Adventure Novella - Part 2

[hokie78]

Day Six (Friday) – Barbados

 

This is another island we’ve visited before, but it’s been many years. Even so, we thought this would be a good day to dispense with the type of touring done so far and kick back on a day sail. Seemed like a good way to wind down the week. As with many other things planned for this cruise, we took the advice of many on the CC board and booked with Silver Moon II. This was easily done on-line months in advance. They did require a 50% credit card deposit I believe would have been refundable had we changed our mind with proper notice, or if inclement weather cancelled the outing. The cost was $85 each, and as these things go, was a fair price (I suppose). SM II is a nice-sized catamaran with plenty of seating and shade, as well as the netting in the front if you’re a sun-seeker. Two restrooms—one for each sex—that were very clean and operated by hand pumping. There’s only so much high tech you can expect on the high seas! And you could stand up in them without being contorted. Always a plus. The number of passengers was about 20 which is about the max on this boat. Plenty of room to spread out and not feel crowded at all. The bar was open from the git-go, and included such staples as rum punch, pina coladas, strawberry daiquiris, various mixed drinks and the popular local brew, Banks Beer. Of course there were non-alcoholic drinks as well, but they didn’t get much attention from us. We sailed along the north coast, and the first stop was to swim and snorkel with sea turtles. Not sure how or why they’re always in the same place since there’s no pen or anything, but they were there waiting for us. The turtles were tagged, and I suppose they’re smart enough to know to hang out in the same area as they’ll be fed by hordes of people every day. Don’t start on how such feeding is environmentally incorrect—I had nothing to do with it! One of our ship hands did the feeding and ensured we got a good look at the creatures. If you’re put off by such stagings—and the crowds that go with it—then stay away from this excursion. There were two other cats in the area when we got there, but everyone stayed pretty close to their own boats and followed their own guides. Although at one point, DD said she was following the wrong guy. No big deal—it was easy to spot the Silver Moon and make your way back to your boat. Further up the coast, we had another swim and snorkel spot. I had not given Barbados enough credit as a good snorkel location as on our last visit we couldn’t find any good spots. But we didn’t explore the northern end much back then (15 years ago), and I can now say there is some excellent snorkeling there. Once back on board they brought out the lunch spread which consisted of flying fish filets (a not too “fishy” fish), some sort of lamb (looked more like shank than chops and VERY good), rice, mashed potatoes, assorted salads and garlic bread. Just excellent. Can’t recall what the dessert was, but there definitely was one, and a little later some still warm banana bread was passed around. The crew was great, the service wonderful, the scenery fantastic, all resulting in one more great vacation day. We strongly recommend Silver Moon, and you can find their email and web address over on the Barbados port board. This excursion ended relatively early compared to our other days at about 2:30. So while there is a smattering of shops in the cruise terminal, this day there was enough time to grab a taxi ($2/head) and head into downtown Bridgetown. I would call Barbados—and its chief city in particular—a lot more industrial and commercial than any other island we visited, including St. Thomas. The hustle and bustle of Bridgetown reminded us of just about any major US city complete with traffic, honking horns, tons of work-a-day pedestrians and major department stores. Lots of restaurants, bars and little souvenir places as well. Although independent since 1966, there’s still very much a British air about the place, with a level of formality and dress not present in other places. Some of the resorts still have an afternoon tea every day. Try Cave Shephard—a department store—for all your Barbados goodies from liquor and T-shirts to the many styles of hot sauces for which they’re known. The place will remind you of a small-scale Macy’s. Plenty of street vendors too, but not with the same aggression we saw elsewhere. Probably one of the more interesting towns to explore of all the islands, and the two dollar cab ride should tell you that if you wanted to walk from the pier, you could do it without much problem. We were just tired, and it looked like it might shower on us, so we invested the 2 bucks. We’re not real big shoppers, but we do like to explore as many shops as possible just to see what’s offered. That said, we couldn’t resist a final look into the pier shops and ended up buying a couple of Banks Beer T-shirts since by now we felt like we were stockholders in the company. We were far from being the only last minute shoppers, and in fact the crowds were pretty huge. Long lines to pay for those final purchases (only a sea day left). We knew it was time to go when port security people started coming into the shops to move us along and urged us to get back on board. Not sure if they were really looking out for us, or just wanted to go home! We were the only ship in port that day, and that was true of every port except St. Thomas where we were joined by Carnival’s Destiny and in St. Maarten where we saw the Disney Magic, but that was it for the whole week. Obviously the off-season. St. Lucia—and probably Barbados too—only gets one ship every two weeks and that’s the AOS.

 

Day Seven (Saturday) – At Sea

 

So we’ve finally arrived at our sea day, or as it’s more popularly known, “Chair Hog Day.” The sea day was a nice break by now but on this itinerary signals the end of the cruise, so it was a great day but with a not-so-subtle hint of melancholy. The weather was once again perfect ensuring the possibility of a confrontation or two over chairs and deck location. Sure enough, as early as

8 AM, there were toweled chairs with “bookmarks” meaning books, sunscreen, flip-flops and other personal belongings meant to stake a claim. My approach this day may label me a chair hog as well, but you tell me (I don’t really expect answers). There were six of us and we found separate sets of 3 chairs each—one set in the sun, one in the shade, and we ate breakfast in shifts. Two of us would always be with the chairs—one with the sun set, and one with the shade set. So while on occasion the two chairs next to me would be “saved” but unused at the moment, I (or someone) was at least there to let anyone asking about them know that others in our party were eating, or in the pool, or went to play bingo or whatever and would be back shortly. There was no serious challenge, but under the rules of engagement I would have given up the chairs had anyone put a 30 minute clock on them. There was one small challenge; sort of a stare-down contest. If you’re not familiar with AOS, there are some chairs set up in what I’d call a stadium seating arrangement at the bar end of the pool in three tiers ascending to the 12th deck. Each level has 6 or 8 chairs in it fronted by a railing separating you from the next level of chairs below. We had our 3 chairs on the third level just below the chairs on deck 12. A primo spot for sunning, and pool and steel band watching. So while you’re lounging, you’ve got this great view of the entire pool deck and all its goings-on. A family larger than the 4 or 5 remaining chairs in our row took them, but clearly had designs on the three we had so they could all be together. When they got there all 3 of our chairs were occupied so there were no questions about saving or occupying. But when two of them became momentarily empty as they kids went swimming, this family—the mother—didn’t waste any time in asking if they were still occupied. A rather silly question since all their stuff was still on the chairs. To be honest, it may have been more than 30 minutes before both chairs were occupied again, but in less time than that at least one of us was back in one of them. But here’s the rub. Shortly after the first inquiry by this lady, she and two of her kids (older) took up positions in front of our chairs leaning against that railing blocking both the sun and our view of the pool while the space in front of their own chairs—which were empty at the time I might add—was wide open. And the space is pretty tight up there. Our feet were almost touching the backs of their legs as they stood there. This was a teeth-clenching moment which I managed to get through without incident. I guess it was the “let’s be rude neighbors and see if they’ll move” approach, but it didn’t fly with me. We just waited them out—they did this on and off for about the next hour—and it was they that finally moved on. And here’s an ironic twist. I’m glad there was no confrontation of any kind because it turned out that not only was this family on our plane back to Salt Lake City, but the father sat directly next to me with his kids across the aisle! No hint of recognition since he let his wife do all the dirty work with the chairs, but had we exchanged words, I’m sure it would have been an interesting plane ride home. A long-winded story of little or no value, but just thought I’d share.

 

The day was quite enjoyable, especially with the weather being so good, and the activities included the usual full compliment of sea day pool-side activities such as the ice carving demonstration, family line dancing, horse racing (I was a jockey) and the belly flop contest with the steel band playing all day. Earlier in the day, the seas were a little rougher than they had been up to now. Not really uncomfortable, but rough enough to turn the pool into a wave pool. The younger kids loved it. Who needs Freedom’s Flow-rider?!?!?!

 

Dining Experience and the Food

 

Clearly, one of the most subjective categories to be discussed on this board. One man’s gourmet feast is another man’s bad day at Applebee’s. Our breakfasts were all in the Windjammer, lunch never once except on boarding day, and all dinners in the dining room. Let’s start by saying that we are far from being serious foodies, but do enjoy a nice dinner out now and then. We enjoy the Olive Garden as much as the Ritz, and service would be more an issue for us than the quality of food in most cases. We’re definitely in the category of “didn’t cook it, didn’t set the table or clear it, didn’t wash the dishes so how bad can it be?”

 

Breakfast every day was the Windjammer buffet which was perfect for us. Endless choices of both good for you and bad for the heart foods. We “discovered“ the Island Grill section of the WJ early on, and each and every day it was much less crowded than the sections toward the front. There was a crew member there every day directing people to the less crowded areas, but not as many as should have took his advice. Good for us. Plus, the only omelet station is back there and that was an absolute must for most of us. I thought the organization of the food lines was very good. I think you’d be hard-pressed to not be able to find something you like on this buffet. Scrambled eggs, French toast, pancakes, Belgian waffles (with strawberries and whip cream!) bacon, sausage, ham, oatmeal, grits, bagels, toast, muffins, pastries, cereal, fruit, juices, milk (including chocolate), coffee and tea. I’m sure I’m leaving something out. There are several lines, and each one has EXACTLY the same food, and in the same order, as all the others. I did not feel compelled to stand in line behind someone taking something that I would not, so I just moved around them to the basic food groups that I require—bacon, eggs, bacon, waffles, sausage, pastry and a little more bacon. I think ducking in and out of line to get to the area you want is acceptable behavior, and helps to keep things moving. The omelet line is also very organized with a spot to order and a spot to wait for it to come up. All the food that was supposed to be hot was just that, and everything sure seemed fresh to me. High marks for the Windjammer at breakfast.

 

As mentioned, we did not do even one actual lunch on this cruise, but as you know, food is never lacking no matter the time. We did partake of some sort of late day snack almost every day. The Windjammer does the burger, dogs and french fry thing every day between 3 and 5:30, and the Promenade Café was open 24/7. The latter was our usual snack area of choice. Lots of opinions on this board about the pizza. No complaints here but remember, we’re pretty easy to please. Sure it was some sort of frozen variety, but always hot with a couple of different choices, and it went down real well after a hard day of exploring the ports (and sampling the different rums at each one). Especially great timing if you’ve got second seating for dinner which we did. Excellent croissant sandwiches, and we all know about the cookies. In the mornings they have pastries and donuts, and I only know that as we went there a couple times for eye-opening Bloody Marys. On to the dinners.

 

I honestly don’t know what anyone would ever have to complain about at dinner—at least on this sailing—but we’re all different. I did not take precise notes at each meal, but will do my best to relay what my choices were each night. I mentioned we had the second seating, which has always been our preference. Far be it for me to try to sell anyone on our personal preferences but if you don’t have small children, second seating seems to make the most sense so as you’re not rushed after returning form ports and excursions, and allows time for sunsets and that happy hour drink on your balcony. And if you feel like it’s too long to wait before eating after lunch, don’t forget that sustenance is available at the Promenade Café. There were six of us at a table for 8, and when we first checked it out upon boarding, our first thought was that the two extra spots would remain empty. Not the case. A very nice couple, about our age, filled those two seats, but we felt bad for them since we were all together and they were the “outsiders.” By all means we welcomed their presence and had great conversations with them, and they were very pleasant and conversational in return. But it did come out early on that they were celebrating their 20th anniversary, and had requested a table for two. I urged them to check again with the head waiter, and that we’d certainly understand if it came through for them. They let us know they’d be missing one night for sure when they went to Portofino’s, but they also missed a couple others due primarily to their preference for a less formal setting—or so they said. We were quite happy to have them with us, but certainly understood when they chose not to be.

 

We all know the drill—appetizers, soups, salads, entrée and dessert with plenty of choices of each, and you can certainly mix and match along the way. I’m not much of a salad eater, so I usually had a second soup while others had their salad (except for the night shrimp cocktail was an appetizer choice, so I only had one soup. Should’ve had two shrimp cocktails!). I’ve always found the chilled soup options interesting and usually had one of those (apple, strawberry, pear) and a hot one (excellent french onion!) as my starters. In very likely the incorrect order, my main course choices were prime rib, lamb chops, tiger shrimp, veal parmagian (served on Caribbean night, not Italian night interestingly enough), lobster tail and strip steak. I know I’m missing one, and for the life of me can’t recall what it was. Jerk Chicken maybe? Anyhow, all were excellent choices from my point of view. Of these, it’s hard to pick the favorite (other than lobster which is a no-brainer), but if forced I’d have to say the lamb chops believe it or not. Perfectly done and plenty of them. The tiger shrimp was good too but not really extraordinary. Lobster night was Friday (Barbados), not the second formal night as some of us thought it would be. The formal nights by the way were Monday (St. Thomas) and Thursday (St. Lucia), with a very large percentage of the attire in the suit or blazer and tie category. Did not see any “offensive” attire on either formal night. Very few tuxes and gowns, and even fewer with golf shirts and khakis (which I wore every other night). Sorry ladies—I can’t speak too eloquently about the attire of your sex except to say you probably have a little more leeway than the guys. You could probably wear the same type dress on formal night as you would on any other (lots of “little black dresses” on formal nights), and the pants/capris and blouse/shirt thing would likely work on any of the nights.

 

We got the 5 bottle platinum wine package, and I wouldn’t have a clue if the choices on that list are good or bad. I usually pick wines based on where they’re from, and whether I feel like I’m in a red or white mood that night. For good or for bad, DD seems to know her wines pretty well and she thought the choices looked pretty good and was even familiar with a few of them. For whatever reason, I had it in my head that you had to select your 5 bottles when ordering the package (which you can do on boarding day just like buying the coke cards). But just like the Coke card, they put a ticker on your Sea Pass which tells the waiter you’ve got 5 bottles coming, and you can select whatever you want off the platinum list each night. As usual, leftovers are held for you until the next night’s dinner. That only happened the one night when DD and BFDD went to Portofino’s. All the wines seemed good to me.

 

What about the service? Very, very good with what I view as an interesting twist. The assistant waiter was much more engaging, friendly and conversational than the waiter. Their roles should have been reversed. The waiter was Noel from India, and the assistant was Rivah (female), also from India but apparently from the more Asian part of the country. Noel was very good and service was efficient and accurate. But he was very clinical or functional. Not sure of the right word, but his approach was very scripted, always the same tone, and if we joked around a little (nothing rude or outlandish), he didn’t seem to get it. Here’s another thing. There may be an unadvertised cruise line directive out there about second helpings, serving sizes, etc. but Noel did not go out of his way to remind us he’d replace any dish that didn’t suit us, that he’d bring seconds, or a second main course along with our first choice if we asked. When a time came that we wanted those things, we asked for and got them, but he clearly wasn’t offering. Although sometimes tough to understand due to accents and language, Rivah was altogether different—and more fun. Always asked how our day was, and seemed to be genuinely interested. She probably wasn’t and had heard it all before, but in this role you have to at least ACT interested. Here’s the best way to sum it up. You know how at the end of a cruise you sometimes feel connected enough to your servers to want to bring them home, or least get a picture with them? We had no interest in taking a picture with, or of, Noel, but Rivah will be all over the family album. DS was especially taken with her mainly due to the bottomless glasses of Coke she provided once his drink of choice was established on the first night. We never lacked for bread or water, and the table was always cleared quickly and at the appropriate times. At the end of the week, Rivah got extra in her tip envelope; Noel did not. Didn’t short him either, but he was nowhere near going above and beyond. Not unpleasant in any way, but he only met expectations, he didn’t exceed them. The Head Waiter was Robert from I don’t know where. He was a bit more involved and engaged than other head waiters we’ve had, but I was still pretty stumped when DD (1st cruise) asked a great question. What does this guy REALLY do, and why are we tipping him? Hmmm . . . . Tried to explain that he’s the boss whose job it is to be sure we’re happy with our seating and service and would attempt to right any wrongs. DD’s a waitress in an upscale restaurant and kept saying, but he doesn’t DO anything and that she wouldn’t be happy if she had to share tips with the likes of him. Well, he DID come over to schmooze most nights, and told stories and did some magic tricks, so maybe that’s worth 0.75 per person per night. Despite DD’s challenge, he did get the standard amount and DD was left wondering if that money couldn’t have been better spent somewhere else. Of course there were a couple of nights of singing and dancing waiters, but thank God there was no Baked Alaska parade! Overall, the dining experience and food was very good to excellent, the table location was great, right by a window, and there was not a single morsel of food anyone would have considered sending back.

 

The one other food experience was at Johnny Rockets. Used our C&A coupons, but still cost a little because there’s no way I could resist a chocolate malt. Good ‘ol all American greasy food. Perfect! You’ve heard it all before—fires, rings, burgers, sundaes, singing and dancing. Fun, but since we were off the ship at normal JR eating times every day, we didn’t attempt it until Sea Day. Think we were the only ones with that idea?!?! An absolute zoo between 11 and 2, so we moseyed on over about 2:30 and had only a 10 minute wait. The late timing was no problem what with dinner not until 8:30. Another good reason for second seating—late day snacks that don’t ruin your dinner.

 

DD and BFDD celebrated his birthday—which occurred while on board—by going to Portofino’s one night. Not much to report here since its second hand. And you know how it is when you ask your kids how something was. How was Portofino’s? Good. How was the Food? Good. What did you have? Veal. Anything else? Bread. Like pulling teeth, but I got the impression they enjoyed it. The only comment that might be taken negatively—and remember even though they’re 20-somethings they’re still kids—was that it took sooooo looooong. Guess they don’t yet have an appreciation for a multi-course meal that pretty much takes up the whole evening. Sounded like a good thing to me.

 

Ship Activities, Shows, etc.

 

I don’t believe the list of things to do and see on board has changed much at all since our initial cruise almost three years ago. The marketing geniuses at RCI must have a magic formula that says there are enough first time cruisers on every sailing so as not to have to change anything. That’s OK, because it does take a few cruises to be able to say you’ve seen and done it all. But on the other hand, I feel safe in saying that we have seen and done all we WANT to do. I can only comment on the things we attended or participated in, and frankly that wasn’t a whole lot. Walking around the ship and taking it all in and people watching is an activity in and of itself, and we did that a lot. I’ll recount what we saw and did but once again, the order of events may be off. I feel confident saying the first event was the Welcome Aboard show which only us parents attended. Even we had our doubts as past experience told us these things were far from Vegas or Broadway quality. Primarily, we wanted to get a feel for this Cruise Director who is Richard Spacey. Well-suited to the job, but as corny and over-the-top as any of them. The show was the standard singers, dancers, magician and comedian none of which did anything for us. Please don’t misunderstand—this isn’t a complaint. We knew what we were getting into but went anyway, and would probably recommend it to anyone who’s never done it before. But in our opinion, once is enough unless there’s some major change to the show format, or some big name (or even a has-been big name) is on the bill. We did not stay to its conclusion.

 

Much has been said about the ice show, and this was definitely on our agenda. Once again, only us parents had an interest, but in all the hub-bub missed the time when you’re supposed to go stand in line for tickets. They do the show on a couple of different nights and on the day of the last opportunity I went to guest relations to see if by chance there were any tickets left. The answer was no, but I was told to just show up and if there’s space we’d get in. We went several minutes early expecting to find some sort of waiting line or something. Not even close. One of the Cruise Director staff members was standing out front with a fistful of tickets handing them out willy-nilly. So lesson number one—at least on this sailing (full remember)—was that ice show tickets are not the hard-to-find gems we were led to believe they were. Plenty of empty seats in the place. We’re not Ice Capades type people, but this show was one of those deals where we had to go to see what all the fuss was about. And the answer to that question? I still don’t know. It was OK, and yeah they do some moves and jumps which I guess are challenging in the small arena, but my advice is to spend your time elsewhere unless you’re an ice skating fanatic that might better appreciate what they were doing. I actually dozed at some points and caught DW doing the same. A real ho-hummer for us.

 

We encouraged the kids to take in the Love and Marriage game, but that got pooh-poohed as well. We didn’t plan to go ourselves, and didn’t. This night was heading toward an early turn-in. But when we got to the cabin I got a brief second wind and headed back alone to catch a glimpse. Glad I did. This one was particularly hysterical. The older couple always seems to garner the most laughs and there was no exception tonight. When they got to the bra size question, the older gentleman (married 56 years) said B14. The crowd roared, and Spacey screamed “BINGO!” without missing a beat. Classic. On the strangest place for whoopee question the same couple—this time the woman—had the best answer again. In a cemetery . . . by accident. Spacey actually lost it and took a good while to recover. Genuine tears of laughter rolling down his cheeks. Upon further questioning, it turns out this wild couple was “parked” without realizing where they were. He got it wrong by the way. Always the same questions, but always different people with different answers and that’s what makes it great.

 

We went to Quest which consisted of the same old, same old tasks to accomplish. But just like L&M, it’s the people that make this one work and it was a hoot as usual. I know it’s the sacred law of the land and this board not to say much about Quest but if asked, I’ll reveal. It just doesn’t matter anymore. Everyone participating was clearly prepared for the never changing list of things to find and to do. They hold this event in Studio B—the ice rink—which had what amounted to a gym floor laid over it. An excellent choice for all the running around that gets done, and for the tons of people that want to watch. I think there was something like 15 teams, and they were each assigned a section of the audience to help them out if the four team members didn’t have the required item among them. Thoroughly enjoyed this as we always do.

 

As you can surmise from the last couple of paragraphs, our idea of finding some things for us and the kids to do together was not taking shape. In fairness, the only thing that we required and insisted on was dinner together every night and that mission was accomplished. As said, they’re not really kids any longer, and we couldn’t really expect them to follow the exact paths we would on this cruise. Most of what we wanted them to try would be viewed as “lame” in their eyes. Well, we did actually find a family togetherness, bonding sort of activity and place while sailing. It was the casino. Whodda thunk it?!?! The 18 year olds are legal on the ship (yes—I signed the waiver and there were no problems—and very little drinking—whatsoever), and the onslaught of poker and black jack now appearing all over the TV airwaves made the casino too large of a temptation to pass up. Hey—it’s their money. Might as well learn a few of life’s lessons early on. So it seemed that every spare moment would be spent in the casino, and it turned out to really be an OK thing. It was a good meeting spot. We all enjoy various types and amounts of gambling. And we found ourselves rooting each other on as some sat at the tables while others of us would watch and cheer (or moan). There was an even compliment of winning and losing, so no one was getting in too deep. I knew there would be gambling on this cruise. I just didn’t think it would end up being the activity of choice, or the spot where all the bonding would take place. The casino is a little bigger than the other ships we’ve been on, and the dealers were great. Helpful (are you sure you want that hit?), friendly, and seemed genuinely glad for you if you won. Just goes to show you, you never really know what or where the hit of the cruise will be.

 

We visited the sports deck a few times. Played some mini-golf with DS. Played skins at a dollar a hole and I took him for 4 bucks! That’s four pulls on the Wheel of Fortune slot machine! I was prepared for this 9 hole course to be very basic, with some pretty torn (or torn up) Astroturf. Not at all. It was in great shape, and really well laid out. A fun little course that I didn’t give enough credit to prior to seeing it. No in-line skating for any of us but those that were doing it seemed to be enjoying it. Neat little course for that. Always seemed to be a pick-up basketball game going on, although we never participated. Thought about getting into the adult dodge ball game, but that was going on at the same time we were finally able to get into Johnny Rockets so we passed. The court is just above JR and sounded like everyone was having a blast. The rock wall is also up here, and DS and FDS did that once. No waiting; no problems. They both took one of the tougher routes and made it to the top OK.

 

We took in the jazz quartet in the Viking Crown/Blue Moon one night and they were very good. A little too mellow for second seating diners who’s lids may be heavy to start. But very nice, and very romantic.

 

We didn’t take in any of the production shows which shouldn’t surprise you based on what I’ve written so far. We did go to the farewell show which was the standard fare. The acts were not the thing for us, but it was fun to see a lot of the crew get introduced. The comedian was pretty good though. Lots of stuff about the ship, cabin and bathroom size, the ports, etc.—all things everyone could identify with. The closest thing to another show that we took in was the Rockin’ through the Ages dance party, or whatever they call it. Another smart marketing move as it’s scheduled immediately after Quest in the same expansive room (Studio B). But it was a little too contrived in that rather than just crank up good tunes from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s and let nature take it’s course, they felt compelled to teach us, and lead us in, various dances. I know they’re just trying to get people involved, but I don’t think they’re giving enough credit to the crowd in terms of letting them get their own party started. The fact that they were teaching the Hand Jive and who knows what else step by step, kept us off the dance floor. And of course Austin Powers and the Village People made the obligatory appearance. Here’s my theory on that. On the Enchantment a while back, the CD was Matt Baker who without any make-up or costume bears a striking resemblance to Austin Powers in both looks and build. My bet is that he conjured this up himself and when it caught on it became compulsory entertainment fleet-wide. The problem with that is, lanky, six foot something Richard Spacey didn’t quite cut it. Another one of those deals where seeing it once is probably enough, but if you’re a first-timer, I definitely recommend it.

 

All of us attended the Captain’s Reception, which was an easy sell since it was held in the Promenade on the first formal night and you couldn’t miss it on the way to dinner, and because the 20-somethings were interested in the free drinks. Me too! Wine, rum punch and yellowbirds I think. Non-alcoholic drinks as well. A little different way of doing this than we were used to since the Promenade is so expansive, and people are all over the place. And the Captain and crew members speak from that bridge that hangs about mid-way down the mall. So it’s kind of like a Captain’s Reception in the round as there are vast numbers of people stretching in both directions from the bridge. Couldn't hear very well either, but the main objective of getting a few drinks was accomplished. We did get our picture taken with the Captain, and I insisted that each pair of kids do it too. Another lame idea apparently but I forced the issue, and sure enough when the pictures went up in the gallery, they bought them. A nice souvenir I think.

 

DW and I also attended the C&A party in the Imperial Lounge. No worry about the kids on this as they weren’t even invited, so there! This was our first one since this was our first 7 day cruise and I don’t think they have them on shorter itineraries. This was really nice, but I’m clearly a pushover when it comes to free drinks. Seriously, it was a bit more intimate than the Captain’s Reception free-for-all, and you couldn’t help but feel a little special since you had to present your invitation (left on our bed the night before) to get in. About 600 of us were repeaters on this cruise, although certainly not all attended this event. The Captain (Alof Remoe by the way) told us all about the history of RCI, as well as his own personal history. Took the AOS on its maiden voyage through some pretty rough seas. Had some high water somewhere along the way that provided only about a foot of clearance as they passed under a bridge. Great “sailor stories.” Through the week we really took a liking to Capt. Remoe, and got a big kick out of his Scandinavian accent (Ladies and YENTELmen . . . . ). It may sound weird, but we were taken aback and somehow disappointed—or in some way affected—when he told us this was his last sailing on the “AdWENture of the Seas.” It almost felt like an honor for some reason. We wish him well in his next pursuit. I think that’s it for ship activities.

 

Hits and Misses

 

What I mean to do in this section is to provide a brief summary of the things and places we liked the best, whereas the misses are not what RCI did wrong, but rather some things we wished we’d done, or places we should have gone.

 

The clear hit was the casino. End of day, there were more winners than losers so it remains on the hit list. We also loved the layout of the pool deck, the two pools, the four hot tubs and the two outdoor showers (fresh water I think). The Promenade is a big winner. I seriously doubt we can ever cruise on anything other than a Voyager class vessel (or as Captain Remoe would say, WESSel) ever again. Café Promenade is also a great spot. Second seating dinner is perfect for us, although the late finish sometimes sapped our energy to do anything else. Schedules are such that you will not miss any shows or major events (like L&M and Quest) by having late seating. The balcony cabin is also something we’ll never be able to retreat from. L&M and Quest were great and even though they’ll probably never change, we’ll probably always attend. The older kids chilled in the Library once or twice, and it’s a very comfortable spot with lots of books, in a variety of languages, to choose from. RC On-line was another spot used by all the kids at least once. Much bigger and nicer than on the other ships we’ve sailed, and a good 15 or 20 terminals. Seemed like you’d be able to find a spot just about anytime you wanted.

 

Again, the misses are the things we missed—not RCI missteps. I think I can sum up the misses in one major category—the bars. You can’t avoid the Schooner with almost everyplace you go, but we never stopped there for a drink. It wasn’t really a big miss because I didn’t like the layout of this one compared to those on Majesty and Enchantment. It was smaller, and I don’t recall this one having any windows. On Enchantment especially, the Schooner was our preferred spot for pre-dinner drinks and the sunset. I had designs on the Duck and Dog Pub while planning this cruise. Didn’t get there. Passed it tons of times, and it looked like a great place to enjoy some foreign brews. The Gravity Sports Bar was another place we never got to. Looked like great fun especially since the World Cup matches had started and they sure had them on. You also can’t miss the Lobby Bar which as the name implies, is right in the middle of everything on Deck 5. But here again, no patronage from us. And finally, the Champagne Bar didn’t get any business from us either. Not that you couldn’t get any type of drink there, but its main draw isn’t something that would attract us. We missed the wine tasting for which we had a C&A coupon. Only realized we missed it when we were with some people in the elevator one afternoon who were just returning from it. The timing may have conflicted with port time, and I don’t think we would have cut our day short even if we were aware. We did not use the Solarium pool area at all, and I hesitate to call it a miss because we just didn’t feel the need to go there. It was a beautiful spot though, and DD and BFDD used it as “napping central” a few times.

 

Miscellaneous and General Observations

 

This section is designed to cover those odds and ends that always seem to come up on the board or in reviews and, as with a lot of this review, are in no particular order.

 

This was our first experience as C&A members on a cruise where you actually got anything for being members since it met the 7 day minimum length. DW and I are both members, each with our own number. You’ll recall we had two cabins, and when booking had DW, DD and myself in one with the boys in the other. We learned via our TA that if that was the official booking, there would only be one coupon book waiting for us since we were both in the same cabin. Never one to pass up anything available for nothing, we switched the booking so it appeared as if we’d be in separate cabins and sure enough, there was a coupon book in each cabin upon arrival. This came with a slight problem in that DW and DS had to switch Sea Pass cards in order to get into their own rooms, and then had to switch back for getting on and off the ship so the correct picture would pop up when slipping the card into the slot. Not a real big deal, but maybe more of a pain than the coupons were worth. Thought the coupon book contained a pretty good assortment. We all know about the Johnny Rockets coupon, and there were also ones for a two for one drink, two $1 slot tokens if you bought 10, $5 match play on table games (bet 5 bucks and the coupon served as another 5, cash back if you win), a free 5X7 photo of the ship among a choice of 3 or 4, the wine tasting, and various other discounts on the photo packages and in the shops. All in all, the book’s a pretty nice perk. Our C&A gift was a mini tote bag, and we got two due the booking arrangement.

 

We did have a Meet and Mingle set up, and was officially advised of such several weeks before sailing. But we never got the notification that was supposed to be delivered to the cabin. We’d been told the day and time (which wasn’t real conducive to our schedule), but not the location. One of us had suggested our own informal get-together in the Viking Crown/Blue Moon on sail away day, but that didn’t work for us either. Apologies to Marilyn, and others who worked so hard to get us together, for failing on all fronts.

 

Let me address the Puerto Rican question (assuming there is one). The embarkation point would tell you that of course there would be Puerto Rican people among us. And while announcements were always made in both English and Spanish (with English primary) there was no indication that any ship activities or themes were tilted in the locals’ direction. To my amazement, I’ve also read tales here of the Puerto Rican passengers being exceptionally rude and pushy. Totally off-base, at least for this sailing. In fact, as a group, I’d label them a lot more upscale and classy than the American passengers as a whole (present company excepted of course!). One thing I noted was that they did end up have having places on the ship that you might say were their own. Let’s be clear—NO ONE was excluded, or made to feel that way. They seemed to be the biggest users of the Solarium for whatever reason, and they had their own party almost every night at the Lobby Bar where the Latin/Salsa band was assigned to play. They had the best time of everyone on the ship I think, dancing their brains out every night. It was the only place I saw any dancing at all the whole week, including the Jester’s disco which was completely dead the two times I checked it out. There was a very classy night club feel to the Lobby Bar and quite frankly, I was a little envious of the time they were having.

 

Lots of schools were out by this time, so there were plenty of kids aboard. None of the horror stories occasionally reported on this board were to be found. Most of the kids, regardless of age, were courteous to a fault. No elevator button pushing, no invasion of the Solarium, no underage drinking or rowdiness. The over 16 year old teenagers who did frequent the Solarium were extremely well-behaved. I was fully prepared to be biting my lip as I suffered through these expected situations, but I’m happy to report my lips ended up being tooth-mark free for the entire week (except for that pool chair incident).

 

The coffee is not that bad. The ice cream/frozen yogurt machines were up and running all week except for the occasional shut-down for cleaning and maintenance. There were no sanitation stations or devices to be seen. The hot tubs were not over-run with kids at any time. What am I missing? One last thing about security on the ship. I’ve got two real-life stories to share. The first involves DD and her passport. She gets a call in the cabin one early evening from security saying they’ve found her passport and they would deliver it back to her if she would be in the cabin for a few minutes. It was found before she even knew it was missing. Talk about a close call. She was miffed that security gave her what amounted to a little lecture about more careful handling of such important documents, but I say good for them. The second incident involved DW as we were returning to the ship from St. Lucia. As you may know, as you re-board you go through security, the metal detector and the x-ray machine each and every time. DW uses a little fanny pack for personal belongings while exploring ports. We put all our stuff on the belt, and usually try to beat it to the other end to be sure nothing gets lost. Didn’t quite make it this time, and her fanny pack never came out the other side. And by personal effects I’m talking money, credit cards and camera. To be honest, I panicked more than she did, and while I didn’t make a scene or anything, I was a bit more visibly upset than she was. We finally got a uniformed ship security guy to understand our problem and he stopped the belt (and everyone else waiting in line) to thoroughly check the machine. No dice. Then he started writing down a description of the pack and its contents, and then calmly proceeded to assure this would very likely be straightened out. Of course I’m thinking we’ve got a criminal in our midst, but he says it’s much more likely another passenger took it by mistake. Let’s hope they’re honest I said. But no worries he told me. Might be olds news to some of you, but it turns out they have cameras covering both the entry to, and exit from, the x-ray machine and those pictures, in conjunction with the record of Sea Pass cards going into the slot 20 or so people before us and 20 after us, he felt they could solve it pretty quickly. All we could do was go back to the cabin and hope for the best. The key card was barely out of the slot after opening the door than the phone rang, and it was my now favorite security man calling to say he was on the way, fanny pack in hand. Said it had gotten tangled up with another passenger’s stuff and they didn’t even know they had it. Still not clear on whether the passenger realized it shortly after and turned it in, or if they had to be chased down. Didn’t really care at this point. Kudos to ship security for helping out on these two potentially cruise-ruining incidents. Has to make you wonder about how these other larger scale incidents can happen. These guys are good.

 

 

 

 

Disembarking

 

I’ve already alluded to the nightmare this is on this particular itinerary. There were really no lines for anything on this cruise until it was time to get off. Our number was four, and I told the truth about our flight time. They do ask for the cabins to be vacated by 8 AM but experienced told me that didn’t have to be TOO precise. I checked with the cabin attendant first thing in the morning (after I’d tipped him well the night before) about hanging out a little longer as long as it wasn’t stopping his progress in getting ready for the next sailing. Fine with him. We knew from our number that we’d be called approximately between 8:45 and 9:15. The departure info you get in your cabin the night before provides a little chart with the numbers and the approximate times. As they were only on #2 by 8:30, I had a feeling we’d be later so we kept lolling about in the cabin. It got to about 9:00 and still no number three, and Mervyn still didn’t need to get into the cabin. But we were starting to feel guilt about wearing out our welcome so we decided to join the masses in the public waiting areas. We definitely were not booted out, and probably could have stayed in there a little longer. It was close to 10:00 before #4 was finally called and we thought we were home free. But they were only letting the fours off a few at a time and we didn’t know why. Turns out they were doing us a favor. The customs area in the terminal is so small that they were only allowing in so many at a time, and they would hold up the line which would back up onto the ramps and gangway. Hot as heck again today, so a good thing that most of our wait was on the ship and not on the ramps. The switch in stops between Barbados and St. Thomas on this itinerary will solve everything, so this was probably a waste of words. Cabs to the airport were no problem but do allow plenty of time to stand in flight check-in lines once you’re there. If you’re flying an airline that provides pier check-in—even if for a fee—do it!

 

Summary

 

Maybe I should have STARTED with the summary and saved you all this reading! Easy to sum up. We’d do this cruise again in a heartbeat. Already thinking about Adventure for another go-round, but on the Aruba route. I’m sorry if this has taken up too much space, or blew a fuse on the board. I, for one, crave incredibly detailed reviews and figure that maybe there are one or two of you out there who are like-minded. If there are other questions, of course I’d be happy to answer. It actually pains me to end this review because reliving it helps (a little) in getting past the fact that the cruise is over, and the best we can do is get started on another 13 month planning process. For those of you getting ready to sail on Adventure—damn you!! And for those recently returned, I hope your experience was as positive as ours, and that you had as good a time. Thanks for tuning in. Smoothing sailing to all!

[mar915]

Great review, I felt like I was back on. We did miss you at our informal get together on the first day, but we too could not make the meet and mingle secondary to the poor time.

 

I was a jockey also #6 on Friday.

 

Thanks for the review again.

 

Mary

[terri23]

Thanks for your comprehensive cruise review. Whew!

[Schasz]

There were 4 of us in a deck 6 balcony cabin and 3 of us are C & A members...we all received our own coupon booklet.

[pinguino]

i have questions for your kids, is that ok? theyre close to my age

[hokie78]

Pinguino: Certainly OK to inquire of the kids (thanks for asking). Ask away! I'll probably be doing the relaying and posting back though. Banana ketchup is really a misnomer. It's a pourable paste much like tomato ketchup in consistency, but obviously tastes like bananas and is sweeter. Mixing with the hot suace just tones down the firey flavor. Makes it sort of a sweet-hot mustard. Try it if you get the chance.

[Smokey Mountain Tim]

This was probably the most comprehensive review I've ever read. Thanks! I also like your writing style. I don't want to wish my summer away, but after reading this review, I can't wait!

[Dee1161]

Hokie

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to write the review.. not only was it comprehensive but I loved your style of writing and your "upbeat" comments ;) I am a firm believer that your vacation is only as good as your attitude - like you, we already KNOW we are going to have an awesome time! :D

We have just about 5 weeks to go to our sailing on the AOS - we are all so excited. I will be traveling with a group similar to your group; kids friends and boyfriend coming along as well.... it is going to be a blast!

 

Thanks again

[Caroleb]

Hokie,

I loved your review. I can't wait until our turn in October. One thing I will mention. My huband and I are Diamond C & A and booked a prior cruise with friends with myself and my friend's husband in one cabin, and my husband and friend in the other. This way we all got the benefit of the discount and the coupon books. Once we boarded, we had the purser's desk sort out the key/seapass issue. I can't imagine how difficult it would have been otherwise.

[Imasealuvr]

For the wonderful review. Loved reading every detail. How kind of you to take the time to inform us in such delightful detail.:)

[Kylie]

We aren't going on our AOS cruise until June 2007 but thanks for the great information - I know we made the right choice for our next cruise. We can't wait!!

[The Big Booper]

Really well written and thought out. Almost like reading a short story. I appreciate the work you put into it.

[RM]

Wow! Took a while to read but you did an amazing job! Can't wait to board the AOS on Sunday!

[designmom]

Thanks for the great and informative review. My DD and I are going on the AOS next March and your review has helped confirm it to be the right choice. Now if it was only March.....

[rascalious]

I have done the Aruba route twice and will do this one in September. We are staying at the Marriott, too. Got it on Priceline for $100, too. It looks like our excursion choices are exactly in line with yours. We will do Silvermoon II, Herod's tour (may switch to Cosul's after this), Orient Beach, Trunk Bay, etc. The AOS and Southern itinerary is our favorite and your review is "spot-on"! Your attitude is open-minded (as ours is) and we overlooked the little glitches and refused to let them ruin our cruise.

We can't wait to cruise the AOS again! I have recommended this thread to all on our roll call. I think it will answer about 99% of their questions and whet their appetite even more.

Interesting thing about the duty free shop and non-confiscation of booze in San Juan. I can't tell you how many times I have tried to explain how easy it is to bring you alcohol aboard. I just can't get anyone to understand or believe it is true. They actually hand out sales flyers for booze specials while you are waiting in line. There are two terminals and only one has the duty-free shop. If the AOS is at the one without the shop - you can walk to it easily.

__________________

[MGilly]

Great review! My family would happily travel with upbeat folks such as you any time! We sailed on AOS a couple of years ago on the Aruba route and had a blast. We sailed last X-mas on the CCL Destiny, and it wasn't even close. At that pier, they DID confiscate all the liquid refreshment we'd bought at the duty-free shop - except the small bottles DH had "won" and tucked away into our carry-on's. Maybe it's a difference of the pier personnel or the ship personnel - who knows?

[pinguino]

hehe okay. well. mostly... whats the music in the nightclub like? is it dance-able? im sorta picturing bad-high-school-prom and hoping for los-angeles-sunset-strip (which im not that into but itd be better than prom music).

 

my background- oldschool raver from mid-90s, burning man attendee, underground rave promoter. dont like much music that isnt electronic, not a fan of hiphop/rap. im 28 btw, live in LA.

 

oddly enough i love musicals so the ice show and theatrical stuff is gonna rock.

 

soo.. what was the music like from their perspective?

[PrincessJen]

Great review. It was long but well worth the read. Thanks for taking time to compose it.

[letsgocruzing]

Enjoyed reading your review. My husband and I were on the Adventure (Aruba route) in May. We loved it and you will love it too!! Hopefully, our next cruise will be the Barbados route!

[Shazni]

Firstly, having read the whole review, I want to thank you for taking the time to write it. It is one of the most comprehensive I have read and I really felt as if I was reliving the cruise!! I love the fact that you didn't let the weather stop you in St Maarten - we got as far as the terminal at the height of the storm but turned and came back as soon as it was safe! We really regretted that later when it calmed down!

 

Anyway, I too appreciate your attitude - a holiday is what you make of it and if you're going to go looking for things to complain about, somewhere along the line you'll find them! Whereas if you go with a positive attitude that you're on holiday and nothing's going to annoy you, hey presto, there you are! As with the Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in Puerto Rico - a perfectly good hotel with friendly, helpful staff and in a great location. I would definitely stay here again and can't understand why so many people didn't like it!

 

I just want to add to a couple of points, some maybe from a female perspective! First of all to Pinguino above, the music in Jesters is really good. I notice this reviewer found Jesters to be deserted every time he looked in. We usually went there after the singer in the Duck and Dog had finished (you missed out on that one, he was really good. Hello Sam if you're reading this, keep up the good work!) and it really only filled up after midnight! A few hours there and then up to the Cafe Promenade for a bite to eat before bed!! And here's where the female perspective comes in - that 'lanky' Cruise Director, Richard Spacey, also happened to be a bit of a honey!! He was in Jesters on Barbados night with an Indian head dress and no top - I nearly fainted!! Anyway, I digress! The music starts off with whatever theme it is for that night and then about midnight goes into hip hop and R&B - something for everyone at different times which is good.

 

Re the shows - we don't really go in for these shows but that's just our personal opinions! However, we watched the Love & Marriage show on TV in our cabin the following night and it seemed really funny. We then went to the Quest show which was funny for about the first 30 minutes and that was enough, the bar beckoned!! Usually the Duck and Dog where the crowd seemed to grow every night and everybody was really enjoying themselves!

 

The only other thing I want to say is about planning. Our last cruise was booked and arranged one year or more in advance and worked out really well - everything went according to plan, we thoroughly enjoyed it and pcked up tips for things we would/wouldn't do again. This time we thought we'd try spontaneity and we booked this cruise (which sailed on Sunday June 11) on Monday May 15 - less than a month before!! For our Deck 9 Junior Suite number 9314 (bang in the centre of the ship, just around the corner from the stairs/elevators) we paid almost exactly half of what our friends paid for a D1 Deck 6 balcony cabin! We pre-booked our shore excursions on-line on May 28 and got all the ones we wanted! So I just wanted to let people know that, while it's great to plan ahead and have something to look forward to, cruises can also be booked last minute and be every bit as good!!

 

Anyway, thanks again and I can't wait for my next cruise, whenever it may be!

[ColumbiaMDCanadian]

Fantastic reveiw! Thank you for taking the time and for voicing so many of the same thoughts that we've often had - especially toward the whiners!