Anyone Recently Returned from Valor / San Juan??

[jvitatoe26]

First time cruiser, on Valor May 26th...cant wait!!! I have read some reviews so I know I have a fabulous trip ahead of me!

 

If you have recently been on this cruise/itinerary, I would love to hear some of your experiences!

 

 

What port did you like best and why?

 

What did you do in ports that you consider a "must do"?

 

Anything you wouldnt do again?

 

How late was your flight out of San Juan?

 

How was the airport?

 

What did you do before heading to airport (if you had time)?

 

Also, any tips/tricks for ports or the ship??

 

Thanks, I have read soooo much here and have a ton of knowledge thanks to these boards, and I still feel like I just can't get enough info!

[TravelingDiva1]

First time cruiser, on Valor May 26th...cant wait!!! I have read some reviews so I know I have a fabulous trip ahead of me!

 

If you have recently been on this cruise/itinerary, I would love to hear some of your experiences!

 

 

What port did you like best and why?

 

What did you do in ports that you consider a "must do"?

 

Anything you wouldnt do again?

 

How late was your flight out of San Juan?

 

How was the airport?

 

What did you do before heading to airport (if you had time)?

 

Also, any tips/tricks for ports or the ship??

 

Thanks, I have read soooo much here and have a ton of knowledge thanks to these boards, and I still feel like I just can't get enough info!

 

There are a few recent reviews of this ship/itinerary.

 

GAPearl's http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1801810

 

and a video review

[coder01]

When you go to the airport, before you stand in line to check your luggage, make sure you take your luggage and have it scanned by agriculture. They put a sticker on it. If you do not you will have to get back in line to check your luggage. We flew out on Monday early. We liked St. Maarten the best, it is beautiful. You can hang out at the beach near the ships. In St. Kitts,do not do the St. Kitts by rail and Sail, not much to see. :)

[okgladmom]

It's been a few years, but our visit to South Friar's Bay in St. Kitts still stands out as one of our all-time favorite beaches. It's very secluded...mostly locals the day we were there. There's a small bar/grill there called The Shipwreck. Other than that, it's empty. Lounge chairs with umbrellas are available and the sand is black! No annoying people trying to get you to buy stuff either. On the taxi drive, the driver made sure he showed us the spot where you can see the Caribbean on one side of the road and the Atlantic on the other. He sat there while we took pics. I would love to go back there someday for a relaxing beach day.

[okgladmom]

I just realized my avatar pic is at South Friar's Bay beach.

[carnivalgirl51]

In St. Maarten, we went to Maho Beach to watch the airplane fly in for landing-directly over the beach. It was wild to see them just feet above you.

 

In St Kitts, we did take the train and land tour. Thought the catamarin ride back was overpiced.

 

In St. Lucia, we did the segway tour. It was GREAT!!! Would do it again eventhough it ended up at Pigion Point park beach. Had been there before and the beach was to rocky, but I really wanted to do the segway.

 

St Thoma has helmet diving (can't remember what they call it). I have done it before and it is a lot of fun. They also have the underwater mini scooters. This way awsome ( you ride what looks like little motor scooters with out wheels under water. There is an air hood and you can even wear you glasses while doing this excursion. Also great fun ( I did this one before)

 

We spent the day before and the day of debarkation in San Juan and flew home Monday (actully cheaper to get hotel room for two and fly home Monday than to fly home Sunday) and we just toured. I heard that the airport is jam packed on Sunday with having to do the agriculture scan and then go through the normal security line. Monday wasn't to bad.

 

We decorate our cabin doors each cruise. This year we had two flamingos and two palm Trees. It make it much easier to spot your door walking down a hall way of doors looking just your. Your can just scotch tape to put the decorations on the door.

 

Take a power strip. We had digital cameras, vidio camera, Ipad (could only use it on shore where there was free wifi- could not use on ship even buying interet time.)

 

Hope you have as much fun as I did and have the same great weather I did!!!

[Dan2k11]

We were on this cruise a month ago. I wrote a review (which I don't usually do) because we had an awesome time. My favorite islands were St. Lucia & St. Kitts because I find them relatively "unspoiled" compared to the more developed St. Thomas, St. Martin, Barbados. Cockelshell beach was great in St. Mitts and we did a 4x4 excursion in St. Lucia that ended up at Grande Ainse. Beautiful and very unspoiled.

 

We were in SJ for two days prior to the cruise. We stayed in the Condado area & spent a day on the beach (pretty rough surf if you have little ones). We had planned to tour old SJ before boarding the ship but decided to board at about 1:00 and had lunch, swam, had dinner, and relaxed, all before the ship left port.

 

We had a great vacation. Everything was casual and relaxed & that is what we were looking for. If you have any other questions, ask away!