Just off Adventure S. Caribbean 3/22

[Dandybelle]

Myself and my group of 17 just got off the Adventure of the Seas out of PR on her S. Caribbean route (Barbados, St. Lucia, Antigua, St. Croix, St. Martin).

 

Just to give you a little history so that you can better understand my perspective. I have been on 9 cruises, 7 of those with RCI. I have sailed on Enchantment (twice), Freedom (twice), Mariner, and Allure. I usually sail with a group of friends and family as well as my husband and two young children (3 & 6, currently). We book adjoining balcony rooms (one for myself and my husband and one for our kids).

 

I love to research and read reviews and then assess everything in my own way.

 

Below are my thoughts (good, bad, awful) on the Adventure of the Seas.

 

Leaving out of San Juan was not bad. We got to the port at 12:15 and had to wait in line about 30 minutes (outside in the heat, but shaded) before being allowed to check in. After that check in went quickly and we were on and eating by 1.

 

I do have all the compasses, but will probably not be able to scan them as I am a very busy mom of two crazy kids! But, I can answer questions if you have any!

 

Also note, I sent everything written below to RCI on the post-cruise survey.

 

Our waiter "Alex" and his assistant Yanyi were the best! Ryan our bartender at the pool and at dinner was fantastic! The service provided by all the crew members we came in contact with was hands down the best we have received in all our years of cruising with RC.

 

Our staterooms were in desperate need of upgrades. The bedding/curtains/furniture was very dated and showed a lot of wear. The beds were HARD. Uncomfortable and VERY HARD. This limited the amount of sleep we obtained (as well as the 15 others in our party). This is our 2nd cruise in the last few months in which we had very hard and uncomfortable beds (first was Enchantment). RC needs to address this issue ASAP. We heard others complain as well. The pillows were lumpy and flat as well. Worst sleep on a cruise ship out of our previous 9 cruises. Carpets in our rooms were worn. Our second stateroom had a musty smell that never went away. The inability to open balcony dividers really put a damper on this cruise as we prefer the openings, especially because we travel with our young children and put them in a room beside us. We also love having our group be in a row of rooms that allows us to open dividers and enjoy our own private, large balcony.

 

Another note, we happened to notice that the staterooms on Deck 3 just off the dining room were completely upgraded. Think Allure of the Seas - modern cabinets, navy blue and white bedding, new carpet, curtains. I hope they do the same for the rest of the staterooms as it would make a HUGE difference.

 

The entertainer in the Duck & Dog pub, Terry Dobson, was awful. He had a very bad attitude, was rude, and ignored the guests requests of songs. He made inappropriate comments to more than one in our party during his time playing. We don't mind if a pub singer can't sing well, but being rude and ignoring guests is uncalled for. We did not return to the pub after the second evening because of his attitude. I highly recommend RC and Adventure find a new entertainer that welcomes guests in the pub, wants to have fun (and wants the guests to have fun), and provides good entertainment that gets guests talking, singing, laughing, and enjoying the evening!

 

The speciality coffee bar was a huge disappointment. Being under the impression that Starbucks was now provided on every RC ship, I arrived to find not only did Adventure no longer carry Starbucks (as told by the barista), but the new coffee provider, Illy, did not carry any chai tea lattes (the only "coffee" drink I consume)!!! I purchased the Ultimate Drink Package specifically because it covered all speciality coffee and to arrive and find my drink gone from the menu was a huge waste of the extra money. I would have purchased the Premium Package had I known that this was the case on Adventure. There has to be some consistency in this area so that cruisers know what to expect on each ship. After realizing this, I did not have the option to downgrade my package (as all sales are final), but was very disappointed that I spend all the extra money for no reason.

 

I would love Adventure to have more food choices for breakfast and lunch. A Park Cafe (or the like) is desperately needed. Breakfast, more so than lunch, is a mad house almost the entire time the Windjammer is open as people are rushing to eat and get off to explore the ports. A quick, but more filling option like the Park Cafe would help ease the crowds without causing people to sacrifice port exploration time.

 

As far as food quality - we very much enjoyed the food in the MD (we attended every night). I was especially happy to see lobster & the Royal Flourless Chocolate Cake on the menu!!!!! Enchantment has neither, which was a bummer! The only dish that was unimpressive that I ate was the Chicken Cordon Bleu. The chefs came around the second to last night and asked everyone for their comments and I let them know how I felt about it. They offered to re-make it for me, but I declined. I found a good variety at the Windjammer, both at breakfast and lunch. I though the variety of meats were good. I would love it if they brought back the SOFT and REAL chocolate chip cookies. Oh and put the shredded hashbrowns on the buffet for breakfast instead of just in the dining room! Those things are delish and a favorite among many!

 

I should also note they no longer offer the "after dinner" shots. You can of course, order one, but they don't theme them every night like they used to. Luckily our awesome bartender Ryan helped us pick ones for every night.

 

Both my husband and I enjoyed massages at Vitality Spa. My 75 minute massage was not the best one I have had and I was not fully relaxed during it. My therapist left the room half way thru my massage for 4 minutes. I have no idea why she left, but it definitely did not help me to stay relaxed. She also spent time messing around with bottles and such during the treatment. I felt it was much to frequent and the small intervals added up definitely did not provide me with my full 75 minute massage. At the end of my treatment they were doing emergency crew training and the announcements were so loud in the room! I understand the necessity of this and luckily it was at the end of my treatment, but it was just another small thing that was added to my lack luster spa experience. I was disappointed as we always do spa treatments during our cruise and this experience will make me re-think that. My husband said his therapist was good and he enjoyed his treatment.

 

The gym is nice. Please replace the dumb bells. Many of them had neoprene covers that were cracked and peeling. Makes it tough to use for a good work out.

 

Fresh water pools PLEASE! Or at least one!!!! The salt water pools were horrible on the eyes!

 

Pool screen entertainment has got to go. The bloopers were only funny the first one or two times we saw them. But to have them playing every day, at least twice, was horrible. Provide music, maybe more variety of movies. Variety would be greatly appreciated to all those who like to stay and relax on board and by the pool.

 

Overall, we enjoyed the cruise and the Adventure of the Seas, but it is doubtful we would cruise again on her. We will continue to be loyal to RC, but will stick to those ships that are newer, modern, and provide more choices in on-board amenities.

 

Hope all this info helps someone! Feel free to ask questions :)

[wolfcathorse]

Lobster is only found on cruises of 7 nights or longer which is why Enchantment (nor Majesty) doesn't have it. The exception may be the 5 night cruises to Bermuda, they might have lobster but I'm not sure.

 

anyway....can you tell me who the captain was for your sailing?

[Clarea]

Lobster is only found on cruises of 7 nights or longer which is why Enchantment (nor Majesty) doesn't have it. The exception may be the 5 night cruises to Bermuda, they might have lobster but I'm not sure.

 

anyway....can you tell me who the captain was for your sailing?

I believe the "free" lobster is offered on cruises of 5 nights or longer based out of the US. We just finished a B2B on Liberty, a 4-day followed by a 5-day. No lobster on the 4-day, but we did get lobster on the 5-day.

[Dandybelle]

Lobster is only found on cruises of 7 nights or longer which is why Enchantment (nor Majesty) doesn't have it. The exception may be the 5 night cruises to Bermuda, they might have lobster but I'm not sure.

 

anyway....can you tell me who the captain was for your sailing?

 

Good to know, thanks!

 

Captain Toni Calne

 

And our Cruise Director was Bobby

[hcs81m]

Lobster is only found on cruises of 7 nights or longer which is why Enchantment (nor Majesty) doesn't have it. The exception may be the 5 night cruises to Bermuda, they might have lobster but I'm not sure.

 

Does anyone know what our chances are to have lobster served on the 6 day Adventure cruise on May 3rd?

[Clarea]

Does anyone know what our chances are to have lobster served on the 6 day Adventure cruise on May 3rd?

Royal usually serves "free" lobster on cruises of 5 days or more, based out of the US.

Edited April 1, 2015 by clarea

[cruiseapril]

What did you do in the ports? Looks like very interesting itinerary.

[Susie51]

Your spa experience is sub par. Did you ask for a reduced charge?

[bigque]

The only thing you mentioned that you like was the MDR & the gym with the exception of the gym not having bar bells. Everything else you mentioned was a bad experience but overall you thought it was a good cruise???? Really???!

[CRUISEFAN0001]

The only thing you mentioned that you like was the MDR & the gym with the exception of the gym not having bar bells. Everything else you mentioned was a bad experience but overall you thought it was a good cruise???? Really???!

I had to read through the first post review 3 times to make sure I understood the details fairly.

 

These kinds of "reviews" are regularly seen at Cruise Critic (unfortunately), and reflect more disappointment on personal taste issues than general facts. Most are highly subjective at best (others seeing the very same things might disagree with the "assessments").

 

So weigh these kinds of posts/threads for what they're worth, which often is marginal at best. There are plenty of "real" reviews of cruises on Cruise Critic, which provide useful information beyond shallow dribble.

[BobbyD]

I was on the Adventure the week prior. On my bucket list is your itinerary as I have never been to St. Croix or St. Lucia. Sorry your cruise was not what you had hoped. I was on with a group of 12 and we had one of the best cruises I had ever been on. As far as the cabins, we did have new carpet and flat-screen TV but the decor was probably the original decor. What I expected from an "older" ship. We thoroughly enjoyed the MDR but did not have a bar server. The waiter/assistant waiter took care of the wine. We typically did not order drinks at dinner because we always had a pre-dinner cocktail (or two)!

 

While I did not hear the guitarist in the pub, we did pass through the Schooner Bar with the piano singer. The times that I heard him, I did think he was pretty weak but there were people there and seemed to be having a good time.

 

The bed was indeed firm and I had no problem sleeping like a baby! It just depends on your personal preference. If it was too soft, people would be complaining as well.

 

This was our first trip on a Voyager Class ship and, as Freedom is one of my favorites, I would not hesitate to sail this class again! Hopefully your next cruise will better meet your expectations.

[campingwhit]

My hubby and I were on this same cruise. We thought the food and the service in the dining room was great. We opted for MTD and it went very smooth. I could see the wear and tear around the ship but it did not effect the enjoyment of the cruise for us. We also spent 5 of the 7 nights in the Duck and Dog and we really enjoyed it. The pub was packed full every night and a lot of the same people coming back in night after night, so I would say that those people and ourselves very much enjoyed Terry. Everyone has different likes and dislikes. :D

[topcruiser16]

I was actually surprised by the mostly negative review of the Adventure. My husband and I sail on her every year, just for the itinerary, but also have a nice time on board the ship. Waking up at a different Caribbean island every day is pretty darn good. Even though she isn't the newest ship in the fleet, the staff have always seemed to be happy and professional. The thing that most surprised me was your negative reaction to Terry Dobson, the singer at the pub. We found the pub on the second week of our 4 week b2b and went to hear him perform almost every night after our dinner. The pub was always packed and people seemed to really enjoy him. I know we did and we don't usually partake of the nightlife on the ship. I guess it is true that every one likes different things. Hopefully your next cruise will be more to you liking and you will have a fantastic time.

[JasonV1]

FYI I posted the Compasses for this sailing earlier today in this forum, so you don't necessarily have to if you want to save yourself some time.

[jdpace4]

You mentioned that the 3rd deck rooms seem to be upgraded. Was this the entire 3rd deck or just a select few? Can anyone comment or confirm on this?

[racerxspeedy]

I am seeing a lot of CC comments regarding drink price increases. I didn't see this on Jewel last month. Did anyone see an increase on Adventure? (Example: beer was $7 with tip)

[BobbyD]

I am seeing a lot of CC comments regarding drink price increases. I didn't see this on Jewel last month. Did anyone see an increase on Adventure? (Example: beer was $7 with tip)

 

I thought the drink prices were higher than in the past.

[Laurin612]

I was on this sailing. I totally agree with you on the hard beds, lumpy (or thin) pillows and worn carpet in the room. We had a junior suite, and for what we paid we felt we deserved better.

 

I also agree about the coffee bar. There was only one place on the ship to get specialty coffee, and it is the same place where you get Ben & Jerry's. Pretty much every time I wanted a coffee there were a bunch of people in line for ice cream. The coffee (Illy brand) was just OK.

 

We saw Terry Dobson one night and were very impressed with his performance. We did not notice a bad attitude--in fact he seemed very genial. He also was playing guest requests. Maybe he was having a bad day the night you saw him? I don't know, but my experience was the opposite of yours.

 

I'm working on a complete review and will post later this week.

[Laurin612]

I am seeing a lot of CC comments regarding drink price increases. I didn't see this on Jewel last month. Did anyone see an increase on Adventure? (Example: beer was $7 with tip)

 

Yes. We could not find prices listed anywhere unless you asked. Beers were typically $7ish with tip. My husband was very glad he had gotten the Select package. He definitely got his money's worth at the ship's prices of $7 per beer.

[sredish]

I'm seeing that most drinks are being reported as being $10 each plus 18% gratuity. I'm hoping that is a specialty drink?

 

My question to you is...did anyone in your party order a plain ole' vodka or gin and tonic or a Jack/Crown and coke? What was that price? On my previous cruise this was $6.50. If it's up to $10...that may make me rethink a drink package...:eek:

[Ocean Boy]

It is unfortunate that not being able to open the balcony dividers "really put a damper on your cruise". However, many of us here could have told you that was the situation with the first three Voyager class ships (Voyager, Explorer, and Adventure). They sinmply do not open. It isn't as if the management of the ship would not allow it to be opened.

[golf43]

What cabin number were you in? We are going on the Adventure in a few weeks.

Thank You.