"just back" for aos.come on start posting<S>

[ddean52]

looking to read posts from just backs for aos! my cruise is in 3 weeks and im hungry for new insight!
dean (&alice)

ALICE & DEAN
ADVENTURE 5/23/04 EXPLORER 9/27/03
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time left till adventure of the seas

[rogerp5]

got back this past Sunday. Great ship and cruise. Weather at the start was not the best but ship helped take care of that with all the things to do.

Getting on was no problem. We were later in the day due to flying in from Boston so i don't know what others had. Due to our late arrival (4:00pm or so) our bags just got to the room before the late seating so wife and daughter changed but I left trvel clothes on.

Cabin was good size on deck nine front with a balconey. Came in handly a couple of times for me to step on to while daughter was getting dressed. First time with the balconey and enjoyed it. Bed was high enough to place suitcases under. Last year on Celebrity had to get one stored.

Pools are good. 2 family pools with 4 hottubs (I think). There is an adult pool with a couple more hot tubs in the solarium. Pool towels are in your room and you have to bring them up to the pool beck or on excursions. You can trade them in for clean new ones nut you have to have the correct number in your cabin at the end of the trip. Rock climbing wall is cool. While at sea here will be a line and they will not let you go up if you have been drinking. There are 3 sections that get harder as you move left to right. I made it up about half way on the harder one. Some peoiple make it look easy.

Bars. Not impressed with the Sports bar as all it seemed to have on the TVs were tennis or soccer. Very little basketball, hockey or baseball (at least when I saw). schooner bar was good. Sing along panio player was fun. He was lossing his voice towards the end and a 14 year boy took over and played for a while each night and he was great.

Food. Very good. The Windjammer seemed more formal than past years on RCCL and the food was what you would expect. Some of our group went in Johnny Rockets a couple of times during th ecruise and they enjoyed it. We did try and get resevations into Portofinios (sp?) but could not get one. If you want to do it book early. The wait staff in the dining room were okay but not as personalable as before. Service was good but seemed a tad rushed.

Ports of Call. Aruba was good, we did a jeep safari. Carlos and Charles is around the block from the pier. Later in the evening there seemed to be a good size line waiting to get in. BTW, Charlie from Aruba radio commerical lied as it rained some and we heard the beep of an angry horn. Curacao was a beach day via taxi. Beach was okay but nothing to write home about. St. Maarten was shooping for some and 12 meter racing for the others. As always that is the best excursion we take. If you have done it before and bought a tee shirt make sure to wear it and you get another shirt for free (okay maybe not free since you paid for the excursion). Stars and Stripes beat True North at the line, we are 2-0. At St. Thomas we took the Trunk Bay beach trip. Good time but you don't get a lot of beach time due to the commute but the underwater trail is pretty cool. All ports were docked, no tenders. Getting off and on was no problem. You have to go through Immigarion in St Thomas but if you go early it is no problem. You circle through the dining room on deck 5 with you cruise card 9to check in) and your paper work.

Make sure you catch the ice show. It was really great. Also if you are thinking of skating, make sure you have long pants as you can not skate with shorts.

Star gazing. Use the front deck on deck 4 (helipad) and you get some great night vision. We caught both the southern cross and the north star at the same time. Very cool.

Getting off in San Juan. Goes prtty smooth. You have to go through Customs and Immigartion again but since you are in groups it does not become a mad house.

All in all a great trip.