AOS Question

[LilLeebird]

I think I have read somewhere on the boards that the MDR on Adventure of the Seas is open for lunch on Embarkation day. Is this correct? What about the cafe or other eating establishments on the Promenade - are they open that day for lunch? Just looking for other options that day if we board early. Sometimes the Windjammer can be so packed.

[Mark_K]

Pretty sure not either of the times I sailed on her.

[LilLeebird]

Thanks for your reply. So you are saying the only thing open is the Windjammer, right?

[cruiseguy1016]

The MDR will not be open. If I remember correctly, the Promenade Café will be open.

[cb at sea]

We avoid the "lunch rush" by eating a late breakfast, right before we board the ship, and then, once the feeding frenzy is over, we can grab a snack sometime late afternoon!

[ckrobyn]

There really is no "lunch rush" on the AOS. Boarding is a full day process as the ship does not depart until 8:30pm.

 

To answer your question - the MDR is not open on embarkation day.

[LilLeebird]

Great info - thanks!

[kc320]

The Promenade Cafe will be open for lunch & is a great spot to have a sandwich, slice of pizza or other snack...along with people watching...:D

[ollienbertsmum]

There really is no "lunch rush" on the AOS. Boarding is a full day process as the ship does not depart until 8:30pm.

.

 

No lunch rush :eek:I am pretty sure that you did not sail on the AOS from Malaga.

[Murphey 25]

We will be sailing from Malaga, so that's good to know and prepare for.

Also, this will be our first experience with a

ship departing at 8:30,

will dinner be served in the MDR at usual dinner times that evening as well?

[ollienbertsmum]

We will be sailing from Malaga, so that's good to know and prepare for.

Also, this will be our first experience with a

ship departing at 8:30,

will dinner be served in the MDR at usual dinner times that evening as well?

 

 

We left at 5 pm from Malaga last year. My brochure says that all of the AOS cruises in the Med leave at 5 pm.

 

The dining times were modified to suit the high number of Spanish guests. The times were either 6.45 or 7.15 (I can't recall which) for early seating and 9.15 for late seating. This still was a problem it is more like afternoon tea in Spain where so many people do not eat until really late - especially when on holiday. When we went (mid July) the early seating were turning up late and the late seating were having to hang around whilst they cleared up.

 

We had booked at the last minute and had been assigned the early seating which is far too early for us. I went to the dining room as soon as I boarded and got changed to late. I think you have to get in the queue early, also there were only 2 of us so it didn't matter.

 

The crush in the Windjammer was an issue. There were never any tables and the large families - several generations travelling together, never moved away when they had finished. It was only in the last couple of days that we realised that the 'trick' was to start lunch before 1 pm. In Andalucia they eat lunch nearer to 2 pm. We were away before the hoardes. I think that the Cafe Promenade is a good place to get food in less of a crush. It sounds a good place to go when you board on the first day. I tended to use it to get a nice cup of tea to take back to my promenade room, but I am starting to rethink it as an alternative to boarding time Windjammer chaos.

 

The only time the pools were empty were early morning. I used to have a good swim between 8 am and 8.30. I was amazed that none of the other 3000 guests joined me, but I was happy.

 

I don't want to worry you, it was a good trip, it was just a question of us wanting to find some peace and quiet.

[Bobal]

The MDR was open on embarkation day when we sailed from Malaga last year. The reason for this (as explained by the Head Chef) is that the ship was so full with Spanish families who take a long time over lunch that the Windjammer could not cope. The families take up all the seating and spend several hours there. They didn't serve the usual lunchtime MDR menu (i.e. the lovely salad bar and items off a special lunch menu which are usually available on sea days) but had a buffet with the same food as Windjammer.

 

This is not normal procedure, but was done to accommodate the huge numbers on the Malaga sailings. The Adventure 'experience' sailing from Malaga is different to sailing from San Juan, so much so that a special 'Adventure of the Seas Ole' thread was started during the summer months in addition to the long-running Adventure of the Seas thread which mainly relates to the departures from San Juan. It's slipped down the board since the Adventure crossed back over but if you'd like to take a look at it it's here http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1194339&highlight=adventure+of+the+seas+ole

[Murphey 25]

Thank you for the information and references to pertinent threads, I'll be reading those with great interest. Ollienbertsmum you are correct, we do sail at 5 PM, not sure why I had 8:30 in my head??

 

Thanks again.