Honeymooning on Adventure of the Seas - Tons of Qs???

[rascalious]

Thanks everyone for your good wishes and the good tips and advice! I did request the change in cabins.

 

Thanks again!

 

Glad you made the switch. Jimbo gave you excellent advice. We stayed on the center of the "hump" or bumped-out section the last two years. Although we were in a Juniour Suite on Deck 9 - 9318 (starboard), you can get a feel for the view and the rest of the ship by checking my photos from 2003 and 2004 by cliking on the link below. We were on the Aruba/Curacao itinerary both times.

 

The Pan American pier where the AOS docks has a duty free store in the first terminal (where the Princess sometimes docks). Go in that terminal and buy your liquor. They did not confiscate either time we did this. Maybe it is unique to San Juan, but we experienced no problems doing this. Just place it in your CARRY-ON luggage. They will let you right through. Have fun - We sure did!

 

(The ship usually sells out, so don't count on an upgrade)

[rascalious]

I second the Red Hook to St. John Trunk Bay advice. This is a MUST DO!!!

Get off the ship early and take a taxi to the Red Hook Ferry. You will beat the regular ship excursions by about an hour. We were the very first ones on the beach! Just do a search (google) for St. Thomas ferry schedules.

On your return, you can take the ferry right to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas -where the AOS docks.

[beachchick]

Thanks! That does help! How much for pop and bottled water? I'm surprised to hear that those drinks are not included.

 

Thanks!

 

Oh yeah, on our last cruise (RCCL) we got some of those fruity drinks on deck that come in these big tall skinny glasses (plastic) and they ended up charging us for the glasses, even though we didn't really want to keep them and sometimes we got charged even though we left the glasses behind. How can I avoid this?

 

Thanks sooooooo much!!

 

Since you've sailed on RCI before, if you haven't sign up for Crown & Anchor--do it now. Yes, you can sign up after the fact. Just give them as much info as you can remember and they should be able to find your previous cruise.

 

Being a member will net you: C&A magazines (quarterly) with info and coupons for discounts on various sailings; an onboard coupon book with discount certificates (buy one get one free drink, discount spa services, buy one get one photos, 1 free visit to Johnny Rocket (you still pay for sodas and shakes though), etc.); a welcome back party for C&A members on cruises of 7 days or more. Plus, you usually get a little gift (logo waistpack, little radio, toiletries bag, etc.)

 

I assume you have less than 5 RCI cruises, so you would be Gold level. Go to the RCI website and click on the loyalty or C&A option (or whatever it's called). You can then find the various levels, the requirements for achieving them, the various benefits, and info on how to join.

 

The way to avoid getting the expensive souvenier glasses is to clearly tell the bartender you do not want your drink in the souvenier glass, you want it in a regular glass. Don't buy the drinks off the circulating trays because they are almost always in the souvenier glass.

 

I must get on my soapbox for a minute: Please do not take sandwiches, fruit, veggies, etc. off the ship. The ports have laws against this for a reason. This is the way that new pathogens are introduced into new environments. Packaged snacks are fine (crackers, granola bars, etc.), but the others are not. You are risking throwing off the biological balance of a place you are visiting. This is not alarmist overkill--it has happened numerous times throughout the world and caused much damage (environmental and financial) in some cases. We must be considerate visitors. End of rant.

 

Have a wonderful cruise. What a great start to a marriage. :D

 

beachchick

[CrusinKim]

Hi McCasey,

 

My fiance Jamie and I cannot wait for this cruise. We are getting married on August 20, I can't wait for that and the honeymoon. We got engaged on a cruise last year we took when I graduated university.Perhaps we will face off on the Newlywed game!! I have no shame so I am not afraid to get up and do stuff. I am also Canadian, from the "rock" actually.

 

Any luck with picking out excursions??

[hokie78]

I'll throw in my 2 cents . . .

 

First, plan to do EVERYTHING on your own w/o RCI excursions. You'll save a ton. And by this I mean you can still do a guided tour if you're less adventurous, but book it on your own in advance. The internet is a God-send!

 

For St Thomas you've heard Megan's Bay and Trunk Bay on St. John. Both fine, but I'm surprised no one has mentioned Sapphire Beach on STT (or did they?!?!). I think it beats Megan's for the beach, snorkeling and great down island views. This is a resort property (on which you are always welcome), and can be crowded at times but is no worse than Trunk which these days may as well be a cruise-owned island given the commercialization and number of people usually there. Weddings are big at Sapphire. One going on every time we've been there over the last ten years. Perfect spot for your picture I'd say. There are 2 crescent-shaped beaches that are separated be an isthmus-like piece of land. Sort of a natural pier that goes out into the water a fair distance. Look back toward land and you see the two great beach areas, and looking out to sea you see St John, Tortola and Jost van Dyke. A tremendous background. I think you'd need something only slightly better than a disposable camera to get your keepsake shot. Have a fellow beach goer take it (several) for you and have it professionally developed/enlarged. They may be able to hook you up with a professional photographer, but I'm betting that's only part of a full wedding package.

 

St. Lucia. Spent a week there one year and probably wouldn't go back. Scenic, but I couldn't find any decent snorkeling and the beaches are mostly treeless. But if you must, head to Rodney Bay/Pigeon Point. Hit the market in town for fresh local (supposedly) spices.

 

Barbados. Nice beaches but again, no snorkeling. We'd go back there, but mainly for sights and nighttime shows. Consider a day on the Jolly Roger if it's still operating there. This is a "pirate" ship with big red sails flying the skull and cross bones. OK--it's a booze cruise, but more fun than any I've been on. Lunch is part of the deal so the ship sandwich idea won't really work. A GOOD lunch--grilled steak, chicken or fish with all the various fixin's. Full open bar for the duration. There's a snorkel stop (remember--not great), a rope swing for jumping in and cooling off, and they'll make someone walk the plank (they do a little mock trial). AND they do a "pirate wedding." Volunteer and you've got your destination wedding!!

 

Considering AOS ourselves for NEXT summer once RCI let's us book it. Enjoy!!

[mccasey]

Thank you all so much for the really great advice!

 

I just got confirmation from my travel agent that she booked the room you suggested for me. She was hesitant and warned me that it could be louder if it's near the elevators and stuff but I am going to take my chances for the possibility of better views, possibly a slightly larger balcony and all that great stuff.

 

We will definitely be doing most of our excursions on our own (not through the ship). We did that last time in St. Maarten. We rented a jeep and drove around on our own and went to the beach and just explored. And shopped a little in the duty free area by the boat! St. Thomas last time we kinda got suckered into a stupid time share presentation!!! We certainly learned that lesson the hard way! We will never get suckered into anything like that again! I am very excited to see all of the gorgeous beaches! And I hear St. Lucia is very lush and gorgeous, similar to Hawaii! That's so great!!!

 

The only excurision I was considering doing through the ship was the swimming with dolphins thing in St. Maarten. It's been a dream of mine to do that someday. But it does seem super expensive through the ship and the excursion lasts 6 hours!!! A long time. All I want is the opportunity to interact and swim with them for like 15 minutes to an hour. I would be happy with that. Not sure what the other 5 hours are for! Do you think I could arrange this type of thing on my own for less. It's $165 US now through RCCL!!!

 

I knew we couldn't count on an upgrade, which is why we booked the minimum type of room that we wanted. If we get one, awesome!! But we are not counting on it! But thanks for the warning! We at least wanted to have a balcony. I've heard so many great things about the balconies!!!

 

Oh! And thanks for the tip about signing up for C&A. I did! I was a bit confused at first since I couldn't find the name of my ship, but it has since been changed (was Nordic Empress and is now Empress of the Seas)!! Woohoo! Now I will have coupons for all sorts of great stuff onboard!!! And I've heard a tip on here from others that if we don't use all the coupons up, we should leave the rest of the book behind in our safe for the next people in our cabin.

 

Hey CruisinKim!!! I'll see you on the ship!!! Congrats on getting married!!! I am half from NB (my dad's from there) and my future husband is from PEI!! Maybe we will see you aboard and go head to head in the newlywed game!!! Are you a CB member (Canadian Bride)?

 

One thing is that my future husband REALLY REALLY isn't looking forward to sitting with others at dinner and I would tend to agree with him, although I am not as opposed to it as him (not that we don't like people but it's our honeymoon). Our travel agent originally said it would be no problem at all to guarantee us a table for 2. Now she says RCCL won't guarantee anything more than a "small" table. Any chance we could manage to snag a table for 2 once onboard the ship? On our other cruise we saw quite a few tables for 2.

 

Thanks again everyone!!!

[Jimbo]

The Cabin Doors are very thick and heavy I doubt you will hear anything in your cabin from the elevator area. You won't have a problem at all. It was a nice move. Actually hardly anyone will even walk by your cabin door anyway because there are 2 entrances/exits to the elevator in that hallway, one at around cabin #8612 and the other entrances/exits is near Cabin #8630. I guess your TA has never sailed on that type of ship before otherwise he/she would have known that.

 

More then likely your neighbors will be the ones hearing you in your cabin...............LOL:eek:

 

BTW............Just noticed the other bumpout cabin on the other side of the ship is open and available for the other Honeymoon Couple......... Cabin #8318

 

 

 

Jimbo:) < getting married next June to Diz