Blair

Age: 25
Occupation: Real Estate
Number of Cruises: 3
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Adventure of the Seas
Sailing Date: December 7th, 2003
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean

This was our third cruise and our long awaited honeymoon. It was our third cruise as we had previously been on RCCL’s Rhapsody and Sovereign. Overall the cruise was a wonderful vacation. The ship is a marvel of modern engineering, and the ports are great as well.

Embarkation: RCCL will allow passengers to start boarding at around 2:00 pm on the day of the sailing. The airport is well stationed with RCCL employees directing passengers to appropriate busses. We heard from other guests that the lines at the cruise terminal early were a nightmare and took almost 2 hours to pass through. Due to our later flight, we did not get to the ship terminal until around 5:00. Boarding the ship was a breeze! The only line we had to wait in was to take our embarkation picture. Our luggage was delivered to the room just before dinner, but with plenty of time to meet our table showered and dressed up.

Entertainment: The ice show and the comedian were very entertaining, but the headliners and the RC singers and dancers were sub-par at best. We thoroughly enjoyed the comedian’s wit and were amazed by the ice show. The ice show is an absolute must see. They really put some time and effort into its production.

Ship: Amazing is the best word I can think to describe it. Not only was it state of the art, it was also very well kept and never felt crowded. The pools were great, the hot tubs were a lot of fun, and the dining room was beautiful. The Adventure has everything you could possibly want. Our stateroom was very accommodating and we really enjoyed the private balcony overlooking the sea and the ports. Our favorite places to enjoy the world were the pools on the main deck, the gravity sports bar, and our balcony.

Food: This is where the cruise somewhat struggled relative to the previous Royal Caribbean cruises that I have been on. The food in the dining room had its moments, such as lobster night, but was not up to the standards RCCL showed us on prior cruises. The Windjammer is a not much different than a high school cafeteria. Do what you can to avoid it. The pizza and sandwiches at the promenade café are certainly a good substitute. For days that we wanted a quick lunch, we stopped into Johnny Rockets and loved it each time. The shakes are worth every dime as well. When you sit down, they bring out a bowl of fries and onion rings with ketchup and ranch dressing. At first I thought it was part of a dream.

Crew: The crewmembers that worked for tips could not have been better. They worked hard and were very pleasant. Our stateroom attendant and waiter did whatever they could to make our trip better. The crewmembers that did not get tips could not have cared less about your questions or requests. I could not believe some of the reactions we got for simple questions when were first learning the ship. On the Adventure, asking for ketchup or how to get to the pool will get you an eye roll.

Ports: Each island is very beautiful and is surrounded by beautiful water. In Aruba, we took a $4 city bus up to Arashi Beach, which is right next to the California Lighthouse. We are scuba divers, so we had snorkel equipment and we able to go snorkeling. We swam out to a reef about 75 yards from the shore and snorkeled with people that booked the excursion from the ship. The difference is about $35 per person. In Curacao we booked the 2 tank dive through RCCL and enjoyed it for the coral and the marine life. It was a shore dive, but a very good one. In St. Maarten, we rode horses with Lucky Stables on the island. We booked it with them direct and were the envy of many that felt limited to the RCCL list. The guide took us on a two-hour ride through a mountainous area and on the beach. The trip ends with swimming the horses in the ocean. Cost is $50 per person, plus a $5 for the taxi ride to the stable. Lucky Stables has a website if you want more info on the rides. St. Thomas is the most beautiful island on the tour in my opinion. We rode the Kon Tiki party raft and had a great time. We heard that the snorkeling there was great as well.

Disembarking: Patience is the key. Over 3000 people have to get off the boat and that can never be a quick process. However, RCCL did a nice job of communicating and making it as painless as possible.

Other comments: This is very important if you have young children. Like most cruises, if the cruise is not full, they will offer unbelievable deals to get more people on to the ship. As a result, many people that are normally deterred by the cost of the get on for the week. This group makes their presence known strongly and their children run around like wild animals. Ship rules are treated as suggestions and common courtesy is non-existent. Young children will be introduced to very provocative displays of affection in the public areas of the ship such as the hot tub, the dining room, stairways, and the promenade. While I will most likely go on future RCCL cruises, this will be our last out of San Juan.

In conclusion, we really enjoyed the Adventure of the Seas and its itinerary. The ship and ports were great and will be remembered forever. Hopefully this review will give you some insight that will help you to have the best time possible while sailing on the Adventure of the Seas!

BA

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