accio7 Posted December 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2018 Good morning, it is.. Today’s MDR breakfast: Just stopped by Guest Services, and, sadly, one one of the dudes there knows me by name lol. The water temperature in my shower is still cold Lovetocruise2002, JLMoran, The Cruise Junkie and 4 others 5 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellcee Posted December 11, 2018 Report Share Posted December 11, 2018 I am loving reading your blog! You look so happy!!! Love to see fellow solo travelers as well. accio7 and henrysea13 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 11, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2018 It’s been an extremely lazy morning with no plans whatsoever. Just wanted to mention that I appear to have a case of sea legs in which I feel motion swaying back and forth while on land. Currently in line on the Royal Promenade waiting to get picture with Santa and spotted a service dog! Forgot to mention that I needed to stop by the Voom service desk as I dropped the access code I had jotted down somewhere yesterday. No issues, old code cancelled, new one reissued. Manager there told me that the satellite outage from a few weeks ago was his first week on the job and directly related to fires in California. SANTA!!! <insert Buddy the Elf voice> cruiselife, Lovetocruise2002, JLMoran and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted December 11, 2018 Report Share Posted December 11, 2018 1 hour ago, accio7 said: SANTA!!! <insert Buddy the Elf voice> OOOOH !! Santa Sighting !! I can't wait until 22 Dec when I board Grandeur. I LOOOOOVE holiday sailings !! FlowBro Ty, Sweety and accio7 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiselife Posted December 11, 2018 Report Share Posted December 11, 2018 Great job on the live blog so far! Loving it. accio7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Gadwa Posted December 11, 2018 Report Share Posted December 11, 2018 Following! Glad you're having a great cruise. accio7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 Hi gang, Apologies for the lack of updates in several days, but life is busy when you’re having fun on a cruise! Lets go back to Day Four (Tuesday, December 11th), shall we.. So, I quickly got my picture taken with Santa (and a selfie with Mercedes) before going up for lunch in the Jammer.. I quickly went up to the helipad for our sail into San Juan and spotted El Morro in the distance. Carnival Glory was in port with Adventure today. Unfortunately a massive gust of wind broke my soda cup, but a trip to Cafe Promenade fixed that Lovetocruise2002, Skigoofy, cruiselife and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 I elected not to book an excursion and to follow a self-guided walking tour I found in my Google search. I followed the path around the San Juan Bay toward Paseo La Princesa and was impressed with the historic sights and city walls surrounding the area. En route to El Morro, I passed the Raices fountain and went through the San Juan Gate. cruiselife, Sweety, Guy Gadwa and 5 others 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 I spotted a feral kitty on my walk and briefly went into the beautiful, historic 400 year old San Juan Cathedral where Ponce de Leon is buried. Next spotted the Plaza del Quinto Centenario... ..and finally reached El Morro! Happily, there were some families flying kites on the field. Lovetocruise2002, The Cruise Junkie, Guy Gadwa and 2 others 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 I then spent an hour exploring this impressive 16th century fortress, starting with the Main Plaza complete with chapel, kitchen, gunpowder storage, etc., all complete with scenic views. Guy Gadwa, Sweety, Lovetocruise2002 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 I then headed up the ramp to the upper level with sentry boxes, more amazing views, and the lighthouse which was rebuilt in 1908. JLMoran, cruiselife, ellcee and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 I then took the steep Triangular Staircase downstairs to the Bateria de Santa Barbara and lower level. A quick stop at the San Juan Cemetary completed my visit to El Morro. ellcee, The Cruise Junkie, Skigoofy and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 At this point I got lost and actually walked in the direction of the San Cristóbal Fort. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I elected not to go in, but I grabbed the free trolley toward old San Juan. Using Google Maps, I was able to navigate to the 16th century La Fortaleza (Governors Mansion), spotted Barrachina Restaurant (where the Pina Colada was born), the awesome Paseo de Sombrillas art installation, and Cristo Chapel (home of the Pigeon Park). I was able to spot Adventure My second-to-last visit prior to returning to the ship was Plaza de Colon with a statue commemorating Christopher Columbus. A quick visit to Walgreen’s located across from where Adventure was docked completed my visit to San Juan. At this point, my feet were killing me and I was running late for dinner in the MDR. I will update again tomorrow and finish off Day Four after my tour of St. Kitts. Sweety, MaryS, cruiselife and 7 others 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henrysea13 Posted December 13, 2018 Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 Outstanding blog with great pictures I was on adventure oct24 to dec2 and see how much I missed cant wait to go back I love the forts in San Juan pictures as by the time we got off the ship I had barely enough time to enjoy EL MORRO. Next time I believe I will skip going ashore in St Martin rest up and get. An early start in San Juan what I saw I loved I could feel the history I wait excited for your review and pictures of St Kitts the monkeys there were so much fun and the people so friendly.Keep up your great blog and cruise on my friend The Cruise Junkie and accio7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABM Posted December 13, 2018 Report Share Posted December 13, 2018 WOW! thank you! what an amazing blog! wonderful pictures and you look so happy thank you for the adventure from my office accio7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 Time to play catch up yet again.. sorry gang, but I hope to get some work done over the next two days while we are at sea. Back to Day Four.. I was actually 15 minutes late for MDR dinner coming back from San Juan, but actually was able to get my order in. Lovetocruise2002, cruiselife and Guy Gadwa 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 Then it was off to Studio B for the fantastic skating show, Cool Art Hot Ice. (So happy to see a Canadian amongst the skaters!) I actually took quite a few pictures of the skating show, so I will break it up and show you the highlights. Lovetocruise2002, Guy Gadwa and Sweety 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 The Cruise Junkie, Guy Gadwa and cruiselife 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 Sweety, Lovetocruise2002, Guy Gadwa and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 Wrapped up Day Four by attending a concert of Adele songs by the very talented Amy Jo Slater. JLMoran, Lovetocruise2002, cruiselife and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 It is now Day Five a.k.a. I grabbed a quick breakfast at Cafe Promenade prior to making my way off the ship and met Kareem Besides Adventure, Harmony, Marella Explorer, MSC Seaside, and another ship I couldn’t quite get close to catch the name of. The Cruise Junkie, cruiselife, Lovetocruise2002 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 I then met up with Bernard himself for my SXM Island Tour I through Bernard’s Tours. Our driver was David Taylor, a very funny, informative guide. All through the tour, he pointed out landmarks, interesting facts about the country. We crossed the Dutch - French border into the French side and made a photo stop at a lookout point, visit with sea urchins. Sweety, The Cruise Junkie, Lovetocruise2002 and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 We made another photo stop at Oyster Pond prior to reaching the iguana farm. cruiselife, JLMoran, Lovetocruise2002 and 3 others 5 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 Next, a brief photo stop at Orient hilltop before our lunch stop in Marigot. I had a very yummy lunch of pancetta, cheese, and pesto panini and pastry. (Sadly, the bakery was sold out of macaroons ) I had time to admire the yachts before meeting up with our group. cruiselife, Guy Gadwa, Traveler and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 How many of the yachts in St. Maarten are still underwater? Back in April there were at least a half-dozen that hadn't yet been salvaged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 @accio7, just catching up and thank you so much for your fantastic @twangsterquality blog! For you and @spiralqueen, I am confident you will have a great time in St. Kitts. We did Thenford Grey's grand tour last May and it was great. We have recommended him several times in person and here on this board and everyone has loved it. If you get lucky Thenford himself may be your guide. But no fear...he runs the family business and all his people are great. Enjoy the rest of your cruise and have a safe return home! spiralqueen and accio7 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 We made the obligatory stop at an extremely crowded Maho Beach before driving quickly through Simpson Bay Marina on our route back to port. Agreed with those who thought it was a little bit of a tourist trap, but it’s worth seeing once. Overall, this was a terrific tour and I will definitely consider Bernard’s Tours for my next visit to St Maarten. At the terminal, I bought, drank $2 bottle of Corona at a duty free ship before returning to the ship. We sailed to our next destination under a wonderful sunset. I will finish off Day Five and hopefully Day Six tomorrow Skigoofy, cruiselife, ellcee and 5 others 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryS Posted December 14, 2018 Report Share Posted December 14, 2018 13 hours ago, accio7 said: Next, a brief photo stop at Orient hilltop before our lunch stop in Marigot. I had a very yummy lunch of pancetta, cheese, and pesto panini and pastry. (Sadly, the bakery was sold out of macaroons ) I had time to admire the yachts before meeting up with our group. We went to that bakery too when we were there 2 weeks ago. The panini's were really good. accio7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2018 Dinner again in the MDR was excellent, with a performance of O Sole Mio by the waitstaff during dessert Guy Gadwa, cruiselife, Skigoofy and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2018 I wrapped up Day Five with a show by ventriloquist Kevin Johnson, Holiday Harmonies on the Promenade with some of the RC singers, and the Dancing under the Stars party on the pool deck. JLMoran, cruiselife, Guy Gadwa and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2018 It is now Day Six, a.k.a I grabbed a quick breakfast at Cafe Promenade before heading off the ship to St. Kitts. cruiselife, Lovetocruise2002 and Guy Gadwa 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Posted December 15, 2018 Report Share Posted December 15, 2018 @accio7 Hi Christine, Hope you enjoyed St Kitts. Did you get to meet Thenford Grey? How was your tour? I actually took my avatar from one of the stops on the tour--it's where the Atlantic Ocean (on the left) meets the Caribbean sea. Did you happen to notice the rest room sign in the building--it's one of best ever! Lovetocruise2002 and JLMoran 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 15, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2018 Rushed a bit to finish aforementioned breakfast, but I managed to meet up with Mr. Grey of Thenford Grey Tours for my Grand Island Tour of St. Kitts. Mr. Grey was our guide of our group of 20 and he was very funny, very knowledgeable, with a passion for his home country and meeting visitors. He pointed several historical landmarks en route to our first destination, Romney Manor. Quiet day in port with just Adventure and another ship from a luxury line tendered in the distance. Lovetocruise2002, Skid, JLMoran and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auto Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 Just joining in- great pics! Now I need to go to San Juan... accio7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monctonguy Posted December 17, 2018 Report Share Posted December 17, 2018 Looks like great time and ship....we are looking at maybe Adventure in April so following along! accio7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio7 Posted December 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2018 Hello ladies and gentlemen, I arrived home around 1 am on Monday, December 17th and slept nearly the morning away. (Needless to say, I was extremely grateful that I had booked this day off work LOL.) Still catching up with IRL work and other commitments, but I am planning to finish this review Thank you for your patience! Christine spiralqueen, Guy Gadwa, Baked Alaska and 4 others 6 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted December 21, 2018 Report Share Posted December 21, 2018 So glad to hear you made it home safely ! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your wonderful cruise to share it with us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted December 21, 2018 Report Share Posted December 21, 2018 Fully enjoyed this blog @accio7! You looked so happy in many of the pics. Thanks for taking us along. Back to good old Canadian winters lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2mybugs Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 Thanks so much for blogging. I have been enjoying reading on a cold Chicago day! Are there a million walking tours of San Juan or do you recommend one in particular? We will be there in March on allure! Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny260 Posted January 4, 2019 Report Share Posted January 4, 2019 You don't really need to book or join a tour unless you tend to have problems with directions. With where the ship docks (Old Town), you really can't go wrong. I seem to recall there are some self guided tours that you can get on your smart phone, with this being a US territory you don't have to worry about using your cell phone. Old San Juan is very beautiful and historic, I will be there in January 17th and plan on walking to the second fort (Assuming it's open with the Government shutdown) and site seeing and then back to the ship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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