This was a family cruise set in motion by my 86 year old dad, who wanted to cross visiting Aruba off of his bucket list. There were 8 of us altogether; my wife and I, my dad, my brother, my cousin and his wife and a second cousin and his girlfriend.
We boarded the Adventure of the Seas at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale. Embarkation was smooth, and we were on board the ship in less than an hour.
Once on board, we explored the ship and took our time making our way to the Windjammer for lunch. Having read all the advice about avoiding this venue on embarkation day, we still went along with our group, and was surprised to see that while it was crowded, we were able to find a table without too much trouble. The food was typical buffet fare - good and filling but not fantastic.
My wife and I booked an interior cabin on deck 10, port side aft. Having booked interior cabins before, we knew what to expect. The room was compact, but clean and comfortable. Since we find that we spend very little time in our cabin on a cruise, an interior space is perfect for our needs and is certainly more affordable. Our cabin steward, Clifton, kept our cabin spotless and regularly inquired if we needed anything. Although we didn't receive them every evening, we were greeted by three or four "towel animals" during our cruise, which are always fun.
Awesome port. Friendly people. Beautiful architecture. Don't miss the swinging pontoon bridge!
Much more undeveloped than the other two ports. Good for divers, snorklers, and boaters. Still, a pretty island.
Very beautiful island. Visited Palm Beach and swam in the ocean. Town is nice too. Lucy's is a cool place on the water to get a drink and something to eat. Lots of shopping and unique architecture.