lolavix

Shall we go inside?

Inside the first room, we heard a little bit of the history. The room had these awesome murals to admire.

As well as this fountain...

This barrel was also in the first room. It weighs several hundred pounds when full of rum.

After the first room, we viewed a short (maybe 10 minute) film and some other rooms where we could not take photos. There were a lot of photos, letters, diagrams, etc. There were also samples of different types of barrels used to age the rum.

We dropped off our things and headed out for our first stop...the Bacardi Visitor Center.

Actually, we first tried to find some lunch, but it turns out that our location did not have a ton of restaurants in the immediate area. The hotel had given us some information about the Factory, and since we had planned on a bit of a low key day for this first day anyway, we figured we would eat at Georgina, which is Bacardi's restaurant.

While we were waiting for our food, the kids hung outside in the sun.

I didn't mean to overexpose the photo, but it conveys the heat of the day.

I ordered a flatbread that was a bit like pizza, with pesto and chicken.

After lunch, we purchased tickets for the tour. They offer multiple tours, but since we had kids, the only tour we could do was the historical tour. For $15/person (free for kids), you learned a bit about the beginnings of the Bacardi business, and you also were given a free drink.

The kids were given complementary lemonade and soda. My kids got Shirley Temples and thought that they were cool. They took them outside and sat near this gorgeous large tree.

Can you even see the kids?

This is a view of the outdoor bar. I was impressed with the wind turbine.

We just returned (today) from our 10 day trip to Puerto Rico and Southern Caribbean cruise on the Fascination. Although things will be pretty busy around here for the next few weeks, I figure, I can work on what will likely be a long review in bits and pieces. While this is only our second cruise, I have always written lengthy reviews of our trips for other venues so we have a record, so for this cruise, I'll do this here. I received so much helpful information for both this cruise and our prior cruise in 2014 to Bermuda, so I like to return the favor and figure, maybe I can help someone else out in the process. While there are some terrific reviews of this itinerary here, there aren't as many from the Fascination on this itinerary, and even fewer with kids.

We are a family of five. DS and I are in our late 40s, and our kids are 12.5 (DD), 10 (DS1) and 8 (DS2). This was the second cruise for all of us, and our first visit to any of these gorgeous islands. We booked this cruise in January and the countdown began.

Since getting to Puerto Rico was a lot more involved than getting ourselves to Boston, we opted to tack on three days prior to the cruise so we could visit in more depth. I would highly recommend taking the opportunity to do this. We used miles to get four of our five tickets, so we managed to keep the cost down that way, but it will take a long time to replenish those credit card miles so we wanted to make it worth it. Not to mention, even with three days, there is so much more we would have liked to do. Next time. :)

We left on Thursday, August 18 on a very early morning flight. It's four hours from Boston and we landed prior to 11 AM, so you can do the math on that.

We're getting close. I also liked this because you could see some of our future destinations.

We're almost there.

Forts! I love taking photos and couldn't wait to visit. It didn't quite go the way I envisioned when we did, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

No ships in port today. This was a good time to travel, as we were the only ship in port at each destination, and we kept hearing how busy it can get.

One more from the air.

We landed and picked our rental car up from Hertz. We went with Hertz because of the convenience of being able to pick the car up at the airport and drop it off at the location at the Sheraton, which is right across the street from the cruise pier.

We stayed about 20-25 minutes outside of Old San Juan, at a Comfort Inn and Suites. With all things considered (needing a big enough room for all of us, having free parking, our plans), this made the most sense. We were upgraded when we arrived, which was a nice surprise, so we wound up with a one bedroom suite.

I think I'm out of room for photos here...

The Fascination was the second Carnival ship I sailed as a kid in the late 90s. I thought it was amazing then.

 

I'm honestly not sure how a first timer now would view the ship. Maybe try to find some reviews from first-timers? But I do very strongly agree that anyone who has sailed a newer, bigger ship will notice the differences. How it affects the vacation depends on the individual. The itinerary is so port intensive that there really won't be much time to fret about the things you miss.

 

For me personally, I won't sail a ship of that class as I sail for both the ships and the ports. I've gotten used to new amenities and food options and would not be happy going backwards.

We sail her on Sunday. It's only my family's second cruise ever and our first with Carnival. Our other cruise was two years ago on NCL Dawn, which, from what I read on these boards, gets comparable love/hate opinions from people. ;)

I am planning on doing a fairly extensive review when I return. I will mention that right now we are sailing for the ports and not the ship. Our Dawn cruise was to Bermuda and we chose it because of our proximity to the port (no airfare) and the fact that we wanted to visit Bermuda and a cruise was cheaper than a land-based vacation and cheaper than the Breakaway out of NY. Obviously we enjoyed our cruising experience enough on that smaller ship, though, to book a second cruise.

Keep your eyes out for my review when I get back on 8/28. It might not be started until a few days after we return, since my children go back to school the day after we return. :eek:

Thanks for all the replies! Again we are a family of 6 so having excursion/spending/tip money for all is a significant amount that I really didn't want to carry with and that's why I thought travelers checks...

 

Thanks again

I am still going to get traveler's checks for my family of five. Guest services will cash them and I'll feel better about not having so much cash with us from the start of our trip. I haven't used them in ages but in this case, where I know that the vendors on the various islands have said to pay them in cash and with five people, it makes sense to me.

For all of you who are saying that traveler's checks are a thing of the past,what would you do here?

We are a family of five, doing the Southern Caribbean itinerary. There are five ports plus Puerto Rico as the point of departure and we are doing independent excursions in all five ports.

We have three days in Puerto Rico before we board the ship, so I didn't want to have to keep track of so much cash before the cruise. In Puerto Rico, we plan on using our credit cards for our expenses, but the vendors in the ports want cash for the tours we've booked. Again, there are five of us, so each tour is going to be several hundred dollars.

I was planning on getting traveler's checks and just cashing them as we needed them. Is there a better option?

Thanks.

Your link here works.

 

As for the signatures, many have them turned off if they are viewing Cruise Critic with a web browser because there are some whose signatures are horrendous. Others are using mobile forum software like Tapatalk which does not show them.

 

 

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I am guessing that is it.

I didn't realize when I went back to copy the name of my thread that it actually was copying the hyperlink as well. That should help the person who asked for the link, even if they can't see the signature line.

Would love to read your trip report, but can't seem to find it in your signature. Could you please email it to me at rkrsan47 at gmail dot com??

We are taking our grandkids next July....10, 7 and 4.

Thanks so much,

Kathy:D

:confused: It's right after my original comment. There is a hyperlink that says "Boston to Bermuda with kids (August 2014)--includes tons of photos!"

Wondering if I've added the link here in the post, too.

Is there an option where you've turned off seeing the signatures?

We're the week after you on the Fascination and there are only 4 on our roll call. I started it in January and talked to myself for a couple of months, and then the second person joined. We had two more join around May, but that has been it.

I'm not expecting much for Biobay photos, but hoping the conditions cooperate so we can see it.

I know we're not on the same sailing, but if you want to join ours just to bounce ideas around, feel free. :)

Today, the main difference in Bermuda sailings is that NCL and Celebrity stay docked there for 3 days and just sail to and from NY/NJ, no other ports.

NCL Dawn sails from Boston to Bermuda with the same 3 day/2 night itinerary as the NCL Breakaway, so there is that option as well as far as departure port.

You might end up paying almost as much for the Fascination once you factor in June airfare. We are sailing out of SJU in August and a round trip ticket from Boston was more than what you are quoting for February. If that is the case, 9 days is definitely a better price per day than 7. However, we are tacking a few days on at the start of our cruise, so we aren't thinking of the high airfare as just an additional part of the cruise experience. It's the price to get us to the three days of visiting Puerto Rico (and it didn't hurt that we only had to buy 1 ticket, and not the five we'd need for my entire family if we didn't have mileage points to use.)

We aren't experienced cruisers, but in general, when we are traveling, we like to go to new places. We'd probably select an itinerary that is mostly new to us. Since we have only cruised on NCL Dawn and now the Fascination, I will admit that we don't sail for the ship. We had a great time on the Dawn, and I've heard similar comparisons between NCL Dawn and CCL Fascination, so personally, I am not overly concerned about the ship. Others' opinions differ on this. :)

There have been a few threads here these past few days about the Fascination, with people who have cruised her asking questions and people who have recently sailed answering them. Asking specific Fascination questions there could help you. People do rave about that itinerary, so if you sail for ports, or aren't experienced cruisers like my family, the ship might not bother you the way it does others.

Good luck and congratulations to your son.

I asked a question earlier today so if anyone else is reading, I apologize.

I am wondering if the lone sea day is crammed with the activities that are normally spread out over the multiple sea days that other itineraries see, or if they still put some of those on port days. For instance, there is normally a "sea day" brunch and a Dr. Seuss brunch. I know we could do both (e.g. do one for breakfast time and one for lunch time), but then isn't that evening "elegant night"? Seems like so much food for one day.

We are new to Carnival so I'm just trying to get a feel over how the sea day will go. I am so excited about the ports, but I wish there was maybe one more sea day. Ah, well. Can't have everything. ;)

Edited to add: How did debarkation go?

We do other itins with only one sea day. The Suess breakfast will be in the aft MDR.

Could have the Suess breakfast, usually scheduled around 9, then go to brunch a few hours later.

 

 

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I know that is an option, but I'm not sure we'll want to have a big meal twice so close together (especially if elegant night is the same night). Can anyone confirm that this is what they are doing this year on the Fascination? Do they not spread some of the typical sea day activities to port days?

We are cruising our first Carnival cruise on the Fascination in August. I've been reading here since we booked the cruise in January, and I have a question about the "sea day" activities. On other itineraries, people will mention that "such and such" occurred on the first sea day or the second sea day or the last sea day. The itinerary we are sailing is the Southern Caribbean and there is only one sea day, and it's fairly early on in the itinerary. While I cannot wait to hit all (5! :D) ports, I do wish there were more than one sea day.

For those that have sailed this itinerary this year, do they eliminate any of the sea day activities that are normally more spread out on other itineraries? For instance, I know that there is normally a sea day brunch, and I also know that there is a Dr. Seuss brunch. I'm thinking that if they are both done on the one sea day, we'll only pick one since we probably don't want to have brunch twice. Or do they not bother with one of them?

Thanks.

We were really disappointed in the comedy - it was pretty bad SNL type of skits versus a comedian. Their "activities" were mostly sell you stuff kind of seminars...lame. We jut felt like it was geared toward a more mellow crowd - the nightclub was dead at 9:30pm, even the white hot party just wasn't all that lively.

We sailed the Dawn two years ago and didn't do too many activities--we attended a liquor tasting in the shops, I went to "Deal or No Deal", we saw a towel animal folding seminar, we went to a talk hosted by some of the ship crew to learn more about the ship and we walked around and looked at art. We didn't go to the seminars for the shopping in port.

We did attend the shows every night in the theater, and enjoyed them. We saw "Band on the Run", the comedian (who was stand up), Second City (more like skits), the magician, the aerialists, and the Elements show. We also went to the adult Second City show as well as the marriage game show. We went to the White Hot Party and it was pretty busy. I wonder if the ambiance varies, depending on when you sail. We sailed the Dawn in August, when there were still a lot of kids/families, and that might have made things more lively.

I booked a cruise in January (2 cabins) and got the offer upon paying the deposit. It was 20% off excursions for the first three ports (not all the ports, but my itinerary has 5 ports) and good for 48 hours.

I had read this tip from someone else. I selected three, and then before I paid, I eliminated the one I didn't want and just paid for the two I did want. Worked fine for both cabins to do it that way.

Thank you for your review. I am doing this cruise in August with my family.

I am wondering if you know if the Dr. Seuss breakfast is on the only sea day. I know you traveled solo and you might not know. I have read other reviews of other ships with more than one sea day, so I'm curious if all the sea day activities are crammed into the one lone sea day or how these are handled.

Thanks.

Hmmm...no residence rates for PR? Really?? FL, TX, and many other states and ports offer resident rates on several cruise lines!:confused:

As I stated, it was a rumor, but.....one has to wonder?

Resident rates are supply and demand driven, and very rarely is there a need to offer these in the San Juan market. It's always been like this.

We booked the Fascination in January to sail in August. About 90 days out in May, I saw a resident rate which lowered the cost of our two cabins by several hundred dollars apiece. I live in New England. It wasn't even all of New England or the surrounding states (NY, NJ wasn't covered). At that point, the other fares were lower, too, but the resident rate was the best available to me at that point.

I was :confused:. I did read somewhere that sometimes, cruise lines drop prices to offset high flight costs to the port to attract business. Not sure if that is the case, but I happily took the price drop. :)

mitsugirly

sorry about the wine comment haven't been on cruise critic for awhile, they have a trolley on just about every corner which will take you around OSJ free but we choose to walk around town DW loves to window shop. We will do the FORTS this trip did not have time last trip. I researched the BIOLUMINESCENT EXCURSION last cruise the people gave it a thumbs down, you have the navigate the boat without a guide on board they ran into the trees that grow into the water ( can't think of the correct name ) plus the boat overturned very scary. key in the excursion on YOUTUBE and watch for yourself. this was from a person on carnival forum. FASCINATION and OCEANVIEW will be a first for me I usually do BALCONY but we will see.

We're doing the Biobay in electric boats, not the kayaks.

Edited to add: There is also a walking tour where you get to see the Biobay on foot. That is the one I really wanted, but it's not offered while we'll be there. It's called "Bioluminescence and Light Pollution".

Hopefully they have their stuff together more so than when I was on, but I would get off as early as possible. It was a mess.... I had a later flight so I was in no hurry to leave, but even at the end it was not a well run debarkation.

they were taking us out the small area on level 3 which with luggage and stuff was VERY cramped. Hopefully they may have changed that.

Also consider that the airport can have very long lines through security.

We are thinking of doing self-debarkation, but I'm not sure we'll be able to do that with kids in tow.

I also know about the airport security. I guess I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed.

My wife and I (In our upper 30's) just got off the Fascination yesterday.

Curious how debarkation went. We have a somewhat early plane to catch (11:40) and hoping we don't run into any problems. Sure, anything can happen, but if there was no obvious delay, what time were you off?

Thanks.

We're booked on this ship and itinerary in August. I am thinking the ship is like the NCL Dawn, and we were fine with the smaller ship since that was our first cruise; I read your Dawn review and know that there were things you didn't like, but as we haven't cruised on the larger, newer ships in any fleet, it worked for us. I'm not all that worried about the Fascination being small and old, since (1) we don't know any better (yet) and (2) there is only one sea day.

I promise to come back and tell you about it. :) I have three kids, one who is S's age, so I'll have that perspective as well. We will be in San Juan for three days leading up to departure, so there will be a bit of information about that as well.

I wasn't sure where to pose this question, but since there are at least three snorkel questions on the first page of this forum, I figured this might be a good place to try.

Does anyone have any recommendations for prescription snorkel masks that they have used? I need to get one for myself and my daughter for our cruise in August.

We are both nearsighted. My prescription is pretty strong (something like -8 or -9) but hers isn't nearly as bad...she could probably get by without one, but I know that I cannot. I see several options on Amazon, but didn't know if anyone had a prescription mask that they either loved or one to stay away from. Our cruise has 5 different ports, so we do want to be able to at least see some of what is there. :D

We don't wear contacts.

Thanks.

I dont understand how people get massive amounts of obc. My category is high so I know those are the first to sell out also. I think I would much rather have the room on the deck I want then obc anyway. My rate is really low.

People can get massive amounts of OBC when their rate isn't really low to begin with, as you state yours is.

Also, if your deck is one of the first to sell out, that would also make it harder to get OBC.

I booked my cruise (2 cabins) in January. In February, I wound up with a price decrease of $10 overall for just one of the cabins. (It was $60 decrease in price but we lost the $50 OBC. I'd rather have the price decrease than OBC, especially six months out.) For three months, prices were stagnant or above what we paid.

In May, the prices for our cabins finally decreased by a nice amount, and on top of that, there was a special resident rate we qualified for, where we wound up saving $700 between the two cabins.

Certainly our price decrease was not expected, so I think some of the massive OBC that people get with regard to ES is luck. (We took the price decrease rather than OBC since we were still before final payment, but we still have a tiny bit of OBC because for one cabin, the May price reduction was more than what we still owed on that cabin.)

Well that one the cruise would be $30 cheaper total for me.

When you compute the new fare, you need to take into account the loss of your OBC. The new fare might not be a better deal if your OBC brings the cost down to below the new fare.

For instance, if your current fare is $599 per person and you got $25 OBC per person with that fare, that would be better than a new fare which is $579 per person with no OBC.

As someone above said, when you ask for a price match, it's a match to the entire new deal, not just the price.