 Expert Review |  | | | | |
| | | | | Overview
The third in a series of five Voyager-class vessels, Royal Caribbean unveiled no new surprises on Adventure of the Seas. No surprises, that is, if you are already accustomed to sailing on what is among the world's largest ships, with a range of the most uncruise-like activities at sea, such as a roller blading track, ice skating rink and rock climbing wall -- not to mention the bustling hub that is Royal Promenade, a main street-esque boulevard of shops, bars and cafes, or Johnny Rocket's, the retro-inspired burger joint, with its distinction of being cruisedom's only chain restaurant. Sure, there have been some superficial changes from Voyager and Explorer, the first two vessels in the class. The Lyric Theater has a nifty Art Nouveau interior; the solarium pool evokes the glories of Venice; and the Casino Royal centers on a Hollywood theme. But besides these minor alterations, Royal Caribbean has not tinkered with the evident success of the Voyager-class concept. This ship is so well designed -- with lots of very distinctly themed rooms and with even the larger venues like the Lyric Theater and Imperial Lounge feeling unexpectedly cozy -- that Adventure of the Seas has the potential to spoil first-timers and even seduce some of us crusty ol' cruise traditionalists. | | |  top | | | | Dining
From the meals in the dining room to the buffet choices in the Windjammer Cafe to the options availabe at the 24-hour Cafe Promenade, the food was amazingly consistent and well prepared, and especially considering the capacity of the ship. And options are pretty plentiful. Three main dining rooms (which are actually all part of one) handle the traditional assigned seating dinners (they're open seating for breakfast and lunch). Windjammer is the typical buffet, offering the usual range of choices (while-you-wait omelets, burgers, salads, pasta, etc.). At dinner time, Windjammer is a casual alternative to the dining room (and pretty much serves the same menu). Specialty eateries include Johnny Rockets, the 1950's-style burger joint; passengers can indulge in burgers, hot dogs, chili fries, apple pie and onion rings. Royal Caribbean has instituted a $4.95 per-person cover charge for both in-restaurant and take-out dining (and beverages are additionally charged). On the Royal Promenade, the Cafe Promenade features light fare at all times (pastries in the morning, sandwiches at night); try the pizza, it's excellent. Portofino is Adventure's specialty restaurant. The Italian-themed restaurant, which charges a $20 per-person cover, offers a leisurely seven-course meal. The menu did not change at all on our trip, but that didn't seem to matter to a number of folks who were back for repeat dinners. Note, however, that you need to make reservations as early as possible in your cruise or you may get locked out. Royal Caribbean's room service options are available around the clock via 24-hour menus that offer a range of snacks and sandwiches. At breakfast, Continental dishes, along with a handful of egg entrees, are available both in cabins and suites. Items off the main dining room menu can be ordered at dinner. There is no charge for room service (though a buck or two gratuity is recommended). | | | | top | | | | Public Rooms
What's nifty about this ship is there is no one recurrent theme. Feel like an Asian atmosphere? Head for the Imperial Lounge. In the mood for Gothic? Try Jester's nightclub. Feel the urge for a clubby, elegant salon? With or without the cigar smokers, the Connoisseur's Cigar Club is a peaceful hideaway. Most of the major indoor venues are located off or along the Royal Promenade, which tends to really come alive at night. There you'll find lounges that range from the Duck & Dog British style pub (though many of its draught beer choices are puzzlingly non-Brit), Gravity, a sports-themed bar (which seemed empty most of the time), the pleasant Lobby Bar, and the Aquarium Bar, with its huge fish tanks. Off by itself -- and easy to miss but try not to -- is Schooner Piano Bar, one deck below and adjacent to the casino. Each of the performance venues -- Lyric Theater and Imperial Lounge, for instance -- has its own bar as does Studio B, the phenomenal ice-skating rink/show lounge on deck three. Overlooking the Royal Promenade is the Library, with an adequate collection of books and comfy leather chairs, the Internet Cafe (50 cents per minute) and an area for future cruise bookings. Stretching across four decks on the top part of the ship are the pool-oriented bars and lounges; there are two at the main pool and one at the Solarium. Other major features on the pool deck, beyond the spa, which spans some 15,000-square feet and includes a huge fitness facility, the generously-sized Challenger Arcade -- and the sports areas. These include a nine-hole miniature golf course, roller blading rink, full-size basketball/volleyball court, golf simulator and rock climbing wall. Blue Moon Jazz Club, the name on this ship for the traditionally-styled Viking Crown Lounge, has the usual fabulous vistas. On the same deck you'll find Seven Hearts Card Room, 19th Hole Golf Bar and Cloud Nine. Adventure has a nondenominational chapel called the Skylight Wedding Chapel. | | | | top | | | | Cabins
Out of 1,557 staterooms, 939 of these have an ocean view (765 have balconies). A hallmark on this ship's class is the Royal Promenade-facing staterooms that overlook that engaging thoroughfare -- these are a step up from the usual inside cabin. A warning however: Privacy is at a premium with these cabins because they do not have privacy glass windows. Also, due to the late-night reveling that goes on, all but night owls may find them noisy. All staterooms come with a twin-that-can-be-converted-to-queen bed, private bathroom, phone, closed-circuit television, mini bar and hair dryers. They're decorated in festive Caribbean-esque colors, from mist-green to buoyant oranges and yellows. Moving up a notch is the Junior Suite. It's the smallest, coming in at 293 square ft. with a 66 square ft. balcony. Just a bit bigger than the standard balcony, the extra perks (beyond space) that come with the Junior Suite include a bathroom with tub and a bigger living room area. For those wanting concierge access, the remaining suites, definitely moving into the higher-ticket arena, start with the Royal Family Suite. At 533 - 586 square ft., its grand claim is two bedrooms plus a sitting room; the second bedroom has the usual twin to queen bed configuration plus two Pullmans that come down from the ceiling. Balconies are bigger, too. In this suite they range from 139 - 193 square ft. The Grand Suite is just a larger "junior," but it's quite a bit larger at 358 - 384 square ft. and features a bathroom with tub. The Owner's Suite offers more amenities and features even beyond increased squared footage; passengers booking this category of accommodations get a bathroom with whirlpool, bidet and separate shower, along with a bedroom and separate living areas (with queen-sized sofa bed). Measurements are 512 square ft. for the cabin and 57 square ft. for the verandah. And finally? The piece d'resistance is the Royal Suite, which comes with all the Owner's Suite amenities plus a baby grand piano, a balcony that measures 215 square ft. (outfitted with better-than-standard furnishings, including a dining table); the stateroom itself is 1,001 square ft. Tip: Families should book as far in advance as possible -- a year ahead of time if you can -- to have the best choice of family-friendly staterooms (including connecting cabins), particularly if you are traveling during school vacation periods. | | | | top | | | | Entertainment
There are two kinds of entertainment here -- the traditional style cruise productions -- singing and dancing shows in The Lyric, such as "Velvet Rope"-- and goofy passenger-inspired episodes like "Love and Marriage" (a tired idea, perhaps, but still, on our cruise it was screamingly funny). Bar venues, of course, offer a variety of musical performances that are aimed to please just about everybody at any time -- classical guitar, country/western, jazz. Beyond the usual, where this ship excels is the unique. Studio B (the ice rink)'s Cool Art -- Hot Ice is phenomenal and worth the effort to get a ticket (there is no charge but the venue is small so tickets are limited. They make announcements about when you can pick them up). A more impromptu experience is to take in the Royal Promenade players -- jugglers, comics, etc. -- who wander through the giant mall-like space and perform with the crowd. The ship has an Internet cafe (50 cents per minute) and cabins are wired for Internet usage. Packages that reduce that cost somewhat are available. | | | | top | | | | Fitness and Recreation
Even on sea days there seemed to be plenty of room for everyone around the two pools -- an admirable feat. One interesting feature about the hot tubs is some are double-sized, which again makes room for more folks. The main pool tiered decks surrounding an outdoor theater, where everything from "men's sexiest legs" contests to live bands for dancing, takes place. The Solarium pool and whirlpools lies in a quieter, more laid back setting and is adults-only. All of the major (outdoor) athletic activities -- the rock climbing wall, golf, basketball, etc. -- are tucked into a "sports center" that lies aft. The pocket-sized skating rink is tucked well below, into the bowels of the ship. A caveat: some of the more specialized activities -- rock climbing, rollerblading and ice skating -- are offered only at specified times so check your daily compass for available hours. The ship's jogging/power walking track winds around the main pool area. One nice touch: Royal Caribbean does not layer on a lot of extra fees for equipment "rental" -- there is no charge for using everything from ice skates (you can choose between hockey and figure models) to roller blades. The spa, the usual Steiner, Ltd., production, spans two levels. One houses the quite ample fitness facility -- we didn't see any kind of overcrowding here -- and a workout room where classes were offered. Upstairs in the spa facility, a wide range of treatment programs were offered, such as facials, massages, and beauty salon but nothing terribly innovative or unusual. | | | | top | | | | Family
Adventure Ocean is Royal Caribbean's kids' program. This is by far one of the best kids' programs at sea and our 7 and 11 year olds have always had a great time. Their only complaint? When we try to check them out for bedtime! There are five categories: 3 - 5 years, 6 - 8 years, 9 - 11 years, 12 - 14 years and 15 - 17 years. There are daytime activities, both while at sea and in port, as well as evening events. There were three kids' dinners on our seven night Southern Caribbean cruise. Teens have the Optix Nightclub. Baby-sitting is also available; group sitting is offered for parents who want to indulge in late-night revelry (cost is $5 per hour after 10 p.m.). In-cabin sitting can be booked through Guest Relations and fees start at $8 per hour. In all cases except for in-cabin sitting, kids must be potty trained (no diapers, no pull-ups). In-cabin sitting is limited to children at least six months old. The dining rooms offer "Captain Sealy's Kids Galley Menu". | | | | top | | | | Fellow Passengers
Passengers range in age from 35 - 55-plus with a large number of families onboard. Adventure is a great option for couples and families -- particularly multi-generational groups. Speaking of groups, this a terrific cruise choice for them, whether it's a business group (there's a fully equipped conference center along with meeting space) or an extended family because there's lots to do for all age groups. We offer the recommendation with one caveat: The sprawling ship and its plethora of options may be bewildering to folks who prefer more traditional styles of cruises. Speaking of a mix of people, one of the more interesting facets of passenger demographics on this ship is international diversity (the daily Compass is printed in six languages). Adventure of the Seas, which is based in San Juan, also attracts a strong contingent from Puerto Rico and Caribbean islands beyond, which can make for a more unusual blend. | | | | top | | | | Dress Code
Dress is quite casual as befits the Caribbean itinerary. There are two formal nights where most men wore suits and women wore dressy (but not long) cocktail gowns. Otherwise, people dressed in "smart casual" which varied from country club wear to dressy. You saw all types. A couple of nights were themed and you could wear, say, country-western garb or 50's styles. | | | | top | | | | Gratuity
Royal Caribbean recommends $3.50 per person, per day to the dining room waiter; $3.50 per person, per day to the cabin steward; $2 per person, per day to the assistant waiter. Royal Caribbean also recommends $0.75 per person, per day to the headwaiter, but we don't necessarily unless the service was special. A 15 percent gratuity is automatically added to bar tabs. --Updated by Kathleen Tucker | | | | top | | | | | Expert reviews are provided by CruiseCritic.com, an award-winning cruise community. This objective information can help you choose just the right ship for your next cruise vacation. | |  | |
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