suziehmkr

Good morning - 

Sorry it took a while for me to get back here after my cruise.  My day in Grand Turk with Blue Water Divers was great.  At first I was going to be the only diver, but there was a small group staying on the island that was doing some extra certifications.  Three of them joined me on the first dive.  The fourth one joined me on the second dive.  Everyone with BWD was wonderful.  These are not resort type dives where they have food and all kinds of amenities on the boat.  The boats are simple, but roomy.  Bring a snack for your surface interval if you need some energy.  They are knowledgeable, patient and so good at what they do.  I am a new diver and it had been a while since I had been in the water.  Henry was especially patient and helpful!  I would dive with this company again in a heartbeat!

I am sailing the Eastern next week... I have two of the same stops and all of my dive research pointed to Grand Turk. The Wall has about 40 dive spots and is supposed to be spectacular. I have chosen to go with Blue Water Divers because of the smaller boats and I still don't have much experience. I will be happy to report back after my trip.

And congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

And, for the 1st time, they are Sold Out of FTTF. I get it strictly for the FTTF Guest Services Line.

Keep watching. They sometimes open up more and/or others cancel.

Although the law has not officially gone into effect, IF visitors can make the switch sooner it will benefit the ocean. I did not want to waste the sunscreen that I already had, so I just use it when I am at the pool or not going in the ocean. For scuba diving or playing in the ocean, my reef safe Alba works great!

You can do a quick search on Amazon for "reef safe sunscreen" and it will give you a jumping point. Don't take that search for a guarantee that everything listed is reef safe, but it will narrow your search and give you a smaller pool of brands to look into. I personally use Alba Botanica.

If you're in town, you definitely need to catch a parade. Carnival season normally starts a month or so before actual Mardi Gras day. Enjoy your time there.

Thank you!!

Wow - I now realize that I know so LITTLE about Mardi Gras. I didn't know there were parades leading up the main festivities. Looks like a couple of parades the day we disembark in February. Looks like the main one is Krewe de Vieux on Sat night. We really only have that ONE day to explore the French Quarter. I have only been to NOLA once and my friend has never been. Would this be worth trying to catch a glimpse? Or should we avoid the area at night and focus on other things?

Iris - Congratulations!!! You sound EXACTLY like me! I am booked on my first solo vacation that starts in just 50 days.... 9 whole days of NOT worrying about making other people happy or taking care of them (home, work, etc) I am excited about all of the things you are! I could have written your post. :) Especially enjoying excursions without worrying if the other person is happy, or settling for an excursion that I didn't really want. I booked the beach days, diving days, food tour days for ME. I even booked the Chef's Table for myself!! AND I splurged on a cove balcony so I can enjoy my coffee on the balcony... all by myself. :) At first, I felt a little selfish and spoiled... but that lasted about 5 minutes. :) :'):')

You have the right attitude and you will have an AMAZING time!! I don't know you, but I am so happy for you!!

Enjoy!!!

I booked a transfer from my Cocoa Beach hotel with Cocoa Beach Shuttle and was charged for 2 people because they do not take a 1 person reservation.

Did you call them or do this online? There is an excursion that I am taking in San Juan. Their online website didn't allow a single reservation. However, one phone call and they were happy to accommodate my solo booking.

But what if it’s been....in the bathroom?

"I got news for you, if it wasn't for the toilet, there would be no books." ~George Costanza

Doable? Sure, if you limit where you stop (and time at each stop) and leave early. Wai'anapanapa is my favorite stop and where we spent the most time (besides my original destination of the Pipiwai Trail). Because I wanted to get to the trail before it got too hot, we headed up as soon as it was light enough and didn't stop at all of the stops on the way up. There is usually less traffic earlier in the morning. So, if you are set on doing this, I would select the "must do stops" on the way up and have a list of "if we have time on the way back" stops.

The road can be stressful for some people due to the curves and the cars stopping & pulling in and out along the way. Also, the stress of worrying if you don't make it back in time could play a significant factor in your enjoyment of the day. I went back to some of my photos to see what time I took them. We headed up around 7am and we were at Wai'anapanapa by 9:15am. Now remember, we didn't make a lot of stops on the way because I wanted to get on the Pipiwai before it was too hot. Also, I was on a land vacation, so we were sure to do this on a day when there was NOT a ship in port to lessen the traffic.

In a nutshell, I think it is doable as long as you edit your stops (staying on the very safe side of caution) and aren't disappointed if you miss anything. It just gives you a reason to go back some day. I didn't get any of Auntie Sandy's banana bread because we didn't stop on the way up and they were sold out by the time we came back. BUT, my daughter & son-in-law did the RTH the next day and brought me some - so the day was not ruined. LOL On a side note - I actually like the banana mac nut bread at Ma'alaea General Store even better! If you get to the harbor during your visit on the first day, you must stop in there. :)

Now getting into Mama's for more than a drink or app, might be challenging. Very popular, especially when ships are in port.

I have done a 15-day RT to Hawaii from LA on Princess many years ago and since then have done a few land vacations. It really does depend on if you love sea days. We specifically chose the itinerary because my husband hates to fly and it was the only way I was going to get to Hawaii. It was a nice taster of the islands (although we had to skip the Kona port) and was enough to get my husband to fly back there 3 more times. I absolutely love sea days, he does not. It is a LOT of sea days, some of which can be quite rough. Again - I loved it. Many do not. If you are set on cruising instead of a land vacation, the question really will be about how much you both like sea days. I only do land vacations there now, but if cruising was an important part of the vacation to me, I would do a combo island cruise/land stay.

Thanks for sharing! I am booked with another dive shop, but I am excited to dive the wall in October!

 

I also opted for two meals in one of the specialty dining venues (this was a 14-day cruise). It was great! I was seated at a table for 2 by myself, but near a window with a great view. The servers were wonderful and engaging, not just making "chit chat" but picking up on my mood/etc. to talk about the menu, food prep, etc. I'm a bit of a "foodie," and very much appreciate great food and wine.

 

The joys of traveling alone mean that YOU have control of every minute and how you choose to spend it. I'm now booked on several more cruises, including a 38-day trip this summer, all solo. I can't wait!

Thank you for the encouragement! I think I am looking forward to this new adventure a little too much! ;)

I hope you have a wonderful time:D......I have dined Specialty on my own many, many times over the years......

the food and service and usually terrific:).....and you don't need to be a "fancy girl" to enjoy the experience:)

Thanks! I should give it a try at least once to see how I like it.

I am booked on my very first solo cruise in October and booked it specifically to be 100% selfish for an entire week. That was literally the purpose if this vacation. I have been walking around so excited telling everyone I know that I am going on vacation "by myself, for myself". Anyone that knows anything about me gets it and think it's fabulous. As a person who is always plugged in, always the fixer, always taking care of things or people or pets at work and at home, never able to really disconnect on vacation, had too many negative experiences on vacations because of feeling the need to keep everyone else happy... I am absolutely going to be 100% selfish.... for one week... and I am 100% ok with that. That does not mean I will be alone. This does not make me a bad person. It just means that not one of my decisions for an entire week will be about anyone but me. I am imagining it will be glorious. Then when it's all over, I will go back to work and family and be the giving, caring fixer that I am known to be because this girl needs to be recharged in order to keep giving. :)

Now, back to the topic... The only thing that is giving me a little bit of anxiety is dinner. I am not sure if I will eat alone, avoid the dining room completely, or join open tables. I figure I will make that a game-time decision based on my mood at the time. However, I am thinking about booking one night of specialty dining. I am not a fancy girl, but I sure do love good food. Just not sure I want to spend that long of a meal alone. We shall see... I am truly excited about my first solo adventure!!

Signs were prominent, both at the port and on the ship. The person that checked us in pointed out where to go. As far as the porters, the ones working last Monday weren't working very hard. We walked right past them because there weren't even any in view, which was unusual for this port. They are usually all over you. We saw this happening while we were waiting also. The one we ended up with was not rude at all.

We got off Inspiration yesterday and even though this is a shorter cruise on a smaller ship, we felt it was worth every penny. We were onboard before noon, easy a pie. Room was ready. Luggage didn't arrive for a few hours. Used FTTF for the guest services line a couple of times, tender priority and getting off the ship without waiting in that looooong line that had formed by the time we were done with breakfast. Would buy it again, in a heartbeat. I am a generally patient person, but waiting in lines drives me freakin' nuts. So worth it. :)

Just secured:

Crown Plaza San Pedro

$65.00

02/18/09

Started at $60 in San Pedro yesterday. Declined.

Added Long Beach and raised to $64 for free rebid. Declined.

Waited 24 hours, bid San Pedro only for $65. Accepted.

Something to think about with food on a longer cruise... On our 15 day cruise, at first I thought food trailing off a bit in the 2nd week. Then I realized that I just wasn't hungry and it didn't look as interesting. :D

Good change I know you will love Indy

 

see link for photos

We loved Liberty so I know we will love Indy!! I can't wait. The shorter flight and the extra day helps too. :) I will check out your pics at home tonite. Thanks! :D

More pictures Please:) We aren't boarding this beautiful ship until Nov. 29th. Thanks for helping me thru the next several months.

I don't have pics of Independence yet (we are transferring our Serenade booking to Indy in the next few weeks!) - but in my signature, you will find pics of her slightly older sister, Liberty. These were taken just before her 1st revenue sailing during the Pre-Inaugural when she was shiny & new. This should help you with your waiting too. Enjoy!! I am really looking forward to sailing on Independence next year (late next year!)

Thank you... I will give it a try.

Are the Crown Plaza people bidding on 3* for San Pedro? Thinking about trying for our April stay....

We got a coupon book when we listened to the Club Carnival presentation. We then went to the casino to purchase my slot tournament entry. What I didnt' know what there was a coupon for a 2nd entry in the book.... we hadn't even flipped thru the book at that point. But they saw the book and took it for me. Most of the other coupons were for wine, but we also used the martini one.... and a couple of others. But not remembering which ones.

While it wasn't LOADED with good deals, we probably used coupons equal to about $40 in value. Better than nothing, really!

Did your TA put this in an email? If so, I would take it with me just in case it isn't there.