GAPearl's Second Valor Review- Solo Southern Caribbean Cruise! (2/24/13)

[gapearl]

It's the last day of the cruise. :( I better make it a good one.

 

We had another big ship and two smaller ones in port with us today, and there was some kind of regatta going on this weekend, so St. Maarten was busy. I headed out around 10 am to head to Maho Beach. It took a few minutes for them to fill up a large taxi van and cost $8 per person. Because of the regatta, we were expecting heavy traffic, but it honestly wasn't that bad. The ride to Maho Beach was about 30 minutes.

 

 

 

A nice view of the regatta from the taxi.

 

 

We were dropped off at the Sunset Bar & Grill. Our driver told us he'd be there waiting for us at 3 pm. It was pretty crowded by 11. There's a surfboard that has the arrival times of the planes from the major airlines listed. Lots of small, private planes landed in between.

 

 

It wasn't long before I got my first glimpse of a plane coming in.

 

[gapearl]

I managed to snag the last available beach chair for $10, and then I headed to the bar to get a drink.

 

Hmmmm, I don't think I want a free drink that bad! :eek:

 

 

No ladies were drinking free while I was there, but the bartenders said lots of women do.

 

 

 

 

[gapearl]

The guy you pay for your chair, Willy, had his dogs with him today. They were so cute and playful.

 

 

 

We got a few shows! It was hilarious!

 

 

 

This was the first big plane that came in.

 

 

[gapearl]

More of the Maho Beach.

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure which island that is in the distance.

 

 

Lunch was BBQ chicken and fries for $11. My chair was right next to Willy, and he took my order for me and brought me my food. Thanks Willy!

 

[gapearl]

And now, time for lots of airplane pictures!

 

 

Can you see it?

 

 

 

 

 

[gapearl]

 

 

 

 

 

[gapearl]

American Airlines ready for takeoff. I saw a couple of pilots waving out of their windows. That's how close you are.

 

 

These are screen shots from the video I took of the crazy people that were attempting to lose their hearing.

 

 

 

I took a chance in letting the guy that took the picture of me with JetBlue in the background try for a shot of me with Air France as it landed. Unfortunately, he was a second too late, and I don't have a picture of the Air France jumbo jet landing at all. Oh well, it was a gamble. I wish I had gone down a little further to get some pictures underneath the planes. Around 3 pm is when most everyone started leaving, although Sunset Bar was still hopping with locals and people from the resorts. My driver was there waiting and it was another $8 back.

[gapearl]

There are tons of taxi drivers everywhere to get you back to the ship. Our driver was constantly on his radio checking on traffic. The bridge wasn't scheduled to open until 4:30 pm, so that didn't affect us. We passed the ferry to Anguilla. He said it's about a 20 minute ride. Maybe next time I'll head over there to spend the day.

 

 

I love ZUMBA. I got excited when I saw this sign.

 

 

 

I had an hour to kill before all aboard, so I took a look through the shops and had a guavaberry colada for $6. A bottle of the guavaberry rum is $20, but it's a big bottle. I WISH I had room in my bags to bring one back, but I didn't. Do yourself a favor and make sure you have room for some!

 

 

 

Once back onboard, I headed to the photo gallery to buy a few pictures. I wasn't planning to buy as many as I did. The guys even talked me into a 16 x 20 canvas print, but they gave me a few free things. I got it, four 8 x 10's, and one 5 x 7 from Barbados for like $130ish. Now I need to take it to get framed and figure out where I want to hang this in my house!

 

[Cruiser 4 Life 66]

Your reviews are always so entertaining. Thanks!

[gapearl]

 

I had the mango cream soup, southern fried chicken from the every day menu, and the last wcmc I'll get to have for 7 months.

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner, it was the usual comedy shows and dancing until they shut One Small Step down at 2:30 am. That was the earliest we shut it down all cruise.

 

 

Next installment: They kicked me off the ship!

 

But don't worry, there's still much more to come!

Edited March 17, 2013 by gapearl

[Delta Dear]

[ Will you be doing a review of your Breeze cruise? I'm sailing her in 6 months, and you and your husband are so cute. :)

 

Absolutely, a review of the Breeze will be forthcoming. You will enjoy the Breeze, we did.

[navybaby1113]

Wow, I am so late on reading your review, but loving it as always!

[jjtimes6]

Thank you for taking the time to write such a great review! We will be on the Valor in 15 days!

 

Wouldn't it just be horrible to be stuck in St. Maarten! Sign me up. I'd relish being stranded there!

[gapearl]

Your reviews are always so entertaining. Thanks!

 

Thanks for reading!

 

[ Will you be doing a review of your Breeze cruise? I'm sailing her in 6 months, and you and your husband are so cute. :)

 

Absolutely, a review of the Breeze will be forthcoming. You will enjoy the Breeze, we did.

 

 

Looking forward to reading it!

 

Wow, I am so late on reading your review, but loving it as always!

 

Thanks! I'm also late reading your Liberty review. I've subscribed to it so I can find it once I'm done writing this one.

 

Thank you for taking the time to write such a great review! We will be on the Valor in 15 days!

 

Wouldn't it just be horrible to be stuck in St. Maarten! Sign me up. I'd relish being stranded there!

 

Oh imagine the HORROR to be stuck on a tropical island, drinking guavaberry coladas, listening to a Jon Secada concert, and getting half my money back. :rolleyes: I WISH I was on that Dream cruise! Have fun when you have your turn to sail the Valor! :)

[campdaan]

I'm not sure which island that is in the distance...

 

 

 

That's Saba. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saba

 

 

After reading your review... I sooooooooo wanna cruise with you !...

[teetee6263]

 

 

 

Kim girl I always love all your outfits & in fact, justify my overpacking based on your gorgeous photos....but this one right here is HOT!!!

 

TeeTee

[Eeyoregon]

These are some beautiful, amazing creatures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OMG! These pictures brought me to tears!! It's a life long dream of mine to mingle with the turtles. I have the same cruise booked for 2014...lord help me get thru these next 406 days!!! I would appreciate any tips on how to have the same turtle experience.

 

Thank you for the many hours that you have donated towards making this awesome review!!!

 

Gina

[TheSailinSOB]

This gets me so excited I can't stand it! My friend and I are going on this sailing sept 1. Did you kinda just do the stuff on the islands on your own? Or did you do any through the ship? I find it quite a bit less to do your own thing. Everything you did looks amazing

[DISNEY1975]

I dont know how you were able to do activities after St Lucia. I would be in a full body cast for the remainder of the cruise!

 

Did you prebook the taxi to Maho Beach, or are there plenty at the pier? My family of 6 want to go and what Im seeing online is $25pp / round trip. Your $16 sounds better! It would save me $54 that I could use towards chairs at the beach!

 

Thanks :)

[mdcrim]

Thanks so much for your review. You are a very talented writer. We are on this cruise a week from today and can't wait! Looks like you had a blast.

[tiff123]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That dress and those shoes rock! Thank you for your review. We leave for Puerto Rico in 5 days (not that I'm counting...:rolleyes:) for our Valor cruise. :D:D

[pghsteelerfan]

Quote: "I'm glad you've been enjoying this looooooong review! What do you have planned for your day and a half in San Juan? No, I didn't make it to any of the trivia. I do remember passing trivia a few times down the promenade. I'm not sure if they still have the blowfish cup. I do remember seeing the whale tail cup, but that's the only one I remember. I'm about to start on St. Maarten in the next little while. I went to Maho Beach and spent a great day there."

 

Really enjoying it and I prefer the looooog reviews. I love the details and I have gotten several ideas from your review. In San Juan, we're staying at the Courtyard by Marriott on the beach, right near the airport. We are just going to kick back and enjoy the afternoon/early evening on the beach. The next day we'll head to the ship and unload our stuff as soon as we can get into our room and we plan to go to the forts. I loved you pictures and I know what area NOT to go into. :) We'd love to enjoy more of Old San Juan as well. Last time there (May 2010) we did the zip-line excursion so we didn't have much time to wander around the town. I just finished reading the St. Maarten part of your review and I think that's what we're going to to - Maho. We live under the landing pattern of a major airport and see planes every day, but watching them come in that low, over the beach...I just have to see that. We were originally thinking Pinel Island and were there on our honeymoon years ago, but there is no excursion listed with Carnival to go there anymore. It was beautiful but I only had a film camera then and would love more pictures. It's a little far and not something we'd like to try on our own. Thank you again for taking the time for your review - I'm really enjoying it and getting more and more excited each day.

Edited March 17, 2013 by pghsteelerfan

[pamp0227]

Loved your review. The information and pictures were great. We're on the Valor in May and this is our first time with these ports. Can't wait for our cruise. Thanks again.

[pghsteelerfan]

Loved your review. The information and pictures were great. We're on the Valor in May and this is our first time with these ports. Can't wait for our cruise. Thanks again.

 

We'll be on the same cruise! :) That's why I LOVE this review - so helpful for ideas.

[browneyedwoman]

I loved reading your review. It's very informative yet amusing. I have a "the birds" type picture from St Marks Square in Italy that is very similar to yours with my hands up and everything. Very funny!