Adventure of the Seas

Adventure of the Seas is the third of Royal Caribbean's Voyager-class ships, a 2001 build of about 137,000 gross tons. The hull is familiar. The decision that explains her is where she was sent. For much of her career Royal Caribbean based her in San Juan rather than Florida, running seven-night Southern Caribbean loops that began deep in the islands and strung five ports into a week. That is a different job from the short Bahamas hops her sisters have often drawn. She was also the vessel chosen to restart the line after the shutdown, sailing from Nassau on 12 June 2021. She is no longer a San Juan ship. She now works from Port Canaveral, with some winter departures from Fort Lauderdale, on Caribbean itineraries of four to nine nights. The Southern Caribbean thread survives in her eight and nine-night runs to Oranjestad and Willemstad, on which San Juan is a call rather than a home.

What she does well is unfussy. The Royal Promenade on deck five remains the best circulation device Royal Caribbean has built, with Cafe Promenade, the Schooner Bar and the pub opening off it. Studio B gives her an ice rink. The 2016 refit added the Perfect Storm racer slides, Cyclone and Typhoon, Splashaway Bay, and Izumi alongside Chops Grille and Giovanni's Table. The FlowRider, rock wall and mini golf remain. Boleros and the Viking Crown Lounge give adults somewhere to sit after dinner.

The criticism is consistent and mostly about age. Cruise Critic carries an editor rating of 4.0 out of 5, but the member reviews beneath it are split, and the recurring notes are rust on rails and balconies, stained carpets, tired soft furnishings and upkeep that trails her fleetmates. Crowding is the other theme: loungers taken early, and queues at the main dining room at the busy sitting.

She suits people who want a large ship at a moderate price and mean to be off it a lot, families with children old enough for the slides and rink, and repeat guests who know the layout. She will disappoint anyone expecting the finish of an Oasis or Icon ship, anyone hunting a quiet adult corner, and anyone who judges a holiday on the state of the carpets.

That changes the cabin question. On a port-heavy week you are ashore most days, so an interior Promenade-view cabin on decks six, seven or eight is a fair trade: the bowed window gives light and something to watch, and late noise below matters less when you are up early for a tender. Her current eight-night Southern Caribbean sailings carry four sea days, so that calculus is weaker than it was in the San Juan era. Weigh it honestly. Cabins on deck ten sit below the pool deck, and the reported problem there is shade from the overhang rather than noise. Be aware that our per-cabin quiet and convenience scores are not yet published for this ship, as we are still mapping her venues.

Open the deck plan and look at what sits above and below before you choose.