Tom Felder

Age: 49
Occupation: Quality and Logistics Manager
Number of Cruises: 5
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship: Adventure of the Seas
Sailing Date: October 3rd, 2004
Itinerary: Southern Caribbean

This reply is after reading the review from Anna Lee.

We were on the same cruise and experienced many of the same comments noted in Anna's response. Please note my comment about MANY, not that I agree with ALL her comments!!

I'll have to look into staying at Ameri- Suites in the future, we've saved money on this kind of deal but never parked for FREE. Please check before jumping into a "free" week's parking through a hotel/motel, you'll probably save money but it's not free.

The ordeal at the airport was far from pleasant - but it happened. What's really sad is I witnessed some people from New York getting into the face of the girls representing Royal Caribbean and badgering them to the point of making them cry, then they would leave them alone and enjoyed it! (that's sad). Someone of authority should have addressed us and told us what had happened and not left these girls to deal with a hostile crowd.

Once we got to the pier things couldn't have gone smoother. The check-in room looked like a disaster when the bus pulled up but we were through it in less than 10 minutes. After check-in we walked up the ramp to the ship, were ASKED if we wanted our picture taken, and got on the ship. Yes, by now it was dark.

I'd rather not comment on robes and PJ's and how they got behind the nightstand.

Yes, having the muster drill once at sea is unusual but evidently (I don't know) complies with Coast Guard regulations?

About a month before the cruise I booked an all day Off Road Jeep tour ($400 worth) for 4 of us and we enjoyed every minute of it on our day on Aruba. It's too bad the bike tour was cancelled because it was a beautiful day.

I can only say three things about the meals – excellent, excellent, excellent!

Putting up with yellow water would really suck, I'm glad we didn't experience any in our room. The toilets not flushing did happen but for what ever reason it seemed to be a timing issue. One day our toilet didn't flush but when we returned a couple hours later the toilet was flushed.

We also ate at the second seating and the offer of extra Lobster Tail was delicious!!

We've had balconies on previous cruises and understand smoking cruisers have to smoke outside because the rooms are nonsmoking. I'd rather have a choice of not being on my balcony at a certain time than smelling smoke while I'm trying to sleep. As for the "veranda for 12" (balcony) on the Golden Princess, they were huge and most likely for the high dollar suites that we've never seen, maybe some day.

The hot dogs and hamburgers in the Windjammer were excellent but if you wanted them you had to go to the end of the buffet to find them, not where anyone would consider putting the "main item."

We experienced a problem similar to what Anna mentions with not being able to find our photos but later found out our daughter bought them!!

Thank God our experience of leaving the ship wasn't what Anna's group had to endure, ours was very orderly and controlled.

I personally never met the Captain but I can tell you I was very impressed he took the time to be part of the farewell show on the last night. Getting the ship ready to come into port for debarkation has to be a major endeavor, but he took time to be with his team at this show.

I'm not crowned, anchored, or any other way associated with Royal Caribbean, in fact this was my first cruise with them. I felt the need to respond because our daughters looked at reviews such as this one before we left and were scared about going on their first cruise because "everything was bad!" In the end it was quite to the contrary as our daughters really enjoyed this cruise, as did my wife and I. Everyone works hard and spends a lot of money to go on a cruise and expects to be pampered, which we were!! By Anna's salutation it looks like "someone" is looking for Royal Caribbean to make things right by responding “favorably” to the issues listed?

In addition I would like to give special recognition to Romona and Yasin for the outstanding attention and professional/personable service our party (all 17 of us) were given during the second seating EVERY night! Dinner was truly an event to look forward to every night!!

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