Photos from Star P. E Caribe 12/04

[CariBlue]

Here are my photos. My camera quit halfway through the cruise, so I missed most of the great photo opportunities.

 

http://community.webshots.com/user/cariblue

[Shifra]

Hi CariBlue.........Thanks for posting the photos. It made me want to be back on the ship! I saw you on one of the other threads and by the time I got back to say "hello" the thread was very long.

 

I read your Star review, very interesting. We had a great time and spent most of it just relaxing. We have booked the Star again for November. Hope we see you again on a future cruise.

 

Sheila & Henry

[CariBlue]

Hi CariBlue.........Thanks for posting the photos. It made me want to be back on the ship! I saw you on one of the other threads and by the time I got back to say "hello" the thread was very long.

 

I read your Star review, very interesting. We had a great time and spent most of it just relaxing. We have booked the Star again for November. Hope we see you again on a future cruise.

 

Sheila & Henry

 

Shif--

which cruise? My friend and I are thinking of doing the W Caribe 11/28 sailing on Star!

[Northender]

Great pictures. We head out April 3rd on the Star and I really enjoyed seeing your photos. Missed the champagne waterfall last cruise but won't this time.

 

Now to find your review :)

[CariBlue]

Great pictures. We head out April 3rd on the Star and I really enjoyed seeing your photos. Missed the champagne waterfall last cruise but won't this time.

 

Now to find your review :)

 

Thanks, Northender! After going thru the trouble of posting them, it's nice to have someone take an interest.

 

Is the Star going to the Caribbean in April?

[boo968]

Thanks for the pictures. We are leaving in about 8 weeks for our Star trip. I was hoping you could help me with San Juan. It looks by your pictures you went to the fort and then to the beach. Did you walk both places from the Star? Do you remember the name of the beach where you took the pictures? Thanks again, your pictures have me psyched.

 

B

[CariBlue]

Thanks for the pictures. We are leaving in about 8 weeks for our Star trip. I was hoping you could help me with San Juan. It looks by your pictures you went to the fort and then to the beach. Did you walk both places from the Star? Do you remember the name of the beach where you took the pictures? Thanks again, your pictures have me psyched.

 

B

 

Boo--The beach was in "New San Juan." It's not very nice, and I don't recommend swimming there. Besides, you get there so late that it would be dangerous.

 

We hired a van to take us around, and he briefly stopped by a souvenir store (probably owned by his family), which was adjacent to the cruiseport. (Sidenote: if you're a drinking man, you can get booze dirt cheap at the cruiseport here. I didn't buy any, but lots of people did.)

 

Once you're back in OSJ, you're an easy walk back to the cruise port.

 

The fort is also within walking distance, maybe a mile or so, depending on which way you go (Probably faster than a cab b/c of all the traffic.)

 

Don't take anyone's word for it that it's closed. We were told that it was closed so we didn't try to get in, but then we heard about other people getting in, so give it a try and beg if necessary.:)

 

Why aren't you going on the Biolum kayak tour? It's the only place in the world like it! I was heartbroken when ours was cancelled. Our original plan was to the kayak, then come back and explore OSJ on foot.

 

If you're not doing the kayak tour or one of the ship-sponsored tours, get a book on San Juan and a good map, and decide ahead of time what you want to see and do. There's so little time there that you don't want to waste it wandering around aimlessly. Getting around there was more difficult than I had anticipated. The roads were confusing and chock full of traffic.

 

I heard that there is a free trolley, but I never saw it--that's where a map would have come in handy. Those silly maps that the ship provides only show you where certain stores are--stores that Princess probably gets a kickback from. Ridiculous.

 

Stop by the Parrot Club in OSJ for the special Puerto Rican passion fruit drink and the mojini (I forget what it's called exactly...it's a refreshing minty drink.)

 

Let me know if I can help you with anything else!

 

Thanks for visiting my webshots folders!

[CariBlue]

Boo--The beach was in "New San Juan." It's not very nice, and I don't recommend swimming there. Besides, you get there so late that it would be dangerous.

 

We hired a van to take us around, and he briefly stopped by a souvenir store (probably owned by his family), which was adjacent to the cruiseport.

 

Correction:

The store was adjacent to the beach in the photographs. There is no beach close to the cruiseport

[pungo3]

Thanks for posting your pictures. I'm sailing on the Star this summer. Not going to the Caribe but I enjoyed seeing pictures of the ship. I've read some negative reviews on the Star so it's good to know people do enjoy her. Thanks so much for sharing.

[boo968]

Thanks for the heads up about the beach. Don't want to go anywhere that is not safe, especially at night. Still thinking about what to do there. The fort is on our list but other that that ??? Open for suggestions. I think if you knew me you would know why I am not going kayaking. My friends don't call me grace for nothing!

[joanne1]

Loved the pictures!! thanks for posting.

[Coral]

Great pics!

 

The botantical gardens look wonderful. I am sorry I missed it.

[Northender]

Thanks, Northender! After going thru the trouble of posting them, it's nice to have someone take an interest.

 

Is the Star going to the Caribbean in April?

 

I hope so, because that is what I booked :D - only 11 weeks to go :) :)

[Shifra]

I am glad you are thinking about booking the Star again for Nov. We are booked on the Nov 28 Star. Let me know if you do book and we can start a roll call. It would be fun to meet again. What a small world.

[CariBlue]

Thanks for the heads up about the beach. Don't want to go anywhere that is not safe, especially at night. Still thinking about what to do there. The fort is on our list but other that that ??? Open for suggestions. I think if you knew me you would know why I am not going kayaking. My friends don't call me grace for nothing!

 

Sorry! Let me clarify. I meant that the swimming conditions are not safe. It's rocky and rough and it's not wise to swim in the dark on account of the sharks. Oh, wait, I'm not implying that waters are shark infested.:D You should probably save your swimming excursions for the day trips to other islands. Have fun!!!

 

Some people go to the rum factory. I'm not sure why. Like I said, get a good guidebook. There should be lots of things for you to see. BTW, kayaking is not hard at all. Think about it!

[boo968]

I thought you meant the area was not safe - like high crime. Didn't really want to swim just watch the sun set and stuff like that. I will think about the kayaking but....

 

Thanks again for all your help. I just can not wait to go!

 

b

[CariBlue]

I thought you meant the area was not safe - like high crime. Didn't really want to swim just watch the sun set and stuff like that. I will think about the kayaking but....

 

Thanks again for all your help. I just can not wait to go!

 

b

 

Boo,

Here's a little more info about the kayak tour, as reviewed on Tripadvisor:

******

It was more awesome than expected.

 

We Kayaked down a short canal to a lagoon; the bioluminescence starts showing up as you're approaching the lagoon. Imagine glowing trails coming from your hands as you move them through the water. If you hold your arms still, the plankton look like sparkling little stars due to water moving around the hairs on your arms.

 

Our tour guide, Robert, gave us quite a lot of information on the area and the science behind the phenomenon. He was very well informed and a joy to be around.

 

The most fun is jumping off the kayak into the lagoon and having the glowing and sparking all over as you move through the water.

 

Time goes by quickly (though you've really spent more time than you think....) and you kayak back to the dock where WATER (you're really thirsty due to the salt water..) and refreshments await.

********

 

Here's a link.

http://www.whattodoinpr.com/biobay.html

 

P.S. If you go, take good bug spray.