Very Long Adventure of the Seas March 9 - 16 Review

[hawt1]

I give full credit to another CC poster, Caribbeanbound, for this excellent template that was used for a previous review which he agreed to allow me to use for mine.

 

Part I - Precruise

A. Inception

 

We are a group of 14 that cruised the Adventure of the Seas March 9 departure from San Juan Puerto Rico. Our ages ranged from 6 to 76. We had a total of 5 kids in the Adventure Ocean kid’s club.

 

We had visited all of the islands on this cruise previously so we had some idea what to expect on each one. I booked the cruise through a reliable Travel Agent (TA) I found some time ago. I have never met this TA but she seems knowledgeable and puts up with my questions as well as processing any price reductions we find or she finds. She also provides little bonuses for using her services. We are Canadian but always book in USD with this US based TA.

 

Our cruise experience prior to this was one Celebrity cruise (Galaxy), and 3 RCCL cruises (Splendour, Voyager and Explorer). Only Galaxy had left from San Juan while the others were Galveston and Miami. We much prefer San Juan departures as they tend to be warmer than Florida and the airport is much easier to navigate than Miami. We are trying to escape the cold so to cruise out of Miami where we could still need long pants makes little sense to us anymore.

 

B. Cruise Critic

We use the community chat boards on Cruisecritic.com extensively for cruise port hints and information. This review is my way of sharing and I hope it helps some others who are planning a similar cruise.

 

C. Choice of Route, Cruiseline and Ship

As I noted above, we chose this route because of the departure port. We wanted to fly far away from the cold. The fact that we had four excellent stops (Aruba, Curacao, St Martin and St Thomas) also helped in our decision. We are also partial to RCCL due to their excellent repeat guest program (Crown and Anchor) and we prefer the larger RCCL ships as they have more for us and our traveling party to do while onboard – something we missed while on the Galaxy earlier this year.

 

D. Choice of Airline

This was pretty easy. We could get nonstop flights on Air Canada and fly from Toronto to San Juan in just under 5 hours; or we could have saved $200 per person and spent 8 - 10 hours in the air and on the ground in the middle of winter at the outset of Canadian March Break to catch a connection down to San Juan. We chose efficiency over cost. I should note that most of our tickets were booked through my frequent flyer points so the cost difference noted above would be for those actually paying for tickets rather than for ourselves as we got ours for free. Flying hints: 1. Go non-stop if you fly. Each connection increases the possibility of lost luggage and additional flight delays. 2. Consider flying in to your departure port one day early. This can be a major stress reducer! (For this cruise, we flew out the day before in one of the worst snow storms that had hit Toronto are in a while. We were fine. Others in our party arrived 11 hours later than expected. Over 100 people had to join the cruise on day 3 in Aruba.). 4. Don't select your airline seats without first visiting SeatGuru.com. They have detailed airplane seating plans and hints about each seat for almost every planes flown by the major airlines.

 

F. Choice of cabin

Generally, the lower your cabin and the more central its location, the less you will feel the movements of the ship. In an attempt to save some money on this cruise, we opted for connecting inside cabins on deck 7. RCCL has a few connecting insides that we find works well for us and our two young daughters. They go in the cabin beside us but always have access to mom and dad through an internal door. (Note that being immediately above or below an active deck area or the dining room can be noisy.) Ocean-view cabins and cabins with verandas were more expensive at the time we booked. We typically choose insides when we sail but have also had a veranda. For us, the cost difference is not justified. For others, it obviously is. If you are new to cruising, I suggest trying both.

 

G. Price

When comparing prices, be sure you are being quoted a rate which includes all taxes and port fees and fuel surcharges. Less than reputable sites will quote cruise rates without taxes and fees. I thought the price we were originally quoted was quite reasonable for our room, ports, taxes, 7 day cruise length, a “Voyager” class ship, and an embarkation from San Juan. We paid $679 per person (including all port fees and taxes) for an inside cabin during March Break. (I include the cost information so those looking at Florida trips can figure out if it is worth the extra flight cost to go to Puerto Rico instead.). We also tend to book our next cruise while onboard which gives us $100 per cabin and we have RCCL shares which is another $100 per cabin and our TA gives us perks that total around $100 per cabin so, makes the cruise that much more affordable and gives us a nice starting point on our on board account.

 

H. Passports

I understand that passports are now required for travel. We brought our passports and experienced no problems with immigration or customs.

 

I. Insurance

We did not book any insurance. You may want to. Everyone’s situation and reason for having insurance varies.

 

J. Prebooking Excursions

We book almost all of our excursions on our own. We have learned that there is no need to book excursions through the cruiseline UNLESS there is a chance you won't make it back in time to catch the ship's departure. However, it is important that you thoroughly research your excursions and the companies that provide them. Cruisecritic.com is an excellent resource for this. You can find recommendations in the Ports of Call threads

 

K. Packing

Packing Hints came from the CruiseCritic board. We packed for 2 Formal nights (suit or tux / fine dinner dress), 2 Semi-Formal nights (dress pants and dress shirt / dinner dress), and 3 Casual nights (golf shirts and Dockers, blouses and skirts), in addition to enough clothing to cover us for 11 days.

 

Part II - Embarkation

A. The Port

We flew into San Juan, Puerto Rico the day before and stayed at the Holiday Inn Isla Verde where we had stayed a few months prior. The next day we left at noon and since we are Platinum Crown and Anchor members, we were given access to priority boarding lines that had us on the ship within 20 minutes. Our rooms were ready at 1:00 pm and we had our luggage at 4:00 pm. Departure time was 8:30 although they stayed a bit later trying to gather as many of the snow delayed travelers as they could.

 

B. Explore The Cabin

We were in cabin 7651, an inside category L cabin. The cabin was extremely well laid out. Lots of drawers and enough room in the closets for our clothes. Luggage fits nicely underneath the bed once empty and can be pulled back out as clothes become dirty and need to be put away. The bathroom has lots of room, and the shower was good enough. Hangers and robes were provided. The room safe is located above the TV behind one of the small doors. The desk featured a number of informational brochures including Sunday's event newsletter "The Daily Compass". Our cabin steward did a wonderful job throughout our cruise.

 

C. Lifeboat/Muster Drill

About two hours prior to leaving port at 6:00 pm, we participated in the mandatory lifeboat drill. The drill went smoothly and lasted 30 minutes.

 

F. Dinner - 6pm First Seating

Dinner on the first night was actually at 6:30 pm due to the muster drill. We selected the first seating. It is typically the more popular seating, especially amongst families with children. We did not find that the first seating interrupted our port activities in any way and we tend to plan around being back with plenty of time anyways. As we travel in a large group most times we end up being seated with our group amongst two or three tables. Those who are traveling in smaller groups will either be at a table for their group size or may be grouped with others at larger tables. I strongly recommend getting a large table. You will get a chance to make lifetime friends. You may want to have more alone time so you may not want this option. If you don't like your table mates or your table location, simply inform the Maitre'D and he'll try to find you another table.

 

Part III - Food!

The meals met our expectations. There was good variety. No one at our table ever needed to send back an undercooked or overcooked item. In fact, I would say that the food was better this past cruise than on some other occasions on RCCL. Celebrity still has a slight advantage in food but we did not go hungry.

 

A. Always Available

We were informed the first night, that the following items are available every night (even if they do not appear on the menu): Caesar salad, chicken, salmon, pasta and marinara sauce and a NY Strip steak. Kids were able to always order macaroni and cheese, chicken strips, chicken breast and steak. They could always order off of the adult menu as well. Similarly, adults can order off of the kids menu.

 

B. The Best Breakfast Items

Nothing stands out as overly special from the buffet although you can order omelets made to your liking and the same people will also cook you eggs how you want them if you do not want the precooked scrambled that are on the buffet. I tend to choose to assemble a sandwich (egg over hard, lettuce, tomato, cheese, toast…all from different sections of the buffet). One member of oru group was thrilled to see smoked salmon at breakfast every morning.

 

C. The Best Lunch Items

I am not a big Johnny Rockets fan but if you like their burgers, you can get them onboard along with all you can eat fries and rings for $3.95. Other items cost more (milkshakes, soda, etc).

 

D. The Best Appetizer

Escargot! All appetizers were well presented.

 

E. The Best Soups

Tomato soup, Asparagus soup. The fruit soups are not personal favourites as it seems to me to just be like drinking juice rather than a cold soup.

 

F. The Best Salads

They were all good although I thought the dressing on spinach salad the one night was quite falvourless.

 

G. The Best Entrées

The Prime Rib, Filet Mignon/Beef Tenderloin, Scallops, Duck a l'Orange, and Lobster Tails. Of course, you can always get a bad cut of meat and disagree but this is what we loved this time.

 

H. The Best Desserts

The small flourless chocolate cake wins the day again. It is part of a three piece sampler one night. I just ask for the other two pieces to be replaced by more of the chocolate cake.

 

I. Room Service

We ordered room service twice on this cruise and the food appeared quickly and did the trick. This service is free but a tip is always appreciated.

 

J. Midnight Buffets

Still have not seen one of these on all of our trips. I understand that they are being scaled back due to the sheer waste of food.

 

L. Beverages

We ordered wine with most of our suppers. We missed having a sommelier as is provided on Celebrity. It was up to us to figure out what we would like. Wine prices are as they would be in a land based restaurant. About double+ what you would pay at the store.

 

Part IV - Entertainment

A. Movies

All the movies were shown in the Cinema. They were mostly releases from about a year ago. We did not watch any movies in the Cinema.

 

B. Shows

The Theatre is gorgeous, with comfortable seating and good sight lines. We found most of the shows to be entertaining. BeatleMania live was our favourite as they are an excellent cover band and we know all of the words.

 

C. Casino

Large casino filled with slot machines, one Craps table, one roulette table, and a few poker and blackjack tables. While underutilized, the Craps table was constantly manned in the evenings. The casino was open while at sea. Closed while in ports. It could get quite smoky. We noted that there is a dead time around 9:00 until 10:00 while most cruisers are either at second dinner seating or at the show.

 

D. Spa

Took a look at it and used some of the equipment a few mornings. Quite new equipment and well stocked. Never a lineup for anything.

 

E. Outdoor Pools and Hot tubs.

They were busy pretty much all day. We used them very little on sea days and chose to just relax in the sun.

 

F. In-room TV

There were a number of closed-circuit ship channels and satellite stations (Global CNN, ESPN, Eye on CBS, Cartoon Network, and a few others) available on the TV in the cabin. Pay-per-view movies were also available. You can also order room service and check your current account on the TV as well.

 

 

Part V - Health Concerns

A. Smoking

There was no smoking in the restaurants or theaters. Smoking was permitted in the night clubs, casino, the smoking lounge, outside, and the port side of the ship. The air circulation in the casino and night clubs was generally poor. All it took was for one person to light up for the air to become very poor. Therefore we generally avoided these areas. We did not observe anyone abusing the smoking privilege. They had every right to smoke in various areas of the ship and they did.

 

B. Pools and Hot Tubs

We did not witness any babies in the pools or tubs.

 

C. General Cleanliness of the Ship

In a word: impeccable. You could not take a stroll without witnessing some type of cleaning going on at all hours. The ship was constantly being cleaned: floors, walls, fixtures, everything! They were not handing out sanitizing towels at the entrance to dinner nor were there the sanitizer squirters anymore.

 

D. Viruses

To the best of our knowledge, there was no outbreak on our ship. Kudos to our fellow passengers and RCCL personnel for their personal diligence.

 

E. Seasickness

We had calm seas the entire cruise. It was a bit windy one night but the AOS seems so big that it did not affect it much. You should remember that seasickness medicine is generally available free of charge from the pursers desk.

 

Part VI - Ship Notes

A. Ship and Crew

We were very impressed with the ship and crew. Very friendly and competent. We have experienced the opposite in the past with RCCL as well so this was refreshing for us. The ship and furnishings were in very good shape. You could see some wear and tear but my carpets at home and work have the same.

 

B. The Shops

There was something on sale each day. The booze prices on the ship were guaranteed to be as good as, or better than, shops in the ports.

 

C. Internet Service

The good news: there are plenty of computer terminals with internet access on the ship. The bad news: it costs 55 cents per minute. You can get your cost down to around 35 cents a minute if you buy a bulk of minutes. The result: They were way underutilized. I never saw more than 6 people at a time using them. Most of the time, no one was using them. Connection time seems to be somewhat better than on prior cruises but if you are used to high speed at home, prepare to read a book while waiting for pages to load while onboard.

 

D. Kids

Our ship had about 700 kids on board. They behaved very well. Kids tend to be heaviest during the summer, school vacations and especially heavy on holiday cruises. Avoid the holiday cruises at all costs if you wish to avoid kids. This was Canadian March Break and it showed. Our kids loved the kids program and keep wanting to go back all of the time. In fact, we try to have them finished supper by 7:00 pm and then take them to kids club. We then enjoy the second half of oru supper as adults on our own.

 

Part VII - The Ports

A. Oranjestad, Aruba

We prearranged one activity here. We headed to MooMba Beach on Palm Beach for Jolly Pirates' "Sail, Snorkel, Swim, and Swing" from 9:30am to 2:30pm. You can easily get to Palm Beach via taxi for $10 or via local bus for $1.30 per person. There is a free shuttle from the ship to the cruise ship terminal. To catch a bus, simply exit the terminal, turn right, and cross the street to the Bus Terminal --- an orange building with white columns and benches. Take the #10 "Hotels" bus. Palm Beach has several stops. Get off at the Holiday Inn, walk through the lobby to the beach, turn right, walk about 100 yards to MooMba Beach. Jolly Pirate's office is just behind the large thatched roof beach bar. Check-in for Jolly Pirates was at 9am. It's $53 per person (less a 15% online booking discount) plus tip. We set sail in a pirate ship for three snorkel sites: two reefs and a WWII sunken German cargo ship. We also got to enjoy swinging off the ship into the ocean. (I was the only passenger to complete a back flip off of the swing rope – the crew then did triple flips with double twists etc to deflate my bubble!) We were fed a very tasty lunch which included pork ribs, chicken skewers, pasta salad, slaw, fried banana and a roll. The free bar offering up rum, whisky, Pirate Poisson, Pina Colada, sodas and water, was open the entire trip. Snorkels, masks, vests, and fins were provided. This is a very fun excursion for all ages. Recommended!

 

We then spent some time at Palm Beach enjoying the sun and the water before heading back to the ship by taxi.

 

 

B. Willemstad, Curacao

We went to Playa Porto Mari here. Snorkeling was okay but not as great as we had hoped. But the drive to it was very nice and the beach was quite isolated and uncrowded - probably would head there again next year over Kontiki/Mambo which we did earlier this year. Snack bar prices were excellent $14 got us a grilled ham and cheese sandwich for one daughter, two dutch sausage sandwiches, a plate of french fries and 3 pop to drink.

 

C. St. Martin

We went to Orient Beach and while it was not very windy, the waves were a great size for our kids (6 and 9) and the water was surprisingly warm - warmest of all of our stops). Food prices here were significantly more. $14 got us one meal from the kid's menu. We had gone to Baby Beach (le gallion) last time and think we would stick with Orient now that our girls are a little older and can handle the waves.

 

D. St Thomas

We went to Megans Bay Beach. While it was nice, we would likely rent a cab for the day next time and do an island tour with a stop at Coki Beach by Coral World so that we can experience the millions of fish that encircle you there.

 

E. Days At Sea

We had only two days at sea. All of the rest of the travel was at night. There was no lack of things to do on the ship. Sea days can provide nice rest spites and allow us to get reenergized. Eat, play games, attend an auction, port shopping briefings, watch movies, attend shows, eat, nap, midday snack, cards, spa, pools, bars, eat, trivia contests, contests, read, chat with fellow passengers and crew, eat, shuffleboard, basketball, golf simulator, board games, darts, dance lessons, culinary demonstrations, wine seminar, Bingo, eat, rum tastings, shopping, gambling, exercise, dancing, art auctions, live entertainment, climb the rock wall, roller blade, play mini golf, eat, play volleyball, dodgeball... the list goes on!

 

Part IIX - Tipping

The service personnel on RCCL receive meager wages and rely on your tips for income. While RCCL says it is customary to offer gratuities to the ships personnel who service you on the voyage, it really is expected, and it's something you should figure into your cruise budget. I say it's expected, but the ship's personnel work long hours to service you and the other passengers. They genuinely do everything they can to service your needs. We generally tipped better than the RCCL guidelines, which are around $10 per day for regular cabins and $12.50 per day for suites. These are per person prices and kids pay full freight on tipping.

 

Part IX – Crown and Anchor Club

If you have taken a previous voyage and are not a member of the Crown and Anchor Club, sign up. It's free. Benefits include a C&A express line at Embarkation, priority Disembarkation, some small cabin welcome gifts, casino and spa discounts, cocktail parties, etc..

 

Part XI - Disembarkation and Customs

A. Disembarkation

Disembarkation or Debarkation ("exiting of the ship at the end of your cruise"). Breakfast was served in cabins, on the buffet, and in the restaurant. Disembarkation went smoothly. Earlier in the week everyone completed surveys which were used to prioritize passengers. Clearly those folks needing to catch plane and train connections or who were on escorted tours in San Juan had highest priority. Captain's Club members had priority within their color group. Color-coded Disembarkation luggage tags were issued to all cabins, and passengers were instructed to place the tags on their luggage. Disembarkation began at about 7:30 am. All passengers were instructed to sit in specific areas until their group number was called. We got up late, had breakfast, and waited for an hour before our group (Light Blue 3) was called. We handed our Customs Declaration Form to an official after getting our luggage. We retrieved our luggage in the passenger terminal, spoke to a customs official who accepted our customs claim form and headed for the taxi stands. We had cleared Immigration the prior day in St Thomas which made PR much quicker.

 

B. Transportation Options to Airport

Upon exiting the terminal with our luggage, we were informed that the airlines will generally not accept baggage prior to 2 hours before flight time (I have not been able to verify this however). Therefore if you get to the airport too early, you'll have to sit around with your luggage. When exiting the terminal building for transportation you will see two orange booths. The one on the left is for "Taxis". The one on the right is for "Sightseeing Tours". Here we were, at about 9:30am and our flight wasn't due to leave until 4:05pm. For $25 per person, we gave our bags to the sightseeing tour guide. He loaded the bags into the back of his air conditioned van, and we jumped in, took a seat and waited for the large van to fill. Once full (about 14 passengers), our driver left the port and headed for Old San Juan. He gave us information about the city, stopped for pictures, allowed us 15 minutes to tour the Capital, 20 minutes to explore Fort San Cristobal. He then dropped us off downtown to shop for 90 minutes. We grabbed a quick trinket and walked a block to the Café Peurto Rico for lunch. We loved this meal as it had a true PR flavour and atmosphere and it was where all of the Tour Drivers were eating. Always eat where the locals eat!. While not inexpensive, the food is outstanding and well worth the visit if you enjoy nice flavors. At 1:20pm we boarded the van and went to the airport. Recommended! This was a great way to spend some free time in San Juan and get to the airport with little difference in total cost over that of a taxi.

 

 

All in all, one of our best cruises. We are already booked for two more AOS cruises in 2009 so that probably tells you something about this one.

 

Feel free to send any questions.

[juniorsmom]

What an excellent review. I must make a comment about insurance. Friends of ours missed their cruise because of the weather at the beginning of March break. Thank goodness they had insurance. They are disapointed they missed the cruise, but they will get their money back.

[louanne93]

What a great review!! Thanks for sharing:)

[emen822]

Thank you for that very, very detailed review. We are boarding the AOS this weekend and are SO excited. :D

Are you saying there was no midnight buffet? :eek: I can understand the cutting back but that is my favorite! (Well, one of my favorites ;) )

 

And in Curacao, was the snorkeling better at KonTiki? We are undecided what we are doing in that port.

[hawt1]

Thank you for that very, very detailed review. We are boarding the AOS this weekend and are SO excited. :D

Are you saying there was no midnight buffet? :eek: I can understand the cutting back but that is my favorite! (Well, one of my favorites ;) )

 

And in Curacao, was the snorkeling better at KonTiki? We are undecided what we are doing in that port.

 

There is still a late night buffet around the pool one of the nights. I cna not remember which night it is. It is also much less extravagant than it was before.

 

For Curacao, we had read rave reviews about the snorkeling at Porto Mari so we were underwhelmed. BUT we would still go there over Kontiki next year. Much less crowded. Nicer drive (although longer) and great food.

 

Any other Q's, I am happy to help if I can.

[Suzanne74]

Awesome review! We leave on Friday for San Juan and I am so excited!!:D

 

We opted to not do the Jolly Rogers since we have younger ones and thought it was too long of an excursion - I think we will do it next time (I am already planning another trip in my mind!) We are doing Palm Beach.

 

I have a 6yr old and my sister has a 4 and 6yr old. We were thinking LeGallion this time and Orient the next time. For these ages, do you think LeGallion is a better choice or too boring? Did you like that beach?

 

For Curacao, we are torn between those 2 beaches as well. Were your kids okay with the drive to Porto Mari? Was it easy for them to swim and snorkel? Even though you would go there first, would you still recommend KonTiki or not at all? I would like snorkeling - does KonTiki have any at all if we decide to go there?

 

Lastly, we are doing Coki and Coral World in St. Thomas. You mentioned you probably would have done that. Did you already do it or is it just something you would like to do. Any feedback if you have previously been there would be great!

 

Again - thanks so much for this great review - it was so helpful!!!

[Shar27]

Thank you for that very, very detailed review. We are boarding the AOS this weekend and are SO excited. :D

Are you saying there was no midnight buffet? :eek: I can understand the cutting back but that is my favorite! (Well, one of my favorites ;) )

 

And in Curacao, was the snorkeling better at KonTiki? We are undecided what we are doing in that port.

 

They still have the late night deck party with buffet, but the gala buffet is a memory. Sorry to disappoint.:rolleyes: :p

[emen822]

There is still a late night buffet around the pool one of the nights. I cna not remember which night it is. It is also much less extravagant than it was before.

 

They still have the late night deck party with buffet, but the gala buffet is a memory. Sorry to disappoint.:rolleyes: :p

 

:o :( :mad: I am disappointed. :p

I also like the late night buffet at the pool. Last year was the first night we went to that and it was just nice to be out on the deck, having a party while out in the middle of nowhere.

I wonder when they started this. We had the midnight buffet in December on the Navigator. Is this true for all ships?

[cot427]

Great review, I love the way you did it, I've never seen that format before, but it's great, easy to read, and just a great review.

[DrSeuss]

Thank you for that it was one of the best reviews I have ever read.

[ckrobyn]

The late night buffet at the pool is on Aruba night "dancing under the stars deck party" :)

[kittymom65]

What an excellent review! Very easy to read.

[hawt1]

Awesome review! We leave on Friday for San Juan and I am so excited!!:D

 

We opted to not do the Jolly Rogers since we have younger ones and thought it was too long of an excursion - I think we will do it next time (I am already planning another trip in my mind!) We are doing Palm Beach.

 

I have a 6yr old and my sister has a 4 and 6yr old. We were thinking LeGallion this time and Orient the next time. For these ages, do you think LeGallion is a better choice or too boring? Did you like that beach?

 

For Curacao, we are torn between those 2 beaches as well. Were your kids okay with the drive to Porto Mari? Was it easy for them to swim and snorkel? Even though you would go there first, would you still recommend KonTiki or not at all? I would like snorkeling - does KonTiki have any at all if we decide to go there?

 

Lastly, we are doing Coki and Coral World in St. Thomas. You mentioned you probably would have done that. Did you already do it or is it just something you would like to do. Any feedback if you have previously been there would be great!

 

Again - thanks so much for this great review - it was so helpful!!!

 

The two six year olds in our group enjoyed Jolly Pirates although some of the snorkeling spots were too rough for them and the trip was likely an hour or two too long.

 

Le Gallion is great for young kids. No waves, can walk for miles in the water, lots of crabs on the beach but not much to do...if the sand and water are not entertainment for them, prepare for them to be bored. Waves at orient were perfect for the six year olds. They had arm floaties on at all times. Not sure what I woudl say for a 4 year old.

 

Kids just chatted with the other kids during the dirve...or fell asleep on the way back from Porto Mari. At the beach it was sandcastles and lizard chasing and osme snorkeling. Water is quite shallow along parts of the snorkel trail so no problem.

 

We have done Coki Before so, as nice as Megans was, we did not see the huge attraction or advantage over Coki. Some diving pelicans but not much else to write home about at Megans when you can be swarmed by fish at Coki.

 

Hope that helps.

[emen822]

Were you charged the fuel supplement and then refunded the money? I just wondered if you received it as onboard credit. We are hearing conflicting stories of people getting it back on their credit card as opposed to onboard credit.

[BillOh]

Departure time was 8:30 although they stayed a bit later trying to gather as many of the snow delayed travelers as they could. .

 

 

Oh, was there snow that day? Had our cruise been that week, I definitely would have left a day or two ahead.

 

[hawt1]

Were you charged the fuel supplement and then refunded the money? I just wondered if you received it as onboard credit. We are hearing conflicting stories of people getting it back on their credit card as opposed to onboard credit.

 

They announced their change of heart part way through this trip so I suspect we will get ours some time later this month back to our credit card.

[hawt1]

Oh, was there snow that day? Had our cruise been that week, I definitely would have left a day or two ahead.

 

 

According to our house sitter, we got a foot between 9:00 a.m. and 5 p.m. that day. There was, thankfully, none of it on the ship.

 

Not sure what it was like sailing out of Bayonne that day...again, the further south you start, the less clothes you need.

[emen822]

They announced their change of heart part way through this trip so I suspect we will get ours some time later this month back to our credit card.

 

I have two rooms booked for this weekend. Right now, only one is showing a -$70 balance. :confused:

 

Few more questions:

Was there lobster served as part of a fishermans platter?

What did you think of Coki? We went there on our first cruise and thought the snorkeling was great. As far as the beach, it seemed kinda dirty compared to other beaches. The following year we went to Megans Bay and weren't wowed with that either. It was nice, just not what I pictured after reading it was voted one of the nicest beaches in the Caribbean. :rolleyes:

[hawt1]

I have two rooms booked for this weekend. Right now, only one is showing a -$70 balance. :confused:

 

Few more questions:

Was there lobster served as part of a fishermans platter?

What did you think of Coki? We went there on our first cruise and thought the snorkeling was great. As far as the beach, it seemed kinda dirty compared to other beaches. The following year we went to Megans Bay and weren't wowed with that either. It was nice, just not what I pictured after reading it was voted one of the nicest beaches in the Caribbean. :rolleyes:

 

Lobster was on fisherman's platter on Friday night accompanied by a couple of shrimp and some green stuff that the fisherman should have just left in his garden.

 

Later that evening, several lobster had been freed from the platter but were no better off in life as they were now residing in my stomach...unaccompanied by anything other than the original shrimp and no green stuff at all!

 

Preferred Coki (prior cruise) to Megans for snorkel value. Not a pretty beach by world standards but kids loved to be swarmed by fish. Still looking for the right stop in St Thomas. We think we have the other islands down pat.

[Suzanne74]

The two six year olds in our group enjoyed Jolly Pirates although some of the snorkeling spots were too rough for them and the trip was likely an hour or two too long.

 

Le Gallion is great for young kids. No waves, can walk for miles in the water, lots of crabs on the beach but not much to do...if the sand and water are not entertainment for them, prepare for them to be bored. Waves at orient were perfect for the six year olds. They had arm floaties on at all times. Not sure what I woudl say for a 4 year old.

 

Kids just chatted with the other kids during the dirve...or fell asleep on the way back from Porto Mari. At the beach it was sandcastles and lizard chasing and osme snorkeling. Water is quite shallow along parts of the snorkel trail so no problem.

 

We have done Coki Before so, as nice as Megans was, we did not see the huge attraction or advantage over Coki. Some diving pelicans but not much else to write home about at Megans when you can be swarmed by fish at Coki.

 

Hope that helps.

 

HUGE help - thank you SO much!!! We will plan on LeGallion early and if they get bored, we will just take a quick taxi to Orient for some waves and lunch.

 

I think we are going to plan on Porto Mari - I like less people and the kids all have snorkel gear. The pictures of KonTiki on webshots look like side by side loungers. I prefer the longer drive for a more secluded ares. And you are right. The young ones will probably sleep on the way back.

 

We are excited for Coki so glad you liked it - thanks so much :)

[tjatczak]

We were onboard the Adventure last week, also. Our Fuel surcharge ($35 PP) was credited back on our onboard account. :) I know it was our money, but it was a nice surprise.:)

 

Here is my tips on food:

#1 The Thai barbequed chicken breast (served same night as Lobster:( ) was ABSOLUTELY one of the best tasting dishes I have ever had the good fortune to eat! My mouth is watering now just thinking about it.

#2 The 'oreo sundae' and the 'apple pie' at Johnny Rockets are absolutely great. The best part is that there is no additional charge for either of them.

and

#3 the sugar free chocolate mint cake in the dining room was fabulous!

 

One week ago today, I was lounging in the Solarium.:(

 

Ted

[emen822]

Lobster was on fisherman's platter on Friday night accompanied by a couple of shrimp and some green stuff that the fisherman should have just left in his garden.

 

Preferred Coki (prior cruise) to Megans for snorkel value. Not a pretty beach by world standards but kids loved to be swarmed by fish. Still looking for the right stop in St Thomas. We think we have the other islands down pat.

 

Thanks for your help. One more question: Is Johnnie Rockets $4.95? Were their coupons in the adults/childrens C&A booklet? This will be my fourth Voyager class ship and I still haven't made it there. :)

 

We were onboard the Adventure last week, also. Our Fuel surcharge ($35 PP) was credited back on our onboard account. :) I know it was our money, but it was a nice surprise.:)

 

Here is my tips on food:

#1 The Thai barbequed chicken breast

 

Interesting. I guess we'll wait and see if we get onboard credit. Really doesn't matter to me either way - as long as I get it back. :p

I may try that Thai chicken. I'm not a lobster fan but was asking for my daughter who had some recently and loved it. I still can't believe there is no gala buffet. :( I loved being surrounded my chocolate. :D

[critterchick]

:o :( :mad: I am disappointed. :p

I also like the late night buffet at the pool. Last year was the first night we went to that and it was just nice to be out on the deck, having a party while out in the middle of nowhere.

I wonder when they started this. We had the midnight buffet in December on the Navigator. Is this true for all ships?

 

No midnight Gala buffet on any RCI ships as of January 1. We were on a New Year's Eve sailing on Vision and there was no gala buffet.

 

To the OP, that was a terrific review! But you said that you could get breakfast in your cabin on disembarkation morning - they had room service? Or did you bring it back to your cabin?

[hawt1]

Emen822,

 

Johnny Rockets is $3.95 per person. Coupons are in adult C&A books but NOT in Kids books. Second time going and not a huge fan to be honest...still prefer Licks Burgers but I think that is a regional Canadian Chain so...Also prefer poolside burgers on Celebrity which are free to those at JRs.

 

Critterchick,

 

We did not have room service on disembarkation morning but I think it is available - you may need to check on that to be sure. Thanks for pointing it out.

[jaxbeach12]

Great Review!

 

I love the format and it was so easy to read. Great information for a first time cruiser. Thanks!