dolfndreams

Great options and prices.

I'd vote for the Sunshine; 8 days beats 7 and I haven't been to Aruba or Bonaire. I really liked the Sunshine on my Med cruise so that was a plus also.

Can't go wrong with any of the choices though:)

Since I'm heading out for the 4th time from San Juan on the 7 day itinerary I guess you can say I am a fan:D

I don't speak spanish and twice travelled solo and never had a problem. I absolutely love Old San Juan and never had the problems I see mentioned on occasion about the locals etc. Thoroughly enjoy the local culture. Everyone says how exhausting the itinerary is but remember you plan your own time.

I love waking up to a new island every day but one and each is unique and very beautiful. Check out the port boards for recommended tours and enjoy. Truly a special itinerary and I think you will notice alot of us who repeat this one. I actually rebooked for the second time the week after I got home from my first solo trip.

I'm just as excited about January coming up as I was the first time around, maybe more since now I know how amazing it can be.

Enjoy the planning.

Thanks for the review; always happy to refresh memories of Southern cruise, looking forward to hearing about and seeing all the ports.

Keeping me primed for next year. Interesting to hear a locals take on the cruise.

Beautiful pics:)

I only have my experience, like you said anything can happen; but I'm going in January, on my 4th time on the Southern Itinerary from San Juan (3 times on Victory) and this time on the Valor. If I remember right one was early January, mid and the last was the last part of January. The weather has been perfect and no rough seas so far. A bit of rain in San Juan on two of the years, but just passing showers.

Crossing my fingers for the same for the 4th sailing.

Actually January has become my favorite travel month, not to cold, not to hot. Counting down the days to my favorite itinerary. St. Thomas, Barbados, St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St Maarten

Agreed, refund to card. I just did that this week and email from CCL stated that:

"As per your request through Carnival.com, your pre-sales order, XXXXXXX, has been cancelled. A refund has been processed for the credit card(s) and/or Carnival gift card(s) used to make your purchase.

For credit cards, please allow 5-7 business days for the refund to post to your account. For Carnival gift cards, you will be receiving a newly issued Carnival gift card as a replacement."

If you know you are sailing again the bonus is the OBC. I got $100 for a 7 day cruise. Helps if you know which sailing you want. Actually price even was good for the sailing I'm going on next year.

As for the rate, they are right no way to say, but up until sailing you can get any reductions if it does go up. Always a chance. So far mine hasn't gone down, but that was because I just happened to catch it at a low rate. Still hoping for a reduction before the sailing in January but if not happy with the rate I booked and OBC just a extra plus.

Also two vouchers for friends and family if they book another cabin on the same sailing for the same amount of OBC.

I have gone with Cosol twice, He runs a private tour that is very well run.

You schedule it through his site and pay after the tour.

is the obc that you receive per person or per cabin?

Per Cabin, I learned the painful way:rolleyes:

Sighed up solo and on board assistent had said sister could also use voucher which I sent in for her.

After multiple questions confirmed this is only one per cabin, so if she had booked another cabin voucher would work for her. Still $100 obc is nothing to cry about for a 7 day cruise I was going to take anyway:D

I went with Silvermoon twice. It has been a year or so and I can't remember if I faxed or called them the information but definitely did give it to them and had no issues at all. I know the only thing I refused to do was do anything by email.

They do a great job, a lovely catamaran day.

Favorite itinerary and I'm not a beach person. Definitely love to snorkel though. And love the first port of Old San Juan, actually added a day this year just to enjoy the atmosphere and wander.

Favorites on the itinerary:

St. Thomas: have done island tour but this year binging and doing Highpockets a 6 person snorkel/lunch tour. Not cheap but a treat for my sister I'm taking with me.

Barbados: Have done both Silvermoon and Calabeza lunch/catamaran snorkel with turtles. Loved them both. Back on Calabeza this year

St. Lucia: Have done Cosol and Herold's island tours and enjoyed both

St. Kitts, no snorkeling but enjoy the Clay Villa tour w/island tour by taxi

St. Maarten: Have done 3 island snorkel w/ Captain Alan and loved it; highly recommend. Trying a similar highly rated tour this time just for variety with Soualigia with Captain Bob since #1 on tripadvisor.

Enjoy, it is a wonderful itinerary. As for the ship looking forward to the Valor. Had the Victory the other times until they switched it out.

I'm heading off to my 4th time from San Juan in January, twice solo and twice taking a different sister with me to share it. Absolutely my favorite itinerary.

First time on the Valor and looking forward to it. As excited to go this time as I was the last three. Love Old San Juan and all the ports. I admit I am one of those that cruises for the ports so the 6 ports works for me. Every island has its own charm and Old San Juan is a treat in itself.

My niece and I went on the Sunshine Med 12 day last October and that was when the negatives were crazy right up to "the ship is listing sideways:D. I just trusted that all would be well and absolutely loved her..

We had no issues at all. I found the Sunshine to be lovely, dining options were wonderful and loved the Serenity deck. There were still a couple of buckets but absolutely nothing that effected our cruising.

I would happily sail her again. Go and have a great time.

I booked solo this year on the Conquest for a cruise in 2015 on Valor when onboard and they gave me the full $100 for a 7 day.

I love travelling solo. Have done half of my cruises solo. I don't think I'm particularly outgoing but have met others just by smiling and saying hello.

I admit the first one was a bit uncomfortable, second was much much better and by the third I'd relaxed enough to just truly enjoy the freedom travelling solo gives me and never looked back. I found most of the uncomfortable moments from the first (and second) were all about me worrying what others "might be thinking about me being alone" by the third I'd realized no one really cared or noticed:) For me I don't do the MDR just a preference since not a foody and 2 hours for a meal isn't my thing.

I plan excursions in the morning and never a problem meeting people with the small groups. Usually do private excursions I plan from tripadvisor and the port boards here. They are always open to solo travelers joining and the smaller groups are great for meeting people, very friendly and never felt like I was out of place.

I do the deli/lido for meals which works for me when I travel solo although may try MDR solo one day just to say I did.

Love my kindle and movies for evenings. When no solo supplement there is no better way to travel inexpensively. I admit I tend to think of the ship as hotel/meals and don't do lots of the entertainment but I don't think I would be uncomfortable if I did, live in a place with lots of live entertainment so not looking particularly for that on board.

Give it a try, you might love it as much as alot of us do. I have actually had people willing to travel with me recently but I still try to alternate with solo cruises in between. Love the family but also love, love the freedom and relaxation of a solo cruise.

Haven't been able to get egg crate for quite awhile now, but I have found the steward is happy to add a extra comforter under in place of the egg crate which makes the bed at least a bit softer.

Not that I find the beds terribly hard but the little bit of cushioning helps.

Travelled solo on some of my cruises and quickly found that the beds varied quite a bit hard to softer, always ended up picking the softer twin, but with two people lose that option:)

I agree with alot of the above. I did the 12 day Carnival Med cruise last year and it was wonderful.

Definitely would go with the new Vista, all depends on price and itinerary of course.

I had excursions in all the ports with less than 8 people. The excursion guides came and picked us up at the ports so Carnival didn't need to do much except get me to the ports and provide a comfortable place to sleep with good food. Planned the excursions using Tripadvisor and recommendations here.

The Sunshine had all the issues that year so we ended up with amazing price with all the price drops following all the complaints. We actually loved the Sunshine itself. Doubt I'll get quite that lucky on pricing with the Vista:)

Great review, I've done this itinerary a couple of times solo and loved reading your description of day one. Boy do I recognize that run through of emotions when travelling solo.

I actually love doing a solo trip but definitely have those akward feeling moments which pass when you just go ahead and do it anyway. Hadn't heard it described so well before.

Sounds like you had a great trip, you have me excited for my next round on the Southern Itinerary this time with a sister who hasn't been there before.

Thanks for sharing. Look forward to hearing about the rest of the adventure

I did the Flavors of San Juan tour with my sister on the last trip and it was great. Went with a sister and we met at the Plaza going to 4 locations if I remember right. Small tasters of food at each spot with if memory serves a great mojito and pina colada at different spots.

It was small group of what turned out to be great people. Guide gave a bit of history on the walk and described each dish/drink. A bit of rain didn't even slow us down. Very enjoyable. A great way to try things I would ordinarily never try and surprised myself by enjoying everything we tried and a bit of conversation with new people I wouldn't have otherwise met.

Definitely recommend them.

I've been with Silvermoon twice and Calabeza once. Returning and going with Calabeza and highly recommend either of them.

I think the cost is the same. I know this year with Calabeza it is $110 a person and if I remember right Silvermoon was within ten dollars of that price.

Delightful time with both of them.

sorry duplicate

Loved it. I have done Captain Alan the 3 times I did the Southern itinerary and always had a spectacular time. Twice I went solo and once with a sister. The taxi transport they arrange runs very smoothly. Never had any issues with time returning to ship.

Still not sure why it is so much fun, not your drinking/lunch fancy excursion. Just a great 4 hours on a speedboat with great people. Small group no more than 6 on the three times I went. Went with Francois once and Captain Alan twice and never had a bad experience.

I was afraid I would be tired of snorkeling by day 7 on the Southern itinerary from San Juan the first time I tried it but this particular excursion ended up being my favorite ending to my cruise. They have added a stop at Pinel island with sandwiches which is a nice touch.

Nothing like middle aged people with sitting on the front of a speed boat bouncing over the waves to get to the next snorkel spot giggling like kids. Completely fun. Highly recommend them.

I am trying another company next trip just for some variety on this next trip but not because of any problem at all with Captain Alan, I don't think you can go wrong with them.

Enjoying the review; one of my favorite cruises. Great pics and love your style

The above link took me to a Feb cruise.

Here is our link for the roll call on Jan 25, 2015

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1941657

You are going to love this sailing. I have done it twice solo and I can't think of a better cruise for travelling solo. Always something to do and absolutely lovely ports. Went the third time with a sister and am taking another sister on the Jan 25 sailing. Still not tired of the things to do on these islands; with a particular soft spot for snorkeling off catamarans and being served lunch and drinks:D

While the flight to San Juan is a long one for me also I absolutely love Old San Juan well worth the trip. Going in 2 days early just to enjoy it there.

Roll call a bit slow at the moment but should start picking up as we get closer. I already have all my plans and very excited to revisit all the Southern ports.

Welcome aboard:)

I'd pick the San Juan, St. Thomas, St. Croix, Grenada just because a couple of new ports.

I'm off for my 4th time sailing from San Juan next January on the other itinerary and happy to do it. The last time it was the St. Sebasatian festival when we got back. Doesn't get more crowded than that and still loved it; after all we are leaving from their city why shouldn't they take advantage of it just like the lucky floridians do; I certainly would:D

Still don't understand the San Juan bashing. Solo twice and once with a sister and never had any issues. Loved the people I met and absolutely love sailing from Old San Juan find it beautiful and exotic. One day hope to go back and spend a week exploring more of Puerto Rico.

Just saw the new itinerary and would love to try it; be sure to come back and give us a great trip report. Happy to see new options sailing from one of my favorite ports. Still have things I like to do on the islands but definitely ready to explore some new ones. Now if I could just spring for some of the 10 day itineraries. Glad they keep different options for us all.

For now I bringing new people with me which keeps the experiences fresh but having two or three options helps.

Have fun whichever you choose.

Thanks for sharing; looks like a great time and I enjoyed the unique pics:D

Love those solo cruises.