin, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire.

 

Looking forward to reading the rest of your review!!!

 

I can't decide if I want to get internet or not. All I would need it for would be to check my email every once in a while and posting pictures on Facebook :)

 

So excited for our cruise! May 28th can't come soon enough!

[Kissmya63]

So excited for our cruise! May 28th can't come soon enough!

 

Oh, me too! I spent the better part of yesterday on here looking up everything Adventure of the Seas :o

 

73 days until we leave!!!