Adventure of the Seas Informal & Unwitty Review (no pictures, sorry)

[ColoradoGurl]

This was our 3rd cruise (all on Royal Caribbean and all on voyager class ships). We've done the eastern and western routes, but after this cruise I think the southern route is the best!! You get the best bang for your buck by being able to experience 6 islands (if you include Puerto Rico as one of the islands) instead of the usual 3. The weather is amazing and the beaches in the southern caribbean can't be beat by any we've seen in the eastern or western routes.

 

We took this cruise august 1-8th and did the St Maarten-st kitts-antigua (st John's)- st lucia- barbados route. Wow!!!!! We got to see so many places and tour so many islands, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

That being said, if you prefer to experience the cruise boat, this might not be the route for you, as we were very tired at te end of the day and struggled to stay awake for dinner and shows. we definitely had no energy to drink (so count me in for a vote against the drink package on this route). You can always stay on the boat during the day, but a lot of things are closed (shops and casino). There are still activities scheduled during the day though, but not a lot of people stay on the ship. We didn't even see many people the whole week until the last day, which was at sea.

 

I absolutely cannot believe anybody would complain about this ship being old, dirty or in disrepair. You really have to be a picky person to even try to come up with reasons to complain about it. I saw zero worn out carpet, no light fixtures hanging from walls or ceilings or anything else people have complained about. But if I did, I probably wouldn't have cared to be honest; those things are minor in my book. Yes, the bedroom furniture is dated and well used...who cares! I wasn't expecting 5 star accommodations nor was I expecting them to replace the furniture so it always looks brand new. It's a ship, it's in the humid weather and it's used by thousands of people every year, it's not going to be perfect, and we didn't need it to be. Some people on our ship also complained about cracked and broken elevator buttons, and in hindsight while I did notice these, it never occurred to me to be bothered by it. Things will get broken, and it's going to be like any other corporation with a process of paperwork and reporting to get new parts, add in the fact that they have to wait until the part gets delivered and the ship is in port to accept delivery...well, you have to expect some things not to get fixed right away. Again, it did not detract from how beautiful and well kept the ship was in general. And if you happen to drive through any of the ports you visit and see how the locals live; homes that are falling apart, leaking roofs, doors that don't close all the way, one room shacks etc, you'd have to be pretty self absorbed to get back on the ship and not be incredibly thankful for what you have, regardless of how much money you paid for your cruise or what you expect to get for that cost. If you can complain about what you don't have after seeing how good you have it, well..that's another topic entirely I suppose. But we were beyond happy with the ship and what it offered.

 

The room, while dated, was extremely clean and well kept and we had no mold or rust in our shower. We had a promenade room (7283) and did find it to be less humid than the balconies we have had before, this was a plus for us (and may also account for the reports of mold and rust in some rooms and not in others). We spent so little time in the room that having a balcony on this route, to me, would have been a complete waste of money. The promenade room loses its appeal after day 2, and it seemed pretty much every promenade room kept the shades closed for the entire duration of the trip after the first day or two. It's fun to see onto the promenade, but again, not really necessary to pay the extra cost for the promenade over a regular inside room. The inside rooms have more floor space because they are able to put the bed against the wall, whereas in a promenade you have very little walking space and very little floor space because the bed has to be placed against the middle of the wall. If price is equal, a promenade is fun, but if not, I'd get a regular inside room next time.

 

We did see a few shows and they were fun. Nothing spectacular, somewhat cheesy even, but fun nonetheless. Again, our main activities were off the ship and by evening we were just ready to eat and sleep and start over.

 

The food in the dining room was good. Service was extremely slow; dinner took 2 hours every night even if we said we wanted to get out before 10, it never happened. If we wanted to skip a course they insisted we eat it anyway. They just wanted us to experience the food and enjoy ourselves and it was all done in niceness, but sometimes we just didn't want to stay there all night (but we did anyway). We had 8:30 traditional seating which worked out well for getting back to the ship late and having time to shower for dinner. But, because it was such a long dinner, it was a struggle to get through because we were tired. If it were up to me I would have eaten in the buffet for dinner every night. We usually had a snack there before dinner every night and did eat there one night for our full dinner; the food selection is great. The same things that are on the dining room menu can be found here as well as even more food options, and the food is hotter and you can eat at your own pace instead of waiting for everyone else to finish each course and then wait another forever for the waiter to come back. Our waiter was great, very friendly and attentive, but I did find that he paid special attention to smaller children (joking around with them, remembering their favorite foods, bringing them extra desserts for fun) while teenagers were pretty invisible. We had a 5 year old, 8 year old and 13 year old with us and the 13 year old was completely ignored the whole time. She was served and they were polite to her, but she felt left out.

 

Formal night was a mix of formal and casual. Despite what it seems like from reading cruise critic, the majority of passengers mind their own business and don't care what anyone else is wearing. You can dress nicely for formal night without going all out and it's just fine, or you can wear a ball gown if you want (although it does seem the southern route has a more relaxed "island" feel to it and nobody was dressed to the 9's for formal night- there's just not time to get ready and everyone is tired and too busy having fun to worry about how they look). Wear what you want. A sun dress is fine for girls and khakis and a polo perfectly acceptable for guys. People did wear suits and fancier dresses, but not as many as you'd see on the other routes. On regular nights some people wore shorts and nobody got turned away and nobody cared.

 

Everyone on the ship was respectful and well behaved (children, teens and adults alike). The atmosphere was great, and everyone there had traveled far and paid good money to be there. While some teens ran around in large groups on the ship, they were respectful and well behaved. No overly rowdy, over-served-at-the-bar-adults either.

 

Our meet and mingle only had 6 people show up and the cruise staff seemed disappointed in that. It was at 5pm, very soon after "all-aboard" on a port day and I can see how it would be difficult to show up to. I forced myself to go, and didn't have time to get dressed properly beforehand. Tino did a great job and had a fun personality and we appreciated the chance to meet other cruise critic members even though most of them were no shows. The ones who were there were friendly and it was nice to meet them.

 

The weather reports for the week showed clouds and rain expected every day in all 5 ports, but I'm happy to say we experienced perfect sunny weather the whole time. I didn't even find it any more humid than the eastern or western ports during winter months (but that could be because I spent most of my time in the water). I was happy that it was warm enough at night to be on Te pool deck without wearing a sweatshirt like I've had to on other routes.

 

If seasickness is an issue for you, this could be a good route because you spend very little time on the ship, the seas are calm and they basically float from one island to the other (it takes about 2 hours in reality to get from one port to the other, so they sail at about 7 knots as opposed to 20 on other routes and I wouldn't be surprised if they just drift for most of the night).

 

Overall, this was one of the best vacations I've ever taken. The southern islands are beautiful as is the weather. The beaches are gorgeous and the islands unspoiled of touristy things for the most part (except st maarten which is extremely touristy). Prices in most of them will still be high at tourist shops and beach bars and don't expect great deals on anything. Cabs can be negotiated when you're the only ship in port because they are competing for business and many cab drivers end up with nobody to drive anywhere because there are fewer passengers. However, some will try to charge you more money to make up for the fewer passengers they can make money from. $7/person each way seemed to be typical but you could negotiate an island tour for a few more dollars than your standard taxi fare and make it a great deal.

 

St Maarten: We walked from the cruise port to back street (the street behind the main shopping area) so we could take a $2/cab to the beach instead of paying the $7 water taxi and another $7 cab fare. It ended up being a waste because buses don't go to orient beach and while we did find a bus who was willing to drive off course and take us there anyway, it only saved us $2/person from taking a taxi. We were there on a Sunday and were the only ship in port and many shops were closed. There were zero good deals to be had; liquor was selling for almost the same as at home (for example Cruzan rum at home is $16 and it sold for $14 on the island). T-shirts were a good deal, and that was about it. Also, orient beach is the least nice beach you'll see all week. It's not a bad beach, but it's not the prettiest either, rough water, no visibility for snorkeling and the beach is full of seaweed and crowded with umbrellas and loungers that weren't even being used. We put our towels on the sand for free and were just fine. Beach vendors will still try to charge you full price ($20-$25) for a lounger right up to the last hour of your stay.

 

St. Kitts: We negotiated with a taxi driver to take 6 of us to brimstone fortress, the batik factory and then to the beach. He even stopped along the way at good picture taking spots for us. We paid him $80 total (before tip) and he stayed with us the whole day. We planned to go to Cockleshell beach but he suggested Carambola beach club (which is on south Friars beach) and said it was better and that if we didn't like it we didn't have to pay him. It was a beautiful beach! Prices for food are sky high but they make delicious piña coladas.

 

Antigua: Paid $7/person each way to go to Valley Church beach and it was definitely the prettiest beach of all the islands! Again, food and drinks are expensive, but the water is the most turquoise blue you'll ever see and the locals are some of the friendliest and least pushy.

 

St Lucia: we did a tour with Cosol's and highly recommend it. You see so many things and they are the most professional company we encountered. They take pride in their work and take great care of you and even make their rum punch with fresh squeezed juice and fresh spices. Be forewarned there will be little if any time for shopping at the end as the tour cuts right up to 4 o'clock ( a half hour before all aboard time). Stop at the spice market for $1-$2 bags of fresh whole nutmeg, cloves, vanilla beans, saffron, cumin etc. They grow on the island and other islands buy their spices from st lucia. It's the best deal you'll find on a souvenir anywhere.

 

Barbados: we went to the boatyard. The water is as clear as a swimming pool and there are really unique looking fish to see when snorkeling within the swimming ropes. If you want to see the turtles, go early when they feed them in the morning, or you will be disappointed and may not see any later in the day. You can swim out on your own or pay $20/person to take a boat. We negotiated a boat for about $13/person and they cut our time short and we only saw one turtle and felt we wasted our money. The boatyard drives you back to the boat and gives you one free drink for the $15 entrance fee. There is no food credit for cruise passengers. This is also where the discrepancy of $15 vs $20 entrance fee comes in. $20 is for land vacationers and they are also the ones who get the food credit. Overall, it was worth the $15 to get in and use the loungers and shuttle and get the free drink. It costs $5 to take a taxi there.

 

Great trip, will do it again someday and would choose this route over an eastern or western anyday!

[39august]

Happy to see your comments on Valley Church beach. We have been to Antigua several times, but not to that beach. Plan to go there when we are there on Serenade in Feb. Can you please tell me how much to rent a lounger and umbrella? Or was there enough natural shade that no umbrella is needed?

[ColoradoGurl]

AI guess I should also mention that getting on and off the ship was extremely easy and took very little time (under 20 minutes). Lines never seemed very long for anything. We paid a porter when we got off the ship to bring us through the porter line but realized after we'd done that, that half the passengers had done the same thing. We did seem to get out more quickly than the regular line, but the regular line wasn't that long anyway.

 

We were able to bring on bottles of water with no problem, the porters put tags on them for us and they were delivered to our room. We carried on soda and they didn't care at all. We also brought wine. When I put my duffel bag through the screener they put an orange zip tie on it and they told me it was to check for alcohol, so apparently someone was supposed to make sure it was wine and not rum, but nobody ever did check my bag again.

 

Chair hogging at the pool was nonexistent and there were always available loungers. This is likely because nobody is onboard during the day, and once back on the ship most people are eating and showering. Buffet lines were never long for breakfast, and it was not hard to get on and off the ship in ports; they seem to have that down to a science since they do it every day.

 

Staff was friendly, food was good, entertainment (what we were able to stay awake for), was not spectacular but it was entertaining enough to enjoy.

 

I can't think of the other things that get asked most on the board at the moment so if I didn't cover it feel free to ask. The southern route is not typical of your other routes so the ship and the goings-on are probably a little different than other ships.

Edited August 13, 2015 by ColoradoGurl

[ColoradoGurl]

Happy to see your comments on Valley Church beach. We have been to Antigua several times, but not to that beach. Plan to go there when we are there on Serenade in Feb. Can you please tell me how much to rent a lounger and umbrella? Or was there enough natural shade that no umbrella is needed?

 

Our friends rented an umbrella that had no lounger underneath it (but a great view of the ocean) for $10 each. They put their towels underneath it. I didn't rent one because I was in the water the whole time and I don't burn so I didn't pay much attention. There were unbrellas with loungers under them but I'm not sure the cost. There was not (to my memory) any spots with natural shade that were near the ocean. You could sit inside the beach bar or at a picnic table nearby that was under a tree (if locals weren't using it to chop coconuts), but if you burn easily you'll likely have to pay money for your shade.

[manders175]

This makes me want to leave right now for our cruise on Adventure with the same itinerary, but not until next fall!! So long to wait!! Thank you for the review.

[ColoradoGurl]

This makes me want to leave right now for our cruise on Adventure with the same itinerary, but not until next fall!! So long to wait!! Thank you for the review.

 

Totally worth the wait! These islands are so beautiful, and what I would think of as true Caribbean islands. So different than the standard "Nassau, Bahamas, Mexico" ports on the main routes. Those are nice too, but these are truly unspoiled islands. If I go again I will budget more money for the ports, since we were usually too far away from the ship to go back for lunch, and ended up paying for food at the beach bars. I ended up spending $100 a day or more for 2 people on taxis, tips and food when I thought I would spend half that. It generally cost about $40 for a taxi including the tip (more if we were asking for a tour) and $50 for food and 2 piña Coladas (one with no alcohol and one with). If you want souvenirs or more than one drink on the beach, bring more than $100 cash off the ship with you each day just to be sure you have enough). I should add that when I say I bought food, I only bought food for one of us (my daughter), so if 2 people plan to eat, and drink, budget even more.

Edited August 14, 2015 by ColoradoGurl

[JTBCruiser]

Thank you very much for the extensive post describing your vacation. It was very helpful and I enjoyed reading it. :)

[cyntil8ing]

Thanks for the review. We are leaving Tuesday for Puerto Rico and will have the same itinerary next Saturday. It will be our first time on Adventure.

[bigque]

Thanks for a balanced candid review! I can't wait till October. I did the route you were on before but will be doing the Aruba route this trip in October! :cool:

[2CatsInFlorida]

Good review. We will be taking that cruise next year, but on a different ship. Cabins that look worn are a no go for me. That was our only complaint with EOS. We are going on FOS end of August and hope the cabins are nicer.

[ColoradoGurl]

Good review. We will be taking that cruise next year, but on a different ship. Cabins that look worn are a no go for me. That was our only complaint with EOS. We are going on FOS end of August and hope the cabins are nicer.

 

You'll have a great time. I will say that the only part of our cabin that looked warn was the wood chair where you could tell it had been used to hang wet clothes on. The couches, while a darker color, were showing some dirt underneath the color, but not to the point where you wouldn't want to sit on it. Other than that, it was just fine; we had no rust (because it's an inside room and not exposed to the outside humidity) and the carpet looked fairly new, although the color scheme was still meant to match the rest of the decor which was outdated, but not in disrepair. Hope that makes sense.

[ptf2009]

You'll have a great time. I will say that the only part of our cabin that looked warn was the wood chair where you could tell it had been used to hang wet clothes on. The couches, while a darker color, were showing some dirt underneath the color, but not to the point where you wouldn't want to sit on it. Other than that, it was just fine; we had no rust (because it's an inside room and not exposed to the outside humidity) and the carpet looked fairly new, although the color scheme was still meant to match the rest of the decor which was outdated, but not in disrepair. Hope that makes sense.

 

Thanks again for your insightful review. We are going on AOS in late Oct. I had Valley Church Beach noted on my Antigua "notes," but also have Dickenson Beach. Do you know anything about Dickenson Beach vs. Valley Church Beach?

Also, what time did you board the ship in San Juan? We've been to OSJ a couple of times, so we just wanted to get on the ship as early as we could to make it another sea day and enjoy the pools, etc.

 

Again, appreciate your opinion and info!:)

[Paddy41]

Hoping you won't mind if I add my bit to your observations from your cruise. We just returned from a B2B on Aug. 1st so we did both routes.

Your observations concerning the ship are just like ours. I can only recall some missing elevator buttons. Don't recall noticing anything that hit me as being dirty, messy or out dated. Maybe I'm not observant enough but I knew before I went that the ship was going into drydock soon.

We also had a promenade room and were very happy with it. Music turned off promptly at midnight. Usually that is something that would keep me awake if I went to bed before then but not on this cruise. The number of ports just exhausted us. Loved the itinerary though. And different ports each of the weeks.

The bands around the ship were all exceptional. The ones who played outside the casino in particular. The schooner bar was always full of people really enjoying the karaoke and piano music.

It was very hot every day and I think if I did this again I would not choose July. I know I'd appreciate the heat much more in Feb. All of the islands were experiencing their worst drought in 20 years with San Juan reservoirs at historical low levels and no rain expected.

Taxi rates are posted so you will know what it will cost in San Juan plus add $1 for each bag they put in the trunk.

Embarkation and disembarkation were superior to any other cruise we've been on.

We took 4 bottles of wine onboard because we were doing a B2B. The bags were strung together at security. When we went to board the ship a security guy asked to see the bag but when we said we were doing a B2B he just waved us on. (Wonder how many people say that, true or not?) There is a duty-free wine store inside the building, after security, so if you want to buy there you can. I think it would be very easy to go back down the elevator after boarding and buy more wine. No one noted what you had the first time.

As said before, no need for the wine package because you are off the ship for most of the day. And if you have cruised with Royal enough you will have BOGo wine/beer on your sea pass plus a coupon for a percentage off your wine/beer plus a % off bottles.

St. Thomas: we bought tickets for the Paradise Point Tramway. It was within walking distance and had a great view of the ship and the port. We had been to St. Thomas several times before. I'd love to see Megan's Bay again but everyone says how crowded it is. Beautiful though.

St. Kitt's: booked a tour from Liz at Pereira Tours along with another couple from our roll call on cruise critic. We went to see the new building called AGE (Amazing Grace Experience) and learned why John Newton wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. Only $5 admission and well worth it. We also saw the Black Rocks and Timothy Hill. Then we went to the beach. We went to Cockleshell Beach but I do not have a good recommendation for it. Very crowded so you can't move the lounge chair and the umbrella can't be tilted any other way so we were always in the sun and finally gave up and sat at a picnic table where there was a nice breeze.

This was the night of the Mystery Dinner and I really do recommend it! It was excellent. It takes place at Giovanni's and the meal was wonderful. The acting is good, not professional, but all the better for it.

Aruba: Highly recommend doing some research ahead. Look at Trikes-Aruba. What a wonderful day we had. I booked online for the morning tour. We saw 70% of the island-California lighthouse, Alto Vista chapel, Casi Bari Rock formation, fish market and a non-touristy beach with beautiful clear blue water.

Curacao: We had just planned a walk over the Queen Emma bridge into town but were approached by a vendor asking us if we were interested in a 1.5 hour tour which ended at one of the beaches. $15 pp so we decided to go and it was a pretty good tour. Open air bus but nice breeze and the beach was much better than the one in St. Kitt's. They even came back and picked everyone up for the $15. Real bargain.

 

Hope this much is of interested. I can post the rest later.

[ColoradoGurl]

Thanks again for your insightful review. We are going on AOS in late Oct. I had Valley Church Beach noted on my Antigua "notes," but also have Dickenson Beach. Do you know anything about Dickenson Beach vs. Valley Church Beach?

Also, what time did you board the ship in San Juan? We've been to OSJ a couple of times, so we just wanted to get on the ship as early as we could to make it another sea day and enjoy the pools, etc.

 

Again, appreciate your opinion and info!:)

 

You're very welcome :) I had Dickenson on my list as well. The reason I went with valley church instead was that Dickenson sounded like more of a resort beach, with hotels along it (for instance Sandals Resort is on Dickenson beach). To me that sounded less peaceful and less authentic, and there were more reports of annoying beach vendors and stuff like that at dickensons. Some people also reported that even though the beach is public, because sandals resort is on it, they try to keep outsiders from using ther slice of beach. It just didn't sound as welcoming as going to valley church.

[ColoradoGurl]

Thanks again for your insightful review. We are going on AOS in late Oct. I had Valley Church Beach noted on my Antigua "notes," but also have Dickenson Beach. Do you know anything about Dickenson Beach vs. Valley Church Beach?

Also, what time did you board the ship in San Juan? We've been to OSJ a couple of times, so we just wanted to get on the ship as early as we could to make it another sea day and enjoy the pools, etc.

 

Again, appreciate your opinion and info!:)

 

Sorry I forgot to answer the San Juan question. We boarded around 2:30 or 3 in the afternoon so I'm not sure how early they let people on, but I do know our room was open when we got on so that was nice. When we disembarked we got off around 10 and there were quite a few groups left behind us, but my guess is they were probably all off the ship by 11 so you could probably show up around that time and be fine.

 

PADDY41 thank you for your insight in the cruise! I would love to do the aruba route sometime and wish we'd done a back to back as well. That sure would have cut down on flight and hotel costs, plus I'd still be on the ship :)

 

And thank you to everyone else who appreciated my review!

Edited August 14, 2015 by ColoradoGurl

[Paddy41]

We arrived at the port around 11:15. There is a long separate line to hand in your luggage, then you go into a second line to show your sail pass, then another line (short) to go through security and then a last line to get your sea pass. We were through all the lines before noon though. It was all well organized. All suites and diamonds, etc. stay together in one area and everyone else fills up the available chairs. They opened the doors right around noon both times (B2B remember) so I bet that is the usual time. All the special group went in first and then the rest of us. It looked like a lot of people but everything went really quickly. If you arrive right around noon I would bet you would be on the ship fairly quickly as the lines would have gone on board. Cabins were supposed to be ready for 2 pm and they were right on the dot both times. Windjammer was open for lunch. Johnny Rockets had snacks only from 1-5. Promenade Cafe had sandwiches and cookies.

[Paddy41]

Adding on to my previous comments.

 

Turnaround day was easy. If anyone else is doing a B2B and wants to know how it was done I can elaborate.

 

St. Croix: There is a beach right by the pier. It was great. One section had umbrellas and lounge chairs for rent, clean change and restrooms, place to buy snacks and drinks. Part of it was just used by those with towels. Water is very clear. No drop-off at water's edge which I look for because as a senior I find it difficult sometimes to get back up on the beach. There was a bit of an undertoe but that could change daily, don't know. We could see right to the bottom and there were all kinds of little fish around our legs. Kids would love this. There are some large rocks once you walk out about 8 feet but they were smooth, not slippery and easy to see.

 

St. Maarten: Been there before but went again to see the Yoda Guy on the main street Front St.). Then we went to Back St. and flagged down a local bus that said Marigot on the front. $2 bus ride to Marigot where we found a great pastry shop and had a pastry and a drink and looked around at few shops. There is an outdoor market there as well with many vendors.

 

St. John, Antiqua: Here we just got off the ship and looked around. It is said that there are 366 beaches in Antiqua, all public. The beach/snorkelling excursions had a lot of people lined up so it must be good.

 

St. Lucia: Was there for a week last Nov. staying at a private villa. Took humanitarian aid (school supplies) for a school that had lost all their supplies to a flood. They were still in need so we brought more supplies and many cruise critic members did as well and we took this day to deliver them. 3 others from cruise critic asked if they could join us and we all had a wonderful day amongst the St. Lucian people. Saw many of the tourist sites last Nov. if anyone has questions. As said before, the roads are curvy and hilly so if you are prone to car sickness don't go on a land tour here.

 

Bridgetown, Barbados: Found a taxi driver who was recommended for tours through Trip Advisor. Emailed him and arranged a private tour. He took us to Harrison Caves, which is an excellent tour on its own, then to see historic Holetown where the British first landed and claimed the island in 1605. We saw St. James Anglican Church built first in 1626. Past by Rihanna's house and saw the hotel where Tiger Woods got married a few years ago. $4,000 per night in high season. It cost us half what the ship tour would have cost and our driver, Sanjay, was very knowledgable. We learned a lot about Barbados. If anyone wants his email address I have it.

 

One note I made to self.....don't book a room with a connecting door if you can help it. Our second week the room was used by a 16 year old who brought his own cassette player onboard and continually had to be told to turn the music down.

[Sky616]

Great review. We will be on Adventure April 9 of next year with an aft balcony. We are going to Martinique and St. Croix instead of Antigua and St. Lucia.

[Traveling PM's]

Paddy41, I would love the email for the taxi driver you had in Barbados. My email is kenna0313@yahoo.com. Love all the feedback. We are doing a B2B starting Saturday.

[TomAceEsq]

Great review, CG. I'm letting the wife read it to light a fire under her. We're supposed to book that exact route but we've been dragging.

 

BTW, hi from Northglenn! :)

[ColoradoGurl]

Great review, CG. I'm letting the wife read it to light a fire under her. We're supposed to book that exact route but we've been dragging.

 

BTW, hi from Northglenn! :)

 

Well hello there :) We met several fellow Coloradans on our cruise and I was pretty surprised to see them. We're fairly visible these days with all the colorado pride appearing on brewery tshirts and C hats :) Keep your eyes out for good airfare and hotel rates and book during those times! I found the airfare to vary greatly depending on when you buy. It ranged from $340 round trip and got all the way up to $1400 round trip. When the airfare is low, that's when you should go!

[shadbrew]

This was our 3rd cruise (all on Royal Caribbean and all on voyager class ships). We've done the eastern and western routes, but after this cruise I think the southern route is the best!! You get the best bang for your buck by being able to experience 6 islands (if you include Puerto Rico as one of the islands) instead of the usual 3. The weather is amazing and the beaches in the southern caribbean can't be beat by any we've seen in the eastern or western routes.

 

We took this cruise august 1-8th and did the St Maarten-st kitts-antigua (st John's)- st lucia- barbados route. Wow!!!!! We got to see so many places and tour so many islands, I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

That being said, if you prefer to experience the cruise boat, this might not be the route for you, as we were very tired at te end of the day and struggled to stay awake for dinner and shows. we definitely had no energy to drink (so count me in for a vote against the drink package on this route). You can always stay on the boat during the day, but a lot of things are closed (shops and casino). There are still activities scheduled during the day though, but not a lot of people stay on the ship. We didn't even see many people the whole week until the last day, which was at sea.

 

I absolutely cannot believe anybody would complain about this ship being old, dirty or in disrepair. You really have to be a picky person to even try to come up with reasons to complain about it. I saw zero worn out carpet, no light fixtures hanging from walls or ceilings or anything else people have complained about. But if I did, I probably wouldn't have cared to be honest; those things are minor in my book. Yes, the bedroom furniture is dated and well used...who cares! I wasn't expecting 5 star accommodations nor was I expecting them to replace the furniture so it always looks brand new. It's a ship, it's in the humid weather and it's used by thousands of people every year, it's not going to be perfect, and we didn't need it to be. Some people on our ship also complained about cracked and broken elevator buttons, and in hindsight while I did notice these, it never occurred to me to be bothered by it. Things will get broken, and it's going to be like any other corporation with a process of paperwork and reporting to get new parts, add in the fact that they have to wait until the part gets delivered and the ship is in port to accept delivery...well, you have to expect some things not to get fixed right away. Again, it did not detract from how beautiful and well kept the ship was in general. And if you happen to drive through any of the ports you visit and see how the locals live; homes that are falling apart, leaking roofs, doors that don't close all the way, one room shacks etc, you'd have to be pretty self absorbed to get back on the ship and not be incredibly thankful for what you have, regardless of how much money you paid for your cruise or what you expect to get for that cost. If you can complain about what you don't have after seeing how good you have it, well..that's another topic entirely I suppose. But we were beyond happy with the ship and what it offered.

 

The room, while dated, was extremely clean and well kept and we had no mold or rust in our shower. We had a promenade room (7283) and did find it to be less humid than the balconies we have had before, this was a plus for us (and may also account for the reports of mold and rust in some rooms and not in others). We spent so little time in the room that having a balcony on this route, to me, would have been a complete waste of money. The promenade room loses its appeal after day 2, and it seemed pretty much every promenade room kept the shades closed for the entire duration of the trip after the first day or two. It's fun to see onto the promenade, but again, not really necessary to pay the extra cost for the promenade over a regular inside room. The inside rooms have more floor space because they are able to put the bed against the wall, whereas in a promenade you have very little walking space and very little floor space because the bed has to be placed against the middle of the wall. If price is equal, a promenade is fun, but if not, I'd get a regular inside room next time.

 

We did see a few shows and they were fun. Nothing spectacular, somewhat cheesy even, but fun nonetheless. Again, our main activities were off the ship and by evening we were just ready to eat and sleep and start over.

 

The food in the dining room was good. Service was extremely slow; dinner took 2 hours every night even if we said we wanted to get out before 10, it never happened. If we wanted to skip a course they insisted we eat it anyway. They just wanted us to experience the food and enjoy ourselves and it was all done in niceness, but sometimes we just didn't want to stay there all night (but we did anyway). We had 8:30 traditional seating which worked out well for getting back to the ship late and having time to shower for dinner. But, because it was such a long dinner, it was a struggle to get through because we were tired. If it were up to me I would have eaten in the buffet for dinner every night. We usually had a snack there before dinner every night and did eat there one night for our full dinner; the food selection is great. The same things that are on the dining room menu can be found here as well as even more food options, and the food is hotter and you can eat at your own pace instead of waiting for everyone else to finish each course and then wait another forever for the waiter to come back. Our waiter was great, very friendly and attentive, but I did find that he paid special attention to smaller children (joking around with them, remembering their favorite foods, bringing them extra desserts for fun) while teenagers were pretty invisible. We had a 5 year old, 8 year old and 13 year old with us and the 13 year old was completely ignored the whole time. She was served and they were polite to her, but she felt left out.

 

Formal night was a mix of formal and casual. Despite what it seems like from reading cruise critic, the majority of passengers mind their own business and don't care what anyone else is wearing. You can dress nicely for formal night without going all out and it's just fine, or you can wear a ball gown if you want (although it does seem the southern route has a more relaxed "island" feel to it and nobody was dressed to the 9's for formal night- there's just not time to get ready and everyone is tired and too busy having fun to worry about how they look). Wear what you want. A sun dress is fine for girls and khakis and a polo perfectly acceptable for guys. People did wear suits and fancier dresses, but not as many as you'd see on the other routes. On regular nights some people wore shorts and nobody got turned away and nobody cared.

 

Everyone on the ship was respectful and well behaved (children, teens and adults alike). The atmosphere was great, and everyone there had traveled far and paid good money to be there. While some teens ran around in large groups on the ship, they were respectful and well behaved. No overly rowdy, over-served-at-the-bar-adults either.

 

Our meet and mingle only had 6 people show up and the cruise staff seemed disappointed in that. It was at 5pm, very soon after "all-aboard" on a port day and I can see how it would be difficult to show up to. I forced myself to go, and didn't have time to get dressed properly beforehand. Tino did a great job and had a fun personality and we appreciated the chance to meet other cruise critic members even though most of them were no shows. The ones who were there were friendly and it was nice to meet them.

 

The weather reports for the week showed clouds and rain expected every day in all 5 ports, but I'm happy to say we experienced perfect sunny weather the whole time. I didn't even find it any more humid than the eastern or western ports during winter months (but that could be because I spent most of my time in the water). I was happy that it was warm enough at night to be on Te pool deck without wearing a sweatshirt like I've had to on other routes.

 

If seasickness is an issue for you, this could be a good route because you spend very little time on the ship, the seas are calm and they basically float from one island to the other (it takes about 2 hours in reality to get from one port to the other, so they sail at about 7 knots as opposed to 20 on other routes and I wouldn't be surprised if they just drift for most of the night).

 

Overall, this was one of the best vacations I've ever taken. The southern islands are beautiful as is the weather. The beaches are gorgeous and the islands unspoiled of touristy things for the most part (except st maarten which is extremely touristy). Prices in most of them will still be high at tourist shops and beach bars and don't expect great deals on anything. Cabs can be negotiated when you're the only ship in port because they are competing for business and many cab drivers end up with nobody to drive anywhere because there are fewer passengers. However, some will try to charge you more money to make up for the fewer passengers they can make money from. $7/person each way seemed to be typical but you could negotiate an island tour for a few more dollars than your standard taxi fare and make it a great deal.

 

St Maarten: We walked from the cruise port to back street (the street behind the main shopping area) so we could take a $2/cab to the beach instead of paying the $7 water taxi and another $7 cab fare. It ended up being a waste because buses don't go to orient beach and while we did find a bus who was willing to drive off course and take us there anyway, it only saved us $2/person from taking a taxi. We were there on a Sunday and were the only ship in port and many shops were closed. There were zero good deals to be had; liquor was selling for almost the same as at home (for example Cruzan rum at home is $16 and it sold for $14 on the island). T-shirts were a good deal, and that was about it. Also, orient beach is the least nice beach you'll see all week. It's not a bad beach, but it's not the prettiest either, rough water, no visibility for snorkeling and the beach is full of seaweed and crowded with umbrellas and loungers that weren't even being used. We put our towels on the sand for free and were just fine. Beach vendors will still try to charge you full price ($20-$25) for a lounger right up to the last hour of your stay.

 

St. Kitts: We negotiated with a taxi driver to take 6 of us to brimstone fortress, the batik factory and then to the beach. He even stopped along the way at good picture taking spots for us. We paid him $80 total (before tip) and he stayed with us the whole day. We planned to go to Cockleshell beach but he suggested Carambola beach club (which is on south Friars beach) and said it was better and that if we didn't like it we didn't have to pay him. It was a beautiful beach! Prices for food are sky high but they make delicious piña coladas.

 

Antigua: Paid $7/person each way to go to Valley Church beach and it was definitely the prettiest beach of all the islands! Again, food and drinks are expensive, but the water is the most turquoise blue you'll ever see and the locals are some of the friendliest and least pushy.

 

St Lucia: we did a tour with Cosol's and highly recommend it. You see so many things and they are the most professional company we encountered. They take pride in their work and take great care of you and even make their rum punch with fresh squeezed juice and fresh spices. Be forewarned there will be little if any time for shopping at the end as the tour cuts right up to 4 o'clock ( a half hour before all aboard time). Stop at the spice market for $1-$2 bags of fresh whole nutmeg, cloves, vanilla beans, saffron, cumin etc. They grow on the island and other islands buy their spices from st lucia. It's the best deal you'll find on a souvenir anywhere.

 

Barbados: we went to the boatyard. The water is as clear as a swimming pool and there are really unique looking fish to see when snorkeling within the swimming ropes. If you want to see the turtles, go early when they feed them in the morning, or you will be disappointed and may not see any later in the day. You can swim out on your own or pay $20/person to take a boat. We negotiated a boat for about $13/person and they cut our time short and we only saw one turtle and felt we wasted our money. The boatyard drives you back to the boat and gives you one free drink for the $15 entrance fee. There is no food credit for cruise passengers. This is also where the discrepancy of $15 vs $20 entrance fee comes in. $20 is for land vacationers and they are also the ones who get the food credit. Overall, it was worth the $15 to get in and use the loungers and shuttle and get the free drink. It costs $5 to take a taxi there.

 

Great trip, will do it again someday and would choose this route over an eastern or western anyday!

Do you know if the MDR was offering escargot and shrimp cocktails? We just off the Jewel and they both were special orders.

[Geema]

Shadbrew -

I was on that cruise too - and yes they had both escargot and shrimp cocktail every night in the MDR. :D

[ColoradoGurl]

Shadbrew -

I was on that cruise too - and yes they had both escargot and shrimp cocktail every night in the MDR. :D

 

They let you guys order rhe shrimp cocktail every night? No fair! Haha. We were only allowed to order it on formal nights and were told we couldn't have it on other nights even when we asked for it. Escargot was on the menu everyday though.