Adventure of the Seas 9 day cruise report

[Censored]

Just got off this ship leaving from Bayonne to Bermuda, St Maarten, Puerto Rico, and Labadee.  Driving to terminal  the parking lot was full to capacity and so they started making people drive about a half mile away to deserted warehouse lots . Then you had to walk a football field length to get to a bus to take you to the terminal.  They still made you pay full price ... you would think they would compensate for the added inconvenience of parking so far away!  Then you must wait in a long line to enter the terminal. Because I book suites I was able to bypass long lines thankfully.  The ship was at full capacity 3500 plus passengers, plus cruise staff, to which many are new and in training.  There are only 2  sections for elevators. and ALWAYS full with long waits. Many times you would have to go up to go down and vice versa.  Crazy.  45% of the passengers are first time cruisers I am told.  Diamond lounge was always full prior to dinner., even though there is no free happy hour drinks as Diamond status cruisers must now use their vouchers up to 5 per day. If you were unlucky enough to book "MY TIME dining you waited in very long lines ,,,,some up to 2 hours if you can believe that! Totally mismanaged...ALL WEEK. Horrible experience, which took many people to Windjammer, where in all my cruising life, was the worst tasteless food imaginable. SHLOP.  Very tough pork, overcooked chicken, burnt minute steaks,  wet and sloppy vegetables ,  prime rib roast  not served.  Only cheap tough substandard cuts.  Tried MDR for breakfast... as per usual, cold or luke warm food served. Never hot. never.  Soft cool toast, cold eggs benedict....  oh and no fresh squeezed orange juice! Why?  They ran out of oranges. Other fruits were "meh" ( to use Matt's language) . green bananas?   slightly pink watermelon, hard tasteless other melons.  The jello was good...lol.    Cakes...only one was great all week Strawberry shortcake.     Certain beers and liquors were also limited in supply.  The pools were packed every single day. Even though there is a "no reserve policy " on loungers, people would come at 6:00am and throw a towel or book to reserve it ALL DAY.  Even if they went on a excursion!  Nobody is policing this, nobody. I did not get a poolside lounger all week.  Hot tubs filled to capacity constantly .  Kids and kids with diapers...yes diapers.     Solaium pool also packed and hot tubs... I counted 19 people in one. ( hope those filters work well)     Line up all day for an ice cream cone....10 minutes or more.   Bars poolside 2-3 deep for a drink.   All the shows were lack lustre, as I assume lack of real good entertainment these days.  Comedy shows...nobody laughing .  The ice show was probably the best on board. , and one violinist group I was told was enjoyable if you like that sort of thing.  The casino was jammed packed nightly.  Lots of minors partying and drinking. Not playing. Just watching and being annoying.  Very small travel paths between slot machines, poor seating , very uncomfortable. Long waits for drinks, and smoke everywhere. Then there are the players on walkers and scooters trying to dominate their travel path...just simply not enough room! Casino host never to be found. Played enough to get another free cruise with $500 free play which I probably won't use.    Casino does not have enough newer machines. Oasis class ships have bigger and better casinos. Had to pay $40 extra because one port was Bermuda. What a ridiculous cash grab for Bermuda to make mandatory even if you are staying on board which i did.  It rained that day so all the excursions were cancelled, and many disgruntled passengers.  St Maarten was a nice day with a trip by water taxi ( avoid ticket line ups and go straight to the ferry and pay $7 round trip)   had a nice walk and shop. Ate a fantastic bb1 chicken and ribs right on the beach ( best meal all week)   Puerto Rico was hot humid, and would advise to not take waling tour in that heat.  Humidity was unbearable., and most people were drenched with sweat.  Lots of historic sights to see however.  2 hours of shop and walk and back to ship pool,,,,,, getting full very fast.    Labadee had a great swim.  Lunch was burgers and hot dogs. Same as on the ship. Enough already. Did not eat.  Tried some chicken... not edible.     The beach and water was great with a nice back drop of Haiti large hills . Very picturesque.   2 days at sea and on the way back... pools packed full. No loungers to be found.   Stayed in the suite most of the time and enjoyed the balcony...thank god I had that.   I have 4 more cruises booked with Royal going forward. If things dont improve , I am most likely to find a better fit like Celebrity Edge class.  If I need to bring family and grand kids, I shall still select Royal as that is what there focus is. Probably the most affordable family friendly cruise you can pick. I am at the stage of life where I want a little more quiet, and less brew ha ha. , and things I dont need or use like wall climbing, surfing, arcades, etc.  Some of us just want a nice clean spacious ship that serves very good food, decent entertainment,  fewer kids, minors,  large family groups, etc.    Because Celebrity costs more , I think you get a different class of people . I may be wrong, but I am going to try.  I also realize travelling in a post pandemic or during one, you should not set your expectations too high. I dont. , but this cruise was about the worst I have ever been on. 

  

 

[Moby Dick]

22 minutes ago, Eddy said:

Just got off this ship leaving from Bayonne to Bermuda, St Maarten, Puerto Rico, and Labadee.  Driving to terminal  the parking lot was full to capacity and so they started making people drive about a half mile away to deserted warehouse lots . Then you had to walk a football field length to get to a bus to take you to the terminal.  They still made you pay full price ... you would think they would compensate for the added inconvenience of parking so far away!  Then you must wait in a long line to enter the terminal. Because I book suites I was able to bypass long lines thankfully.  The ship was at full capacity 3500 plus passengers, plus cruise staff, to which many are new and in training.  There are only 2  sections for elevators. and ALWAYS full with long waits. Many times you would have to go up to go down and vice versa.  Crazy.  45% of the passengers are first time cruisers I am told.  Diamond lounge was always full prior to dinner., even though there is no free happy hour drinks as Diamond status cruisers must now use their vouchers up to 5 per day. If you were unlucky enough to book "MY TIME dining you waited in very long lines ,,,,some up to 2 hours if you can believe that! Totally mismanaged...ALL WEEK. Horrible experience, which took many people to Windjammer, where in all my cruising life, was the worst tasteless food imaginable. SHLOP.  Very tough pork, overcooked chicken, burnt minute steaks,  wet and sloppy vegetables ,  prime rib roast  not served.  Only cheap tough substandard cuts.  Tried MDR for breakfast... as per usual, cold or luke warm food served. Never hot. never.  Soft cool toast, cold eggs benedict....  oh and no fresh squeezed orange juice! Why?  They ran out of oranges. Other fruits were "meh" ( to use Matt's language) . green bananas?   slightly pink watermelon, hard tasteless other melons.  The jello was good...lol.    Cakes...only one was great all week Strawberry shortcake.     Certain beers and liquors were also limited in supply.  The pools were packed every single day. Even though there is a "no reserve policy " on loungers, people would come at 6:00am and throw a towel or book to reserve it ALL DAY.  Even if they went on a excursion!  Nobody is policing this, nobody. I did not get a poolside lounger all week.  Hot tubs filled to capacity constantly .  Kids and kids with diapers...yes diapers.     Solaium pool also packed and hot tubs... I counted 19 people in one. ( hope those filters work well)     Line up all day for an ice cream cone....10 minutes or more.   Bars poolside 2-3 deep for a drink.   All the shows were lack lustre, as I assume lack of real good entertainment these days.  Comedy shows...nobody laughing .  The ice show was probably the best on board. , and one violinist group I was told was enjoyable if you like that sort of thing.  The casino was jammed packed nightly.  Lots of minors partying and drinking. Not playing. Just watching and being annoying.  Very small travel paths between slot machines, poor seating , very uncomfortable. Long waits for drinks, and smoke everywhere. Then there are the players on walkers and scooters trying to dominate their travel path...just simply not enough room! Casino host never to be found. Played enough to get another free cruise with $500 free play which I probably won't use.    Casino does not have enough newer machines. Oasis class ships have bigger and better casinos. Had to pay $40 extra because one port was Bermuda. What a ridiculous cash grab for Bermuda to make mandatory even if you are staying on board which i did.  It rained that day so all the excursions were cancelled, and many disgruntled passengers.  St Maarten was a nice day with a trip by water taxi ( avoid ticket line ups and go straight to the ferry and pay $7 round trip)   had a nice walk and shop. Ate a fantastic bb1 chicken and ribs right on the beach ( best meal all week)   Puerto Rico was hot humid, and would advise to not take waling tour in that heat.  Humidity was unbearable., and most people were drenched with sweat.  Lots of historic sights to see however.  2 hours of shop and walk and back to ship pool,,,,,, getting full very fast.    Labadee had a great swim.  Lunch was burgers and hot dogs. Same as on the ship. Enough already. Did not eat.  Tried some chicken... not edible.     The beach and water was great with a nice back drop of Haiti large hills . Very picturesque.   2 days at sea and on the way back... pools packed full. No loungers to be found.   Stayed in the suite most of the time and enjoyed the balcony...thank god I had that.   I have 4 more cruises booked with Royal going forward. If things dont improve , I am most likely to find a better fit like Celebrity Edge class.  If I need to bring family and grand kids, I shall still select Royal as that is what there focus is. Probably the most affordable family friendly cruise you can pick. I am at the stage of life where I want a little more quiet, and less brew ha ha. , and things I dont need or use like wall climbing, surfing, arcades, etc.  Some of us just want a nice clean spacious ship that serves very good food, decent entertainment,  fewer kids, minors,  large family groups, etc.    Because Celebrity costs more , I think you get a different class of people . I may be wrong, but I am going to try.  I also realize travelling in a post pandemic or during one, you should not set your expectations too high. I dont. , but this cruise was about the worst I have ever been on. 

  

 

I certainly hope that most, if not all, of the negatives you report, which was a lot, are just growing pains after COVID lock downs.  If not, it will all catch-up to Royal.  At the prices of things these days, people will not accept substandard service, quality, and integrity, I hope anyway!  If I want that, I'll go back to Brand X or stop cruising.

I think we are really starting to see way too many reductions in many areas, suite benefits, crew standards, reductions in activities, cancelations, etc etc etc.  Royal is doing its best to smooth things over, but without much integrity involved.  But, I think the effort is making people realize what is really going on.  My opinion, they are trying to reduce their costs to make up for the lost revenue over the past couple of years and it is being done haphazardly and without thought of the impact to their reputation.  

[Censored]

10 minutes ago, Moby Dick said:

I certainly hope that most, if not all, of the negatives you report, which was a lot, are just growing pains after COVID lock downs.  If not, it will all catch-up to Royal.  At the prices of things these days, people will not accept substandard service, quality, and integrity, I hope anyway!  If I want that, I'll go back to Brand X or stop cruising.

I think we are really starting to see way too many reductions in many areas, suite benefits, crew standards, reductions in activities, cancelations, etc etc etc.  Royal is doing its best to smooth things over, but without much integrity involved.  But, I think the effort is making people realize what is really going on.  My opinion, they are trying to reduce their costs to make up for the lost revenue over the past couple of years and it is being done haphazardly and without thought of the impact to their reputation.  

Yes lots of negatives and too many more to mention. Not just me. I spoke with many crown and anchor members.  ALL very dissatisfied and disappointed .  I went to the crown and anchor rep to ask him, and he admitted many complaints have been filed. MANY.   The one good thing I can state is that most of the staff, remain friendly , cordial, and helpful.  Some old timers not so much... You can tell, they are frustrated too., and can do nothing about it.  Room steward, excellent. he always gets the biggest tip. 

[D Alt]

so you had fun? 

[nferr]

Cruised in the summer when the ship is full with kids, complaining about the weather, parking lot was full, etc, etc etc.  Jeez.

[Pattycruise]

It’s difficult to start a sailing with that surprise parking lot at Bayonne, been there find that..  

the casino set up on Adventure leaves a lot to be desired.  The narrow path between table players and the railing leads to being pushed and elbowed by passers by  im so thankful I go to need a wheelchair or  walker as it’s near impossible to navigate that casino without.

the pool staff can address the towel situation if you point out particular chairs  in violation   It took a near uprising on Oasis to get it done   But that ship is reportedly better on marking the chairs with a warning and  then following through with the removal of items.
 

As far as the food, I sailed Adventure the end of May and it was fantastic,  I can’t imagine what’s happened between now and then.

This is peak sailing season for kids.  I know it’s easy to forget that when ours are grown or if there’s a particular itinerary you are interested in.  Celebrity cruise line might be the one to go with for a different vibe. 

 

[Rackham]

1 hour ago, nferr said:

Cruised in the summer when the ship is full with kids, complaining about the weather, parking lot was full, etc, etc etc.  Jeez.

To be fair, the parking situation needs to be drastically improved at Cape Liberty. When I was there last month, it took approximately 30 minutes to park at the terminal as they had us either waiting in lines to enter a lot or circling the terminal area to reach parking they had closed off previously.

Also had a similar experience with My Time Dining (which I was involuntarily assigned after check-in; booked traditional late*). Reserved an 8:00pm slot for My Time on Day 1, then after waiting 20ish minutes in line, with at least another 20-30 minutes to go before dinner, decided the Windjammer beckons. Didn't step foot inside the MDR on that sailing.

Full notes from the voyage for the curious (since I'm not live blogging when I should be living it):

* I'm sailing OPs itinerary in a few days, but this go around I'll have a printed copy of the ticketing booklet with me. Royal does the Traditional to My Time switcharoo again, and I'll be politely requesting a switch back after boarding. Should they not be able to honor my Traditional request, I'm already setup to timestamp the relevant parts of my dinning experience (when I entered the My Time line, when I was seated, when I left the MDR) and will be voicing my displeasure with hard data; assuming they haven't managed to get the situation right-sided. Totally not holding my breath though.

 

Edited July 4, 2022 by Rackham
Dinning to Dining

[Paid4c4]

This report is some what upsetting as we are on the same ship and itinerary leaving on August 18th, 2022.  I'm hoping there will be enough schools back in session to make for a little less crowd.  We were on the ExOS in March and found it to be great. I can only between now and August 18th RCCL works out some of the aforementioned problems.  Many of us have been royal to RCCL but at their current prices some of the all inclusive premier lines aren't much different in cost.  When added to the fact many of us more mature cruisers could care less about surfing, flumes, zip lines or bumper cars.  

[VeronicaS1970]

37 minutes ago, Paid4c4 said:

This report is some what upsetting as we are on the same ship and itinerary leaving on August 18th, 2022.  I'm hoping there will be enough schools back in session to make for a little less crowd.  We were on the ExOS in March and found it to be great. I can only between now and August 18th RCCL works out some of the aforementioned problems.  Many of us have been royal to RCCL but at their current prices some of the all inclusive premier lines aren't much different in cost.  When added to the fact many of us more mature cruisers could care less about surfing, flumes, zip lines or bumper cars.  

We too are on the 8/18 sailing. We knew sailing during the summer could be troublesome with capacity and amount of kids, but as this trip is a celebration of graduation, birthday and anniversary, it's what it is. 

We have never been on Adventure, part of why we booked it. For us, it is more go with the flow. We won't be using the Diamond lounge as DD and FIL are emerald and gold, and honestly I much prefer getting drinks whenever/wherever we choose. 

We are looking forward to this trip, likely our last "family" vacation so we will make the best of whatever comes our way.

[Moby Dick]

10 minutes ago, VeronicaS1970 said:

We too are on the 8/18 sailing. We knew sailing during the summer could be troublesome with capacity and amount of kids, but as this trip is a celebration of graduation, birthday and anniversary, it's what it is. 

We have never been on Adventure, part of why we booked it. For us, it is more go with the flow. We won't be using the Diamond lounge as DD and FIL are emerald and gold, and honestly I much prefer getting drinks whenever/wherever we choose. 

We are looking forward to this trip, likely our last "family" vacation so we will make the best of whatever comes our way.

One thing that I have found over the last couple decades of cruising is that you can not really judge one cruise against another, even same ship, same itinerary.  If my sailing this week was great and fantastic, next weeks may really suck for various reasons.  Crews change, suppliers change, weather changes, people get sick, mechanical items break, ..........  A ship is kinda like a living breathing thing.  Total consistency is a goal but a goal that will never be met.  It's the nature of the beast.  One more thing that is the "Nature of the Beach", people will bitch.  Me being one of them. 

[Censored]

7 hours ago, D Alt said:

so you had fun? 

Depends how you define "fun".  Amusement? Enjoyment?   NO.    Rest and relaxation in my suite...yes.   Watching sunsets , drinking fine wine yes.  Having intriguing conversations with some interesting  cruisers at various bars...yes.  

[Censored]

2 hours ago, nferr said:

Cruised in the summer when the ship is full with kids, complaining about the weather, parking lot was full, etc, etc etc.  Jeez.

its a report of my genuine findings.  Summer officially starts June 21,  my cruise started on the 23.  Schools normally end , end of June.  Ya I took a chance knowing this. Weather was great all week except for rain day Bermuda, and walking in humidity downtown Puerto Rico not advised. Jeez.  

[Moby Dick]

I don't care what time of the year it is, if the kids are in school or not, infrastructure should be able to handle maximum capacity.  Until the COVID debacle, Royal, et el, was proud of the fact they always sail at capacity.  Infrastructure hasn't changed.  So, they weren't capable of handling things efficiently, for the customers, before the debacle and after the debacle in many locations.  No matter what time of the year, kids in school or not, I, for one, like good honest reviews, and I think the OP presented one of them.  Why?  Because I've experienced some of those issues myself (pre and post debacle) and/or I've read about them, more than once, in here or other social media sites.  

I will say that the new terminal and parking garage, they're attached, in the Port of Miami is as close to perfect as it gets.  I'm concerned that the new terminal in Galveston will fall short with the parking situation.  I hope I'm wrong with that as I'm cruising out of Galveston in Jan 2024 and the new terminal should be done by then.

[Ampurp85]

I find that I am much more disappointed when it comes to smaller ships. But I am beginning to wonder how much the restart plays into the negative problems we are currently facing. Not just the supply and staffing issues but all things as a whole. Before the restart RCG could pack the ships at 120% and people would be satisfied. During the restart you had the same amount of crew with 20-50% of the guest and the crew had less to do and more time to do it. Now you are back in the swing of things, but you might be short a person or two or, God forbid, new and can't handle everything. We all know people have become more entitled and less understanding. So that "entitled" person makes it hard for someone like OP to get what they need and do what they want. My expectation for a cruise is to relax, gamble and enjoy my food. If the food is bad and I can't get in the casino, you best believe they will hear about it. I am glad the OP was honest; I can't say any of my cruises since the restart have been without fault, but I did make the most of it. Sometimes when you think about the money spent versus the product, that silver lining becomes a grey cloud. 

[Censored]

7 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

I find that I am much more disappointed when it comes to smaller ships. But I am beginning to wonder how much the restart plays into the negative problems we are currently facing. Not just the supply and staffing issues but all things as a whole. Before the restart RCG could pack the ships at 120% and people would be satisfied. During the restart you had the same amount of crew with 20-50% of the guest and the crew had less to do and more time to do it. Now you are back in the swing of things, but you might be short a person or two or, God forbid, new and can't handle everything. We all know people have become more entitled and less understanding. So that "entitled" person makes it hard for someone like OP to get what they need and do what they want. My expectation for a cruise is to relax, gamble and enjoy my food. If the food is bad and I can't get in the casino, you best believe they will hear about it. I am glad the OP was honest; I can't say any of my cruises since the restart have been without fault, but I did make the most of it. Sometimes when you think about the money spent versus the product, that silver lining becomes a grey cloud. 

I spend thousands. Signature status and my wife. More than most cruisers.  I understand entitlement issues. I stated that I do not get my expectations too high during this season of cruising.  From what I am hearing  from other cruisers on other brands of ships, Royal is simply not up to speed in comparison. The ongoing experiences at Bayonne terminal is unacceptable . I do not think it is owned by 
Royal either. What a horrible way to start a cruise sitting in a car in line firstly to simply drop off luggage, then to be directed to an off site parking field, walk a football field length to a commuter bus to be taken to the terminal to now start yet another line. Paying full premium prices.  Is it better than flying? Who knows. The airports are a disaster as far as I can tell too.   I wish the off site site parking on hook rd would reopen.  It was great and cost far less. Very efficient. 

[ChessE4]

I have found a lot of the "crowd problem" is timing.  On our recent cruise (90% full), the pools were packed at certain afternoon hours, but largely emptied out by supper time.  Since we ended up with late dinners in MTD, we could have enjoyed the pool easily while everyone else was having cocktails, and the temperature was still nice (80's).  For the casino, I randomly gambled in early afternoon when there was little action in the casino and very little smoke.  That works for slots, although I admit the table games have somewhat different hours.  Still, I saw the blackjack single deck table vacant much of the time ($10 minimum).  Likely, some ports are easier to sail out of than others, but to really enjoy a cruise ship or a theme park, the travel guides do suggest watching your daily schedule -- don't do what everyone else is doing at a particular time.  We had no trouble finding tables for breakfast in Windjammer, but we made it a point to get there before 8 AM.  Disappointing cruises are certainly disappointing, but how we view our opportunities is a contributing factor to our pleasure in any aspect of life.

[Censored]

1 hour ago, ChessE4 said:

I have found a lot of the "crowd problem" is timing.  On our recent cruise (90% full), the pools were packed at certain afternoon hours, but largely emptied out by supper time.  Since we ended up with late dinners in MTD, we could have enjoyed the pool easily while everyone else was having cocktails, and the temperature was still nice (80's).  For the casino, I randomly gambled in early afternoon when there was little action in the casino and very little smoke.  That works for slots, although I admit the table games have somewhat different hours.  Still, I saw the blackjack single deck table vacant much of the time ($10 minimum).  Likely, some ports are easier to sale out of than others, but to really enjoy a cruise ship or a theme park, the travel guides do suggest watching your daily schedule -- don't do what everyone else is doing at a particular time.  We had no trouble finding tables for breakfast in Windjammer, but we made it a point to get there before 8 AM.  Disappointing cruises are certainly disappointing, but how we view our opportunities is a contributing factor to our pleasure in any aspect of life.

You raise valid points. So you live your cruise life to circumvent the natural order of process?    I checked both 7:00pm and 8:pm lines at MDR. both had lines up to 100ft.  Pool? I like to use it whilst the sun is out, not at dusk. Gambling is typically a social evening thing.  Yes you can go in the early afternoon but for me not ideal.   Going forward, for me the answer is to simply find a better fit cruise brand that suits my needs. If that means spending more $$$  so be it. 

[Moby Dick]

5 hours ago, Eddy said:

You raise valid points. So you live your cruise life to circumvent the natural order of process?    I checked both 7:00pm and 8:pm lines at MDR. both had lines up to 100ft.  Pool? I like to use it whilst the sun is out, not at dusk. Gambling is typically a social evening thing.  Yes you can go in the early afternoon but for me not ideal.   Going forward, for me the answer is to simply find a better fit cruise brand that suits my needs. If that means spending more $$$  so be it. 

While I've supported just about everything you have said in this thread, I really don't think the answer is to change brands.  Yes, it's your decision and I'd respect it (not that you need or want my approval, I'm just a cog in the wheel).  However, I think most of the issues going on with Royal aren't unique to Royal.  I'd bet that even the "luxury" cruise lines are having their own set of growing back to pre-debacle standards.  AND most cruise lines actually share the same ports and in some cases, the same terminals.  Hence, the same landside issues.  Most cruise lines don't own the terminals (even though they may have paid to have them built, with long term leases) and they are at the mercy of the Port Authority or other local governmental authority.  They're tenants of the landlords, some landlords are responsive to their tenants while others are slumlords.  My opinion, pier 91 fits into that category, slumlord.  Cape Liberty may be the same.  It seem like there is a new terminal and garage but a parking garage was not built to handle arriving and departing passengers at the same time. 

I hope you find what you are looking for.  I'm personally going to give Royal (and I'd do that for what ever cruise line I'm loyal to, today) about another 3 to 6 months to get back to it's original self.  Although many call whatever we are in today the "new normal", I don't accept that.  I think the vast majority of us are trying our hardest to get back to the "real normal".  We'll see!

BTW, my use of the term "debacle" isn't restricted to the COVID Pandemic, it's also all the ancillary issues that came with it and/or that came as a result of it, supply chain issues and staffing being just two of them.

[Paid4c4]

7 hours ago, Eddy said:

You raise valid points. So you live your cruise life to circumvent the natural order of process?    I checked both 7:00pm and 8:pm lines at MDR. both had lines up to 100ft.  Pool? I like to use it whilst the sun is out, not at dusk. Gambling is typically a social evening thing.  Yes you can go in the early afternoon but for me not ideal.   Going forward, for me the answer is to simply find a better fit cruise brand that suits my needs. If that means spending more $$$  so be it. 

I just wanted to say thank you to Eddy for the report on Adventure of the Seas.  I found it useful and has enabled me to change from MDT to the MDR.  Based on the reports regarding MDT on almost all RCCL ships MDR seems to be providing a better dinning experience.  We had already purchased the three specialty dinner package to round out our evening meals.  I'll report our findings at the end of our cruise.

Bill

[CTKaren]

We too were on the 6/14-6/18 sailing. Since 2016 this is our 7th Royal cruise. I found the ship disappointing also. We booked very last minute and only were able to get an interior cabin. I was ok with this, I have stayed in interior cabins and they were ok. I have never seen a cabin this small. The bed was blocked by a bureau on one side and the sofa on the other. So we had to shimmy down to get out and go on our knees to get in. Plus the mattress was rock hard. Mind you we are in our mid 60's with normal aches and pains. We had the room steward separate the beds on day 2. The food in the MDR was average at best. Our best meal by far was the Taste of Royal. Amazing. We also did Chops for lunch and that was good as well as Giovanni's for dinner and that was very good. It took over 1 hour to get on the ship. We were there at our designated time but no one ever checked on this. 

I did not use the parking lot so no input on that. 

We are going on Oasis in a month. I am pretty sure we will have better luck on that ship.

[Censored]

14 hours ago, Paid4c4 said:

I just wanted to say thank you to Eddy for the report on Adventure of the Seas.  I found it useful and has enabled me to change from MDT to the MDR.  Based on the reports regarding MDT on almost all RCCL ships MDR seems to be providing a better dinning experience.  We had already purchased the three specialty dinner package to round out our evening meals.  I'll report our findings at the end of our cruise.

Bill

Just to make sure in case of any confusion,  MY TIME DINING is the one to avoid.  Traditional Dining ( early or late times) are the ones to book. No line ups there.  

[Censored]

14 hours ago, Paid4c4 said:

I just wanted to say thank you to Eddy for the report on Adventure of the Seas.  I found it useful and has enabled me to change from MDT to the MDR.  Based on the reports regarding MDT on almost all RCCL ships MDR seems to be providing a better dinning experience.  We had already purchased the three specialty dinner package to round out our evening meals.  I'll report our findings at the end of our cruise.

Bill

 

13 hours ago, CTKaren said:

We too were on the 6/14-6/18 sailing. Since 2016 this is our 7th Royal cruise. I found the ship disappointing also. We booked very last minute and only were able to get an interior cabin. I was ok with this, I have stayed in interior cabins and they were ok. I have never seen a cabin this small. The bed was blocked by a bureau on one side and the sofa on the other. So we had to shimmy down to get out and go on our knees to get in. Plus the mattress was rock hard. Mind you we are in our mid 60's with normal aches and pains. We had the room steward separate the beds on day 2. The food in the MDR was average at best. Our best meal by far was the Taste of Royal. Amazing. We also did Chops for lunch and that was good as well as Giovanni's for dinner and that was very good. It took over 1 hour to get on the ship. We were there at our designated time but no one ever checked on this. 

I did not use the parking lot so no input on that. 

We are going on Oasis in a month. I am pretty sure we will have better luck on that ship.

I was on Oasis about a month ago or so. Disappointing too, but not nearly as bad as Adventure.  Terminal issues again BAD. No aqua shows, and limited headliner shows.   When I take a stroll throughout the ship and see numerous people on loungers sleeping, Im wondering if these are the people who have booked inside cabins? Makes sense as who wants to be cooped up in a closet all day? ,even for a nap.  Never ceases to amaze me of the early bird  lounge reservers throwing a towel or book to keep it all day.

[CTKaren]

2 hours ago, Eddy said:

 

I was on Oasis about a month ago or so. Disappointing too, but not nearly as bad as Adventure.  Terminal issues again BAD. No aqua shows, and limited headliner shows.   When I take a stroll throughout the ship and see numerous people on loungers sleeping, Im wondering if these are the people who have booked inside cabins? Makes sense as who wants to be cooped up in a closet all day? ,even for a nap.  Never ceases to amaze me of the early bird  lounge reservers throwing a towel or book to keep it all day.

I have been in both types of cabins, balcony and inside. Of course, the balcony cabin is much better. However, I truly don't mind the inside cabins either if need be. We are not in them a whole lot. It was just this one incident that was not good. On Oasis I will be in a balcony. There will be three of us so it will be nice to have the extra room. 

We don't use the pools and rarely use the loungers. But I do have to admit, it is frustrating when you just want to relax in one for 15-30 minutes and there is none to be had. 

[nferr]

I'm not a pool person so I don't care about finding a lounger right near the pool. No matter how crowded I've always found one somewhere up above and it's usually way quieter.  That said I really think they need to enforce the no reserving loungers. It's ridiculous that people throw a towel or sandal on a chair early in the morning and expect it to be reserved all day even if they're gone for hours. It's not rocket science, shouldn't be that hard to enforce.

[Sushitex]

11 hours ago, Eddy said:

 

I was on Oasis about a month ago or so. Disappointing too, but not nearly as bad as Adventure.  Terminal issues again BAD. No aqua shows, and limited headliner shows.   When I take a stroll throughout the ship and see numerous people on loungers sleeping, Im wondering if these are the people who have booked inside cabins? Makes sense as who wants to be cooped up in a closet all day? ,even for a nap.  Never ceases to amaze me of the early bird  lounge reservers throwing a towel or book to keep it all day.

I have been on both ships as well, and hubby and I actually prefer the Adventure as a whole. We have been on the Adventure for 8 cruises ( hubby has 9, actually.)  While the Oasis is a beautiful ship, we found the crew on the Adventure to be much friendlier. True, no Aqua Show, but their Production Shows at least made sense. We were recently disappointed in the Starwater show on the Quantum of the Seas, a much larger ship. It was indeed a marvel in technology, but there was no cohesion between each song and dance, and no plot as well, I’m sorry to say. The Oasis is also saddled with (by a long- term contract) the infamous “Cats.” 

As for the inside cabins, since hubby and I receive either discounted or comped cruises via Club Royale - yes, we’re lowly Prime -  we have no problem staying  in the interior rooms that we’re offered. We are usually out and about the ship anyway. Who wants to be cooped up in a cabin all day, no matter what the size? Might as well stay home, eh?  BTW, we very rarely frequent the pools or hot tubs and certainly not the loungers (just not our way to relax.) 

We have never sailed out of Cape Liberty. We sailed on the Oasis out of Miami and on the Adventure out of Galveston. In fact, I’m looking forward to Adventure’s return to Galveston in November - we have already booked 2 cruises on her. But so far, Galveston ‘s terminal has been definitely acceptable, as was the terminal in Miami. 
 

Maybe it is time for you to try other cruise lines. It sounds like you might be much happier since the grass is so much greener there, lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Censored]

As signature Diamond Plus members, we will most likely do the odd cruise with Royal now and then , but will be very selective on the particular ship and port.  The layout in the casino on Adventure is a poor design. Most will agree to that.  If you only gamble during slow times like mid afternoon, then it works as far as avoiding crowding.  Like I stated in other posts, we dont need water slides, wall climbing surfing, etc, so yes  I am looking at Celebrity Edge class for a better quality cruise which would include the cuisine offered.   Celebrity will also give me an "Elite" status as well which is a nice added benefit.  Other than the casino, I like the overall layout of Adventure, and the more classic cruise feel.  The suite I had was excellent and spent much time there.   As far as inside cabins go, I could understand using one maybe for a short sailing. Otherwise they are just claustrophobic IMO. You are already going to spend thousands on a one week or more cruise,... so why not spend a little more and enjoy the wonderful ocean views at various times of the day?  Sunrise, sunset sitting on the balcony is my favourite. small living spaces can affect people psychologically if they're not used to it. After all, it's called “cabin fever” for a reason.

[leesam82]

On 7/4/2022 at 6:20 PM, Moby Dick said:

One thing that I have found over the last couple decades of cruising is that you can not really judge one cruise against another, even same ship, same itinerary.  If my sailing this week was great and fantastic, next weeks may really suck for various reasons.  Crews change, suppliers change, weather changes, people get sick, mechanical items break, ..........  A ship is kinda like a living breathing thing.  Total consistency is a goal but a goal that will never be met.  It's the nature of the beast.  One more thing that is the "Nature of the Beach", people will bitch.  Me being one of them. 

I do agree with this. Is that there are so many factors that can play into how enjoyable a sailing is. I know for myself, passenger make up can be a huge factor. I know I sound like a grumpy old man but when there is a high percentage of annoying passengers onboard, it takes away from the experience. So I go into every cruise with an open mind as much as I can and try to enjoy myself as much as I can. I will say the deluxe drink package helps . I don't remember who said this quote, but don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Plus overall I would say to each their own. This is why I think is so important for cruisers to do as much research as possible before going. Make sure that one is ok with an imperfect experience.  

[VeronicaS1970]

On 7/6/2022 at 6:22 AM, Eddy said:

 

I was on Oasis about a month ago or so. Disappointing too, but not nearly as bad as Adventure.  Terminal issues again BAD. No aqua shows, and limited headliner shows.   When I take a stroll throughout the ship and see numerous people on loungers sleeping, Im wondering if these are the people who have booked inside cabins? Makes sense as who wants to be cooped up in a closet all day? ,even for a nap.  Never ceases to amaze me of the early bird  lounge reservers throwing a towel or book to keep it all day.

What is wrong with sleeping on a lounger? I have been known to take a nap while in mine. Mind you, we do not take loungers right next to the pool, but somewhere in the shade and quieter. We spend most of sea days in the Solarium in loungers. We go in the pool and hot tub, go back to the chairs and read, play games, watch movies etc. We chat with others and people watch. 

BTW, we book balcony and above, so yes I could stay in my cabin,but choose not to. 

[teddy]

14 minutes ago, VeronicaS1970 said:

What is wrong with sleeping on a lounger? I have been known to take a nap while in mine. Mind you, we do not take loungers right next to the pool, but somewhere in the shade and quieter. We spend most of sea days in the Solarium in loungers. We go in the pool and hot tub, go back to the chairs and read, play games, watch movies etc. We chat with others and people watch. 

BTW, we book balcony and above, so yes I could stay in my cabin,but choose not to. 

Yup.  I fall asleep all the time in the Solarium.  As a matter of fact, our days sound a lot like yours  

The only time I truly do nothing is on a cruise…..even when I take a work vacation and stay home, there are dozens of things I need to get done around the house….and if we go to our off grid place, the to-do list multiplies.
 

So when you see someone sleeping in a lounge chair, remember that it could be someone like me….someone who is exhausted from their daily grind and is living their best cruise life   

 

 

[Censored]

1 hour ago, VeronicaS1970 said:

What is wrong with sleeping on a lounger? I have been known to take a nap while in mine. Mind you, we do not take loungers right next to the pool, but somewhere in the shade and quieter. We spend most of sea days in the Solarium in loungers. We go in the pool and hot tub, go back to the chairs and read, play games, watch movies etc. We chat with others and people watch. 

BTW, we book balcony and above, so yes I could stay in my cabin,but choose not to. 

Nothing wrong with sleeping on a lounger. I never said anything was wrong.  Knock yourself out...sleep. 

[Censored]

On 7/6/2022 at 5:31 PM, Sushitex said:

I have been on both ships as well, and hubby and I actually prefer the Adventure as a whole. We have been on the Adventure for 8 cruises ( hubby has 9, actually.)  While the Oasis is a beautiful ship, we found the crew on the Adventure to be much friendlier. True, no Aqua Show, but their Production Shows at least made sense. We were recently disappointed in the Starwater show on the Quantum of the Seas, a much larger ship. It was indeed a marvel in technology, but there was no cohesion between each song and dance, and no plot as well, I’m sorry to say. The Oasis is also saddled with (by a long- term contract) the infamous “Cats.” 

As for the inside cabins, since hubby and I receive either discounted or comped cruises via Club Royale - yes, we’re lowly Prime -  we have no problem staying  in the interior rooms that we’re offered. We are usually out and about the ship anyway. Who wants to be cooped up in a cabin all day, no matter what the size? Might as well stay home, eh?  BTW, we very rarely frequent the pools or hot tubs and certainly not the loungers (just not our way to relax.) 

We have never sailed out of Cape Liberty. We sailed on the Oasis out of Miami and on the Adventure out of Galveston. In fact, I’m looking forward to Adventure’s return to Galveston in November - we have already booked 2 cruises on her. But so far, Galveston ‘s terminal has been definitely acceptable, as was the terminal in Miami. 
 

Maybe it is time for you to try other cruise lines. It sounds like you might be much happier since the grass is so much greener there, lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staff on Adventure friendlier?  One thing I can say is that on all my cruises, I have found every single interaction with staff to be a positive friendly one.  To say that one ship has more "friendlier" staff......only lends one to think that because  like the TV show "CHEERS"   everybody knows your name, and thus they are friendlier!  LOL     Cheers!