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Bit of a blog - Adventure of the Seas – B2B in the Caribbean – 18th November 2012

NorbertsNiece

By NorbertsNiece,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Fisherlady48

Fisherlady48

Posted
Posted
I may have missed this somewhere, but was your trip to Nevis ship sponsored or private? I am thinking about going over to Nevus when we return to St. Kitts in March. Do you feel that it was worth the time to go over?

 

This was a ship sponsored tour, there is a pic with the tour number 2 pages back.

 

K

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mation101

mation101

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Hi Linda,

 

My Wife and I are really enjoying your blog. But I have two questions.

 

1- On the turnaround day between cruises were you allowed access to your cabin or did you have to wait until 1pm.

 

2-Do they offer the luggage valet on this cruise?

 

38 days until we are in San Juan waiting to go on our Back to Back. For once in my life Christmas can't come and go soon enough LOL :)

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johnbob7

johnbob7

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Champagne bar

 

IMG_0899-1.jpg

 

Perfect! Your photo captured our favorite bartender, Gia! So glad to see she is still in residence, she will be seeing us in 11 days! If you happen by the Champagne Bar again, warn Gia that Kate and Bob are returning!:D

 

Thanks yet again, Linda!

 

bobj

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beachseeker

beachseeker

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Linda - where is the reserved suite seating by the pool? Is it still located on the levels adjacent to the pool bar?

LOVING this live report! :D:D

It is. On sea day last week only a couple of chairs used until mid afternoon. I was shocked when I went to the pool about 9 on sea day and there were only a handful of chairs occupied all around the pool and I saw very few chairs reserved. It was a pleasant surprise.

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Jules12Wed

Jules12Wed

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We were on Voyager last year in a Grand Suite, on the sea day the sun beds in the suite area (same as on Adventure) were packed!! Until the pool security came round checking everyones passes and we were the only ones that had gold cards!!! Everyone else had to leave. So if you are on a ship and find theres no room in the suite pool area ask security to check peoples passes cos bet you'll find that the majority of people shouldn't be there!!

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ckrobyn

ckrobyn

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It is. On sea day last week only a couple of chairs used until mid afternoon. I was shocked when I went to the pool about 9 on sea day and there were only a handful of chairs occupied all around the pool and I saw very few chairs reserved. It was a pleasant surprise.

 

Thanks for your response. Just so I understand correctly, you are saying that there is in fact reserved seating for suite guests/gold sea pass holders? I was looking at the pics Linda took of the pool area from the lounge, and I didn't see the different colored towels in the area I thought were for suite guests? For some reason I thought the towels on those chairs were a gold color and they fit over the head of the lounger? I may be wrong, or my memory is not serving me correctly! Anyone know?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Clarea

Clarea

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Thanks for your response. Just so I understand correctly, you are saying that there is in fact reserved seating for suite guests/gold sea pass holders? I was looking at the pics Linda took of the pool area from the lounge, and I didn't see the different colored towels in the area I thought were for suite guests? For some reason I thought the towels on those chairs were a gold color and they fit over the head of the lounger? I may be wrong, or my memory is not serving me correctly! Anyone know?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The last time we were on Adventure was last March, and the reserved pool seating for Gold card holders was forward in the "stadium" area between decks 11 and 12. I believe it was only one side, and I don't remember any different colored towels. There was a signed chained to the entrance that mentioned the area was reserved.

 

Bob

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NorbertsNiece "Live from...." Rare

NorbertsNiece

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Hi Linda,

 

My Wife and I are really enjoying your blog. But I have two questions.

 

1- On the turnaround day between cruises were you allowed access to your cabin or did you have to wait until 1pm.

 

2-Do they offer the luggage valet on this cruise?

 

38 days until we are in San Juan waiting to go on our Back to Back. For once in my life Christmas can't come and go soon enough LOL :)

 

1. We could access our rooms and in fact I accessed deck 10 with no problem to view the suites...

 

Rooms were not generally available until 2pm.

 

2. No Luggage Valet.

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NorbertsNiece "Live from...." Rare

NorbertsNiece

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Thanks for your response. Just so I understand correctly, you are saying that there is in fact reserved seating for suite guests/gold sea pass holders? I was looking at the pics Linda took of the pool area from the lounge, and I didn't see the different colored towels in the area I thought were for suite guests? For some reason I thought the towels on those chairs were a gold color and they fit over the head of the lounger? I may be wrong, or my memory is not serving me correctly! Anyone know?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Will grab you a pic and post later x

 

Stand by for update on yesterday..... it's a goody....

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NorbertsNiece "Live from...." Rare

NorbertsNiece

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If you had told me at the start of the day how it would end I would probably have given you my sceptical ‘yeah right’ look.

 

At breakfast in the MDR I am invited to join some other Brits and we catch up on our trip. The Restaurant Manager, David, passes by as is his practice this cruise, to check all is ok. I tell him that I am joining a friend for dinner in ‘Johnny Rockets’ and do I need to advise them that I am coming (GF issues). He jokes with me and pretends to be calling them on his phone; he is very clear that they do not need to be pre-warned. I should have known better by now…… you think?

 

The Meet & Mingle is packed. The Entertainment Manager is there and he cracks a few jokes to establish a happy atmosphere. There is a raffle and we hold the gift exchange. Somehow more people take a gift than have given one…… and I know some of the people who did not come last week have donated way more than their share. I feel sad for Terri who is our youngest Brit who lands up with something from her own town. As I have organised the order of gift taking I feel bad; message to self….. leave the youngest out of the lottery in the future and have them choose first. She is incredibly sweet and takes it very well…..

 

I have learnt how a Slot tournament works. $20 gets you a card with the round you are in and the machine you are playing at. The machines are adjusted to accumulate points and not pay out. When your round is called you sit at that machine in the bank and at a given signal you get 5 minutes to accumulate as many points as you possibly can. After all the rounds have been progressed the top 10 people got to play again and the top 3 won some cash back. Techniques vary from violent fist bashing to gentle tapping. There is a theory as to which machine appears to be the highest point earner. Some people keep the accruing points covered until time up. The points are noted at the end of each round by the organiser so you know each round the minimum you will need in order to have a chance of progressing into the top 10. It was great fun. My $20 was spent with much fist bashing, gentle tapping and the occasional ‘Come on!!’ My score was reasonable but insufficient to progress.

 

Not hungry for lunch I stroll around; I have been sitting on my balcony more this week contemplating ‘stuff’ and I do some of that….. it’s nice to be quiet and alone at times. I meet up with a New York couple in the Library and we spend a couple of hours exchanging stories; I have run in to them earlier in the week and they have booked the same Curacao excursion as me. They only booked the cruise a week before embarkation and had not cruised with Royal before. I miss a fracas by the main pool…. Apparently a group of guests have taken over the bandstand and have played a few numbers….. complaints to security have been made and I believe they were encouraged to vacate.

 

Johnny Rockets. If you intend to go there with dietary needs give them a heads up. I realise that my experience at Portofino did not reflect a positive outcome to that advice but still…… give any dining venue a personal heads up…. Don’t rely on others by way of staff members doing it for you. I arrive there early, 640pm. It is almost empty. There appears to be members from a kids club sat indoors and one couple sat outside. A waiter approaches me with a menu and I ask what items on the menu can I have that are GF. ‘We don’t do GF here’. Oh. ‘You need to speak to the Restaurant Manager’. I explain that I had been advised by him that there would be no problem. He says he will get the supervisor. Another waiter approaches and says the supervisor is coming. Another waiter comes up and offers me water. 15 minutes later a lady in a suit approaches and says they can do GF and I can order anything off the menu. Phew. My CC friend arrives and I explain what has occurred. She has eaten in JR at lunch time and is happy to do so again.

 

A waiter approaches with a plate of bread….. it’s the sliced bread I get at breakfast / dinner….. I would like a hot dog do you have buns? ‘No’. I’m fine with declining and we leave. I think if my friend hadn’t eaten there already that lunch time I would have stayed and managed without the bun. My hot dog / chocolate milkshake yearning has dissipated.

 

Now. Picture this. We call for the lift (elevator) and when it arrives the Hotel Director steps out. The next couple of minutes are now a bit of a blur but I think I have it right. He gets out…… I step in…. my friend does a 180 and heads off after him. ‘Excuse me….. are you the Hotel director?’ Now I am deaf in one ear with an aid. Background noise / music means I don’t disseminate speech too well. She has her back to me. I am standing in the lift preventing the doors from closing. He is extremely tall and she is petite. I can see she is talking and her hand gestures in my direction to come on over are clear enough. I head over wondering what it is she talking to him about. She says,’ Go on. Tell him.’ Hmm?' Penny drops. So I tell him. And about Portofino last week. He makes notes. I tell him that I am due to have dessert in Portofino shortly (taking dessert with Patty, Scott, Paul and Erica) but I have yet to have dinner and we are heading for the MDR. He tells us who to ask for and gets on his phone to let the specific manager know we are coming.

 

We meet up with that manager and he is incredibly conciliatory. We are sat with my usual waiter on a table for 2 (my friend is normally first sitting MDR). I am happy to order from the menu but it is clear we are to have Johnny Rockets!! It takes some time. About half an hour later my milkshake, a hot dog (in a bun), a burger (in a bun) for me and a No. 12 (for her) and fries arrive!!! (I didn’t ask for the burger). The people sitting next to us are intrigued and the story explained.

 

More suited staff hover periodically. Is everything ok? Everything is fine thanks. I have sent a message to Portofino to let them know that I am delayed and to have dessert without me. The JR supervisor appears and explains that after we have left that venue the buns had arrived. I explain that all is ok. When we’re finished we ask for the specific manager we had met and I thanked him for organising our meal and could he let the Hotel Director know that all had been resolved. I said that I really did appreciate that this is a learning curve for everyone (where the new menus are concerned is what I meant) and I am good with being a guinea pig. He is incredibly charming.

 

Dessert. Portofino. They have been told I’m not coming.

 

Sigh.

 

We sit with my friends and I recount my evening so far. They have already finished their meal. 2 desserts appear. OMG. I eat the one that resembles what used to be the tiramisu….. it is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. The recipe has been especially provided by the Head Chef in Miami. It has chocolate, cream, raspberries and I have no idea what else inside. Absolutely fabulous. I am encouraged by the waitress to have the other dessert which is chocolate and dome shaped but the one dessert was more than ample. On my way out I thank the Maitre d’ for his assistance in organising this. I think he is surprised I am talking to him. He certainly hadn’t approached me.

 

I am high. OK I have finished off my bottle of wine with the hot dog…. It was less than half a glass. I think the chocolate / sugar has created a chemical reaction!! I used to think that I was good at this enabling stuff but being around someone who really gets how to handle people politely and totally non aggressively was a real education.

 

I was ok about letting the whole JR thing lie and would have eaten in the MDR and been….. not sure what the word is…. sad I guess…. but now they have an understanding of GF and not had a guest kicking off about it (I am NOT that person who demands OBC and free stuff when things don’t go right…. I think you will have realised that by now)

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NorbertsNiece "Live from...." Rare

NorbertsNiece

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I may have missed this somewhere, but was your trip to Nevis ship sponsored or private? I am thinking about going over to Nevus when we return to St. Kitts in March. Do you feel that it was worth the time to go over?

 

Loved loved loved it. Well worth it; would highly recommend checking Beulah out.... will post her details on my return.... would have preferred the choice of beach or town..... want to go back very much

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