(Slightly less so) Cheapo dad's trip report on Independence of the Seas

[harryfat1]

They actually do this 3 days a week. This is the tour that we did on a Saturday (also available on Sunday). Some are in English and some are in Spanish, so you need to plan accordingly. I wouldn't recommend this tour if you are claustrophobic as one of the tunnels got pretty small and very dark.

 

End of the tunnel where 2 junior soldiers were stationed for 24 hours to look out for attackers. According to the tour guide, this is where they worked, ate, slept, and used the bathroom. They could use a torch for light, but they had a lot of gun powder in the area and most chose not to take the risk. It was very dark. There was a small amount of light through a slot opening, I cranked up the ISO on my camera, and significantly brightened the image using Lightroom...all just to get this blurry image.

 

I looked back at my Adventure tour review in 2016 to refresh myself on this info and noticed that I reported the admission fee as $5 rather than the $7 that you paid. You could have saved $8 by taking this cruise last year!

 

Thanks for sharing the photos and the info on multiple days of tour. Most likely we will go back to SJ someday for a southern Caribbean cruise that we had to cancel last year. That would lead to some days of pre cruise stay at SJ and another visit to the forts.

 

I am just happy we were able to get to the forts as post 2017 hurricanes, there was so much uncertainty on what ship will go where with Royal having updates every few hours. Nobody was sure if our sailing will go there until 2 months before when Royal settled on their schedule back in October for the December trip.

 

So just getting there was a happy event. Originally was going to opt for the lazy way of taking free trolley but ended up walking the whole way. Glad we did as it was a wonderful experience.

 

Oh, my younger one is less than 15 so he was free...Best 4 letter word to cheapo dads and moms. ;p

[harryfat1]

I’m originally from the UK, only place I ever saw an ‘English muffin’ was at McDonalds! They’re becoming more common now, and I do think they may be an originally English thing, I had just never heard of them!

 

Here is English muffin background per Wiki.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_muffin

 

Think they say the Brits calls it just muffins.

[harryfat1]

OK, more fort pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Let's take a break from the fort pictures and look at some Horseshoe pictures from Arizona instead.

 

You know it's not good when they have signs in the parking that tells you "Warning. Extreme Heat. Carry water"

 

 

 

You know who took this picture...

 

 

Depending on where you are reading this post. If from computer with big monitor, you might be able to see the people in the middle way out there. That is where you have to walk to (and back) in the 100 degree heat in the summer. Look at how wide the cliff/canyon is

 

 

This one zooms in if you can't see it

 

 

So you ask yourself, what fool(s) wants to go out there in middle of June in 100 degree heat by the hundreds/thousands and walk up and down the hill to see what? Note the people walking back looks tired/hot...

 

[lbjen]

Here is English muffin background per Wiki.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_muffin

 

Think they say the Brits calls it just muffins.

 

I saw that but I swear, nobody I know had ever heard of them or seen them except for at McDonalds!

[VPIcruiser]

Harry,

 

I am really enjoy your review, all the photos, and all the details. One caution, about Disney World at Christmas: it is very crowded and often reaches capacity. As our kids get older it is harder to go to Disney at off peak times, but we are lucky that our school system starts after Labor Day and we often go during the last two weeks of August. We have been cruising for spring break (the week before Easter) which is at a premium price, but less expensive than a Christmas cruise. I would love to do a nine cruise or longer.

[sg1phileshipper]

I can’t believe I didn’t see your review earlier. Someone must have hit me on the head. As always Harry, you put a grin on my face quite often. And your pictures are truly gorgeous!

I am sorry to say that sitting next to me on the plane wouldn’t have done any good for your beauty sleep. Unless I have 3 seats for myself (it happened once) and can lay down, I can not sleep on the plane. So my monitor would have kept you awake. But not as much as the loud and obnoxious idiots that talked all the way from New York to Paris on my last TA flight, and did very loudly!

Thank you for sharing with us and for an awesome read!

 

 

Cindy

[harryfat1]

I saw that but I swear, nobody I know had ever heard of them or seen them except for at McDonalds!

 

Haha, I believe you.

 

Maybe they were sold in some specialty grocery stores for the US ex-pats that misses the home country food.

 

So does that mean the "Eggs Benedict" is a US only phenomenon? As that uses the "English Muffin" and "Canadian Bacon" as part of its ingredients?

 

Pretty funny as we dig into food history here...

[harryfat1]

Harry,

 

I am really enjoy your review, all the photos, and all the details. One caution, about Disney World at Christmas: it is very crowded and often reaches capacity. As our kids get older it is harder to go to Disney at off peak times, but we are lucky that our school system starts after Labor Day and we often go during the last two weeks of August. We have been cruising for spring break (the week before Easter) which is at a premium price, but less expensive than a Christmas cruise. I would love to do a nine cruise or longer.

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the kind words and the heads up on Disney crowd. If you want to do a 9 day holiday cruise, look at the Navigator doing the ABC islands in late December. Not super expensive like the Oasis class ships.

 

Yeah, I know they are crazy crowded on the special holidays. I have been at the parks during the holiday season and it’s not that much fun. On Christmas day few years ago at Disneyland, the line to just go through security check point before even getting to ticket line was at least 1,000 people line as we waited for them to open up each backpack as they had no

scanners.

 

But if the gap between cruising during the holidays versus Disneyworld is large, I will go where the money saving is. Disney may have a price premium for the holidays but not nearly as large as cruises.

 

Disney can do holidays better than most organization as they have the resources with their parades and lights. Here are few pics for the Disney folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

I can’t believe I didn’t see your review earlier. Someone must have hit me on the head. As always Harry, you put a grin on my face quite often. And your pictures are truly gorgeous!

I am sorry to say that sitting next to me on the plane wouldn’t have done any good for your beauty sleep. Unless I have 3 seats for myself (it happened once) and can lay down, I can not sleep on the plane. So my monitor would have kept you awake. But not as much as the loud and obnoxious idiots that talked all the way from New York to Paris on my last TA flight, and did very loudly!

Thank you for sharing with us and for an awesome read!

 

 

Cindy

 

Hi, Cindy,

 

How are you? It is good to talk to you once again.

 

Yeah, I started this trip report on New Year’s Day and just prodding along at my usual snail pace.

 

Thanks as always for the kind words. I upgraded my cell phone just prior to the cruise so I think some of the night pictures are more clear compared to the prior report. Amazing how great these phone cameras are like these days.

 

I now realize many people don’t sleep on the long flights. I need to invest some money on a good soft eye shade before I do another red eye flight across the country.

[harryfat1]

OK, back to the Arizona pictures from last night.

 

This is the picture from the other side after we have walked all the way down. Hard part is going back is uphill in the heat. Uggghh..

 

 

So why are hundreds/thousands of people here daily in the heat walking up/down a hill to see?

 

 

This is why - Horseshoe Bend

 

 

 

As there are no railings or fences at the edge, how far out you go depends on your risk factor assessment

 

 

[harryfat1]

Last set of Horseshoe bend pics:

 

It's a pretty long way down

 

 

 

 

 

[sg1phileshipper]

Hi, Cindy,

 

How are you? It is good to talk to you once again.

 

Yeah, I started this trip report on New Year’s Day and just prodding along at my usual snail pace.

 

Thanks as always for the kind words. I upgraded my cell phone just prior to the cruise so I think some of the night pictures are more clear compared to the prior report. Amazing how great these phone cameras are like these days.

 

I now realize many people don’t sleep on the long flights. I need to invest some money on a good soft eye shade before I do another red eye flight across the country.

 

 

Doing great, thanks. Seems you and the family are too. But the boys are getting bigger each time. Hoping our paths will cross on a ship some day.

You mention a 60x zoom camera. Which one do you use? I have an SLR but thinking of investing in a good compact one. And yes, cell phones are amazing!

I have an amazing eye shade, very tick and fluffy by eagle creek

Back to reading mode now [emoji3]

 

 

 

Cindy

[harryfat1]

Doing great, thanks. Seems you and the family are too. But the boys are getting bigger each time. Hoping our paths will cross on a ship some day.

You mention a 60x zoom camera. Which one do you use? I have an SLR but thinking of investing in a good compact one. And yes, cell phones are amazing!

I have an amazing eye shade, very tick and fluffy by eagle creek

 

Back to reading mode now [emoji3]

 

 

 

Cindy

 

Thanks for the info on the eye shade. Will look into it.

 

Yeah, if anyone compared our family pictures from Allure to now, they will see the younger one getting taller each cruise. Now they are both taller than me.

 

I have the Canon SX60 as we are Canon family. Here is the link to Amazon for it. I bought mine on sale directly from Canon when they had a refuribished sale prior to Christmas couple years ago. Take a look at the Panasonic zoom as well as they get good reviews.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-Powershot-16-1MP-Digital-Optical/dp/B00NEWZ8EY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1516475084&sr=8-3&keywords=canon+sx60

[sg1phileshipper]

I have the Canon SX60 as we are Canon family. Here is the link to Amazon for it. I bought mine on sale directly from Canon when they had a refuribished sale prior to Christmas couple years ago. Take a look at the Panasonic zoom as well as they get good reviews.

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-Powershot-16-1MP-Digital-Optical/dp/B00NEWZ8EY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1516475084&sr=8-3&keywords=canon+sx60

 

 

Thanks a lot. I think I already looked at it [emoji846]

 

 

Cindy

[harryfat1]

(OK, so where were we on the trip report prior to detour to Disneyland and Arizona? Oh, yeah, SJ forts)

Few more from the first fort area and then we move on

 

 

[harryfat1]

So after couple hours of walking around the first fort, it was time to leave and head over to destination number 2. When you leave, there is a different entrance/exit from the one we came up on. The other exit is closer to the Del Morro fort and there is a giant map on the wall by that entrance/exit to show how you can walk the road between the two.

 

Being anal, I double checked with the park ranger to confirm that we are on the correct path and then off we went. (No, I didn’t take a picture of the map on the wall as I was busy talking to the guy on how to get there from here) Back onto the regular streets of San Juan. The next destination is way out there to the right on that little tip past the white car

 

 

 

Saw a helicopter flying by on the walk

 

 

There was something happening here. Loud music/dancing

 

 

 

Edited January 20, 2018 by harryfat1

[harryfat1]

Thank Goodness it was windy that day so it wasn’t a blazing hot day but even in December it was in the low 80’s. So be sure to carry plenty of liquids or you can buy some at the gift shop along the way. It’s a pretty long walk.

 

We stopped for a quick water break at the benches along the road before we walk up to del Morro.

 

You can see the wind blowing by checking how high the kites are flying.

 

These must be the tour buses that are dropping the folks here for a quick visit before moving onto other areas.

Impressive how green the whole area is even before you get to the fort.

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

Trying to hold onto our hats before they are blown out to the sea

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

As stated previously, keep your receipt from the first fort and you walk in free of charge here.

 

By time we got here, it was getting to be a later afternoon so we didn’t have to see every level of the place. Next time…

 

So we are here at the San Felipe del Morro Fortress (Official name per Google map).

 

 

 

Gift shop area to get drinks if you are thirsty

 

 

Info display around various parts of the fort. As we were running short on time, we didn't go into all the areas.

 

 

[harryfat1]

Hey, there is a ship out there. Let's zoom in to see

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

With this background, it seems appropriate to play the theme song from Pirates of the Caribbean. In an futile attempt to add some class to this trip report, I'll throw classical music theme to it.

 

Yeah, I know, I know, a cup of yogurt has more culture than me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

More Pirates of the Caribbean theme song:

 

 

 

The family hard at work at each site:

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't have tine to walk down there. It would have been cool to go. More for next time: