Adventure Of The Seas

The 2001-built Adventure of the Seas cruise ship is the third Voyager-class Royal Caribbean liner, with sister ships Explorer OTS, Navigator OTS, Mariner OTS, and Voyager OTS.

The vessel (IMO number 9167227) is currently flagged in the Bahamas (MMSI 311263000) and registered in Nassau.

History - Construction and Ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US-based passenger shipping company, a trademarked travel brand, and a subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently holds more than one-fifth of the global cruise market. It also boasts RCG’s largest fleet, both in terms of vessel number and gross tonnage (ship sizes and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 3,700-passenger Adventure OTS has been surpassed in size and amenities by the Freedom-class trio and the massive Oasis-class twins. However, it remains one of the largest ships in the world, featuring several unique attractions at sea, including a rollerblading track, an ice-skating rink, and a rock-climbing wall. Not to mention the bustling Royal Promenade, which is a shopping mall-style boulevard with retail shops, bars, clubs, and cafes.

Decks and Cabins

Adventure Of The Seas staterooms (1,691 total, in 33 categories) include 125 Suites, 650 Balcony cabins, 242 OceanView cabins, 138 Promenade View cabins, and 536 Inside cabins. Most cabins are between 150-160 ft² (14-15 m²). Most cabin balconies measure 50 ft² (5 m²). The largest is the Royal Suite (1,090 ft² / 101 m² plus a 215 ft² / 20 m² terrace with a Jacuzzi). There are 27 wheelchair-accessible cabins.

The ship has 15 decks, of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 9 contain cabins.

Shipboard Dining Options - Food and Drinks

From the meals in the three main dining rooms to the buffet choices in Windjammer Cafe and the 24-hour options at Cafe Promenade, food aboard Adventure OTS is well-prepared with a wide range of options, especially considering the ship's capacity. The main dining rooms offer flexible "My Time Dining" for dinner. Guests can choose between assigned early or late dining times, or opt for flexible dining.

Windjammer is the ship's buffet restaurant, featuring an egg station at breakfast and a carving station at lunch. Vegetarians may find more options in the MDR at lunch. Windjammer is also a convenient choice on nights when flexibility is desired. The buffet features items offered on the main dining room menu. The Italian-themed Giovanni's Table charges a US$20 per-person cover charge (specialty beverages, wine, beer, and soda are charged separately) and offers a multi-course meal. Johnny Rockets is another specialty eatery, a 1950s-style burger joint, where passengers can indulge in hot dogs, burgers, chili fries, and onion rings.

Here is the complete list of Adventure of the Seas' restaurants and food bars:

• Vivaldi Restaurant (544-seat aft dining room with fixed seating for dinner)
• Strauss Restaurant (502-seat aft dining room, dinner only, with two fixed seatings)
• Mozart Restaurant (544-seat aft dining room, dinner only, with Club Dining at 6:00 pm or 8:30 pm, and "Your Time Dining" from 6:00-9:30 pm)
• Windjammer Cafe Lido buffet restaurant (310-seat, offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast from 7:00-11:30 am, Lunch from 11:30 am-3:30 pm, and Dinner from 6:30-9:00 pm)
• Johnny Rockets Restaurant (80-seat burger bar, extra fee applies)
• Giovanni's Table (Italian specialty restaurant, reservations recommended)
• Island Grill (454-seat)

Shipboard Entertainment Options - Fun and Sport

Diversity in atmosphere is key aboard Adventure of the Seas. The Lyric Theater has a stunning Art Nouveau interior, the solarium pool evokes the grandeur of Venice, and the large Casino Royale is themed around Hollywood. The Duck and Dog Pub is ideal for Anglophiles, while the Champagne Bar is very stylish, and Jester's Nightclub offers a Gothic ambiance.

At night, Adventure of the Seas offers two types of entertainment: traditional-style productions (singing and dancing shows) presented in The Lyric, and fun episodes like "Love and Marriage." Bar venues offer various musical performances to suit all tastes, including classical guitar, jazz, and country. Studio B Ice Rink hosts the "Cool Art - Hot Ice" show. It is worth the effort to get a ticket (free of charge), but the venue is small, so tickets are limited.

Additional amenities include complimentary 24-hour Room Service, a supervised Youth program, Internet/WiFi access, a kids' aqua park, and the FlowRider (surfing simulator).

Here is the complete list of Adventure of the Seas' lounges, clubs, and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults:

• The Lyric Theatre (1,362-seat, features two grand productions per night with dance, acrobatics, comedy, and game shows)
• Screening Room (58-seat cinema)
• Studio B Lounge (904-seat indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a venue for ice shows, cooking demos, and game parties)
• Jesters Disco and Nightclub (240-seat)
• Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery (art auctions are organized in the 350-seat Imperial Lounge)
• The Centrum (social hub); Next Cruise Lounge; Concierge Club (34-seat; suite and past guests only); Viking Crown Lounge and Bar; Crown Lounge (formerly Diamond Club Lounge & Bar for past guests only); Blue Moon Lounge and Nightclub (96-seat jazz club); Cloud 9 cocktail lounge (28-seat)
• Schooner Bar (130-seat piano bar); Aquarium Bar (130-seat lobby bar); Connoisseur Cigar Club (28-seat smoking lounge); Ben and Jerry's ice cream bar; Duck and Dog English Pub (75-seat); Champagne Bar; Gravity Bar (93-seat sports bar); Sky Bar
• Casino Royale (409-seat)

• Cafe Promenade (105-seat, 24-hour; serves snacks and drinks, as well as Starbucks specialty coffee)
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs); Sea Trek Dive Shop
• Cupcake Cupboard (bakery)
• Royal Caribbean Online Center (Internet computer room; 24-hour)
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 7 jacuzzis; 4 pools
• Solarium lounge (includes Park Cafe, pool bar, and adults-only pool area)
• Outdoor movie screen
• Challengers Video Games Arcade; Optix Teen Disco club; Living Room teen lounge area; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Sports Court (golf simulator, table tennis, basketball court); Jogging Track; Rock-climbing Wall
• Seven Hearts card room (40-seat)
• Skylight Wedding Chapel (40-seat, provides religious services)
• On Deck 12 (aft), the "Splashaway Bay" was added (kids' aqua park/interactive water play area with cannons and geysers). This new facility replaced Adventure Beach (outdoor kids' playground).
• On Deck 5, Izumi (Japanese cuisine/sushi restaurant, à la carte priced) was added.
• On Deck 4, Chops Grille (steakhouse offering dry-aged beef steaks) and Boleros Lounge and Bar (Latin-themed, with live entertainment) were added.
• On Deck 14, the exclusive Suite Lounge (portside) was added.

During the 2016 drydock refurbishment, Adventure OTS (aft on Deck 13) received The Perfect Storm slides complex ("Cyclone" and "Typhoon"), which were first introduced on Liberty OTS and Harmony OTS. Adventure OTS became the first Voyager-class RCI ship to feature waterslides. On Deck 13, the FlowRider (surfing simulator) and a 2-deck Mini-Golf Course were also added, replacing the old 1-floor Adventure Dunes and the Inline Roller Skating Track.

The Perfect Storm is complimentary and includes 2 racer slides ("Cyclone" and "Typhoon"). Both spiraling slides are positioned portside and accessed via a 3-floor-high, glass-enclosed swirling staircase. There are no age restrictions, but there are height and weight requirements: minimum 48 inches (122 cm) and maximum 300 lbs (136 kg).

Currently, Adventure OTS is RCI's only ship with a Royal Promenade-located Izumi Restaurant (on Deck 5). On other Voyager-Class liners, Izumi is located either on the top deck or on Deck 4.

Itineraries

Adventure of the Seas' itinerary program is based on roundtrips from homeports in Galveston, Texas, USA (to the Western Caribbean/Mexico) and from Cape Liberty, NJ (NYC) to the Eastern Caribbean, Bermuda, and Canada.

Following the Coronavirus crisis, from June 12th through September 11th, 2021, RCI homeported Adventure OTS in Nassau, Bahamas. The ship became RCI's first to restart operations. For the ex-Bahamas mini-season, 7-night roundtrips (not visiting ports in the USA) were scheduled to Cozumel, Mexico, Freeport (Grand Bahama), and CocoCay.

• The unique Royal Caribbean out-of-Bahamas voyages were offered as "fly-cruise" deals (flight+cruise packages), available for booking to customers of all nationalities, but with a limited number of shore excursions.
• The previously planned Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona were canceled.
• Traditionally, for homeports, guests check in at the cruise terminal before boarding the ship. However, for the Adventure OTS' ex-Bahamas season, RCI arranged for check-in to be conducted at the British Colonial Hilton Nassau Hotel (downtown), from where passengers were transported to the ship.
• For airport transfers (from Lynden Pindling Airport to the Hilton Hotel), Nassau Airport Development Co. (the airport operator) was contracted. Bahamian companies were also hired for the hotel-to-ship luggage delivery.
• All passengers were required to bring passports, Bahamas Health travel visas, original vaccination proof (a copy), and RT-PCR negative test results (for unvaccinated children). Children under 10 years old were required to undergo a SARS-CoV-2 test prior to boarding the ship and a rapid SARS-CoV-2 test onboard (complimentary, conducted on Day 6 of the voyage).

Adventure OTS is one of Royal Caribbean's Voyager-class liners, with sister ships Explorer, Mariner, Navigator, and Voyager. The vessel was constructed in 2001 in Finland by Aker Yards Oy, now part of STX Europe (a division of STX Holding / South Korea).

As one of the first passenger ships returning to NYC after the 9/11 attacks, Adventure OTS has a deep connection with New York City. As a tribute to the emergency services who risked their lives to save others, representatives of NYPD and FDNY gave the name of the ship — from FDNY (Kevin Hannafin and Tara Stackpole) and from NYPD (Richard Lucas and Margaret McDonnell). The ship's inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) started on November 18, 2001, out of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Adventure OTS ex-Nassau Bahamas Cruises 2021 Summer

Following the Coronavirus crisis, for the period June-August 2021, RCI homeported Adventure OTS in Nassau, Bahamas. For the ex-Bahamas mini-season, 7-night roundtrips were scheduled, with no visits to any ports in the USA.

7-day "Bahamas and Cozumel Cruise with 2 Days at Perfect Day" itinerary

Prices started from USD 1,060 per person with double occupancy.

The unique Royal Caribbean out-of-Bahamas voyages were offered as "fly-cruise" deals (flight+cruise packages), available for booking to customers of all nationalities, but with a limited number of shore excursions. The previously planned Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona were canceled.

Cruise 2018 Itinerary Changes Due to Drydocking

During the ship's 2016-2018 drydock refurbishment (USD 61 million renovation project), two waterslides (Cyclone, Typhoon), Splashaway Bay (waterpark), FlowRider, Izumi (Japanese restaurant), Chops Grille (steakhouse), Boleros Lounge, Suite Lounge, and 100 new staterooms were added.

However, due to Hurricane Matthew, the ship's drydock in Freeport, Bahamas was only partially completed and finished in March 2018. To accommodate the 30-day dry-dock refurbishment in 2018 (January 31-March 1), RCI had to cancel all Adventure OTS 2018 cruises scheduled for the period January 13 - February 10.

Passengers booked on the affected itineraries were re-accommodated and offered the following compensation package: USD 200 per cabin onboard credit, USD 400 per suite onboard credit (Junior Suite and above grades), flight change fee reimbursement (up to USD 200 per person for domestic/USA flights and USD 300 per person for international flights).

The list of 2018 itinerary dates offered for rebooking included February 12, March 10, 17, April 7, and 14. Substitute/alternative dates of departure were also offered on Jewel of the Seas — itineraries starting on January 14, 21, 28, February 4, 18, 25, March 4, and 11.

Adventure Of The Seas Refurbishments 2016-2018 Review

The ship’s drydock 2016 refurbishment (October 17 – November 13) resulted in the following deckplan changes:

• On Sports Deck 13, RCI's signature waterslides "Cyclone" and "Typhoon" were installed, making Adventure OTS the first Voyager-class Royal Caribbean ship with waterslides. Also on Deck 13, a FlowRider (surfing simulator) was installed. Additionally, a new 2-story mini-golf course was added, replacing the old 1-level Adventure Dunes.
• On Spa Deck 12 (aft), the new "Splashaway Bay" kids' aqua park was added. This interactive water play area with cannons and geysers replaced the old Adventure Beach (outdoor kids' playground).
• The new water park and the duo of waterslides were first introduced on the RCI ships Liberty of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas (Oasis-class).
• Izumi (Japanese cuisine / sushi restaurant, à la carte priced) was added on Deck 5 (starboard).
• Chops Grille (steakhouse restaurant offering dry-aged beef steaks) was added on Deck 4 (portside).
• Boleros Lounge & Bar (Latin-themed entertainment) was added on Deck 4 (portside).
• Over 100 new cabins were added, including spa staterooms (all oceanview) forward on Deck 12. All staterooms were renovated.
• A new exclusive Suite Lounge was added on Deck 14 (portside).
• RCI's budget for the Adventure OTS drydock refit and refurbishment was an impressive USD 61 million.

RCI scaled back some planned renovations due to damages at Grand Bahamas Shipyard (Freeport) caused by Hurricane Matthew. The ship exited drydock on November 14, 2016, as scheduled. Some of the planned changes were implemented, such as the updated design and decor, and renovated areas (Boleros, 2-story mini-golf course). However, there were ongoing works during the next 2016 cruises and into 2017-2018. Among these were:

• Waterslides, FlowRider, Splashaway Bay — opened on December 10, 2016.
• Chops Grille (Deck 4 port side, across from Schooner Bar) and the Suite Lounge both opened in March 2018. Additionally, new inside and oceanview cabins were added during the ship's 2018 drydock (February).
• Izumi and new staterooms were not added.
• Giovanni's Table offered select items from the Chops Grille menu until the steakhouse's opening in 2017.
• On Deck 2, 5 Studio Interior cabins (category J) were added. These staterooms are for solo travelers and are bookable without single supplement fees.

Passengers booked in the not yet completed new staterooms were contacted by the RCI Customer Service team for re-accommodation. Passengers booked in Panoramic Oceanview cabins were offered free upgrades to balcony rooms, plus USD 100 per cabin in onboard credit. All passengers booked on 2016 cruises (departing between November 14 – December 3) were offered 25% Future RCI Cruise Credit based on the paid fares.

Adventure OTS Refurbishment 2014 Review

The list of deckplan changes after the April 2014 drydock refurbishment included:

• Cabin amenities were upgraded — new flat-screen TVs were added in all cruise staterooms.
• Digital signage (wayfinders) were installed on several decks. These touch-screen boards allow passengers to navigate the ship easily.
• Wi-Fi coverage was upgraded (now available shipwide).
• On Lido Deck 11 (in the main pool area), a huge movie screen (outdoor theatre) was installed.
• On Spa Deck 12, Royal Caribbean’s signature Nursery was added.
• On Deck 14, the “Diamond Club” lounge was added. This exclusive venue is for “Crown & Anchor” (RCI loyalty program) members only.

New dining options (at an additional charge) were introduced, including “Giovanni’s Table” (Italian trattoria restaurant on Deck 11) and “The Cupcake Cupboard” (ship bakery shop on Promenade Deck 5).