Overall it was a good experience, I would not take Adventure of the Seas again, but maybe a much nicer newer ship in the future. I think when I took my first cruise it was only 3 days so this time I was able to experience a much longer time on the ship and it was a different ship. I took Carnival which seemed to be much more of a party ship and RCCL seemed more laid back in terms of entertainment. Carnival has much better comics for their comedy show as well.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
It was very hot where we had to check in to get on the boat, very humid and muggy but the representative was very nice and did a great job getting us in as quickly as possible. I hate those annoying pictures but I guess they're to be expected on a cruise ship. My husband and I wished we were able to just take our luggage onto the boat ourselves because my luggage for some reason had to be checked and they took off the luggage tag so my bag could not be identified which was a bummer so I had nothing to wear and had to use the rooms soap to take a shower until I was able to find my luggage later that night.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
The food was great, we loved all the different varieties that the ship offered, however, I wish that had more options for people who are gluten-free/vegan etc. especially for dessert time. I just ate a bunch of fruit which isn't bad but I would have preferred a better variety.
Main Dining Room
5 out of 5
Dinah and Antonio at the Sapphire Lounge/Room (I can't remember the name of it) but its the main dining room on the ship. They both did an amazing job!!! If you can be seated with them, do so, you will enjoy the experience and they are so attentive, polite and make you feel like you are at home.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
I wish they had more activities that were catered to the younger adults (early 30s- to early 40s). One example that was very fun was the Silent Party (a dance party where you wear the headphones), that was very fun, a lot of the shows seemed to have a Spanish theme which was cool but wish that had a better variety of things to do on the ship, maybe some more Caribbean themed or West Indian themed parties with more reggae, dancehall, soca and calypso.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
It seemed as if our room steward was not feeling us because we went with some family members and they told us about all the great things their steward did for them and we got none of that, just the bare minimum.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
Their was mold in the shower behind the glass partitions and in the grout on the shower floor. The shower is very small and cramped and their was a lot rust and chipped glass on the bathroom mirror. In all fairness this is an older ship so it does not have all of the bells and whistles as we thought it would have, and I probably would stay in one of the newer ships. So it was ok and the balcony was a little rusty but we hardly noticed because we got to wake up to an amazing view each morning. We loved sitting out on the balcony and having breakfast!
Ship tip
Go to the dining room for breakfast, they have the food items but its less crowded especially if you go right at 8am. They have a buffet down there and you can order a la carte.
Very laid back island, not overly touristy. We did the beach break and it was beautiful and amazing, beware though they do not tell you that you have to pay for an umbrella on the beach and its $10, so we were shocked because we thought they were free...hahaha!
We did the yacht excursion which really is not a yacht, please be prepared to go snorkeling, swimming etc. I was not, the picture of the boat on the RCL is not what you get on at the port and there is no air-condition either.
I am a bit biased toward Barbados only because I have been here before and I absolutely love Barbados. Again, it did not disappoint, it was lovely, we went to Pirate's Cove which is about an 8min drive via taxi. They have a taxi stand right outside the port which seemed to be very organized and safe. Some beaches via taxi can range from $2-$5 depending on how far you travel. We paid $5pp and $15 for an umbrella on the beach and we had lunch there as well for $10pp which was a small buffet style which was pretty good as well. We saw some horses swimming in the water and we had a great time!
It was disorganized and my bag was put into the wrong section which are categorized by your luggages tag number which they give you the night before to place on your luggage, but again it was very hot! Don't use the porters unless you need to because they have to wait in the same line as everyone else and in some cases no quicker that the regular lines. Getting on the buses were confusing and took a long time to unload bags when they arrived at the airport.
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