When pirate ships ruled the Caribbean, buccaneers had to “go on the account” which meant pledging to abide by the rules of the ship. These days it’s cruise ships that rule the Caribbean, and while going on the account is a thing of the past, cruise passengers still buy into ship culture for the duration of their holiday.
Royal Caribbean International’s Adventure of the Seas sails a southern Caribbean route, departing from Puerto Rico and taking in the US Virgin Islands, St Martin, Antigua, St Lucia and Barbados. A cruise virgin, I went on board to find out about life on the ocean waves.
All aboard
It goes without saying it’s essential agents sell the right cruise to the right customer, because once on board a ship such as Adventure of the Seas, you have little choice but to join in with gusto.
By the end of the week-long cruise, I was whooping and hollering with excitable Americans in a bingo bonanza after booing and cheering the contestants in the belly-flop competition and before the evening’s crazy quiz in the bar.
Far from a genteel and sedate experience of life at sea, clients taking full advantage of the ship and shore activities will be in for an action-packed holiday.
Adventure of the Seas carries more than 3,000 passengers. With 13 floors, it has everything from a gym, a spa and climbing wall to a theatre seating more than 1,000 people, a nightclub, a cinema and kids’ and teens’ clubs.
Most of the other passengers were either middle-aged couples or families with young children or teens. There were plenty of honeymooners and I even spotted a bride munching on a burger in the self-service restaurant.
About 80% of customers were from the US and there were also many passengers from Puerto Rico who had snapped up last-minute deals. This isn’t the product for clients who dislike the US lifestyle or food – or for dieters. Food is constantly on tap and can be hard to get away from.
And although the evening meals in the dining room had the formality traditionally associated with cruising, the overall atmosphere on the ship was casual, with the feel of a theme park at sea.
Island life
The list of shore excursions available on Adventure of the Seas’ southern Caribbean route is vast and varied – from swimming with dolphins or taking a helicopter ride to a Mt Soufrière volcano on Montserrat to historical tours of colonial Barbados.
The excursions were well organised, with fun and knowledgeable guides. Recommend clients prebook to ensure they get a place.
Despite the wide range of outings available, the cruise placed a lot of emphasis on shopping – particularly at the first stops and duty-free havens of St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands, and Philipsburg in St Martin. Seminars are held on how to get the best bargains; every day new shopping guides are distributed for each port and cruisers can buy special guides packed with giveaways such as tanzanite earrings.
Through the week, there are special sales on board the ship – often featuring jewellery or art.
With only one day allocated to each port, again this isn’t the right product for clients looking for a particularly authentic or in-depth Caribbean experience. For example, on arrival at St Lucia, heavy rain meant many of the excursions were cancelled. That was the opportunity to get to see the island scuppered, unless we organised a private tour with one of the taxi touts at the dock.
Neither the entertainment nor food on board had a Caribbean emphasis – just the odd serving of jerk chicken or a poolside reggae band. However, this is definitely right for those looking for some relaxing Caribbean sun and a taster of the region, perhaps with a view to deciding which islands to explore in future.
Ship to shore
This cruise is much more than a hotel floating from port to port. A week on Adventure of the Seas means a week living the ship’s lifestyle loud and proud. This is not for clients who want to keep to themselves. The crew won’t make you walk the plank if you don’t, but to get the most out of the experience, it’s worth going on the account.
