Adventure of the Seas Review 1/21/17, post drydock with pics!

[runningmoms2girls]

I wrote them a review on tripadvisor if you want to go look at that for a more detailed review, I will write one here as well when it gets to that day, but you can still cancel with them, as they don't hold a deposit and you pay at the end of the tour.

 

Thanks....I will go check out your trip advisor review. So disappointing. I loved the itinerary. Maybe I'll just book a tour with RCCL to be sure. Lots to think about.

[runningmoms2girls]

I have that tour booked too with Nancy and you. Now i'm wonderingif we should back out. It's a bit worrisome. I wonder if we couldn't make it known to the tour leader that we have to be back sooner?

 

~~ Diane (Brightfeather)

 

Sent from my SM-T813 using Forums mobile app

 

Yes it is. The tour with Nancy is full so my husband and I booked ourselves directly with Cosol. It does have me thinking though.

[musicdude415]

Following along as well.

 

My fiance and I are taking this same cruise (departing on 04/22) for our honeymoon (getting married in San Juan the day before). We can't wait!

[B&J_Pgh]

There's a single cup maker, which I can't recall the brand- but it uses paper pods (that don't fit that well). Or you can use the other pot to boil water and use your own pour over device. I got one that folds flat at REI.

do they have coffee makers in Junior suites as well?

[B&J_Pgh]

Here is a PDF of the general cab fare calculation sheet. Hope it helps.

when it's mentioned there's also a charge for bags is that only suitcases or does it include the usual backpack and "purse" taken on the plane and kept in my lap on the taxi ride?

[Clarea]

do they have coffee makers in Junior suites as well?

Yes.

[B&J_Pgh]

Yes.

awsome!! We forgot to mention our money saving idea for RCC on our review Imagine how many hundreds of thousands of dollars a year could be saved if they made their coffee a proper strength. It's truly mud and that's by my husband's standards. I like mine little more dark than black tea. LOL

[Beach Ball]

Hi! Thanks for a great review. We are lucky to be hitting 350 points on our Feb 25th cruise. Did you attend the top tier party and did you notice if the Loyalty Ambassador presented the crystal blocks for hitting a milestone? DH wants to know if he should pack his sports coat. Thanks

 

Sent from my L9 using Tapatalk

Edited January 31, 2017 by Beach Ball

[aubreyc1988]

Hi! Thanks for a great review. We are lucky to be hitting 350 points on our Feb 25th cruise. Did you attend the top tier party and did you notice if the Loyalty Ambassador presented the crystal blocks for hitting a milestone? DH wants to know if he should pack his sports coat. Thanks

 

Sent from my L9 using Tapatalk

 

Didn't go to the loyalty party, so can't tell you anything about that. I think maybe it was on Day 4 or 5 though.

[Daycare Provider]

I cant wait to read more as we'llbe on tne aos in May fir our third trip

[aubreyc1988]

I cant wait to read more as we'llbe on tne aos in May fir our third trip

 

Thanks! I will be posting more tonight :D

[khm1]

when it's mentioned there's also a charge for bags is that only suitcases or does it include the usual backpack and "purse" taken on the plane and kept in my lap on the taxi ride?

 

 

 

It is not for bags that you carry on your person, only bags that are loaded into the back.

[aubreyc1988]

Friday, 1/20, El Yunque and Bioluminescent Bay (Fajardo)

 

We booked this tour through Eco Tours PR for 110pp. This does not include lunch, lunch is 12.00 pp when they stop. Our driver had bottled water for everyone though!

 

So we woke up a bit early and walked around Condado. Checked out La Concha Casino and resort because we were meeting the tour company there later on in the morning (You can just walk in and look around, pretty much no doors and I'm nosy, I love to see what I can for "next time) Next time, will probably stay at the La Concha, looked incredible. I stopped for coffee at a place right outside La Concha because the Holiday Inn stuff was not fit for drinking!

 

La Concha pool area, at least one of them that i could see from their lobby area

 

 

 

There IS a public park right across the street from Holiday Inn Express, which we walked to, and they have some nice areas were you can look out to the ocean

 

 

 

 

 

Short little ocean video

[aubreyc1988]

It was pretty sunny out, even early in the morning, in case the photo below didn't tip you off haha

 

 

 

 

 

The La Concha from this angle looks pretty cool

 

Where's Waldo???

 

(there's a ton of those crabs in those rocks by the way, I wonder if they make their way to the nearby beaches???)

Edited February 1, 2017 by aubreyc1988

[suesnake2002]

Following

[aubreyc1988]

The rainforest was great! The trail was super easy to climb, was paved decently. La Mina waterfall was SO cold, really amazing, but man, that water will take your breath away and keep it for a long time! Here's a few pictures from El Yunque. There will be better videos of it when my husband is done making the complete video and it's something you really need to experience for yourself. The scenery throughout the hike is just beautiful! if you have any specific questions about El Yunque/La Mina Falls, ask away!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aubreyc1988]

 

 

 

 

La Mina (I get cold just looking at these photos!!!)

 

 

[aubreyc1988]

After the COLD refreshing dip into La Mina, we went to the Observation tower, about 90-some steps to the top

 

 

 

 

 

[coppermouse]

you've won the prize! Yes, we had 10 minutes to spare once we got on board Adventure after touring with COSOL...but more details to come on that later...but do book with caution, I would never book with them again. It was totally avoidable, us cutting it that close. One COSOL bus behind us had 2 minutes to spare! :eek:

 

Thank you for this information.

[JamesEM]

Following along.

[sg1phileshipper]

Great start. Can't wait until you board the ship :D

 

Cindy

[MaineTraveller]

Oh you are making me want to squeeze a rainforest tour in while we are in San Juan. We fly in Friday afternoon but we could do the ship tour the Saturday we return since our flights aren't until 5pm. Decisions decisions

[aubreyc1988]

Oh you are making me want to squeeze a rainforest tour in while we are in San Juan. We fly in Friday afternoon but we could do the ship tour the Saturday we return since our flights aren't until 5pm. Decisions decisions

 

I would do it! It was very very neat!

[aubreyc1988]

Bioluminescent Bay (Fajardo)

 

After the rainforest, we stopped at a local place for the 12.00pp lunch I mentioned before. It was good, nothing out of this world spectacular. I got some steak and rice, fired plantains, and a shot of rum to go with the local OK Kola Champagne. If you haven’t tried it, you should – it tasted WAY different from my expectations!

 

After dropping off two people who just were signed up to do the rainforest, we were headed to Bio Bay in Fajardo. We arrived to that area around 6:30-7pm local time, as the sun was setting and we got in the kayaks maybe around 7:30? We tried to take some photos of bio bay excursion, but honestly it is too dark to get any good videos or photos. I also don’t want to “spoil” the excursion for you, so I will just give you some tips

 

It will be a little strenuous on the way kayaking to the bay, since you go against the current, but it’s much better on the way back.

 

Bring bugspray! We forgot ours in our hotel room, and while my husband didn’t get bit, as soon as I was signing in, I had 2-3 bites! There is only one person selling bugspray at the beginning of the bio bay area, and you can bet they are charging a premium (11.00, I think)

 

 

While we wouldn’t do Bio Bay again, it definitely is a must do, very very neat. I won’t lie, kayaking through the mangroves was pretty scary for me, as the ocean at night is kind of freaky (At least for me), but like I said, I don’t want to give too much away. But even with me being a little scared at first, I am so glad I did it!

 

As for what tour company to go with for Bio Bay, I think they are all pretty much exactly the same. Only differences I could see were the colors on the lights on the life vests and canoe colors and signage. Everyone goes the same route. I did hear of a different tour company that put a tarp over some of the kayakers so you can see the glow better, and our company didn’t do that. But other than that, I think they are all the same, just varies on price. I think the tour ended around 8:30 or so. The “Snacks” the Eco Adventures PR offered us after the Bio Bay excursion was literally peanut butter crackers, that’s it. I’m allergic, so obviously didn’t try them, but they were just cheap-o PB crackers.

 

Here’s the link to the combo tour we did

 

http://www.ecoadventurespr.com/combo.html

 

 

and here’s the link if you just want to do bio bay.

 

http://www.ecoadventurespr.com/bio-bay-tour.html

 

An FYI, if you opt to do bio bay only (No rainforest) through this company, the 48.00pp does not include transportation. If you do JUST Bio Bay, do the latest depart option possible, as the darker it is, the better the glow will be visible for you. The combo includes all transportation from hotel to El Yunque, from El Yunque to the restaurant, from the restaurant to Bio Bay, and from Bio Bay back to hotel. So, it really is a good deal for the combo of 110, plus I thought our driver was one of the best guides we had out of all the excursions we did on this trip! I think eco adventures hires out the transportation/rainforest part, but the guy we got for the transportation/rainforest was very very very good. The bio bay tour guides who were officially through Eco Adventures PR were also very good (Funny and personable)

 

We got back to the Holiday Inn around 10pm and were WIPED! Our friends were flying in on a red eye flight and were going to be arriving at our hotel around 5am on Friday morning, so we went straight to bed after getting back from kayaking for an early wake up on Saturday!

Edited February 1, 2017 by aubreyc1988

[FRCOPTR]

THANK YOU: we said 03/04/2017..

cant wait to hear about embarkation..

 

FRCOPTR/JNYJNY.