"Live from Adventure of the Seas"

[cme4ltc]

If I was to "read between the lines", you had wonderful ports of call but less than desirable ship mates. Please tell it ain't so~. :confused:

[swmichigan cruiser]

You read well. I've expressed my views to RCCL and I'm waiting for their response. If I say what happened I would be bashed for not being understanding of people from a different culture. I did tell RCCL I would still sail on other ships of theirs sailing from other ports. This was the third time we have done 7 day sailings from San Juan and the other two were excellent but on other smaller ships.

[Tex_Jen]

Thanks BRL for your observations. I can't wait until I get to go back on the Adventure. I, too, prefer the Solarium on the Radiance class ships, but I have found that each ship brings its own charms and try to enjoy what each one has to offer.

 

Sounds like Portofino's has won your hearts. Continue to enjoy your cruise and thanks for including the rest fo us!

Jen

[BuyReallyLow]

I think you two should charge RCCL for giving such in-depth commentary-- This is as good as the TRAVEL CHANNEL even without pictures!!! ENJOY YOUR TIME!!!!--- A quick question?? Did you have to pre-reserve for the resort tripon Aruba or can you just go if you feel like it ??THANKS AGAIN!!!

 

No - we did not pre-reserve. Rumor has it if the resort is not 80% full, then they will accept any walkups. The front desk did not hesitate in the least when we walked-up, so I don't know how accurate the rumor is. As I mentioned, it is worth every penny!

[BuyReallyLow]

If I was to "read between the lines", you had wonderful ports of call but less than desirable ship mates. Please tell it ain't so~. :confused:

 

Just the opposite - we have not had any troubles or concerns with our shipmates. Very sorry if the space between the lines led you in that direction!:) But OBVIOUSLY it has been a concern mentioned on many other threads. We have NOT had any troubles or difficulty - but RCCL is CERTAINLY aware of others concerns.

 

BRL

[BuyReallyLow]

After another comfortable gathering in the concierge lounge, it was off to catch a taxi and head to the Flying Fishboat Restaurant on Aruba. We were able to locate a cab rather easily - we were warned that after dark they are less plentiful since most boats leave at the normal 4-5 PM time - but we found one right by the pier. The cab ride is about :20 minutes and takes you to a breathtaking little restaurant right on the water. I wish I could upload pictures (I am in the Internet Library AGAIN - more on that later) - but it would not do it any justice! You are seated right on the beach (literally take your sandals off when you go to your table) under various palm trees to be seated within 5 feet of the lapping water. There is a wonderful little wire rack to hang your shoes on - and after ordering your drinks, they encourage you to relax and take a stroll! We waded for a few minutes, and then DW and I ordered our main courses - she has catch #1 of the day - a flakey white fish with a "to-die-for" (her words) white sauce, and I had grilled garlic shrimp in a lemon butter sauce on rice. We both had soup/salad before the main course - hers corn/crab (outstanding!) mine Lobster Bisque (Very, very good) and then the main courses. Afterwards, we followed it up with an excellent brownie with vanilla sauce served with Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Folks - the food was very good but any shortcoming from being absolutely excellent was made up for with the ambiance and atmosphere - it was something pretty special. Ana gets high marks for her recommendation - and she made an appearance with her boyfriend before we left. Many employees from the ship - including the manager of Porofinos - make this a weekly stop so it certainly has something going for it! Price range for our meal, tip, plus getting Ana and her boyfriend a round of drinks, was just over $150.00. Also they work at what I delightfully call "island time", so make sure you've got the time and attitude to really enjoy!

 

Our cab driver on the way over was a delightful 55 year old man who had just retiremed from the ministry of finance. When we asked him how difficult it would be to get a ride back, he said he would arrange it with a friend of his --- who was waiting for us when we finished! So our ride back was without any incident. Once on-board, our friends called it a night while we got another round of golf in and then headed to my DW favorite bar - the Champaign Bar. There we met Dexter and had our nightly caps of Kir Royal. Then it was off see the ship leave Aruba at 12:30 AM and head toward Curacao - our Day 4 port. We have no excursions planned for tomorrow, so we plan to play it by ear.

 

I mentioned earlier that I am in the Internet cafe again - the Cybercabin system is for the birds! It continually loses dial tone and then you need to get a new phone brought in to make it work. They are very nice when trying to make it work - but the technology is just horrible! So there - not everything is paradise, right? My fees for using the inroom system plus the Internet cafe will be interesting to see. But hey -- if it was perfect I would have to pinch myself to see if I'm dreaming....:p

 

Off for some breakfast - will try to post our comments on Curacao and answer some of your questions later this afternoon.

 

Be well - remember to tell someone you love that they are beautiful and give them a kiss!

 

BRL

[ClCB0911]

Dear Buyreallylow.

i could have sworn the courtyard marriott looked right down on the beach, and hotel was right on the beach. Is that not true?

Also, how was the pool at this hotel?

My DH and I will be on the AOS on feb.4 '07. really looking forward to your review. We spent what we think is a lot of money for this cruise!

I am so afraid we will be disappointed, what with all negative comments recently about this ship. Now i wish we had waited and booked after the bedding is replaced and ship refurbished, but the airfare was much higher.

 

Thanks much,

Venda

 

hi, we have 2 courtyard marriott one its on Isla verda ( on the beach)

and the other one its the Miramar Courtyard Marriott..On the Miramar area not on the beach.

 

then we have a Marriott San Juan Resort on the Condado Area..

( and on the beach)

 

carmen

[diamond girl 000]

favorite bar - the Champaign Bar. There we met Dexter and had our nightly caps of Kir Royal.

 

BRL - PLEASE tell Dexter Scott & Sande from the Cigar Lounge say hello!! We spent 2 great weeks with Dexter in August. Please give him our best and tell him that there are people trying to get in touch with him but his email hasn't been working! Thanks SO much!

Enjoy Curacao, one of our favorite places on this planet we live on! SO jealous as I head off to work;)

[scher]

Buyreallylow is sounds so wonderful I am now starting to look more foward to our cruise on the Adventure in Feb. I also heard or read the flying fishbone was wonderful but it does not sound to me like it would be a family place? My kids are 17 and 13 but it sounds more of a romantic place. Maybe I could ditch the kids. We shall see. Thanks for the wonderful information keep it coming, we are anxiously awaiting your next post.

Carolyn

[LLSullie]

Also they work at what I delightfully call "island time", so make sure you've got the time and attitude to really enjoy!

 

Our cab driver on the way over was a delightful 55 year old man who had just retiremed from the ministry of finance. When we asked him how difficult it would be to get a ride back, he said he would arrange it with a friend of his --- who was waiting for us when we finished!

 

Be well - remember to tell someone you love that they are beautiful and give them a kiss!

 

BRL

 

BRL - you are making it very hard to wait until Saturday ! ! ! Thank you so much for the play by play :p

 

Quick questions - when did you head to dinner?

 

and the question EVERYONE is dying to ask ..

 

Any sign of the NORO-monster?

 

Glad you're having a great time ! ! ! !

[BuyReallyLow]

Buyreallylow is sounds so wonderful I am now starting to look more foward to our cruise on the Adventure in Feb. I also heard or read the flying fishbone was wonderful but it does not sound to me like it would be a family place? My kids are 17 and 13 but it sounds more of a romantic place. Maybe I could ditch the kids. We shall see. Thanks for the wonderful information keep it coming, we are anxiously awaiting your next post.

Carolyn

 

I think you're right - we didn't see any kids - and it was certainly a great place to take your spouse.

 

BRL

[BuyReallyLow]

BRL - you are making it very hard to wait until Saturday ! ! ! Thank you so much for the play by play :p

 

Quick questions - when did you head to dinner?

 

and the question EVERYONE is dying to ask ..

 

Any sign of the NORO-monster?

 

Glad you're having a great time ! ! ! !

 

We had reservations at 8 PM - we left at 7 PM. Got back to the boat by around 10:30 P.M.

 

The only signs of the "Noro-Monster" are the hand sanitizers outside of the windjammer/dining room/on-off ship. The crew was not aware of anyone sick onboard, nor where they aware of the Freedom outbreak - but maybe they would not tell anyone but essential crew.

 

BRL

[BuyReallyLow]

Awoke just before 7:30 AM to see the shoreline of Curacao slide into view for our 8 AM docking. Just then the phone rang announcing our breakfast was soon to arrive. Moments later we were sipping coffee on the balcony watching the crew secure us at the Mega Pier in Curacao.

 

The profile of the island topography is certainly more dynamic than Aruba, but not stunning. After departing the boat, we walked by a construction area of a new Renessaince Resort being built, then into the old Fort - which has been retrofitted with shops on both the first and second floor. The shops were your normal tourist shops, so we continued into the city.

 

The highlight of the capital city of Curacao is the bay. There is a wonderful deepwater port with a narrow opening, so the bay has the shap of a "heart" or "Flower" if you ask the locals. So after a seagoing vessel enters the narrows, it moves virutally thru the middle of the town until the bay widens out inland. The building on both sides of the narrows are colorful in the dutch style and make excellent subjects for pictures. When boats are not using the narrows, there is a floating bridge that connects both sides of the city. The side away from the ship is mostly European in feel and shopping - the side towards the ship is more local tradespeople. So there is a bit of an interesting contrast!

 

My DW and I did not find any excursions that interested us, either in our research online for private tours/activities (which we normally do) or thru Royal Caribbean. So our plan was to get off the ship, do a little shopping/siteseeing in the AM, and get back to the ship after lunch to relax the afternoon away by the pool.

 

And that's what we did! The shops were nice but the same things again and again. We like to take in the galleries looking for original prints or the local shops like Pharmacies/grocery stores so we can strike up conversations with people to give us a taste of their world. We did visit a few galleries and did find two watercolors that we enjoyed (we picked up one). Then it was back to the ship. We would have made it back earlier, but I became the unofficial photographer at the "Welcome to Curacao" sign just off the ship. A large family from Puerto Rico was trying to arrange in front of the sign, so I volunteered to take the picture. Next thing you know,there was six other families that wanted the same thing! It was my pleasure - and the kids were so darn cute in their sailor hats that you just could not resist! They were very well bahaved and very respectful to an old 40 something year old like me!

 

We got back to the room and found a message from Ana the concierge waiting for us. Seems we've been invited to a tour of the bridge tomorrow morning, so we are looking forward to that. Of course we'll share everything we learn with you tomorrow....

 

Going to head out to the pool on this warm day - the warmest so far with temps in the upper 80's. There are some clouds today and a bit of wind, so the temps are bearable. We will be eating in the main dining room tonight for Caribbean Night (first time in a few years) so we'll let you know how that goes - plus the Production tonight is "Velvet Rope" starring the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers. It is said to be a musical journey to all of history's famous nightclubs as we find out what's behind the Velvet Rope - they say it has an Adult Theme. Hmmmmm. And later tonight is the Dancin' Thru the Decades Party with music from the 50's, 60's and 70's.

 

Be well -

 

BRL

 

P.S. - today's drink of the day is Curacao Gold. We also discovered the Champaign Bar Cocktail special - 10 cocktails at the Champagne Bar only for $43.13 plus 5% gratuity. Perfect for my DW and her fondness for Kir Royal!

 

P.S.S. - To the Andersons - Ana was thrilled that you said hi and she looks forward to your pictures. I agree with your comments that she really makes this ship special!

[ckrobyn]

BRL - Thanks so much for the updates!

 

Luis Rojas was the Concierge when we were on the AOS last February - any way you can find out where he went???

 

We also did the Bridge Tour and it was FABULOUS! I took tons of pictures and really got to see behind the scenes ....enjoy! :)

[ChattieKathy]

Thank you for your delightful trip news. We are going on Adventure for our first cruise in February, and I was beginning to get a little paranoid with all the negativity I've seen on these boards. You make it sound like a wonderful get-away! I'm getting more excited every day!

[swmichigan cruiser]

Thanks for telling Ana. I sure hope someone is picking on her this because I'm not there. We did the bridge tour last week and you can take your camera which we didn't know we could. Please continue to have a good time. We just booked for the Mariner in March and we have two other cruises booked later with RCI.

[scher]

which side of the ship are you on? and is it the best side to see the ports as you enter? It does sound wonderfully I am getting more excited everyday.

Carolyn

[Evie25]

Hi Buy Really Low,

 

This is a really great thread you are running. I am going on my first cruise on AOS, July 2007, and am very excited about it. You are really giving me an in depth view of what I can expect on my cruise, and I am getting more excited by the minute! :D We just got a posting on our thread that we did not understand, and I was wondering if you could get some info for us while you are on the AOS. Someone posted that our cruise is going to be a Quinceaneras Theme Cruise,:confused: and all we have figured out so far is this has something to do with a sweet sixteen theme. We are trying to find out if the ship is going to be over run with kids,:eek: and whether or not this will cause a disruption:( to the good time we are looking forward to having. We are doing a group thing, with a Friends and Family theme so it is impossible for us to change the date at this point. We just would like some info on what we should expect on our cruise. Any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated.

[Ocean State]

Evie, there have been other reviews written about Quinceaneras cruises on AOS, and the reviewers did mention that there were many children on board, so I would be prepared. It is a celebration of the 15th birthday of Hispanic young women. If I can find the reviews, I will pass them along to you. We are going on the AOS on January 21st for our first family cruise.

[BuyReallyLow]

BRL - Thanks so much for the updates!

 

Luis Rojas was the Concierge when we were on the AOS last February - any way you can find out where he went???

 

We also did the Bridge Tour and it was FABULOUS! I took tons of pictures and really got to see behind the scenes ....enjoy! :)

 

Luis is not on any ships right now - he is living with his Fiance' in the states - his Fiance was the discovery shopping guide.

[BuyReallyLow]

which side of the ship are you on? and is it the best side to see the ports as you enter? It does sound wonderfully I am getting more excited everyday.

Carolyn

 

We are on the Starboard side - if you want to see the ports, I would suggest a Port (Left) side of the boat.

[BuyReallyLow]

Hi Buy Really Low,

 

This is a really great thread you are running. I am going on my first cruise on AOS, July 2007, and am very excited about it. You are really giving me an in depth view of what I can expect on my cruise, and I am getting more excited by the minute! :D We just got a posting on our thread that we did not understand, and I was wondering if you could get some info for us while you are on the AOS. Someone posted that our cruise is going to be a Quinceaneras Theme Cruise,:confused: and all we have figured out so far is this has something to do with a sweet sixteen theme. We are trying to find out if the ship is going to be over run with kids,:eek: and whether or not this will cause a disruption:( to the good time we are looking forward to having. We are doing a group thing, with a Friends and Family theme so it is impossible for us to change the date at this point. We just would like some info on what we should expect on our cruise. Any help you can give us would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

According to our Concierge (who is looking over my shoulder right now), you are correct, except it is sweet 15 instead of sweet 16. So you will see even a larger latin demographic versus normal (which is obviously high compared to Miami, etc). They travel in groups and have any of their functions. Normally it is not an issue to other travelers. The largest group she remembers is 150- 200. I would guess that they may act like any group of 100-200 15 year old girls (I have a 15 year old - that may give me nighmares!! :p ). But honestly, I don't think it will be a big deal. The Latinos we have encountered have been wonderful!!

 

BRL

[scher]

We are on the Starboard side - if you want to see the ports, I would suggest a Port (Left) side of the boat.

7580 AND 7581 I believe they are Starboard. Oh well! cant have it all. Waiting for your next review.

Carolyn

[BuyReallyLow]

It's funny... normally about once every cruise - due to either too much sun, too much walking, too much playinig, not an attractive activity list ..... one night becomes a "quiet night" - and last night was that night for us. I had "planned" to go to the pool after my last Diary post.... but I took a nap instead (isn't vacation wonderful?!). After waking and showering, we visited the Concierge lounge before going to the crown and anchor event, which is always interesting to hear the questions that the Captain is going to get asked. This year the most memorable is why smoking is allowed in the Casino. The other is why the ships are getting bigger (the questioner did not like it). It's a good event and one we would suggest doing.

 

After that, we were off to dinner in the Dining room. It was Caribbean night, a night we have in the past strove to avoid. But it was not bad... the main dish was Pan Seared Red Snapper, which my friend said was very good. It was nice to see our new friends from Sweden and hear about their adventures. Then we headed down to the Schooner Bar to see the Piano Player. His name was Steve, and he was OK. Others in the bar really seemed to enjoy him. He has been with RC for over 20 years. I guess it is just not my thing - the demographic was a bit older than our crowd. But again others were very into it and had seemed to have fun. Hope this is what your looking for JohnBob7 and Pambo.

 

Then.... we kind of ran out of steam. We made our nightcap run to the Champagne Bar for Kir Royals, and then it was off to the cabin for drinks under the stars. Early to bed - early to rise. But we didn't get to sleep until midnight, so it was not too early!

 

Tomorrow is our 2nd day at Sea - and our day is full of tours - 10:30 is the tour of the bridge, lunch in the main restuarant, 2 PM tour of the galley, Adult Dodgeball at 2:30 PM, Horseracing at 2:30 PM, Win-a-Cruise Bingo at 3 PM... no shortage of things to do. Tomorrow nights headliner is "Revolution - The Beatles Tribute". We met the band today and they appear to be a riot - I hope they are as fun live.

[BuyReallyLow]

It's funny... normally about once every cruise - due to either too much sun, too much walking, too much playinig, not an attractive activity list ..... one night becomes a "quiet night" - and last night was that night for us. I had "planned" to go to the pool after my last Diary post.... but I took a nap instead (isn't vacation wonderful?!). After waking and showering, we visited the Concierge lounge before going to the crown and anchor event, which is always interesting to hear the questions that the Captain is going to get asked. This year the most memorable is why smoking is allowed in the Casino. The other is why the ships are getting bigger (the questioner did not like it). It's a good event and one we would suggest doing.

 

After that, we were off to dinner in the Dining room. It was Caribbean night, a night we have in the past strove to avoid. But it was not bad... the main dish was Pan Seared Red Snapper, which my friend said was very good. It was nice to see our new friends from Sweden and hear about their adventures. Then we headed down to the Schooner Bar to see the Piano Player. His name was Steve, and he was OK. Others in the bar really seemed to enjoy him. He has been with RC for over 20 years. I guess it is just not my thing - the demographic was a bit older than our crowd. But again others were very into it and had seemed to have fun. Hope this is what your looking for JohnBob7 and Pambo.

 

Then.... we kind of ran out of steam. We made our nightcap run to the Champagne Bar for Kir Royals, and then it was off to the cabin for drinks under the stars. Early to bed - early to rise. But we didn't get to sleep until midnight, so it was not too early!

 

Tomorrow is our 2nd day at Sea - and our day is full of tours - 10:30 is the tour of the bridge, lunch in the main restuarant, 2 PM tour of the galley, Adult Dodgeball at 2:30 PM, Horseracing at 2:30 PM, Win-a-Cruise Bingo at 3 PM... no shortage of things to do. Tomorrow nights headliner is "Revolution - The Beatles Tribute". We met the band today and they appear to be a riot - I hope they are as fun live.