Just back from 9 night Adventure of the Seas - short review

[Jcol5786]

This cruise was the first of the season for Adventure of the Seas out of Bayonne NJ and we had a great time. The itinerary was Bermuda, St. Maarten, San Juan and Labadee. We drove from Kingston Ontario and did the park and cruise at the Embassy Suite in Elizbeth NJ. We had an 11 am boarding time and arrived at the port around 10:30. We were in the terminal by 10:50 and were on the ship by 11:20. The weather and the seas were good for the entire cruise. We were told that the previous cruise had a very rough trip back to Bayonne but ours was smooth. We had a panoramic OV on deck 12. The views from the room were great and I almost liked it as much as our usual balcony room. I understand these rooms were added during a dry dock a few years ago and they did appear to be very current in their layout and styling. 

 

We did early dining and purchased a 3 night specialty dining package. We did Giovanni's the first night, Izumi the 3rd and Chops the 6'th.  Our favorite was Izumi followed by Chops. Giovanni's was a distance 3rd. I was expecting an upscale Italian restaurant and for me it just didn't seem to deliver that experience.

 

We went to most of the shows including all of the RC production shows as well as a couple of headliners. We had just done Anthem and Oasis which both have large broad way style shows and while AOS doesn't have this type of show it was nice to see something different. The AOS orchestra was very good and played for most of the shows. They also brought in a singer Paul Hughes and a joggler and a comedian for additions shows. All were very good.

 

I'll do another post covering the ports and some other observations. Please ask any questions and I'll try to answer as best I can.

 

 

[franncos]

Did you notice any staff shortages?

[Jcol5786]

5 hours ago, franncos said:

Did you notice any staff shortages?

No, we didn't notice any staff shortages. The number of passengers was only 2300 which is less than 50% capacity so there was lots of staff. We also didn't note any staff disappearing during the cruise.  Not sure why there were so few passengers when we had heard that most cruises were now going out at nearly 100%. Wondered if perhaps the Bermuda TA caused some people to cancel??

[mcgore83]

Thank you for sharing!  Can't wait to hear about the ports.

[Jcol5786]

AOS quick summary part #2, the Bermuda Story

 

As I mentioned we had great weather throughout the 9 days. Our first stop was Bermuda. A lot has been posted about the Travel Authorization and as many other have stated it seems like a pointless additional layer that one must navigate through. This was our 3rd post Covid cruise so we are pretty got at getting vaccination and Covid tests booked and uploaded. This is what happened to use.

 

 We both booked a local Covid test 2 days before the cruise left. After getting our results by 10 am we up loaded our proof of vaccination and negative Covid test results to the Bermuda site using the link provided. My wife got her authorization form at 9 pm the same day. I did not. The next day we drove to Bayonne. We arrived about 4 pm and were sitting in our room looking at the airport. Having still not received my authorization form I decided to try calling. I was #71 at 4:15 pm. By 4:35 I was still #71 so I gave up. I didn't want to sit on the phone all evening after having just drove for 6 hours. I hoped that I would get my authorization later in the evening. We went out for dinner and when we returned still no authorization form. Feeling somewhat concerned we went to bed. Remember that without the TAF I wouldn't be allowed to board the ship so I was starting to get worried. The next morning I woke up early and checked my email and there it was - an email from Bermuda! However it stated that it was a provisional approval which allowed me to board the ship but I still was not approved to get off the ship in Bermuda until my documents were reviewed with Bermuda representatives who were to be on the ship and returning to Bermuda with us. I found this unusual since my wife submitted her documents the same way I did and hers was approved. Something seemed off. But  at least I could get on the ship. Boarding  was on Thursday May 12. Our arrival in Bermuda was scheduled for Saturday May 14'th. No problem I thought. Since we got on the ship before noon we explored, had lunch and as we walked past Guest Services I noted that there was very few people in line so I thought I'd stop by and ask about when and where I would be meeting with the Bermuda people. Well the person at Guest Services knew nothing about anyone from Bermuda being on the ship let alone when and where to meet them but I assumed this would get sorted out fairly quickly and it would be communicated to us. Remember that we only had Friday  to get the documents reviewed but I was on the ship and all was good. Friday morning after breakfast I went to Guest Service again and asked and again the person knew very little about what was happening with the Bermuda authorities. She took my name and cabin # and  asked it I have access to email (no) so she suggested to check back in our room periodically to see if a message is left.  Mid afternoon I made another visit to GS, I received the same vague responses. At this point I asked to speak with a manager. After about 5 minutes someone came out and asked what the problem was. I explained that I had a provisional approval that stated that I needed to speak with someone from Bermuda who was supposed to be on the ship. He was aware of the Bermuda people but explained that it really had nothing to do with RCI and he had not received any specific information about when and where we were to meet these people. I was polite but very frustrated. He took my name and suggested that I be in my room between 5 - 5:30 and that I would receive a call. I wasn't happy with this but I did end up waiting in my cabin between 5 - 5:30 and guess what,  no call. Since we were getting close to dinner we left for the Schooner bar and then our early my time dinning. After dinner we went back to GS and spoke with the same person that we originally spoke with. After a short conversation she produced a list and asked my name and cabin #. She found my name on the list and said good news, you are approved to get off in Bermuda!! I couldn't believe it. I was happy I finally got the approval but resented the time I wasted trying to sort this all out. My provisional approval document clearly stated that I needed to present myself to the Bermuda authorities, not simply wait for them to review and approve. The next day we both got of the shop and spent a couple of hours exploring the area. Bermuda was nice but I won't be back for some time.

 

More to come.

 

 

[Luckynana]

Wow!  How frustrating, not to mention time-consuming and stressful!  I'm glad to hear that it was all resolved for you, but dang, the whole thing seems so uncalled for!

[Ky Bill]

Following your post as we will be on the same cruise August 15th, 2022.  Is it true it cost 40 per person for the Bermuda Health paper work and approval?

Bill

 

[Jcol5786]

22 minutes ago, Ky Bill said:

Following your post as we will be on the same cruise August 15th, 2022.  Is it true it cost 40 per person for the Bermuda Health paper work and approval?

Bill

 

Yes that's correct $40 USD per person for uploading the same documents you need to give to Royal anyway. I don't understand why the Bermuda TA can't be harmonized with the RCI boarding requirements.

Edited May 22, 2022 by Jcol5786
Correction

[Ky Bill]

Can you comment on things to do at Labadee.  Is there any beach activities that don't require purchasing some type of package?

Bill

 

[Jcol5786]

7 hours ago, Ky Bill said:

Can you comment on things to do at Labadee.  Is there any beach activities that don't require purchasing some type of package?

Bill

 

Labadee ended up being our favorite stop. We had been there twice before and have done the zip line and the jet skis. This time we opted for nothing and had a great time. We got off the ship and walked the pier to the island we looked around a bit and jumped on the island tram (tractor pulling open cars) and rode it around the island. We would normally walk but we were tired after walking the day before throughout old San Juan. We ended up getting off at Columbus Cove which is the last stop on the route before it turns around and heads back. This was around 10 am and we had our pick of loungers with umbrella's already setup. We picked a spot under a palm tree for additional coverage as it was very warm. We were 30 feet from the bar and restroom. There was a small island band playing all acoustic instruments who provided a nice back ground for the morning. We were the only ship that day so the area never got crowded or busy. My favorite part was the beach and swimming. The beach was smooth and the was calm and water luke warm. As you walked out it gradually got deeper and there was lots of room. In the salt water I was able to float without much effort. We spend a lot of time simply being in the warm water. The cove had it's own lunch area not far away and again it was not busy. Lots of covered tables available. The food was the usual island fare but after spending so much time in the water we were hungry and the food was satisfying. We normally head back to the ship on island days to take advantage of the ships pool with fewer people on board but this time there was no need. We stayed on in our spot for a couple more hours. It was a wonderful experience. Note that there are many local venders who will try to sell you things. The tram takes you through the market area and if you like you can get off and shop but you don't need to. The venders are well mannered but once the think you might buy something they can be a little persistent. Have a great time.

[Ky Bill]

Thank you for all the great information.  We also bought the three speciality restaurant package.  We will probably divide our dinners between Izumi's and Chops.  We also have purchased the end of cruise tour for Manhattan to EWG airport.  Was the Valet option offered for luggage?

Bill