Voyager of the Seas was the first ship built in the Voyager Class by Royal Caribbean. Although Voyager of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s oldest ships, you shouldn't dismiss her as an option for your next cruise vacation!

When Voyager of the Seas debuted in 1999, she turned the cruising world upside down. This was the ship that introduced the idea of having an ice-skating rink at sea, rock climbing wall at sea, and indoor promenade.

Voyager was instantly the largest cruise ship in the world when she debuted (only until Explorer of the Seas entered service the following year).

Last month, my dad and I went on a five-night Western Caribbean sailing that visited Cozumel and Costa Maya, Mexico from Galveston, Texas. We had never cruised out of Galveston, so we were excited to see what it was like versus cruising out of Florida. This was also our first cruise on Voyager of the Seas! 

Here’s what you can expect when sailing on Voyager of the Seas.

Royal Amplification

Built in 1999, Voyager of the Seas was a trailblazer in the cruise industry.

20 years later, Voyager of the Seas went through a $97 million Royal Amplification in October of 2019. During this refurbishment, the following venues and features were added:

• The Perfect Storm waterslides
• Battle for Planet Z laser tag
• Updated Vitality Spa and Fitness Center
• Redesigned kid and teen spaces
• 72 new inside and balcony staterooms

Read more: I went on Royal Caribbean’s upgraded and regular Voyager Class ships. Here’s what I liked about each.

Embarkation process

Because this was my first time cruising out of Galveston, I was unsure what the embarkation process was going to be like, but I was eager to see the new Royal Caribbean terminal.

After flying into Houston, my dad and I decided to get a hotel in the area and then the next day, we would get an Uber or Lyft to Galveston. We got a hotel in Houston because it was approximately $50 cheaper than staying in Galveston.

On embarkation day, we requested a Lyft and made our way to Galveston. During the drive, we were able to complete the mandatory safety briefing, so this was a great way to make the hour-long drive go by faster.

Upon arrival at the terminal, we saw a huge line of people waiting to get inside. This was due to the fact that there was a Coast Guard inspection that day, so the entire embarkation process took longer than it normally would. This long line made sense because passengers were not able to board until after the inspection was complete. Royal Caribbean emailed me multiple times about this inspection, so I knew it was going to happen.

Our check-in time was at noon so we arrived at 11:30 a.m., but we could’ve come even earlier because of the long line.

After waiting outside for about 30 minutes or so, suddenly the line started to move much faster as we entered the terminal. It was a beautiful terminal, but I didn't have much time to admire it because the line was moving so fast when we went inside.

Once inside, the check-in process was a breeze and probably only took about 15 minutes. We were impressed!

Read more: I cruised Royal Caribbean from Galveston for the first time. Here’s what a cruise from Texas is like.

Spacious ocean view cabin

When I originally booked this cruise, I selected an interior guarantee cabin for me and my dad. This type of cabin is usually what I select for my cruises because it is the cheapest option. I’d rather spend my money on other things, like specialty dining or activities, than pay for a larger or balcony cabin.

Well, I kept receiving emails from Royal Caribbean about participating in their RoyalUp program. For those not familiar, RoyalUp is an opportunity for cruisers to bid on a nicer and bigger cabin. I usually ignore these emails, but since my dad was coming with me on this cruise, he said, “Why don’t we try it?” He is more particular than I am, so I think he wanted a different cabin!

Four days before embarkation, my dad and I placed bids on four stateroom categories. The next day, our bid was accepted! For an additional $130 per person, we upgraded to a spacious ocean view cabin.

Read more: I paid $130 extra to upgrade my interior cabin to a spacious ocean view on Voyager of the Seas. Here’s a tour of my cabin.

Our cabin was in the very front of the ship, overlooking the helipad. We were on the ninth deck, which was ideal because we weren't far from public venues. I was worried about being in the front of the ship motion-wise, but we had such smooth sailings that I rarely felt the ship move when I was in the cabin.

As implied by its name, our upgraded cabin did indeed feel quite spacious at 211 square feet. Comparatively, our interior cabin would've been 160 square feet. The additional space was noticeable by the window and bed area.

The cabin had everything we needed and more! We had more space than we knew what to do with. One of the benefits of upgrading to this cabin was the extra large couch. It was so big that I thought it was a sofa bed (it wasn’t). Nonetheless, it was nice to have another place to sit other than our beds.

Another advantage to being in the front of the ship was that it was quiet due to low foot traffic. We did, however, feel and hear the bow thrusters in the mornings when we were docking.

The bathroom felt a little more retro than the rest of the cabin because of the color scheme, but it was just fine for our five-night cruise.

Dining onboard

Voyager of the Seas has three complimentary dining venues onboard, the Main Dining Room, Windjammer, and Cafe Promenade, and three specialty dining restaurants, including Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, and Izumi Japanese Cuisine. Chef’s Table was also available.

My dad and I splurged and enjoyed dinner at Giovanni’s Table and Chops Grille (my dad’s favorite Royal Caribbean restaurant). The other three nights, we ate in the Main Dining Room for dinner.

On the first day of our cruise, we were so excited to see that we were assigned a table right by a window in the Main Dining Room! This view was wonderful to admire every night when we had dinner. 

We were able to enjoy these three themed meals:

• A Taste of France
• A Taste of Mexico
• A Taste of Italy

My personal favorite was A Taste of Italy because I love Italian food, including arancini, lasagna, and tiramisu.

The Main Dining Room had really fast service. Most meals were only an hour and a half long, sometimes shorter. All of the food was hot which I greatly appreciated. When I cruised on Adventure of the Seas, my food was either a hit or miss in regards to the temperature. My dad and I truly had no complaints about the Main Dining Room.

Read more: Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas review: What it’s like to cruise on this ship today

We noticed that more people participated in the formal night onboard (around 70%), but there were no tuxedos or prom dresses. It is much more casual. 

Another thing we noticed was how The Windjammer always seemed to be packed, especially for breakfast. I think this is because there are only three complimentary places to eat on the ship. We were able to find clean tables every morning (around 10 a.m.), but we had to hunt for them.

Giovanni's Table was excellent! This was the first time I went to Giovanni's Table where they didn't bring the desserts out on a cart. Instead, they brought it out plated like the rest of the meal. This was changed due to the pandemic.

“Chops Grill is hard to beat,” my dad said as he happily ate his food. He enjoyed the filet with peppercorn sauce. I agreed - our meal was super delicious. I was so full by the end of the meal that I could barely stand up!

Chops Grille was actually quite busy the night that we went. There were about 40 people there. This was vastly different than Giovanni’s when there were only about 15 of us dining.

Activities and entertainment

I’ve seen a few comments online from people saying that they thought Voyager of the Seas was boring, but I have to disagree. I thought there were some great entertainment options!

I went to every production show in the Royal Theatre, and I enjoyed the variety of acts. My favorites were the ice skating show, “Ice Odyssey,” and the comedy showcase featuring Derrick Cameron. I also liked going to the game shows in the Star Lounge. Almost every activity here was very busy, especially the Disney trivia, “Battle of the Sexes,” “Majority Rules,” and “Finish That Lyric.”

The music productions were also fun. We saw three shows, “Broadway Rhythm & Rhyme,” “El Gaucho (described as a “must-see show packed with laughter from the very start and featuring fiery music and unusual skills”), and “Music in Pictures.” 

The Adult SHUSH! Silent Party is one of my dad’s favorite activities on a Royal Caribbean cruise. I also really enjoy this event because usually between the two channels, I can find music I like (modern pop) and dad can find music he likes (70s and 80s hits). 

I will have to say I was disappointed about one thing. While cruising on Voyager of the Seas, I noticed at the trivia games, there were no prizes for the winners. My dad and I played on a team during the Rock Hits trivia and we ended up winning, but we didn't receive a prize. All we got was a “Great job!” from the host and claps from the other participants. I personally don't like this change because I feel that there should be some kind of award for winning trivia, even if it is just a key chain or highlighter.

I am not sure if this is considered an activity, but my dad likes to work out while on vacation, so we frequently visited the Fitness Center while on Voyager of the Seas. We both found it funny how the TV was behind all of the equipment. My dad wanted to watch what was on while he was exercising, but the TV location didn't allow for that. I wonder who decided this was the best place to put the TV?

Ports of Call

Like most cruises that leave from Galveston, we visited the Western Caribbean. This included stops in Cozumel and Costa Maya. Other cruises from Galveston also visit destinations like Roatan, Honduras; Nassau, Bahamas; Belize City, Belize; and even Royal Caribbean’s private island Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Costa Maya, Mexico

What was interesting about our itinerary was that we didn't dock in Costa Maya until 12:30 p.m. I liked this because that meant we could have a quiet night’s sleep and not have to hear the ship docking in the early morning. 

As soon as we could disembark, my dad and I decided to walk around and do a little shopping. There is a convenient shopping area right off the dock. My dad was on the hunt for some Mexican vanilla and cigars, while I was fine tagging along.

Cozumel, Mexico

My dad and I have been to Cozumel more times than we care to admit, so all we did was get off the ship, take a few pictures, and then get back onboard to enjoy one of our Diamond Plus drink vouchers.

It appeared that many people had the same idea as us and decided to stay on board. It was a hot day, so a lot of people were using the pool. This was smart because the public venues aren’t nearly as busy while docked in port!

Disembarkation day

Like the embarkation process, disembarking Voyager of the Seas was straightforward. We easily found our luggage and then we did the facial recognition scan.

We took a Lyft to Galveston, so I was planning on doing the same to take us to the Houston airport.

On the last day of the cruise, we received a “Tips for an Easy Departure” document from Royal Caribbean that stated, “Taxis are usually readily available outside the terminal. Lyft is the only rideshare available in Port of Galveston.” I thought it was odd how Uber was not included. 

On disembarkation day, I tried to request a Lyft to the airport. After at least 15-20 minutes of waiting around, I tried to request an Uber instead. Within just a few minutes, an Uber picked my request and picked us up.

So for those wondering, you can request a Lyft or an Uber at the Galveston terminal. The ride was an hour to the William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) airport.

A few final thoughts

Overall, Voyager of the Seas was in great condition. There were a few dents and scratches, but that is to be expected on a ship that is over 20 years old.

I had no problems with the Wi-Fi, however, my dad had some issues getting connected. We believe this had something to do with his phone trying to connect to the VPN network. He brought his phone and iPad to the Wi-Fi help desk and they were able to assist him.

I noticed a lot more people wearing masks around the ship. There were also a lot of bridal parties and recently married couples celebrating. 

It seemed there were football games playing everywhere, especially in the Tavern Bar on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. The crowd was especially rowdy during the Texas and Alabama game on Saturday because there were lots of Texans on the Voyager! 

Many people looking to cruise automatically think of embarking and disembarking from Florida, whether it’s Miami, Orlando, or Tampa, to name a few. But did you know you can cruise out of Galveston, Texas?

Located southeast of Houston, Galveston offers Royal Caribbean cruises year-round. Royal Caribbean recently built a new port here in November of 2022, which cost $125 million. This new port allows larger Oasis Class ships to sail out of Galveston. Galveston is a popular cruise port for those living in Texas, as well as nearby states like Oklahoma and Louisiana.

Read more: What you should know about cruising from Galveston instead of Florida

For the rest of 2023, Voyager of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas will sail out of Galveston. There will be a few ships cruising out of Galveston in 2024, including Jewel of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Voyager of the Seas, and Harmony of the Seas.

I had never cruised out of Galveston, but when I found a cheap, five-night Western Caribbean sailing on Voyager of the Seas, I decided to give it a try. My dad joined me on this cruise - he was also curious to see what it was like to sail from Galveston since he had never been either.

If you are cruising out of Galveston for the first time, my experience may be helpful for you as you plan your upcoming cruise!

First, we had to plan how we would get to Galveston

I quickly found out after embarking on Voyager of the Seas that many cruisers were from Texas. This makes sense, as Galveston is in close driving distance. Since my dad and I live in South Dakota, we had to fly to the closest airport to Galveston, which is Houston. (Though I did meet a family onboard that drove from Iowa!) 

There are two airports in Houston: George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). When looking at airfare on Delta for both airports, they were similar in price.

HOU is located in south Houston whereas IAH is in the north. Because Galveston is south of Houston, it made more sense to fly into HOU, and that is what my dad and I ended up doing.

If you have the choice between these two airports, try to fly into William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) because it will be quicker and cheaper to get to the Galveston port. This is unless you are able to find a flight from George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) that is significantly cheaper.

The day before our cruise, we flew to Houston and got a hotel near the airport

My original plan was to fly to Houston and get a Lyft or Uber to Galveston so we could be near the port for embarkation day. When I was looking at hotel prices, it was a lot more expensive to stay in Galveston, so we decided to stay in Houston where the prices were much cheaper. It seemed as though most hotels were at least $50 or more a night in Galveston versus Houston.

We ended up booking a hotel near the Houston airport so we didn’t have to drive far. It was easy to get a shuttle to the hotel via the free airport shuttle they offered.

I planned on ordering a Lyft or Uber the next day to take us from Houston to Galveston, but my dad wanted to look into booking an independent company shuttle

When we arrived at our hotel, we told them we were there for a cruise. They gave us a card that said, “Cruise ship shuttle: $20 per person each way (no port fees).” This intrigued my dad, so he decided to give them a call to get it scheduled. 

Lo and behold, the price was not $20 per person. It was actually going to be $60 per person! I was confident that a rideshare would not be more than $120 one way, so this shuttle option was a no-go for us. 

However, an independent shuttle is an option for those traveling with a larger group because the fare is usually cheaper with more people traveling. It just wasn’t ideal for the two of us.

Royal Caribbean does offer a shuttle from the HOU airport to Galveston, but this didn't make sense for us since we were not going to the port directly after arriving at the airport. We also didn’t want to wait around for others; we wanted to leave on our own schedule.

We decided to stick with my original plan of ordering a Lyft or Uber the next day.

On embarkation day, it was easy to get a rideshare to Galveston

As I suspected, it wasn’t a problem at all to get a rideshare from our Houston hotel to Galveston. At 10 a.m., I requested a Lyft and we were picked up within 15 minutes. The total cost of this Lyft was $61.25 including a tip.

Since it was Saturday morning, I wasn’t sure how long it was going to take to get to the port. The ride was 50 minutes in total. Traffic was not bad at this time of the day, but it did get busier as we got closer to Galveston. 

Not long after getting in the Lyft, both my dad and I got a notification on our phones that we could start the mandatory safety briefing. This was the perfect way to kill some time on the way to the port. I highly recommend you watch the safety briefing video as soon as it is available to you so you don’t have to do it once onboard.

After crossing the bridge into Galveston, traffic started to pick up. This was around 11 a.m. There was stop-and-go traffic for about a half mile before we arrived at Terminal 10, Royal Caribbean’s new terminal.

Something to note about Galveston - it appeared that there weren't many hotels close to the port. I mainly saw beach homes. I would assume it would be easier to find an Airbnb or Vrbo than a hotel if you were looking to stay in the area.

If you are driving to the Galveston port, there are parking options close by. At Terminal 10, there are three lots where you can park. You can expect to pay around $20 to $25 per day. According to the Port of Galveston website, “Rates are based on availability.” We also drove by and saw a sign for $70 for private parking near the ship, but it didn’t specify the number of days for that amount, so who knows if that was a better price.

When we arrived at the Royal Caribbean terminal, it was unclear where to go next

Our Lyft dropped us off right at the front entrance of the terminal. Our luggage was swiftly picked up by one of the many porters anxiously ready to help us. All of the porters were easily identified because they were wearing tropical shirts. 

After the porters took our big luggage, we were unsure of where to check-in. There was a sign for The Key and Suites/Pinnacle guests, but not one for everybody else. We asked one of the employees about where to go and they pointed us in the right direction. 

I was not expecting such a long line to get inside the terminal, but this was due to a United States Coast Guard inspection.

We were shocked to see the long line winding around outside. One of the employees was explaining to everyone that there was a Coast Guard inspection going on and that was the reason why the line was so long.

I had received at least three emails from Royal Caribbean about this Coast Guard inspection before embarkation day. One of the emails said, “To ensure we have a smooth boarding process, we kindly ask that you please arrive during your selected arrival window.” We definitely could have come even earlier if we wanted to because of the long line. 

For the next 30 minutes or so, we stood in the heat with hundreds of other cruisers. The line moved slowly but we were thankful that there were fans outside that sprayed us with water. 

As we got close to the inside of the terminal, the line started to move much faster. Once inside, there were escalators and elevators to take us up to the security area.

When we entered the terminal, the intercom announcement was going, but it was confusing because it was listing Crown and Anchor categories that could go off into specific directions. We couldn't understand what it was saying, so we stayed in line with everybody else. The line was moving very fast at this point and we didn’t hear the announcement again to try to understand what they were saying.

Once inside the terminal, the check-in process was a breeze

After we went up the escalator, we checked in and then went through security. This was very quick and efficient.

The first thing we did after stepping foot on Voyager of the Seas was find our muster station. We had to go to the Star Lounge, located at the front of the ship. A scan of our boarding pass and a little presentation later, we were ready to start our vacation!

Looking back, if the Coast Guard had not been doing their inspection that day, the embarkation process would have been around 15 minutes instead of 45 minutes like it was for us. Our check-in time was at noon. We arrived at the terminal around 11:30 a.m. and we didn't get on board the ship until about 12:15 p.m. I was very impressed with the embarkation process even with the delay.

When disembarking, know that you can request a Lyft or an Uber at the Galveston terminal

I once again was prepared to request a rideshare when our cruise was done to take my dad and I to the Houston airport.

On the last day of the cruise, you will receive a “Tips for an Easy Departure” document along with other information to prepare you for getting off the ship. On this document, it stated that, “Taxis are usually readily available outside the terminal. Lyft is the only rideshare available in Port of Galveston.”

The next day, I kept this in mind when we disembarked Voyager of the Seas. I requested a Lyft since this was supposedly my only rideshare option. After waiting for about 15 minutes, no one picked up my request for a ride to the airport. I decided to try Uber and see what would happen. 

After requesting an Uber, I was selected pretty quickly and our driver picked us up within a few minutes. I thought it was strange how Royal Caribbean said only Lyft was an option when I was easily able to request an Uber instead.

If you were wondering, the Uber ride was an hour long to the HOU airport and cost $65.77, including a tip.

In the future, I would definitely consider another cruise that leaves from Galveston

Galveston is the perfect cruise port for those who live in the South. Though I live in the Midwest, I would select Galveston again as a port to cruise in and out of. I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to cruise out of Galveston, but my decision would primarily be based on the cruise itinerary, ship, and price.

Royal Caribbean’s new terminal is beautiful and the check-in process was fast and efficient.

If you happen to have a Coast Guard Inspection before your cruise like we did, be sure to pack a little extra patience!

I recently cruised on Adventure of the Seas for a seven-day Western Caribbean sailing that visited Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel, and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Back in December 2014, I had cruised on Adventure of the Seas with my family for a seven-day Southern Caribbean New Year sailing out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. This cruise visited Barbados, St. Lucia, Antiqua, St. Maarten, and St. Croix.

My time on Adventure of the Seas was quite different from 2014, but after all these years, I can confidently say I would recommend this ship to others. Whether I was cruising as a teenager with my family or as a young adult, Adventure of the Seas offered an excellent vacation getaway. I would still say I am very much loyal to royal!

Here’s how my experiences on Adventure of the Seas compared in 2014 and in 2023.

Adventure of the Seas refurbishment

Adventure of the Seas debuted in 2001 as the third ship in Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class.

Along with myself maturing, so has Adventure of the Seas. A big reason why my experiences were so different was because the ship went through a $61 million revitalization in 2016 and 2018. Adventure of the Seas was set to be amplified in 2020 and 2021 as well, but this was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During these upgrades, many venues, staterooms and onboard thrills were added to Adventure of the Seas. These additions included:

• The Flowrider
• Perfect Storm waterslides
• Splashaway Bay
• The Suite Lounge
• Specialty dining, like Chops Grille and Izumi (fun fact: Adventure of the Seas is the only ship with Izumi on the Royal Promenade)
• Boleros
• Over 100 new staterooms

In my opinion, Adventure of the Seas is the perfect size. She’s not too big or too small, with a guest capacity of 3,807 guests. She definitely delivers the fun factor with these new refurbishments.

Then and now, Adventure of the Seas is a great choice for those looking to go on a family or friend vacation. I say this because Adventure is big enough to have fun amenities and great entertainment while not being overwhelmingly large like some of Royal Caribbean’s newer ships. Adventure also offers a variety of itineraries because she is smaller and therefore can fit into smaller ports.

Read more: Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas review: What it's like to cruise on this ship today

Overall, I believe Adventure of the Seas is in excellent shape for being over 20 years old. Back in 2014, I didn’t think the ship felt old or rundown. Today, I felt the same way.

Of course, there were a few spots where I noticed something that could have been patched or replaced, like the running path on deck 12, but this was very minor.

Cabin differences

In 2014, my parents, sister and I shared a balcony cabin. I had no idea what this cabin cost since my parents took care of the expenses, as it was our yearly family vacation.

This time around, I researched and picked the cruise specifically because it was the cheapest option in the timeframe I was wanting. The sailing I picked was nearly $300 cheaper per person than the following week. I also wanted to save money, so I opted to stay in an inside guarantee cabin. My mom tagged along with me for this sailing.

The majority of the finishes in our cabin were basically the same, so the ship felt familiar in that way.

Read more: I stayed in the cheapest cabin on Adventure of the Seas. It was small and windowless, but for $300 a night, it was a great deal. Take a look inside.

Back in 2014, housekeeping used to clean all the cabins twice a day. However, in 2023, Royal Caribbean changed this to once a day. Much like a hotel, the once-a-day service was just fine.

The one thing I wish this ship had was more outlets in the cabin, as my mom and I were constantly shuffling our numerous devices to get them all charged. Even back in 2014, it would’ve been nice to have more outlets since there were four of us in a cabin. But, the two of us in 2023 probably had twice the number of devices to charge than the four of us in 2014!

Dining differences

The dining experience onboard the Adventure of the Seas has definitely transitioned over the past decade.  

I remember between the six of us, we would order almost the entire menu so we could share and sample all of the dishes. Since I was a somewhat picky eater, I ordered off the Classics menu almost every night so I could order spaghetti or chicken. I also loved to order the chilled soups as an appetizer, whether it was strawberry bisque or peach soup. These were my favorites and I miss them so much!

I am glad Royal Caribbean updated the dining room menus, as it was time for some variety and new dishes. But I have to say, I miss the Classics on the menus where I could order from the same set of options each night. For picky eaters, this provided some flexibility to fall back on when the menu didn’t look appetizing. Some of the old dishes are incorporated into the new menus, which I am happy about.

A decade ago, my family did not prioritize eating in the specialty restaurants. We were normally satisfied with the food and selection in the Main Dining Room. Nowadays, we typically plan a few nights in the specialty restaurants because we find the quality and experience to be top-notch.

Read more: 7 reasons to eat at specialty restaurants instead of the Main Dining Room on your cruise

Before the new lobster rule, my mom would go a little crazy with ordering lobster. She would always order two lobsters to start and then it was very typical that our waiter would bring her another one or two more without asking because they saw how much she loved it.

In 2023, our waiter explained how each guest could only order one lobster.  Each additional lobster would cost $16.99. Both my mom and our neighboring dinner table convinced me to try the lobster, so I did (hesitatingly). As I expected, I didn’t enjoy the taste or texture of the lobster, so my mom happily finished it. 

Another huge shift in dining is how much more casual the dress code has become. For one thing, formal night is now typically “Dress to Impress.” This is described as, “a step up from your typical dinner wear, and includes collared shirts, dresses, skirts, blouses, and pantsuits.”

Only a few cruisers actually get out the formal gowns and tuxedos. On my recent cruise, maybe 50% of the people in the Main Dining Room followed the formal theme. A decade ago on formal nights, many tables were empty in the Main Dining Room. We figured those people didn’t want to get all dressed up. In 2023, if you don’t want to get all decked out, you can still come in casual clothes. Back in 2014, I packed prom-type dresses for formal night. This year, I wore a dress from Old Navy and fit right in just fine!

Before the new dining room menu was released, it was not uncommon to be at dinner in the Main Dining Room for about two hours. Today, we were normally done within 75-90 minutes. This may be different for those who dine with My Time Dining because there was always a long line of people waiting to be seated when we exited the Main Dining Room around 7 p.m.

A small thing I noticed and missed from back in 2014 was the self-service ice cream. It was usually fast and easy to make your own cone. Today, there is a staff member that serves up the ice cream. Every time I walked by, there was a line varying from 10 to 30 people. This changed back in 2020 due to the pandemic and seems to have stuck.

Entertainment differences

Some of my favorite things about Adventure of the Seas in 2014 are still my favorites today, especially the outstanding entertainment.

Whether it was the ice skating show in Studio B or the singing and dancing in The Lyric Theatre, the spectacular shows are one of my favorite parts of cruising. The costumes, choreography, and artistry all keep me captivated every time. I have never been disappointed with the entertainment on Adventure of the Seas.

For me, the Love and Marriage game show is a cannot-miss. The 2014 show is truly one I will never forget because my parents participated in it (and left me scarred for life). They were the middle couple, as they were married for 27 years at the time. Because my parents knew a lot of the questions they would ask (since we have cruised so much), they ended up winning! They won a Cariloha king sheet set, his and her watch and wallet set, a bottle of champagne, and a DVD of the show as a keepsake.

Since we were cruising after Christmas and before New Year's, Adventure of the Seas was decorated so beautifully and festive. We had a special New Year’s Eve dinner menu in the Main Dining Room. They even gave us fun hats and noise makers!

One of the highlights of this trip and something I’ll always remember was ringing in the new year on the pool deck. They provided all the party favors and it was a very memorable evening. If you're considering cruising during the holidays, I would definitely recommend it!

Internet differences

Access to reliable internet is significantly more important than it was a decade ago. 

Since I work remotely, fast internet is a necessity on my vacations, including cruise ships. Remote work has become prevalent in today’s society, and you will find more and more people working while on a cruise (like me)! The internet on my recent trip was great and I was able to stream videos and send emails with no problems.

Back in the day, I enjoyed being able to disconnect from the internet and “live in the moment.” I still like to do this every once in a while. That way I can truly escape my work and enjoy my vacation.

Excursion differences

Cruising back in 2014, I was with my parents, sister, cousin, and cousin’s wife. In fact, this sailing was the first one for my cousin.

Because it was my cousin’s first cruise, we did a lot of excursions through Royal Caribbean. At every port, we had a full schedule so we could show her the best Caribbean experience we could. We went kayaking, standup paddle boarding for the first time, and visited many beaches, including Maho Beach in St. Maarten. The weather was perfect since it was wintertime.

Visiting the Caribbean in August 2023, my mom and I were met with high humidity and 90+ temperatures every day. Also, we did not look into doing excursions because we had visited all of the ports before. We honestly minimized our outdoor time because it was so hot (Us Midwesterners aren’t used to the humidity)!

Have you ever wondered what happens if you are late to get back to a ship?

The beauty of cruising is being able to visit multiple cities and countries in just a few days. Since cruises usually visit more than one destination, sailings are on a tight schedule to ensure their timeline is adhered to. Essentially, this means all guests must be on the ship at a certain time before leaving for the next stop on their voyage.

If you’ve cruised before, you know how entertaining it is to watch pier runners sprint to the ship at the last minute before leaving port. There always seems to be at least one person who frantically tries to make it back to the ship on time. Videos of pier runners are all over social media, especially TikTok (just type in “pier runners” and you will find hundreds of videos). It’s fun to watch other people be pier runners, but you do not ever want to be in this situation!

To avoid this from happening, cruise ships always inform passengers when the all-aboard time is to be back onboard by. It's a really good idea to get back to the ship even earlier than the all-abord time, just to be extra safe.

If you or your travel party are running late in port, you might be wondering how long the cruise ship would wait for you to get back. 

Captain Carl Graucob, who has worked for Royal Caribbean for 25 years, gave some insight into how long he would wait for passengers during a “Captain’s Corner” event on Voyager of the Seas. Here’s what you need to know.

It depends if you are on a Royal Caribbean excursion or not

As Captain Graucob explained, if you are on an excursion with Royal Caribbean, the ship will wait for the entire group to come back before leaving.

This is one of the many benefits of booking an excursion with Royal Caribbean rather than booking a tour with an independent company. You also know that the excursion is reputable when you book it directly through the cruise line.

Read more: Is it better to book excursions through the cruise ship?

Captain Graucob said that he would wait for passengers to return from a Royal Caribbean excursion unless it is an “unreasonable amount of time.”

In the case of an extremely lengthy delay, Captain Graucob stated that the ship might not always be able to wait for passengers. In this extenuating circumstance, Royal Caribbean would provide transportation to the next port of call or back to the departure port (if it is towards the end of your trip) for everyone on the excursion.

If you are not on a Royal Caribbean excursion and are late getting back to the ship, Captain Graucob said, “Normally, we do not wait.”

As such, you should always plan to be back by all-aboard time to prevent this from happening.

If the cruise ship knows you are missing, they will try to contact you

In the event that you do not board before the all-aboard time, the cruise ship will know you are missing. At this time, the ship will use the emergency contact information that you provided when checking in for your cruise. When providing an emergency contact, you must enter the information of someone who is not on the cruise with you.

Read more: Royal Caribbean check-in process

“If someone is missing, we call that emergency number,” Captain Graucob said. “Generally, this goes to someone at home.”

If you contact the ship using your own cell phone, or another phone you found in port, Captain Graucob said they will use this number to contact you. 

“If we get a hold of you and you say, ‘I am in the taxi. I am sorry, but there was traffic. I am 10 minutes away,’ then we will wait,” Captain Graucob said.

With this in mind, you should not rely on the cruise ship to wait an extra 10 minutes for you. Don’t push your luck!

If the cruise ship cannot get a hold of you, it will leave

If the ship cannot contact you to understand your whereabouts, it will leave you behind. This is because they don't know how long it is going to be until you get back. 

“You’re stuck waiting 15 minutes and then it becomes half an hour. Before you know it, an hour goes by and nobody shows up. So we do not wait,” Captain Graucob said.

Therefore, if you find yourself running behind, it’s best to contact Royal Caribbean to let the cruise ship know your situation. 

What happens if the cruise ship leaves you behind?

If you come back to the pier and see your cruise ship departed without you, there will be a port agent on the pier that can help you. You will not be left high and dry, although you won’t be in an ideal situation. 

If you need to get in touch with the port agent, there is contact information in every Cruise Compass. This is typically found under the “24-hour services and venues” section. You can also find the port agent information in the cruise line’s app. It’s best to always have this number handy when traveling ashore in case of an emergency. 

The port agent will provide you with whatever you need, especially since you will most likely not have more than just your swimming suit and a bag with random odds and ends.

You will be expected to purchase an airline ticket or other form of transportation on your own dime, and this can be very expensive. If you do not have a passport or other proper verification with you, you will want to visit the nearest U.S. embassy for assistance. For this reason, some cruisers choose to bring their passport ashore so they are never left without it. 

On the back of every SeaPass card is an emergency phone number to call Royal Caribbean. Be sure to call this number to see how they can help as well, as it might be another option to get in touch with your cruise ship.

Are there any penalties or warnings given if passengers are late to the ship?

“They're banned,” the captain joked. 

But in all seriousness, no. 

Captain Graucob explained again that cruise ships do not wait for late passengers, “unless we can get a hold of them and they tell us where they are. If it is reasonable, then we will wait. But no, there are no repercussions, other than if you miss the ship because then it is a big expense.”

Luckily, this worst-case scenario isn’t made worse with repercussions from Royal Caribbean. You won’t be blacklisted for future cruises! But, it’s a costly mistake you probably won’t make again. 

What you can do to avoid being late for your cruise ship

Here are the simple things to do to ensure this scenario never affects you.

1. Give yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship. If the all-aboard time is 5:30 p.m., plan to be back on the ship at 4:30 p.m. or earlier.

2. Do not venture too far from the port. If there is traffic or an accident that closes the road, you may not make it back to the ship on time. Try to stay close to the port so you can make it back quickly.

3. Make sure you are on ship time. Some cruises have multiple time zone changes throughout one voyage, so knowing what time the ship is on is extremely important. Sometimes the local time is different than the ship time.

4. Always have port agent information, identification, and money. Before you get off your cruise ship, make sure you take a picture of the port agent's information. Also, never leave the ship without a form of identification. You should also have money, especially a credit card in case you need to purchase an expensive ticket home or an emergency passport.

For my recent cruise onboard Voyager of the Seas, my dad and I decided to RoyalUp from an interior guarantee stateroom to a spacious ocean view.

About two months prior to the cruise, I found a cheap sailing from Galveston, Texas, so I decided to book an inside guarantee cabin. The main reason why I selected this cabin was because of the cost. The interior guarantee cabin was $1,154 for a five-night Western Caribbean sailing. This price included gratuities and fees for the two of us. 

Because this was an inside guarantee cabin, I was not able to select its location on the ship. Of course, I always prefer to get a cabin midship for the smoothest sailing possible. I tend to get motion sick, so being in the middle of the ship is ideal for less movement. 

However, from my experience with inside guaranteed cabins, the staterooms assigned usually end up being in the very front or back of the ship. For this sailing, we were assigned a cabin in the front of the ship. 

Read more: Royal Caribbean cabins to avoid

Before leaving for Galveston, I kept receiving emails from Royal Caribbean about their RoyalUp program. For those not familiar with RoyalUp, it is essentially an opportunity to place a bid to upgrade to a nicer, usually larger, cabin.

I only used RoyalUp once before, and it was a positive experience. In October 2022, my family went on a fabulous 12-night Holy Land cruise onboard Odyssey of the Seas. My sister and I bid $300 per person to upgrade from our interior cabin to a junior suite. It was so worth it! Because of this positive experience, I was intrigued to place a bid for my trip on Voyager of the Seas.

Four days before embarkation, we decided to pull the trigger and place a bid through RoyalUp. Pretty much anything would be an upgrade from our interior guarantee! We ended up placing bids on four stateroom categories. What’s great about RoyalUp is that you can bid on multiple cabin categories, therefore increasing your chances of being upgraded.

The next day, we received the email that our bid was accepted! For an additional $130 per person, we upgraded to a spacious ocean view cabin. 

We were hoping our new cabin would be located somewhere in the middle or back of the ship. When I looked up our cabin on the ship deck plans, I laughed when I saw that our cabin was now in the very front of the ship, overlooking the helipad!

As mentioned earlier, I get motion sick fairly easily. Being in the front of the ship, I was worried that there was going to be even more movement. This is the risk you take when you RoyalUp - you won’t know where your new cabin is going to be located. If you have a location with your current stateroom selection that you’re satisfied with, RoyalUp might not be the best option for you, as you do not have a say on the location for accepted bids.

Nonetheless, we were excited our bid was accepted and we got to stay in a more spacious cabin.

Our cabin, 9502, was situated on the port side in the forward part of the ship. The cabin was quite roomy at 211 square feet. We felt as though the beds, couch, and carpet were in good condition, even though the ship was built in 1999. 

The first thing I noticed in our cabin was the window and view of the helipad. This view was especially beautiful at sunset. There were two curtains - one heavy one to block out the light and a decorative one in the front. I figured these would help keep the room extra dark, which is something I actually prefer about sleeping in interior cabins, as they have no natural light. 

The beds were separated upon arrival. This was per our request prior to embarkation. Next to both of our beds was a side table with a drawer and an open compartment. One side table had a phone on top that took up the majority of the space.

Each bed had a wall light above our heads. Next to my dad’s bed was a light switch that turned on and off all the lights in the cabin (except the vanity).

As soon as you walk into the cabin, you are met with a large closet. The closet had multiple hangers, along with wide, wire shelves for all the clothes we packed.

Our cabin also included a huge couch. It was nice to have another place to sit other than our beds. It was so big that I thought it might be a sofa bed, but this was not the case. We decided to line up our shoes under the couch for easy viewing and access.

The vanity is a great feature of the cabin because of all the storage. It had nine drawers: six deeper ones and three shallow ones. I found the shallow drawers hard to use, especially since one had a hair dryer in it, rendering it unusable for other things. On both sides of the vanity were glass shelves for additional items. 

On the left side of the vanity was a TV that could swivel slightly. I tried to swivel it toward our beds, but it didn't move as much as I thought it would. There was a variety of channels to browse through, but I didn't spend much time watching TV.

Above the TV was a safe and two deep shelves for more storage.

Below the TV was a mini cooler. This cooler was useful primarily for keeping water and sodas cool. It didn’t get super cold like a refrigerator would. 

On the vanity, there were two outlets for charging our electronic devices. This is pretty standard for older cruise ships, so I was not surprised. While I wish there were more outlets throughout the cabin, two was enough for me and my dad.

When I opened the door to the bathroom, I wasn’t expecting blue and green colors! This certainly dated the cabin and reminded me that the ship is, in fact, over 20 years old.

Behind the left mirror were three shelves for various toiletries. I didn't need this extra storage, so my dad utilized it. Our stateroom attendant was very attentive and made sure we had plenty of towels to use throughout our sailing.

The shower (or as I like to call it, a space pod) had plenty of hot water and good pressure. It also had the all-in-one soap if you forgot to pack your shampoo or body wash. I prefer to bring my own shampoo and conditioner when I cruise because this soap dries out my hair. The shower felt just a little bigger than the one in an interior cabin, although still small.

More thoughts about the cabin

Since we changed our cabin only three days before embarkation, a few things were missing from our stateroom, including our Crown and Anchor robes and special toiletries. Our cards also didn't work for our cabin, so we had to go to Guest Services right away to make sure we could access our cabin.

Our stateroom attendant was wonderful! He brought extra blankets for us and gave us a paper Cruise Compass every night on our beds (per our request).

Towards the end of our voyage, we found out our cabin was directly below the bridge. This was not a problem - we rarely heard noises from the deck above us. I would have expected more noise, but it was very quiet. The only time we heard noises that woke us up was when we were docking in Cozumel around 7 a.m.

Right by the window was a sign that read, “Kindly keep curtains closed to avoid light from reflecting onto the bridge.” This was one of the first things that I noticed when seeing our stateroom for the first time. 

One night around 10:30 p.m., we got a call to our stateroom. My dad confusingly answered it and then told me it was from the bridge. They told him to close our curtains because some light was reflecting on the bridge. We told them our curtains were closed, but after hanging up, we pinned the curtains together with clothes pins to be extra sure no more light was escaping our cabin. 

Because we were in the very front of the ship, there was little foot traffic throughout the day and night, making the cabin location pretty quiet. Every night, I slept soundly (except when I woke up to my dad’s loud snoring).

Our sailing was so smooth - I never got motion sick! I was so relieved. Two sailings before, I saw on social media that Voyager of the Seas sailed through a rough storm. I was hopeful we would have smooth seas, and we thankfully did.

We liked being on the ninth deck for this cruise. Many upper-deck public venues, like the Windjammer and pool deck, were located only two floors above us, although they were in the back of the ship. Just a few decks down were the Royal Promenade, Star Lounge, and Diamond Club.

We were mostly surrounded by staterooms in the front of the ship, so we found ourselves walking towards the aft of the ship often. We always had to cut through the pool deck or one of the lower decks to get to the gym, food, spa, etc. We didn’t mind, as a little exercise is welcomed on a cruise. 

So, was I glad we did RoyalUp? Would I do it again? Yes! My dad and I were very pleased with our spacious ocean view cabin. Considering the ship's age and how she went through a $97 million Royal Amplification in 2019, Voyager of the Seas, including the cabins, are in good condition. I'd definitely recommend our cabin to future cruisers.

Even though Royal Caribbean's Voyager Class ships have technically the same overall design, there are important differences between each ship.

I went on a seven-night cruise onboard Adventure of the Seas in August, sailing to the Western Caribbean. I had a fantastic adventure (no pun intended) with my mom, visiting Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. 

This was not the first time I had sailed on Adventure of the Seas. Back in 2014, I sailed onboard Adventure of the Seas for a fabulous New Year's cruise with my family to the Southern Caribbean. 

Adventure of the Seas is part of Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class of ships. All of the Voyager Class ships are mid-sized and built between 1999 and 2003, making all of the ships over 20 years old.

These ships were revolutionary for the cruise line with the first ice skating rink at sea and the first Royal Promenade, which features shops and restaurants in the center of the ship.

In fact, I’ve been sailing on Voyager Class ships since Royal Caribbean first debuted these vessels. I originally sailed on Mariner of the Seas in 2005 with my family when it was one of the biggest ships in the world. I was lucky enough to sail on Mariner of the Seas twice last year, once with my sister during spring break and then again last summer during the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise.

I’ve also sailed on sister ships Navigator of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas. In September, I will sail on Voyager of the Seas for the first time. Needless to say, I’ve come to know Voyager Class ships very well, especially Adventure and Mariner. 

One key difference between the two is that Mariner of the Seas received a Royal Amplification in 2018. This was a major investment for Royal Caribbean, costing $120 million to add new thrills, restaurants, staterooms, and entertainment onboard. On the contrary, Adventure of the Seas did not receive a Royal Amplification because it was postponed due to the pandemic. Instead, Adventure went through a $61 million revitalization in 2016 and 2018.

Ultimately, Mariner of the Seas features an upgraded Voyager Class experience while Adventure of the Seas has yet to receive a Royal Amplification. 

Here’s how these ships compare, including aspects that I like about each.

I find that Mariner of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas are the perfect size for cruising

All of the Voyager Class ships are well suited for many different kinds of cruises, including weekend getaways and longer, port-intensive sailings. I’ve sailed everywhere from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean and New England onboard these ships.

Mariner of the Seas clocks in at 139,863 gross tonnage while Adventure of the Seas is slightly smaller, measuring at 137,276 gross tonnage. Lengthwise, Adventure and Mariner are the same at 1,020 feet long. 

Since the ships are similar in size, the guest capacity is similar too. Adventure of the Seas can hold 3,807 guests while Mariner of the Seas can accommodate 4,000. 

On my recent cruise on Adventure, the total number of guests onboard was around 3,950 (according to the crew members I asked). This means that there were many cabins that had more than two people in them.

Read more: Cruise ship occupancy rates are over 100%. Why that isn’t actually a problem (or what you think it means)

At the time of these ships being built in the early 2000s, they were among the biggest in the world. Nowadays, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships are nearly double in size with many more people onboard. These mega-ships also cannot reach smaller ports, which limits their itineraries.

I love the size of the Mariner and Aventure; they have so many amenities onboard without being overwhelmingly large. The entertainment still feels like world-class productions. There are many different dining options onboard as well.

I really enjoy the unique production shows onboard both Mariner and Adventure

When Voyager Class ships were built, these vessels featured something that no other ships in the world had: an ice skating rink! At the time, the idea of having an ice skating rink on a moving cruise ship, especially in the Caribbean, was pretty mind-blowing.

Dubbed Studio B, the small ice skating rinks onboard are home to some spectacular ice shows. These are not your run-of-the-mill cruise ship productions. Instead, you will find Olympic-style skating with twists, turns, and flips that leave me stunned. Even though Mariner and Adventure are both mid-sized ships, I love that they feature such unique entertainment.

Mariner of the Seas’ ice show is called Ice Under the Big Top while Adventure of the Seas’ production is called Cool Art, Hot Ice. The circus-themed show on Mariner is one of my all-time favorite production shows. It’s funny, high-energy, and incredibly impressive. The circus theme brings back childhood memories for viewers of all ages!

There are other production shows onboard Mariner and Adventure, all of which I enjoyed. Mariner of the Seas features Gallery of Dreams and Center Stage in the Royal Theatre while Adventure of the Seas has shows called Invitation to Dance and Can’t Stop The Rock in the Lyric Theatre. 

Dining and drink venues onboard both ships are very similar, although I prefer Mariner’s upgraded offerings

When Mariner of the Seas received her Royal Amplification, the cruise line focused on adding new dining and bar options. 

One of the most unique bar options in all of Royal Caribbean’s fleet is the Bamboo Room. This tiki-themed bar is located in the Royal Promenade and serves up some delicious cocktails. Royal Caribbean describes the Bamboo Room as, “A laidback Polynesian watering hole with a throwback vibe and kitschy-cool craft cocktails like the Island Old Fashioned and Tiki Tea.” The Bamboo Room is only available on Mariner of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas.

I love the funky cocktails here, especially the mojitos. The atmosphere is unlike anywhere else on a Royal Caribbean ship! Since Adventure has not received a Royal Amplification, she does not feature any unique spots like this.

You can also find a Playmakers on Mariner of the Seas, which is Royal Caribbean’s sports bar and grill specialty restaurant. While I have never had the food here, the Campfire Skillet is one of the most delicious desserts I’ve had on a cruise ship. We were not able to have this on Adventure of the Seas, as the ship does not feature a Playmakers yet.

Another major advantage that Mariner of the Seas has over Adventure of the Seas is the Italian restaurant available. Onboard Mariner, my sister and I were able to dine at Jamie’s Italian. This restaurant serves fresh, handmade, and rustic Italian fare thanks to a partnership with Chef Jamie Oliver, one of Britain’s most famous food exports. I’ve been able to dine at Jamie’s Italian on multiple cruises, and I believe it’s my favorite specialty restaurant at sea. 

On the other hand, Adventure of the Seas has a Giovanni’s Table. This is Royal Caribbean’s original Italian restaurant. While I am a big fan of Italian food anywhere, I do prefer the menu and trendy atmosphere at Jamie’s Italian. 

Mariner of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas both feature Izumi Sushi, but Mariner also has the hibachi restaurant. Another difference is that Adventure’s Izumi Sushi is located in the Royal Promenade. (I thought this was neat because you could walk by and see the different classes happening while you were shopping.) Where Izumi is located on the Mariner is where Chops is located on Adventure. 

More differences between the two ships can be seen when comparing the onboard thrills

Mariner and Adventure have The Perfect Storm waterslides, a rock climbing wall, a sports court, and a Flowrider on deck 13. Both ships also have mini golf, but they are located in different areas of the ship.

Because of the Royal Amplification, Mariner has updated thrills like the Sky Pad bungee trampoline (though this is going to be removed soon), "Laser Tag: Battle for Planet Z", and an Escape Room “The Oberservatorium.” I didn’t partake in any of these activities on the Mariner, so I didn’t miss them when I was on the Adventure.

Overall, Mariner of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas are both excellent cruise ships that are well-maintained for their age

Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class ships are some of my favorites, each being slightly different yet special in their own way.

I like the Royal Amplification that Mariner received, and I hope Adventure will get amplified in the near future. Who knows, maybe the delay will introduce new amplifications that could be even more popular. I believe adding more complimentary dining options, preferably quick casual, would be a popular addition to the Voyage Class ships.

No matter if you cruise on Mariner of the Seas or Adventure of the Seas, you will have a wonderful time!

There's good and bad things about every cruise, including the one I just enjoyed.

I recently disembarked from a seven-day voyage onboard Adventure of the Seas. I had a fantastic time, but like many things in life, it wasn’t perfect.

Honestly, it’s easy to come up with things that I loved about my time on Adventure. I always love the food, entertainment, activities, and relaxation that comes with cruising. Adventure of the Seas is over 20 years old, but she is in excellent shape and offers a great value for cruisers.

Finding bad things about my trip was a little more difficult to do. I’d say that’s a good thing!

Nonetheless, here are the five things I loved and the five things I hated about my trip on Adventure of the Seas.

Love: The cruise director

Most cruise directors don’t stand out to me that much, but that is not the case with Kabir Bageria. Kabir was awesome! He made my trip on Adventure very memorable.

So many things about Kabir impressed me. His energy, enthusiasm, and upbeat personality are unmatched. He makes it his priority to ensure every guest feels welcome onboard.

He loves teaching his energetic signature dance classes on the pool deck multiple times throughout the voyage. He had a plethora of dad jokes he would share before and after shows, which were always funny (some more than others). He shared with me he tries to respond to every message he receives, and that truly sets him apart in my mind.

Every time he saw me or my mom, he would go out of his way to say hello and chat with us. Of all my cruises, Kabir was the most hospitable and accommodating! He made his home at sea feel like mine for my seven days onboard.

Kabir was nice enough to meet with me during his busy day so we could make content together for our social media channels. You can watch the interview here, and be sure to follow him on Instagram if you want to see what it’s like to be a cruise director!

Hate: Lack of outlets in our cabin

The thing I hated the most about this cruise was the lack of electrical outlets in our stateroom. There were only two outlets on the vanity for me and my mom to use. Between both of us, we had two cell phones, two smartwatches, two iPads, a laptop and camera to charge throughout the week. 

There were also a few instances when we had to blow dry our hair. We were constantly shuffling around our devices to see what needed to be charged first and plan ahead. 

Read more: I stayed in the cheapest cabin on Adventure of the Seas. It was small and windowless, but for $300 a night, it was a great deal. Take a look inside.

I thought I had read online that there was an outlet or two behind the beds. I made sure to check behind both of our beds for an outlet, and I was disappointed to not find one.

I will definitely look at bringing a power adapter like this one next time.

Another thing I wanted to note about our cabin is that I wasn’t sure if our air conditioner worked as it should have.

We had the air conditioner on the coldest setting we could and it was comfortable enough, but some may have found our cabin a little warm. It matched the refrigerator in our cabin — not that cool.

Love: Location of our cabin

While I hated there not being enough outlets in the cabin, I loved its location on the ship. We stayed in cabin 9379, which is on the ninth floor.

This floor proved to be very convenient because we were only two floors below the Windjammer and pool deck. Then, we had to go down just four floors to be at the Royal Promenade, the hub of activity on Voyager Class ships. 

The fact that we were in the far aft of the ship, the amount of people walking by our cabin was minimal. This made for a secluded cabin both in the mornings and the evenings when we really appreciated the quiet. 

Hate: Disrespectful kids

Because our over-capacity sailing (3,947 total passengers) had nearly 1,000 people under the age of 18 onboard, kids were everywhere. My guess is that many families were having their last summer vacation before school started (keep in mind, we cruised in early August).

Of course, kids onboard are fine, but my complaint is about the ones that weren’t respectful during shows.

My mom and I went to every headliner show in The Lyric Theatre. We usually went to the earlier show at 7:30 p.m., and these were well attended by all ages.

But, there were kids and teenagers that would be there who clearly didn’t want to! So many teenagers would be on their cell phones the entire show, and the light from their phones was distracting. Others would talk during the show – pretty loudly.

Many instances, parents would drag their young kids into the show and sit in one of the front rows – during the show! Families would come in last minute, start to crawl over us, and no more than 15 minutes later, crawl over us again to go the bathroom or leave because they’re bored. I don’t know why they would come to the front of the show when they can sit in the back or the side where they can easily slip out if they need to.

One night, a young boy kept bopping up and down so hard in his chair behind us that our chairs rattled and vibrated during the show. My mom had a kid behind her kick her seat throughout the show another night. I know it is their vacation as well, but I wish these parents would’ve had their children be more courteous to those of us around them.

We were thrilled if we had a non-interrupted 45 minutes of viewing enjoyment.

This leads to the next thing I loved about Adventure of the Seas.

Love: Entertainment and activities

The entertainment and activity options onboard Adventure of the Seas were plentiful! I was never bored. As mentioned earlier, my mom and I attended every headliner show. Sometimes, we saw the shows twice because we enjoyed them so much!

Read more: Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas review: What it's like to cruise on this ship today

The comedian, IMPACT, and the ice skating shows were some of my favorite entertainment. I also attended many of the game shows in the Imperial Lounge, including Majority Rules, Battle of the Sexes, and The Quest.

After attending the “Up Close & Personal with our Entertainment Family” event, Kabir, the cruise director, explained how important filling out the post-cruise survey is in terms of what entertainment the ship offers.

For example, after reading all the survey comments, Adventure of the Seas is considering adding an 80’s party in addition to the popular 70’s party. I like how they take into account what we as guests liked (or disliked) and want to see on a future cruise.

Hate: Numerous time zone changes

Our cruise visited Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Roatan, Honduras; and Perfect Day at CocoCay. We had a total of four nights with time changes.

For some reason, our cell phones didn’t always update when there was a time change. We found ourselves getting times messed up and missing a few activities because of it. 

Gaining an hour twice at the beginning of our trip was great (yay extra sleep!), but then it wasn’t so great when we had to lose them a few days later.

There was an instance when we were taking our sweet time getting ready before dinner in the Main Dining Room. I was in the shower when my mom frantically yelled, “It’s actually 5:30, not 4:30! We are late for dinner!” My mom ran to our dinner table and told our waiter, and luckily, they were nice enough to still serve us even though we were about 30 minutes late. They were so accommodating and didn’t make us feel bad for messing up their schedule.

It is only because my mom checked the Royal Caribbean app that she realized it was actually 5:30 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m. With all the time changes, I would recommend using the trusty Royal Caribbean app when in doubt because the app is in ship time, the time you need to know for all onboard activities, events, dining, etc.

Love: The staff

Speaking of being accommodating, the staff on Adventure of the Seas took excellent care of us!

Our stateroom attendant did everything she could to keep our cabin well stocked, clean and comfortable. She brought us extra pillows, extra towels, extra lotion and daily Cruise Compasses upon our request. If we requested something, she was always on it and did it with a smile on her face.

We chose to eat in the Main Dining Room every night. Our waiter and assistant waiter did a spectacular job! If we weren’t happy with something, they were great about recommending something else. They would always give us their honest opinion if something was good or not. We found them to be spot-on and we appreciated their candor.

My mom and I also made a friend in the Windjammer. After his initial question about getting us drinks, we stirred up a conversation with him. He shared how he missed his family and six dogs in the Philippines. 

The next day morning, he showed us a picture of his dogs! After making a connection, he took great care of us each morning, even when the Windjammer was super busy.

Hate: Inconsistent food temperature

While I liked having dinner in the Main Dining Room every night, there were times when my food wasn’t hot like I would’ve wanted.

Either the food was super hot and steaming, or it was lukewarm. For example, the spinach artichoke dip appetizer was nice and hot while my mom’s escargot was not on the same night.

The food still tasted good when it was lukewarm, but it would’ve been better if it was hotter.

Love: The Key

This cruise was the first time I tried The Key. After experiencing it, I would definitely consider getting it again for a future cruise.

Our embarkation day was amazing mostly because of The Key. Being able to check in at 11 a.m. (an hour earlier than our regular check-in time) was extremely convenient and within a few short minutes, we were able to walk onto the ship.

After a quick muster drill, we enjoyed a tasty lunch in the Main Dining Room with a menu from Chops Grille. Before we even had dessert, our cabin was ready. When we opened our stateroom door, my carry-on was there on the couch.

All the perks of The Key made the first day of our vacation much more relaxing. Day one of our voyage felt like a full-day experience instead of a travel day! Basically, if you subtract the internet we wanted to get for the seven days onboard, the extra benefits were less than $60 per person. 

I wrote an article detailing my Key experience that you can read on our sister site, Cruise.Blog, here.

Hate: A stinky situation

We had quite the stinky situation for two days. I was sitting in my cabin when I all of a sudden got a whiff of the skunky smell of marijuana. I went into the hallway and could smell it wafting from someone’s cabin.

For the next two days, we noticed the same bad smell in our hallway as we left our cabin. Then one time as we were trying to figure out the exact location of the smell, a stateroom attendant started talking to us and explained how he smelt it too. He stated that it wasn’t allowed on the ship and that he was going to report it. We were happy to hear that.

After this conversation, we never noticed the smell again. We assumed the warning was made and we were pleased that it was dealt with quickly!

Read more: Things that can get you kicked off a cruise ship in an instant

Adventure of the Seas may not have as many bells and whistles as other Voyager Class ships, but she offers some great values in cruising right now.

My mom and I recently disembarked Adventure of the Seas after a seven-night Western Caribbean sailing that visited Roatan, Honduras; Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; and Perfect Day at CocoCay. We had a wonderful time!

Here’s what you can expect when sailing on Adventure of the Seas.

Ship revitalization

Adventure of the Seas is a Voyager Class ship that first set sail in 2001.

She was the first ship to come back to service after September 11. To commemorate this, the godparents of Adventure are four individuals who “devoted their lives in service of others.” This plaque is located near Boleros.

Read more: All about Voyager Class cruise ships

In both 2016 and 2018, Adventure of the Seas went through a $61 million refurbishment. Royal Caribbean added new cabins, new thrills like the FlowRider and waterslides, as well as new venues such as Izumi, Chops Grille, and more.

Embarkation process

For this cruise, we decided to purchase The Key. 

When we were able to select our check-in time for embarkation day, noon was the earliest we could select. After we purchased The Key, we received an email about a week prior to our departure that we could arrive at 11 a.m. We were happy to see that we could get to the cruise an hour earlier than expected!

My mom and I took a Lyft to the Port Everglades terminal and arrived at 10:40 a.m. We wondered if they would make us wait since we were almost 30 minutes early. 

Read more: Guide to cruises from Fort Lauderdale

The Key check-in spot was easily identified, and we were able to walk right up and check-in. Security only took a few minutes.

We were then directed upstairs, where another employee separated suite guests and The Key guests. We weren’t there for more than five minutes when we were told we could board the ship.

The whole process was very easy, smooth, and fast. By our original planned arrival time, we were already onboard and exploring the ship. In reflection, it seemed as though we got the same priority treatment as a suite guest for a whole lot less money!

Was it worth buying The Key? If you are new to cruising and/or below Diamond in Crown and Anchor Society, I would say yes. Some of The Key benefits overlapped with my Diamond Plus status, such as the priority seating at shows and the wifi being included in lieu of my two free days.

I would definitely recommend The Key for your next cruise if you are planning to buy internet for your voyage. 

Interior cabin

My mom and I stayed in the cheapest available cabin, which was an inside guarantee cabin. 

Read more: I stayed in the cheapest cabin on Adventure of the Seas. It was small and windowless, but for $300 a night, it was a great deal.

We were not able to select the location of our cabin, but we ended up having an ideal location on deck nine. We only had to go up two flights of steps to reach The Windjammer and pool deck.

 Our cabin was situated in the very aft of the ship. Since we were at the end of the hallway, we didn't hear much noise, which was great for sleeping. The sailing was so smooth I couldn't feel the ship move at all in our cabin!

My first impression of the cabin was that it was well-kept and clean. There was more than enough storage for all of our belongings with a large closet and vanity with multiple drawers.

The bathroom was small but offered everything we needed.

This was my first time cruising with the new housekeeping change. My mom and I agreed that the once-a-day cleaning was just fine. It worked out great to have our stateroom attendant clean while we ate dinner. I actually liked not having a morning cleaning because I didn’t feel I had to get out of the room quickly so they could clean.

Dining onboard

Adventure of the Seas offers many places to dine onboard. We never went hungry!

Most mornings, we dined in the Windjammer for breakfast. I loved getting a custom omelet and some waffles, along with my favorite cranberry bread.

On our first sea day, we enjoyed breakfast in the Main Dining Room. We got to the Sapphire Dining Room at 9 a.m., and there was a line to be seated. We only had to wait about 15 minutes. It was a busy morning so our food didn’t come super quick, but I was glad to have breakfast in a different venue.

The Windjammer was busy a lot of the time since the ship was over capacity. When we went to the Windjammer during off times (like the end of breakfast or lunch, especially on port days), it was less crowded and we were able to find a clean table easier. 

Every evening, we dined in the Main Dining Room. We had early seating at 5:30 p.m. Here are the themed menus we had each night:

• Welcome Aboard
• French Night
• Taste of USA
• Italian Night
• Mexican Night
• The Royal Night
• Bon Voyage

Our waiter and assistant waiter were both so nice! The service was excellent and fast. Our dinners usually only lasted about 75 to 90 minutes. 

My only complaint about the Main Dining Room was how some of our meals were not very hot. Either my food was super hot (which I like) or lukewarm. The cold food was always cold so I didn't have to worry about that.

Whenever we left dinner, there was a long line to get seated. This was usually around 7 p.m. We really liked having a scheduled seating so we could just walk to our assigned table every night and not wait in line.

I loved that I could use my Diamond Plus drink vouchers on drinks such as Johnny Rockets milkshakes and Starbucks frappuccinos. I of course also had some yummy cocktails most nights.

My mom tried room service once during our sailing. She ordered from the complimentary menu and got some coffee and donuts for an estimated delivery between 9 and 9:30 a.m.

The morning of, a crew member knocked on our door at 9:10 a.m. She was expecting two cups of coffee, but instead, she got two carafes, each filled with two cups of hot coffee. She was pleasantly surprised because she needs lots of caffeine in the mornings.

Activities and entertainment

My mom and I went to every Production and Headliner Showtime performance in The Lyric Theatre. We always love going to these shows because of the wide variety of acts, from singing, dancing, comedy, and dare I say, adventure.

Can’t Stop the Rock and Invitation to Dance with the Royal Caribbean singers and dancers, as well as IMPACT, were my favorite performances.

IMPACT was described as, “having passion and charisma, along with extraordinary lighting effects and staging.” What was really cool was that we were able to see their last performance on Adventure. They had been performing onboard for two and a half months. Their high-energy show was filled with dancing, singing, intricate choreography, stomping, drums, and more! My mom and I thoroughly enjoyed IMPACT, so much so that we saw them twice on the same night.

The ice skating show Cool Art Hot Ice “explored the multifaceted world of art by embarking on an odyssey through time and geography.” I didn't quite pick up on the theme of the show, but nonetheless, I enjoyed watching the beautiful ice skating.

We also saw Jimmy Hopper sing some rock tunes. After seeing his show, we felt like we had seen him before. Sure enough, when we returned home, we found an old Cruise Compass and saw he was on Harmony of the Seas in 2022 when we sailed!

Lastly, the comedian Heath Harmison performed on the first and last night. He hosted a late-night comedy show on the last night that was hilarious. I wish he offered more shows during our seven-day voyage!

I like going to the game shows on Royal Caribbean ships. Some of my favorites from Adventure of the Seas included Finish That Lyric, Majority Rules, Battle of the Sexes, and The Quest. Every game show was very well attended by all ages. It was usually hard to find a seat in the Imperial Lounge!

Other activities that were a highlight for us included:

• The sail away party
• Outdoor movie on the pool deck
• Rock climbing (during The Key priority time)
• The Perfect Storm waterslides

Ports of Call

My mom and I did not purchase any shore excursions during our trip. At each port of call, we explored on our own.

Roatan, Honduras

The Roatan port is convenient to a touristy area with restaurants and shops. We decided to go shopping a little bit and ended up purchasing a few souvenirs.

The water here was beautiful and crystal clear. We could see colorful fish right off the shore. There is no doubt that snorkeling and scuba diving would be great here!

I thought it was fun how the town did a special send-off for us when we sailed away. A whole bunch of locals, drummers, and dancers did a little show while they waved goodbye.

Belize City, Belize

Belize was a unique port because it was the only one that required us to tender to the city. 

Read more: What does tender mean on a cruise ship?

Because we had The Key, we did not have to worry about getting a tender ticket. We were able to get on a tender between 7:30 and 9 a.m. Everyone else had to get a tender ticket the morning of between 7 and 9:15 a.m. We got off the ship around 11 a.m., so we didn't really take advantage of this benefit.

I was slightly worried that the 20-minute ride to the city would be rough (I get motion-sick pretty easily), but it wasn't at all! It was smooth sailing the entire time.

My mom was afraid we’d have to wait a long time to return to the ship and have to stand in the heat. This was not the case. They kept enough tenders running that we walked right on one after we explored the port area and did some shopping. Plus there was a partially shaded waiting area, so my mom was happy. 

Cozumel

It was extremely hot in Cozumel the day we were docked, so we didn’t do much of anything! We got off the ship around noon, took a few photos with the ship, and then went back onboard for a cold drink at the bar. 

Perfect Day at CocoCay

Our final stop was at Perfect Day at CocoCay. I was most excited about this port! It has become one of my favorite places to visit. There’s so much to do, so every time I am there, it’s a different experience. 

Read more: 40 Perfect Day at CocoCay tips, tricks and secrets

It was so hot out that the first thing I wanted to do was get in the water at Oasis Lagoon and enjoy a cocktail at the swim-up bar. The water wasn't as cold as I wanted it to be, but it was refreshing, almost like bath water. 

After several hours at the Oasis Lagoon, my mom and I got chicken sandwiches and a funnel cake to share at Snack Shack. It was so delicious!

We wanted to find a nice relaxing spot in the shade, so we headed over to the hammock area at Chill Island. I took advantage of my Wi-Fi and watched a show while in the shade. It was a lovely day!

Disembarkation day

As The Key guests, we enjoyed an exclusive breakfast in the Main Dining Room. This was available from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.

There was a special breakfast menu that featured entrees like steak and eggs, crab benedict, and french toast. There were also other continental breakfast items available. After most mornings in the Windjammer, this was a nice way to spend our last breakfast on the Adventure.

We chose to leave the ship during the main departure time and pick up our luggage inside the terminal. We had a late flight out of Fort Lauderdale, so we were not eager to leave. Before disembarking, I got one last Starbucks coffee!

In the terminal, there was a dedicated area for The Key guests' luggage. Our two suitcases were the very last ones in The Key area when we exited the terminal at 9:20 a.m. As soon as we walked outside, I ordered an Uber. It didn't take long to get one, and the drive to the airport was a quick 10 minutes.

A few final thoughts

We sailed the second week of August. Because school hadn't started quite yet, there were lots of families onboard. In fact, of the 3,947 people onboard, nearly 1,000 of them were children (under the age of 18). The ship’s capacity is 3,807, so there were lots of families using bunk beds.

This cruise seemed to be the end-of-summer vacation for many families. There were lots of family reunion groups onboard. My mom commented that she felt on the older side at 62 years old.

The diamond lounge was very quiet throughout the voyage. There was plenty of seating whenever we went. We found out there were less than 110 diamond, diamond plus, and pinnacle members sailing!

The Wi-Fi was fast onboard. However, it was sometimes spotty in our cabin. I didn't have problems when I watched YouTube videos or had to send work emails. Overall, I would say the Wi-Fi was reliable and quick.

For my recent cruise onboard Adventure of the Seas, my mom and I stayed in the cheapest cabin available.

I selected an inside guarantee cabin around two months before the sailing departure. A significant factor as to why I selected this cabin type was because of the cost. I definitely don't mind cruising in inside cabins, so I thought the $2,160 price was reasonable for a seven-night Western Caribbean sailing.

Read more: How much does a cruise cost?

Because this was an guarantee cabin, I was not able to select its location on the ship. Of course, I always prefer to get a cabin midship for the smoothest possible sailing. I tend to get motion sick, so being in the middle of the ship is ideal for less movement.

However, from my experience with inside guaranteed cabins, it usually ends up being in the very front or back of the ship. For this sailing, we were in the very back of the ship.

About two weeks before our sailing, I checked the Royal Caribbean app and noticed our assigned cabin was 9379. This cabin was situated on the starboard side, in the aft of the ship. 

This cruise was the first time I purchased The Key, so upon opening the door to our stateroom, I saw my purple carry-on on the couch. It was so convenient not to lug it around for the first several hours onboard the ship! 

My first impression of the cabin was that it was tidy and clean. 

We noticed right away that the cabin was quite spacious at 160 square feet. The decor wasn’t dated, but the drawers had a pink tint to them that reminded me the ship is in fact 22 years old.

As soon as you walk into the cabin, you are met with a large closet. The closet had 18 hangers and six wide, wire shelves for all the clothes we packed.

The beds were separated per our request prior to embarkation. Next to both of our beds was a side table with a drawer and an open compartment. One side table had a phone on top that took up the majority of the space.

Each bed had a wall light above our heads. This was perfect for reading and getting all settled in before turning off the lights and the cabin becoming pitch black. The darkness made for good sleeping; this is one of the advantages of an inside cabin.

Our cabin included a full-sized couch. This was nice for another place to sit instead of our beds. Sure there were a few stains on the cushions, but it was nothing terrible. We even lined up our shoes (yes, my mom brought seven pairs of shoes) under the couch for easy viewing and access.

The vanity is a great feature of the cabin because of all the storage. It had nine drawers: six deeper ones and three shallow ones. I found the shallow drawers hard to use, especially since one had a hair dryer in it, rendering it unusable for other things. On both sides of the vanity were glass shelves for additional items. 

On the right side of the vanity was a TV that could swivel in different directions so wherever we were in the cabin, we could see the screen. My mom loved this because she slept on the same side as the vanity and was able to position the TV to be at the foot of her bed so she could watch TV while falling asleep.

Above the TV was a safe and two deep shelves for more storage.

Below the TV was a mini refrigerator. The refrigerator was useful primarily for keeping water and sodas cool. It didn’t get super cold. We tried to put a plate of complementary fruit we received in there, but it didn't fit. We wished it had a deeper shelf so we could have stored more in there. 

The biggest disappointment in our cabin was the lack of outlets. By day two, we were really wishing we had packed an approved power strip so we would have more outlets to charge our cell phones, iPads, watches, camera, and laptop. We were constantly shuffling devices based on need and usage.  

Before the sailing, I thought I had read online that there was another outlet behind the beds. I looked under and behind both beds and unfortunately didn’t find one.

Read more: The clever reason to bring a European power adapter on your cruise ship

The bathroom was certainly not glamorous, but it got the job done (literally!). 

The major thing that caught my eye was four Salt + Breeze bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and lotion on the bathroom counter on embarkation day. This was the first time I’ve had that in a cabin. 

We later asked our room attendant and she said that was a perk for Diamond and above guests. I was very happy to have these toiletries because I am not a fan of the all-in-one soap in the shower.

Behind the right mirror were three shelves for various toiletries. I didn't need this extra storage, so my mom utilized it. We had two sets of towels hanging up when we arrived, but after asking our stateroom attendant, we had three sets each day which was helpful. 

The shower (I call it a space pod!) was compact, but it always had plenty of hot water and good pressure. If you are curious, the approximate diameter of the shower was 29 inches.

Overall thoughts about our cabin

We really appreciated the location of our cabin. There was only one room next to us before you turned the corner to the suites that are across the back of the ship. This meant there was very little foot traffic throughout the day and night, making the location pretty quiet.

Read more: The 5 best cabin locations on a cruise ship

Another aspect of the cabin location we enjoyed was the proximity to the Windjammer and pool deck. We only had to walk up two flights of stairs to be near all the excitement!

Something random we noticed was how extremely heavy our cabin door was when trying to open or close it. On the plus side, I think the weight of the door may have helped cut down noise from the hallway.

Our luggage was delivered to our door by 1:30 p.m. on embarkation day, so as soon as we got them, we started to unpack everything. After unpacking, we hid our suitcases under the beds so they could be out of the way to leave as much open space as possible.

Read more: Best inside cruise ship cabin hacks

Not long after receiving our luggage, we met our stateroom attendant. This was my first cruise since the new housekeeping change (one cleaning per day instead of two), so she explained to us that she was available every day from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then again from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and asked what time we preferred. Since we had early dining room seating at 5:30 p.m., we selected 6 p.m. each day. 

We had no issues with the once-a-day cleaning. It was nice not having to worry about knocking on the door in the early mornings and waking me up. I also liked not feeling rushed to leave our cabin in the morning so the attendants can clean before their afternoon breaks.

Our stateroom attendant was wonderful and bought extra pillows for us and gave us a paper Cruise Compass every night on our beds (per our request).

Overall, I would say I was pleased with our tiny stateroom. Considering the ship's age, she is in respectable condition. I believe because of the quietness, ideal location on the ninth deck, and convenience to the Windjammer and pool deck, I'd recommend this cabin to future cruisers.

Unexpected things can always happen on a cruise, and although you can dream about the perfect vacation, you shouldn't always expect a cruise to go as smoothly as you hope.

Realistically, you might experience a few unpredictable mishaps during your cruise. Here at Royal Caribbean Blog, our staff has collectively cruised more than 200 times. Needless to say, we have experienced a few crazy things ourselves during our cruises.

From being kicked out of the Diamond Lounge for wearing shorts to watching pier runners sprint their way to the ship before all-aboard time, we’ve seen it all!

Below are some of our craziest stories from our very own Royal Caribbean Blog staff members.

A ship struck Mariner of the Seas

During a quick sailing on Mariner of the Seas last spring, Allie Hubers was onboard when it was struck by a cargo ship.

“On embarkation day," Allie mentioned, "we were notified that Mariner of the Seas needed to dock in Freeport for some routine maintenance, which would replace our sea day.

"After wandering around for a bit in Freeport, we went back to our inside cabin, which was located at the aft of the ship. Suddenly, we felt a big jolt and the ship swayed. My sister and I joked, ‘we must have hit an iceberg!’ to one another.

"The captain came on the speakers almost immediately to announce that a cargo ship docked next to us had 'bounced' into the ship. We ran to the back of the ship to see the cargo ship's bridge nearly crumpled. Crew members blocked off the area where Mariner sustained minor damage. The captain assured us that Mariner was seaworthy and that this would not impact our sailing.

"Essentially, it was so windy that when the cargo ship tried to dock, the wind pushed the ship into us. Their bridge bounced off Mariner's aft on deck 5, creating a pretty noticeable hole in the ship. We were lucky it wasn't worse. I would have been more terrified if we weren't docked at a port when it happened.

"Only a few people were interested in what happened, as the belly flop contest was happening at the time of the incident and the spring breakers were having too much fun to know what was going on!”

A new stateroom for the night

Sailing onboard the now-retired Monarch of the Seas, Marcy Miyar and her husband were desperate to get some sleep, so they tried to find somewhere to go in the middle of the night instead of their extremely noisy cabin.

“It was our first time in a Junior Suite on Monarch of the Seas," said Marcy. "Back then, the three-night cruises didn't depart Nassau until midnight. Because of this, the ship would have a sail away party on the pool deck, but it would last until 3 or 4 AM!

"The junior suites are directly below the pool deck, so we could hear everything like they were in the room with us. The DJ on the microphone, the music, people singing and laughing, deck chairs scraping along our ceiling... we could hear it all.

"We went down to Guest Services and asked if we could be moved to a lower-category room, but of course, the ship was full. We were like zombies walking around the ship with our pillows, looking for somewhere to get some sleep. Luckily, we stumbled upon an unlocked conference room on deck 2. That's where we spent the night. 

"Now, we always make sure to check what is on the deck above us when picking out a stateroom!”

Oscar, Oscar, Oscar

While cruising on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, Haley Harnish experienced a scary announcement: Code Oscar.

“Shortly after noon, we heard an Oscar Oscar Oscar call over the PA system," said Haley. "The Oscar code is for man overboard, so it is the absolute last one you want to hear. We had just been seated in Izumi for a sushi and sake pairing, and everybody around us was distressed. The staff did a wonderful job keeping the lunch flowing, even though I'm sure they were just as worried.

"We could feel the ship slow and stop, and about ten minutes later, she turned around and headed back south. The captain announced about midway through lunch that there was an overboard situation and the Coast Guard was involved. The running track on deck 5 was closed to guests so that rescue operations could be activated from that portion of the ship.

"The captain made another announcement around 1 PM, this time telling us that a guest had claimed a person was in the water. To account for everyone on the ship, all guests had to go to the dining room to scan their SeaPass cards. Crew members were to do the same.

"Luckily, my guest and I were first in line to be scanned. It was a fairly easy process, like getting off the ship for an excursion. Then we were directed through the dining room to an emergency door and out onto the running track, up a set of stairs, and onto the Boardwalk.

"The captain let us know just after 3 PM that all crew and guests were accounted for. We had to wait about 30 minutes more to be cleared by the Coast Guard, as they had sent a helicopter to scan the area. At 3:40 PM, we were cleared. 

"This situation made us delayed going to Perfect Day at CocoCay, as we did not arrive until about 12:30 PM. However, we were all very relieved that this was the only negative outcome of the day!”

A surprise guest in our cabin

When boarding Liberty of the Seas, Nicole Feist and her husband were notified of someone else listed on their cabin.

“As we were scanning our SeaPass card to go up the ramp to the ship, we were asked where ‘Lisa’ was," Nicole explained. "We told them that we didn't know a Lisa, and we were the only two assigned to our room. The person scanning had us move to the side and get a supervisor over to check out what the issue was. 

"On their system, it was showing that all three of us were assigned to the same cabin. They told us that they would look into the issue and we were fine to board, so we went ahead and got on the ship. 

"My husband headed to Guest Services to see if they knew what the issue was. It turned out that Lisa was from the previous sailing and hadn't yet closed out her onboard account. That was why she was still showing as assigned to our room! We kept an eye on our account, and luckily we didn't get any of her charges placed on it.”

Late-night false alarm

During the mandatory muster drill, you never expect to actually hear the ship’s alarm during your cruise vacation. 

Onboard Adventure of the Seas, Matt Hochberg was enjoying himself in the pub when all of a sudden, the alarms sounded.

“Once the alarm went off, crew members instructed us to go to our muster stations," Matt explained. "It was 11:20 PM, and my kids were in Adventure Ocean. Being on the Promenade, we were close to our station so we were among the first out to the station. In fact, we beat a lot of the crew members out there. 

"All this time, the alarm was repeating. A few minutes later the alarm stopped and the captain came on the intercom to let us know it was a false alarm. The crew later told us something was up because when the alarm goes off in drills, they expect to hear an announcement after the first time the alarm is sounded.”

Unexpected scenarios can always occur on a cruise, and these are moments we'll never forget! Have you ever seen anything out of the ordinary on a cruise? Let us know in the comments below!