Bit of a blog - Adventure of the Seas – B2B in the Caribbean – 18th November 2012

[gw2fll]

Linda:

 

WooHoo - you made it!!! Your blog's are great - they are just like we're traveling with you. Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us.

 

I hope you, Patty, Scott, and the rest of the "Navigator 2011 Gang" have a wonderful cruise. I looked over your itinerary and you have an exciting cruise ahead of you. Just watch out for that duty free shopping - it can make a horrible dent in the pocketbook. LOL:)

 

Looking forward to your next entry.

 

Doug

[KirkNC]

Look forward to your live updates!

[Mama24]

I had noticed a while ago that you were doing a B2B and hoped you would do a blog. I'll be following along. :) Have a great trip -- enjoy the sunshine for those of us stuck in this dreary cold weather!

[drarill]

Everyone, this is Patty. I met her and her hubby Scott last year on CC then Navigator. My life hasn't been the same since. There will be others from that cruise joining us for week 2.

 

I'm on the 11th floor yet I can hear jazz being played..... no idea from where....

 

Good morning Linda!!! and Welcome to San Juan!! I'm looking forward to your blog! We will be cruising on the AOS for NYE!! The Sheraton is a really nice hotel and close to the Panamerican Pier!! But, the Convention Center is still a work in progress and the dining options are limited, and expensive! If this is the Adventure's first cruise after the transatlantic, I will advice you to wait to embark, a friend of mine was on the TA last year and they experienced some issues. Next week most puerto rican's schools have the whole week off, so I will guess that you will find many extended families with children traveling together. On your next cruise the demographics will change completely!! Children have to go back to school for the last couple of weeks before Christmas break.

I've been trying to find information about the new Concierge, if you meet her let us know what you think!!! Heard Drew Devine is a great CD, also looking forward to your opinion!!

Have a great cruise!!!!:):)

[KeywestK]

Linda.....I'll be following your blog with great interest. DH and I will be at most of those same ports in February on our Eclipse cruise, and I'll be interested in your perspectives. Have a wonderful and safe cruise! I've enjoyed your previous blogs.

[Cshgrand]

I've subscribed! What a dream trip.

Have an amazing time (and if you have a spare moment, could you pick me up that magnet please? So grateful)

[Sinppu]

Hi Linda,

subscribing! We are sailing from San Juan next May so I'm looking forward to reading about your experiences of the Southern Caribbean.

 

Have a LOVELY cruise, dear.

[NorbertsNiece]

Blown away by the number of views already.

 

Getting to grips with using Photobucket for photos. Trainman's blogs are my inspiration so this morning I have been trying to get my head around automatic uploading of images to that site so I can link here. You'd think I'd have had enough time pre-cruise to have got that up and running.... sigh....

 

Took this pic this morning from my hotel window. Celebrity Summit and Brilliance are in town. When I woke it was dark out and their lights were incredibly wonderful.

 

You can get an idea of the Pan Am pier location and how isolated from everything it is.

 

[NorbertsNiece]

I found this image online and would love to credit the site but my brain is fried... Langland Cruisers? Gives you an idea of where this pier is in relation to Old San Juan where ships visit for the day.

 

[crusinanan]

I found this image online and would love to credit the site but my brain is fried... Langland Cruisers? Gives you an idea of where this pier is in relation to Old San Juan where ships visit for the day.

 

 

i never realized that before .... now i realize why when visiting for the day didnt look the same as when i saile from there ...thanks linda and tell everyone i said hello

[MaiTaiQueen]

Too excited for this!!! Enjoy!! :D

[Sugar*Magnolia]

Very much looking forward to more!! Thanks for taking us along!

 

Stacey~

[ckrobyn]

Linda - great blog so far. I will stay glued to it for the next 2 weeks! It's getting me even more excited for my own B2B coming right up in February! Even though I have been on the AOS 10 times, it is still my favorite ship for so many reasons!

DeDe is on vacation until January, so will not be on your sailing.

On each of my B2B's on the AOS, turnaround day was a breeze. No disembarkation required. Hopefully it remains the same for you!

Enjoy your cruise!!!! :):)

[EWM]

Enjoying your blog. Thanks for doing it. Great picture of the peir and the map. We will be sailing on Brilliance three weeks from today. One your first leg you have 3 ports we will be visiting so looking forward to see your thoughts on them...Enjoy your cruise.

[SmilenGirl]

Linda thank you for sharing your experiences!! The only thing I have packed so far is my pink feather hair clip, for now I am only but a junior member of the PBS but hoping soon to be fully feathered! I am looking forward to meeting you!

[lah66]

Really looking forward to following your blog...we did your second leg on Adventure last spring and it was our favorite cruise to date! We absolutely loved St Kitts, Aruba and Curacao! We are taking the Brilliance out of San Juan this coming March! Once both kids are in college (DD is a jr), we will finally be able to do a B2B, probably in 2015! Happy travels...

[iamsunnysarah]

SJU - I estimate maybe 100 passengers were left from a totally booked flight. Screening at immigration was easy; no other flights in town at this time. Baggage reclamation..... altogether a different story.... no signage whatsoever. Taking a slow wander down the conveyor belts I saw a British Airways board so we all stood at that one. The one next to it started to move..... so did we..... and we waited and waited.... then another belt started up on the other side of the hall..... so we headed over to that one as we could see in the distance bags being discharged.... sure enough they were ours.

 

YES! This is how we felt when we flew into SJU for our last cruise. The captain on the plane didn't announce which baggage claim, but luckily we recognized people from our flight and tried to follow them!

[Ocean Boy]

I didn't realize that your cruise time had arrived. I hope you have an amazing time. I love this ship, San Juan, and the southern Caribbean. The next two weeks on this thread will be the next best thing that I have to being there myself.

[Daycare Provider]

Linda-I woke early this morning and went straight to the computer to see if you had started posting...your blog will be my mental vacation[.

 

Angela

/SIZE]

[NorbertsNiece]

Just had a mani pedi in the hotel spa. I had an appointment booked back home but fate intervened and I couldn't make it that day.... that'll teach me to leave it till the last minute! :rolleyes:

 

Here's what I have planned for the various Ports.

 

Tonight I'm meeting up with a group from the roll call at Barrachina's in town. LOVE the menu. This is the place that invented the Pina Colada.... this is also the place where you can leave your bags for to tour unencumbered.

 

St Croix : nothing planned as yet. Maybe pick up a tour from the pier.

St Maarten : heading to Maho to watch the planes come in. Stopped there for lunch last year and it's such fun! I am so not a beach person but the added attraction of watching the planes touch down right over the beach is a real draw.

Antigua : have a tour booked with Gordon Our M&M is today after All Aboard

St Lucia : have tickets for the aerial tram

Barbados : Calabazza Catamaran to see the turtles. Dude!

Sea day : Slot pull planned with roll call followed by lunch together

San Juan : turnaround day : considering going to El Yunque with RCCL. Don't want to commit myself just yet.

St Thomas : Sky lift near pier then we're going to Palm Passage as Scott wants to lunch there.... I'm tagging along

St Kitts : I had tried to book an independent tour with Royston to Nevis but that fell through. I will likely book this through RCCL once on board.

Sea day : M&M

Aruba : nothing planned as yet but may tag along with Ginnie who is skydiving.... Just to watch you understand... I don't do white knuckle stuff... roll call dining @ Pinchos

Curacao : I have a tour booked with Gigi Scheper with a couple from the roll call

Sea day : roll call slot pull then lunch together

San Juan : Fly home overnight via Miami

 

ETA : M&M = Meet & Mingle which is a get together provided by the cruise company for those who have subscribed via this website. (Just for those not in the know!)

[Sinppu]

Very interested in the Calabaza excursion, I'd like to book them too :)

[louhun88]

Can't wait to follow your blog religiously! Im not on the Adventure until September next year but need to feel like im on a cruise the now to escape this cold weather!

 

Louise x

[kastke]

Add another person to the list of those that will be eagerly following this blog! We love the Southern Caribbean and will be on AoS for the first time in February, for the second leg of your B2B. Love getting some tips in advance about the ship and some of the ports.

 

I don't think Drew Devine will still be CD when we sail in February. Would be interested to hear who the CD will be at that time, if it ever gets mentioned during a question/answer time.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Dorothy

[NorbertsNiece]

Just back from the airport where I surprised Patty and Scott..... sweet reunion!! They couldn't get a room next to me but they have one down the corridor; they don't have the view I have.... seems I was upgraded at checkin and didn't know! They have breakfast included however which I don't have. My room is definitely bigger; if I'd had housekeeping in this morning I would have offered to change with them.... instead, using their 'Green' initiative I opted out receiving a $5 voucher for a beverage

 

We're going to head out for a bite to eat now; their United flight from Washington had food for purchase..... no snacks offered at all.

 

We have rooms near each other on board too, same room for both legs. I wasn't able to get adjoining at the time of booking unfortunately but just a few doors down.

 

DD2 commented on my steak mention on FB. Hi Stevie!! :D

[windham depot]

Hi Linda, I hope you were able to catch up on some of your ZZZZZ's.. That,s a decent view you have it should be pretty amazing when the ship comes in. I hope you have something exciting planned for the day. Looking forward to hearing all about it. Have a great day and night in San Juan and enjoy.

 

Rhonda