hayley_bopp

Giovanni's

Windjammer in the morning:

They have a different style of hand washing stations leading into the WJ on both sides.  They feature air blowers built into the 'wings' on the faucet so you don't need paper towels.  Works well. 






The WJ bar:

Great views aft:


 

Following dinner I wandered around the ship taking advantage of diamond happy hour drinks since I didn't purchase the drink package.  The Captain's address in the Promenade at 8:00 was well attended (maybe it's the free sparkling wine).  The ship band was there to entertain us while we waited for the Captain.


To the pub then the Schooner Bar for live music.  I finally met @mpoole3 and a few others.  He had a friend he cruised with to Cuba who let us into the Suite Lounge so we could take a few pictures.


Absent of Coastal Kitchen it reminds me of an Oasis class suite lounge a little bit.

Since we were up on deck 14 we checked out the silent disco which was very busy.


Returning to the cabin I discovered a gift waiting for me.  This is my first cruise as a Diamond Plus and it was a Crown and Anchor beach towel.

Waldo? @twangster?? ???

Thanks.  Dumb luck really, night shots are usually taken after diamond happy hour, so...
I'll try to get some shots to show the balcony on a sea day coming up.  You get a good view when sitting but more private.  You do need to lean onto the railing to look down at the pier or ocean.
All iPhone photos.  I am experimenting with 'Moment'  app so some are shot with that, some with the native camera app.  No tripod on this trip, all handheld. 

Cabin Tour!
9532 port side forward balcony





The balconies on Adventure are somewhat cove type in nature.   Lots of privacy from neighbors.

Main Dining Room:

Day 1 dinner menu:

With a 6pm dinner but an 8:30pm sail away it left some time after dinner to explore the ship.  It did feel odd after the muster drill at 4:30pm not immediately having sail way but it allowed me to have a few diamond happy hour drinks and take some pictures around the ship.







The peak-a-boo bridge.  More on that later.

@hayley_bopp, we just followed the principle "it never hurts to ask". I don't think the group size would matter so much, since a larger group means they already have that much more money put in to cover the extra bottles needed, but you could be right if they budget a certain number of bottles per night ahead of time; in that situation, our basically half-normal size group was just getting lucky. I imagine they also regularly get guests who don't drink but are dining with spouses / significant others who do, which also leaves room in the "budget" each meal for some extra glasses to served without charge.
I would guess that if they do pre-budget a certain amount, and guests then ask for additional that goes over the budget, at that point they would just start charging the normal per-glass rate to your Sea Pass card, or maybe a per-bottle rate split among the group if everyone asks for a particular wine. Denying guests additional glasses at all would probably not go over well.
Oh, and I forgot to note that the entire meal was a good three hours, plus the half hour or so after dessert that we spent chatting and enjoying our extra glasses. It was 9:30 by the time we all got up to leave, so do plan on seeing only late-seating shows that evening, or just going to the pub or another of the smaller venues and watching whoever is performing live that night.

I just realized I'm way overdue for writing this. But that's good, it gives me a chance to remember what was easily the most amazing meal on my recent sailing on Freedom of the Seas!
I booked this dining experience on the Cruise Planner, about 2 months ahead of our sail date, for $89. I got to choose from any night of our sailing, so I chose our third night (second sea day), figuring it would be better to enjoy this on a day when I wasn't completely worn out from a port day excursion.
I did not receive a confirmation of this booking when we boarded. Instead, I had a paper delivered to the cabin on Night 2 noting to meet in Bolero's Lounge, where we would all be escorted to the actual table once everyone had arrived. Oddly, the invitation said to dress in Smart Casual style, where the Cruise Planner indicated Formal. I don't know if this was a glitch in the on-board system or if Royal is moving yet another dining venue to less formal wear, but I decided I was going to ignore this and dress as if it were formal night. And it was a good thing, as everyone else who showed up for the meal was also in their fancy dinner best!
The experience actually started while waiting for everyone to gather, as we met the gentleman who would be our waiter, sommelier, and host. His name was Mario, and he came out dressed in a very formal charcoal gray suit and white gloves. If this wasn't an indication for everyone attending to be dressed formally, I don't know what is! That made the invitation's suggestion of Smart Casual even more inexplicable.
Mario had a tray of champagne glasses waiting for us, and we were welcomed to enjoy a glass while we waited for everyone to gather.

As I usually do on events like this, I showed up about 10 minutes early and ended up being the first one there. Mario and I chatted a bit, and he told me his nickname among the crew was "Super Mario" because of all the jobs he has to manage among the dining staff, including his role in the nightly Chef's Table experience. No, he's not that "Super Mario", but they actually do know each other and get along very well.
The other guests arrived, and it turned out we were a small group -- only 7 total (I was the only solo guest, as I was never able to convince my younger daughter to join me). Two of the three couples were also from NJ, but much further south than me; the third couple were from Texas. We were told that normally they have between 12 and 15 guests each night, but for whatever reason this particular night had only about half that.
Now the second discrepancy from the printed invitation came out – While the invitation said that we would be dining in Giovanni's Table, it turned out that our group was so small that evening that we would be dining in the MDR, on a small balcony towards the top of the staircase that's located between decks 4 and 5. This was kind of amusing, since we had the My Time dining folks on deck 5 and several of them walked down the stairs and past our table to leave; we got more than a few stares as they looked us in our finery and dining on food that was definitely not the same cut as what they had on their menus. I'm undecided if I preferred actually eating in the MDR, with the elegant decor all around us that I felt fit the theme of the night better, or if it would have been a little better to eat in Giovanni's just for a chance at fewer bystanders walking by.

The view of the MDR from our private table / balcony, taken after the meal had ended
Speaking of menus, we had our planned menu for the evening waiting for us at our places:

We were told by Mario that the order of the menu was being adjusted slightly, so as to work better with the order in which the wines were being served. It was also explained to us that the menu was a little misleading in terms of the Entree selection, as there were really only two choices; the branzino or the filet mignon. The Truffle Tagliatelle was a Pasta course that would be served before the entrees, and have its own wine pairing.
Finally, Mario pointed out the dessert – Yes, you're reading that right; we were going to be served the same dessert that is offered in Wonderland on the Quantum and Oasis class ships! All of us were super-excited when we saw this!
Our scallop carpaccio was the only course served without a wine pairing, as it was intended as a palate cleanser. It was absolutely delicious, and as we ate the chef came out to tell us about the dish: what carpaccio meant (a dish of raw meat or seafood that was sliced very thinly), how the dish was prepared, and why each ingredient was chosen / how it enhanced the desired flavors; this would be repeated for each course, and I was really wishing my younger daughter was there as I know she would have absolutely loved this facet of the experience.



 
Next up was the salad, a Maine lobster salad served with hearts of palm of and pineapple, and paired with a Chardonnay named Ausièrres Blanc. I never would have thought that pineapple and lobster would work, but it did and very well! And the Chardonnay was also very good; it's actually one of the few varieties of white wine that I like.


 
Next was our soup course. This was a smoked tomato soup that had been in the smoker literally overnight; the soup actually smelled like barbecue sauce, the smoke flavor was so strong! It was served with a crouton, a slice of fresh parmesan, micro greens, and creme fraiche; the wine pairing was as rosé wine named Whispering Angel. All of us were quite surprised that a mildly flavored, more fruity rosé would be paired with something as bold and strongly flavored as this soup; many of us asked how the wine would not be overpowered by the soup, but Mario assured us that it would balance surprisingly well. And wouldn't you know it, he was right! I'm not a real fan of rosé wines, but this worked remarkably well and the wine itself was quite palatable for me. And the soup itself was amazing! Every one of us was gushing to Mario about how great it tasted; it may have smelled like barbecue sauce from the intense smoking, but the flavor was not at all overpowering, just this rich and intense flavor of the roasted tomato blending beautifully with the smokiness. We all were wishing there was some way to get some to take home and enjoy after our trip.


 
Next we had our pasta course, a truffle tagliatelle. The pasta was freshly made, and the black truffles gave it a really distinctive flavor; not the same as truffle oil, though similar; it was much more intense and I found I much preferred it. The butter was very light, just enough to keep the pasta from sticking. And it was served with what was my favorite wine of the evening – a Tuscan red named Lucente LaVite. I ended up having 3 glasses of this!


 
Next, our main entree was served. I chose the branzino, along with about half of the table, and it was served with a Pinot Grigio named Danzante. This white I wasn't as fond of, but the branzino was quite good. I'd never had it before, and the main reason I ordered it is because of all the seasons of Master Chef that I'd watched, where the restaurant takeover episode would have the contestants serving a branzino appetizer; I wanted to know what the heck this fish tasted like that was such a standard! ?


 
Those who ordered the filet mignon had their entree paired with a Cabernet Sauvignon named Sequoia Grove. Each of us was allowed to try the other's wine to see how we liked it; I've never been a fan of Cab, and I found this one to be no different. I don't know what it is about that variety vs other reds, but I haven't yet found one that I don't wrinkle my mouth at after the first sip.
 
Finally, it was time for dessert. Before we were served, Mario poured each of us a small glass of a late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc named Errazuriz. This was definitely a dessert wine, very sweet and not something to have with an earlier course. With the wine poured, each of us had a plated chocolate globe placed in front of us; not one who knew what this dessert was failed to take a "before" picture:

Mario then went around the table with a gravy bowl filled with melted caramel, which was poured over the chocolate until the surprise inside was revealed. And again, not one of us who knew was this dessert was failed to have our phones out, ready to take video as our turn came to pass:
 
We all agreed that this was one of the best desserts we'd ever had, whether we'd already gotten to enjoy it on a previous Oasis / Quantum cruise, or if it was the first time we'd had it. And the wine worked very well with this; I will have to remember to see if this wine or a similar one is offered when I sail Anthem in October, as my wife and I agreed we would like to try Wonderland during that trip.
After dessert was done, we were allowed to enjoy another glass or two (or three!) of whichever wines we particularly enjoyed. Mario had multiple bottles of each one available, and we all stayed at the table for maybe another half hour while the plates were cleared and our chef came out one final time. We all thanked him heartily for one of the best meals we'd had, and each of us took our photos with him to remember the experience by.

Yeah, I definitely look like I've been enjoying the La Volte Toscana by this time!
Each of us was presented with a check showing a zero balance, but all of us wrote in an additional tip to cover the service and meal prep that went far above and beyond the price that we paid. I learned afterward that the tip was recorded in the final bill as a charge to Giovanni's Table, which makes sense since that was the originally planned venue. Keep this in mind should you decide to do Chef's Table yourself and also give an extra tip to your waiter and chef. Because believe me, after that meal and the wine, you may not remember doing it by the time you see your final cruise bill! ?
That wraps up my review of Chef's Table. This is definitely a must-do experience at least once in your cruising life. And I have to say, the price is unbelievably reasonable considering typical on board prices for high end wines like the ones we were served. The Toscana that I enjoyed so much was over $30 a glass in Vintages, and even when I found it in my local wine store it was over $60 a bottle! Considering we were served 5 different wines, that's at least $90 in onboard pricing right there, considering that not one of the wines we were served would be an "average" wine found on the MDR menu or in the lower-priced section in Vintages; on land it would still have likely been at least $40 or $50 for the wines. And the food itself was easily a $125 affair if I had anything similar at a local land restaurant, keeping in mind that I'd likely have to travel to Manhattan or one of the more popular culinary hubs in northern NJ like Montclair, Ridgewood, or Morristown. For only $89, this meal was an absolute steal and one of the few true bargains I would argue you will find on board without buying a package of some sort. This is true fine dining and 
And don't feel that you can't bring your kids to this. I know I had asked about this months before my cruise and was told the same, but I want to just offer my own confirmation now. As long you have kids with an adventurous palate or who enjoy gourmet cooking, they'll be fine with this. And while they can't drink the wines offered, as I noted the meal alone is easily worth more than the price you're charged.
On the other hand, it also makes for one hell of a date night with your SO if you can arrange for the kids to be left at Adventure Ocean or the nursery.

Now, I am really looking forward to my 9-day Best of Japan cruise out of HK on May 16.  I got quite worried when I first started reading this thread.   :-)

I've heard they form very orderly queues at the Windjammer on the cruises out of HK too ?? ??

We arrived into San Juan a few minutes early.  Standard approach with views of Old San Juan on the left side of the plane.

New San Juan:


Off the plane a few minutes before noon.  Signs and a kiosk near baggage claim pointed to the Royal Caribbean transfer desk.  Checked luggage is accepted here and placed on a truck.  Have your luggage tags handy as you won't see you bags again until they are delivered to your stateroom.  I only had carry on and the bus isn't really set up for people with carry on luggage, requiring a seat be used for it. 
Rumors of a delayed embarkation, boarding apparently started at noon. A simple extension cord was confiscated.  Security was the most thorough that I've seen.  I had to argue to keep my cell phone charger but in the end they relented.  It's a European style that plugs into the euro power port on board leaving the North American outlet for other things.  They asked me if I was from Europe.  Sure, if I can keep my charger, yes, I am!  Ten minutes spent having them go through every layer of clothes in my carry on.  Despite that I was on board by 12:45pm. 
The escalators to the upper floor where the main gangway is located are broken so we boarded on the pier where you would normally would at a port of call.
It's 1:35pm and they just announced cabins are ready.  Time to check out my cabin!

It's been WAY too long since you've been on a cruise @twangster!  ?? Can't wait to read your blog. Safe travels ?

We used the spa on our Navigator cruise in 2016 and even though I had a voucher for $50 (won in the raffle!) We still found the prices to be WAY over-priced compared to land spas in the UK - you can get a whole spa day including a treatment and lunch, at a good quality spa, for a comparable price. 
Unfortunately we were both disappointed with the service and experience. We both had a hot stones massage. The treatment rooms were cramped and clinical - more like going to a salon at home rather than an expensive spa. The atmosphere was not relaxing. Despite paying for a 50min treatment, and following the advice to arrive early to go through pre-treatment paperwork/consultation "so you don't miss any treatment time", the massage itself was only about 30mins with an overly long 'consultation' at the start, which seemed more of a way to find out what other treatments they might be able to sell you, and a very hard-sell pitch at the end - not a relaxing end to a spa treatment. 
We both LOVE going for spa treatments and are willing to put our hands in our pockets for a good service but we didn't feel we got  that and won't be going again on our next cruise. 

I love seeing Royal Caribbean ships doing things like this...sorry for the image quality...basically, Navigator provided diesel to this sail boat in the open ocean when their rudder broke and weren't able to navigate by sail, but could using their motor. The problem was they were over 1000 nautical miles from shore.

Correct. If you're on the hibachi side, you can still order sushi from the a la carte menu.  

I would say that as soon as you see Izumi Hibachi in the CP, book it. I saw it in the CP about four months ago for a June sailing on Allure, and waited. The only remaining time was 9pm on embarkation day when I went to book it a month later. I will try to get it moved to a different time while on board, but I was surprised by that. You really have to be on your toes.

The sample menu can be confusing.  The PDF sample menu is from a ship that features Izumi Hot Rocks as opposed to the Hibachi (Teppanyaki).  On OA class in the Hibachi side of Izumi things like sushi rolls are extra (a la carte) but the $45 cover charge includes the Teppan choices of your typical Japanese steak house:


The chef we had on Allure was very good and funny.  One of the most enjoyable Teppanyaki experiences I've had even over some popular land based Japanese steak houses.  I don't do sushi (other than a few California rolls) but I'll do the Hibachi side any chance I get.
 

Royal is a business and for years people caused havoc by making bookings and then canceling or moving at 91 days out.  This was especially the case for NextCruise bookings where extra OBC was secured and it was common for people to move a booking three or four times, usually just before the 91 day final payment due date each time.  They ended up sailing sometimes  years after the original booking.
This created a volume of cabins all becoming available around the 90 day mark which impacted the ability to sell them in the final few months before  sail date.  The void created a sales dilemma often resulting in them having to dump cabins at cheap rates simply trying to fill the ships in a relatively short window.
There are two sides to this story. 
From a customer perspective it was great. Play the game and take advantage of a very generous policy that quite frankly didn't exist on other lines.
From a business perspective (lest we forget RCI is a for profit business) it was causing them to miss revenue potential.  No business likes to miss revenue potential.
As a business minded person I appreciate why they needed to change.  As a customer I may not like it, but I was used to it on another line.
Not be brash but if you want to leave over it, I say go.  Lower demand may lower prices for folks like me who are staying.  They are having record sales at the moment so that is unlikely but I can always dream and I appreciate your sacrifice for my potential benefit. 

@hayley_bopp, I cruise July 22 on Liberty and I figure my eDocs (With Luggage tags) will become available to me by around June 8th, documents I have read say 45-49 days before.
If you are in a Grand Suite or above you can request that they be mailed to you.

Yes, primarily because hibachi tends to sell out quickly. I'd pre-book to assure yourself of a spot.
With pre-booking an a la carte, I think you pre-pay the basic price of the meal, and then can optionally spend more once at the restaurant and pay difference.

You're early. They won't be available for you to print off until a couple of weeks before embarkation. They will be in the "cruise documentation" section and I believe they will be the last page or two. 

Look in your cruise docs. There will be a link there.

We don't sail until the beginning of June and I printed ours off during the last week. 
As I said look under your onlinr check in when it's completed. That is where ours were

@hayley_bopp Step by step to your luggage tags.
Log in. That should open to your Dashboard. Right under your reservation number there should be a link that says "Stateroom details & eDOCs". Click on that. IF your documents are ready yet, a pop up will appear. (Like @rjac said, it may be a little early.) That will show your stateroom number on top, names of people on the reservation on the left and on the right will be a link saying "eDoc1" Click on that. Scroll to the bottom----our luggage tag was on page 18 of 19. There will be just one tag there--print out as many as you need.  ENJOY YOUR CRUISE!!!