Review of Adventure of the Seas, 2/17/18

[printingchick]

We were in Aruba until 11PM. The MDR was nearly empty that night. When we arrived at 6:30, our waiters told us we were their first customers of the night. It was nice to LOUNGE around at the table, confident no one was waiting for that space.

 

We had MyTIme Dining, which was on Deck 3, by the way. We made a standing reservation and were assigned a table by the window. We never had to stop at the host station and be walked to our table after the second night. We were waved on to seat ourselves at OUR table. I feel like that's combining the advantages of traditional dining and flexible dining. I've done traditional dining, MyTime without reservations and MyTime with reservations. We really like MTD with a standing reservation as we end up with an assigned table and waitstaff.

[printingchick]

The final sea day provided additional performances of the ice show, for those who had missed it during the first sea day. It also featured the "Sexiest Man" contest poolside, which we missed because we were by the Solarium Pool escaping the wind. It was extremely windy that day! I tried out the water slides (super fun!) and we watched folks on the FlowRider, which is always entertaining. We ate lunch in the main dining room for the first time. The chopped salad seemed to include fewer selections that I'd remembered from previous cruises, which was a little disappointing. They also offered made to order pasta and a host of desserts. (Yes! Another opportunity to eat Royal Chocolate Cake! Woo hoo!)

 

I mentioned that we missed most of the nightly entertainment, but we did see the Love and Marriage show on the TV. It was hysterical, as usual. Casey Pelter's departure will be a loss. He was a good cruise director.

 

We also saw the comedian, whose name I'm regretfully forgetting (my Compasses are not near-by for reference). He was pretty funny, neither the best nor the worst I've experienced on cruise vacations.

 

I forget which night they did Quest, but it was NOT prior to a sea day. I wish they'd host the popular late-night events before sea days. We had early excursions at each port. The 70s Party was held on Aruba night, prior to our final sea day.

[printingchick]

Debarkation Day: We had a late flight (3:15PM) out of San Juan, so were in no rush to get off the ship. Passengers were required to vacate the cabins by 8AM. Breakfast was available in the Windjammer until 9AM. It was VERY crowded. Sharing tables was a MUST in order to secure table space. This was the only day we had great difficulty finding a place to sit in the Windjammer.

 

Our waiting area was in the MDR, where they had pastries, fruit and coffee available. We didn't arrive there until AFTER our number had been called, but we hung out there a while because it was raining and we hoped to postpone disembarking to allow the rain to pass. (We did!)

 

Customs was a BREEZE! We found our luggage right away. Having delayed disembarking, the line was very short and we sailed through quickly. We laughed at the table set up just behind the check point. It was FULL of irons people had tried to take on board that had been confiscated the week before. There were a few other confiscated items awaiting passenger retrieval, but irons were by far the most prevalent.

 

I compared the cost of going to Old San Juan ourselves versus one of the available airport tours (privately offered or through RCL), and we opted for the DIY option. We grabbed a cab for the Barrachina Restaurant, where they will store your luggage in a secure room for a tip of your choosing. GREAT deal! We ate lunch there before heading to the airport, which I'm sure many people do, so it's probably a successful marketing vehicle for them.

 

More on exploring Old San Juan to follow...

[cruiseguy1016]

Casey Pelter's departure will be a loss. He was a good cruise director.

 

Was this Casey's last cruise on Adventure? I have heard a lot of good things about him in the past. I was looking forward to having him as our cruise director next week.

[E-burgGrammy]

I was on the same cruise with my wife and 4-year old; like you, I hope to post a trip report. I'm interested to see yours. Overall we had a good cruise, with a hiccup or two along the way.

 

Did you find the pizza in Cafe Promenade tasteless with cheese that tasted like dough? I know on Cruise Critic Royal's pizza is often dissed, but I liked it okay at Sorrentos on Oasis & Allure, so it was a glaring disappointment to find this on Adventure of the Seas. And having a 4-year old, we ate the pizza on a number of days, so it wasn't a 'one off' thing.

 

Anything you really enjoyed on this Voyager-class ship you wish the Radiance-class had?

 

Richard.

We were on Navigator of the Seas and thought pizza in Cafe Promenade was worse pizza I had ever had on a cruise ship.

[printingchick]

Yes, our sailing was Casey's last as RCL cruise director. I think I read he's taking a position with Celebrity as an entertainment director. That may be a land-based position, which makes sense since I also read that he and his wife recently had a baby. Mercedes LaFuentes is taking over for Casey, but I don't know if that's long term or just an interim solution.

 

By the way, not to derail my own review, but I saw there is a very hot thread related to service animals on the ships. This cruise was the very first time in a dozen or so sailings that I've seen a service dog on board. I probably should have put quotation marks around "Service Dog," as I have to admit that I was skeptical. The dog, which was sitting inside a baby stroller parked next to one of the Solarium Pool hot tubs, was a tiny and adorable terrier. From what I've read, not a breed typically used for service animals. It wasn't wearing any sort of vest and it appeared to be somewhat terrified by all the people and activity. We did notice a wood-chip litter box of sorts on Deck 4. From what I've read on these boards, service dogs on the ships are becoming far more common these days.

[Bkchero]

Thank you for your review. We are looking at an AOS cruise after it repositions to PE this coming winter. This was very helpful even if the itinerary I am looking at is different.

 

You said you had barramundi in the MDR. They offered in on our Navigator cruise over NYE and we got one for our table to try. It was really, really fishy. I am not sure why Royal would try to serve something that comes from halfway around the world that can’t be served fresh and doesn’t seem to survive the freezing process. (Actually, I probably do know why . . .) At least they tried to cover the fishy taste on yours w/some garlic, ours was just fishy.

[printingchick]

Thank you for your review. We are looking at an AOS cruise after it repositions to PE this coming winter. This was very helpful even if the itinerary I am looking at is different.

 

You said you had barramundi in the MDR. They offered in on our Navigator cruise over NYE and we got one for our table to try. It was really, really fishy. I am not sure why Royal would try to serve something that comes from halfway around the world that can’t be served fresh and doesn’t seem to survive the freezing process. (Actually, I probably do know why . . .) At least they tried to cover the fishy taste on yours w/some garlic, ours was just fishy.

 

Interesting... I don't think the garlic helped. I think it made it even worse!! Glad to know it wasn't just me. My husband wasn't bothered by it and ate his. I took one bite and that was all I could handle!

[printingchick]

As I said, we had a late afternoon flight out of San Juan, so we explored Old San Juan during the first part of the day.

 

 

 

 

 

[printingchick]

I can't remember if I said this already, but if I did, it bears repeating. Be at the San Juan airport TWO HOURS prior to your flight. You will need every bit of that time. The process is slow and disorganized. Don't forget to have your bags screened by the Agricultural Screening machines. Probably a third of the travelers forgot and were sent back after standing in line and FINALLY reaching the check in. After screening, they went back to the front of the line, but that delayed everyone else in line. Avoid the stress. Get there earlier than you think you need to be. The airport is in great shape and perfectly comfortable if you need to wait. Better that than the stress of RUNNING for your gate after arriving an hour and a half before your flight time.

 

Thus ends my review, but I'm happy to answer questions.

[OHCruisin]

Second day, St. Kitts. We toured with Javin's My Island Tours. I HIGHLY recommend! He does a mostly traditional island tour (no visit to the fort or the batik factory), but with a twist. He brings along a pet monkey for the tour, which is an adorable added feature. Peaches took the day off on our tour day and we toured with the younger (just three months old) Cream! The tour includes a visit to Spooner's Cotton Ginnery, a historic site under renovation, which was the stomping grounds of our tour guide in his youth. It was actually far more interesting than I had expected. We hiked the rain forest, also an area frequented by Javin throughout his youth. He referred to the area as his "back yard." Gorgeous! An easy hike which I would recommend regardless of your age/physical condition. We then visited the Black Rocks, where Javin tossed down a knotted rope for us to climb down to the sea level. Not mandatory and some folks didn't partake, but remarkably simple, even at our age. You really should try it. Amazing! We enjoyed a great lunch (Javin refers to this as a "snack" on his website, but it's LUNCH!) Then, we were on to our snorkeling location, including a sunken ship. The snorkeling was better than expected on an island not really known for it's diving sites. Again, some guests chose to sit out, but it's worthwhile to participate. See the photos! We then drove over Timothy Hill (OMG...can you believe the view??) to Cockleshell Beach, offering great views of Nevis. I highly recommend this excursion. My husband and I agreed that, while we LOVED aspects of all the islands we visited, St. Kitts was our favorite port.

 

My friends and I were on this with you! We loved Javin's tour the first time we did it, loved it this time, but decided next time we'll do a trip to Nevis.

[printingchick]

My friends and I were on this with you! We loved Javin's tour the first time we did it, loved it this time, but decided next time we'll do a trip to Nevis.

 

Wow! Small world here on Cruise Critic! This was our third visit to St. Kitts. The first time, we toured with Jim & Rose. They do the very standard St. Kitts tour, which was fine for a first-timer. We visited the usual: Fort, Batik Factory, Black Rocks, Timothy Hill, Cockleshell Beach. the next time we visited with Royston. He tours in a windowless van and, while hitting the same highlights, added some more personal stops. We LOVED that tour. This time, we chose Javin, to do something a bit different and more active. LOVED it. I recall telling someone years ago that St. Kitts wasn't a place you could visit over and over again. I have proved myself wrong. Every time I go I find myself surprised at how much I love that island. I can't wait to visit again!

[sjmbruce]

Back-tracking just a bit. I neglected to mention that on the Javin's My Island Tour in St. Kitts, Javin brought along a camera to take tons of photos - over 180 of our day! He posts all the photos he takes on Shutterfly, where you can download them for free! ALL of my St. Kitts photos were actually taken by Javin, so if you complemented those photos, I'm sorry to say I can accept no credit. (Although I did choose the tour, so maybe partial credit??)

 

Our next port of call was Curacao. We had booked the West End Tour with Irie Tours, in order to explore the more remote and natural side of the island. About a week prior, I received an email indicating that we were the only ones registered for that tour and it was therefore being cancelled. Disappointing, but at least they let us know far enough in advance to make other plans.

 

When we'd originally evaluated our options, our second choice had been the Tugboat and Reef Snorkel tour with Curacao Actief. The excursion included two snorkel stops, one at Tugboat Beach and one at another beach nearby. Both sites were an easy swim from shore and offered amazing coral and an abundance of aquatic creatures. My research had indicated that Curacao was likely the best snorkeling port on our itinerary, but we were still amazed at just how good it was. Our guide, Berenice, indicated Tugboat Beach was the most crowded she'd EVER seen it. Fins in the face can be a little frustrating, but it was still a GREAT experience. The second stop was at a white sand beach and the reef was an incredibly easy swim. It was perhaps even more amazing that the tugboat!

 

After the second snorkeling stop, we were supposed to go to Fort Beekenberg, which is located between the two beaches. We had some people with mobility issues on our tour, and the fort involves a lot of steps. The itinerary was changed on the fly and we visited the liquor factory where we could participate in a free tasting and/or tour. We did stop at another fort, but it had been converted to a mall or restaurant or some such, so we didn't go inside. Not sure that stop was really worthwhile. It was a half day excursion that returned us to the ship around 1:30. The cost was $65. We had about 20 participants that day so they took two vans. Each van included a driver and two tour guides. They were incredibly patient and helpful to those who needed assistance. It's a very professionally run excursion and we were pleased to have chosen it.

 

Photos to follow later. I don't have the time right now.

Was this the west end beach hopping tour or a different tour with Irie? The beach hopping tour is what we're booked on and I have no plan B at the moment.

[printingchick]

Was this the west end beach hopping tour or a different tour with Irie? The beach hopping tour is what we're booked on and I have no plan B at the moment.

 

It was the West End Beach Hopping tour that was cancelled. We could have moved to the East End tour, but it didn't interest us. Maybe you'll have better luck. I don't they Irie will run the tour with fewer than 4 people.

[printingchick]

OH! I forgot! The other thing we did on the last sea day was attend the parade on the Royal Promenade. I haven't attended a parade on the Promenade for some time, having cruised on smaller ships in recent years. The parades are not very long, but well worth while in my opinion - enjoyable for children and adults alike! We sat at the Duck and Dog, which was a GREAT location to see the event close up! I'll have to see if I can find some pictures.

[printingchick]

The parade on the Royal Promenade.

 

[cruising sister]

Next Port of Call: Curacao. As mentioned earlier, we primarily snorkeled here, having read it was a great island for snorkeling/diving. My photos honestly do NOT do it justice. But here they are, nonetheless.

 

 

 

 

Did you do an excursion or go to a beach on your own?

[BillOh]

We flew to San Juan the day prior to embarkation and stayed at a little bed and breakfast near the Condado area called Tres Palmas Inn. It may take me a few days to complete this review, as I'm still uploading photos...and doing laundry an attempting to adjust to no longer living in paradise!!

 

 

We stayed at Tre Palmas in 2014, so I'll be curious to see what you think. You've commented on several of my reviews before, so I'll say in advance, thanks for doing this one and welcome back.

[paul&michelle]

I found the casino to be extremely smoky on our trip a few weeks ago. Now I’m a smoker and obviously contribute to the problem. It is an older ship and doesn’t have the best ventilation. The casino is also pretty small. I even noticed a few times that the schooner bar smelled pretty smoky. I did wonder if this had something to do with it being very windy outside. We were on the repositioning cruise and seemed to consistently be traveling at a decent speed. I know as a smoker that steers me towards the only indoor smoking area. Sorry I don’t have better news. I will say when we were on her in the summer it didn’t seem as bad.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

My wife and I were also on the recent repositioning cruise. The casino was by far the biggest disappointment of the trip. We are not big gamblers, but do like to drop a few bucks in a slot machine after dinner. As non smokers, the casino was unusable for us. The non smoking area was very small, and it was not being enforced. Smokers would bring their ash trays over and place them next to the no smoking signs. Go figure. Staff wasn't concerned at all. We have been on Adventure many times over the years, and this was the worst we have ever seen. It was bad enough that there were times that the Schooner Bar became smoky as well. In fact, at times you could smell the casino smoke while on the Promenade near the stairs leading to the casino. Since we have not experienced this before, perhaps there was a problem with the ventilation system.

[printingchick]

cruising sister: We booked a private excursion with Curacao Actief. You can also book through Viator for the same exact price, but Curacao Actief is the company running the excursion. It was $65 per person. We met the guide at 8:30 and were returned to the ship around 1:30. That timing allows you to change into dry clothes, eat lunch on board and disembark again to view the floating bridge/marketplace area. We thought the tour was very well run. There were TWO guides for every 10 participants and they were incredibly helpful to those on our tour with mobility issues. The snorkeling was outstanding; my pictures truly do not do it justice. I would recommend without hesitation. They have reviews on Trip Advisor and on Viator, if you want to gather more information.

Edited February 27, 2018 by printingchick

[printingchick]

BillOh: I had somewhat mixed feelings about Tres Palmas Inn, but in the end, we would definitely stay there again.

 

This was a delayed honeymoon for us; we were married in late September. I mentioned that when I made our reservations and they booked us into an extremely private room at the very back of the inn. The photo of the patio with the sails hanging above it was just outside our door and was essentially ours. I bet no other guest even walked back that far. We didn't use it because it rained and all the furniture was very wet, but it would have otherwise been really nice to sit out there with a glass of wine at night.

 

As you know, it's the outdoor spaces that make the place. Lots of little courtyard areas and guests made good use of those. Yes, the smokers went to the area on the roof terrace, but that didn't bother us at all. The rest of the inn is totally non-smoking, under threat of a fine! Non-smokers rejoice!

 

The room was very basic. It did have a TV, but we didn't watch it. No phone to call the front desk, but it wasn't much of a walk. The decor was very nice and beachy. It's an older place and its showing its age, but in some ways that's a positive. We were amazed at the plants that had grown up around the buildings.

 

Breakfast was disappointing. I knew it would be continental, but it was extremely continental! And they could not keep up with the coffee demand. They'd let the pot get completely empty, and each new pot was gone as soon as it appeared.

 

 

The pool area was nice. The hot tub was never heated, so we didn't use. It's a shame, it would have been nice, but we figured it would take too long to get hot, so we didn't bother. I'm sure they do that to save electricity.

 

The people there were super friendly and helpful. We loved the location. We prefer boutique style inns to resort style hotels, so it was the sort of place we gravitate toward. Also, the price was good for the area.

 

Four years ago, we stayed in Old San Juan at another funky, historic inn called Villa Herencia. I absolutely LOVE that place and we actually visited (for sentimental reasons) while in Old San Juan. But my husband wanted to be near the beach, rather than near the forts, this time around.

 

Tres Palmas served the purpose for us at a decent price in a good location. It's very close to the airport and not too far from the ship. It's easy to go into Condado. We had dinner at the Marriott Stellaris and hung around to enjoy some live music before returning to the hotel.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[vickiw0318]

I was on the repositioning cruise and had an early flight out of San Juan. I wanted to say that the Adventure staff handled the "walk-offs" very well. We met in the Conference Room on Deck 2 between and at about 5 til 7, we were led down single flight of stairs to walk out on Deck 1. We went through customs quickly. I was in a cab and at the airport by 7:30 - maybe earlier. Very nice!

[printingchick]

I was on the repositioning cruise and had an early flight out of San Juan. I wanted to say that the Adventure staff handled the "walk-offs" very well. We met in the Conference Room on Deck 2 between and at about 5 til 7, we were led down single flight of stairs to walk out on Deck 1. We went through customs quickly. I was in a cab and at the airport by 7:30 - maybe earlier. Very nice!

 

I got stuck with an early flight out of SJU one time when the airline moved my original flight time. It was very quick then too. I think SJU runs more smoothly at that time of the morning. When it gets crowded in the afternoon, it becomes a total mess!!

[Maverick509]

Hi Mandy & David! Great review, loved reading it. Thank you so much Mandy for getting off on the right start to St John and mapping out the trip over! You did a great job.

It was great meeting you two,

[printingchick]

Hi Mandy & David! Great review, loved reading it. Thank you so much Mandy for getting off on the right start to St John and mapping out the trip over! You did a great job.

It was great meeting you two,

 

Hey! Hi guys!! Great meeting you and seeing you around the ship all week! So glad we connected here! I hope you LOVED your cruise experience as much as we did!