Cool Breeze Cruiser

Juli,

 

We sailed with Wasabi on our recent cruise this past April and they were amazing! One of the best days of our cruise.

 

See pics of our sail here: https://www.facebook.com/wasabisailing/photos/pcb.708380925940259/708379579273727/?type=1&theater

 

Captain Eric is amazing - full of positive energy and shares a lot of very interesting facts and trivia of the surrounding area (islands, pirate stories, sailing stories, historical facts). His first mate, Drew is pure zen and has an infectious smile - just being in his vicinity relaxes you (and he makes a great dark & stormy:)). Snorkelling wasn't the best that day as there had been a storm the night before - but we saw plenty of fish and a turtle. Lunch is "homemade" and delicious - curry is not too strong - more Caribbean spice that east Asian. The sailing was spectacular - we flew like birds across the water under Eric's expert handling. Not much motor used here - we were under sail for over 85% of the excursion - pure bliss!

 

We are sailing again with them in November if you happen to be there on Nov 13 would be great if you would like to join us. Cap Eric takes out a maximum of 6 people. You can view their website here: http://www.sailwasabi.com/reservations-1/

 

Feel free to contact me by adding as a friend here on CC and we can coordinate if you are interested.

Thanks for the great endorsement! We will just miss you in St. Thomas as we will be there November 10th!

Juli

Yacht Nightwind out of Sapphire Marina.

Thanks Blue. Always love your advice.

Nightwind can take out up to 15 passengers though & we really want to try a six person day sail.

Another vote for Royston's Tour. We toured with Royston in March & it was one of my favorite excursions of all time & I am not usually a 'tour' type person! Royston is so warm & personable & really knows how to show off his island.

There are a lot of pics & info on his tour in my review if you are interested. Royston's tour starts on page 5.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2181064

This pic capture's Royston's fun side.

And here is his 'open air' van.

We cruised to Hawaii last September on the Miracle. We were concerned about so many sea days but they flew by!

We did a flight tour in Kauai & rented a car & toured the island. It is beautiful!!!

We rented a car in Maui & toured the island & had reservations at Old Lahaina Luau that night but had to cancel when our ship had to leave Maui an hour early.

We went to Pearl Harbor & then Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. We had a bad rental car experience that day & ended up taking a cab & bus.

We booked with Mary Lou's Tours in both Hilo & Kona & I would HIGHLY recommend them. They only take six people & as long as the six of you agree you can customize your day the way you want. We formed a group from our roll call & we were all so impressed with Mary Lou's!

Juli,

Thank you. I have read on tripadvisor but I really wanted to hear from someone on here. So then I read your whole review! Thank you! A group of ten of us will be on the Adventure in November. I have been to St. Lucia and loved it too, however our tour was in a speedboat which went much too fast for my liking. I contacted Magicman as it is the only catamaran I can find that does a similar route. We're you on the cat that takes 55 people?

Thanks again, Susan

You are welcome. Our Adventure of the Seas cruise was quite a change for us since I was in a wheelchair or on crutches the whole time but it was still amazing! :):):)

We booked with Mystic Man & we were on the Mystic that is a 52ft sailing catamaran licensed for 55 passengers. I would think it would be pretty crowded with 55 passengers but it was definitely incredible even if we had added quite a few people. :) It was a perfect day!

Juli

Juli's review of their tour with Royston looked so fantastic that we're booked too! And we're not usual tour folks but it looked like such a beautiful island and a fun way to see it.

Hope you enjoy your tour with Royston as much as we did! :):):)

St. Lucia & St. Kitts are two of my favorite islands. They are so lush & beautiful & Royston is a great ambassador for St. Kitts while also making your tour fun & personal.

I have heard nothing but great things about touring with Royston's cousin Ashton but if you really want to go 'off the beaten track' request to tour with Royston in his 'van with no windows'!

Next time we go to St. Kitts we might even get adventurous :D & try Royston's volcano hike but the only way I will do his snorkeling tour is as an observer with my crazy 'fishie phobia'! :p

Juli

No one seems to be able to comment on Mystic Man Tours!:confused:

We have not toured with Mystic Man since 2013 so I don't know if my opinion is still relevant but our experience was wonderful! I know the prices have gone up in the last two years.

Here is a link with pictures to the review I did of our Mystic Man tour if you are interested.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1775109&page=4

Juli, really enjoyed your review. I tell you, you all were all over. I may have to look at my pictures again to see if I moved around that much!!

Thanks. It was a fun cruise! J.R. teases me because we get lounge chairs but never sit in them but a few minutes. :eek::D

Thanks again for letting me 'borrow' the picture of the guys on stilts in St. Croix.

Juli

We like sailing with Capt. Kathleen on High Pockets. We've gone out twice and had great snorkeling and food both times. Highly recommend her.

Thanks. We were in St. Thomas last month & checked with High Pockets & Wasabi & they both sounded wonderful but we decided to wait & do a day sail on our cruise in November.

My DH and I used Jester's and loved it. We met them in Secret Harbor (took taxi ride there) and had a great sail to Hawknest Bay and Christmas Cove (St James). Capt Jim asked us if there was a particular beach we wanted to visit and one of the guests suggested Hawknest Bay. Our sailboat has 6 guests plus two crew members. Provided snorkel gear, a wonderful lunch, lots of "Jester Juice" and amazing salsa.

Enjoy your trip!

Thanks. I will check out Jester's too.

Juli

What is your favorite six person day sail? I have checked on quite a few of them & most seem more alike than different.

We did a day sail with New Horizons last year & had a great time but it was pretty crowded so we want to try something with less people.

Thanks,

Juli

We have been to St. Kitts 3 times & it is one of my favorite islands! The first time we went to Cockleshell Beach & the 2nd time we toured with Javin. Last month we toured with Royston & it was one of the best tours I have ever done!

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.roystontoursstkitts.com%2F&ei=jO4vVfDlCsrBggSymID4Bg&usg=AFQjCNH-uNO7GCs1KktCB7JnIBe3ycb8BA&sig2=e1rHMz_n4G6YJw9WCwfrFA

Royston was fun, friendly, knowledgeable, and professional & has the cutest sense of humor. We went to Romney Manor & Brimstone Hill Fortress & we also went to some of the highest peaks with the most stunning views. To say Royston’s tour goes ‘off the beaten path’ would be an extreme understatement! We had a picnic at Friar's Beach at a deserted beach bar.

Royston’s tour was such a ‘deal’! Our tour was $45pp & ended up being 7 & a half hours and included lunch, a snack, drinks (water, juice, beer) & the $10pp entry fee in to Brimstone Hill Fortress.

Enjoy St. Kitts! :)

It is about a 15 minute walk on flat sidewalks, or you could ride the Hop On/Hop Off bus for a dollar that has a stop outside the ES side entrance. If you take the Water Taxi to Hollywood bring some sun screen, very nice ride and you will get to see the cruise port.

Thanks. That sounds perfect! Advance walking to help burn off all the calories we will consume on our 14 day cruise! :p:D

Juli

We had a wonderful, relaxing, but fun-filled day at Sapphire Beach in February. We took a cab & it took about 30 minutes to get there from the pier & it is a scenic drive. A cab is $10pp each way & cabs are readily available when you get ready to leave.

There was only one ship in port when we went. It was a little crowded at first because some people had booked the Carnival excursion to Sapphire but they had to leave at noon so it really cleared out after that.

Chair rentals are $9 each at the Dive Shop. There are no umbrellas at Sapphire but there is plenty of natural shade on the beach. There are also decent restrooms.

For lunch we walked up the hill (a pretty steep hike) to the Off the Grid BBQ truck. A pound of meat (pulled pork, ribs, sausage, and chicken wings & thighs) was $12 & sides were $3 each. They also offer all you can eat for $15pp. The sides are Caribbean Caviar (Beans and corn salad), cole slaw, rice & beans, grilled sweet potatoes & grilled onion rings.

Juli

Thanks for the suggestions.

I booked Embassy Suites for now because they offered a good government rate & Bahia Mar had gone up in price in the few days it took me to decide.

It will be nice to have suites because there will be several of us staying but I will keep watching prices & can cancel & rebook if I find something better. :D

The main thing we want to do is the water taxi. Embassy Suites is only 5 blocks from the water taxi stop correct?

We also want to take the water taxi to Hollywood Beach. The boardwalk was a lot of fun last time we were there.

Juli

Found your review as I am considering a Triumph cruise in January. None of the pictures on the first page are working though. 😳

I am sorry. I am not very tech savvy so I don't know what to tell you. I am able to view them on my computer, Iphone & IPad.

Hope you have a great cruise!

I meant to post pics of the Piano Bar & forgot. It is a pretty cool room.

Subscribing!

:):):)

Great review, thanks. We did a b2b on the Triumph a couple of years ago, great ship.

Thanks. We wanted to do a B2B next but we booked the 14 day Journeys/Halloween cruise on the Glory AND we are going to 8 ports AND we have a Grand Scenic Ocean View cabin booked !!! So excited! :D:D:D

Juli

Thanks for the responses. I have been trying to narrow my selection down for a while! :eek:

We are eligible for government rates or a senior rate if the age is 62 & above & we can get a friends & family rate at Marriott properties.

I also checked Lago Mar & found a good rate but I think we want to be closer to the action since we only have two days.

We are considering using SAS Transportation (there will be four of us) to Miami & it looks like they only pick up from the Embassy suites & Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina of the hotels I have listed.

I have enough credit card reward points to book our rooms but I want to book something now & possibly switch over using reward points later in case we have to cancel. It is funny Bahia Mar is 1000 less points than Embassy Suites & the Hilton Marina is 2000 less points!

Last time we were in Fort Lauderdale we rented a car post cruise & drove to Hollywood Beach & really enjoyed it. I believe I read the water taxi goes to Hollywood Beach?

Thanks,

Juli

I am trying to find a hotel in Fort Lauderdale for October 29th & 30th, 2015 before our cruise out of Miami on the 31st.

We have stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Stirling & the Springhill Suites in Dania Beach.

This time we would like to be within walking distance of the water taxi & close proximity to the beach would be a plus.

I have checked Embassy Suites, Bahia Mar, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina & Gallery One Doubletree & I can get any of them for about $149 per night.

I know Embassy suites has a complimentary breakfast & manager's reception.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

Juli

Really enjoyed your review! Thanks for posting and sharing your vacation. You all seem like such a fun group!

Susan

Thanks Susan. It was a fun bunch!

We met Erika & Chris on this cruise & they live just a few miles from us & we met Lynn & Mitch on our cruise to Hawaii last fall & are cruising with them again in October.

One of my favorite parts of cruising is all the wonderful new friends you make! :):):)

We have been to St. Kitts 3 times & it is one of my favorite islands!

The 1st time we had an excursion booked with Liz Perreira but due to flooding it was cancelled & we just went to Cockleshell Beach & had a fun day. As a previous poster said the rum punch (& food) at Lion's is GREAT.

The 2nd time we did a tour with Javin & had another wonderful day.

Last month we toured with Royston & it was one of my favorite excursions I have ever done!

Royston was fun, friendly, knowledgeable, and professional & has the cutest sense of humor. We went to Romney Manor & Brimstone Hill Fortress & we also went to some of the highest peaks with the most stunning views. To say Royston’s tour goes ‘off the beaten path’ would be an extreme understatement! We had picnic at Friar's Beach at a deserted beach bar.

Royston’s tour was such a ‘deal’! Our tour was $45pp & ended up being 7 & a half hours and included lunch, a snack, drinks (water, juice, beer) & the $10pp entry fee in to Brimstone Hill Fortress.

I just love everything about this review Juli! Thanks so much for taking the time to put it together.

 

PS- Everything at Pappasito's is great! I would say it is prolly the most popular restaurant to take visitors from out of town. Next time you make it to the Houston/Galveston area visit a free standing location with the full menu. Also, try one of their yummy margaritas! Okay now I am hungry! lol

Thanks. I keep forgetting how much time a review takes to do but J.R. has a tendency to get his islands mixed up so when we are in cruise research mode (like right now with 8 ports for our Glory cruise in October) I have to show him what we have done before!:p :D

Erika & Chris had lunch at Pappasito's but we only had the nachos because we were not very hungry. Our loss! I wouldn't mind at all if somebody wanted to open a Pappasito's franchise in Nashville! :)

Juli

We really enjoyed our day at Jewel Runaway Bay last month. It is a gorgeous resort, the staff was very welcoming, the food was great, the drinks were free flowing & the glass bottom boat exceeded our expectations.

The water park was not open yet but has now opened.

The only negative was that we were only at the resort from 10-2:30 & the time flew by!

Juli

Galveston

We had a little excitement on our last sea day. The Captain made an announcement that afternoon that due to fog in Galveston we might not be able to dock in the morning. Then Paulie V came on & announced that they had plenty of activities planned for us the next day if it became an extra sea day! :)

We could hear the fog horn going off all night & I looked out the window about 4AM & the fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife! :eek:

The fog lifted a little by morning & the Captain was able to squeeze the ship in to port. I believe we ended up docking around 8ish.

Disembarkation was extremely fast & easy.

I had booked the Carnival transfers to Houston Hobby for $35 each because I was a little concerned about possible fog delays (imagine that) & there were not a lot of inexpensive transportation options to Hobby. The Carnival transfer ended up being a great option.

The bus was ready to take us to the airport within minutes of us going outside & there was little or no traffic so we got there a lot quicker than I expected.

For some lucky reason we had TSA pre-screening again so we were through security & waiting at our gate in about 15 minutes.

We had a 3:20 flight & Erika & Chris were on our flight. There were a lot of flight delays due to the weather but the time passed quickly with the four of us looking at pics & reminiscing about all the fun we had!

We ate at Pappasito's Cantina at Houston Hobby & had the most delicious nachos I think I have ever had! Galveston is not a convenient port for us to cruise from but I would almost go back to Hobby just to get some more nachos!

The man at the information desk at the airport was very nice & helpful & offered to take a group picture of us.

Lynn & Mitch had a 5ish flight so they booked a tour with Tours by Locals that included transportation to Hobby after their tour. Since we had so many flight delays they got to the airport before we took off & we got to have one more emotional good-bye!

The gang doing 'the J.R.' one more time!

It was such a great cruise with wonderful friends & we made so many unforgettable memories! Can't wait until October 31st for our next cruise!!!

Juli

I forgot to add that the new water park at Jewel Runaway Bay Beach Resort was supposed to open in February but had not opened yet when we were there. By the time we did the glass bottom boat, ate lunch & had a little pool & beach time I don’t think we would have had time to really enjoy it anyway but it is open now.

Juli

The bus picked us up at 2:30. We had the bartender fill our Eddie Bauer insulated bottles with rum punch before we left! :D

The resort was great & the only negative of the whole day was that we only got to stay 41/2 hours. Of course we knew that when we booked it but the time flew by!

The bus dropped us off inside the gated area of the port but the six of us went back out to experience Jamaica a little more.

Some of my pics were a little fuzzy. Surely it wasn't from the rum punch we were still drinking! :p

I 'forced' Lynn to share my drink so I would be able to walk back to the ship!