Hey Lipz

[aprill121]

Lipz,

San Juan is absolutely beautiful, and the people are very friendly. This port is rich with history, culture, and food. Have some local Coffee! It is amazing! We found a self guided walking tour of old San Juan (it is just a few blocks from port) here is the link

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/old-san-juan-walking-tour-1/

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/old-san-juan-walking-tour-2/

 

Definately pay the money to walk around Castillo San Cristobol, if you enjoy history, plus the views are are breathtaking.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

[Lipz]

Hey April... I didn't realized you 'called me' in a thread the other day lol . Thanks for responding.

 

This link is excellent!!

I am a little disappointed that we are docking so late in the day. When I think of a trip to Puerto Rico I think of beaches and it doesn't look we can do one that late in the day. The best beaches don't appear to be in San Juan so by the time we cab it to one it will be time to leave since they don't stay open that late. Well at least they don't have lifeguards on duty that late. :(

Were you there in the evening as well? We are there from 3pm to Midnight. I'm not that big into being in the dark in a strange land lol.

[aprill121]

I understand the whole walking around in the dark in a strange place. You are kind of lucky to be in port that late

http://www.biobay.com/

Check this out, night only excursion, Puerto Rico is one of only 3 places in the world you can do this. If you port at 3pm, you should be able to get in a few hours at the beach, before it gets dark.

[Lipz]

Excellent! Thanks for the information.

I'm hoping to create a website where I'll just give an insight as to what's available on port days. I'm also letting every know this is THEIR vacation so they should feel free to plan ahead any way they like. For us, I think I'd like to check out a local beach just to see it, then hit walk the city. I live in NYC and checking out city life else where is always interesting to me.

One thing is for sure. I want to have some 'authentic' Puerto Rican food so I will be looking up a local restaurant. We eat Spanish food all the time here in my city.

[Herbaltees]

Excellent! Thanks for the information.

 

I'm hoping to create a website where I'll just give an insight as to what's available on port days. I'm also letting every know this is THEIR vacation so they should feel free to plan ahead any way they like. For us, I think I'd like to check out a local beach just to see it, then hit walk the city. I live in NYC and checking out city life else where is always interesting to me.

 

One thing is for sure. I want to have some 'authentic' Puerto Rican food so I will be looking up a local restaurant. We eat Spanish food all the time here in my city.

 

So Spanish Harlem is not authentic enough for you?? LOL!

 

:p (J/k I'm originally from NYC too)

[Lipz]

So Spanish Harlem is not authentic enough for you?? LOL!

 

:p (J/k I'm originally from NYC too)

 

lol....oh no girl, la comida en el barrio es my bueno! (my Spanish 101).

 

I was born and raised in NYC. I grew up in Spanish Harlem and ate Spanish food on a regular basis with my best friend who was Puerto Rican and her family. Some of the best food I've ever eaten too. I am curious to taste and compare El Barrio Spanish to Old San Juan Spanish food. Then again I just love to eat so any excuse! lol :D

[jul1221]

Lipz,

 

What's your sail date on the Miracle? We're doing our wedding cruise on July 1st.

 

-Jul

[Herbaltees]

lol....oh no girl, la comida en el barrio es my bueno! (my Spanish 101).

 

I was born and raised in NYC. I grew up in Spanish Harlem and ate Spanish food on a regular basis with my best friend who was Puerto Rican and her family. Some of the best food I've ever eaten too. I am curious to taste and compare El Barrio Spanish to Old San Juan Spanish food. Then again I just love to eat so any excuse! lol :D

 

Lol. Well I hope you guys enjoy your trip. We will be waiting for your "official taste testing" comparison report.

[Lipz]

Lipz,

 

What's your sail date on the Miracle? We're doing our wedding cruise on July 1st.

 

-Jul

 

We're sailing out the following month, Aug. 10 - 18. Since you are heading out on her before me I can't wait to hear your take on the ship. At the same time, you may be in wedding mode and forgot that part of your travels. That was me the whole week on our wedding cruise lol. I didn't even take as many pics of just cruising as I normally do.

 

Lol. Well I hope you guys enjoy your trip. We will be waiting for your "official taste testing" comparison report.

 

lol.. I'll try and remember that!

BTW... what part of NYC are you from?

[Herbaltees]

We're sailing out the following month, Aug. 10 - 18. Since you are heading out on her before me I can't wait to hear your take on the ship. At the same time, you may be in wedding mode and forgot that part of your travels. That was me the whole week on our wedding cruise lol. I didn't even take as many pics of just cruising as I normally do.

 

 

 

lol.. I'll try and remember that!

BTW... what part of NYC are you from?

 

northern Queens in Astoria

[Elena Iuliana]

Thank you very much for all the pieces of information posted here!:p

[Lipz]

northern Queens in Astoria

 

I've been to Queens maybe 5x and I'm born and raised in New York, darn shame. Perhaps it's because I'm a Yankees fan! lol

 

Thank you very much for all the pieces of information posted here!:p

 

Cruise Critic is so awesome isn't it. I think I joined in 04' and I've been hooked here as much as I am on cruising lol.

[jul1221]

Hey Lipz,

 

The Miracle is an awesome ship. Since we live in NY too, we sail on her often so it only made sense to get married on her (boy that sounds perverted, lol). Our wedding cruise will be the 5th trip on the Miracle.

 

The Miracle is very different than the Glory, which coincedentaly, we were on in August too. Pretty funny that our cruising history is in sync.

[Lipz]

Hey Lipz,

 

The Miracle is an awesome ship. Since we live in NY too, we sail on her often so it only made sense to get married on her (boy that sounds perverted, lol). Our wedding cruise will be the 5th trip on the Miracle.

 

The Miracle is very different than the Glory, which coincedentaly, we were on in August too. Pretty funny that our cruising history is in sync.

 

I've heard lots of good things about the Miracle. So your info is just adding to my excitement! :D

I always find it interesting when I hear that someone has been a particuliar cruise ship more than once, especially when it's hitting the same ports.

As a New Yorker I found it wonderful to sail right out of my own backyard. It makes me never want to fly just to catch a ship again. Of coruse I know I will, but I sure would like to try all the ships I can out of NYC.

The Glory was very easy to navigate and didn't feel big at all. I actually surprised my wife with that one as her wedding gift. So we were home only a week after getting married on the Jewel before hoping on the Glory. It was a nice 5 day cruise to Canada and my favorite spot was the Azure Lido Pool & Serenity Deck. We also enjoyed some of the comedy nights in the Ebony Cabaret.

So now that we've done the Jewel and Glory, and soon it will be the Miracle I am now eyeing the Norwegian Gem. The of course my biggest wish to be aboard the newest ship to homeport in and sail out of NYC in 2013 the Norwegian Breakaway. Heck, I even want to try the Disney Magic since it leaves NYC a few times a year.

Don't ask me where the funds for all these fantasies are coming from though :cool:.

[jul1221]

The Glory was beautiful. I was a little confused by the layout with the restaurant in the middle of the ship...very odd.

 

The Gem is beautiful. We got engaged in the limo on our way to the Gem last February. My biggest complaint about it was the Windjammer at the front of the ship, holy seasick! I can say that I NEVER get sea sick (knock on wood). I don't take Dramamine or the patch, but sitting in the Windjammer at the front of the Gem just turned my stomach. Also, I'm not fond of how NCL runs their Bingo. It shouldn't cost a minimum of $60 per game. That's insane to me

 

I did see the Breakaway is coming to NYC. That is definitely on my list, simply because I want to go back to Bermuda. Carnival really screwed me with cutting out Bermuda in 2012. We were planning on getting married in Bermuda in May, then I got the phone call that I dreaded from my PVP, " the 2012 itinerary was just released and Carnival will not be sailing to Bermuda in 2012." Needless to say I was in such shock I didn't know if I should cry or laugh, it was just unbelievable to me.

 

The Miracle just came out of dry dock yesterday. The updates should look really nice. New flatscreen TV's in the staterooms, a Serenity area (like the Glory), new carpeting and paint. There were some other mod's but I can't remember what they were. The only thing that I wish it had is the comedy club like the Glory. But we spend most of our evenings in Sam's Piano Bar. If you get a good piananist/singer its a ball. The last trip on the Miracle out of NYC they put a 10 gallon hat country singer in there. Whoever booked that contract was an idiot. They also have a band called "Music Unlimited", which I'm hoping will still be on the boat in July. They typically play in Frankie and Johnnies. They are AWESOME!! It's 3 Phillipino guys who can barely speak English but when they sing you would never know it. They sing Journey, Guns n Roses, Neil Diamond and tons more and they sound just like the original, it's uncanny!

 

We're sailing on the Pride on Feb. 12th out of Baltimore. The port is so easy to get in and out of and it's a quick drive down. The Pride is also a Spirit Class ship, so it's very similiar to the Miracle.

 

We considered the Disney ships but they don't have a casino. I've also found them to be higher in price then any other cruise line regardless of when you go.

 

The money for the cruise is easy to find. If you book inside or inside obstructed view they are pretty cheap. Also, if you cruise the first week after peak season or the week before peak season starts you will save a bundle.

 

-Jul

[Lipz]

The Glory was beautiful. I was a little confused by the layout with the restaurant in the middle of the ship...very odd.

 

Ohhh right, the GOLDEN restaurant lol. We were assigned the Platinum so we never ate there. The location was weird though because we did go see it. Did you go to tea? We did, it was cute. The pastries were dry though lol.

 

The Gem is beautiful. We got engaged in the limo on our way to the Gem last February. My biggest complaint about it was the Windjammer at the front of the ship, holy seasick! I can say that I NEVER get sea sick (knock on wood). I don't take Dramamine or the patch, but sitting in the Windjammer at the front of the Gem just turned my stomach.

 

Oh wow. That's too bad. I don't recall there being a place to eat on the front of the Jewel, or there being a Windjammer. I thought RCCL had a Windjammer that's a buffet or something. At any rate, I haven't gotten sea sick yet.. THANKFULLY!

 

Also, I'm not fond of how NCL runs their Bingo. It shouldn't cost a minimum of $60 per game. That's insane to me

 

I know folks were in that Bingo on the Jewel. We would go to the lounge a few minutes early to get good seats for the showes and catch the tail end of bingo. I'm to cheap to play lol.

 

I did see the Breakaway is coming to NYC. That is definitely on my list, simply because I want to go back to Bermuda. Carnival really screwed me with cutting out Bermuda in 2012. We were planning on getting married in Bermuda in May, then I got the phone call that I dreaded from my PVP, " the 2012 itinerary was just released and Carnival will not be sailing to Bermuda in 2012." Needless to say I was in such shock I didn't know if I should cry or laugh, it was just unbelievable to me.

 

:eek:.. get out! Goodness. I can understand the shock and I know your nerves were wrecked!

I know RCCL has a ship that leaves out of NJ to Bermuda. We thought of that for our wedding but decided we wanted to leave out of Manhattan.

 

The Miracle just came out of dry dock yesterday. The updates should look really nice. New flatscreen TV's in the staterooms, a Serenity area (like the Glory), new carpeting and paint. There were some other mod's but I can't remember what they were. The only thing that I wish it had is the comedy club like the Glory.

 

We did the comedy club on Glory and saw each comedian once. It was cool.

 

But we spend most of our evenings in Sam's Piano Bar. If you get a good piananist/singer its a ball. The last trip on the Miracle out of NYC they put a 10 gallon hat country singer in there. Whoever booked that contract was an idiot. They also have a band called "Music Unlimited", which I'm hoping will still be on the boat in July. They typically play in Frankie and Johnnies. They are AWESOME!! It's 3 Phillipino guys who can barely speak English but when they sing you would never know it. They sing Journey, Guns n Roses, Neil Diamond and tons more and they sound just like the original, it's uncanny!

 

Love the piano bar too. Funny thing is my first experience in a piano bar was on a ship; Carnival Imagination...and I've never even been to one where I live yet.

 

We're sailing on the Pride on Feb. 12th out of Baltimore. The port is so easy to get in and out of and it's a quick drive down. The Pride is also a Spirit Class ship, so it's very similiar to the Miracle.

 

Wow... so funny. This August trip we are taking on the Miracle was originally booked on the Pride. Then my cousin who lives down there flaked out so I switched it to my own home port. I was trying to make her life easier since she's always saying she's broke. So we were gonna make the commute to her and then sail. I still hope to sail out of B'more one day, just for the experience.

 

We considered the Disney ships but they don't have a casino. I've also found them to be higher in price then any other cruise line regardless of when you go.

 

They are EXPENSIVE! ..that's why we haven't yet. I still want the experience though but we will be leaving the kids HOME when I do. They aren't babies at 21 and 14! They'll have to afford their own Disney cruise one day. lol

 

The money for the cruise is easy to find. If you book inside or inside obstructed view they are pretty cheap. Also, if you cruise the first week after peak season or the week before peak season starts you will save a bundle.

 

Getting the vacation time during peak is the challenge. I work in a school and it closes the last week in July for 3 weeks so we all take vacation at the same time. It's pain for cruise vacation because it's also why we end up paying more!

 

-Jul

 

 

As you can see, I can TALK cruise all day if you let me.... now go get some rest from reading all this ! lol