Review: 42664 Travel Boat Adventure
Posted by MeganL,
The last three Friends sets that I'll be reviewing this year fall under a familiar theme for Friends: vacation! The first of these is 42664 Travel Boat Adventure.
It's been a while since I've reviewed a Friends boat, which are usually excellent. I was happy to see that this boat is a catamaran – it reminds me of 41317 Sunshine Catamaran, which was a favourite of mine.
Summary
42664 Travel Boat Adventure, 685 pieces.
£69.99 / $74.99 / €74.99 | 10.2p / 10.9c / 10.9c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Another great looking Friends boat with plenty of play value
- Lift off upper deck
- Lots of play value
- Ingenious flip up stairs
- None
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the box there are seven numbered bags, two 16x16 plates, a short slide piece, a plastic sheet for the sails, and an instruction book with four instruction books and a sticker sheet. There aren't too many stickers and look very appropriate for the set.
Minidolls
There are four minidolls in this set. Zac and his sister Celine are on board - Zac is ready for action since he has his life preserver on already! Celine is wearing a very cute wrap bikini top with a short white skirt.
Zac has invited his crush Sky along for the cruise, who is also dressed for a day of fun on the boat. She has a dive top on and dive shorts. She's also wearing goggles similar to those that Liann wore in another set this year. I think it's interesting that she chose goggles that weren't pink (like Liann's), as they would match her hair!
Paisley looks like she's dressed more for sunbathing than swimming! She also has a pretty sun top on, though apparently she's more conscious of potential sun damage, as she's the only one on the boat that has sleeves! Unlike the others, she's barefoot, so maybe she's ready to get into the water after all. She carries a parasol, which will certainly come in handy to protect against the sun.
There are cute animals included in the model, though they're a little difficult to pose on their own, so we'll show them in a different picture.
The completed model
It's a beautiful boat! The sails are quite striking with their wave design. There's plenty to explore on board, from the forward deck, to the domed cabin area and the below decks area.
The stern has plenty of options for activity as well. This area is dominated by the fun slide that the Friends can jump on from the upper deck to get directly into the water.
The cute Friends animals in the set are featured in this picture. I'm well aware that dolphins aren't usually found *on* the boat, but it was the best way to pose them!
In case there isn't enough water around while sailing on it, there's a convenient hot tub available for the Friends in case they need to soothe those aching muscles after a long day on the sea.
Two jet-skis are docked here as well; between those and the surfboards available, there's enough water accessories for all the Friends to enjoy the water.
Stairs on either side of the hot tub lead to the upper deck, but they also conveniently flip up to allow easy access for play. These spots show the obligatory Friends bathroom, albeit split in two spots.
This is a fine looking boat from every angle.
The front of the boat has a sun deck, with two sun loungers. Appropriately, sunscreen is also found here. Between that and the parasol, Paisley should be well protected!
A glassed-in area on the upper deck shows space for the four Friends to get some rest. Some solar panels are on the top, that allows the Friends to power to recharge their devices, and all the activities below deck.
There are tropical drinks by the sun loungers, which means that it's inevitable that visitors will stop by.
(Note: lounging sloths not included in this set.)
The top deck has the control section, complete with two life jackets.
Like most Friends boats, there's much more than meets the eye. The top deck lifts off, showing a fine living/dining area underneath, all laid out for breakfast.
There's a sofa in front of a large TV that's also a game console that has a two-player game on the screen. Two controllers are found on the table just underneath. This picture also shows the two doors that lead to both bathroom spaces.
This side of the room shows a small kitchenette, with a hob and an under-the-counter fridge. It looks like the Friends have been cutting up fruit for breakfast. On the table, there's an enviable breakfast spread with waffles, eggs, orange slices and a pineapple centerpiece.
The opposite side of the room shows the stairs leading up to the front of the boat with the sun loungers.
The breakfast spread is so tempting that it attracted some extra visitors below deck.
(Note: breakfasting sloths not included in this set)
Overall thoughts
As I said before, it's a beautiful boat! I was hoping that this Friends boat would be as good as 41317 Sunshine Catamaran, and I was not disappointed. They're very similar - down to the jet skis (there was only one in 41317) and the slide. A bonus is that there are four minidolls in this set, as opposed to just three in 41317.
I like the changes in this one - especially the glassed-in area on the top deck. I think the front of the boat with the sunning area is nicer, and the breakfast area is much more detailed. Additionally, I like the update that includes the large-screen TV and gaming consoles. The designer has done a great job of maximising utility for the space, especially in lower deck.
There are several parts in this set that aren't found in many others; a parts list can be found here.
Although this catamaran has fewer pieces than 41317, and is $5 more, I still think this is decent value for money. It would make for a terrific Christmas gift.
59 likes
18 comments on this article
Quite a sticker sheet. here's a suggestion @Huw: How about you guys tell us in your reviews which stickers are mandatory(, which are recommended) and which are optional?
I'm not a sticker hater, but sometimes it can be overwhelming and some stickers don't seem to improve much. Also colour matching, you know...
I thinkt he sloths have overstayed their welcome.
I, too, like to use game controllers with no buttons on them.
Neat set! I didn't love the photos of it but this review has changed my mind a bit. I still prefer 41317 (it's one of my favorite LEGO sets ever) but there's a lot more detail in this build than I expected. I just don't love the shape of the hull and the sunning area as they feel too thin and rectangular.
@Spike730 said:
"I thinkt he sloths have overstayed their welcome."
"In other news, Spike730 was reported missing over the weekend. Authorities are calling it a mystery, their only clue being apparent sloth tracks leading away from his last reported location."
Man, they live LARGE in Heartlake City.
@WokePope said:
"Man, they live LARGE in Heartlake City."
Must be the effects of Stephanie's policies since becoming mayor of Heartlake City.
After all, wasn't her slogan "MHega - Make Heartlake great again"?
;-)
The sloths have never and will never overstay their welcome.
@Mister_Jonny said:
"I, too, like to use game controllers with no buttons on them."
That's a reasonably glaring omission on LEGO's part. Given the price of this set and the availability of printed controller pieces, there's no real excuse for that.
@AustinPowers said:
" @WokePope said:
"Man, they live LARGE in Heartlake City."
Must be the effects of Stephanie's policies since becoming mayor of Heartlake City.
After all, wasn't her slogan "MHega - Make Heartlake great again"?
;-) "
I want Stephanieto rule the world. Full automation thanks to Olivia and economy is like in Star Trek. Everybody gets their yacht for free is the best type of communism!
@Hiratha said:
"The sloths have never and will never overstay their welcome."
Says someone who clearly didn't miss out on picking them up for sloth-loving younger relatives when they were still in stores and is unwilling to pay outrageous aftermarket prices.
"A Friends review without sloths is like a Speed Champions set without multiple pages of stickers: it just ain't right."
- Sun Tzu
@ra226 said:
" @Spike730 said:
"I thinkt he sloths have overstayed their welcome."
"In other news, Spike730 was reported missing over the weekend. Authorities are calling it a mystery, their only clue being apparent sloth tracks leading away from his last reported location.""
(Kidnapping-suspect sloths are not included in the set)
Maybe if the slopes at the front were double width and just upward sloping then it would improve the bow shape if aeroplane tail fuselage or similar is no longer available? The lounge/dining/kitchen area is a good size and well thought out for play. However, the upper deck seem a bit unfinished, sleeping cabin looks very small when there is lots of space and missing all the upper deck railings? Can the Friends still stand in the shower and toilet with the stairs down?
@jkb said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @WokePope said:
"Man, they live LARGE in Heartlake City."
Must be the effects of Stephanie's policies since becoming mayor of Heartlake City.
After all, wasn't her slogan "MHega - Make Heartlake great again"?
;-) "
I want Stephanieto rule the world. Full automation thanks to Olivia and economy is like in Star Trek. Everybody gets their yacht for free is the best type of communism!"
Mayor Stephanie has her hands full dealing with Heartlake City's rampant crimes. Quite literally, by piledriving the criminals into the pavement, one by one, working her way up from palette-swapped hoodlums to the upper echelons of white-collar crimes.
It'll be some time before she gets to yacht-based corruption at the HLC Marina. She means well, but honestly, I think she should've started at the top and suplexed her way down.
@Spike730 said:
"I thinkt he sloths have overstayed their welcome."
You are welcome to your opinion, objectively wrong though it might be.
@Crux said:
" @jkb said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @WokePope said:
"Man, they live LARGE in Heartlake City."
Must be the effects of Stephanie's policies since becoming mayor of Heartlake City.
After all, wasn't her slogan "MHega - Make Heartlake great again"?
;-) "
I want Stephanieto rule the world. Full automation thanks to Olivia and economy is like in Star Trek. Everybody gets their yacht for free is the best type of communism!"
Mayor Stephanie has her hands full dealing with Heartlake City's rampant crimes. Quite literally, by piledriving the criminals into the pavement, one by one, working her way up from palette-swapped hoodlums to the upper echelons of white-collar crimes.
It'll be some time before she gets to yacht-based corruption at the HLC Marina. She means well, but honestly, I think she should've started at the top and suplexed her way down."
What crime? HLC is super safe, so it has about 1 cop (41732).
And the people in costumes are people in costumes, not protesters. End even then, protesting is not a crime!
@jkb said:
" @Crux said:
" @jkb said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @WokePope said:
"Man, they live LARGE in Heartlake City."
Must be the effects of Stephanie's policies since becoming mayor of Heartlake City.
After all, wasn't her slogan "MHega - Make Heartlake great again"?
;-) "
I want Stephanieto rule the world. Full automation thanks to Olivia and economy is like in Star Trek. Everybody gets their yacht for free is the best type of communism!"
Mayor Stephanie has her hands full dealing with Heartlake City's rampant crimes. Quite literally, by piledriving the criminals into the pavement, one by one, working her way up from palette-swapped hoodlums to the upper echelons of white-collar crimes.
It'll be some time before she gets to yacht-based corruption at the HLC Marina. She means well, but honestly, I think she should've started at the top and suplexed her way down."
What crime? HLC is super safe, so it has about 1 cop (41732).
And the people in costumes are people in costumes, not protesters. End even then, protesting is not a crime!"
Petnapping, pet-mutilation, willfully overfeeding pets, pet-smuggling, plant-smuggling, desecration of minifigure-corpses, malicious loitering, malicious littering, stargazing with intent, arson, operating projectile-weapons without a license, operating lightsabres without a license, operating hair-salons without a license, operating minidolls and pets without a license, tax-evasion, speeding, identity-fraud, graffiti, whistling on stage, insufficient postage.
The main reason that poor overworked flatfoot is working alone, is because no other cop wants that beat. Forget Gotham, HLC is the real crime-capitol.
@Crux said:
" @jkb said:
" @Crux said:
" @jkb said:
" @AustinPowers said:
" @WokePope said:
"Man, they live LARGE in Heartlake City."
Must be the effects of Stephanie's policies since becoming mayor of Heartlake City.
After all, wasn't her slogan "MHega - Make Heartlake great again"?
;-) "
I want Stephanieto rule the world. Full automation thanks to Olivia and economy is like in Star Trek. Everybody gets their yacht for free is the best type of communism!"
Mayor Stephanie has her hands full dealing with Heartlake City's rampant crimes. Quite literally, by piledriving the criminals into the pavement, one by one, working her way up from palette-swapped hoodlums to the upper echelons of white-collar crimes.
It'll be some time before she gets to yacht-based corruption at the HLC Marina. She means well, but honestly, I think she should've started at the top and suplexed her way down."
What crime? HLC is super safe, so it has about 1 cop (41732).
And the people in costumes are people in costumes, not protesters. End even then, protesting is not a crime!"
Petnapping, pet-mutilation, willfully overfeeding pets, pet-smuggling, plant-smuggling, desecration of minifigure-corpses, malicious loitering, malicious littering, stargazing with intent, arson, operating projectile-weapons without a license, operating lightsabres without a license, operating hair-salons without a license, operating minidolls and pets without a license, tax-evasion, speeding, identity-fraud, graffiti, whistling on stage, insufficient postage.
The main reason that poor overworked flatfoot is working alone, is because no other cop wants that beat. Forget Gotham, HLC is the real crime-capitol."
Yeah, exactly, its HLC, NOT Gotham! Laws are different here, espacially since mayor Stephanie has a) legalised most of the things you are mentioning and b) reduced bureaucracy significantly by making licensing the other things you are mentioning obsolete.
This way, people spend less time bureaucraciing and more time on their yachts, having a better work-life balance and better mental health, which leads to - you guessed it - less real crime.
Stephanie for Overlady!