Adventure of the Seas Cruises | A Royal Caribbean Ship Review

Adventure of the Seas in Corsica

With the many ships of Royal Caribbean, you might find yourself wondering which ship to choose for your next cruise vacation. I have been fortunate to sail on Royal Caribbean‘s Adventure of the Seas not once, but twice and both times we thoroughly enjoyed our cruises.

Royal Promenade

The Adventure of the Seas is a 138,000 ton vessel that can carry 3,114 guests and and she debuted in 2001 in the Voyager class of ships by Royal Caribbean. With on board entertainment including a spa, casino, entertainment productions, bars and lounges, Adventure Ocean (the children’s program), and more, the Adventure is big ship and yet doesn’t try to compete with the larger megaships. Some of the ship’s highlights include an ice skating rink, a rock climbing wall, in-line skating, 9-hole miniature golf course, a full size basketball court, and a Royal Caribbean favorite: The Royal Promenade.

Royal Promenade

The Royal Promenade area is open 24 hours a day. Here you can get a sandwich, cookie, or slice of pizza in Cafe Promenade; go shopping in one of the many on board shops; and stroll the length of the Royal Promenade, which is nearly the length of the entire ship.

Junior Suite 9606

Accommodations: The first time we were on the Adventure of the Seas was in August 2009 when we sailed on a Southern Caribbean cruise out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The Adventure alternates her time between the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, spending about half the year in each location. We had a balcony cabin in 2009, but when we went on her again for our Thanksgiving 2010 cruise, we chose a Junior Suite this time around. The balcony staterooms have about 180 square feet of space and a 53 foot balcony and the Junior Suite is definitely bigger at about 265 square feet with a 75 foot balcony. Having the extra space was nice, especially as there are three of us, but ask about the square footage on any cabin before you book. Sometimes the difference isn’t worth paying the extra money and sometimes it is. The pictures here are of the Junior Suite and its bathroom.

Pools: With two swimming pools and four whirlpools on deck eleven, there’s enough room for everyone to get in and swim. There are always plenty of deck chairs by the pool and on the deck above, as you can see in this picture, so you never have to worry about not having a place to sit out.

If you’re looking for a private adult retreat, try the Solarium. Here you can enjoy the indoor/outdoor pool and hot tubs designed for adults only. That means no rugrats! This quiet area is a perfect area to simply relax with a good book, a good drink, or a good person either during the day or under the stars.

Dining: The Adventure of the Seas offers passengers a three deck main dining room where guests can dine during early, late or the ever popular My Time Dining hours for dinner. Every dinner includes at least one vegetarian option and although not fine dining, you can certainly enjoy a good dinner on your cruise. The main dining room is also open for breakfast and lunch in an open seating arrangement. For vegetarians the number of veggie options are significantly better here for lunch than in the Windjammer.

Windjammer Restaurant

The Windjammer is a Royal Caribbean staple on their cruise ships and is their buffet restaurant. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, guests simply grab their own food and go. You’ll find fresh fruit, meats and cheeses, hot and cold cereal, pastries, and more. If you don’t mind the sometimes long line at the egg station, you can place your egg order, receive a number, and a server will bring you your omelet or 2 eggs over easy, etc. directly to your table.

For specialty dining options, you can enjoy a meal in Portofino, Royal Caribbean’s Italian restaurant. For $20 per person, you can enjoy an appetizer, soup, salad, pasta, a main course, and of course, dessert! There’s also Johnny Rockets for great American burgers, fries, onion rings, and milkshakes for only $4.95 per person, which includes at least one song and dance number by the servers.

As mentioned earlier, the Royal Promenade is a great place to stop for a quick snack and kids love that they can walk up and ask for a sandwich or cookie and not have to pay. If you are hungry and don’t want to (or can’t!) leave your cabin, call up 24-hour room service and order away. There’s no charge for room service except between the hours of midnight and 5 AM ($3.95 charge per order) and don’t forget to give a tip to the waiter.

The overall condition of the ship is good despite the fact that the ship entered service in 2001 and has had thousands of passengers on board. The difference, however, between my experience in 2009 and then on 2010 is quite different. In one year we could definitely see increased wear on her and although the public areas look great, the cabins are definitely looking a little dated. This made such an impact on me that I have now decided not to cruise on any ship older than five years old. It may be true that the older ships have better prices, but you get what you pay for. If you are looking for all the amenities of the newer ships, you won’t find it on the older ships. Yes, there is a rock climbing wall and an ice skating rink, but no FlowRider. If you are fine without it, then it’s not a big deal, but if you have an active family screaming for more and newer activities, then you know what I mean when I say you want to make sure there are enough activities to please everyone in your family and sometimes playing basketball is just not enough. I would definitely recommend this ship for anyone looking to do a short 4- or 5-night Mediterranean itinerary as you can start your vacation on land and add in a short cruise. This is a great way to learn about cities you have never been to previously. If you are a new cruiser who wants to save money or a veteran cruiser who doesn’t need all of the bells and whistles that the newer ships offer, then the Adventure of the Seas is a good ship for you.

12-night Iceland & Norway Itinerary (8/31/14):
8/31/14: London (Southampton)
9/1/14: At sea
9/2/14: At sea
9/3/14: Reykjavik, Iceland
9/4/14: Reykjavik, Iceland
9/5/14: Akureyri, Iceland
9/6/14: At Sea
9/7/14: Trondheim, Norway
9/8/14: Alesund, Norway
9/9/14: Olden, Norway
9/10/14: Stavanger,  Norway
9/11/14: At Sea
9/12/14: London (Southampton)

Cruise fares start at only $1994 per person for a balcony cabin; $1539 per person for an oceanview cabin; and $1235 per person for an inside cabin (plus taxes/fees per person). If you were thinking about trying a different itinerary on a great ship, this might be the cruise for you!