Adventure of the Seas Review

4.0 / 5.0
2,220 reviews

Bad First Impression

Review for the Southern Caribbean Cruise on Adventure of the Seas
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greenscooter
First Time Cruiser • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Dec 2009

We have cruised out of PR and never had any problems with embarkation until this cruise. We arrived at the port well after the supposed "peak boarding times" and still had to wait in line for well over an hour. The worst part was having to carry and haul our own luggage through that line. The Royal Caribbean Reps were not helpful with any information or questions we asked. After hauling our own luggage through the line and lifting it to be placed in the bins, a porter asked us for a tip. It didn't end there: We then, had to stand in yet another long line to get our sea pass cards. The whole process took well over 2 hours. By the time we boarded, they were calling for everyone to get to their muster stations. Here, we got to stand in the drizzling rain with no cover for 45 minutes. Following that, an announcement for food at the Windjammer Cafe. Once again, we got to wait for 35 minutes in a mass crowd of people pushing, shoving, and yelling. Royal Caribbean decided to make the entrance even more crowded by placing tables and reps outside the doors selling their gear and soda cards. It was sheer chaos!!! The ship was beautiful and well maintained; but too large and crowded for our tastes. Thankfully, we had a balcony to escape from the crowds. A few days on board the Windjammer Cafe was so crowded that people were walking around with plates of food and nowhere to sit and eat. I think this is why so many dishes were piled up in the hallways all week. People had to escape to their cabins just to have somewhere to sit and eat. Our dining experience: We were seated with people who could not speak any English; so, it was very uncomfortable for all of us at the table. We requested a table change and were told none was available. We opted to eat in the Windjammer Cafe the rest of the week. The sixth day of the cruise, the Dining Room attendant called to change our table. We agreed to return to the dining room only to spend 20 minutes of the wait staff arguing over where to seat us. We were taken to 2 different dining rooms; then, seated at a wobbly table next to the clean-up area were the wait staff constantly hit my chair while emptying dirty dishes into the dish bins. We got a drink, it took the dining room attendant literally 40-minutes to return with our sea pass cards. We opted for pre-paid gratuities and were really peeved to learn that Royal Caribbean does not allow for any adjustments on pre-paid gratuities. So, we essentially paid the dining staff gratuities for an entire week of services not used--somehow this seems totally wrong. Shore excursions: We found the staff at the desk to be very unhelpful and unable to answer any questions we had concerning the ports of call. Thankfully, we had booked some excursions on our own. Royal Promenade: Stores are very limited. Carnival has a much better selection of stores and merchandise available. This area is always crowded; although there is a cafe available for snacks, there is never anywhere to sit. The cabin attendants were the best we ever encountered on any cruise. They were courteous, polite, prompt, and willing to do anything you requested. Also, we were never given the on board-credit we were to receive when we booked the cruise. We talked to the front desk several times. We were told they would "look into it and get back to us." They never got back to us. By weeks end, we were tired of asking and just wrote it off. Overall, Royal Caribbean really feel short of our expectations when comparing them to other cruises we have been on. True or not, we did tire of listening to fellow passengers brag all week about how "cheap" they got their cabins. We were told that Royal Caribbean discounts cabins to locals to fill their rooms. Great for business; but, not so great for those of us who paid full price. The debarkation process was smooth and efficient. Would I sail on Royal Caribbean again? Maybe; but, definitely during a different week when locals were not on holiday break and definitely on a smaller ship.

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