My family of five (three sons, 20, 16, 14), my husband and myself went on the July 4-11 Southern Caribbean cruise, and stayed in Puerto Rico pre and post cruise. This was our 4th or 5th cruise, and the first time on Royal Caribbean. (Unfortunately, also the last).

Upfront, I will say that we had one major problem which overshadowed the whole trip and our experience while onboard the ship: My14-year-old and has Down syndrome. He is a sweet boy and fairly independent but could never navigate around a ship such as this one on his own. We were told in advance via RC customer support to talk to the Adventure Ocean mgr and they would "work with us" so that he could participate. When we boarded we did just that, but they would not let him be in a younger group than his chronological age despite his mental delay and the fact that he needed to be in the next youngest room so he could be safely signed in and out, not just come and go as the teens do. We tried the manager and guest services, they flatly refused. We were frustrated and saddened, and our son had to go with us to shows and bars that he did not enjoy all the time on the ship. In this day and age, when we are accustomed to inclusion and accommodation by so many companies, we were really surprised at RC's stance and complete lack of service. No alternative or suggestion was given, except to pay for "babysitting," but since it was "last minute" they could not provide that (and our son is too active to be with a babysitter in his room).

The best part of the cruise for us on the ship was the delightful dining staff; no request was too small. My family mostly enjoyed the interactive activities such as games, contests, and the on board pianist in the piano bar. Adventure of the Seas is very large and seems to have everything you would expect (except the lack of flexibility in working with special needs). The Promenade was nice but on board shopping - not so much. Read more