SteveinSC

13 minutes ago, Matt said:

Unlike all the other ships, AO is basically one large room with curtains in the middle. Odd set up, relative to the rest of the fleet.

It’s essentially one large room, separated into three sections. The counselors described the set up as the Aquanauts having a glass door separator, but Explorers and Voyagers are basically together since the space is so small.

WOW....thanks so much, Matt!!!!  That looks fantastic!!!! Way bigger than I imagined in my head. Having never seen AO on any other ship, this looks completely fine to me! lol Hoping my boys love it!! You really are the best, man. Thanks again. 

1 minute ago, mcoler18 said:

We are going to take ours on the first day when we go in October, im not sure if they will want to stay though. They are 5 and 9 and are always a little apprehensive to go in kids clubs initially but end up loving them, but being in different age groups im not sure if they will actually want to go in.

Im curious about how my boys will take to it, also.  Our 7 year old (will be 8 at time of sailing) is usually so chill and laid back that hes fine with anything and anyone. Our 3 (will be 4) year old, though....a little more passionate in life. lol  He has been in daycare since he was 8 weeks old, and STILL doesnt want to go in some days. It should be interesting! 

7 minutes ago, Andrew72681 said:

Be sure to get them registered early and if at all possible get them in there the first night. Even little kids form groups and it’s much easier when everyone doesn’t know each other than trying to join in the next day. 

Great point! I had heard Matt say, multiple times, to get them registered a.s.a.p. in order to save time, but this adds to that!  Thanks for the feedback! 

As always, youre a wealth of information.  Thanks, Matt! Anything I should know about AO on Rhapsody, in particular, since youve done it? 

We are booked on Rhapsody of the Seas for an April 04 sailing in the Western Caribbean.  This will be our first time taking our boys on a cruise.  We are very excited about sharing this with them, and have been talking to them about Adventure Ocean, as we have heard great things from friends.  We have an 8 and 4 year old, and are curious as what to expect from Adventure Ocean, overall? I understand its a scaled down version on Rhapsody, but more than that, im curious as to how fun it will be for my boys? How organized is it? Is it pretty much just free time to run and play? Is there somewhere I can see what types of things they do? What type of training do the RC employees in Adventure Ocean have? SO MANY QUESTIONS before I leave my kids with a stranger for hours......ya know? 

My family and I are on this cruise (Rhapsody, Apr. 04) to celebrate my wife's 40th, and we chose an itinerary, not a ship.  My wife is from Honduras, and we really wanted our sons to see Roatan (as well as my parents, my brother and his wife). Weve done this itinerary before, on our honeymoon, and really enjoyed it. The only difference is, instead of Costa Maya we stopped in Grand Cayman. I will admit that after we decided on this itinerary, and I began looking at which ship it was, I wished it was a bigger ship....but still not sorry we made the decision we did.  As @Matt says....there isnt a bad ship in the fleet. 

Things to think about, and part of your equation....I am a bit curious, with this being Spring Break, will there be a ton of kids on the boat (thinking about how packed the smaller area for Adventure Ocean will be)? With it being Semana Santa in Latin America, what will the ports be like? I know in Honduras, Roatan (as well as the other Bay Islands and coastal towns) get VERY busy. I saw on Cruisemapper.com that the day were in Cozumel, there are 7 other ships there that day.  Ive booked Maya Chan, and Nachi Cocom in our Mexico ports so that the crowds are kept to a minimum. Its my first Holiday-esque cruise....so im very curious whats in store!  

It would only be an educated guess, but id guess you CAN snorkel straight from the beach.  Roatan is surrounded by reef. Ive personally snorkeled from the beach at West Bay, as part of the Tabyana Beach Break....some of the best snorkeling ive done. TONS of things to see.  

I ran into the "You choose" being cheaper than the "Royal Caribbean chooses" option. Im on the Apr. 04, Rhapsody sailing. Here is the weird part though, I chose the "you choose" since it was cheaper (seemed like a no brainer), but it never allowed me to choose.  It defaulted, multiple times, after attempting to book it that way, to the guaranteed state room option. So, I booked it.  I called RC to inquire about it and get some help, and was informed that "its because the other categories are sold out." Well, shouldnt it tell you that WHILE youre trying to book? Oh well. Luckily, I dont care what room we get, really.  We are "we only sleep and shower there" people....so its no big deal. 

Tabyana Beach is a good spot. Went there in 2009. I dont think you can go wrong with ANY spot on West Bay Beach, though. Roatan, overall, is an amazing place.  

Edit: I want to add, its definitely more expensive if you book through RCCL. Check out the excursions on this site : https://discoverroatan.net/