Xcitdcruiser

Hi Anna,

Just completed a Western Med cruise with NCL. Absolutely fantastic destinations. Can't believe your roll call is not popular as ours was very active. Great ports, just very tiring!:D

I've just booked some family on NCL for W Med & the roll call is quiet - hoping it will pick up so I can arrange some pvt excursions.

Did you do a review? I'd love to hear how you found NCL, any tips & your port details :)

A gift? Straight onto our shipboard account via the TV. Sure enough we had a credit there for $250! No idea why – who what. Had we not received the slip of paper i would have thought it was an error. We were very happy! Thank you Celebrity!

Prior to the cruise we had also pre-paid $500 worth of OBC. Why would I give Celebrity our money when it could stay in our pockets that little while longer you ask? Well, there is a glitch in the system where purchasing OBC from Australia gives buys you AU$1 for USD$1. Before we left the Aussie $$ was fluctuating between $0.85 - $0.95. We bit the bullet, paid upfront & got the best conversion rate in the market. Again, thank you Celebrity!

Whilst on finances, i’ll quickly note that if you are travelling from Australia it is well worth your while getting a 28 Degrees Master Card – where it has no fees whatsoever. No annual fee, & more importantly for us, no international fees. Our NAB CC wanted a flat fee (about $5) PLUS a 3% of the value of the transaction. They want to rob us blind! This credit card was our main source of payment. My everyday CBA also attracted fees so we also had a ‘back up’ a CitiBank debit account (with a VISA card). Again, NO FEES! When withdrawing $$ from ATM’s we would be charged the AMT’s fee but that was all. I’m very happy with these 2 x accounts & the fact that neither have annual fees will allow me to keep them open & use them for traveling.

Ok, so time for the muster drill! We had t be there at 7.45pm – we went a little early & got front row seats. Felt a bit dorky, but it was better than standing! This was one of two times on the cruise that it felt crowded. It went smoothly with the captain throwing in a joke or two which got a few laughs. It’s actually one of the stories we tell our family & friends – may as well re-tell it, don’t want to leave you in suspense!

Captain was saying something along the lines that should there be an emergency he would be the one to announce it. But should he be incapacitated the 2nd officer assumes command of the ship. Should the 2nd officer be incapacitated, the 3rd officer assumes command of the ship. Should the 3rd officer be incapacitated then it is safe to say that we have all had better days :p

8pm = Dinner time! Qsine here we come!

It was a very quirky setting, you sat down smiling. Different colour place mats, intriguing seats & Riedel glassware ! The waiter here was a character – so much energy! If anyone has been to Qsine they would understand the accent i’m trying to type: Heeeelllllllooooo!!! Are you YOOOUUUU?! Sorry, that wasn’t a very good attempt. But he certainly stands out! We were given ipads & were told what i was able to eat. Technically we didn’t get a large selection because of the restriction but believe we had about 4 meals + dessert. We had the Tacos (mine was in a lettuce leaf – this mad me sad. I LOVE corn chip/bread), Ceviche (nothing compared to Ceviche Hut in PR), Fillet Mignon (GREAT dish!) & as a side we had a variety of different chips – the best was the sweet potato. For dessert we received these ‘cubes’ as a menu which was cute. DH went for some intense chocolate tombstone (he LOVED it) & i was to be surprised. A fruit bowl. That isn’t a surprise for someone who cannot have dairy & gluten. It was lovely, but i was underwhelmed.

Now some more food porn..

I can certainly see the benefit of going in a large group to taste everything (& not having food intolerances). I have to say that the food wasn’t AMAZING (that experience is yet to be typed up) but it was certainly a fun meal. Maybe it didn’t wow me as much as i thought it would because i knew what to expect? Unsure whether I would return at full price.

After dinner DH was itching to head to the Casino. I was surprised by how big it was (i don’t frequent them) DH thought it was rather small. Here i learnt how to play roulette – it was rather fun! I won a little money & DH lost some. Tonight was by far the busiest we saw the casino – i rather enjoyed it. ESPECIALLY that it was smoke free. Massive bonus!

We finished in time to head to the Theater to watch the ‘Opening Night’ – it was basically a sample of all (most?) of the entertainers onboard throughout the cruise. We didn’t know what to expect but found it to be fun – like a little taster. Lisa the cruise director was very vibrant. She was entertaining & easily captured our attention. It was during this performance that DH decided he didn’t enjoy the acapella group, ‘4 Sail’ . I felt like they came straight out of Glee – they were great!

By the time the show finished I was done for the night. Straight to bed we went but not before DH sung Happy Birthday o me one last time....

Next up, sea day!

Now to the second half of embarkation day. After the delicious meal at Bistro 5 we headed to check out Cafe Al Bacio, apparently the best place on the ship to get your caffeine hit. At first we were a little confused as whether we order at the counter or if it was table service but the staff let us know kindly that we could sit down. I really enjoyed the choice & colours used in this area – oversized bright arm chairs made me feel like I was on the set of Alice & the Wonderland. DH’s espresso arrived on a little try with a glass of water & a cookie. He said it was the best coffee on the trip so far! My soy latte was nice but the size was WAY too big, too milky so it wasn’t too enjoyable for me. It was then i realised that I would ask for my soy latte in a cappuccino cup rather than the breakfast sized bowl (ok. Slight exaggeration. It was a really big mug)

We walk for a little walk & decided to stop by at the Martini Bar. It was very busy. In fact, it was probably the busiest spots on the ship. Ironically, it was one of the smallest. Also found it loud – it was probably the only area i noticed the volume of the music. I ordered a ‘Cherry Lane’ & DH a ‘Dirty Martini’. Unfortunately much to our disappointed it didn’t quite tickle our fancy. Mine was VERY sweet. I don’t consume a lot of sugar in my diet – i felt like i was drinking dissolved sugar. DH also didn’t finish his drink, but unable to remember why – sorry. This was our only visit to the Martini Bar. I know it’s a hot spot for many cruisers, so we let them have the sought after seats ;)

We headed back to the room to find our Celebrity Today

And then I spotted something that i wasn’t familiar with (i've deleted our names but they were printed on)

OMG You're killing me here! We leave on Saturday for our cruise about the Summit and I'm dying to hear more!

 

Great writing, and I love the different view of what I have been taking for granted all this time travelling the Caribbean from Canada!

 

Please please post more!

LOL - I'm sorry!! I'm trying to go faster! I do promise that we will get further than embarkation day by Saturday! I must say though that the comments are encouraging me to write more :)

I have started to upload the pictures at work so by the time I am home I am ready to go!

I hope that you LOVE your cruise !

Loving your review.. The details are outstanding. I cannot wait to read more about your cruise.

Thank you :) I'm so glad to hear it. Really appreciate you taking the time to comment!

Thanks for all the photos, I was wondering where, what and if the Aromatherapy diffuser was. Its listed as a perk of Aqua. Hubby and I will be on the Solstice next January for our wedding anniversary, and we booked aqua and Im wondering if i need to pack the scented candles (are you even allowed candles???). I couldn't see anything in your photos that resembled what I imagine one to look like.

 

Love the aussie perspective, we live in Port Hedland, and cruise ships come to our port but we can't get on :(

We have lots of questions that come from Australia being so different to the US and you have already answered a few, will be following your posts for more valuable info,

 

Thanks so much....

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary!

Apologies I didn't take any pictures of the diffuser. By the dresser there are a set of small shelves from the floor to the roof. They had it on the top shelf (you can move it where ever you liked). I didn't notice whether it was full or not, & it mustn't gave given too much fragrance because I don't recall trying to pick the scent.

It kind of looked like this...

http://www.aromaweb.com/images/photos/reediffuseroilrecipe.jpg

As a pp mentioned, no candles onboard but you won't need them. You'll be wanting to enjoy your balcony & the fresh air which will travel inside the cabin.

If you think of anything else ask away!

Next up is to take care of lunch. Thanks to CC we knew to head to Bistro 5 in order to avoid the confusion at the Oceanview Cafe - that & we don’t enjoy buffets.

When we arrived we there were only two other couples there – on this sailing Bistro 5 was still a secret. We were seated & the waitress pointed out there was a $5 cover charge. She did so in a very low voice – my guess is that many cruisers have sat, ordered & not realised it was an additional charge.

Probably a good time to note that we had the classic beverage package as part of our promotion when we booked. After much consideration I decided that we would wait a few days into our cruise to note our consumption levels before decided to upgrade. Then Celebrity decided to increase the price if upgrading onboard (or offering a discount if upgrading prior to board – depends which way you look at it). It was at this point that i realised i was spending way too much time on this – upgrade! It turned out to be one of the better decisions – it was an absolute breeze ordering drinks – all they did was swipe our cards – on the first couple of days the waiters were a little awkward asking whether we had a drink package. When we would answer with ‘premium’ they smiled & were on their way. We never had to worry about cost, in turn i think it contributed to such a relaxed cruise. There were only ever a few items on the drinks list over the $14 limit – well on the wine list. We hardly ever saw cocktail pricing – I’m assuming that the beverage package is the norm that they won’t have the need to advertise drink prices.

Sorry, back to Bistro 5 - I snapped the drink list.

We ordered two glasses of the Chandon & it was a lovely way to start!

Unfortunately i didn’t get a snap on the menu itself but i had heard so much about the ‘Cowboy’ that’s what we both went for.

DH ordered one in its ‘original’ form & i ordered an ‘open’ crepe (ie. No actual crepe but just its ingredients minus the cheese.) They did offer to make up a gluten free crepe but it had eggs & that’s something else i’m unable to eat. We were both VERY happy with our meals.

For dessert DH ordered the banana crepe. I actually laughed when it came out saying there was no way that he would finish it. He did. All except for the crème. Me & deserts are always a little tricky. I explained my dietary requirements, the waitress was hopeful & made a call to the kitchen to confirm that the dark chocolate mousse was A Ok for me (ie – no dairy or egg). I ate a couple of spoonfuls, it was truly amazing. So amazing that i had a feeling i shouldn't be eating it because generally if something tastes too good it means there are ingredients in there that i cannot eat.

The good news is that i didn’t get ill. The bad news is that i tried to order the same dessert in Blu later in the cruise & the maître’d quickly dismissed it because it had cream. I clarified we were speaking of the same dessert that was served in Bistro 5. I was horrified that someone in the kitchen had gotten it so wrong but counting my lucky stars that my body did not react to it like it normally would.

Some dessert porn

Apologies for the short break, the weekend was busier than expected!

So back to embarkation day we were exploring our cabin.

The paperwork left on the bed for us; the staff listing.

Celebrity Today -the early edition

Now onto the important things - food!

And what I was hoping for...

Time to start thinking about food. First stop dinner reservations for tonight. With our voucher we headed to the mock -desk we walked past set up especially for today. We booked Qsine at 50% off for tonight after the muster drill & we also booked The Normandie for later in the week with 20% discount for booking that day. We were happy!

Congratulations on your recent wedding! I am really enjoying your review and can't wait to read more. :)

 

Judy

Many thanks Judy! It's almost been three months now but it feels like we wed yesterday :)

Glad to hear you are enjoying the review, will be uploading some more shortly!

They are near the Studio lounge not the Bliss lounge. The studio lounge is only busy when the bars open around the meetings 5-6PM so you'll get zero noise from there.

Thank you so much! Still trying to familiarize myself with NCL's Epic!

Thanks for all your help - i've been assigned 11122 & 11118 on deck 11 - these appear kind of close to the lounge.... do you think the noise would travel ??

Let's talk abut the ‘spa’ shower head. Now, it doesn’t look like much but when i first showered i ended up in fits of laughter whilst water came at me at all angles as i explored what each button / turn was for. We always had hot water & the pressure was great. If i were to be super critical i could say that it was a little cosy inside, but i managed :D I also have to make mention of the super dooper bar at the bottom that i had read so much about. One word = brilliant!

The toiletries available. I was surprised how non-flimsy the shower cap was. Generally hotel provided shower caps are for one wear only before they tear & become non-elasticized, but this one was great – ladies, don’t pack a shower cap! All products were lemongrass scented, but in the case for the shampoo & conditioner, that was all they had going them. I wanted to try them because they did look to be of a high quality but they were terrible. So bad that i hopped back into the shower to re-wash my hair with my own products. The other redeeming product was the moisturizer. Also nice after a shower!

Beneath the sink was a handy storage area. This was great for the toiletries bags so they didn’t sit on the cabinet taking up valuable space. The only thing we left there were a glass (provided with the iced tea) with our toothbrushes & toothpaste.

Now onto our goodies on the bed

I was expecting more of a ‘premium’ bag based on what I had read, but this one will have to do. Also had some little extras. I never tried the lip balm (I always carry around my trusty Nivea) but i did get sprayed in the face with the mist at one point by DH. Refreshing.

A picture of the tv (will note more about the quality a little later). I thought the area above the tv was a little bit of a wasted space. The mini bar was in the cupboard below & was jam packed with drinks & snacks. We never needed to keep anything cool but can see why some ask that it is emptied.

Some awkward pics of the wardrobe & the shelve above. We managed to fit all suitcases in there.

The view down below from the far left corner

And whilst standing on the right corner

Now turning around, this is what we see (very comfy chairs & footstools btw)

Now, onto the smaller details.

The first thing I noticed was the lack of flowers. I’ll fast forward here – when we met our stateroom attendant that is what he first apologised for. The flowers were running late. When they did arrive later that day I had to laugh ‘flowers’ consisted of three stems. I guess they never specified HOW many flowers ;)

On the dresser we had the jug of iced tea & 2 x bottles of water. We didn’t always drink these but each day, they just kept on coming. In the middle of the cruise we decided it would do us some good to drink more water so we did end up drinking all of them. Also, interesting note about the water – we never saw this brand throughout the cruise, we didn’t think anything of it except when we visited my parents in (Australia) they had the same water – they purchased it from Aldi, a German low cost, supermarket chain. Go figure!

On our table we had a bottle of sparkling & three apples. We never did end up eating the apples nor drinking the sparking – didn’t look very appetizing.

Wo hoo! Today was a very exciting day, not only were we embarking on the most exciting part of our trip, but it was my 30th birthday! Happy birthday to me!

Our day started by travelling from El Yunque to Condado to drop off our hire car. Like any other trip between DH & I, we got lost. Some lovely mechanics in a side street somewhere sent us on our way though. After we dropped our car at Charlie’s we hopped into a shuttle bus that took us to the pier. Now I had read a whole HEAP about embarkation, in theory it all sounded simple enough. In reality we (which really means I) were overwhelmed. Once we got dropped off there was a line to leave your luggage. Ok. But there were various lines – which ones do line up in? The longest so we didn’t feel out of place . Darn it – luggage tags – I KNEW about them but they weren’t on my priority list so I was frantically scrambling writing our details on tags they had available. We dropped of our 4 pieces. Tipped the porter (which I only knew as I noticed others doing the same) & headed inside. It was about 2pm at this point & there was no line up. I was so conscience of lining up in the right area that I ended up following DH - & i know for a fact he didn’t know where he SHOULD be going. Nevertheless, we were attended. They asked for documents & I gave him a blank stare not knowing what he was talking about; I eventually laid out all of my documents on the counter & he figured it out for me. Soon enough we were on our way!

It probably wasn’t all THAT difficult but I think I was overwhelmed with emotion & the reality that we were FINALLY on our cruise! I had been planning for this for SO long i KNEW what to do, but I froze. In the scheme of things it didn’t really matter but..... I froze during embarkation! Lame!

As we arrived on deck we were greeting with some drinks which was lovely. I expected them but DH was very impressed. Due to the time I knew there was a possibility that our rooms were ready to drop off our hand luggage & sure enough room 1138, Aqua Aft class was ready for us!

Now, the long awaited photos.

This is what you walk into (except our random belongings & DH sitting on the couch with his face blurred)

A comfy two seater

The dresser

And a close up of the bed. You can see in this image how clear it is that this double/queen bed is actually two singles pushed together – although the bed itself was very comfortable, waking up in the of the night because you are no longer lying flat is not.

Next, the highly desirable AFT balcony from the inside

Standing on the balcony

Thanks for the info. I'll hit my DH with it when he gets back from Dubai - get him to agree while he's jet lagged! :o:)

 

Your parents will love the "bible". My mom was amazed at mine. She may have me organize one for her next time she goes on a trip with her church. :eek:

I like your plan! Jetlagged...just tell him how much you missed him ;)! Let me know if you want any further info - happy to help!

That's sweet - i hope that i get to help out my mum when she goes on church outings. :)

I am really enjoying your review. I love how many of your picture of OSJ and El Yunque are similar to the ones I took. I am especially looking forward to your pictures and review of the Summit. We will be sailing on the Summit to Bermuda this summer to celebrate my 30th birthday and our wedding anniversary.

Thank you - but I'm wondering whether we are twins from another world - this cruise was also to celebrate our wedding as well as my 30th birthday! (worked out great by the way :p)

Oh....& i may have also led DH along the wrong path once, or a three times but i won't go into that ;).

All daillies are scanned in so will start posting shortly!

We have been to SJ a number of time's for a day as a port stop and have felt it was a bla-bla port. Reading your 'adventure' has changed our thinking! What a wonderful story teller you are! Thank You!

Oh no!! OSJ has SO much to offer! We were there about for 4 nights (meant to be 3) post cruise & were never bored - only went to one restaurant twice because there were so many to choose from!

I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying our adventure....there is so much to go!

I can picture it and I'm laughing again... I would be one of those "shriekers" for sure! :D

 

I'd imagine that your accent wouldn't be recognized very well over there as they wouldn't get many Aussies visiting.

No, many people didn't quite catch on with:

'so where are you from?' Australia.

'Wow.....that is so far away. You didn't come from there did you?'....pause..... 'But it's summer there?!'.

Yes. The only people heading to the Caribbean to ESCAPE the heat!

Currently booking some family of older age on the epic departing Barcelona for 7 nights. Whilst I don't want them to miss out on anything, they won't be able to handle 5 straight days of 8 hour tours.

Can anyone give some insight into the ports where we don't 'require' an 8 hour tour?

Naples - Pompeii? There must be a return tour lasting a few hours

Rome - well...1.5hrs to get INTO rome

Livrono -Pisa /Florence

Cannes - Monaco - big fans of the F1 - min 6hrs

Palma - sounds like an easy walk around port

Any suggestions / advice would be grateful. Thanks!

Many thanks for that - I'll leave the accessible for those who need it.

Is there a specific deck that is better or an area to avoid?

I don't know where we will stay. I hadn't even thought about staying out there until I read your review. DH is currently in Oman on business and won't be home until late Sunday. I'll have to throw the idea at him, but he'll probably just tell me that he can't think past next week let alone a year from now.

 

BTW - I, too, have a travel "Bible" with all our reservations, excursions, flight arrangements all sorted by island (or in the case of our trip last year to Alaska, by day). I've done the same thing when my son and I were touring universities and I also have a "swim bible" for my youngest son that has all his meet "heat sheets", psych sheets and hotel info (when needed). Those "bibles" sure do come in handy!

I'm glad I've provided some inspiration !

DH is the same, on a daily basis he gets upset about asking what we'll be doing for dinner that night :confused: By the end of the cruise he openly admitted he was glad that I thought far in advance - go figure!

I would give about 45mins (to be safe) between the actual rainforest & the bio bay so it would make sense to stay somewhere close to one of them.

Should you stay the Rainforest Inn, it would be your first (& closest) stop on from San Juan. Check in, leave 45 mins to drive to the Bio Bay for a 5.30pm start. One you are done on the way back you can stop at either the kiosks for a casual dinner or BBQ Verde for some take away to enjoy in the room.

In the morning, enjoy their cooked breakfast, check out, then rainforest is only a 5 minute or so drive from there, do you thing, have lunch at the kiosks or at Luquillo beach, enjoy & then head back to your cruise - see perfect ! :D

- I hadn't thought about the 'Bible' for multiples purposes - but I think I will be putting it to do use. I'm currently trying to organise a cruise for my parents & should that go ahead, they are going to be amazed at the 'Bible' I give them :p

To find this "cruise" deal you might have to "1st" google some websites.

Great help! Thank you - will always ensure I google 1st before asking. :)

Great review, can't wait for more!

Thank you! I'm really excited I'm able to share! :)

What a terrific travelogue....The pictures are wonderful and some really hit home with me.

 

I spent a fair amount of time in Puerto Rico some 60 years ago when the Caribe Hilton was at the edge of the city. We arrived on DC4's, DC6's and super constellations...you know, those old planes without jets).

 

I sppent many hours exploring the fort next to the hotel which is now been restored a bit and open to the public....and of course el moro. I was, of course, a kid at the time...dad was working with Consolidated Cigars building a factory (wonder if they are still there?). Obviously much has changed...it might just be time to go back :)..but not for a cruise...just to visit, enjoy the food and drink...and the see the sights through adult eyes.

 

Thanks for the review...keep it coming.

I'm so glad that you are enjoying the read & pictures. Seeing Puerto Rico 60 years ago & what it is now would be quite an experience. We actually ended up purchasing a book of a 'then & now' of San Juan - truly amazing. I will see if I can dig up an image of the Caribe Hilton & i'll post an image.

If you have more info on the hotel you mentioned or the location of the factory I'll browse for that also. I wanted to dedicate a post to this book, probably at the end of the review -

I did a quick search for Consolidated Cigars & it appears that they have an office in Cayey. So maybe the factory has been re-purposed?

My parents find going back to their country of birth fascinating, they always tell of their memories of what it was then & we can see the dramatic difference of what now stands.

I've just been told we have visitors over tonight so I may not get as what I would like posted as planned - sorry! :o

How long did it take you to get to El Yunque? DH and I will be flying in a day early for our Summit cruise next year. While there is still much we haven't done in OSJ, I thought it might be interesting to do something different and have always wanted to head to El Yunque. My thinking is we could do a bio-bay on Friday night and then maybe hike the rainforest Saturday morning before heading back to San Juan to board the ship. DH has done business in Puerto Rico a lot in the past, so driving for him is not a big deal. Do you think that is something that is doable? We usually aren't in a rush to get on the ship, so boarding in mid to late afternoon would be fine for us.

 

PS - I'm loving your review. I loved your picture of the San Cristobal sign. We've got the same picture except our youngest son is sitting on top of the sign. His name is Christopher (Cristobal in Spanish), so he call the fort "Fort Me".

Driving from San Juan to El Yunque should take about an hour (I think they actually say 45mins) so your plan sounds realistic. The highway is in excellent condition & I wouldn't foresee a problem if you are a comfortable driver used to driving on that side. Oh, & make sure you get the auto/express tag on the car - it was about $10 with Charlie's Car rental. And don't bother with the gps - their map is excellent.

With the bio-bay, check the moon calendar (puertoricodaytrips.com have a great one) to ensure that it isn't a full moon (should it be visibility is terrible). Also, go for a 5.30pm start rather than 8.30pm otherwise you will be kayaking in the dark the whole time! And book earlier rather than later - always best to get your 1st preference in.

To hike on the Saturday morning I would recommend getting there early as the gates open. The weekends are always busier & there is not sufficient parking by the trails. I would also have a spare change of clothes (& shoes) should it rain, because if it does, you will be dripping wet. And by that point I would assume that you would have checked out of your accommodation you would be heading straight to San Juan. Well, after lunch at the kiosks & maybe a dip at Luquillo beach. :D That would get you to the ship by the afternoon.

Do you know where you would be staying in around El Yunque?

And your son. Very sweet. Fort Me - brilliant!

Ha, ha, this gave me the best laugh! You have some great memories there Aussie friend! Look forward to hearing about the cruise :)

:D I'm telling you - we left that excursion & looked at each other with 'What WAS that??' I've just realised that I didn't note the constant screams of the other groups kayaking INTO the canal. It's pitch black. And all you are hearing is constant shrieks. We only paddled into a tree once :D (queue a little shriek from myself)

As an aussie you may appreciate this, but we were the only ones around! We did keep an ear out for a familiar accent, but nothing. It's a far cry from Europe where at every corner you will find your cousin's friend's niece.

I continue to enjoy each day's installment. I really appreciate your attention to detail and all of the research you have done. I am taking notes. I have never been to culebre and I have added it to my bucket list.Would you stay at the same place if you go again?

 

You seem to like to hike. We have found our favorite place so far to hike and snorkel. St John 3/4 of island is a park with lots of trails. There are remote areas to stay. It keeps bringing us back each year.

 

Looking forward to the rest

I'm glad that you are enjoying it. I can honestly say that we would not have had the same experience should I have not had the done the research & was travelling without my bible. DH was even appreciative! (he generally tells me to relax, & take things as it comes)

Casa Resaca in Culebra is great. Would I stay there again? mmm.... tough question. The ONLY negative thing were those roosters which prompted broken sleep. TBH though by the third night they only woke us at about 6am rather than 3am or so...maybe we got used to it? Or maybe they had an enjoyable sleep..

I think I would re-look at the options as there would have to be a trade off somewhere. It would be a matter of deciding what that is.

Sorry - that probably didn't help!!

Re hiking - the most we do in our everyday lives is a daily walk with a our little hound. I've trekked the Inca Trail & DH Base Camp but it's not something we are eager to do again! It kind of just happened - the El Yunque is a major attraction on the island that we simply could not miss it!

I have read about St John it does sound amazing. We decided that after El Yunque that was enough hiking for us for one trip ;)