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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from SpeedNoodles in Ovation in Alaska?
That's what I hear. I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of time in 270 and the Solarium.
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from Baked Alaska in Hard Cider?
I wish I knew if any ships carried Angry Orchard Rose. I just discovered that i like it and am contemplating what drink package to buy for Ovation.
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from ScooterScott22 in Ovation in Alaska?
We said YOLO BOOK IT and did it! Ovation here we come!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from mom2mybugs in Ovation in Alaska?
We said YOLO BOOK IT and did it! Ovation here we come!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from SpeedNoodles in Ovation in Alaska?
We said YOLO BOOK IT and did it! Ovation here we come!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from Gisser in Has Sorrento's Pizza really gotten better?
I can confirm that the pizza on RCL did get better in 2018.
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from accio7 in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
We were in a group so MDR was usually easier for us (one person is vegan). I wanted to do the Izumi sushi class but i was always to stuffed to attempt it! We used some of our savings in that regard to give extra tips to the excellent dining staff. We ate on land in San Juan but we still made a Windjammer run before 9.
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from BTE in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
We have been back from the cruise for a week and I realize that I failed at a "live" blog but I didn't have the internet package so here it goes!
The Trip Down
We loaded up the SUV and headed out of Panama City before 9 A.M to head to Ft. Lauderdale. We were making excellent time and then right before we arrived things changed. Towards the end of the turnpike the vehicle in front us swerved at the last minute and revealed a rather large tire which made contact with our vehicle. Our vehicle was damaged but safe to drive. This is an example of why you should arrive in your port area the night before your cruise. If we were driving in on the day of our cruise we may have missed our cruise.
Pre-Cruise Hotel
We stayed at the Hyatt Place (17th Street Convention Center). The hotel was clean and at 8,000 Hyatt points per night was an excellent value. Parking is $7 per night unless you're a Globalist member. The hotel offers cruise parking for $7 per night. The Hyatt also operates a shuttle service that charges $7 per person each way you use the service. We decided that since our cruise was returning on Sunday we would park in the Port Everglades Midport Parking Garage to save time. Parking is $15 per day but you don't have to use a shuttle which ended up saving my family money.
Embarkation
Royal Caribbean had emailed us and told us that boarding would not start until 12:30 due to a USCG inspection. Thanks to Matt's recommendation and my good friend Brandon (who sailed with us) we arrived at the port and were on board at 11:10. The total curb to ship time including dropping off luggage, parking in the garage, and getting checked in was less than 20 minutes.
THE CRUISE
Once we got on the cruise all the stress faded away. Adventure is in great shape. Our stateroom was 6665 and I feel like it had been updated which was nice. During the cruise our main hangout spot was the Blue Moon lounge on deck 14. The lounge offered excellent views and fun dance parties at night. Cafe Promenade was also a frequently visited spot. The dining experience was excellent on Adventure. We ate dinner in the MDR 6 of the 8 nights on our cruise. Our waiter Raj was excellent and the meals were top notch. There was only one appetizer during the cruise that I didn't care for. It was the Asian Pork Tacos. All the steaks I ordered were cooked perfectly, the prime rib was excellent, and lobster on night 7 was the best dinner. The Windjammer was excellent but I wish it was open past 9 P.M. The bar service was always fast in the 'Jammer as we would call it. The entertainment was excellent. We enjoyed the theater productions and the ice skating show. The Farewell Show was top notch. We really enjoyed the activities from cruising on a mid-sized ship. We used the slides (which are fast but a bit rough), Flowrider, played basketball, and went ice skating.
LABADEE
LaBadee was excellent and the weather was great. We had much more fun here than at CocoCay in 2015. We enjoyed the Dragon's Breath Flight Line. I highly recommend that excursion. Its super smooth and you always feel safe. The view of the ship from the launch is amazing. We walked a few trails around LaBadee and settled at Adrenaline Beach. The beach is indeed rocky but we had a good time. We then got our LaBadoozie in souvenir cup and chilled in the hammocks. I fell getting into the hammock and that generated a lot of laughs at my expense which was actually quite funny.
PUERTO RICO
We arrived into Puerto Rico around 12:30 P.M so we enjoyed the sail into port. Sailing past El Morro during the daytime and taking in the majesty of the fort and Old San Juan was one of the best moments of the cruise. We toured Old San Juan with my friend Brandon's aunt who lives in Puerto Rico and showed us all the spots. We walked a lot that day and were very tired when we made it back the ship in the evening.
ST MAARTEN
We had the SeaTrek helmet diving excursion booked and it was the most anticipated part of our cruise. However, early in the morning our stateroom telephone rang and we were informed that the excursion was cancelled even though the weather was fine. It was quite disappointing. In the afternoon we decided to take the water taxi to downtown Philipsburg. It was a great ride for $3. The water is beautiful in St. Maarten. We then took a 3 hour driving tour for $25 per person to tour the island. We asked to be dropped off at Maho Beach and we ate lunch at the Sunset Bar and Grill and saw a lot of small planes and one large plane land. The food is excellent at the Sunset Bar and Grill and you should go there! The bathrooms aren't free to use though. After visiting Maho Beach we toured the French side of the island. I wasn't impressed with St. Maarten/St Martin as a whole. The island wasn't very clean and reminded me to much of hurricane damage.
ST KITTS AND NEVIS
St. Kitts and Nevis was the best stop on our cruise and we are dying to go back! We enjoyed the St. Kitts Open Air Adventure tour and its great to see the island as a whole on your first visit. The Romney Manor is beautiful and the Timothy Hill overlook is breathtaking. I think that the next time we visit St. Kitts and Nevis we will rent an ATV and do things at our own pace. The shopping in Port Zante was excellent. We got tons of souvenirs and clothing at the Caribelle Batik and surrounding shops.
OBSERVATIONS
This was the best cruise that we have ever been on.
RCL needs to step up their soda game. There were only 2 reliable locations to get a sufficiently carbonated soda. The Windjammer Bar and the Freestyle machines on the Royal Promenade. The freestyle machines in the Windjammer were always malfunctioning and the bars always had flat sodas. It was very weird.
4 port days in a row will make you tired.
We don't like 2 sea days in a row to end the cruise. The cruise starts to feel over when you leave your last port stop. That feeling lingered through day 7 and 8. One sea day to end the cruise is just about right.
So this is my blog. If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas ask away!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from FlowBro Ty in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
We have been back from the cruise for a week and I realize that I failed at a "live" blog but I didn't have the internet package so here it goes!
The Trip Down
We loaded up the SUV and headed out of Panama City before 9 A.M to head to Ft. Lauderdale. We were making excellent time and then right before we arrived things changed. Towards the end of the turnpike the vehicle in front us swerved at the last minute and revealed a rather large tire which made contact with our vehicle. Our vehicle was damaged but safe to drive. This is an example of why you should arrive in your port area the night before your cruise. If we were driving in on the day of our cruise we may have missed our cruise.
Pre-Cruise Hotel
We stayed at the Hyatt Place (17th Street Convention Center). The hotel was clean and at 8,000 Hyatt points per night was an excellent value. Parking is $7 per night unless you're a Globalist member. The hotel offers cruise parking for $7 per night. The Hyatt also operates a shuttle service that charges $7 per person each way you use the service. We decided that since our cruise was returning on Sunday we would park in the Port Everglades Midport Parking Garage to save time. Parking is $15 per day but you don't have to use a shuttle which ended up saving my family money.
Embarkation
Royal Caribbean had emailed us and told us that boarding would not start until 12:30 due to a USCG inspection. Thanks to Matt's recommendation and my good friend Brandon (who sailed with us) we arrived at the port and were on board at 11:10. The total curb to ship time including dropping off luggage, parking in the garage, and getting checked in was less than 20 minutes.
THE CRUISE
Once we got on the cruise all the stress faded away. Adventure is in great shape. Our stateroom was 6665 and I feel like it had been updated which was nice. During the cruise our main hangout spot was the Blue Moon lounge on deck 14. The lounge offered excellent views and fun dance parties at night. Cafe Promenade was also a frequently visited spot. The dining experience was excellent on Adventure. We ate dinner in the MDR 6 of the 8 nights on our cruise. Our waiter Raj was excellent and the meals were top notch. There was only one appetizer during the cruise that I didn't care for. It was the Asian Pork Tacos. All the steaks I ordered were cooked perfectly, the prime rib was excellent, and lobster on night 7 was the best dinner. The Windjammer was excellent but I wish it was open past 9 P.M. The bar service was always fast in the 'Jammer as we would call it. The entertainment was excellent. We enjoyed the theater productions and the ice skating show. The Farewell Show was top notch. We really enjoyed the activities from cruising on a mid-sized ship. We used the slides (which are fast but a bit rough), Flowrider, played basketball, and went ice skating.
LABADEE
LaBadee was excellent and the weather was great. We had much more fun here than at CocoCay in 2015. We enjoyed the Dragon's Breath Flight Line. I highly recommend that excursion. Its super smooth and you always feel safe. The view of the ship from the launch is amazing. We walked a few trails around LaBadee and settled at Adrenaline Beach. The beach is indeed rocky but we had a good time. We then got our LaBadoozie in souvenir cup and chilled in the hammocks. I fell getting into the hammock and that generated a lot of laughs at my expense which was actually quite funny.
PUERTO RICO
We arrived into Puerto Rico around 12:30 P.M so we enjoyed the sail into port. Sailing past El Morro during the daytime and taking in the majesty of the fort and Old San Juan was one of the best moments of the cruise. We toured Old San Juan with my friend Brandon's aunt who lives in Puerto Rico and showed us all the spots. We walked a lot that day and were very tired when we made it back the ship in the evening.
ST MAARTEN
We had the SeaTrek helmet diving excursion booked and it was the most anticipated part of our cruise. However, early in the morning our stateroom telephone rang and we were informed that the excursion was cancelled even though the weather was fine. It was quite disappointing. In the afternoon we decided to take the water taxi to downtown Philipsburg. It was a great ride for $3. The water is beautiful in St. Maarten. We then took a 3 hour driving tour for $25 per person to tour the island. We asked to be dropped off at Maho Beach and we ate lunch at the Sunset Bar and Grill and saw a lot of small planes and one large plane land. The food is excellent at the Sunset Bar and Grill and you should go there! The bathrooms aren't free to use though. After visiting Maho Beach we toured the French side of the island. I wasn't impressed with St. Maarten/St Martin as a whole. The island wasn't very clean and reminded me to much of hurricane damage.
ST KITTS AND NEVIS
St. Kitts and Nevis was the best stop on our cruise and we are dying to go back! We enjoyed the St. Kitts Open Air Adventure tour and its great to see the island as a whole on your first visit. The Romney Manor is beautiful and the Timothy Hill overlook is breathtaking. I think that the next time we visit St. Kitts and Nevis we will rent an ATV and do things at our own pace. The shopping in Port Zante was excellent. We got tons of souvenirs and clothing at the Caribelle Batik and surrounding shops.
OBSERVATIONS
This was the best cruise that we have ever been on.
RCL needs to step up their soda game. There were only 2 reliable locations to get a sufficiently carbonated soda. The Windjammer Bar and the Freestyle machines on the Royal Promenade. The freestyle machines in the Windjammer were always malfunctioning and the bars always had flat sodas. It was very weird.
4 port days in a row will make you tired.
We don't like 2 sea days in a row to end the cruise. The cruise starts to feel over when you leave your last port stop. That feeling lingered through day 7 and 8. One sea day to end the cruise is just about right.
So this is my blog. If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas ask away!
-
Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from accio7 in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
The cruise is fast approaching. I have completed check-in and selected all the cruise planner purchases for our vacation. I purchased the Refreshment package (x2). I did not add an internet or dining package. I plan to book the Sushi making class on board. These are the shore excursions we selected:
Day 3 (9:30): Dragon's Breath Flight Line
Day 5 (10:00) Sea Trek St. Last ten
Day 6 (10:00) St. Kitts Open Air Adventure
We did not book an excursion in San Juan. Instead we are going to explore and just relax.
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from accio7 in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
Very excited for embarkation day! We survived Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida and really need to get away for a week. My wife and I will be traveling with my parents (first time cruisers) and two of our best friends. Our itinerary is
Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale :)
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: LaBadee, Haiti
Day 4: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 5: Philipsburg, St Maarten
Day 6: Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Day 7: Sea Day
Day 8: Sea Day
Day 9: Ft. Lauderdale :(
If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas or this 8 night itinerary dont hesitate to ask!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from accio7 in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
We have been back from the cruise for a week and I realize that I failed at a "live" blog but I didn't have the internet package so here it goes!
The Trip Down
We loaded up the SUV and headed out of Panama City before 9 A.M to head to Ft. Lauderdale. We were making excellent time and then right before we arrived things changed. Towards the end of the turnpike the vehicle in front us swerved at the last minute and revealed a rather large tire which made contact with our vehicle. Our vehicle was damaged but safe to drive. This is an example of why you should arrive in your port area the night before your cruise. If we were driving in on the day of our cruise we may have missed our cruise.
Pre-Cruise Hotel
We stayed at the Hyatt Place (17th Street Convention Center). The hotel was clean and at 8,000 Hyatt points per night was an excellent value. Parking is $7 per night unless you're a Globalist member. The hotel offers cruise parking for $7 per night. The Hyatt also operates a shuttle service that charges $7 per person each way you use the service. We decided that since our cruise was returning on Sunday we would park in the Port Everglades Midport Parking Garage to save time. Parking is $15 per day but you don't have to use a shuttle which ended up saving my family money.
Embarkation
Royal Caribbean had emailed us and told us that boarding would not start until 12:30 due to a USCG inspection. Thanks to Matt's recommendation and my good friend Brandon (who sailed with us) we arrived at the port and were on board at 11:10. The total curb to ship time including dropping off luggage, parking in the garage, and getting checked in was less than 20 minutes.
THE CRUISE
Once we got on the cruise all the stress faded away. Adventure is in great shape. Our stateroom was 6665 and I feel like it had been updated which was nice. During the cruise our main hangout spot was the Blue Moon lounge on deck 14. The lounge offered excellent views and fun dance parties at night. Cafe Promenade was also a frequently visited spot. The dining experience was excellent on Adventure. We ate dinner in the MDR 6 of the 8 nights on our cruise. Our waiter Raj was excellent and the meals were top notch. There was only one appetizer during the cruise that I didn't care for. It was the Asian Pork Tacos. All the steaks I ordered were cooked perfectly, the prime rib was excellent, and lobster on night 7 was the best dinner. The Windjammer was excellent but I wish it was open past 9 P.M. The bar service was always fast in the 'Jammer as we would call it. The entertainment was excellent. We enjoyed the theater productions and the ice skating show. The Farewell Show was top notch. We really enjoyed the activities from cruising on a mid-sized ship. We used the slides (which are fast but a bit rough), Flowrider, played basketball, and went ice skating.
LABADEE
LaBadee was excellent and the weather was great. We had much more fun here than at CocoCay in 2015. We enjoyed the Dragon's Breath Flight Line. I highly recommend that excursion. Its super smooth and you always feel safe. The view of the ship from the launch is amazing. We walked a few trails around LaBadee and settled at Adrenaline Beach. The beach is indeed rocky but we had a good time. We then got our LaBadoozie in souvenir cup and chilled in the hammocks. I fell getting into the hammock and that generated a lot of laughs at my expense which was actually quite funny.
PUERTO RICO
We arrived into Puerto Rico around 12:30 P.M so we enjoyed the sail into port. Sailing past El Morro during the daytime and taking in the majesty of the fort and Old San Juan was one of the best moments of the cruise. We toured Old San Juan with my friend Brandon's aunt who lives in Puerto Rico and showed us all the spots. We walked a lot that day and were very tired when we made it back the ship in the evening.
ST MAARTEN
We had the SeaTrek helmet diving excursion booked and it was the most anticipated part of our cruise. However, early in the morning our stateroom telephone rang and we were informed that the excursion was cancelled even though the weather was fine. It was quite disappointing. In the afternoon we decided to take the water taxi to downtown Philipsburg. It was a great ride for $3. The water is beautiful in St. Maarten. We then took a 3 hour driving tour for $25 per person to tour the island. We asked to be dropped off at Maho Beach and we ate lunch at the Sunset Bar and Grill and saw a lot of small planes and one large plane land. The food is excellent at the Sunset Bar and Grill and you should go there! The bathrooms aren't free to use though. After visiting Maho Beach we toured the French side of the island. I wasn't impressed with St. Maarten/St Martin as a whole. The island wasn't very clean and reminded me to much of hurricane damage.
ST KITTS AND NEVIS
St. Kitts and Nevis was the best stop on our cruise and we are dying to go back! We enjoyed the St. Kitts Open Air Adventure tour and its great to see the island as a whole on your first visit. The Romney Manor is beautiful and the Timothy Hill overlook is breathtaking. I think that the next time we visit St. Kitts and Nevis we will rent an ATV and do things at our own pace. The shopping in Port Zante was excellent. We got tons of souvenirs and clothing at the Caribelle Batik and surrounding shops.
OBSERVATIONS
This was the best cruise that we have ever been on.
RCL needs to step up their soda game. There were only 2 reliable locations to get a sufficiently carbonated soda. The Windjammer Bar and the Freestyle machines on the Royal Promenade. The freestyle machines in the Windjammer were always malfunctioning and the bars always had flat sodas. It was very weird.
4 port days in a row will make you tired.
We don't like 2 sea days in a row to end the cruise. The cruise starts to feel over when you leave your last port stop. That feeling lingered through day 7 and 8. One sea day to end the cruise is just about right.
So this is my blog. If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas ask away!
-
Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from JLMoran in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
We have been back from the cruise for a week and I realize that I failed at a "live" blog but I didn't have the internet package so here it goes!
The Trip Down
We loaded up the SUV and headed out of Panama City before 9 A.M to head to Ft. Lauderdale. We were making excellent time and then right before we arrived things changed. Towards the end of the turnpike the vehicle in front us swerved at the last minute and revealed a rather large tire which made contact with our vehicle. Our vehicle was damaged but safe to drive. This is an example of why you should arrive in your port area the night before your cruise. If we were driving in on the day of our cruise we may have missed our cruise.
Pre-Cruise Hotel
We stayed at the Hyatt Place (17th Street Convention Center). The hotel was clean and at 8,000 Hyatt points per night was an excellent value. Parking is $7 per night unless you're a Globalist member. The hotel offers cruise parking for $7 per night. The Hyatt also operates a shuttle service that charges $7 per person each way you use the service. We decided that since our cruise was returning on Sunday we would park in the Port Everglades Midport Parking Garage to save time. Parking is $15 per day but you don't have to use a shuttle which ended up saving my family money.
Embarkation
Royal Caribbean had emailed us and told us that boarding would not start until 12:30 due to a USCG inspection. Thanks to Matt's recommendation and my good friend Brandon (who sailed with us) we arrived at the port and were on board at 11:10. The total curb to ship time including dropping off luggage, parking in the garage, and getting checked in was less than 20 minutes.
THE CRUISE
Once we got on the cruise all the stress faded away. Adventure is in great shape. Our stateroom was 6665 and I feel like it had been updated which was nice. During the cruise our main hangout spot was the Blue Moon lounge on deck 14. The lounge offered excellent views and fun dance parties at night. Cafe Promenade was also a frequently visited spot. The dining experience was excellent on Adventure. We ate dinner in the MDR 6 of the 8 nights on our cruise. Our waiter Raj was excellent and the meals were top notch. There was only one appetizer during the cruise that I didn't care for. It was the Asian Pork Tacos. All the steaks I ordered were cooked perfectly, the prime rib was excellent, and lobster on night 7 was the best dinner. The Windjammer was excellent but I wish it was open past 9 P.M. The bar service was always fast in the 'Jammer as we would call it. The entertainment was excellent. We enjoyed the theater productions and the ice skating show. The Farewell Show was top notch. We really enjoyed the activities from cruising on a mid-sized ship. We used the slides (which are fast but a bit rough), Flowrider, played basketball, and went ice skating.
LABADEE
LaBadee was excellent and the weather was great. We had much more fun here than at CocoCay in 2015. We enjoyed the Dragon's Breath Flight Line. I highly recommend that excursion. Its super smooth and you always feel safe. The view of the ship from the launch is amazing. We walked a few trails around LaBadee and settled at Adrenaline Beach. The beach is indeed rocky but we had a good time. We then got our LaBadoozie in souvenir cup and chilled in the hammocks. I fell getting into the hammock and that generated a lot of laughs at my expense which was actually quite funny.
PUERTO RICO
We arrived into Puerto Rico around 12:30 P.M so we enjoyed the sail into port. Sailing past El Morro during the daytime and taking in the majesty of the fort and Old San Juan was one of the best moments of the cruise. We toured Old San Juan with my friend Brandon's aunt who lives in Puerto Rico and showed us all the spots. We walked a lot that day and were very tired when we made it back the ship in the evening.
ST MAARTEN
We had the SeaTrek helmet diving excursion booked and it was the most anticipated part of our cruise. However, early in the morning our stateroom telephone rang and we were informed that the excursion was cancelled even though the weather was fine. It was quite disappointing. In the afternoon we decided to take the water taxi to downtown Philipsburg. It was a great ride for $3. The water is beautiful in St. Maarten. We then took a 3 hour driving tour for $25 per person to tour the island. We asked to be dropped off at Maho Beach and we ate lunch at the Sunset Bar and Grill and saw a lot of small planes and one large plane land. The food is excellent at the Sunset Bar and Grill and you should go there! The bathrooms aren't free to use though. After visiting Maho Beach we toured the French side of the island. I wasn't impressed with St. Maarten/St Martin as a whole. The island wasn't very clean and reminded me to much of hurricane damage.
ST KITTS AND NEVIS
St. Kitts and Nevis was the best stop on our cruise and we are dying to go back! We enjoyed the St. Kitts Open Air Adventure tour and its great to see the island as a whole on your first visit. The Romney Manor is beautiful and the Timothy Hill overlook is breathtaking. I think that the next time we visit St. Kitts and Nevis we will rent an ATV and do things at our own pace. The shopping in Port Zante was excellent. We got tons of souvenirs and clothing at the Caribelle Batik and surrounding shops.
OBSERVATIONS
This was the best cruise that we have ever been on.
RCL needs to step up their soda game. There were only 2 reliable locations to get a sufficiently carbonated soda. The Windjammer Bar and the Freestyle machines on the Royal Promenade. The freestyle machines in the Windjammer were always malfunctioning and the bars always had flat sodas. It was very weird.
4 port days in a row will make you tired.
We don't like 2 sea days in a row to end the cruise. The cruise starts to feel over when you leave your last port stop. That feeling lingered through day 7 and 8. One sea day to end the cruise is just about right.
So this is my blog. If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas ask away!
-
Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from Lovetocruise2002 in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
We have been back from the cruise for a week and I realize that I failed at a "live" blog but I didn't have the internet package so here it goes!
The Trip Down
We loaded up the SUV and headed out of Panama City before 9 A.M to head to Ft. Lauderdale. We were making excellent time and then right before we arrived things changed. Towards the end of the turnpike the vehicle in front us swerved at the last minute and revealed a rather large tire which made contact with our vehicle. Our vehicle was damaged but safe to drive. This is an example of why you should arrive in your port area the night before your cruise. If we were driving in on the day of our cruise we may have missed our cruise.
Pre-Cruise Hotel
We stayed at the Hyatt Place (17th Street Convention Center). The hotel was clean and at 8,000 Hyatt points per night was an excellent value. Parking is $7 per night unless you're a Globalist member. The hotel offers cruise parking for $7 per night. The Hyatt also operates a shuttle service that charges $7 per person each way you use the service. We decided that since our cruise was returning on Sunday we would park in the Port Everglades Midport Parking Garage to save time. Parking is $15 per day but you don't have to use a shuttle which ended up saving my family money.
Embarkation
Royal Caribbean had emailed us and told us that boarding would not start until 12:30 due to a USCG inspection. Thanks to Matt's recommendation and my good friend Brandon (who sailed with us) we arrived at the port and were on board at 11:10. The total curb to ship time including dropping off luggage, parking in the garage, and getting checked in was less than 20 minutes.
THE CRUISE
Once we got on the cruise all the stress faded away. Adventure is in great shape. Our stateroom was 6665 and I feel like it had been updated which was nice. During the cruise our main hangout spot was the Blue Moon lounge on deck 14. The lounge offered excellent views and fun dance parties at night. Cafe Promenade was also a frequently visited spot. The dining experience was excellent on Adventure. We ate dinner in the MDR 6 of the 8 nights on our cruise. Our waiter Raj was excellent and the meals were top notch. There was only one appetizer during the cruise that I didn't care for. It was the Asian Pork Tacos. All the steaks I ordered were cooked perfectly, the prime rib was excellent, and lobster on night 7 was the best dinner. The Windjammer was excellent but I wish it was open past 9 P.M. The bar service was always fast in the 'Jammer as we would call it. The entertainment was excellent. We enjoyed the theater productions and the ice skating show. The Farewell Show was top notch. We really enjoyed the activities from cruising on a mid-sized ship. We used the slides (which are fast but a bit rough), Flowrider, played basketball, and went ice skating.
LABADEE
LaBadee was excellent and the weather was great. We had much more fun here than at CocoCay in 2015. We enjoyed the Dragon's Breath Flight Line. I highly recommend that excursion. Its super smooth and you always feel safe. The view of the ship from the launch is amazing. We walked a few trails around LaBadee and settled at Adrenaline Beach. The beach is indeed rocky but we had a good time. We then got our LaBadoozie in souvenir cup and chilled in the hammocks. I fell getting into the hammock and that generated a lot of laughs at my expense which was actually quite funny.
PUERTO RICO
We arrived into Puerto Rico around 12:30 P.M so we enjoyed the sail into port. Sailing past El Morro during the daytime and taking in the majesty of the fort and Old San Juan was one of the best moments of the cruise. We toured Old San Juan with my friend Brandon's aunt who lives in Puerto Rico and showed us all the spots. We walked a lot that day and were very tired when we made it back the ship in the evening.
ST MAARTEN
We had the SeaTrek helmet diving excursion booked and it was the most anticipated part of our cruise. However, early in the morning our stateroom telephone rang and we were informed that the excursion was cancelled even though the weather was fine. It was quite disappointing. In the afternoon we decided to take the water taxi to downtown Philipsburg. It was a great ride for $3. The water is beautiful in St. Maarten. We then took a 3 hour driving tour for $25 per person to tour the island. We asked to be dropped off at Maho Beach and we ate lunch at the Sunset Bar and Grill and saw a lot of small planes and one large plane land. The food is excellent at the Sunset Bar and Grill and you should go there! The bathrooms aren't free to use though. After visiting Maho Beach we toured the French side of the island. I wasn't impressed with St. Maarten/St Martin as a whole. The island wasn't very clean and reminded me to much of hurricane damage.
ST KITTS AND NEVIS
St. Kitts and Nevis was the best stop on our cruise and we are dying to go back! We enjoyed the St. Kitts Open Air Adventure tour and its great to see the island as a whole on your first visit. The Romney Manor is beautiful and the Timothy Hill overlook is breathtaking. I think that the next time we visit St. Kitts and Nevis we will rent an ATV and do things at our own pace. The shopping in Port Zante was excellent. We got tons of souvenirs and clothing at the Caribelle Batik and surrounding shops.
OBSERVATIONS
This was the best cruise that we have ever been on.
RCL needs to step up their soda game. There were only 2 reliable locations to get a sufficiently carbonated soda. The Windjammer Bar and the Freestyle machines on the Royal Promenade. The freestyle machines in the Windjammer were always malfunctioning and the bars always had flat sodas. It was very weird.
4 port days in a row will make you tired.
We don't like 2 sea days in a row to end the cruise. The cruise starts to feel over when you leave your last port stop. That feeling lingered through day 7 and 8. One sea day to end the cruise is just about right.
So this is my blog. If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas ask away!
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Nicolas LaBarre reacted to averbeck in Royal Caribbean Visa Card
For those that don't cruise often, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Essentially you get 2% on RCI purchases, but I have a Citi Double Cash card that gives me 2% on EVERY purchase. And on top of that, I can use those rewards for statement credit (aka I can use it right away). The RCI card can really only be used when you go on another cruise. So often you're sitting there with points accrued and a) You don't have enough to get anything b) you have to wait 4 months before you can realize that reward.
Also, there aren't really any intermediary things you can by. And by that I mean, you need lots of points to buy anything and there's nothing you can really spend any extra you have on, until you accrue more again.
I agree the sign up bonus was really the only perk that caused me to get it years ago. I never use it now.
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from Sean C. in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
Very excited for embarkation day! We survived Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida and really need to get away for a week. My wife and I will be traveling with my parents (first time cruisers) and two of our best friends. Our itinerary is
Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale :)
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: LaBadee, Haiti
Day 4: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 5: Philipsburg, St Maarten
Day 6: Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Day 7: Sea Day
Day 8: Sea Day
Day 9: Ft. Lauderdale :(
If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas or this 8 night itinerary dont hesitate to ask!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from Sean C. in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
The cruise is fast approaching. I have completed check-in and selected all the cruise planner purchases for our vacation. I purchased the Refreshment package (x2). I did not add an internet or dining package. I plan to book the Sushi making class on board. These are the shore excursions we selected:
Day 3 (9:30): Dragon's Breath Flight Line
Day 5 (10:00) Sea Trek St. Last ten
Day 6 (10:00) St. Kitts Open Air Adventure
We did not book an excursion in San Juan. Instead we are going to explore and just relax.
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from WAAAYTOOO in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
The cruise is fast approaching. I have completed check-in and selected all the cruise planner purchases for our vacation. I purchased the Refreshment package (x2). I did not add an internet or dining package. I plan to book the Sushi making class on board. These are the shore excursions we selected:
Day 3 (9:30): Dragon's Breath Flight Line
Day 5 (10:00) Sea Trek St. Last ten
Day 6 (10:00) St. Kitts Open Air Adventure
We did not book an excursion in San Juan. Instead we are going to explore and just relax.
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from cruiselife in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
Very excited for embarkation day! We survived Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida and really need to get away for a week. My wife and I will be traveling with my parents (first time cruisers) and two of our best friends. Our itinerary is
Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale :)
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: LaBadee, Haiti
Day 4: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 5: Philipsburg, St Maarten
Day 6: Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Day 7: Sea Day
Day 8: Sea Day
Day 9: Ft. Lauderdale :(
If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas or this 8 night itinerary dont hesitate to ask!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from Skigoofy in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
Very excited for embarkation day! We survived Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida and really need to get away for a week. My wife and I will be traveling with my parents (first time cruisers) and two of our best friends. Our itinerary is
Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale :)
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: LaBadee, Haiti
Day 4: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 5: Philipsburg, St Maarten
Day 6: Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Day 7: Sea Day
Day 8: Sea Day
Day 9: Ft. Lauderdale :(
If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas or this 8 night itinerary dont hesitate to ask!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from Matt in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
Very excited for embarkation day! We survived Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida and really need to get away for a week. My wife and I will be traveling with my parents (first time cruisers) and two of our best friends. Our itinerary is
Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale :)
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: LaBadee, Haiti
Day 4: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 5: Philipsburg, St Maarten
Day 6: Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Day 7: Sea Day
Day 8: Sea Day
Day 9: Ft. Lauderdale :(
If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas or this 8 night itinerary dont hesitate to ask!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from Lovetocruise2002 in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
Very excited for embarkation day! We survived Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida and really need to get away for a week. My wife and I will be traveling with my parents (first time cruisers) and two of our best friends. Our itinerary is
Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale :)
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: LaBadee, Haiti
Day 4: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 5: Philipsburg, St Maarten
Day 6: Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Day 7: Sea Day
Day 8: Sea Day
Day 9: Ft. Lauderdale :(
If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas or this 8 night itinerary dont hesitate to ask!
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Nicolas LaBarre got a reaction from henrysea13 in Adventure of the Seas - November 10-18
Very excited for embarkation day! We survived Hurricane Michael in Panama City, Florida and really need to get away for a week. My wife and I will be traveling with my parents (first time cruisers) and two of our best friends. Our itinerary is
Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale :)
Day 2: Sea Day
Day 3: LaBadee, Haiti
Day 4: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Day 5: Philipsburg, St Maarten
Day 6: Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis
Day 7: Sea Day
Day 8: Sea Day
Day 9: Ft. Lauderdale :(
If you have any questions about Adventure of the Seas or this 8 night itinerary dont hesitate to ask!
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Nicolas LaBarre reacted to Al Horner in The Newest Entertainment Activity on Royal is.... Fencing?
If RCL is going to introduce new on-ship excursions - how about the .50 cal pirate shoot? You get 200 rounds of .50 cal and whoever sinks the most Somali pirates - wins a prize!
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