Adventure of the seas LONG review!

[cruisejunkie136]

Great review Robyn, I am booked on AOS sailing 3/5/06 with a group of friends (15) all between 25-40.

 

As I read your postings, visions of pina coladas danced in my head :) .

 

I have a question on Curacao. Any beach recommendations? One with bars and restaurants?

[ckrobyn]

Great review Robyn, I am booked on AOS sailing 3/5/06 with a group of friends (15) all between 25-40.

 

As I read your postings, visions of pina coladas danced in my head :) .

 

I have a question on Curacao. Any beach recommendations? One with bars and restaurants?

 

Hmmm....beach recommendations in Curacao :confused:

When we were there 2 years ago, we rented a jeep and went to a beautiful beach called Cas Abou - it's really pretty and the water is crystal clear. Make absloute sure you bring water shoes, you'll need them! The beach is not soft, white and powdery....it's comprised of crushed coral which makes walking on the sand a little difficult without water shoes.

 

This beach had a little restaurant that served local fare and alcohol. I don't remember Pina Coladas.....but you can ask! :)

 

Have a great cruise!

[KKeeganS]

I knew it. I knew as soon as I started seeing your reviews and pictures that I was going to have to book the AOS again. Booked a hump cabin on deck 7 this morning (Happy Valentine's Day!) for September. Can't help but notice that you've got another AOS in your signature now, too!

 

Thanks for the nudge! :D

[ckrobyn]

I knew it. I knew as soon as I started seeing your reviews and pictures that I was going to have to book the AOS again. Booked a hump cabin on deck 7 this morning (Happy Valentine's Day!) for September. Can't help but notice that you've got another AOS in your signature now, too!

 

Thanks for the nudge! :D

 

 

LOL! I booked the AOS again this morning too! How funny is THAT?

This time we are in JS 1694 ( aft) - I couldn't get a JS on the hump for 3 people, so we have to settle for the coveted aft cabin ;)

You just can't beat the southern itinerary!

[KKeeganS]

I remember posting you that the AOS and Southern route are addictive. I tried to warn you!!

 

I'm sorry you had to settle for an aft JS. That's terrible for you. I hope you can still manage to find something about the trip to look forward to. :D

[ckrobyn]

I remember posting you that the AOS and Southern route are addictive. I tried to warn you!!

 

I'm sorry you had to settle for an aft JS. That's terrible for you. I hope you can still manage to find something about the trip to look forward to. :D

 

Thanks for the chuckle :p

We are madly in love with the Southern....not sure how anything else could possibly measure up??

Yah, it's too bad about our aft JS - guess booking over a year out still doesn't guarantee you the best cabins....LOL:o

[KKeeganS]

Thanks for the chuckle :p

We are madly in love with the Southern....not sure how anything else could possibly measure up??

Yah, it's too bad about our aft JS - guess booking over a year out still doesn't guarantee you the best cabins....LOL:o

 

We are, too. We debated for a while about this - try something new, return to something we love. I know we would *like* any Caribbean cruise because, hey, it's the Caribbean and it's a cruise. But would we *love* it as much as the AOS Aruba route? So, we played it safe and decided to add some spice by trying out the hump cabins. Glad I'm not the only one hooked, makes me feel better!

[ckrobyn]

We are, too. We debated for a while about this - try something new, return to something we love. I know we would *like* any Caribbean cruise because, hey, it's the Caribbean and it's a cruise. But would we *love* it as much as the AOS Aruba route? So, we played it safe and decided to add some spice by trying out the hump cabins. Glad I'm not the only one hooked, makes me feel better!

 

TRUST me - there are others "hooked" worse than we are.

They are the one's that are stuck in the JS walk-in closets ;)

[Henduit2]

Hi Robyn:

Could you tell me about the beach towels. On carnival they were great. In fact I bought one at the end of the trip. They are big and heavy. What are they like on RCI? And do you know if you can purchase them at the end of the trip. I asked our room guy and had it delivered the last night. Also, we are in a Royal Family Suite. Do you think we will get any sun on the back of the ship? They look like they will be pretty shaded. Thanks for all you expertise. You are a wealth of knowledge. 11 more days and we will be in San Juan..Can't wait. Let just hope it is filled with SUN everyday!!!!

I am sure there will be more questions in the next few days. Thanks again

Lee

[ckrobyn]

Hi Robyn:

Could you tell me about the beach towels. On carnival they were great. In fact I bought one at the end of the trip. They are big and heavy. What are they like on RCI? And do you know if you can purchase them at the end of the trip. I asked our room guy and had it delivered the last night. Also, we are in a Royal Family Suite. Do you think we will get any sun on the back of the ship? They look like they will be pretty shaded. Thanks for all you expertise. You are a wealth of knowledge. 11 more days and we will be in San Juan..Can't wait. Let just hope it is filled with SUN everyday!!!!

I am sure there will be more questions in the next few days. Thanks again

Lee

 

Hi Lee,

 

I can sense your excitement! You're going to have a fabulous time!

About the towels - are you referring to the beach towels provided to you in the cabin, or the towels to purchase through RCI's Gifts and Gear online catalouge? If you are asking about the towels to purchase, we bought 2 last year online and they were waiting for us in our cabin when we arrived. These are phenomenal beach towels - excellent quality and they are HUGE! I highly recommend buying them - BUT your cruise is 10 days away, not sure how much before you need to order....maybe you should check?

 

The towels provided by RCI in your cabin are fine for pool and beach use. They are adequate size, but not as big or as nice as the one's you can buy online. Here is a pic of the towel......

I'm not sure about how much sun gets on the balconies of aft cabins...in fact I just booked us on the AOS again for next year in an aft Junior Suite so I have the same question!

 

Have a terrific cruise, and if you have any more questions before you leave, fire away!

[Henduit2]

Thanks Robyn:

YES I am excited. We all are. I am going to call tomorrow about the towels. I think I will order one and hopefully it will be there when we get on the ship. They look really nice. I don't know how people can book so many cruises right away.. I am jelous. I have one finishing college this year and one still in college. Maybe I will have to take the one still in college next year. That way I too can book another cruise. lol.. Thanks

Lee

[ckrobyn]

Thanks Robyn:

YES I am excited. We all are. I am going to call tomorrow about the towels. I think I will order one and hopefully it will be there when we get on the ship. They look really nice. I don't know how people can book so many cruises right away.. I am jelous. I have one finishing college this year and one still in college. Maybe I will have to take the one still in college next year. That way I too can book another cruise. lol.. Thanks

Lee

 

The RCI beach towels are totally worth the $$ - we really like them:)

 

I have to have a cruise booked at all times or I get a cranky :p

[thompson4131]

We are also booked in cabin 1694 for the Aug. 13th 2006 sailing. One advantage of the aft cabins is the reduction of wind. Anyway, a day in a JS cabin is better than ANY day at work.

 

Steve

LOL! I booked the AOS again this morning too! How funny is THAT?

This time we are in JS 1694 ( aft) - I couldn't get a JS on the hump for 3 people, so we have to settle for the coveted aft cabin ;)

You just can't beat the southern itinerary!

[scher]

Does anyone know if cabin 7580 on the Adventure is a hump cabin? I am in this cabin and my kids are across the hall in 7581 a promenade view room.

[ckrobyn]

Does anyone know if cabin 7580 on the Adventure is a hump cabin? I am in this cabin and my kids are across the hall in 7581 a promenade view room.

 

Hi scher,

 

No, 7580 is not a hump cabin. If you go to www.royalcaribbean.com and take a look at the deck plans for deck 7 on the AOS, you will see your cabin located on the Port side midway between the hump and the aft.

 

Hump cabins are located where the ship "juts" out at the center.....looking at the deck plans should help you visualize it.

[scher]

Hi scher,

 

No, 7580 is not a hump cabin. If you go to www.royalcaribbean.com and take a look at the deck plans for deck 7 on the AOS, you will see your cabin located on the Port side midway between the hump and the aft.

 

Hump cabins are located where the ship "juts" out at the center.....looking at the deck plans should help you visualize it.

But if I request a hump cabin my kids cant be right across from me? Any other alternatives?

[Silashenry]

Hi Robyn

I got my cabin switched yesterday from 9624 to 1624. WOW! I will only have to walk out the door and up the stairs and I have the Windjammer, the pool and a bar. Also since I will never get the Royal Suite This will be as close to it as you can get LOL!!! Also due to fewer rooms on deck 10 there will be less hall noise.I think I am just far enough away from the Windjammer the noise from above will be minamal.Ready to go!!!

[ckrobyn]

But if I request a hump cabin my kids cant be right across from me? Any other alternatives?

 

Hmmm......that's true - there are no inside cabins adjacent to the hump cabins. The only other possibility I can think of, is a JS connecting to a D1 on the hump, deck 9. This will undoubtedly cost more than you are paying now.

[ckrobyn]

Hi Robyn

I got my cabin switched yesterday from 9624 to 1624. WOW! I will only have to walk out the door and up the stairs and I have the Windjammer, the pool and a bar. Also since I will never get the Royal Suite This will be as close to it as you can get LOL!!! Also due to fewer rooms on deck 10 there will be less hall noise.I think I am just far enough away from the Windjammer the noise from above will be minamal.Ready to go!!!

 

I believe 1624 has a very similar balcony to 1324 - if that is the case, you will be VERY Happy :D Deck 10 is great, so close to everything. We didn't experience any noise whatsoever so you should be fine.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

[scher]

Hmmm......that's true - there are no inside cabins adjacent to the hump cabins. The only other possibility I can think of, is a JS connecting to a D1 on the hump, deck 9. This will undoubtedly cost more than you are paying now.

I am not going to spend more money this is already a small fortune as it is a peak week. Are the sizes of the balconies any different? Im sure mine will be fine this is my first balcony at all and I am looking foward to coffee in the morning on it.

[ckrobyn]

I am not going to spend more money this is already a small fortune as it is a peak week. Are the sizes of the balconies any different? Im sure mine will be fine this is my first balcony at all and I am looking foward to coffee in the morning on it.

 

In your E2 cabin, you have a 47sq ft balcony - quite a good size :) Balcony sizes vary depending on what category cabin you book. For example, one up from what you have booked now is a D1, and that balcony is 50 sq ft - so it isn't a huge difference. The big difference between those 2 is the cabin size, the D1 is 202 sq ft compared to the E2 which is 173 sq ft.

 

Enjoy the balcony cabin you have booked....have a coffee for me out there okay? :o

[SPARKLE10]

Hi:

 

I'll be on the AOS next month and I'm glad so many people like this ship. We're Diamond members, but this is one ship we haven't been on yet. It looks like a favorite with many people. So far, the only ship we've been on twice has been the Radiance of the Seas.

 

I have a couple of questions for you? Does the AOS have the Murder Mystery Theater? We did this last year on the Radiance for the first time and we really enjoyed it. Also, do you have any tips on surviving the SJ airport and the dock to check in? Since we're Diamond members, I was going to look for the sign for the check in; but I read somewhere else, that the sign is hard to find. What time do you suggest getting to the pier? We're coming in a day early so we'll be there in plenty of time. Fifteen years ago, we missed a RCL ship by half an hour. We used to travel the same day, but all it takes is to miss your ship once and now we always fly in a day early.

 

Thanks.....

 

Happy Cruising...Sparkle 10

[cruisejunkie136]

I finally looked up my cabin on AOS #8544 and its location. It is close to an elevator bank. I should have checked earlier and it is too late to change. I hope this question is not too "dumb" but can anyone advise what noise I can expect? A co-worker mentioned the sound of the elevator bell emanating into the room. Is this an exaggeration?

 

P.S. Thanks for the beach recommendation Robyn.

[ckrobyn]

I finally looked up my cabin on AOS #8544 and its location. It is close to an elevator bank. I should have checked earlier and it is too late to change. I hope this question is not too "dumb" but can anyone advise what noise I can expect? A co-worker mentioned the sound of the elevator bell emanating into the room. Is this an exaggeration?

 

P.S. Thanks for the beach recommendation Robyn.

 

Cruisejunkie,

 

We had 1324, and if you look at the location - it too is located very close to the elevators. We heard absolutely nothing. There is a wall that separates the elevators from the cabins. Don't change your cabin (unless you really want to) because I can almost promise that you won't be bothered by noisy elevators.

[ckrobyn]

Hi:

 

I'll be on the AOS next month and I'm glad so many people like this ship. We're Diamond members, but this is one ship we haven't been on yet. It looks like a favorite with many people. So far, the only ship we've been on twice has been the Radiance of the Seas.

 

I have a couple of questions for you? Does the AOS have the Murder Mystery Theater? We did this last year on the Radiance for the first time and we really enjoyed it. Also, do you have any tips on surviving the SJ airport and the dock to check in? Since we're Diamond members, I was going to look for the sign for the check in; but I read somewhere else, that the sign is hard to find. What time do you suggest getting to the pier? We're coming in a day early so we'll be there in plenty of time. Fifteen years ago, we missed a RCL ship by half an hour. We used to travel the same day, but all it takes is to miss your ship once and now we always fly in a day early.

 

Thanks.....

 

Happy Cruising...Sparkle 10

 

Hi Sparkle,

 

Yes the AOS has a Murder Mystery evening although we didn't take part, I did see the signs for it. Good idea to buy tickets as soon as you board because it is my understanding that it sells out quickly.

 

Tips on surviving the SJ aiprort :rolleyes: Honestly, we didn't have any problems. We basically got off the ship and went straight to the airport and were there by about 9:45am. We had a long wait as our flight wasn't until 1:45pm, but it wasn't a big deal - there were stores to browse in and places to grab a snack. By 11:00am the SJU airport is PACKED and the lines are long for check in and security - I'm glad we were there early.

 

As for the Pan Am Pier, your Diamond status gives you priority boarding so you should look for the sign that will get you into that line. We originally stood in the basic line, and then when they saw "suite" on our luggage tags, they took us out of that line and into the priority line. If you don't see a sign, just ask and someone will show you. We were at the pier by 10:30am or so and the doors opened at 11:45am. I like to be early as you can see!

 

There were no issues for us at either the airport or the pier. Good that you arriving a day early - what a nightmare that must have been when you missed your ship :eek:

 

Have a great cruise!