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"Live" from Adventure of the Seas - January 15 - 25


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I've heard wonderful things about your home city (Ponce). For future visits to Puerto Rico, would you suggest we visit your fair city? :)

 

Of course I would! It's located on the southern coast of the Island, taking Highway #52 takes you directly to Ponce. Ponce's the main city of the south coast, and Puerto Rico's 2nd most important city after San Juan. There are many tourist attractions here, world renowned museums, great hotels, and I could provide you with details on places, tours and such. There are also groups in Facebook devoted to the city with photos and info, if you are a FB user.

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Of course I would! It's located on the southern coast of the Island, taking Highway #52 takes you directly to Ponce. Ponce's the main city of the south coast, and Puerto Rico's 2nd most important city after San Juan. There are many tourist attractions here, world renowned museums, great hotels, and I could provide you with details on places, tours and such. There are also groups in Facebook devoted to the city with photos and info, if you are a FB user.

 

A story that I love to retell - we were flying into San Juan, and a member of the military, from San Juan - leaned over and said - - "Do you see that swatch of cement? That is San Juan... but it is NOT Puerto Rico!" After seeing a little of Puerto Rico this trip - I would agree with that - you live on a beautiful island - it is SO much more than San Juan - and I plan on seeing more of it on future visits.

 

Thanks for the feedback!!

 

BRL

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Is there a website that lists the valet airport service at San Juan? We are flying out on AirTran.

 

The Valet luggage service we spoke of is offered while on board by certain airlines. In short, for a $20 fee, you can drop you luggage off as soon as you collect it and it will be "unencumbered" for the rest of the day. I am sorry, but I did not pay attention to other airlines other than my own (American). It was a good deal, and it worked well!!

 

BRL

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BRL: This was one of the very best reviews I have read on CC!! Thank you so much for the pics!! loved the ones of aruba, took my honeymoon there 16 years ago.... and we are heading back to PR in a couple weeks... glad to hear you had a great trip!!! :D

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The Valet luggage service we spoke of is offered while on board by certain airlines. In short, for a $20 fee, you can drop you luggage off as soon as you collect it and it will be "unencumbered" for the rest of the day. I am sorry, but I did not pay attention to other airlines other than my own (American). It was a good deal, and it worked well!!

 

BRL

 

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

I've really enjoyed your posts during your past cruise. You are AWESOME for doing that!

 

Thank you!

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A story that I love to retell - we were flying into San Juan, and a member of the military, from San Juan - leaned over and said - - "Do you see that swatch of cement? That is San Juan... but it is NOT Puerto Rico!" After seeing a little of Puerto Rico this trip - I would agree with that - you live on a beautiful island - it is SO much more than San Juan - and I plan on seeing more of it on future visits.

 

Thanks for the feedback!!

 

BRL

 

And thank you for the kind words about Puerto Rico! As with any other place, there are many great things, and many negative things here. For many years the main focus for tourist advertising centered on Old San Juan, Condado, Isla Verde and El Yunque Rain Forest! There are many many great things to see in Puerto Rico, and distances are not that far from San Juan!

 

I hope next time you visit you get to see more of our Isla del Encanto (Island of Enchantment)!!!! :D

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krhnbt,

 

Yes USAIR does participate with the valet luggage service. We did this and it was worth every penny that we spent. Once you claim your bags and exit the warehouse that is where you will drop your luggage.

 

I was quite impressed with the way embarkation was handled. You can stay in your room instead of having to vacate by 8 AM. We left our room and in less than an hour we were at the airport.

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Gerry was our head waiter, too. We were second seating at table 332, next to the captain's table! Gerry was the best head waiter we have ever had! He arranged a kosher dinner for the two of us with only 24 hours notice.

 

The thing that impressed me the most on this sailing was the new debarkation process. In the past on debarkation day we had to wake up very early in order to vacate our stateroom by 8:00 am, and then we had to sit and wait somewhere else until our color/number was called. Now the whole process is much better! If you want to leave the ship very early, you still can. But, for people like us who have later flights, we really enjoyed the option of staying in our stateroom up until 11:00 am. Everyone is given a "departure #". Each departure # has a corresponding departure time. At first we were given a low departure #, but we didn't want to rush in the morning. We asked to change to departure # 10 which meant that we were scheduled to debark around 10:00 am. We woke up at about 8:00 am, had a leisurely breakfast in the Windjammer, packed up our things and walked out of our stateroom at 9:45 am. Before 10:00 am we were off the ship looking for our luggage. (A full immigration check is only done about once every 6 weeks. We did not go through an immigration check.) By 10:05 we were in the taxi line!

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Gerry was our head waiter, too. We were second seating at table 332, next to the captain's table! Gerry was the best head waiter we have ever had! He arranged a kosher dinner for the two of us with only 24 hours notice.

 

The thing that impressed me the most on this sailing was the new debarkation process. In the past on debarkation day we had to wake up very early in order to vacate our stateroom by 8:00 am, and then we had to sit and wait somewhere else until our color/number was called. Now the whole process is much better! If you want to leave the ship very early, you still can. But, for people like us who have later flights, we really enjoyed the option of staying in our stateroom up until 11:00 am. Everyone is given a "departure #". Each departure # has a corresponding departure time. At first we were given a low departure #, but we didn't want to rush in the morning. We asked to change to departure # 10 which meant that we were scheduled to debark around 10:00 am. We woke up at about 8:00 am, had a leisurely breakfast in the Windjammer, packed up our things and walked out of our stateroom at 9:45 am. Before 10:00 am we were off the ship looking for our luggage. (A full immigration check is only done about once every 6 weeks. We did not go through an immigration check.) By 10:05 we were in the taxi line!

 

I did talk about our disembarkation - but since we were Diamond we had a separate method. We were allowed to go to the Mozart Dining room, where at :15 minute intervals, they take anyone interested straight to the security station, where you sign out (one last swipe of the card) then go straight to the luggage area. So we did not have any # to speak of. The earliest would be the first group off the ship, and then it moves to 8 AM, and then :15 minutes after in groups.

 

Thanks for the information for those who utilize the normal process!:)

 

BRL

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BRL ... Thanks for a great review ... I read every day in anticipation ... you can tell you treat each day as a new "adventure" ... great way of going through life ...

 

I am really excited about taking our FIRST cruise on the AOS in March ... there was a wealth of information here for me to consume and enjoy ...

 

Thanks again ...

 

mj

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BRL - thanks so much for a wonderful review. We are going on AOS February 22 and loved reading your post each day.

 

Can you tell me which nights were formal, casual and smart casual? I was surprised to read in my documents that there are 2 formal, 4 casual and 1 smart casual. I thought there were only formal and casual. This is only our second RCI cruise as we normally cruise Celebrity.

 

Thanks,

Sue

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BRL - thanks so much for a wonderful review. We are going on AOS February 22 and loved reading your post each day.

 

Can you tell me which nights were formal, casual and smart casual? I was surprised to read in my documents that there are 2 formal, 4 casual and 1 smart casual. I thought there were only formal and casual. This is only our second RCI cruise as we normally cruise Celebrity.

 

Thanks,

Sue

 

Hi Sue :)

 

I am on the same sailing!

 

Formal nights are Monday and Thursday. I don't think there is a whole lot of difference between casual and smart casual....

 

See you onboard!!!!!

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BRL:

Can u tell us what future 'cruising adventures' you may plan on doing so we can read along?:o

 

Thanks!

Katie

 

Thanks Katie! We are planning to head to the Southern Caribbean again this next January - either on Serenade (3x), or maybe Jewel to the Panama Canal area. But currently Jewel is tighter than a drum - possibly due to travel agent reservations and such. We are also considering investigating Celebrity in the same area - for a change of scenery and different locals...

 

I am excited by the new ports that are coming onboard for Adventure and Serenade next year. If RCL keeps this up, it will be like going on a different cruise each year!

 

BRL

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BRL - thanks so much for a wonderful review. We are going on AOS February 22 and loved reading your post each day.

 

Can you tell me which nights were formal, casual and smart casual? I was surprised to read in my documents that there are 2 formal, 4 casual and 1 smart casual. I thought there were only formal and casual. This is only our second RCI cruise as we normally cruise Celebrity.

 

Thanks,

Sue

 

Formal nights are the two nights at Sea. Day 2 and Day 5. There is really no difference between Casual and Smart Casual. By stern definition, Smart Casual is supposed to be a dress shirt and dress slacks for men (with sports coats - just no ties). Women are supposed to wear sun dresses or skirts (but not fancy ones like Formal Night). These are OBVIOUSLY not followed at all - as long as you do not wear Jeans, shorts, Shirts without collars for men, and bathing suit wear, your going to be OK. If they enforce it at all, they tend to be very lax the first day, since people get onboard in all manner of clothing and luggage may not have arrived. Although you will see people push this envelope, don't let it ruin your trip. Part of the joy of cruising is the adventure of cruise itself - the glamor of the environment, the ship, and the exotic ports. We always try to dress the part - we are eating at an nice establishment - and so we dress for the environment we are in.

 

Hope this helps a little,

 

BRL

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BRL ... Thanks for a great review ... I read every day in anticipation ... you can tell you treat each day as a new "adventure" ... great way of going through life ...

 

I am really excited about taking our FIRST cruise on the AOS in March ... there was a wealth of information here for me to consume and enjoy ...

 

Thanks again ...

 

mj

 

Have a WONDERFUL TIME!! Everyday is an adventure if you look for the small things....

 

Enjoy!!

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Western Wisconsin

January 29, 2009

Final Thoughts

Return journeys are the last act of an epic story. Some moments gleam brighter, give you pause, challenge all your previous beliefs, reconfirm a belief in the power at the center. How did I happen upon them? Where they self-willed, the result of punctilious planning, or were they serendipitous? Did I feel any strange visitations of joy? Can I recapture them now that I am home?

Epiphanies sometimes flash and flare for travelers, but there are also flickering moments of discovery on journies, seen out of the corner of your eye. Small joys, humble experiences, such as twilight falling on quiet side streets in Old San Juan – watching the cathedral steps being swept for the night. The tumble of dominoes and tinkle of children’s laughter in a café next to a home in Curacao; the woman who dashed across the street in a pummeling rain to give me an umbrella in San Juan, after already becoming drenched.

 

I knew these things about people and places before I left home, but had forgotten them. It is said in Venice that upon their return, Marco Polo and his father were not even recognized because of their tattered traveler’s rags. But inside their tattered clothes were sewn diamonds and jewels from their far-flung journeys. Were they simply to be traded for profit, or were they physical proof of their literally unbelievable travels, in case they were not believed?

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I am blessed to be joined on these adventures by three good friends. The first and closest is my DW. We see the world and our place in it thru different eyes – yet it is her sight that helps bring the specialness of a place into focus. She is my guide, my companion, my love. This September will be 20 years - all of our experiences are the diamonds of my life. I am also blessed to be joined by very good friends. Scott and Amy have been our companions on many of my cruise adventures. Often, you discover quietly whether your traveling companions are compatible. We figured out early on that we were comfortable with the differences of our personalities and lives. There was never the thought or feeling of having to do things together – if one’s heart calls in a different direction – one is wished well – and our lives are reconnected at dinner. Thanks Scott & Amy – as always I look forward to future adventures with you both.

 

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It is the memories and experiences that are my “diamonds and jewels”. In Joseph Campbell’s popular book of essays Myths to Live by, he described something pertinent to my theme of sacred journeys: “The ultimate aim of the quest, if one is to return, must be neither release nor ecstasy for oneself, but the wisdom and the power to serve others.”

 

No I can’t hear a travel story, watch a film, or read a book without asking, “What was brought home? Where it the gift? Show me the jewels sewn in the lining of your coat. Where is the boon?”

 

The ancient wisdom teachers taught that the ultimate answer to the sorrows of the world is the boon of increased self-knowledge. Anthropologist Lewis Hyde’s idea from his book The Gift is that in ancient times a true gift was “the agent of change.” A person dare not hold on too long to one, because it would be the equivalent of the hoary old dragon, “hoarding the gold.”

 

In his essay “A Witness to Poetry,” Oregon poet William Stafford describes giving a lecture once, dreading that he would be treated like a relic, asked things like, “How was it back in 1948?”

 

Instead, he was asked about a subject dear to his heart – the process by which he wrote poetry. “It’s strange,” he ends the essay, “to think that there might be things that we know that people who live one hundred years from now would like to know. We forget to say them.”

 

The insight is a boon to poets and travelers everywhere. This is the key to the poetry of pilgrimage: The story that we bring back form our journeys is the boon. It is the gift of grace that was passed to us in the heart of our journey. Perhaps it was in the form of an insight into our spiritual life, a glimpse of the wisdom traditions of a radically different culture, a shiver of compassion, an increment of knowledge. All these must be passed on. The boon of your experience is a presence in the soul of the world that can be sensed and honored and carried home in your heart.

 

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How do we keep memories alive? How to make the journey part of our lives once we are back in the daily grind? I see the time of return as a reintegration time, a time to recall as much as possible about the trip, a time of listening to dreams and creating something new so the awakening continues. This is so important because you’ve changed. Something shifted and came to consciousness. Now you know the sacred is everywhere. Now you know the miniature is inside you. And once again, the storytelling allows things to ‘come up’, trust your own wisdom. We must remember this: The journey is a miniature of the bigger one which is life. It contains all of it. You found the essence if you can find the gift moment that has all of it inside.

 

The gifts are the memories.

 

The diamonds are the experiences that take your breath away – both large and especially small.

 

The Jewels are experiencing the souls you encounter on the road. Be open to the possibilities.

 

Your next cruise is more than a Vacation….. it is a Pilgrimage. It is a journey. It is an ADVENTURE.

 

May the stars light your way

And may you find the interior road.

Forward!

- traditional Irish farewell

 

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Cruisecookie, were you at the table of the lady who took my picture because I looked like her daughter? She was at the long table next to the captain's table. I was at the long table between the captain's table and the staircase.

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