bonvoyagebites
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Posts posted by bonvoyagebites
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We were there in 2012, and just rented a car for the day so we could explore on our own. It was a lot of fun, and we saw some really great things while there.... we went to the fortress on one end of the island, as well as Reggae Beach bar on the other end... with a snorkel stop or two on our own as well.
The last two shots on this one (the sea turtle and probably the blue fish) were St. Kitts, not far from Reggae beach bar
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We did a daysail trip over to St John with snorkeling the one and only time we were there. It was a lot of fun.
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We booked a daysail trip to sail on a 6-passenger sailboat. The purpose was to sail and snorkel only, so we never really set foot on St. John... if that's your plan, it was good times and a lot of fun.
Otherwise, perhaps a water taxi is the way to go....
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I just posted a snorkeling video from a previous cruise... Please check it out and critique / etc... I am new to this video and blogging thing.
Thanks!
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The ship tour isn't done yet (need to write and record more music) but I just posted a snorkeling / sailing video from a previous trip...
Let me know what you think :)
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Glad you find them helpful. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
The rental car was a nice trick I figured out so that I didn't have to spend a ton. :)
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Hopefully I will be able to wrap this thing up tonight. In the meantime, enjoy the new video that I finished (Sailing and Snorkeling in St John and St. Kitts).. there was a Sea turtle swimming with me in St Kitts, and that was pretty magical for me.
Assuming the honey-do list doesn't get too crazy, I should be able to wrap the final sea day this evening...
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This should be a great trip to follow along with. We jsut recently started blogging as well, and it has been a fun ride so far. A live blog would save loads of time on my part... I may try that next time. :)
Have a great trip! I look forward to reading.
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Hooray for Poppi. Congrats on the new opportunities.
Best wishes to you and yours.
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We were on the Amsterdam in May, and sadly didn't go into the room with the loungers... I didn't want to disturb anyone that was there to relax. But I believe that i have seen photos of the loungers where you could see easily out the windows. The SPA and gym are both in an area in the front of the ship, and the areas we DID go to had great views...
Sorry I couldn't be any more help... but the R-Class ship was a nice size to feel cozy and not too huge. There are a lot of photos and a Review below ----
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San Juan is a great place. I would love to go back.
Our blog has a brand new video of a sailing trip we booked where we sailed from St Thomas to St John on a 6-passenger sailboat, and snorkeled in St. John. (part of the video is from a later day where we were in St Kitts)... We had a great time on that sailboat, and they can be found easily if that is something that interests you.
San Juan is a great place, and the free trolley was an awesome way to get around. Look on the blog for a quick photo tour of San Juan also
Enjoy your trip! We had a blast at both of those ports. San Juan, we just wandered about and went to the fortress. That is where our cruise departed from, so we spent a few extra days there and would love to go back!
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Agreed that it is hard to compare and contrast between lines without knowing the oranges.
I will say that the Apples, in this case are perhaps more "refined" than other lines. If you are typically a Carnival cruiser, I would say that you can expect a little more laid back experience. I was a first-time HAL cruiser with two Carnival, and one MSC prior to my May 2015 HAL cruise. Now, it was also only a 3-day cruise which was a non-standard route (San Diego to Vancouver ... kind of a Repo)...
Let us know what your prior experiences are, and a more proper response can be built for you. Either way, enjoy yourself and have some yummy food :)
CONGRATS on 50 YEARS!
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As mentioned by someone a little bit ago, there is a DVD player and video library available. I was surprised at how many DVDs were available for "rental" (free)...
The movies on the television at the end of May were "Taken 3", "A night at the museum" (the latest one), and "MacFarlane, USA" (if I recall properly). They were showed in the Wajang Theatre (MS Amsterdam) the day before, and then played again on the television the next day on repeat.
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Slightly off-topic, but all this talk of Speedos reminded me of my MSC Cruise from last October... while on Great Stirrup Cay, I saw a 70-ish year old man wearing a STRING THONG BIKINI bottom. I'm not judging, simply saying that it isn't really what I would choose to wear myself (Michael). I'd like to collect my round of drinks for that one.
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Wish we had kept ours. But if I had a dollar for every time I said that about a stock... I wouldn't need stocks anymore. :)
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Look for another video in October, when we cruise the Navigator of the Seas.... I cannot wait to try another line and see what their food offerings are. I've gotten a lot of information from CC members about the dining options and am excited
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Our wacky little 3-day cruise from May was a little different. There was no Mariner lunch, and no tiles distributed onboard, even after asking at the front desk. I was able to send an email to customer service and get tiles sent to me within days, but none onboard....
That being said, the MDR was open for lunch and we ate there with no issue... and it was a good way to start our trip. The menu and pics are on the review below if you want to end up hungry.
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We have been fortunate to not (YET) have been in this situation, but I certainly understand your frustration. Your vegetarian analogy seems to sum up the experience quite well. I look forward to hearing how HAL decides to deal with the situation. Like others stated, I am not sure that you should expect much (and I am sure you really don't) , but good customer service is very important, and I look forward to hearing more.
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We just recently (end of May) came off of a 3 day cruise on the Amsterdam. It's a nice ship, and you will have a great time. Since all of your questions seem to have been answered, I will just wish you a great trip.
I cannot say if it is the same on all trips, but the Lido Buffet on our trip was never very crowded and was a great place to grab snacks.
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Understood. No worries. Just thought I'd pay it forward since you'd been a help.
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I see you have been on the Carnival Victory. We are going on her in 2 weeks. It will be our first experience with Carnival, it was our only choice under the time constraint that fit for us and our friends. It is a 4 nighter. We will be getting a certificate for a free future cruise on Carnival from some timeshare presentation we will be attending, and so this will be a "small taste" of Carnival to see if we like it. We have been hesitant to try Carnival in the past- but I have to say all of our friends who have tried it said they liked it. So we are going into it with a positive attitude. We are not really "party poopers", but we are not "party animals" either!
I am curious as to your experience on the Victory- did you enjoy???
So, our Victory cruise was our first, and in many ways has been our favorite of our cruises so far. Part of that was the great itinerary, and part of it was that it was our "first time" and they say you always remember that. If you can just find the things you want to and follow your own wishes, you will have a great time I am sure. Our Carnival experience is that the Main pool area is very busy and sometimes noisy, like the pool at any resort would be... but at the same time, the sailaway parties are (in my opinion) more fun than the two other lines I have been on. To put that in perspective... I would NEVER go to a nightclub and dance. I would rather sit back and listen to blues or jazz or similar and keep to myself while sipping a drink. But, the atmosphere is contagious and I found myself standing at a distance and enjoying people watching. (I am more of an introvert, but can easily adapt if needed) There is almost always someplace to escape the commotion if needed, so I am certain you can find your "happy place". The piano bar was our favorite place on the ship.
Unless something has changed, the decor is dated and pretty gaudy (thanks Joe Farcus)... You may feel yourself transported to 1980's vegas in your mind.
Please let me know what you think when you return. It would be an interesting perspective for someone to go on Carnival AFTER not starting there. Many people get their first taste of cruising from Carnival. I would definitely go back. I haven't developed a loyalty to any particular line, but would rather just see the sea. If the itinerary, price, and timeframe match... I'll be there. :)
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Bernie5, sorry for the name auto-correct or fat finger or whatever happened. I used my iphone and apparently fat-fingered something.
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crewnews, I also used your site (just now drew the connection between your site and your CC username) a lot to prepare for our trip. Thanks for having that info out there.. it was very useful. Now we have posted a lot of photos and a lengthy review.
I would be happy to pass on some menus and photos to you for use on your site... please contact me via private message or through our website (below) and we can share info.
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Hi Burnie. I have no photos of the thermal suite, just the lido pool and hot tubs. When I was wandering around I didn't go in that room. I stopped at the room with the exercise bikes and the salon spa.
Sorry, but thanks for following along.
MS Amsterdam San Diego to Vancouver - 27MAY
in Holland America Line
Posted
Day 3 has come to an end, and been posted. I am going to write up Disembarkation, but I am not certain what kind of photos we have... Then maybe a "Final Thoughts" kind of thing, maybe... Thoughts?