APDMOM

Back on the ship: TIP: Stay on Ship Time! We did not change time at all on our cruise. This is probably because the US entered daylight savings time. Previous cruises on Seascape did change time - so pay close attention ot the daily planners and announcements. There is always this sign that shows the 'all aboard' time on the pier: TIP: The Marketplace Buffet has this great outdoor seating by the Bridge of Sighs. It is a nice spot if it is not too windy or raining. Drink of the Day: Coco Loco - A better buy for me at $7.50 than the $12 plus drinks in port. A view of Beyond from our balcony. Look at that... only one person in the hot tub.

There are many bars and restaurants in the port area with fairly reasonable pricing - still more than we paid on the ship for drinks but I did not see the size of these drinks. A tropical paradise, complete with tropical feathered friends. One of them said, "Hola" 😄

There are plenty of ship views, and great photo opportunities: Ship on the Rocks:

The Lazy River: Thanks to @Radio, I found the first helpful information about this port right here at Cruise Critic. We found out the lazy river had just opened a few weeks ago. What great timing for us! I tried to budget what I would be willing to pay for this experience... When we got there, we were surprised to find out it is free - and they only ask for a gratuity. TIP: Walk straight to the lazy river first if this is something you are interested in. It was not busy at all when we got there - about 45 minutes after our ship was cleared. It is free, with a gratuity appreciated. After we did a round on the lazy river, there were still plenty of hammocks available: Paradise!

Views of the Port from the Ship: Pool in the port area: The Lazy river: Celebrity Beyond arrived a bit after us:

Arriving at Taino Bay: TIP: You may aready have noticed that the hot tubs on the sides of the ship are not as busy during port arrival. This is the best time to take advantage of these hot tubs. The disembarkation can take a while anyway, so it is a relaxing arrival and good way to avoid the stampede off the ship. Also, the water was very nice and clear early in the morning, while it got a bit milky in the afternoon during sea days 😬 Beautiful Ocean Views by Puerto Plata: TIP: You can catch a 'wild ride' down the pier on one of these 3-wheeled taxis/ Tuk-tuks. It is free - for a gratuity, of course. They go really fast, so hold on tightly. 😄

Morning views: The weather did not look very promising upon arrival. Having been on spring break cruises with perfect weather and others with several rainy days, I knew not to get my hopes up that this would just be a passing storm. There were many cells of showers around the horizon. Maybe that little bit of sunshine on the mountain is cause for hope?

My View: Day 6 - Puerto Plata/Taino Bay, Dominican Republic

Thank you for all the kind comments! 🙂 It has been a long day of the 'rude awakening' of returning to my day job. But now I can escape a bit for a revisit of Puerto Plata...

Unfortunately, the 5.5-hour drive home, laundry, and grocery shopping interfered with organizing my Dominican Republic pictures. I hope to post those tomorrow. My goal is to be done with the trip report by Wednesday night, including additional tips plus pictures of the ship and our cabins. Thank you for following along! 🙂

@lilalila Sorry I forgot to respond to this part of your question. Yes, shorts were acceptable in the main dining room for dinner every night we went. I did not pay close attention on 'elegant' night, as DS and DH wore long pants that night. I don't know about the specialty restaurants. We only did Hola at lunch, wich was casual. 🙂

Fantastica just means that we can choose our balcony room location and have free room service continental breakfast - I don't know what the food in the yacht club is like, but the meals I am posting are the same for Bella and Fantastica experiences. We really could not complain, but learned that the seafood and chicken dishes were much better than any of the red meat varieties in the main dining room. Are you booked?

Yes 🙂 It is a lounge that is open to anyone. We carried our coffee to that spot for a morning quiet time. Although you are not required to, we always carry the coffee mug back to the Marketplace. We just loved the quiet spot.

No, just Fantastica - That is the food in the main dining room 🙂

Laundry is calling... will be back with more later. As a teaser: Puerto Plata is our new favorite Caribbean Port Area. 🙂

My View: End of Day 5 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

My View: End of Day 5 - San Juan, Puerto Rico Sunset:

Showtime: In Concert This show was 'not my cup of tea'. I enjoyed 2 of the songs. The rest of the time teetered between clenching my teeth and 'If I did not have good manners, I would get out of here'. Lots of screechy singing and unfortunately plenty of pitch issues. To me, this show was not worth the time spent. But, like I said before, don't let my opinion influence your decisions. I grew up in a musical family and may be more critical than the average cruiser. PS: Lots of angry girl, yelling songs. Love Monica!! Best singer tonight - last cruise on his contract: The live band was good: Dueling Pianos - different theme every night:

Dinner: Day 5 - San Juan I totally forgot to take a picture of the menu. I will try to guess at the dishes, but I can say that everything tasted great. Fish Soup: Nachos and Guacamole: Fried Jumbo Shrimp with Mango Chutney: Grouper with Mango Salsa (one of my favorite meals of the week): Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Empanadas: Shrimp and Grits (A family favorite for the week!) Rum Cake (too dry) with coconut ice cream: Key Lime Pie (DS said is not as good as the one I make at home, but still good...LOL!):

Spa Prices: TIP: Try to book your appointments for port days. The prices with the asterisk are only valid while in port. There is also a time limit, so be sure to check when those prices apply.

The Hair Salon: I always get my hair cut and/or colored on MSC ships because I really believe they have the best in the industry for haircare. I got highlights on Meraviglia in November, so this time I just got the haircut. As always, I was very impressed with the results. I wish I could find an excellent hair stylist in our area, but I have yet to find one as good as the hair stylists in South Africa or on the MSC ships. This time, I got double blessed - My MSC Seascape Hair Stylist is from South Africa. 🙂

Back on the Ship: After exploring the old town for almost 3 hours, DH was kind enough to bring me lunch from the Marketplace to enjoy on the balcony. I love that they had sausage rolls!!! This was a delicious 'tast of home'. TIP: If you don't have a drinks pacakge, there is a 'daily drink' that is on sale. The usual price is about $10, but the daily special price is $7.50 plus tip. Just double check what they charge, as they entered the regular price when we purchased this one. We did not realize until later and did not want to deal with the hassle to clear it up. Flavorful Gelato at the Aft Pool:

My Favorite View: TIP: This is a great port for a picture with the ship in the background.

Self-Guided Walking Tour (more like a photo tour 😄) Our most recent previous visit to San Juan was in 2019. At that time, the city was still recovering from a hurricane and it was dirty. The buildings were in disrepair and it was a sad picture with a depressing atmosphere. This time, the city is well on the mend. The buildings have been repainted with beautiful colors. They are still working on redoing some of the streets. Unfortunately, Calle Fortaleza did not have the umbrellas up this time. Walk with us through this beautiful, photogenic Old City:

Views while Cruising into San Juan: