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

[printingchick]

So we filled out our post-cruise survey. I'd forgotten reading here about the new question, "Did any staff member ask you to provide positive responses to the survey questions?" Our waiter most certainly did. We'd have provided positive feedback regardless, so I wasn't sure what to say. If honest, would it negate the positive feedback we provided?? Honesty won out. I hope it didn't result in negative repercussions for our waiter.

[birdlord]

A few random notes about life on Adventure:

 

• The staff on board was not diligent about enforcing the rules prohibiting the saving of chairs. It was extremely difficult to find loungers, particularly in the solarium pool area.
  
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• Our waiter in the MDR always recommended the items that were available for only that one night. They were not always the BEST on the menu, despite his claims.
  
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• Lunch in the MDR on sea days is great. The chopped salads seemed to offer fewer choices than I remember from past cruises, but still very good. They also had customizable pasta.
  
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• Not actually about the ship itself, but I'd forgotten how disorganized the San Juan airport is. While operating normally, without any apparent evidence of storm damage, check in and security was SLOW. Plan to arrive two hours before your flight. You will NEED every bit of that time. And don't forget to go to put your bags through Agricultural screening or you'll be sent back. Part of what slowed the line was people cutting back into the check-in line after being sent to Agricultural screening!
  

I agree with all of the above. We cruised in December on Adventure. As to the staff not being diligent about chair hogs (agree -- I saw one couple that saved themselves 4 chairs so they could go between the two sets depending on their mood).... but what I experienced in the Solarium all week long was the first time I ever had run across the issue -- people playing their own music, and loudly, from their phones or mobile devices. Maybe I'm a stick in the mud, but I found it very annoying and rude. I didn't feel comfortable telling people to shut it off (ie., not good with confrontations in a social type setting) but the staff certainly didn't say anything either. I guess this is okay?

 

I thought the food was blah and yes, the waiter did make recommendations that were by far NOT the best choice on the menus. However, I agree that the lunch in the MDR was phenomenal!

 

I hadn't been to SJU since our honeymoon 21 years ago and I must have forgotten how torturous it was. Oddly, Pre-Check line was worse to get through than the "regular" line as their security area was just plain awful. It was a terrible, terrible experience!

[Tom47]

So we filled out our post-cruise survey. I'd forgotten reading here about the new question, "Did any staff member ask you to provide positive responses to the survey questions?" Our waiter most certainly did. We'd have provided positive feedback regardless, so I wasn't sure what to say. If honest, would it negate the positive feedback we provided?? Honesty won out. I hope it didn't result in negative repercussions for our waiter.

Thank You for your review. We are considering RCCL AOS for 50th anniversary cruise with family in 2020.

[printingchick]

I agree with all of the above. We cruised in December on Adventure. As to the staff not being diligent about chair hogs (agree -- I saw one couple that saved themselves 4 chairs so they could go between the two sets depending on their mood).... but what I experienced in the Solarium all week long was the first time I ever had run across the issue -- people playing their own music, and loudly, from their phones or mobile devices. Maybe I'm a stick in the mud, but I found it very annoying and rude. I didn't feel comfortable telling people to shut it off (ie., not good with confrontations in a social type setting) but the staff certainly didn't say anything either. I guess this is okay?

 

I thought the food was blah and yes, the waiter did make recommendations that were by far NOT the best choice on the menus. However, I agree that the lunch in the MDR was phenomenal!

 

I hadn't been to SJU since our honeymoon 21 years ago and I must have forgotten how torturous it was. Oddly, Pre-Check line was worse to get through than the "regular" line as their security area was just plain awful. It was a terrible, terrible experience!

 

Thankfully we didn't experience the music thing in the Solarium. It's supposed to be a quiet, all-adult haven. I think I'd be afraid to ask someone to shut it off too. Glad I didn't have to! I was disappointed about the lack of chair hog enforcement. It's difficult for an individual to watch for a chair that has been vacant for 30 minutes. Pick the wrong one to focus on and you waste 25 minutes! We had a lot of groups on our cruise and they seemed to have these branded lounge hooks that attached the towel to the top of the lounger. We were afraid to question those as they were next to a number of identically adorned and occupied loungers. I wish people would just be more honest about it!

 

 

We actually really liked the MDR food for the most part. I didn't like that barramundi fish, but everything else was good to excellent. My husband makes a habit of ordering TWO entrees, so we had three between us to taste. Unfortunately, we both fell victim to our waiter's enthusiastic recommendation of the barramundi, so we BOTH ordered it. And it was the one and only night hubby ordered only a single entree, because we'd eaten a really late lunch that day. It's not like we didn't get enough to eat!!!

[printingchick]

Thank You for your review. We are considering RCCL AOS for 50th anniversary cruise with family in 2020.

 

It's a great "family" cruise vessel, as it has something to appeal to passengers of ALL ages.

[birdlord]

Thankfully we didn't experience the music thing in the Solarium. It's supposed to be a quiet, all-adult haven. I think I'd be afraid to ask someone to shut it off too. Glad I didn't have to! I was disappointed about the lack of chair hog enforcement. It's difficult for an individual to watch for a chair that has been vacant for 30 minutes. Pick the wrong one to focus on and you waste 25 minutes! We had a lot of groups on our cruise and they seemed to have these branded lounge hooks that attached the towel to the top of the lounger. We were afraid to question those as they were next to a number of identically adorned and occupied loungers. I wish people would just be more honest about it!

 

 

We actually really liked the MDR food for the most part. I didn't like that barramundi fish, but everything else was good to excellent. My husband makes a habit of ordering TWO entrees, so we had three between us to taste. Unfortunately, we both fell victim to our waiter's enthusiastic recommendation of the barramundi, so we BOTH ordered it. And it was the one and only night hubby ordered only a single entree, because we'd eaten a really late lunch that day. It's not like we didn't get enough to eat!!!

 

Yes, the music was actually shocking. And it wasn't just one person. It was several all week long. I just crossed my fingers this wasn't a "new" thing to expect on a cruise, esp in the Solarium. I wish people (chair hogs) would just be honest, too. I guess maybe they feel they deserve more than the rest of us.

 

I had a couple disappointing dinners in MDR (either swimming in butter/oil to the point you couldn't taste what it was you were supposed to be eating, to one night making the mistake of ordering a steak which was really subpar. I guess I could have sent it back). The service was great, but I really thought the food (dinner) missed the mark on my particular week.

 

Having said that, we enjoyed ourselves and had a wonderful cruise. I would do it all over again, warts and all! :-)

[accio_7]

Thank you for your review, I really enjoyed reading it :) I'm sailing on Adventure for the first time in December and looking forward to it!

 

My stateroom is all the way forward on Deck Two, so looking forward to hearing the bow thrusters in action lmao.

[ScottVV]

That's incredibly awful :mad:

 

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]

I downloaded a white noise application to my phone before the cruise. I did it because we were spending the night before our flight in an airport hotel, where I expected noise. No such issue, but we needed it on the ship. Deck 2 is really loud, at least where our cabin was located. I don't think it's tremendously more $$ to move up to Deck 3 and I would definitely recommend! ;)

[RWMike]

Would you have any pics of your cruise compass?

[Gillawife]

Hi I am new to this forum. I am sailing from Cale Liberty on Adventurer of the Seas this July with my husband and family. I had a few questions and was hoping this was right spot to ask? Thank you in advance. I will ask my questions if I am in the right place :)

[Clarea]

Hi I am new to this forum. I am sailing from Cale Liberty on Adventurer of the Seas this July with my husband and family. I had a few questions and was hoping this was right spot to ask? Thank you in advance. I will ask my questions if I am in the right place :)

Unless you are asking questions about this specific cruise, I would instead start a new thread with an appropriate title.

[Gillawife]

Unless you are asking questions about this specific cruise, I would instead start a new thread with an appropriate title.

 

 

 

Thank you so much!

 

 

Errika

[Biker19]

I will ask my questions if I am in the right place :)

Most of the time you can find the answer in the ship related threads - simply click on the Adventure of the Seas link on the right of the main web page and read away.

[Clarea]

Thank you so much!

 

Errika

You're welcome.

[printingchick]

I brought back my Cruise Compasses, I THINK I have them all. I'll try to take some photos and post this weekend! I know they're helpful to me when I'm looking ahead to my cruise.

 

Happy to answer any questions I can specific to the ship, Gillawife. Obviously I was on a different itinerary than you'll have sailing out of New Jersey.

[RWMike]

i brought back my cruise compasses, i think i have them all. I'll try to take some photos and post this weekend! I know they're helpful to me when i'm looking ahead to my cruise.

 

Happy to answer any questions i can specific to the ship, gillawife. Obviously i was on a different itinerary than you'll have sailing out of new jersey.

 

tyvm! :d

[printingchick]

I'm posting the daily planner portion of the Cruise Compasses from our cruise. ENJOY!

 

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Oops...sorry about that lower right hand corner. I apparently tore out something to save! Here is most of Day 2. Day 2 was the first formal night.

 

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Here is Day 3, St. Kitts day. This was another casual night. We had no theme nights on our sailing. We'd packed expecting a "white night" and a "tropical night" in the MDR, based on a review I'd read from November. But all the nights were either casual or formal.

 

[printingchick]

Another apology for the condition of this one. It was a sea day and I carried the Compass around in my pocket that day. It's a little worse for the wear! Day 4.

 

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Day 5 was Curacao day. It was also the second formal night. I was surprised since the ship stayed in port later that evening. I suspected they would move the formal night to a sea day, but they did not.

 

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Day 6 we were in Aruba until 11PM. The MDR was half empty. (Service was amazing that night!!)

 

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Day 7 was another sea day. This one didn't seem to get quite as damaged, but you can tell I folded this one up and stuck it in my pocket! On the last sea day, we did the water slides and ice skated.