WJ Tested: Cruise Review of Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas
WJ Tested: Cruise Review of Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas
WJ Tested: Cruise Review of Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas
By WAVEJourney
Adventure of the Seas Photos, Facts, Deck Plans, Expert Advice and Cruise Tips from a September 2018 Canada and New England 10-Night Cruise from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to Quebec City, Quebec.
Adventure of the Seas is the third Royal Caribbean ship WAVEJourney has experienced. Previously WJ cruised the ABC’s in the Caribbean on Navigator of the Seas, followed by a transatlantic crossing from Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona aboard Freedom of the Seas. Our third Royal Caribbean cruise also did not disappoint! Based on the ports of call, length of itinerary, wonderful crew, and the ship itself, we enjoyed every moment of this 2309 nautical mile journey that visited eight ports in two countries.
Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas 10-Night Canada & New England Cruise. Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean International.
The itinerary for this 10-night Canada and New England cruise from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, USA to Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, started with a mid-afternoon departure followed by the next day being at sea. We love a sea day at the very beginning of a cruise as it allows us to rest, relax and fully discover the layout of the ship. For us, this is especially important when the remainder of the cruise will be port intensive – as this itinerary was.
ITINERARY & PORTS OF CALL DAILY CRUISE LOG
Day 1: Cape Liberty, New Jersey, USA – Embarkation starting at 10:30 AM with a 3 PM sailaway
Day 2: At Sea – Cruising Atlantic Ocean
Day 3: Bar Harbor, Maine, USA – Ship’s clearance 7:30 AM/all aboard 5:30 PM
Day 4: Portland, Maine, USA – Ship’s clearance 7:30 AM/all aboard 2:30 PM
Day 5: St. John, New Brunswick, Canada – Ship’s clearance 6:30 AM/all aboard 2:30 PM
Day 6: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada – Ship’s clearance 9:30 AM/all aboard 5:30 PM
Day 7: Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada – Ship’s clearance 9:30 AM/all aboard 4:30 PM
Day 8: Charlottetown, PEI, Canada – Ship’s clearance 7:30 AM/all aboard 3:30 PM
Day 9: At Sea – Cruising Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence River
Day 10: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada – 8 AM arrival and overnight
Day 11: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada – Disembarkation starting at 6:30 AM
This same itinerary is incredibly popular for those wishing to experience the autumn colors changing to intense hues of red, yellow, orange and gold for fall foliage. With a sailing date from September 7th to 17th it was much too early in the fall leaf peeping season to witness much in the way of fall colors (but we were aware of that before booking). Our goal for cruising at this time of the year was to hopefully enjoy some cooler late-summer weather while exploring ports that were completely new to us. We had absolutely delightful weather for most of the journey – not counting a day of torrential rain in St. John, New Brunswick.
Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Other than using tenders in Bar Harbor, Adventure of the Seas was docked at the cruise terminal for all other ports of call. The ship’s docking locations were very handy for getting to and from the main points of interest in each town or city.
Peggy’s Cove near Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Shore excursions in each port were plentiful and varied. Rather than booking excursions with the ship we decided to either make our own prior arrangements (for a specific food or history tour offered by local vendors), or just walk off the ship and then figure out how to spend our day. We found this to be much more relaxed, and thoroughly enjoyed not being in large groups of passengers on bus tours to see the sights. Some ports are easier to figure out than others, and we were confident that making our own arrangements would have us back at the ship with plenty of time before the all aboard (we certainly did not want to get left behind).
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
For those interested in history, the destinations on this itinerary were fascinating, rich with culture, and had varied architectural building styles. The rugged landscape of the areas visited was scenic and beautiful.
Meals in local establishments were excellent quality, good value and a seafood lover’s dream. Finding plenty of opportunities for to sample regional craft beer was also a great way to meet locals along the way.
Lobster Rolls in Bar Harbor, Maine, USA
This is a cruise WJ could easily repeat, and we’d be happy to do so on Adventure of the Seas.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS SHIP OVERVIEW
Adventure of the Seas in Quebec City
ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS FACTS
Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean
Ship Class: Voyager Class
Ship Size: Large ocean vessel – 137,276 Gross Tons
Passengers: 3,807 Maximum Capacity / 3114 Double Occupancy
Crew: 1,185 International Crew
Registry: Bahamas
Launched: 2001
Built: Turku, Finland
Decks: 15 (14 for passenger use)
Refurbished: 2018
Elevators: 14
Adventure of the Seas Deck Plans. Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International.
DINING
Giovanni’s Table – Italian specialty restaurant on Adventure of the Seas.
Sapphire Dining Room – daily breakfast, lunch (on sea days) and dinner (included on decks 3/4/5)
Windjammer Marketplace – daily for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner (included buffet on deck 11). We ate most meals here as we prefer to dine by ourselves, have more selection, the menu items offered a large variety,
Cafe Promenade – daily for continental breakfast, light lunch, pizza, and snacks between 6 AM and 3 AM (included on deck 5)
Chops Grille – Steak and Seafood Specialty Restaurant. Open daily for dinner ($35 plus 18% gratuity on); check daily program for lunch days and details (additional charge on deck 4)
Izumi – Asian and Sushi ala carte menu (additional charge on deck 5)
Giovanni’s Table – Italian specialty restaurant open daily for dinner ($28 plus 18% gratuity); check daily program for lunch days and details (additional charge on deck 11)
Johnny Rockets – American hamburgers, fries and milkshakes (additional charge of $9.95 plus 18% gratuity on deck 11)
Chef’s Table – 5-course dinner paired with wine (additional charge of $85 plus 18% gratuity)
Coffee bar and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream – ala carte items (additional charges on deck 5)
Room Service – free continental breakfast available, other items throughout the day are an additional fee of $7.95 plus 18% gratuity (24-hour service)
BARS & LOUNGES
Adventure of the Seas Bars & Lounges
The Duck and Dog Pub (deck 5)
Pool Bar (main pool on deck 11)
Sky Bar (overlooking main pool on deck 12)
Solarium Bar (Solarium pool on deck 11)
Champagne Bar (deck 5)
Boleros (deck 4)
Schooner Bar (deck 4)
Viking Crown Lounge (deck 14)
Blue Moon Club (deck 14)
STATEROOMS
Adventure of the Seas Balcony Stateroom. Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International.
This trip WJ had a category 4V forward inside stateroom (8219) for our 10-night Canada and New England cruise. The compact, but well laid out cabin had ample storage, a flat-screen TV – that could be watched from the bed or desk. Although we booked this cruise about six months prior to departure (that’s typically a long way out for us), there were very few available cabins in any category. So, if you’re considering a similar cruise itinerary, book as far in advance (12+ months) as possible to get the cabin of your choice.
Adventure of the Seas Inside Stateroom. Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International.
The downside to this cabin was the noise from neighbors due to the adjoining door between the cabins – we could hear everything! Those that prefer a very firm mattress for sleeping would be well-suited to the beds used – these can be configured as 2 twins or a queen.
Adventure of the Seas Bathroom. Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International.
Bathroom amenities included bar soap for the sink, plus dispensers with a shampoo/conditioner combo and body wash in the shower.
Adventure of the Seas Ocean View Stateroom. Courtesy of Royal Caribbean International.
Total Staterooms = 1,557
Balcony = 765
Outside = 174
Inside = 618
Promenade = 138
Accessible = 26
Suites – Suites guests have concierge service, plus additional lounge and dining facilities included in their cruise fare.
AMENITIES & FACILITIES
Adventure of the Seas Royal Promenade
Royal Shops – Shopping galore in the Royal Promenade on deck 5
Casino Royale – Slots and table games – craps, roulette, blackjack, poker, etc. (deck 4)
Pools and whirlpools – Solarium Pool (adult only area on deck 11); main pool area has 3 whirlpools and 2 pools, plus a kiddies pool section.
Vitality Fitness Center – Fully equipped fitness center on deck 11 – free weights; weight machines; eliptical machines; treadmills; rowing machines; stationery bikes, etc. Variety of exercise classes available each day for free or an additional fee.
Art Gallery – Deck 3 with art auctions throughout the ship depending on the day.
Photo Gallery & Shop and Picture This Photo Gallery on deck 3.
Vitality Spa – Full spa services available for additional charges on deck 11
ACTIVITIES
Adventure of the Seas Pool Deck
Rock climbing wall
Sports court
Flow Rider
Mini golf
Perfect Storm Water Slides
Splashaway Bay
Ping pong tables
Padi 4 Star Dive Center
Challenger’s Video Arcade
Card room
Shuffle board and checkers on deck
Big screen movies and sports events played (deck 11 poolside)
Ice skating
KIDS
Adventure of the Seas – Activities Galore for Kids of All Ages!
Adventure Ocean and Optix Teen Disco
ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS
Adventure of the Seas
Events around the ship included:
Trivia games throughout the day and evening tested passengers’ knowledge on a multitude of topics
Dance classes – from line dancing to salsa to belly dancing and more
Scavenger hunts
Bingo
Game shows
HUSH! Silent Party
A Royal Mystery – interactive escape room experience
Karaoke
Sushi making classes
Wine, beer, whiskey tasting classes
Scrap booking workshops… and much more.
OTHER VENUES
The Lyric Theatre on Adventure of the Seas
The Lyric Theater (decks 3 and 4)
Imperial Lounge (deck 5)
Studio B (deck 3)
Guest Services Desk on deck 5
Shore Excursions Desk on deck 5
Medical Facility on deck 1
Library on deck 7
INTERNET
Royal Caribbean International Voom Internet.
Computer stations available for use with VOOM internet packages (additional fee) are on deck 5. VOOM WiFi is available throughout the ship on your own devices (additional fee).
ADDITIONAL INFO
Gratuities – $14.50 gratuity ($17.50 for suite guests) is automatically added to each guests SeaPass account daily. This gratuity is shared amongst dining and culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams.
Adventure of the Seas Flow Rider and Water Slides
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NOTE: WJ were guests aboard Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas in September 2018. All information is correct at time of writing, but be sure to check for current details. All opinions and recommendations are completely our own. Read our full disclosure statement to see our review policy.
