From major announcements like the new Hideaway Beach at Perfect Day at CocoCay and the second Icon Class ship, Star of the Seas, to the delivery and completion of the world’s largest cruise ship, Icon of the Seas, 2023 was a big year for Royal Caribbean.

As we close out the year, it’s fun to look back and remember all the monumental things that happened in the Royal Caribbean cruising world.

Let’s recap the other big moments from 2023.

1. Symphony of the Seas record

One of Royal Caribbean’s largest ships, Symphony of the Seas, set a record in March 2023.

During a twelve-night transatlantic cruise from Miami, Florida to Barcelona, Spain, the largest number of paying cruisers and crew to sail across the Atlantic Ocean on a single ship was recorded. A total of 7,604 passengers were onboard the Symphony of the Seas sailing, including 5,350 guests and 2,224 crew members.

This particular sailing was not at full capacity, however. Symphony of the Seas can hold 6,680 guests.

It’s important to note that this is not an all-time record. Queen Mary carried 16,683 people across the Atlantic in July 1943 during World War II.

2. Icon of the Seas sea trials

In June and the end of October/early November 2023, Icon of the Seas completed her first and second rounds of sea trials at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland.

Before delivering a new cruise ship, there must be a series of sea trials where the ship sails hundreds of miles before making the transatlantic trip to America. Essentially, sea trials are tests of the ship’s navigational and technical systems. Icon of the Seas passed all tests with flying colors!

This is the final stage of a cruise ship’s construction before delivery to the cruise line.

3. President's Cruise on Allure of the Seas

Royal Caribbean regularly offers a President’s Cruise, hosted by Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, for loyal fans of the cruise line to sail together. On these particular cruises, there are exclusive events and special guests as well.

2023’s President's Cruise took place in July on Allure of the Seas, sailing in and out of Galveston. This was the first President's Cruise that left from Texas. 

Grammy-winner Chaka Khan performed during the seven-night sailing!

In June 2024, the President’s Cruise will be on Oasis of the Seas, sailing to the Mediterranean for seven nights.

Read more: Royal Caribbean: Building a new smaller cruise ship is "deeply in our consideration"

4. Hideaway Beach announcement

Royal Caribbean released details of the new adults-only area at Perfect Day at CocoCay, called Hideaway Beach, on September 14, 2023.

Hideaway Beach will be located behind Thrill Waterpark. Only those 18 and older will be allowed to enter. The cost of admission will vary, similar to Coco Beach Club.

While Coco Beach Club is more serene and relaxing, Hideaway Beach will offer a “Vegas-style pool party vibe.” There will be poolside cabanas for rent, an infinity pool, and beach access, as well as numerous bars and restaurants.

Hideaway Beach will open in conjunction with Icon of the Seas’ inaugural sailing at the end of January 2024. 

5. Utopia of the Seas float out

Icon of the Seas has a lot of hype surrounding her, but don’t forget about the new Oasis Class ship, Utopia of the Seas!

In September 2023, Utopia of the Seas touched water for the first time at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France.

This is an important step in the cruise ship construction process. This is one of the first steps in the building journey; after the new ship is assembled in a dry dock, it is transferred to a “wet dock” to complete more work.

Utopia of the Seas will be launched in July 2024 and offer three and four-night Caribbean sailings out of Port Canaveral.

Read more: Utopia of the Seas: Itinerary, features, and more

6. Star of the Seas announcement

On October 5, 2023, Royal Caribbean announced the name of the next Icon Class cruise ship: Star of the Seas.

Star of the Seas will homeport in Port Canaveral and look very similar to Icon of the Seas. She will offer seven-night sailings to the Eastern and Western Caribbean.

Icon of the Seas is the first Icon Class ship, and when Star of the Seas launches in August 2025, she will be the second. There are also orders for a third unnamed Icon Class ship to be delivered in 2026.

Read more: Star of the Seas: Itinerary, features and more

7. Icon of the Seas completed and delivered

November 27, 2023, was a big day for Icon of the Seas! On this day, she was officially delivered, meaning ownership was transferred to Royal Caribbean.

There was a large ceremony onboard where executives from Royal Caribbean celebrated the milestone. Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, and Meyer Turku CEO Tim Meyer were all in attendance.

After 900 days of construction, Icon of the Seas was ready to make her transatlantic voyage to her home in Miami.

8. Icon of the Seas passes under the Great Belt Bridge

After Icon of the Seas was delivered, she had to go to Cadiz, Spain to receive some final touches.

Before arriving in Cadiz, Icon of the Seas passed under Denmark’s Great Belt Bridge, one of the largest bridges in the world, with just a few feet to spare. Icon’s funnels had to be retracted so she could fit under the bridge. For context, Icon of the Seas is 20 decks high.

This technology is not new, as other Oasis and Quantum Class ships have retractable funnels too.

Currently, Icon of the Seas is still en route to Miami. 

9. Start of the Ultimate World Cruise

Back in 2021, it was announced that Royal Caribbean would offer its first world cruise in 2023, visiting 150 destinations in 65 countries.

On December 10, 2023, it finally happened! Serenade of the Seas arrived in Miami to kick-start the 274-night Ultimate World Cruise that will take travelers to all seven continents. The cruise ends on September 10, 2024.

Bookings opened in early 2022. Passengers could book either the entire voyage or one of four 2-3 month segments. Because the Ultimate World Cruise did not sell out, Royal Caribbean released 17 segments in April 2023, ranging from nine to 29 nights.

Read more: Why the internet is obsessed with 9-month world cruise on Royal Caribbean cruise ship

10. Lionel Messi named an "Icon"

On December 13, 2023, Lionel Messi, a well-known soccer player, was named “The Icon of Icon.”

Similar to what a cruise ship Godmother would do, Messi will participate in the naming ceremony for Icon of the Seas on January 23, 2024. As “The Icon of Icon,” Messi will give Icon of the Seas a blessing for the safety of the crew members and passengers who will sail onboard.

This partnership comes as no surprise since Royal Caribbean announced a partnership with Inter Miami CF, which is the club Messi plays for, back in August 2023.

What was your favorite Royal Caribbean moment of 2023?

We want to hear from you!

In collaboration with Loyal to Royal, let us know your favorite moment by voting using this Google Form. Voting closes the night of December 30, 2023, so be sure to cast your vote before then.

Stay tuned for results on our Instagram page!

This past fall I decided to sail on Grandeur of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's oldest cruise ship. While our sailing was quick, it was the perfect amount of time to explore this “well-seasoned” cruise ship. 

Before boarding Grandeur of the Seas, I anticipated the ship was going to be in rough shape. I was imagining rust in every corner, worn-out furniture, and retro decor. After all, Grandeur was rated the worst Royal Caribbean ship in the fleet, according to U.S. News and World Report.

However, once I stepped foot on the ship, I was pleasantly surprised at how well-maintained Grandeur was!

Overview of Grandeur of the Seas

Lady G, as many cruisers call Grandeur of the Seas, debuted in December 1996. In fact, she is older than me!

With a length of 916 feet, guest capacity of 2,440, and gross tonnage of 73,817, Grandeur of the Seas is the smallest ship in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. Originally, she was not the first Vision Class ship (Splendor of the Seas and Legend of the Seas were built first and then sold to Marella Cruises), but now she is considered the oldest Vision Class ship.

In 2012, Grandeur of the Seas underwent a $48 million revitalization where many new venues were added, such as Giovanni’s, Chops, Izumi, and loyalty lounges, as well as new furniture/carpet and technology upgrades like ship-wide Wi-Fi.

In October 2019, it was announced that Grandeur of the Seas was going to be leaving Royal Caribbean. However, the pandemic and financial struggles of Pullmantur Cruises stopped these plans in August 2020. Since then, Grandeur has continued offering sailings primarily around the Caribbean.

Embarkation and disembarkation in Tampa

For this sailing, my sister Allie and I cruised in and out of Tampa, Florida. The day before our cruise, we flew into town and stayed at the hotel that connects to the airport: Tampa Airport Marriott. It was convenient to stay here because we arrived late in the evening and didn't have to travel far to our hotel from the airport.

On the day of the cruise, I ordered an Uber ride for us to the port. The 10-mile ride to Port Tampa Bay only took 20 minutes, and we were dropped off right by the port entrance. 

I hadn't cruised out of Port Tampa Bay since January 2020, so I forgot what the embarkation process was like. Also at that time, my parents and I drove to the port, so that was a whole different embarkation experience.

Allie and I arrived at the port at noon for our check-in time. Since we only packed carry-on suitcases, we did not have to worry about dropping off our luggage with the porters. 

Port Tampa Bay is a small port compared to others I have been to (like Port Everglades and Port Miami), though I felt like the check-in process was the same amount of time as a larger port. However, it was nice that it wasn't super busy or crowded. 

Something abnormal happened when we tried to scan our SetSail passes: My sister was dinged for not checking in ahead of time. When this happened, we had to go to one of the counters and get a credit card added to her account before we could get on the ship. This set us back about 15 minutes. This is a good reminder for everyone - do not forget to complete the check-in process ahead of arriving at the terminal!

Read more: Guide to cruises from Tampa

Interior guarantee cabin

Once we were onboard Grandeur of the Seas, we made our way to our cabin to drop off our belongings. 

During our four-night sailing, we stayed in an interior guarantee cabin. Because it’s a guarantee cabin, we were not able to select the location of the cabin. We were assigned a cabin on deck three at the very front of the ship.

I am not a fan of staying in cabins that are in the very front of the ship because they tend to have more movement than cabins in the middle of the ship. Luckily, we had smooth sailings and I rarely felt movement while in the cabin!

Cabin 3505, which was 142 square feet, was much bigger than I was expecting. Everything appeared to be in good condition, including the couch, vanity, and carpet. I was afraid the bed wouldn't be comfortable because of its age, but I actually slept well every night, especially when we separated the beds.

There was more than enough storage in the cabin. I really liked the large drawers under the TV - I find that drawers on other Royal Caribbean ships are half the size. Another thing to note was that our cabin did not have a mini cooler for drinks or snacks.

My least favorite part of this cabin was the shower. While the rest of the bathroom was fine, the small shower was uncomfortable. I could hardly move because of the odd shape of the shower, and the clingy curtain didn't help! This was a first for me on a Royal Caribbean cruise because normally there are sliding doors rather than curtains.

Other than that, the cabin was perfectly fine for our quick cruise. We didn't spend much time in the cabin anyway.

Read more: I booked the smallest and cheapest room on Royal Caribbean’s Grandeur of the Seas. It was only 142 square feet, but I’d stay in it again

Dining options

Grandeur of the Seas has a few options to grab something to eat or enjoy a meal with friends and family, including:

• The Great Gatsby Main Dining Room
• Cafe Latte-tudes
• Windjammer Marketplace
• Park Cafe
• Specialty restaurants Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi, and Chef’s Table

On the first night of our cruise, my sister and I splurged on dinner at Giovanni’s Table, the specialty Italian restaurant onboard. We love Italian food, and we wanted to take advantage of our BOGO Diamond Plus offer. Our meal was excellent! I loved the tagliatelle carbonara, chicken piccata, and tiramisu.  

On the remaining nights, we dined in the Main Dining Room. Honestly, I enjoyed the food each night in the dining room. The themed meals we had were for A Taste of the Caribbean, A Taste of Italy, and A Taste of Mexico. The service was quick and our waiters were on top of it!

One morning, we had breakfast in the Main Dining Room. We wanted to sit at a table for two, but instead, we were sat at a large table with other people since tables of two were full. This was fine of course, but I found that the food took longer because we had to wait for everyone’s food to come at the same time.

I was shocked when I stumbled upon Park Cafe in the Solarium; I didn’t expect to see it on this ship! I was happy to see there was another quick-casual, complimentary place to eat. I got pizza here some days and I thought it was quite tasty! Also, I went to Cafe Latte-tudes every day to get Starbucks drinks. This venue had free snack options throughout the day, too.

Read more: I’ve sailed on all of Royal Caribbean’s oldest ships. Here’s why I don't mind sailing on these small ships

Entertainment and activities

Grandeur of the Seas does not have all the attractions of other Royal Caribbean ships, like a Flowrider, waterslides, ice skating, and bumper cars. Rather, she offers theatre productions, trivia, and other activities. The most thrilling feature of Grandeur of the Seas is the rock climbing wall at the back of the ship. There's also a main pool and hot tubs.

During our sailing, we saw three shows in the Palladium Theatre, including a comedian, an impressionist, and a production show, Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme. This production show was also on Voyager of the Seas when I sailed in September. I thought every ship had a unique show but I guess that is not the case! 

All of these shows were very entertaining and fun to watch. I always like to see the entertainment on cruises, no matter what the act is. We never had trouble finding seats in the theatre. 

There were many classic Royal Caribbean activities offered during the cruise, like the sexiest man competition, Love and Marriage, belly flop contest, karaoke, headphone disco, and several game shows. 

Something that I noticed about many of these activities, even the more adult-themed events, was that young children would participate in them sometimes. I believe this was the case because of the lack of onboard thrills offered on this ship for younger passengers.

On the sea days (and even while we were docked in Cozumel), we chose to relax in the Solarium, Centrum, or loyalty lounge. As you can see, the general theme of this cruise was about relaxing! It was a nice change of pace to not feel pressured to go to every single event offered onboard. It was lovely to relax and enjoy a drink among our fellow cruisers.

My overall thoughts on Grandeur of the Seas

While Grandeur of Seas lacks some modern amenities, she makes up for it with the more intimate atmosphere she offers guests. 

The staff onboard Grandeur of the Seas are wonderful. Even with My Time Dining in the Main Dining Room, we were able to, by request, sit in the same section every night to have the same waitstaff. We really enjoyed their service! A larger ship would probably not be as willing to accommodate us. 

Even though Grandeur is almost 30 years old, I think she is in great condition - truly much better than I expected. 

I believe a cruise on Grandeur of the Seas would be fun during a port-intensive itinerary that visits unique destinations. This is definitely a benefit of sailing on a small ship: You will be able to visit more exotic places.

My advice is to not avoid this ship solely because of some negative reviews online. Go and experience the cruise ship for yourself before you make a judgment. 

Before booking a cruise on Grandeur of the Seas (or any Vision Class ship for that matter), it’s important to understand that while there are fewer thrills, there are still plenty of ways to enjoy your vacation. You will also not have to worry about dealing with large crowds or getting lost trying to maneuver the ship.

Adventure of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas are both a part of Royal Caribbean’s Voyager Class of ships, which debuted in 1999.

Voyager of the Seas is the first ship in the Voyager Class. This ship was the first of its kind in the cruise industry because she included many never-before-seen features, like the Royal Promenade, ice skating rink, and rock climbing wall.

There are five ships in the Voyager Class. Adventure of the Seas is the third ship, after Explorer of the Seas. The other two ships are Navigator of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas.

Both Adventure of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas are considered older vessels compared to the entire Royal Caribbean fleet (Voyager of the Seas is the fifth ship built and Adventure of the Seas is the eighth ship built out of 28 total ships). However, these ships offer an incredible value because they are not too big in size, yet they still offer an impressive array of venues and activities for cruisers to enjoy. There really is something for everyone!

Overview of Voyager of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas

Voyager of the Seas’ maiden voyage was November 21, 1999. In 2019, Voyager of the Seas completed its $97 million Royal Amplification, which included the addition of waterslides, an updated Vitality Spa and Fitness Center, new staterooms, and redesigned kids/teens areas.

Read more: Voyager of the Seas review: What it’s like to cruise on Royal Caribbean’s oldest Voyager Class ship

Here are some other fast facts about Voyager of the Seas:

• Guest capacity: 4,269
• Gross tonnage: 137,276
• 1,020 feet long
• 15 total decks

On the other hand, Adventure of the Seas’ maiden voyage was November 18, 2001. While Adventure of the Seas has not yet been Royal Amplified (it was postponed due to the pandemic), she did undergo two revitalizations in 2016 and 2018, which cost $61 million. During this time, waterslides, the Flowrider, Splashaway Bay, Izumi, new staterooms, and more were added.

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

More fast facts about Adventure of the Seas:

• Guest capacity: 3,807
• Gross tonnage: 138,193
• 1,020 feet long
• 15 total decks

While these two ships are similar in length and volume, Voyager of the Seas can carry more passengers. Perhaps the biggest difference between these two cruise ships is the fact that Voyager of the Seas has received a Royal Amplification while Adventure of the Seas has not yet.

Dining and Bars

Voyager of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas offer many of the same places to eat. 

Both ships have three complimentary venues: the Main Dining Room (called The Sapphire Dining Room on Adventure of the Seas), Windjammer Marketplace (buffet open for all three meals of the day), and Cafe Promenade, which includes free pizza, coffee from Starbucks, and Ben & Jerry’s (the two latter are not included in your cruise fare). Both ships also have an area for soft-serve ice cream.

All of these venues are located in the same place on both ships: the Main Dining Room is on decks three, four, and five in the back of the ship, the Windjammer is on deck 11 in the back of the ship, and Cafe Promenade is located on deck five in the Royal Promenade. 

As far as specialty dining, both of these ships have:

• Chops Grille (American steakhouse)
• Giovanni’s Table (Italian)
• Izumi (Japanese)
• Chef’s Table (gourmet food and wine experience)

On Voyager of the Seas, Giovanni’s is located on the fourth deck by the Schooner Bar while Chops is located next to the Windjammer. On Adventure of the Seas, these locations are swapped where Chops is on the fourth deck and Giovanni’s is next to the Windjammer.

Adventure of the Seas is the only ship with Izumi located in the Royal Promenade. On Voyager of the Seas, Izumi is on the 14th deck near the Viking Crown Lounge.

There is one venue that is unique to both ships. Voyager of the Seas has a Cupcake Cupboard on deck 11 near the Windjammer; not many ships still offer this cupcake shop onboard. Something Adventure of the Seas has that Voyager of the Seas does not is Johnny Rockets. This is located on deck 12 in the back of the ship. Voyager of the Seas used to have a Johnny Rockets, but it was removed during the Royal Amplification.

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

Many bars found on Adventure of the Seas are also on Voyager of the Seas. Some of these bars are essentially the same but have different names. These include:

• Schooner Bar
• Casino Bar
• The Tavern on Voyager or Boleros on Adventure
• Star Lounge bar on Voyager or Imperial Lounge bar on Adventure 
• R Bar on Voyager or Champagne Bar on Adventure 
• Pig & Whistle on Voyager or Duck & Dog on Adventure 
• Solarium Bar
• Pool Bar
• Plaza Bar on Voyager or Windjammer Bar on Adventure
• Sky Bar/Lounge
• High Notes on Voyager or Blue Moon on Adventure

Entertainment and Activities

Voyager-Class ships offer lots of onboard thrills and activities for cruisers of all ages. Both Adventure of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas have:

• Ice skating in Studio B
• Flowrider surf simulator
• The Perfect Storm waterslides
• Rock climbing wall
• Sports court for basketball, pickleball, soccer, and other outdoor sports
• Mini golf (Voyager Dunes is on deck 13 while Adventure Dunes is split between decks 12 and 13)
• Pool deck with two large pools and four hot tubs
• Adults-only solarium (not enclosed) with a pool and two hot tubs
• Adventure Ocean for kids and teens, along with an arcade

There are a few differences between these two ships when it comes to activities. Voyager of the Seas offers laser tag in Studio B, called Battle for Planet Z. On the other hand, Adventure of the Seas has a Splashaway Bay on the pool deck. This area includes a Baby Splash Zone for kids who are not potty-trained so they can enjoy the pool as well.

Each ship has its own unique lineup of entertainment. In addition to the various headliners, there are two production shows in the Royal Theatre (dubbed the Lyric Theatre on Adventure of the Seas). Adventure of the Seas has shows Invitation to Dance and Can’t Stop The Rock while Voyager of the Seas has Broadway Rhythm & Rhyme and Music in Pictures. There is an ice skating show on each ship as well, called Cool Art, Hot Ice on Adventure of the Seas and Ice Odyseey on Voyager of the Seas.

Lounges and Public Spaces

Similar to the dining and entertainment venues onboard, Voyager of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas offer many of the same public spaces. These include:

• Suite Lounge
• Diamond Lounge (soon to be named the Crown Lounge) on deck five for Voyager and deck 14 for Adventure
• Conference center and loyalty desk
• Photo and art gallery 
• Casino Royale
• Various stores for shopping in the Royal Promenade
• Vitality Spa and Fitness Center
• Library and RC Online
• Next Cruise 
• Skylight chapel

The location of some of these venues is different on both ships. For example, the Vitality Spa and Fitness Center is at the front of the ship on Adventure of the Seas, but it is in the back on Voyager of the Seas. This is because during the Royal Amplification on Voyager, new staterooms were added where the spa and fitness center used to be.

Another interesting thing to point out is how on Adventure of the Seas, guests can visit the peek-a-boo bridge. Accessible from the Solarium, guests can venture to the front of the ship to take a peek inside the bridge of the ship and see the crew in action. Unfortunately, this is not available on Voyager of the Seas.

Lastly, Adventure of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas both have numerous stateroom options, including interiors, ocean view, balconies, and suites.

Itineraries

Adventure of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas offer a variety of short and long itineraries, typically in the Caribbean. What’s nice about these Voyager-Class ships is that they are small enough to visit ports that larger ships, like Oasis of the Seas or Wonder of the Seas, cannot.

In 2024, Adventure of the Seas will sail the Eastern and Southern Caribbean out of Port Canaveral. Most sailings are six or eight nights, and some go to Bermuda or Perfect Day at CocoCay. It appears she will have maintenance done in early November 2024.

As for Voyager of the Seas in 2024, she will continue with four and five-night Western Caribbean sailings out of Galveston until May. Then she will cruise around Europe, departing from Rome, Barcelona, Athens, and Venice. These itineraries visit the Greek Isles and the Mediterranean. For the rest of the year starting in November 2024, Voyager will be in Port Canaveral sailing the Caribbean.

Which ship should I choose?

I believe because Voyager of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas are so similar, the decision of which ship to cruise on would ultimately come down to the itinerary and price.

Adventure of the Seas may be a much better choice for those with small children who are not yet potty trained because it has a Splashaway Bay. During hot weather vacations, this would be a huge benefit and a factor to consider in your ship selection.

Royal Caribbean’s Voyager-Class ships are big enough to offer amazing entertainment options, like the spectacular ice shows and Flowrider, but also small enough to provide an intimate atmosphere. Cruisers will not feel overwhelmed navigating the ship. Whichever ship you choose for your voyage, you’re in for an unforgettable adventure!

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