For all those who have booked or are going to book the AOS - read this!

[mag0737]

I have said it all along :) SJU is a MadHouse on Sundays!!!!

 

I flew out on the Monday after the cruise a few weeks ago and it was a lovely, civilized experience!

:o

 

OH boy. I'm flying in AND out on Sunday (July 5th and July 12th). Should I be worried? Or do you think it's a little less hectic in July (being that most people "flee" to the Caribbean during our cold and wintery months)?

 

We fly out the 12th I think at 330. We were going to do the Bacardi tour with airport drop-off through RCCL. Do you think this is still a wise option?

[lynninsc]

We flew out of SJU this past Sunday. I can tell you in my WILDEST dreams, I never imagined an airport scenario like that one. Our flight was at 12:45 and we thought, no big deal, we have time. We left the ship around 9:45 and went straight to the airport, arriving around 10am. We barely made our flight, and the only reason we did was because the airport ended up opening a line for security for only the people on our plane because otherwise we would have been in the security line for HOURS!!! If you are flying out at 3:30 I would recomend getting off the ship as soon as possible and going directly to the airport. I absolutely hate waiting around in the airport, but that would be better than what we went through. As the morning went on, the lines got longer and longer. We wished we had gotten off the ship immediately. Next time we will just take a good book, get off the ship as soon as possible and head straight to the airport.

[toonjie]

I have said it all along :) SJU is a MadHouse on Sundays!!!!

 

I flew out on the Monday after the cruise a few weeks ago and it was a lovely, civilized experience!

:o

 

We always fly out a day or two later and the airport is almost empty, I would always try to take an extra day off work and leave when the airport is not so crowded. After my first few cruises in the early nineties I experienced the madhouse and learned my lesson well!

 

OH boy. I'm flying in AND out on Sunday (July 5th and July 12th). Should I be worried? Or do you think it's a little less hectic in July (being that most people "flee" to the Caribbean during our cold and wintery months)?

 

July will be better since there are less ships. As always, get off the ship and to the airport as early as possible.

 

We fly out the 12th I think at 330. We were going to do the Bacardi tour with airport drop-off through RCCL. Do you think this is still a wise option?

 

RCCL will get you there in time, lines should be lessening by then, but it will still be a madhouse at the gates, plan on sitting on the floor!

[lynninsc]

SCRAPHAPPYLADY

 

Just saw your post....this is exactly what we did. We stayed in San Juan Sat. night, booked the 9am segway tour for Sunday, checked out of the hotel, took our luggage with us to their office, then after the tour grabbed a cab to the ship. This was AWESOME! I cannot recommend this tour enough. We did the 2 hour tour and when we go back we plan to do the 4 hour. It was that much fun and interesting. We stayed at the Sheraton, so we just walked right across to their office with our luggage and they stored it for us while we toured. Also, if you like coffee be sure to get a cup from the little cafe right beside the segway office. I was delicious!

[lovemylab]

After reading these last few posts am I ever glad that I am flying home on Monday for our upcoming cruise this December.

 

On our Serenade cruise in 2007 we flew out the same day and didn't encounter any problems with line ups but that was also on a Saturday.

 

I think I would lose my mind dealing with those line ups you've described :eek:

[toonjie]

We flew out of SJU this past Sunday. I can tell you in my WILDEST dreams, I never imagined an airport scenario like that one. Our flight was at 12:45 and we thought, no big deal, we have time. We left the ship around 9:45 and went straight to the airport, arriving around 10am. We barely made our flight, and the only reason we did was because the airport ended up opening a line for security for only the people on our plane because otherwise we would have been in the security line for HOURS!!! If you are flying out at 3:30 I would recomend getting off the ship as soon as possible and going directly to the airport. I absolutely hate waiting around in the airport, but that would be better than what we went through. As the morning went on, the lines got longer and longer. We wished we had gotten off the ship immediately. Next time we will just take a good book, get off the ship as soon as possible and head straight to the airport.

 

I always recommend getting off the ship as soon as possible, (and getting on asap), things just backup the later you get and the more people get off. We got off our Mariner cruise in January and even skipped breakfast to get off even earlier. We had our luggage, had gotten to the rental car agency by shuttle, gotten our car, ate breakfast at McDonalds and arrived at our airboat tour, (a 15 minute drive away) all in an hour and 15 minutes after getting off the ship. It was super-smooth, but Port Canaveral is a lot better than San Juan, they even have luggage carousels! No searching endless lines of luggage for that last missing piece!

[cruisemuse13]

Is the San Juan airport a madhouse on Saturdays too?!

[nusail]

Cruislovin - I just came across this post. We just got off AOS on March 8th. We stayed in 9690 and friends of ours were in 9692. If you haven't sailed yet and you're still looking for pictures/comments let me know. I'll post what I can.

 

Hi Cruiseguy 1016,

My son and I are in 9390 on the May 17 AOS sailing and I assume 9690 would be a mirror image of our cabin. I'd be very interested in your pictures and comments. My particular concern is after I booked this cabin, my TA was told by someone at RCI that 9390 has a partially obstructed view. There is no information about this online although it does indicate the view from 9692 is partially obstructed. What can you tell/show us? Thanks for your help. :confused:

[ckrobyn]

Is the San Juan airport a madhouse on Saturdays too?!

 

I don't think so ....at least not according to a poster a few posts up from this one!:rolleyes:

[cruiseawaits]

We just sailed AOS on 3/7, and we got to the pier around 12:00. They had not started letting passengers on, but there was a pretty good line of people waiting. It moved quickly, and we were in the Windjammer by 12:45, which included quick stops at MTD and Portofinos for reservations. We also didn't get off the ship until after 11:00, and there were still people behind us, so I'm sure they didn't start boarding until around the same time.

 

Beware, if you have not flown out of San Juan before, the airport is a MADHOUSE. Even if you have a 3:30 flight, don't delay much in getting to the airport. We originally did the Luggage Valet program, but when I called American from the ship they told me my flight had already been delayed to the point I would miss my connection. That started a long, horrible travel day that included wasting that valet money, since our flights got rearranged before we left the ship, standing in line for the US Air ticket counter for an hour and a half (the line was so long there was a line for people waiting to get in line. I am so not kidding) only to find out our new flights were running over 2 hours late, which meant we had to go back and stand at American to repeat the same process, for another flight that was 2 hours late. Everything was chaos, it seemed like most all flights were running late (by a couple of hours), and by the time we got to Chicago (where we had to stay overnight), there were quite a few other cruise passengers who also were not able to get home that night.

 

I know a lot of people talk about how awful that airport is on Sundays, but now that I've seen it firsthand I will NEVER fly out of there on a Sunday again.

 

It ain't too great on Mondays either!!!! I have my own horror stories(both on Saturday, prior to AOS cruise, and on Monday following the cruise). The worst airport experiences I have ever had. Total chaos with too many passengers and not enough personnel. I found both the airport and airline employees to be extremely rude and non-accomodating. Any future cruise will have to offer a fabulous itinerary with great rates to get me to fly through SJU again. My entire experience(both arrival and depature) was a horrid nightmare. Perhaps my experiences were more of an exception rather than the rule. Just one word of advice: Don't be in a rush to go anywhere. Be patient for as long as you can.

[cruislovin]

Cruislovin - I just came across this post. We just got off AOS on March 8th. We stayed in 9690 and friends of ours were in 9692. If you haven't sailed yet and you're still looking for pictures/comments let me know. I'll post what I can.

 

Hi Ken,

 

No we have not sailed yet! Any pictures you have would be great to see :)

[janabm81]

Finally, I've found it! A thread only dedicated to AOS! Yay!!!! We are cruising on AOS this June & I had a few questions for those of you who have cruised on her before.

 

1. What is the latest you can board? (we want to take the kids to the forts before hand.)

2. Do the have ice cream besides Ben&Jerry's?

3. Is the pool area super crowded/will I be able to find a chair in the sun?

4. What kind of Diet Soda is there?

5. Is there anything that we should not miss out on?

 

Sorry about all the questions.:o

[tahqa]

Finally, I've found it! A thread only dedicated to AOS! Yay!!!! We are cruising on AOS this June & I had a few questions for those of you who have cruised on her before.

 

1. What is the latest you can board? (we want to take the kids to the forts before hand.)

2. Do the have ice cream besides Ben&Jerry's?

3. Is the pool area super crowded/will I be able to find a chair in the sun?

4. What kind of Diet Soda is there?

5. Is there anything that we should not miss out on?

 

Sorry about all the questions.:o

 

1) Muster drill is at 5:30 so everyone is requested to be onboard by 5:00. Ship departure is 8:00.

2) There was free soft serve ice cream on deck 11 back towards Portofino. It had limited hours but I don't remember for sure what the hours were.

3) Yes, it is super crowded. Depending on when you arrive at the pool area you might be better off looking for a chair on deck 12 (just above the pool area).

4) Diet Coke for sure.

5) There's a whole lot going on, so it's hard to make any must-see recommendations. :D

[tammyindy]

1. What is the latest you can board? (we want to take the kids to the forts before hand.)

2. Do the have ice cream besides Ben&Jerry's?

3. Is the pool area super crowded/will I be able to find a chair in the sun?

4. What kind of Diet Soda is there?

5. Is there anything that we should not miss out on?

 

 

 

We just sailed March 22-29th. So I hope this will help some. I believe the ice cream on deck 11 begins at 12pm in the afternoon. There is a sign on deck to alert you to the ice cream machines. Also, the deck area is crowded on sea days but it is usually not very crowded on port days. If you get back to the ship early on port days the deck is a great place to get some sun. As for things not to miss, in my opinion do not miss the ice show. It is fantastic and the skaters are very talented. We enjoyed the shows most nights too. As previously posted there are many activities and something for everyone. There is no way you can do everything so don't even try. Just go with the attitude that you want to have a good time and you won't be disappointed. Hope this helps! Enjoy your cruise.

[janabm81]

Thanks a lot for your quick responses. Now I know where to go if I have any more questions! Less than 3 months till we leave & we're soooo excited!:D

[toonjie]

Hi Ken,

 

No we have not sailed yet! Any pictures you have would be great to see :)

 

Hi. Click on the link in my signature for my AOS photo album, all the pics aren't labeled, but I did try to label the first pic on each new island it includes both routes the AOS does.

[nomarfan5]

Toonjie - where did you go in St. Maarten? Was that an excursion or did you go out on your own? The pictures are beautiful!

 

Hi. Click on the link in my signature for my AOS photo album, all the pics aren't labeled, but I did try to label the first pic on each new island it includes both routes the AOS does.

[toonjie]

Toonjie - where did you go in St. Maarten? Was that an excursion or did you go out on your own? The pictures are beautiful!

 

Thanks! The first year it was me alone on a moped and I basically circumnavigated the island counter-clockwise so most of those pics are taken between the pier and Orient Beach and then on to Marigot. The rest of the shots are at Maho Beach. The second year we did the same thing but in a rental car so most of the pics, like the one with the cows are on the way to Orient Beach and the rest are at Maho where I was a little more successful the 2nd go around getting the planes from a sideways angle. (You forget that they are going 160mph when they land!) Then some downtown and Great Bay Beach. The third go around, my wife and I went over to Anguilla. That covers most of them. Hopefully soon I will have them all labeled!

[DTCC]

My husband and I will be cruising with AOS in May and are very much looking forward to it. This will be our first cruise. Could you advise us on the soft drink package, whether or not you would recommend it? I am thinking that with only one day at sea that maybe it is not needed. Any idea what the cost of a pop on the ship is?

 

Also since you appear to be the expert, any excurisions that are a must? Our ports include Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Maarten & St. Croix.

[Catperson]

When are you sailing in May? We are on the May 10 week cruising to the ports you mentioned. Have you signed up for M&M? Sorry I cannot answer your question about soft drinks.

[RN7997]

Catperson...

LOL You took the words right out of my mouth....

Yes if you are on the May 10th sailing. Join our M&M (Meet and Mingle)....go under forums to Roll call....adventure of the sea...then pick your sailing???

As far as the soda card...... You get a souviner cup, unlimited soda and juices and its 42.00 per person. I think you have to drink LOTS of soda for it to be worth it...esp with only 1 sea day. Sodas are out 3.50 with tax onboard......I know high!!! So thats up to you. Juice is free at breakfast but soda is ALWAYS a buy option.

 

Now for excursions....I am not sailing this one till May either but this is what I have choose after all my research:

 

Barbados: AN island tour with Cameron Reid and if enough time snorkle with the turtles

 

St Lucia: The HIGHLY reccomended Serenity tour!!!!!

 

Antigua: A nice relaxing day at Jolly Beach Resort where EVERYTHING is all inclusive for the day for 60.00!!

 

St Marteen: Bernard's tour

 

St Croix: No excursion choosen.....5 port days IS ALOT!!!! If we are tired we may use this as a sea day....if we want to tour all taxis there are trained to do that for about $25.00 pp, or we can take a cab to Cane Bay (beach), or walk to Fort Frederik and tour that at the end of the pier...we are winging it that day but still have MANY options as you can see.

 

Any quesytions about more detain on these just ask;)

[ckrobyn]

Booked again :D

 

March 14/2010!!!!!!:p:p

[kaybeeeeeee]

Booked again :D

 

March 14/2010!!!!!!:p:p

 

Darnit Robyn I miss you this time! We're booked for our 2nd AOS go round on Feb. 28, 2010. I'll catch up to you one of these days! lol

[Krickett]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking for some port ideas too!

We are not really beach people, more sight seeing, foodies:D and sometimes snorkling

 

Any recommendations for:

Aruba

Curacao

Dominica

St.Thomas

 

Oh and has anyone done the BioLuminecent Bay in San Juan??

 

Thanks Karen

[DTCC]

Catperson...

LOL You took the words right out of my mouth....

Yes if you are on the May 10th sailing. Join our M&M (Meet and Mingle)....go under forums to Roll call....adventure of the sea...then pick your sailing???

As far as the soda card...... You get a souviner cup, unlimited soda and juices and its 42.00 per person. I think you have to drink LOTS of soda for it to be worth it...esp with only 1 sea day. Sodas are out 3.50 with tax onboard......I know high!!! So thats up to you. Juice is free at breakfast but soda is ALWAYS a buy option.

 

Now for excursions....I am not sailing this one till May either but this is what I have choose after all my research:

 

Barbados: AN island tour with Cameron Reid and if enough time snorkle with the turtles

 

St Lucia: The HIGHLY reccomended Serenity tour!!!!!

 

Antigua: A nice relaxing day at Jolly Beach Resort where EVERYTHING is all inclusive for the day for 60.00!!

 

St Marteen: Bernard's tour

 

St Croix: No excursion choosen.....5 port days IS ALOT!!!! If we are tired we may use this as a sea day....if we want to tour all taxis there are trained to do that for about $25.00 pp, or we can take a cab to Cane Bay (beach), or walk to Fort Frederik and tour that at the end of the pier...we are winging it that day but still have MANY options as you can see.

 

Any quesytions about more detain on these just ask;)

 

So I joined the M&M group. I am so new to all of this. Bernard is that a person or a tour company? Do you know where I can find more information on the excursions other than what is on the RCI website?