Mitsugirlys FASCINATION with San Juan-review & pictorial

[mitsugirly]

Yay, Kendra and family are joining you! Well, we can only hope that she makes it, anyway!!

 

Interesting to hear about the Bio Bay bust. That was the one reason that I chose a nighttime stop on PR last summer on our cruise then. We had to book through the cruise line because of the timing, didn't want to take the chance that we would be late getting back. We found out on night one that the excursion was cancelled, never found out why (weather was perfect, I had already checked the moon schedule and it was great). I was so upset because I had been looking forward to it so much. Maybe it was a good thing after reading your review. I would have been upset if I had spent the insane amount of money that the cruise line charged and not experienced what I expected. We would love to do a week in PR and I can't wait it to read what else you do!

 

 

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Well, there's so many people on here talking about how bright it was when they went, but most were years ago. So either it has changed, or it was just the night we went. I'm not sure.

 

Next time I decide to do this, I'm going to require recent reviews. LOL

 

I'm so glad Kendra is joining the cruise. She brings a little bit of mystery to the review. "Will she make it on time?" "Where is Kendra?", etc. She brings out the best in you!

 

I was super excited she found a room to book too. Then reality sunk in, as it always does. LOL You just never know what to expect with her. But, she is getting better....I think :o

[mitsugirly]

Well, this is an exciting development. Will Kendra make it? Will you meet her at the airport? :D:eek::)

Heather

 

More like nerve-racking event when it comes to her...well, most of the time at least.

I love my best friend. I swear I do. lol

 

I swear, this is like a great book that I just can't put down. :D I LOVE your pics of Palomino Island and I think my mind is made up next time we get to do this itinerary and hopefully a few days in PR pre-cruise. I noticed Dirkgun commented...it was his review of Carnival Victory (January 2010) that had me sold on this itinerary. :) I'm really looking forward to the rest.

 

I hope you are saying you plan to stay here. It's amazing. I think if (when) I come back, I will stay here again instead of switching places. Or...just do a land vacation here. I would definitely do that.

[mitsugirly]

Ok, hopefully now I'm caught up on replying to everyone.

 

I finished my paper 1 day early and I now have 2 months and 8 days to grow my hair back for my next cruise because I'm pretty sure I pulled it all out with that paper. Healthy People 2020 and my community can suck it! Whew. I feel better now.

 

I'm off to work on some more pictures so I can get the next day going. Thanks for being patient with me and my schooling/work/family life. (With the last being very little of).

[CookiePie]

How exciting that Kendra is joining you last minute!!!

[sunbird21]

Ok, hopefully now I'm caught up on replying to everyone.

 

I finished my paper 1 day early and I now have 2 months and 8 days to grow my hair back for my next cruise because I'm pretty sure I pulled it all out with that paper. Healthy People 2020 and my community can suck it! Whew. I feel better now.

 

 

OMG, just had to say that made me crack up, b/c I'm pretty sure I know which class that paper was for, and it was a PITA!!! I'm definitely going to keep my mouth shut about the paper aspect of the MSN program....although the school I'm doing (WGU) puts a pretty heavy emphasis on"concept competency" so they are known for being heavy on the writing.

 

Believe it or not, they actually have snorkeling in Juneau, so Sakari could "almost" be a cold mermaid LOL. I'm debating on it, but was surprised to read up that it's a popular attraction.

 

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one looking forward to the Kendra development-your reviews with her always have an added dose of entertainment! I'm hoping that if she was watching the cruise availability THAT closely, she wanted to go badly enough that there is no WAY she would be delayed to the flight. But, I'll have to wait and see:)

 

Take a break tonight!! It sounds like you need it, and I don't think anyone's going anywhere:)

 

Stacey

 

PS- LOVE Married at First Sight-it's such a trainwreck!!!

[mitsugirly]

How exciting that Kendra is joining you last minute!!!

 

"Exciting" :p

 

OMG, just had to say that made me crack up, b/c I'm pretty sure I know which class that paper was for, and it was a PITA!!! I'm definitely going to keep my mouth shut about the paper aspect of the MSN program....although the school I'm doing (WGU) puts a pretty heavy emphasis on"concept competency" so they are known for being heavy on the writing.

 

Believe it or not, they actually have snorkeling in Juneau, so Sakari could "almost" be a cold mermaid LOL. I'm debating on it, but was surprised to read up that it's a popular attraction.

 

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one looking forward to the Kendra development-your reviews with her always have an added dose of entertainment! I'm hoping that if she was watching the cruise availability THAT closely, she wanted to go badly enough that there is no WAY she would be delayed to the flight. But, I'll have to wait and see

 

Take a break tonight!! It sounds like you need it, and I don't think anyone's going anywhere:)

 

Stacey

 

PS- LOVE Married at First Sight-it's such a trainwreck!!!

 

We were "told" that the difference in writing papers for BSN vs MSN is that we will have level 1, 2, 3, and 4 headings. :eek: :cool: But of course I'm sure there's more to it. I'm actually pretty good at writing papers and APA. I have always excelled in that area (I know, you can't tell by my mumbo-jumbo postings on here).

 

Snorkeling in Juneau? Seriously? I would have to buy wet suits for that. :eek:

 

Kendra is like me, she puts her mind to something and rolls with it. She was determined!

 

I'm getting ready to take a break away from the computer and go meet the hubby for dinner. My pictures for the next "chapter" will be downloading while I'm gone. Then I'll be back to start the next day after we eat. :D

Edited September 3, 2016 by mitsugirly

[sunbird21]

Snorkeling in Juneau? Seriously? I would have to buy wet suits for that.

 

Nope, they provide them!!! http://Www.snorkelalaska.com

 

 

 

Ok, I'll stop hijacking your review with talk of a hypothetical future cruise.... But I'm glad it's sounding hopeful for Kendra's arrival!!!

 

Stacey

 

 

 

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[lkleach]

Snorkeling in Juneau? Seriously? I would have to buy wet suits for that.

 

Nope, they provide them!!! http://Www.snorkelalaska.com

 

 

 

Ok, I'll stop hijacking your review with talk of a hypothetical future cruise.... But I'm glad it's sounding hopeful for Kendra's arrival!!!

 

Stacey

 

 

 

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Sorry to hijack even more, but my husband and I did this in Ketchikan several years ago. It was some of the best snorkeling I've ever done! They provided wet suits with hoods and we were never cold. And the sea life we saw was super colorful and abundant. We only had a crappy disposable underwater camera back then, but here is a couple of pics for example:

[mykindaparty]

Saving my place...patiently waiting on Kendra to miss her flight, or forget her "cash for the islands" [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] lol....jk I know you really do enjoy having her and B on cruises with you making memories! I wish my son and grand would cruise too, one can only hope.

 

 

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[mairinmaureen]

I'm forced to use wet rags to get it moist and create a knife with my fingernail to peel stickers off little by little.

 

Small alcohol wipes are amazing at removing stickers and they remove all the sticky goo too...without you having to use your fingernails.

[gapearl]

Now I thought that I read to sit on the left side of the plane to see the forts when coming in. But maybe I was wrong. I did not see any forts but was able to catch the beaches and hotels and I'm sure where we would be staying that last day of our "mini-land" vacation was somewhere in that mixture below.

 

You saw the forts but didn't know it. The circle on the left is El Morro. The circle in the center is Castillo San Cristobal. At the top to the right of the second circle (the dome) is the Capitol. I always make sure to point them all out when I work flights into SJU. :) I've been off CC most of the summer but was happy to log on today to see a new review from you. I'm finally sailing NCL next year! :p

 

[perfect match]

Snorkeling in Juneau? Seriously? I would have to buy wet suits for that.

 

Nope, they provide them!!! http://Www.snorkelalaska.com

 

 

 

Ok, I'll stop hijacking your review with talk of a hypothetical future cruise.... But I'm glad it's sounding hopeful for Kendra's arrival!!!

 

Stacey

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Consider Kim's thread totally hijacked! My apologies, Kim!

 

Stacey, thank you for posting the Snorkel Alaska link! I'm still trying to convince DH that he will not totally freeze when we go to Alaska - and at some point we ARE going to Alaska! I doubt I will get him to snorkel there since it's hard enough to get him in the warm water of the Caribbean, but I would do it for sure! Glad to hear you guys enoyed it so much. :D

 

I saw they do not offer scuba. Wonder if there is someplace that does, as I have been scuba certified for years and would choose scuba over snorkelig in a heartbeat. Then again, the deeper you go, the colder it gets! :eek: Maybe snorkeling would be a better idea. :D Yes, I guess I have been spoiled by those warm Caribbean waters!

 

Once again, sorry for the extended hjack, Kim. Now, back to your regularly scheuled programming, er, review. Hope you and DH had a nice dinner while the rest of us talked among ourselves. :p

[mairinmaureen]

 

 

 

 

This photo would make the perfect postcard.

[ohitssunshine]

Loving your review! The Fascination is our favorite old ship, but we have also only been on a lot of old ships, ha! I never would have considered cruising out of PR, but as a frequent Southwest flyer, I just checked my points and sure enough - I happen to have enough that I could do this without the added expense. Now my wheels are turning...

 

Can't wait for the rest of your review!

[17cruisesnsl]

Enjoying this review. When we first started cruising, we would leave out of San Juan but for the last 10 years have left out of Florida or NY. This review is reminding me how much we loved Puerto Rico and Southern Caribbean cruises.

 

Haven't tried Carnival but seriously considering the Vista

 

Another hijack comment re Alaska -- it's an amazing experience but if you can spare the time (and money) book or plan a land/sea tour. We did all we could in two very hectic weeks because of the distance and the expense of getting to a cruise leaving from Anchorage. We started out in Fairbanks and then took an awesome train ride to Denali -- out the window, we saw a bear fish a salmon out of a lake. Of course, it was back in the day of complex cameras which were stored above our heads! Lots of animals in Denali - the hours flew by! We also went to Kotzebue, Nome and a night at the Alyeska resort before heading to the ship. It was July and unusually hot and there was a pool at Alyeska, although indoor and saltwater.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[mitsugirly]

Snorkeling in Juneau? Seriously? I would have to buy wet suits for that.

 

Nope, they provide them!!! Www.snorkelalaska.com

 

 

 

Ok, I'll stop hijacking your review with talk of a hypothetical future cruise.... But I'm glad it's sounding hopeful for Kendra's arrival!!!

 

Stacey

 

 

 

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I looked at that website and wow...did you see the color of those starfish? Sakari would love that.

 

I did mention this to the hubby last night and he thought I was crazy (well, he thinks I'm crazy for just wanting to go to Alaska in the first place).

 

BUT, the sight says you must weigh 80 pounds to go. Sakari is little, solid, but little. I think she's only at 62 pounds at the moment and unless she hits a super growth spurt (and I'm hoping that up and not out), then she wouldn't be able to do it. My grandson (3 months younger) is probably already at 80. He's become a link "chunk" over the last few months. :D

 

Sorry to hijack even more, but my husband and I did this in Ketchikan several years ago. It was some of the best snorkeling I've ever done! They provided wet suits with hoods and we were never cold. And the sea life we saw was super colorful and abundant. We only had a crappy disposable underwater camera back then, but here is a couple of pics for example:

 

Sounds like a lot of fun. I would definitely come back with some amazing photos! I assume the water is super clear like the Caribbean?

[mitsugirly]

Saving my place...patiently waiting on Kendra to miss her flight, or forget her "cash for the islands" [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] lol....jk I know you really do enjoy having her and B on cruises with you making memories! I wish my son and grand would cruise too, one can only hope.

 

 

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Haha, you know her all too well. :p

 

Small alcohol wipes are amazing at removing stickers and they remove all the sticky goo too...without you having to use your fingernails.

 

 

I will have to try that. Thanks for the tip.

[mitsugirly]

You saw the forts but didn't know it. The circle on the left is El Morro. The circle in the center is Castillo San Cristobal. At the top to the right of the second circle (the dome) is the Capitol. I always make sure to point them all out when I work flights into SJU. I've been off CC most of the summer but was happy to log on today to see a new review from you. I'm finally sailing NCL next year!

 

 

Hiya! Glad you're here. Yep, you are about the 100th person that has pointed out my blindness. :D I just felt so turned around when we were flying in that I thought I was in a different location and couldn't spot them. After coming back and looking at them a little better, I did find it. But, without a good camera, I still would have never got very good pictures from above. I had originally thought that we would actually be flying "over" them...as in really close for some good pictures. But that wasn't the case. :(

 

Which NCL ship will you be on?

 

Consider Kim's thread totally hijacked! My apologies, Kim!

 

Stacey, thank you for posting the Snorkel Alaska link! I'm still trying to convince DH that he will not totally freeze when we go to Alaska - and at some point we ARE going to Alaska! I doubt I will get him to snorkel there since it's hard enough to get him in the warm water of the Caribbean, but I would do it for sure! Glad to hear you guys enoyed it so much.

 

I saw they do not offer scuba. Wonder if there is someplace that does, as I have been scuba certified for years and would choose scuba over snorkelig in a heartbeat. Then again, the deeper you go, the colder it gets! Maybe snorkeling would be a better idea. Yes, I guess I have been spoiled by those warm Caribbean waters!

 

Once again, sorry for the extended hjack, Kim. Now, back to your regularly scheuled programming, er, review. Hope you and DH had a nice dinner while the rest of us talked among ourselves. :p

 

It's ok Nancy. Hijack away. It gives me ideas for my next. :D

 

Yep, the dinner was nice...which turned into a trip to the Casino...which turned in to me walking away with $108. :eek:

[mitsugirly]

This photo would make the perfect postcard.

 

Aww thanks.

 

Loving your review! The Fascination is our favorite old ship, but we have also only been on a lot of old ships, ha! I never would have considered cruising out of PR, but as a frequent Southwest flyer, I just checked my points and sure enough - I happen to have enough that I could do this without the added expense. Now my wheels are turning...

 

Can't wait for the rest of your review!

 

Definitely consider it! It's an amazing place to cruise out of with some amazing ports!

[mitsugirly]

Enjoying this review. When we first started cruising, we would leave out of San Juan but for the last 10 years have left out of Florida or NY. This review is reminding me how much we loved Puerto Rico and Southern Caribbean cruises.

 

Haven't tried Carnival but seriously considering the Vista

 

Another hijack comment re Alaska -- it's an amazing experience but if you can spare the time (and money) book or plan a land/sea tour. We did all we could in two very hectic weeks because of the distance and the expense of getting to a cruise leaving from Anchorage. We started out in Fairbanks and then took an awesome train ride to Denali -- out the window, we saw a bear fish a salmon out of a lake. Of course, it was back in the day of complex cameras which were stored above our heads! Lots of animals in Denali - the hours flew by! We also went to Kotzebue, Nome and a night at the Alyeska resort before heading to the ship. It was July and unusually hot and there was a pool at Alyeska, although indoor and saltwater.

 

Looking forward to the rest of your review.

 

 

Your trip sounds amazing. I remember reading someone's review on here and all of the animals that I seen in the review made me want to go (on top of the beautiful ice glaciers).

 

I will definitely be searching for more reviews (over the weekend) and devising a plan. :D

[mitsugirly]

Ok everyone...sorry I dropped off the face of the earth last night. We went to dinner and then the hubby "talked me into" :D heading to the casino after that. (Which I'm glad I did, I walked away with $108 :eek:). We didn't make it home until 2:30am...so the continuance of this review had to wait until now.

 

I'm glad everyone was able to hold down the place while I was gone and thanks for all the chit-chat, links, and pictures. At least I was able to come back to some interesting pictures (instead of the other way around with you all waiting on pictures). :p

 

On to the review....

[mitsugirly]

DAY 3-Traveling from Fajardo to Isla Verde

 

Today was the day that we had to leave this beautiful resort. I started questioning myself about why I didn't book this place for the entire time because there was just so much to see and do here. But, I had always wanted to go to Isla Verde, so Isla Verde it was.

 

I woke up to the room alarm going off at 7 am!!! I had really wanted to sleep in. But, I couldn't figure out how to turn it off. After multiple attempts, I decided I was just going to have to get up. I thought it was weird that it hadn't went of prior to this.

 

So while I'm waiting on the family to get up, since they sleep through blow horns, I'll show you the "map" of the resort they gave me at check in. This will give you an idea of just how big this place is. When they say "resort", they mean RESORT.

 

 

 

 

 

So the family finally got up and we put our bathing suits on and packed the luggage.

 

We checked out fairly early since we had plans to stop at Puerto Rico's prettiest/best beach (so I was told) and then our drive on to the next hotel in Isla Verde.

 

We had decided since breakfast at the resort runs around $52 that we would eat cheap today and find a McD's along the way to the beach instead.

 

We checked out. There was no line. We caught the bus to our car. Drove car back to hotel. Packed luggage. Headed out.

 

We quickly found a McDonalds and stopped for breakfast. A few hand signals, mouth gestures and pointing and we had our breakfast and was sitting down. I ordered a meal with "toast"....It was extremely fascinating when I found out my "toast" was actually Texas toast! But it was good. Just a different than normal concept to me. They also gave you 3 of them with your meal. I believe with our meal, we get biscuits instead.

 

 

 

 

The hubby had ordered the "Tostada burrito". Now at home, we have the breakfast burrito meal and it comes with 2 small burritos filled with eggs, cheese, sausage and peppers. When the hubby got his, it was only 1 burrito, and as a LOT bigger than ours.

 

After breakfast we headed to Walgreens to look for some "back-up" 100 spf sun tan lotion and some more pop. We were unable to find the hubby his "Dew" fix, but they did have diet for me. I'm still finding that they only come in 8 packs. Where are the 12 packs in this place???

 

I thought these little baskets were neat. It had a handle and some wheels on it. I didn't have to carry anything. Why don't our Walgreens have this at home???

 

 

I text Kendra this picture and she did say she's been to a Walgreens that had that before, but don't recall where. They should ALL have them.

 

Then I receive this back from her...

 

 

Does anyone think she's a little excited that she was able to pull this off??

 

It was a 18 minute drive to our destination. Not bad at all. But, it did start to cloud up and start to sprinkle some. But I wasn't going to let it ruin my day. I mean we were going to the beach...where you get wet...so why does it matter?

[mitsugirly]

WE HAVE ARRIVED...LUQUILLO BEACH!!

 

We pulled up to the entrance...then soon discovered that there was an parking fee to get in. $4 plus tax.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The parking lot was huge, but didn't see very many cars parked there. It looked like it was going to be a good day in the sense that it probably wasn't going to be crowded.

 

 

The rain had stopped and everything was wet. But that's ok.

 

We grabbed our beach bags, grabbed our cooler of pop, Sakari had her morhping bag, and off we went toward the beach (which is a little ways from the parking lot).

 

 

If you are handicap or have mobility issues, there is a road that heads closer. I'm not sure if you can park there or if it's for employees only, but you would be able to do a drop-off there I would think.

 

 

 

There was a lot of trees there with pine needles. I found this interesting. I'm not used to seeing pine needles in places like this.

 

Edited September 4, 2016 by mitsugirly

[mitsugirly]

I'm not sure what this building was. It was all open and nothing inside of it. Maybe they hold parties there or something.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was nicely landscaped

 

 

 

Still walking...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

FINALLY! The beach.

 

 

 

 

The welcome committee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The beach loaded with pine needles if you are up close to the tree area. So, this picture (below) gives you a perspective of how close the tree line is to the water (in case you would rather sit under the trees for shade).