Need some advice please.....

[RellaKay]

My husband and I are going to be booking in January for a Southern Caribbean cruise out of San Juan. We are looking at the Curacao, Aruba, Dominica and St. Thomas route. I have several questions that I need help with.

 

First, we are going through a TA here where we live. We have always worked with her and really trust her. What I am unsure about is that his cousin and her boyfriend are going to be going with us-they live in North Carolina and we are in Indiana. He also has another cousin who may go and she lives in New Jersey. My husbands best friend and wife may be going also, they live in Indiana also. If we go to our TA to book ours and they are wanting us to help them also, would that be considered a group booking and would I be responsible for there payments and arrangements. My husband and I are the only ones in the group that have ever cruised before.

 

Second, I have been reading where we should be planning on flying to San Juan the day before the cruise. Does anyone have any ideas on a good hotel thats not too expensive but nice and close to the port. Also, since we are in Indiana, would you fly from Indianapolis to San Juan or would you drive to Florida and fly from there. We just can't decide that. LOL

 

Third, In the ports listed above, what did you enjoy about them. Is there anything we should definately do, or not do? We have been to St. Thomas before but none of the other ones.

 

We are also planning on being on the Adventure of the Seas. I know my husband and I are going to try for an aft. Is there a deck we should request over another. (We have been on Marinr before and had an aft on the 9th deck. It was a corner aft but we stillreally liked it).

 

Ok, that is all I can think of right now, I know I had more but at a loss at the moment. We aren't going until 2012 that is why we can't book until January. Oh, if it helps we are all in our 30's and 40's. Two of us are not real good swimmers but will want to snorkel. Which beach would be good for that?

 

Thanks in advance and any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Cindy

[PattyG12]

Cindy, have the other people contact your agent. You won't have a "group booking" until you reach 8 rooms. We just returned from that itinerary. Very nice.

 

We got our room in San Juan on priceline ... FYI San Juan is VERY expensive.

[cb at sea]

Definitely let everyone take care of their own arrangements...give your TA's # to everyone, and let the TA and the others take care of themselves! You do NOT want to be responsible for anyone's good time, or problems!

 

Most snorkeling excursions require that you wear a flotation vest... it's hard to 'swim' with that on, anyway!

 

Your best bet is to get a guidebook on your ports...that way, you'll know all that's available in every place, how to get there (whether you need an excursion or not!!) and

what things will cost! All about the beaches, snorkeling, points of interest, shopping, eating.....everything!

[angel258]

I can't really answer many of your other questions but I did the same itinerary but on Serenade of the Seas a few weeks ago.

 

I enjoyed St. Thomas and Dominica the most, liked Curacao and would probably do an excursion there next time to see more of the island away from the port area.

 

St. Thomas...I did a daysail to St. John on The Jester with Captain Jim. This included lunch and we sailed to Honeymoon Beach to snorkel and swim, etc. Deserted beach seemingly only accessible by boat. This was a full day excursion so if you want to shop you may want to consider a half day or take the ferry to St. John as I have read many do.

 

Curacao...I have heard has great snorkeling though I walked around the Punda and Otrabunda areas. Punda is good for shopping and has restaurants and bars. I also did a guided tour of the Kura Hulanda museum in Otrabanda.

 

Dominica...I did a really good tour with Levi from Bumping Tours. I loved it and the island. Very lush and not commercialized....

 

Aruba...Wasn't very impressed but I went to Palm Beach and stayed for a few hours. Had a chance to see a few fish very close to shore and the water was warm....

[39august]

Go to the Ports Of Call boards and open the ones for each of your ports. You will find TONS of information about things to do. Go to the San Juan board for hotel information. San Juan hotels are expensive. Do NOT let this keep you from arriving a day before your cruise. You take a real risk of missing the cruise if you go on the day of the cruise. I can't imagine driving to Florida to fly to San Juan. Why wouldn't you fly from your home or nearby airport? I agree with above advice to let everyone interested make their own arrangements. You don't want to be burdened with their plans as well as yours.

[RellaKay]

What kind of guidebook? Would I just go to the bookstore? Do they have a guidebook with all of the ports or would I just have to get one for each port?

 

I also agree about just flying from Indianapolis. One of my friends said it may be cheaper to just fly from Florida, that is why I asked the question. I have only flown once and that was for our last cruise. I am not big on flying but it was less than an hour and a half so I survived and didn't have a panic attack. I am sure the flight to San Juan is going to be way longer than that, maybe that is why she suggested we go out of Florida, I don't really know.

 

I have been trying to look on the port boards and have found some good information. I am still searching them!

 

Thanks for the "heads up" on San Juan being expensive. I had a feeling this was going to be an expensive anniversary trip. That is why we are starting almost two years in advance, otherwise we wouldn't be able to afford it.

 

Anyway, thanks for the information and more would be great!

 

Cindy

[waterbugohio]

Cindy,

 

couple suggestions here. As for flying, start looking at flights now. Since you have almost two years, keep watching the rates on flights for the same month this year as when you will fly the following year. This will help you see if there are weeks that are really high or weeks you want to avoid. You didn't say if you were locked into a certain time frame. I think most airlines open there flight schedule 9-12 months ahead of time, so you have plenty of time to watch rates. Very unlikely you will find a non stop flight from Indi, which means you will have to change planes, but will give you the chance to walk around, get a bite to eat and use the restrooms, before continuing on.

 

Also, keep reading about priceline. I had never used it before my first cruise three years ago, now I use it quite often. Just a brief summary. You bid on a certain rating of hotels, in a certain area. Since San Juan has limited number of hotels that are "resort" rated, you can bid and be assured that you will get one of about 6 resorts. As long as you look at all the possibilities and are happy with any of them, you will be able to get a very nice hotel at a decent price. And as far as the other couples. I agree, I would let them all contact TA and make their own reservation. However, if you are wanting to stay at the same hotel precruise, one of you will have to do the priceline bidding for all the rooms, or you could end up at different hotels.

 

Just stick with cc and keep asking questions. This site is a wealth of information.

[stargate fan]

My husband and I are going to be booking in January for a Southern Caribbean cruise out of San Juan. We are looking at the Curacao, Aruba, Dominica and St. Thomas route. I have several questions that I need help with.

 

First, we are going through a TA here where we live. We have always worked with her and really trust her. What I am unsure about is that his cousin and her boyfriend are going to be going with us-they live in North Carolina and we are in Indiana. He also has another cousin who may go and she lives in New Jersey. My husbands best friend and wife may be going also, they live in Indiana also. If we go to our TA to book ours and they are wanting us to help them also, would that be considered a group booking and would I be responsible for there payments and arrangements. My husband and I are the only ones in the group that have ever cruised before.

 

Second, I have been reading where we should be planning on flying to San Juan the day before the cruise. Does anyone have any ideas on a good hotel thats not too expensive but nice and close to the port. Also, since we are in Indiana, would you fly from Indianapolis to San Juan or would you drive to Florida and fly from there. We just can't decide that. LOL

 

Third, In the ports listed above, what did you enjoy about them. Is there anything we should definately do, or not do? We have been to St. Thomas before but none of the other ones.

 

We are also planning on being on the Adventure of the Seas. I know my husband and I are going to try for an aft. Is there a deck we should request over another. (We have been on Marinr before and had an aft on the 9th deck. It was a corner aft but we stillreally liked it).

 

Ok, that is all I can think of right now, I know I had more but at a loss at the moment. We aren't going until 2012 that is why we can't book until January. Oh, if it helps we are all in our 30's and 40's. Two of us are not real good swimmers but will want to snorkel. Which beach would be good for that?

 

Thanks in advance and any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Cindy

 

 

I believe that many of your questions have been answered, so I'll share something I learned from sailing out of San Juan. Hotels that have a casino charge an extra fee (I think 18%) even if you never step foot in it. We stayed at the Hampton Inn Isla Verde (no casino). I think this is one of the prettiest HI we have ever stayed at. A few things impressed me about this particular hotel-the pool area is simply gorgeous. The little food shack on the pool deck served the best hamburgers I have ever tasted, and this is not an exaggeration. The complimentary breakfast offered lots of hot and cold foods. The room was spotless and smelled so clean. Our cruise out of San Juan was four and a half years ago and this hotel made such an impression on me that I can still see it clearly in my mind. And San Juan airport is great for flying-not too big nor too small. We were greeted by a dance troop in brightly colored clothing and their guitar band. They performed and had people join in. Picture six teenagers dancing with strangers. The pictures are priceless. What a reception!

 

Because the port is in an industrial area, there are no hotels nearby.

 

On Aruba, we booked a private 4-wheel island tour. It was a hoot.

 

On Curacao we just walked to the shopping district and walked around.

 

Megan's Bay on St. Thomas is supposed to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We tried going to St. John, but that day there was a ferry boat strike, so we never made it. Should we go to St. Thomas again, I think I would spend the extra $$ and book a ship excursion to St. John just to ensure that we would make it there and, more importantly, back to the ship.

 

Can't help with Dominica. (Not yet-hopefully we'll get there some day.)

 

Have fun planning.

[aces389]

Most of the leading travel guidebooks such as Fodors have a Caribbean guide book covering all of the islands. You can get in any bookstore. I usually borrow one from the library to do my research. Enjoy planning.:)

[seaofwonder]

Airfare from MIA -> SJU is going to run you about $400 (I am paying $500 for a holiday cruise). Keep that in mind when considering that. Also, the drive from Indiana to Florida SUCKS (I moved from South Bend to Miami). It's long and boring. If you are doing a winter cruise, keep in mind potential storms that could pop up in Kentucky/Tennessee...little storms there = roads closed. I would just fly from Indiana (Indianapolis if you're in the south, or drive to Chicago if you're in the north).

 

As for San Juan hotels. They are not THAT expensive...I mean they are more than a Motel 6, but they are not atrocious. Just check out Trip Advisor and research. I snagged a room with 2 queens for $120/night + taxes, etc. You can also bid on Priceline to save some money.

 

As for what to do in the ports: Check out of the ports of call area here on the board. Borrow a guidebook from the library OR check out the ship excursions...that gives you a general idea for the kinds of activities available on the islands.

[looneytunes31419]

My husband and I are going to be booking in January for a Southern Caribbean cruise out of San Juan. We are looking at the Curacao, Aruba, Dominica and St. Thomas route. I have several questions that I need help with.

 

First, we are going through a TA here where we live. We have always worked with her and really trust her. What I am unsure about is that his cousin and her boyfriend are going to be going with us-they live in North Carolina and we are in Indiana. He also has another cousin who may go and she lives in New Jersey. My husbands best friend and wife may be going also, they live in Indiana also. If we go to our TA to book ours and they are wanting us to help them also, would that be considered a group booking and would I be responsible for there payments and arrangements. My husband and I are the only ones in the group that have ever cruised before.

 

Second, I have been reading where we should be planning on flying to San Juan the day before the cruise. Does anyone have any ideas on a good hotel thats not too expensive but nice and close to the port. Also, since we are in Indiana, would you fly from Indianapolis to San Juan or would you drive to Florida and fly from there. We just can't decide that. LOL

 

Third, In the ports listed above, what did you enjoy about them. Is there anything we should definately do, or not do? We have been to St. Thomas before but none of the other ones.

 

We are also planning on being on the Adventure of the Seas. I know my husband and I are going to try for an aft. Is there a deck we should request over another. (We have been on Marinr before and had an aft on the 9th deck. It was a corner aft but we stillreally liked it).

 

Ok, that is all I can think of right now, I know I had more but at a loss at the moment. We aren't going until 2012 that is why we can't book until January. Oh, if it helps we are all in our 30's and 40's. Two of us are not real good swimmers but will want to snorkel. Which beach would be good for that?

 

Thanks in advance and any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

Cindy

 

Hi Cindy,

 

First of all give everyone your TA's Number and let them book their own that way you will not be held responsible and then have Your TA link the Reservation to your Reservation # that way you all will be able to have the same dinning rotation and sit at the same table. We have done that and it worked out fine. I have never been on that Itinerary so I am not sure about it. Just thought I would let you know about the booking.

[sailawayjack]

What kind of guidebook? Would I just go to the bookstore? Do they have a guidebook with all of the ports or would I just have to get one for each port?

 

I also agree about just flying from Indianapolis. One of my friends said it may be cheaper to just fly from Florida, that is why I asked the question. I have only flown once and that was for our last cruise. I am not big on flying but it was less than an hour and a half so I survived and didn't have a panic attack. I am sure the flight to San Juan is going to be way longer than that, maybe that is why she suggested we go out of Florida, I don't really know.

 

I have been trying to look on the port boards and have found some good information. I am still searching them!

 

Thanks for the "heads up" on San Juan being expensive. I had a feeling this was going to be an expensive anniversary trip. That is why we are starting almost two years in advance, otherwise we wouldn't be able to afford it.

 

Anyway, thanks for the information and more would be great!

 

Cindy

 

:cool:For a great little, inexpensive hotel in Old San Juan, try looking at Hotel Milano www.hotelmilanopr.com. We stayed there during our last southern cruise. It is right in the heart of OSJ. Nothing fancy, but clean and has rooftop bar, and breakfast in AM. No matter where you stay, you will have to take a cab to port. Check this one out.:cool:JACK IS SAILING AGAIN

[waterbug123]

...

 

Just noticed you're another "waterbug!" :)

[fridaythe13th]

We did an independant ATV tour on Dominica. We rented a jeep on Aruba and explored the "desert" side of the island, had a blast and it was just beautiful! On St Thomas we have used in independant tour guide http://www.godfreytoursvi.com a few times for an island tour, shopping and beach. On Curasao we just walked around town but next time we will be heading to what used to be Kon Tiki Beach (can't remember the new name). It looks beautiful online.

[griffy116]

We flew direct to San Juan, and arrived the day before the cruise. In fact, we regretted not going 2 days prior to the cruise. If I were going in January, no way would I try to drive to Florida and then fly to San Juan. Even here in Georgia, you can encounter some nasty weather, which can cause some nasty road conditions. We call it "FP" for frozen parcipitation, or black ice. Our weather is unpredictable in January. If you hate flying, get the most direct flight possible, and book the earliest flight of the day, just in case there are delays or cancelled flights. We stayed at the Embassy Suites in San Juan. It's clean and the rates were reasonable. We had 4 people in each room at the hotel. I think we paid around $189 per night. That price includes a great breakfast and they have a free Manager's Reception each night in the lobby bar (free drinks and snacks). They have a small casino in the lobby and you can walk to a Walgreens to get soda, water, or anything else you may want. You're able to carry a twelve pack of soda onto the ship or can tag it as luggage when you get to the pier. We were starving when we arrived in San Juan, and they have an Outback Steakhouse in the lobby. While that's not authentic cuisine and I know many will frown upon it, we were salivating at the smell, and only too happy to drop our luggage at the front desk and indulge in some hot food and relax before "happy hour." The front desk arranged for a taxi to take us to the pier and it was one of the easiest embarkations ever. Megan's Bay is a great place for beginner snorkeling and the water is wonderful and beautiful. Find a tour in Dominica that takes you away from the pier area and you'll love the island. Curacao is one of our favorite ports. We loved the people, the shops and we hope to get to return there soon. Aruba was just "meh" for us. I agree with everyone else about letting the others book with your travel agent themselves. If you plan to eat together in the MDR, just be sure the TA links all of your reservations so you will be at the same table. Have a great cruise!!!!

[olemissreb]

We did this itinerary this past April on the AOS. It was the 5th cruise for DH and I and the first for our kids. My in-laws also joined us. We booked our cruises separately - mainly because I enjoy booking online and my in-laws like using a TA. We also booked our excursions separately - again most of mine were independent excursions and Mom & Dad booked through RCI.

 

We had a wonderful time! To make sure the kids didn't lose interest, we only booked 1/2 day excursions.

 

In Aruba we booked the Green Zebra TomCar tour. What a blast! We saw most of the island because the TomCars can go in places that regular jeeps can't go.

 

In Curacao, we booked an excursion with Curacao-Actief, but because it was pouring down rain (something that usually doesn't happen) it was canceled. We had our refund before we ever got home! I'm hoping to get back to Curacao soon so we can see more of the island. We only went shopping while we were there. The kids didn't want to do that and stayed on the ship in the kids club.

 

In Dominica, we booked a tubing excursion through the cruiseline and I wished we hadn't. We had fun on the tubing part, but the rest of it was a snore fest. The kids were starting to get bored about the time we started tubing and then their attitudes changed. Next time, I would book with Levi of Bumpiing Tours as I've read so much about his tours over on the ports of call board.

 

In St. Thomas we booked a snorkeling excursion on the Jolly Mon. The owner took us over to Buck Island and turtle cove for some snorkeling. Her daughter gave us a very detailed "tour" of the cove area and we saw all kinds of fish. It was amazing! They also serve a small snack when you are finished. The only drawback is there are other private excursions that also use Turtle Cove for snorkeling. If you are lucky enough to get there before the bigger boats, it's terrific. The Jolly Mon only takes a max of 6 passengers.

 

We actually stayed one night pre-cruise and one night post-cruise. Pre-cruise we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in the Condado area. It was a couple blocks to walk to Ajili Mojili for lunch that was just wonderful. It's nothing fancy, but a nice place to lay your head. They do serve a continental style breakfast in the morning. Post-cruise we stayed at the Embassy Suites. The pool area is AWESOME (my kids words). It is very nice. I can't even tell you what the going rates are for either hotel as we used points to stay at both places for free.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[bob123]

We also stayed at the Embassy Suites and I endorse the superlatives stated above. The rooms are, well, their Embassy Suites! That means plenty of room and privacy when you want it. The breakfast is made to order, and included, as is the manager's reception in the bar area, along with the hors d'oeuvres. There is a small casino. The pool area is very picturesque and relaxing, and they make great rum drinks to get you in the mood for your Caribbean cruise. Plus, its a 15-20 minute shuttle ride to the ship, which the front desk arranges for you.

 

Next time, we will stay two days and do the old San Juan area.

 

bob123

[TxAllieGrl]

Sharing some other excursion ideas...

 

in Aruba we did the Kookoo Kanuka bus tour thingee via RCI. It took us to a few of the highlights of the island, and dropped us off at Palm Beach. It included a beach chair on the beach, and they had bathrooms available.

 

We had lunch at one of the restaurants where they dropped us - food was good, reasonably priced (we thought), and drinks were great.

 

It was good to see a bit of the island, and we loved Palm Beach. We wanted to stay at Palm Beach a whole lot longer.. So maybe just take the bus to Palm Beach if you have no other interest in seeing the island.

 

in Curacao we did a 1/2 snorkling with Curacao Actief. They were fantastic to work with - very quick to reply via email, right there at the port when we arrived. Our guide for the day had snacks for us - fresh watermelon, and a local meat filled pastry, plus water and punch. The snorkling was incredible!!!!!! We saw so many fish - many that I've not seen before. The only thing I didn't care for was that we did 2 snorkeling stops, both from the shore. I'd have rather been on a boat..but that's just me. And the shore is very rocky (from all the coral), so take some sort of water shoes if you choose to do that.

 

In retrospect I wish we had snorkeled in Aruba too - both islands had such crystal blue water, and I really enjoyed them both. They are on the top of my list for return visits!

[RellaKay]

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their suggestions and advice. I just went to the bookstore at lunch and bought the Fodors Caribbean 2011 book. It seems like there is lots of information in there also. I am also taking everyone's advice and letting all of the other people take care of their own arrangements. I really don't want the stress of that. I will tell them about the linking process so we will all be together at dinner. I appreciate all of your help and any more suggestions or advice is definitely welcome!!!!

 

Thanks again!

 

Cindy