Cruise Report - Adventure of the Seas Feb1-8 2004

Cruise Review

Embarkation
Embarkation was to begin at 4pm - we arrived at 3 pm and were on the ship
and in our cabin in about 15 minutes - very efficient!

Ship
In a word - AMAZING!

This is the seventh (and best) cruise ship I have been on. Not only the
sheer size of the ship but the intelligent design and artistry make this
vessel stand out.

Where to begin? The Royal Promenade is a brilliant "downtown" for this
little floating city. The "Main Street USA" of the seas. Excellent for
people watching. They even have a parade! At one end are the theatres - at
the other end the 3 story main dining room. In between - shopping, a quaint
English pub with appropriate live music (and Guinness!), a cafe with snacks,
pastries, pizza and loads of coffee, the usual ship-board shopping, a sports
bar and access to the large casino one flight down. Royal Caribbean did
something really cool on this ship - inside cabins with a view (overlooking
the Royal Promenade).

The Rock Climbing Wall - Tried it twice (made it more then half way up). The
key is use your legs or your arms will get really sore (trust me - I looked
like Popeye after my first attempt).

Miniature Golf - Very cool on a ship!

Basketball / Volleyball Court - When the court is empty it's fun to horse
around and shoot some hoops. Also fun to watch when a game gets going.

Pools - There is a great (adults only) pool area that is very nice (the deck
chairs are more comfortable). A little more shady and a bit more sheltered
from the wind. Excellent spot for a snooze - my wife called it "nap row".
The decor was a Venetian type of theme. The main pool area is great too -
with plenty of live music.

Entertainment

Ice Show - Probably the best show I ever saw at sea. Great stuff! I believe
the rink is open for skaters when not in use by the show staff. Not being a
skater myself I don't know this firsthand.

Feature Acts - A really funny comic (forgot his name) performed as well as
the old time act The Coasters ("Charlie Brown"). The production shows were
good - similar to what I've seen on other cruise lines. G rated Vegas review
stuff.

Shopping
Didn't do to much shopping - YEAH! Bought souvenirs for everyone at work in
one spot in Aruba - T shirts 7 for $20. Keychains 6 for $5. That's it - I'm
done! Oh - and we bought a 6 pack of rum cake on the ship - also a great
gift!

Ports
Aruba - Booked a snorkeling excursion through the ship. Rode a catamaran out
to a cool reef for some snorkeling then sailed to a ship wreck for some more
snorkeling before we sailed back to the ship (rum punch included). A great
trip (did the same excursion last time we were in Aruba). Worth the money.

After lunch took a 2 1/2 hour island tour for $10. Went to the natural
bridge and various points of interest.

If crazy partying is your thing then go to "Carlos and Charlies" in Aruba (a
two minute walk / stumble) from the pier. We didn't stay long but in that
short time we took part in the tequila shot conga line (imagine a line of
grown men and women dancing past a guy pouring a tequila concoction in their
open mouths as they dance by - reminded me of a bunch of drunk, dancing baby
birds waiting to be fed) and were dancing some wacky dance on the bar.
Enjoy!

Curacao - Took a cab ($14 for two) to a really cool aquarium ($15
admission). After we strolled over to a really nice beach by the aquarium
($3 for a chair). Took a cab back to town - had a local flavor of Amstel
beer (just like Corona - with the lime). Don't miss the floating pontoon
bridge that opens for boats on occasion. Jumped onto the bridge as it was
opening - otherwise we would have had to take the (free) ferry across. Very
colorful (friendly)town.

St Martin - Went to Orient Beach (and yes we went to the nude beach and,
unlike most ship people, we went native. And loved it!) If you do as we did
be warned - you may bump into your (fully clothed) dinner table mates. They
were more embarrassed then I was (hello - its a nude beach! didn't you see
the sign? what did you expect to see?)

St Thomas / St Johns - Trunk Bay - AMAZING! This must be where beaches go
when they die! Bumped into the same table mates here too.

Our driver to Trunk Bay told us to remember his name (Beva) for the return
journey, so to make remembering it easier I tried to think of some thing to
remind me of his name. So I started singing "Beva Las Vegas". A few hours
later when it was time to find our driver I thought for a second and then
said to my wife - "Ok - now lets go find Belvis" (Ok - maybe you had to be
there - but boy did we laugh!!!).


Puerto Rico - El Morrow fort in San Juan still amazes me - and I've been
there 4 times in the last 4 years. Try not to miss it! Matter of fact try
not to miss old San Juan in general - I could wonder that place for hours -
and at sunset - WOW!

Food
Pretty average (meaning good) for a cruise. My wife says it was a bit better
then Carnival but not quite as good as Norwegian. Didn't have a bad meal.
And remember on lobster tail formal night - you can order as many as you can
eat!

Packing
Try to travel light and remember - you WILL return with more stuff then what
you came with. Also - remember that your luggage may not get to your room
for a few hours - so pack a few items (i.e. bathing suit) in your carry on
that you may need immediately after getting on the ship.

Here's a tip that I use (I've been made fun of for it but that's ok, I'm
gonna tell you anyway). I throw away my luggage. Let me explain. My drawers
and closets are full of stuff that is on the verge of being thrown away. For
the flight out - I wore a pair of torn jeans and a shirt with an ink stain
that I can't wear to work. That night - in the trash. I have a drawer full
of sweat socks that are on their last legs (no pun intended) when I've worn
them once - out they go. No smelly socks stinking up my luggage. Old
t-shirts - wear 'em and chuck 'em. Wore a pair of beat up old sneakers every
beach trip - they got sandy, salty and dirty. Who cares! Last day of the
trip - in the trash. For reading material - bring all those old magazines
you haven't gotten around to reading that are lying around the house. Chuck
them when you're done. Feel free to modify this technique as you feel
appropriate. It will guarantee that your luggage will have room for all the
worthless junk you didn't plan on coming back home with. It will help you in
your spring cleaning. After your trip packing, unpacking and laundry are now
that much easier. (I don't recommend this tip for clothes to be worn on
formal nights).


Dis-Embarkation
We had a 1 pm flight. Left our room before 8am. Had a relaxing breakfast. We
were off the ship just after 9. At the airport by 10. Went through check-in
in 20 minutes (I think we were lucky - other folks had much longer waits).
Security took another 20 minutes. Be warned - at San Juan airport they will
occasionally change the gate of a flight without making an announcement.
Half an hour before your flight ask at the counter if you are at the right
gate (this happened to us two of the four times we sailed out of San Juan).

Gene

Michelle Sweet wrote:

be warned - you may bump into your (fully clothed) dinner table mates. They
were more embarrassed then I was (hello - its a nude beach! didn't you see
the sign? what did you expect to see?)

Next time try Cupecoy Beach on the Dutch side, it is closer to the ship
and everyone goes nude there. It is a beautiful beach and the waves are
not as rough as they are on Orient Beach. Baie Rouge is also a nice
beach. I like Orient Beach, I just can't handle the rough water.

Becca -----wear lots of sunscreen...

Mariner of the Seas 3/04
Norwegian Dawn http://www.cruisemaster.com/dawn.htm
Sleazy3 http://www.cruisemaster.com/sleazy3.htm
MOAGC http://www.motherofallgroupcruises.com/

I won't make fun of you for your packing hint! I've been doing
something similar for a few years myself, thanks to a newspaper column
of helpful advice. The advice was to save your old undies that you
want to throw.... for one more wear....on your vacations. That way
you don't have to lug them home again. I haven't yet tried it out
with socks, but I think that's an excellent idea. JJ

"Michelle Sweet" wrote in message news:Gwe_b.40795$Xp.183555@attbi_s54...
Cruise Review
snip
Packing
snip
Here's a tip that I use (I've been made fun of for it but that's ok, I'm
gonna tell you anyway). I throw away my luggage. Let me explain. My drawers
and closets are full of stuff that is on the verge of being thrown away. For
the flight out - I wore a pair of torn jeans and a shirt with an ink stain
that I can't wear to work. That night - in the trash. I have a drawer full
of sweat socks that are on their last legs (no pun intended) when I've worn
them once - out they go. No smelly socks stinking up my luggage. Old
t-shirts - wear 'em and chuck 'em. Wore a pair of beat up old sneakers every
beach trip - they got sandy, salty and dirty. Who cares! Last day of the
trip - in the trash. For reading material - bring all those old magazines
you haven't gotten around to reading that are lying around the house. Chuck
them when you're done. Feel free to modify this technique as you feel
appropriate. It will guarantee that your luggage will have room for all the
worthless junk you didn't plan on coming back home with. It will help you in
your spring cleaning. After your trip packing, unpacking and laundry are now
that much easier. (I don't recommend this tip for clothes to be worn on
formal nights).

I can't imagine going on vacation with my old lingerie, socks, etc. I
always buy new for a trip. Am I weird?

Jo-Ann

(Mocha Face) wrote in message . com...
I won't make fun of you for your packing hint! I've been doing
something similar for a few years myself, thanks to a newspaper column
of helpful advice. The advice was to save your old undies that you
want to throw.... for one more wear....on your vacations. That way
you don't have to lug them home again. I haven't yet tried it out
with socks, but I think that's an excellent idea. JJ

"Michelle Sweet" wrote in message news:Gwe_b.40795$Xp.183555@attbi_s54...
Cruise Review
snip
Packing
snip
Here's a tip that I use (I've been made fun of for it but that's ok, I'm
gonna tell you anyway). I throw away my luggage. Let me explain. My drawers
and closets are full of stuff that is on the verge of being thrown away. For
the flight out - I wore a pair of torn jeans and a shirt with an ink stain
that I can't wear to work. That night - in the trash. I have a drawer full
of sweat socks that are on their last legs (no pun intended) when I've worn
them once - out they go. No smelly socks stinking up my luggage. Old
t-shirts - wear 'em and chuck 'em. Wore a pair of beat up old sneakers every
beach trip - they got sandy, salty and dirty. Who cares! Last day of the
trip - in the trash. For reading material - bring all those old magazines
you haven't gotten around to reading that are lying around the house. Chuck
them when you're done. Feel free to modify this technique as you feel
appropriate. It will guarantee that your luggage will have room for all the
worthless junk you didn't plan on coming back home with. It will help you in
your spring cleaning. After your trip packing, unpacking and laundry are now
that much easier. (I don't recommend this tip for clothes to be worn on
formal nights).

From: (Jo-Ann)

I can't imagine going on vacation with my old lingerie, socks, etc. I
always buy new for a trip. Am I weird?

If you are ... then my wife is .. seemed like everthing she wore had to either
be a newly opened package ... or still had tags on it ...

Be seeing you
In the Village
Number 6