psbfan01

To whom it may concern: we had way too much rain and overcast skies when we sailed from San Juan the first week of November.  I would never do a Caribbean cruise in November again (still at the tail end of hurricane season I think - no wonder the rates were reasonable).  December- May I am guessing would be fine.

On 2/5/2019 at 12:01 PM, EeyoreRN said:

I've been following this topic for a while as I am sailing on Freedom out of San Juan for the first time in May.  It was not just one sailing, though the one with the radio station seemed to be the worst.  There have been tons of reports of this happening on many sailings since Freedom moved to San Juan.  

 

Please let us know how you find it!

Hi there, I sailed on Freedom of the Seas the 11/4/18 sailing.  I also saw that you had made a note in our Roll Call looking for advice and reviews I believe.  We visited St Kitts, St Lucia, Antigua, Barbados and St Maarten.  

If there’s anything specific you’d like to know, feel free to ask.  I haven’t posted an official review of the cruise (and may not be able to due to certain constraints).

~ Jasper

We enjoyed Harrisons Cave and St Nicholas Abbey. 

On 1/21/2019 at 9:21 AM, vmom said:

Is it possible to pick up a taxi or tour service at the port for a tour of the island? We haven’t planned anything and we leave on Saturday. 

Thanks!

This is what I would recommend.  We took a tour with Glory Tours and it was fine - but we were time-limited at our stops.

We really liked Harrisons Cave and St Nicholas Abbey (Simon is a hoot) and would have preferred more leisurely experiences at those places, then headed to a beach for the rest of the day.

This is probably the most interesting thread I’ve read on Cruise Critic. Looking forward to hearing more.

~ Jasper

For our November cruise, looking to do a beach day with massage. Looking for recommendations.

Have read Valley Church has a provider called Pam’s Wellness Centre that gets pretty good reviews on TripAdvisor.

Was also considering Darkwood as it seems to be less crowded than VC and I hear there is also a woman there who offers massages.

Any first hand experience?

It would be much appreciated if you could upload some of the daily newsletters - Cruise Compass I think they are called?

Thanks for the review. We will be visiting St Kitts for the first time and plan on taking this particular tour.

Great review!!

One question, hope I don't sound too naive, but is there anything we can do to protect or minimize getting bit by the fire ants?

Hello,

Well there are several ZIP lines in Roatan, I believe we have decided on South Shore via Rony's Tours

But .... we have never zipped before where pull brakes/gloves are used. What's that all about?! Any insight into this would be appreciated!

Regards,

Jasper

I read on CC's "professional review" that to use the spa/thermal suites it is $40/person per day? Has anyone done this recently and can clarify? Is there a couple's special for the week or really just per person, per day fee?

Seems pretty high :eek:

For the longest time I have been looking forward to visiting Old San Juan, and on my January cruise I will finally be able to.

One place I am interested in visiting is Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery. This cemetery was featured along with, I assume, many other sites of Old San Juan in one of my favorite music videos, Domino Dancing by Pet Shop Boys.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0T3FFrHtLE

So we will be in port from 8am - 4pm. I have heard the cemetery is near a pretty bad area, so I would guess the best time to go there is right when we get off the ship. Looking for advice and specific information on how to access the cemetery.

Just back from the Breeze Jan 12-18 six-day Western.

This was our fifth Carnival cruise, and second time on the Breeze (Jan 2013). We are a family of five, and also travelling with another family of three.

 

I'll keep this very short.

 

For no particular reason, I was prepared for this cruise to disappoint vs. last year. It may be from reading hundreds of posts on Cruise Critic, or just from my personal Carnival experiences - I don't know, but I was prepared for a decline. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

Now, we've enjoyed all of our Carnival cruises, but I can honestly say that this time on the Breeze, we (all) noticed an improvement in MDR food, and overall service.

 

Both families did FTTF. The quick boarding was awesome! I would pay $50 for that alone. We arrived at port around 10:45, checked in and cards in hand by 11, and on the ship around 11:15. Best experience ever - and stress-free. Both our rooms were not 100% ready (still needed to be vacuumed), but that didn't bother us too much. Our luggage arrived pretty quickly, but our friends' took a while. They were not happy, and ultimately received their $50 back. I would 100% do this again. Boarding and VIP guest services line is worth it alone.

 

Quick summary on the basics:

Our first time doing YTD, and it was an awesome experience. Arrived daily between 6 and 7 and never waited even a minute for a table for 8. Will never do assigned time again. Loved it.

 

MDR food was the same as usual, but was prepared quite well. Everyone in our party was more than happy. I won't go into the food topic too much. We all know that you cannot get 5-star quality at Carnival prices, but I do think they do a good job with what they're given. Everyone enjoyed every meal. I'm curious to experience the new dining next year, as I think it's a smart move in the right direction.

 

We had a great experience at Cucina Del Capitano. We went last year, and although the food was good, the staff ruined the experience. This time, we had great service - including the ever-elusive Eastern Bloc smiles! Food was very good, and everyone enjoyed. I wish we had done this more than one night. It was great.

 

Never (thankfully) did the buffet. In my opinion, the food is pretty gross, and standing in line with buffet people just makes it worse. I was so happy to avoid it this cruise.

 

Got to try Fat Jimmy's C-Side BBQ, and the food was great. Worth waiting in a bit of a line.

 

Wanted to do the steakhouse as we always do, but could not get a reservation - even with FTTF priority booking. That was a disappointment, but my own fault for not booking prior to the cruise.

 

Did MDR for every breakfast (and sea day brunch), and it was the usual experience. Food is ok; service is ok; but as expected, and we were not disappointed.

 

Had (only) one Guy's burgers, but loved it as always. Not exactly sure how I had only one.

 

Did Bonsai Sushi once, and as last year, really liked it. One downside is it really highlights the crap-quality sushi they serve in the MDR. Bonsai is worth the minimal fee.

 

Other members of our party had pizza, and were pleased with it. I still think they need to find a way to make pizza service quicker.

 

My biggest beef with Carnival is the cuts they've made to entertainment. It's been said a million times here, but it really has declined. We didn't even bother with the Playlist Production shows this time, because, well.....why bother. We did see the fly-on comedy juggler (the Evolution of Edge), and I think that was one of the best shows I've seen on a cruise ship. Awesome show. Carnival needs much more of that.

The Ocean plaza band (Rhythm Nation) was quite good, but the ship needs at least one or two more of these. I really, really miss the old shows, and especially the show band.....but, oh well.

 

Our biggest disappointment was that the Thrill Theater was out of order for the entire cruise. This was something that our kids were really looking forward to, so it was hard to see them disappointed every day, when we passed the theater so see if it had been fixed yet. I understand that these things happen, but it just sucked a bit. Kids got over it though.

 

So many good things about this ship, and so much to do. Our kids loved that WaterWorks as usual.

 

We stopped in Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel.

In Ocho Rios, we stopped a some shops before heading for the beach near the port, which also was the location of Margaritaville. I'd be happy never to return to this port again. The beach was ugly, and dealing with the pushy "beach walkers" and watching them get arrested, did not make for a relaxing time. The whole place seemed kind of gross. I do realize that we only saw a small part, and I'm sure there are great spots, and great things to do, but I'm just commenting on my personal experience.

 

No plans in Grand Cayman, so we walked for a bit. It started to rain, so we took shelter at Margaritaville. Had some fun, and headed back to the ship.

 

In Cozumel we did Nachi Cocom for the second time, and had a great day. Beautiful and relaxing place, with strong drinks and great food.

 

Getting on and off the ship was easy. I'm always amazed at how simple and organized this is. I think it's easier to get 4000 people on and off a cruise ship, than it is to get 200 people on and off an airplane.

 

Overall, this was an amazing trip, and very possibly our best Carnival experience yet. Already looking at booking the Breeze again in 2015!

 

Any specific questions just ask.

So much food on the Breeze, it's next to impossible to do it all.

My sister and I were on this cruise and mingled with you guys at Nachi Cocom! I remember a very vivacious woman named Felicia, maybe this is you?! Good review. We didnt care for Ocho Rios that much either. I'd recommend Roatan, Honduras and would like to visit Belize someday too.

I wrote up a review too but I think I will post it in the other area, not on the boards, it might be too provocative!

We used Stingray Sailing last time and are using them again!

You need to be out of the boat and in the water to interact with the stingrays but not swim necessarily. My BF doesn't know how to swim and did pretty well.

Anyone been to Nachi Cocum lately and had a 1 hr massage there?

Going rate is $70.

Any comments, reviews? Was it worth it to you???

We've been to Barefoot in Cozumel twice, so we know what great is like. Just wondering if a traditional massage at NC would be nearly as enjoyable...

TIA

We did the submarine which is stationed near the dock. It was OK, pretty pricey. The problem is you are not guaranteed to see a lot of underwater marine life. The side of the sub you sit on makes a difference too, either side can be hit or miss.

Later we took a local bus (van) to Pedro St James castle. It was nice, spent about two hours there. Check reviews on TripAdvisor to see if it would be your kind of place.

I'll be doing Stingray City for the 2nd time in January (taking someone who's never been before). If I make it back to GC a 3rd time I would probably do a beach day at Seven Mile.

I need to win the lotto so I can just buy a place down there!!!!

Great, thank you! I will email him and see what he says.

Thanks for this. Do you happen to have any contact info for Noel, such as email address? Yes we'll be in Ocho Rios.

Hi Patz,

Would you mind sending them to me? We'll be sailing her soon.

ucanw8 at yahoo dot com

Thanks, I really appreciate!!!

We will be visiting Jamaica for the first time next month. We're interested in doing river tubing and had a few questions...

Is this usually done only at one particular river or is there more than one river where you can do this? (if yes, which one is "the best"?)

Is there a weight limit? Any advice or recommendations for which tour package/guide to use? We'll be in Ocho Rios from 8am - 4pm. We'd be open to any suggestions on what to do that day. Were are two people in our late 20s.

We are thinking Dunns River Falls may be too crowded for us. Was considering Secret Falls but still not sure...

TIA

I will also be visiting Ocho Rios for the first time in January.

I am pretty sure that country doesn't have any Mayan sites.

After a lackluster experience on Legend this year, I thought I wouldn't book Carnival again ... but to make a long story short, here we are! Booked for 1/12/14 sailing. This will be my sisters very first cruise!

We have a spa balcony room (#12028). Can you tell me if any extras are included with that other than access to Cloud 9?

Speaking of which, can anyone give me a "run down" on the spa? It has a thalassotherapy pool, right? I have always wanted to try that.

What else does the spa have? On the deck plans I see a laconium, tepidarium, oriental steam bath, etc. Which of these areas are co-ed?

On embarkation day, is there anywhere else to eat lunch besides the buffet?

Also would love to hear thoughts on specialty restaurants, etc. What is the Serenity area like on this one?

We were booked on NCL Dawn but that ship appears to have gone off a cliff! Hoping a newer ship with better amenities will be to our liking and keeping a positive attitude about CCL! Would love to hear anything informative about this ship....

Anyway cant wait to have the warm choc melting cake again!!!

TIA!

I cannot speak for that tour, although I have heard great things about it, but I can tell you that I would go to Stingray City again in a heartbeat. I'm guessing you are on a ship that does not offer Stingray City through the ship? I know someone sailing on Carnival recently posted that Carnival does not offer this excursion. When do you sail? Please come back and post your thoughts on the tour.

We will be on Celebrity Summit in Jan 2013. It is too far out to know if they'll be offering that tour, but I assume they will. This month the Summit's SRC excursion is $69/p. We did not get to SRC in Grand Cayman this year, so we'd like to experience on our next cruise ... And I have read many positive reviews of SRC itself and Eli's Tours on TripAdvisor. Now the only problem is waiting 10 months!

Hmmm.

Well, we decided to stay one less night before our cruise to save money. We will visit Stingray City via Adventure Antigua's Xtreme Circumnav Tour. Hope it's as great as the reviews say!

What we'd like to do is take a taxi to StingRay City Antigua shortly after getting off our ship. Any idea how much this would cost? Taking a bus to this location really isn't an option, right?

I think we'd need to book online with them beforehand. We'd like to experience this but not in a large ship-sponsored group. Has anyone ever tried this before?

Eli's Tours is the only tour company that offers an excursion with a stop there, right? Yes I have read all the wonderful reviews. We would book them but they are too pricey for us. Kinda strange to me that no other companies have a tour that goes there...

I would think we'd have some time after the rays to spend some time at a beach/eat lunch. Anyone know of a beach on the way back to the ship?

TIA