twangster

Did run up for a few shots between servings at dinner.

I haven't eaten dinner yet and I feel full just looking at your pictures...so.much.food... yum.

Welcome to the message boards!
First of all, a great place to start is a tab at the top of this page "Getting Started":
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/getting-started
Adventure is part of the Voyager class series of ship and Independence is part of the Freedom class series of ships.  Freedom class is a stretched version of Voyager class.  Same basic ship, just a little longer.  When first introduced, each was the largest class of cruise ship in it's day. 
Both are excellent ships and both have been updated recently.  I've sailed both over the past six months.  
Itineraries are two ports (Indy) versus three ports (Adventure).  In my opinion Adventure's itinerary does look more appealing, especially for a first time cruiser while Indy's extra length does allow it to have a few more features. 
So it comes down to choosing the cruise leaning towards either itinerary or the ship.  That is the real choice.  
Both are family friendly ships.  Both have ice skating shows, water slides and plenty of things to do.  For seasoned cruisers that know exactly what they want or seek, it would be easier for them to decide.  In the case of a first time cruiser, both ships are going to seem incredible upon first sight, as they should because both are incredible in their own way.  
George Town is a tender port meaning the ship anchors offshore and tender boats are used to ferry passengers to and from shore.  Once ashore the Cayman Islands are beautiful with many excursions and activities to choose from.  
Labadee is Royal's private destination.  Beautiful and a favorite of mine but it's a beach day at a private area versus visiting a port where you can explore another country beyond the port area.  
As far as excursions, being a new cruiser the easiest thing to do is book your excursions through Royal Caribbean.  There is some safety in this approach too since its your first cruise and you can get the swing of things on this cruise.  If you enjoy cruising as mush as most of us do, on future cruises you can venture further out on your own.  
As more people respond you may see answers where the itinerary is more important to that user and answers where the ship is more important to that user.  We all cruise differently and what each of us prefers is different but that's okay, and that is the nice thing about having so many choices.
Indy does have a few more features as you have noted.  However as a first time cruiser are you likely to notice or use them all?    My first cruise was on a ship much smaller than either and with none of the features they have.  I was still blown away by the overall experience.  
I'm not going to tell you what I'd do because you are not me.  What is important to you may not be what is important to me and that is perfectly okay.  I will say you will have an awesome experience on either cruise.

Welcome to the message boards!
The general wisdom for US Citizens is an original raised seal birth certificate and government issued ID is adequate.  Be aware you can not fly internationally without a passport so if something happened mid-cruise and you needed to fly home, you couldn't.  Photocopies are not accepted, only original documents.
I always advise people to call the cruise line and confirm documentation with them.  Ultimately they are the ones that will decide if you board and no stranger on an internet forum is going to assist you or be responsible if there is some nuance or special circumstance in your case.  

I'm calling fake news!  Last week he declared Vision never opens it's roof yet it was open in January.  This is Serenade's solarium roof open in St. Maarten next to Adventure (in 2018). 
#SolariumRoofOpenDenier

I don't know about that, looks okay to me.  Besides, fashion goes out the window below 5°C.

Nothing Lulu can't cope with.

Day 5 (Night)
After a long day of walking around and exploring San Juan we were really tired so we took a good nap. Cruise naps are the best naps. When we woke up we decided to go to the ice show that we had booked for later on in the cruise. We were able to get great seats basically in the front row so we cancelled our later reservation. Ice skating shows aren't something we would do on land but we are always so impressed with them on Royal Caribbean ships. The added effects on the ice on Harmony was a great added touch. 

After the show it was time for dinner and we were saving our final specialty dinner for day 7 so we decided to try out the Solarium Bistro. I thought this was a really great option and I really like the format of it. It makes it so quick and easy and you can start eating appetizers as soon as you sit down. I had a massive filet of salmon for dinner and my wife wasn't all that hungry so she just had appetizers for her meal. There are no vegetarian options the menu but the waiter did offer for the chef to prepare something for her. The service was great and right on par with what you would expect at the other sit down venues on the ship. For dessert I had the creme brûlée that they prepare in the kitchen.

Tonight we had reservations for Columbus. We were excited to see this show and weren't disappointed. I was starting to question it when the singing and dancing cheeseburgers came out but I thought it recovered well with a creative ending. I liked how they used popular music to work into their storyline. I won't ruin the ending but I thought it was a really fun and unexpected way to wrap up the story. The ship on the stage was very impressive and the cast was great as usual.


After the show we grabbed a drink at the Bionic Bar. I really liked how you could customize your drinks there and give them a creative name. We had a lot of fun with the names. It was cool to be able to see what everyone else came up with since it shows you the recipes people concocted. The bartenders there were very quiet, but they made some great drinks. Here is a video of them doing their thing.

?-Bionic Bar Video.m4v We closed out the night at Red which is the nightclub experience in Studio B. Afterwards we grabbed some pizza at Sorrento's before heading to bed. Tomorrow we will be in Labadee which will be our first visit there.

 

Day 5 (Old San Juan)
Today we arrived in San Juan bright and early at 7AM. We are not morning people, but really wanted to make sure that we were up to see us sail in to San Juan at sunrise. We were able to get up just in time and afterwards had a quick breakfast in the Windjammer before heading out. We didn't have any plans for the day other than that we wanted to explore the city on foot.
 

When we first got off the ship we just walked around the streets of Old San Juan and were just blown away by the beauty of all the buildings. It had so much charm and it quickly became our favorite cruise port we had ever been to. We do like beach days, but our favorite thing to do in port is to explore on our own and San Juan is perfect for that. It's even better that you can do it all on foot or just hop in an Uber if you don't feel like walking.



After walking around for a while we had worked up a little bit of an appetite. It was still really early so lunch didn't feel quite right and we happened to stumble upon a restaurant that one of our favorite YouTubers (The Endless Adventure) had been to on their trip to San Juan.
It was called Waffle-Era and they are known for their coffee and tea as well as their waffles. It was incredibly good and I definitely recommend it as a place to stop in and grab some coffee and a waffle. We just shared a half waffle to hold us over, but we saw a ton of really unique waffles that looked incredible and they have breakfast and lunch options that incorporate waffles into the dish. They make their coffee in a very unique way that I wouldn't be able to explain but the menu pictured below does.

When we finished breakfast we really wanted to go see the famous Restaurant Barrachina where the original Pina Colada was invented and try one for ourselves. We sat at the bar and had a really good chat with the bartender who taught us a lot about Puerto Rican rum. It was really great talking to him and I wish we had gotten his name. The Pina Colada was delicious and you could get them to-go as well if you wanted to take it with you on the street. 

When we left there we came upon the pigeon park that we have seen in a lot of pictures. My wife is not of fan of birds so she was squirming at the park. If you visit there you will probably find a local holding a bad of bird seed offering to let you feed the birds. I declined, but he threw a bit around my feet while I walked by and the pigeons swarmed me. It didn't bother me and I thought it was funny because I am not afraid of birds, but if you are not comfortable with them maybe avoid this area. It was pretty cool though! Here is a video of all of the pigeons.

Pigeons Video.mp4 My wife was drawn to a sign featuring affogatos at a gelato place called Chocolato so we stopped in to get one. For those who don't know an affogato is a shot of espresso served with a scoop of ice cream. She really liked it and you get to pick from lots of flavors of gelato. They also had a great courtyard patio in the back where you could enjoy it. 

We decided to head up the hill and check out the fort. We didn't pay to go inside but just walked around on all of the grass and enjoyed all of the kites flying. It was a really cool place and felt like a massive park. We also got a great look at a several iguanas. I would really like to do a tour inside at some point and learn more about the history of the fort.

It was getting pretty close to time to get back to the port so we started making our way over there. On the way back I was having some regrets about not trying some local food, particularly mofongo, so we stopped in to a place called Triana Tapas Flamenco near the cruise port. We only had about an hour until all aboard and we were pretty uneasy about it, but the bartender assured me that he could get me some mofongo and fried grouper with plenty of time to enjoy it and make it back. Sure enough he came through and it was really good. The mofongo was good, but the grouper was incredible. 

We made it back to the ship with plenty of time and got onboard to enjoy an incredible sail away. There are no words to describe the beauty of seeing the fort from the ship as you leave Old San Juan. This was by far our favorite cruise port we have ever visited and I could easily see myself spending more time there. The ABC island itinerary is on our bucket list and when we do it we decided we would sail out of San Juan and stay a few days before or after. I got a video of the fort as we sailed away. 



Day 5-San Juan Sailway Video.m4v

Day 4 (Jamies Italian and The Fine Line)
Tonight was dinner at Jamie's Italian.  I really liked the menu selection at Jamie's Italian so it was hard to decide what to order. I ended up having the calamari for an appetizer while my wife had the vegetable plank. For our entrees I had the Dry Aged Tenderloin and my wife had the Risotto Caprese. We both wanted to try some kind of pasta so we each ordered the Truffle Tagliatelle and the waiter was able to give us each a half serving of that. The tenderloin may have been the best cut of meat I had on the ship and we both agreed that the pasta was incredible. This was probably the best restaurant for vegetarians in terms of menu selection. For dessert we had the Tiramisu and the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake. Both were great.



Now it was time to see The Fine Line. I knew the Aquatheatre shows were going to be great, but I didn't realize how great. To be honest I thought it seemed a little gimmicky. All of the videos and pictures I had seen of them were basically the parts where they were just splashing around in the water. I knew there would be some diving, but I had no idea the level of acrobatic stunts and artistic quality that went into the show.
This show was absolutely incredible and was by far the best show we have ever seen on a cruise ship and is right up there with some of the Cirque Du Soleil shows we have seen in Vegas. I got a lot of great footage from the show but I am going to leave it out so that people can experience it first hand. I have one question about the guy who we fondly referred to as "Spinny Man" for anyone who knows. When he goes on vacation do they bring on a new person to do the same thing? I feel like I have seen a lot of pictures of him on the blog and it always looks like the same person. It seems like it would be hard to find other people who can spin in circles for almost 10 minutes straight.

After the show we did another one of our favorite things to do on a cruise and that is the Love and Marriage Game Show. This was probably the funniest group of couples we have ever seen on the show but I will leave out the details to keep it PG. Our cruise director Daniel was a great host for the show.

We just relaxed for the rest of the night because we wanted to catch the sunrise in San Juan the next morning so I didn't take any more photos. I figured this would be a good time to highlight some of my favorite wall art from around the ship.

Tomorrow we arrive in San Juan bright and early! 

Day 4 (St. Maarten)
Today was our first port day and we grabbed a quick breakfast at Park Cafe before heading out to meet the famous Leo Brown who we had hired as our driver for the day. We were joined for the day by Independence of the Seas. Leo has new van now that is much larger than his old vehicle and we had been trying to find someone to join us but were unsuccessful. Arriving in St Maarten was beautiful and unlike any ports that we have been to before. It was cool seeing all of the massive yachts. The black one had a helicopter on it!


When we met up with Leo we found out that he had found another family that were also Royal Caribbean Blog followers from Canada. Neither of our groups knew we had anyone else joining us but it was a good surprise. They were really great people and it was a lot of fun meeting them and having some company for the day. One thing we didn't know would be included was that Leo had a big cooler in his trunk with plenty of drinks of some of his own homemade rum punch. I thought it was a nice touch!

Our first stop was Maho Beach to watch a few planes land. I have seen tons of photos of this place, but I had no idea how crowded it actually was. I agree with @Matt on his opinion that it is definitely something to see, but I wouldn't want to stay for very long. We stayed for about 20 minutes and then headed out.

Next we drove around and saw different parts of the island. Being a native of the island Leo had a lot of information that you wouldn't be able to get from just anywhere. It was cool learning about the history of the island, the impact of the hurricane, as well as Leo's experiences growing up there.
We headed to the French side of the island to get some food and stopped somewhere in Grand Case that Leo said was one of the best areas to get some local food. I didn't get the name of the place, but it was really good food. I had the Mahi Mahi and rice and it was delicious. My wife had some rice, cole slaw, and fries. The restaurant was located right on the end of Grand Case Beach so we were able to go back and get a look at it. There were a few locals there enjoying the beach but it was pretty much empty other than that. 

Following lunch we drove around a little more including brief stop at Orient Beach. It looked incredible there and I think when we return to St Maarten that is where we will probably spend the majority of the day. It was just massive and seemed so natural compared to a lot of the beaches we have seen in the Caribbean. In order to make sure we got back with plenty of time we headed back to the port stopping at one more overlook.

We really enjoyed the tour of the island but would have liked to have spent a little more time out of the car. It was a great way to see the whole island and learn where we would want to spend our time when we return though. We still had about an hour and a half and we kind of regretted not spending a little more time on the beach so we decided to take the water taxi over to downtown Philipsburg and get our toes in the sand.
This area was a lot cooler than I was expecting and I really liked the Dutch architecture. There were lots of stray dogs running around that seemed to just be a part of the community there. 
St_Maarten-Phillipsburg_A.mp4 We didn't want to stay too long and risk missing the ship so we headed back on the water taxi. The sail away in St Maarten is absolutely beautiful and at that point was by far the most beautiful island we had ever visited. This is definitely a place we will be returning to because there was still so much more to experience. The sun was beginning to set as we sailed away and it made for an amazing view.

St_Maarten-Sailaway_A.mp4
Tonight we have dinner booked at Jamie's Italian and are seeing The Fine Line!

Dinner tonight is at Giovanni’s Table. Great choices all around. While I think I prefer Jamie’s Italian, this is a solid menu. 

Garlic and olive starter

Antipasta starter

Buffalo Mozzarella

Eggplant parm

Beef ragu

Tuna crudo appetizer

Pasta of the day in an aioli 

Hertz has a shuttle much like any airport shuttle that can accomodate luggage.  The catch is the shuttle can't run until after 10:30am or maybe 11am (port rules).  
Dropping luggage/wife is a sound strategy but depending on timing she may be waiting a while.   I did an $8 Uber rather than waiting for the car rental shuttle since I was before 10am.

Please do.  Inquiring minds want to know...

I keep a detailed spreadsheet of my cruise activity.  On Royal Caribbean I have historically used suites 2.6% of the time, 50% are balcony cabins (non-suite) and the rest interior.
Hint - suites are great, no question, but once away from your cabin the overall cruise experience is pretty similar regardless of your cabin type.   
Unlike some suite snobs (cough cough @Lovetocruise2002) I can return to an interior cabin after a suite.  Just wait until she does Harmony. Poor hubster doesn't stand a chance, it will be Star Class or nada. 

I keep a detailed spreadsheet of my cruise activity.  On Royal Caribbean I have historically used suites 2.6% of the time, 50% are balcony cabins (non-suite) and the rest interior.
Hint - suites are great, no question, but once away from your cabin the overall cruise experience is pretty similar regardless of your cabin type.   
Unlike some suite snobs (cough cough @Lovetocruise2002) I can return to an interior cabin after a suite.  Just wait until she does Harmony. Poor hubster doesn't stand a chance, it will be Star Class or nada. 

I keep a detailed spreadsheet of my cruise activity.  On Royal Caribbean I have historically used suites 2.6% of the time, 50% are balcony cabins (non-suite) and the rest interior.
Hint - suites are great, no question, but once away from your cabin the overall cruise experience is pretty similar regardless of your cabin type.   
Unlike some suite snobs (cough cough @Lovetocruise2002) I can return to an interior cabin after a suite.  Just wait until she does Harmony. Poor hubster doesn't stand a chance, it will be Star Class or nada. 

Welcome to the message boards!
This menu is from a different ship but will be similar.   Consider it a 'sample' kids menu.

 
 

Royal can't change the weather.  The port is operated by the local port authority and under command of the US Coast Guard.  If the port authority and/or USGC close the port due to fog then all ships, cargo, tanker or cruise ship can't use the port until it is re-opened. 
What do they do?
If they can predict a fog condition they sometimes speed up and cruise at full speed on their return to Galveston in an attempt to beat the fog.
They will listen to the USCG and follow instructions provided to them by the local port pilots and USCG.
If they are in port when USGC closes the port, they can't leave and will remain tied up at the pier.  If they are returning to the port when the port closes, they will get as close as they can and hang around waiting for the USCG to re-open the port.  
Understand Royal is not in charge or in a position to force a decision.  They must wait for instructions and based on what they are told they will decide how to proceed.  Typically the port will suggest something like "We anticipate the port re-opening in 3 hours" but that is not a guarantee or promise because they have to wait to see how conditions change.  Based on estimated times Royal will devise a plan based on those estimates.  
As much as it is out of your control, it is also out of the cruise line's control.
How long will the delay be?
That is like asking how long will it be cloudy, or sunny, or raining, or snowing.  They can use computers to model fog conditions but in the end mother nature dictates how long fog hangs around.  It all depends.  As soon as it's deemed to be safe, the port will re-open and pilots will board ships to assist them into the port.  It all depends.  Royal has no choice but to wait and follow instructions from the port, pilots and/or USCG.
My stories:
My first cruise from Galveston in 2013 occurred as a tropical storm passed by.  Cruise ships were delayed by a few hours but eventually returned to port.  We were advised to delay our arrival to the port to embark.  As we prepared to leave that day a tanker ran aground in the channel in the crappy weather and closed the port.  We spent the night tied up at the pier in Galveston.  We set sail in the morning and they reversed the order of our ports of call so that we could still make them all.  
I just experienced a 10 hour delay in Tampa returning on Brilliance due to fog - it was that bad.  We circled around just outside of the port waiting for the port to re-open.  Basically we had an extra sea day and arrived at the terminal at 5:00pm instead of 7:30am.  Next cruise guests were told not to come to the port until 7pm.  We were kept fed like any other day and they planned activities and entertainment to keep us occupied.  They carry extra food and beverage for just such an event.  
I follow James Van Fleet on twitter.  He is Royal's Chief Meteorologist and will sometimes tweet about fog delays.  
It's not unusual for Royal to expedite their return to Galveston in an attempt to beat the fog and get back into the port before they close it.  This when they can predict fog conditions.   
Here are some tweets from @JamesVanFleet over the past few weeks for Liberty/Galveston:
(Not for your cruise but roughly two weeks ago)

 

I keep a detailed spreadsheet of my cruise activity.  On Royal Caribbean I have historically used suites 2.6% of the time, 50% are balcony cabins (non-suite) and the rest interior.
Hint - suites are great, no question, but once away from your cabin the overall cruise experience is pretty similar regardless of your cabin type.   
Unlike some suite snobs (cough cough @Lovetocruise2002) I can return to an interior cabin after a suite.  Just wait until she does Harmony. Poor hubster doesn't stand a chance, it will be Star Class or nada. 

Sky Class just use Coastal Kitchen.  Sea Class (JS) I'd stick with UDP and try to get into CK once or twice.

Do you mean doing Disney as a shore excursion while docked in Port Canaveral?  I would not recommend that as it really cuts your day short.  But that is just me...
This is exactly what Hubby says.
And I did not see what @twangster posted until after I posted, but he is right, non-suites is the majority.  We're just a bad influence ?

Sky Class just use Coastal Kitchen.  Sea Class (JS) I'd stick with UDP and try to get into CK once or twice.

The vast majority of cruisers among different cruise lines never book suites.  You are in the majority, not the minority.  

The vast majority of cruisers among different cruise lines never book suites.  You are in the majority, not the minority.