Just back from Adventure of the Seas 6/1-6/8/2018

We had a great cruise to Canada/New England from Bayonne, NJ. Embarkation and Disembarkation were SPEEDY and stress-free. The ship was nice, and meals were OK. Entertainment was great. Of special note, go to see Billy at the Piano Bar in the Schooner lounge. He is really good!

The weather was not good and didn't cooperate, but we managed :)

Some tidbits for upcoming cruisers:

Bring lysol spray. You will need to use it daily in the bathroom as the toilet brush is kept in the bathroom. It smells terrible. I was glad that I brought mine so I was able to get rid of that rank smell.

Bring Lysol wipes. I wiped everything down - door handles, TV remote, etc. I brought a solid air freshener also so that the cabin would smell fresh all the time.

Shampoo. In the shower, there is only a dispenser for shampoo/conditioner combination. It is OK, but I wish I brought my brand of shampoo. I have colored hair and the shampoo rinsed some of it out every single day.

Soap. BRING your own BODYWASH. The small cake of soap that is put into the shower. It is VERY drying to the skin. Another thing that I was going to pack and did not.

Lastly, bring some Montreal Steak Seasoning or something like that. Although the food was good in both the Windjammer and MDR, it really required a little more flavoring.

The lobster onboard was delicious! Our waiter, ALICIA, at table 183 in the downstairs MDR, is SUPERB! Ask for her. What a lovely person and efficient as she can be!! She even took the lobster out of the shell for me, not once, but twice!!

I hope these tidbits help you in your packing, and have a great cruise!!

Melady

We will be sailing on Adventure in December from FLL.

I always pack my own shampoo and body wash, but did not think of an air freshener. That is a great idea because we will be on an 8 night in one of the promenade rooms. They are such cool rooms, but our last one got stuffy. After reading a couple other threads, I am planning on bringing lysol wipes.

We sailed out of Cape Liberty on my last cruise in 2015. It was such an easy port to get in and out of, plus its only about a 6-7 hr drive. We have been wanting to sail from there again.We on Liberty last time, which has been our favorite ship. Although Liberty is a class above Adventure, it seems like there are a lot of similarities.

What were some of your favorite areas on the ship?

Thanks for posting this!

The weather was not good and didn't cooperate, but we managed

Spent most of that same cruise in the hot tubs with my GF and her sister, definitely feeling under the weather after all that, lol.

We are on the June 29th sailing. You are making me very excited! :D

Thanks for the tips. I usually pack my own shampoo and body wash too, but thanks for the tip about air freshener. Were you in a balcony cabin?

Did you eat MDR every night? Any dish you thought was outstanding?

Thanks so much for posting your experiences.

Thank you Melady! We will be on the ship in October so this is really helpful.

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Glad to be of assistance!!

We were in a promenade cabin, #6609. From our window, we had a beautiful view of the main desk LOL we enjoyed the extra sitting space that the promenade cabin provides. We had an actual promenade cabin on one of our previous cruises, and that cabin overlooked the actual promenade. We enjoyed the festivities from our cabin window whenever there were parades or parties or whatever

We LOVED sitting in the Cafe Promenade. We would go there first thing in the morning to fill up our thermal coffee cups. (Yes, we brought our own from home. The cups have lids, so there is no spillage when transporting the coffee back to the cabin in the mornings. We like to drink our coffee while getting ready.) Anyway, coffee is pretty strong but I like it that way. There are snacks available in the Cafe -- pizza, finger sandwiches, fruit cups, yogurt cups, and an assortment of cookies. Nice snacks for late night or for a little nosh between meals. We also enjoyed sitting there late night when I would get my cup of camomile tea and cookie before bed. It's a wonderful spot to people watch also.

We enjoyed playing in the casino every night. It wasn't too smokey and we hit a few little jackpots but nothing huge!!

Like I said before, we liked going to the Schooner Bar just to sit and relax. Billy the piano man was EXCELLENT!! There are several initimate seating areas to sit and relax onboard, and I think we tried all of them!

We ate dinner in the main dining room almost every night, with the exception of one night when we went to the Windjammer to enjoy Carribean food on Carribean night. Food was delicious, and we especially liked the jerk chicken and the oxtails.

If you like a COOL temperature room, you will be disappointed. Our cabin was barely cool. I guess it just depends how "cool" you like it. I like it COLD when I sleep. I was going to buy a small fan in one of the ports, but they advised me not to because it wouldn't be allowed onboard. I'm glad I am back home with my ceiling fan and A/C in our bedroom :)

If you like a COOL temperature room, you will be disappointed. Our cabin was barely cool. I guess it just depends how "cool" you like it. I like it COLD when I sleep. I was going to buy a small fan in one of the ports, but they advised me not to because it wouldn't be allowed onboard. I'm glad I am back home with my ceiling fan and A/C in our bedroom :)

Just as an FYI - you could have called maintenance and they could fix that issue. Our Jr. Suite was not as cool as my son's balcony so we called and it was fixed right away.

We were also on this cruise (and the previous May 25th) and had a great time. I cannot believe how fast getting off the ship was. We use wheelchair assistance and we were off by 8:30 which was a bit early since our ride didn't get there until around 11 and should have waited a little longer before getting off. Usually it takes a long time for wheelchair assistance but at least the weather was finally pleasant to sit outside and wait. I was so happy to see the Adventure come to Bayonne and that's why we did b2b with the Bahamas. Weather on both cruises wasn't the greatest and we did miss Coco Cay on our first leg, but having been to all the ports we just relaxed. We love the voyager class ships.

We were able to keep the same cabin for both cruises and had an accessible on deck 7. It looked to be recently refurbished with new carpeting, draps, sofa (some stains already), new bathroom tile and there was never any odor in our bathroom. I bring wipes along and wipe the inside of the drawers, door handles, phone, remote, etc. We had a wonderful room steward Patterson who we had for the entire 2 weeks and our room was always made up in a timely manner after breakfast and dinner. We are D+ and we had to ask for the bathroom amenities (gel, shampoo, condition).

We had early main seating for dinner. Vijay was our waiter for the 2 weeks and he was excellent and his recommendations were always spot on and he would always bring an extra dish of something and put it on the side of the table. We eat all our meals in the MDR and at breakfast Alicia the hostess always made sure we were seated in easy access due to my husband having limited mobility. I cannot say enough about the entire staff and crew on the Adventure; they were absolutely wonderful and we never encountered any rude staff members.

We usually have the AC turned up all the way and this was the first time in all our years of cruising that we turned it to the warm side because of the inclement and cold weather in NE/Canada.

Now for my pet peeves: (1) door slammers all day and night (late) very annoying; (2) people standing in a group outside an elevator having a conversation and you have to go around them using a walker. Move out of the way if you need to do this and stop blocking access areas; and (3) my favorite of all listening to people call it a boat - it's a "SHIP" not a "BOAT".

For those of you cruising the Adventure I hope you will not be disappointed. We loved it.

Happy sailing,

Theresa

We loved the adventure until our last cruise. The musty smell in the cabin was overwhelming from the time you walked in it until the time you left it. Been on many ships old and new so wondering why this one would be so bad. Glad the freedom is now in San Juan so we can try again out of San Juan in 2019.

(3) my favorite of all listening to people call it a boat - it's a "SHIP" not a "BOAT".

This drives me insane as well!

Thanks for your thoughts on Adventure as well. We are really looking forward to sailing on her in December!

We loved the adventure until our last cruise. The musty smell in the cabin was overwhelming from the time you walked in it until the time you left it. Been on many ships old and new so wondering why this one would be so bad. Glad the freedom is now in San Juan so we can try again out of San Juan in 2019.

What cabin were you in with the musty smell?

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We bring our own toiletries. However, would hate the stench of an air freshener- Would open the balcony door if I wanted "fresh" air. Perhaps you had a cabin without a balcony. We also wash our hands often-expecially if touching any public staircase rails, doors etc. IMO more important then cleaning with the lysol wipes as you cannot protect all surfaces on a cruise ship.

We also try to eat first if dining in a buffet- as people use the utentiles and may be filthy and not wash their hands properly. However, at the end of the day, our immune systems are good and with the exception of a disney cruise, haven't gotten norovirus. A cold or two which I blame on pre and post cruise flights- but not really on the ship itself. If you have a compromised immune system, ask your physician for some antibiotics that might help you in the event you do get ill.

This drives me insane as well!

 

Thanks for your thoughts on Adventure as well. We are really looking forward to sailing on her in December!

Count me in as well, had to correct a non-cruiser in my Meetup group over the weekend twice in a single conversation LOL.

Thanks for your review, Melady!

Just as an FYI - you could have called maintenance and they could fix that issue. Our Jr. Suite was not as cool as my son's balcony so we called and it was fixed right away.

We did call maintenance. They came to our room and told us that it was 19 degrees celsius, which equates to 66 degrees farenheit. There's absolutely NO WAY it was 66 degrees in our cabin. More like 76 degrees. (Trust me, my hormones are the experts!)

This drives me insane as well!

 

Thanks for your thoughts on Adventure as well. We are really looking forward to sailing on her in December!

A ship can carry a boat; a boat can not carry a ship!

Thanks for your review. I am also annoyed by folks who slam doors all the time. No need for it.

More annoying-- door slammers, chair hogs, or people who call it a boat?

The industry was dying 40 years ago when a little Aaron Spelling tv show made everyone want to get aboard a certain "boat." Without it we would not have most of today's ships.

One other item I always take is a soft soap dispenser for the bathroom, the anti-bacterial soap. We always travel with one, even for hotel rooms. And like others, yes, we always wipe down the room with the wipes before we unpack & settle in.

We will be sailing on Adventure in December from FLL.

 

I always pack my own shampoo and body wash, but did not think of an air freshener. That is a great idea because we will be on an 8 night in one of the promenade rooms. They are such cool rooms, but our last one got stuffy. After reading a couple other threads, I am planning on bringing lysol wipes.

 

We sailed out of Cape Liberty on my last cruise in 2015. It was such an easy port to get in and out of, plus its only about a 6-7 hr drive. We have been wanting to sail from there again.We on Liberty last time, which has been our favorite ship. Although Liberty is a class above Adventure, it seems like there are a lot of similarities.

 

What were some of your favorite areas on the ship?

 

Thanks for posting this!

We're doing the same itinerary a month later. I can't wait!

Thanks for the tips.

Now for my pet peeves: (1) door slammers all day and night (late) very annoying; (2) people standing in a group outside an elevator having a conversation and you have to go around them using a walker. Move out of the way if you need to do this and stop blocking access areas; and (3) my favorite of all listening to people call it a boat - it's a "SHIP" not a "BOAT".

 

For those of you cruising the Adventure I hope you will not be disappointed. We loved it.

 

Happy sailing,

 

Theresa

I agree 100000% Is it that hard to close your door somewhat quietly? Or how about, they make the doors shut quietly.. Why must they slam like they do? I for one, try and shut the door quietly if it's early or very late. Just because you're on a cruise, that doesn't mean you don't want or need your sleep!

I agree 100000% Is it that hard to close your door somewhat quietly? !

Early on, people may not realize not to open their balcony door while the cabin door is open. Or at least have a firm grip on it.

Just one note if I may...Lysol wipes are good for general cleaning but in order to kill a Stomach Bug (Noro) which is what I think most people are trying to avoid on a cruise Lysol wipes are not proven to be effective. You need to disinfect surfaces with a product that is EPA registered to kill Norovirus, such as Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide cleaner disinfectant sprays and wipes or Clorox Healthcare bleach sprays and wipes.

Just one note if I may...Lysol wipes are good for general cleaning but in order to kill a Stomach Bug (Noro) which is what I think most people are trying to avoid on a cruise Lysol wipes are not proven to be effective. You need to disinfect surfaces with a product that is EPA registered to kill Norovirus, such as Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide cleaner disinfectant sprays and wipes or Clorox Healthcare bleach sprays and wipes.

I think people want to think that they can control things- unfortunately with Noro and other food related illness-not anything we can really do. Perhaps some day they will have a vaccination that will help protecting us from Noro, etc.