None of the tours quite fit our to-do list so we went on our own. Wandered over to the cable car with a stop for lunch along the way. Up to Monte, walked around, took in the view, watched the wicker baskets being launched down the steep street, then rode back down the cable car. Found a taxi driver, negotiated a price with him for the rest of the day. Over to Camera de Lobos for wandering and photos, then up to an overlook, a stop at a cafe for a glass of madeira, and back to the ship. That excursion was about 4 hours (the taxi portion of it), cost about $60 if I recall correctly, quite a bit less than an organized tour.My only issue with this visits that my wife now wants to return there for a week or two and I would rather go on a safari in Africa. Maybe both will be in our future.

Madeira (Funchal)

We spent a week here a few years ago, no need for an organized tour. We had a leisurely day along the promenade and Front Street, a good lunch on the promenade. Good people, pleasant atmosphere. It is a shame that they have created a sterile shopping mall at the post exit; I suspect that too many people get stuck in the fancy upscale stores and never see the island at all. Except maybe through the window of their bus.

St. Maarten

Last time here (after a 7-day cruise) we took a tour to the rainforest (marginal value - too much driving, not enough time at the destination), then a couple of days later did a Foodie Tour around Old San Juan. That was great! This time we again stayed over for 3 days at the end of the cruise, walked the streets of Old San Juan, visited and revisited the forts, shopped, sat in the cafés and watched the people... I am already settled into retirement with no intention of moving, but if I had found Old San Juan 10 years ago, I might have retired there instead. Just a delightful place to spend time.

San Juan

Great tour! Air conditioned bus ride across the island on very narrow winding roads. Good careful driving, good commentary by the tour guide along the way. Well chosen stops with enough time to take pictures, eat the offered snacks, visit the churches, etc. They fit quite a bit into the 4 hours without making it feel as though we were rushed. After the tour there was plenty of time to wander around the older section of Tenerife: pedestrian streets, nice shops, nice café's. As with Madeira, a place we would be happy to come back to for an extended period.

Same thing as above. We had been here before, had done the train trip (and thoroughly enjoyed it). Didn't see any tours from the ship that met our to-do list; all spent way too much time at one beach or another. So I got some suggestions (on this site?), did some on-line search, and found Royston. Royston's cousin Ashton gave a van full of us a good drive around the island with good photo stops, scenic views, history, batik, etc. At the end, after a good lunch, he dropped off those who wanted to stay at a beach, took the rest of us back to the port to enjoy the rest of the afternoon in the town.

We had been here before, had done the train trip (and thoroughly enjoyed it). Didn't see any tours from the ship that met our to-do list; all spent way too much time at one beach or another. So I got some suggestions (on this site?), did some on-line search, and found Royston. Royston's cousin Ashton gave a van full of us a good drive around the island with good photo stops, scenic views, history, batik, etc. At the end, after a good lunch, he dropped off those who wanted to stay at a beach, took the rest of us back to the port to enjoy the rest of the afternoon in the town.

A super trip, with one exception. An open tour "bus"/truck and a van hauled 29 of us over to the marina on the other side of the island where we loaded onto a catamaran, sailed to St. Johns, snorkeled, sailed back (with rum punch, champagne etc for those who wanted it), then drove back to the port. All was wonderful and could not have been better except that in the morning at the port the driver of the open bus/truck vehicle: a) loaded 25 of us onto the 20-person vehicle, b) realized that he couldn't get the other four onboard, and then c) called in a 9-person van for those four people. All of this over a 20-25 minute period with no explanation of what he was doing, when we would be going etc. No mention of how long the drive would be, no commentary along the way. I am not sure if he was incompetent or just a total jerk. Fortunately everyone else (the cat crew) were super in all respects and took care of us very well. I would do this trip again but I might just take a taxi over to the marina the next time.

We had a similar cabin on our first time on the ship 18 months earlier. I am still amazed at how much storage space there is, hardly anything had to stay in the suitcase under the bed, I think I only had to swap stuff in and out of my "back-up storage" suitcase one time. Everything good, no complaints. If there had been any issues, Lynnwould have taken care of it.

If this is true, I will not be back on this line.The embarkation process, predictably and understandably, was somewhat chaotic and involved lots of line-standing.

Adventure of the Seas Review

Even better than expected!

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Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony

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