Late but Live from Adventure of the Seas. Feb 10-16

[cello56]

Thank you for the photos. I think my scooter will fit fine in this cabin. 

[badvector]

Day 4 Puerto Plata – Good afternoon from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic where it is currently 82 degrees and mostly sunny.  We didn’t have any specific plans for the day and since we have an excursion planned for next week, we thought we would just take a walk and get the lay of the land. We’ve never ported here before so we really didn’t know what to expect in regards to the area.

 

Inside of the port, I am reminded of the port in Costa Maya.  The port contains the normal mix of cheap souvenir stores (that aren’t really cheap), specialty stores (chocolate, coffee, etc.) and name brands (Del Sol, Hardrock).  There are bars located throughout the port and the locally brewed beer is Presidente for the folks that like to try the local stuff.  Based on the prices I saw at one of the small bars, you can drink cheaper on the ship than at the port.  The port does have a really cool lazy river set up that is completely free to use.  It meanders throughout the complex and is a great way to spend some time if that’s your thing. We did pick up some hot chocolate latte mix and honey for our kids because we like to bring them back something local.

 

After exploring the port for a bit, we made our way to the exit to explore the local area.  If you are not a fan of being pressured and can’t say no, this is not the place for you.  At one point I actually had to tell a guy to quit following us and just leave us alone, we did not need a tour guide. I understand that this is the livelihood for these folks but there is a point when they really should take no for an answer.  We’ve walked through several of the port cities and this is one that I honestly wasn’t comfortable.  Might have just been us, but it left a bad taste in our mouth from the start and I wasn’t really willing to give it much more of a chance after that.  When walking towards the city center, definitely use caution as traffic is a complete crap show and I’m pretty sure there are no rules.  We walked to Umbrella Street and back and in our opinion didn’t see or find anything worth our walk and really didn’t feel like walking much farther.  We’re looking forward to our excursion next week and seeing more of the countryside than just outside of the port.

 

Tonight’s theme for dinner is Caribbean and the headliner show is Paul Boland.

 

[watcher_62]

Thanks for the info, comments and photo's.  We were just there a couple of weeks ago, and will be back 4 times in the next two months.  You saved us from giving in to our own curiosity...lol!

[IdeaGuy1]

Great review. Thanks. Did you happen to notice if there are lockers to store your stuff if you use the pool or float down the lazy river?

[marchand28]

Glad to hear that they got the coffee machine working in the Crown Lounge. When we were on in January it worked 2 mornings out of our 8 onboard. Felt the same way about Puerto Plata. Thanks for the heads up about the gratuity in the spa. Will keep that in mind when we are back on her. Is it safe to assume it's the same way on all the ships?

[badvector]

7 hours ago, FusionMJM said:

Great review! We'll be on the 3/9 sailing. If you happen to get a chance if you're at Cafe Promenade, could you ask if they stock any gluten free cookies there? Other ships I have sailed offered pre-packaged Udi's chocolate chip cookies behind the counter. Much appreciated if you 

 

We asked and the employee double checked with their manager. No gluten free cookies st the cafe. I do know that I've seen a gluten free dessert in the jammer every day so far. It hasn't been cookies however.

[badvector]

16 minutes ago, marchand28 said:

Glad to hear that they got the coffee machine working in the Crown Lounge. When we were on in January it worked 2 mornings out of our 8 onboard. Felt the same way about Puerto Plata. Thanks for the heads up about the gratuity in the spa. Will keep that in mind when we are back on her. Is it safe to assume it's the same way on all the ships?

 

Honestly, I don't know. I would never assume it's the same on every ship though. I've read way too many times that each ship has their own policy on different things. Best to just ask up front.

[FusionMJM]

11 minutes ago, badvector said:

 

We asked and the employee double checked with their manager. No gluten free cookies st the cafe. I do know that I've seen a gluten free dessert in the jammer every day so far. It hasn't been cookies however.

I appreciate it!

[badvector]

1 hour ago, IdeaGuy1 said:

Great review. Thanks. Did you happen to notice if there are lockers to store your stuff if you use the pool or float down the lazy river?

 

They do have lockers for a fee. I don't know how much as we didn't need one.

[sgerth]

I am really enjoying your review.  My sister and I will be on the May 24th sailing and I appreciate your information on the condition of the ship.  It has been a while since I sailed on Adventure and nice to know that she is showing a little wear and tear but nothing to be really concerned about.  We as cruisers need to show a little love to the older ships in the fleet.  

[badvector]

Day 4 Puerto Plata update - Forgot to post earlier. We asked at the Crown Lounge and there are 626 kids on the ship. We haven't seen any issues with elevator button pushers or kids in general. In fact, you would hardly realize there are that many kids on the ship.

 

I really enjoyed dinner tonight. I had the jumbo coconut shrimp with the Caribbean roasted chicken and the wife had Pork Bao tacos and jerk porkchop. I'm not a big fan of chicken but I'm trying to add it to my diet and I'm glad I tried it tonight. The chicken was full of flavor and cooked perfectly. Not dry at all and I can see it becoming my go to on Caribbean night. My wife said the tacos were really good again(they were not so good back in September on Serenade) and the pork chop was excellent.  My only complaint is how their definition of Jumbo and mine are so different. The shrimp were barely normal let alone jumbo. If the coconut shrimp are your thing, plan a double 😋  

 

 

Edited February 13 by badvector

[badvector]

Day 5 Labadee – Good afternoon from Labadee.  It’s currently 84 degrees and mostly sunny.  It was an absolutely B-E-A-Utiful day out there today.  We hopped off around 8:45 this morning to get some exploring in before it got too hot out there.  We spent about 2 ½ hours walking around the island before heading back to the ship for lunch.  It really didn’t get too busy out there until around 10:45 and you could have had your choice of sitting anywhere if you were out before then. 

 

The dragon wasn’t breathing too much this morning at all but the little crabs were out and moving and they’re so fun to watch.  I don’t think much has changed since the last time we were here and we seem to enjoy the laid-back atmosphere here versus the business of Coco Cay.

 

The gym was pretty slow this morning and it seems to have gotten slower every day that has passed.  Not sure if it gets busy later or if folks have just kicked into vacation mode. I took the opportunity to grab some quick pics there this morning to share though.

 

Tonight’s menu is Italian and the headliner show is Can't Stop the Rock with the singers and dancers.

 

Edited February 14 by badvector

[badvector]

Day 6 at sea – Good morning from somewhere in the Caribbean.  It’s a mighty windy day out there this morning and there’s a bit of a chill in the air.  Well, we managed to make it this far into the cruise before tragedy finally struck.  The coffee machine in the Crown Lounge has given up and is refusing to provide its caffeine imbibed sustenance to us weary travelers.  Here’s to hoping that it can be repaired prior to everyone getting on tomorrow.  I had heard a nasty rumor that the machine in the Suite Lounge was also out earlier in the week but I could not confirm it. 

 

Today we plan to catch the Love and Marriage game show that is slated for 2:00.  This is always one of our favorite shows as it never seems to disappoint when it comes to laughter.  They completely emptied one of the pools yesterday but it is all good and refilled this morning. 

 

Dinner last night was probably the most disappointing of the trip so far.  My wife wanted to try the sole but what she received was not flaky fish at all but more of a gelatinous mush.  I had the mushroom risotto, one of my normal favorites, and it was a little mushy as well.  Tonight we’re at Giovanni’s and I’m looking forward to the filet that I’ve heard so much about.

 

 

[wolfcathorse]

for this sailing and the next would you mind trying to verify who the captain is? I want to make sure my Current Captains board is as accurate as possible.

[cello56]

Oh my! Those last two photos show a very appetizing entree. They really did not make the plate look attractive did they!

[badvector]

2 hours ago, wolfcathorse said:

for this sailing and the next would you mind trying to verify who the captain is? I want to make sure my Current Captains board is as accurate as possible.

 

It is still Capt. Jaret. Not sure of the spelling but it is correct.

[badvector]

Well, I'll close out here from the Imperial lounge listening to karaoke with the house band. Giovanni's was awesome. Probably one of the best meals we've had in a while. The filet was prepared perfectly and melted in your mouth.

 

The coffee machine in the Crown Lounge was still down whe we checked after dinner. Hope they can get it back up for next week.

 

We had a wonderful week and really enjoyed our first time on the Adventure. We still prefer Freedom over Adventure but wouldn't think twice about booking her again.  Looking forward to the next week with our group on here and In fact, we'll be on again in December for the NYE cruise with our immediate family. 

 

Thanks to everyone for checking in and following along. I enjoyed doing my first live on board.

 

[huntr104]

Thanks for the great review and pics.  We're looking forward to our 8 night on Adventure in June.

[RedSails1968]

I give a lot of credit to anyone who can eat those pork bao tacos. My mouth was on fire from the first bite. And I agree that the mushroom risotto was bad. 

[doghog]

3 minutes ago, RedSails1968 said:

I give a lot of credit to anyone who can eat those pork bao tacos. My mouth was on fire from the first bite. And I agree that the mushroom risotto was bad. 

That's what a cold beer or a margarita is for.  Add a few more tacos and I could make them my entree. A good spicy. 

[Jaynay]

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your vacation to do a review of your trip.  I almost booked a front ocean balcony like yours for our upcoming TA on Adventure in October but while I hesitated it was booked by someone else. Got our normal balcony instead.  Would love to know if the shaking windows continued to be a problem...

[perfect match]

Thank you very much for the review. I enjoyed following along with you. I thought you did a great job with your writing. 👍
 

We’ve been sailing mostly on the bigger, newer ships and have enjoyed them very much, but we keep talking about sailing one of the older, smaller ships, specifically out of Tampa. Sailing under the Sunshine Skyway bridge would be a big attraction for us.

 

We tried booking out of Tampa once, but apparently it wasn’t meant to be. First, the ship was taken over by a full ship charter so we were bumped. Even without that though we still wouldn’t have cruised because of the pandemic 😷 shutdown. I’ve been a little afraid to try again! 😱😂

 

Hope you have a great cruise with your family on the second leg of your B2B. 🛳️

[badvector]

8 hours ago, Jaynay said:

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your vacation to do a review of your trip.  I almost booked a front ocean balcony like yours for our upcoming TA on Adventure in October but while I hesitated it was booked by someone else. Got our normal balcony instead.  Would love to know if the shaking windows continued to be a problem...

 

For us, we could always hear when it was really windy out. We're in a ocean view right now and are sleeping great. We also normally have a balcony but were happy to give it up for the free cruise.

[badvector]

4 hours ago, perfect match said:

Thank you very much for the review. I enjoyed following along with you. I thought you did a great job with your writing. 👍
 

We’ve been sailing mostly on the bigger, newer ships and have enjoyed them very much, but we keep talking about sailing one of the older, smaller ships, specifically out of Tampa. Sailing under the Sunshine Skyway bridge would be a big attraction for us.

 

We tried booking out of Tampa once, but apparently it wasn’t meant to be. First, the ship was taken over by a full ship charter so we were bumped. Even without that though we still wouldn’t have cruised because of the pandemic 😷 shutdown. I’ve been a little afraid to try again! 😱😂

 

Hope you have a great cruise with your family on the second leg of your B2B. 🛳️

 

Thanks! We really like the smaller ships in and out of Tampa. Freedom is probably our favorite class and we really liked Odyssey as well. It is pretty cool when you pass under the bridge. We like the aft balconies on that class.

[Cruise a holic]

We had a negative experience on the Adventure- first, we were in a junior suite but the decor was shabby and in need of renovations.  It was two years ago- and your pictures of your cabin look renovated.  Also, the coffee machine  in the lounge was broken about 75% of the time.  See you had the same problem.  Royal- time to replace.  We also didn't like the old school cafeteria style model.  So much better with stations for various types of food.  Found the food in the MDR meh-  

 

We will stick to Oasis class ships.  We are sailing on the Icon in March and are looking foward to that experience.