Honeymooners REVIEW of the SUMMIT in the S Caribbean on 22Feb in AQ AFT w DIETARY Req

[olemissreb]

How long did it take you to get to El Yunque? DH and I will be flying in a day early for our Summit cruise next year. While there is still much we haven't done in OSJ, I thought it might be interesting to do something different and have always wanted to head to El Yunque. My thinking is we could do a bio-bay on Friday night and then maybe hike the rainforest Saturday morning before heading back to San Juan to board the ship. DH has done business in Puerto Rico a lot in the past, so driving for him is not a big deal. Do you think that is something that is doable? We usually aren't in a rush to get on the ship, so boarding in mid to late afternoon would be fine for us.

 

PS - I'm loving your review. I loved your picture of the San Cristobal sign. We've got the same picture except our youngest son is sitting on top of the sign. His name is Christopher (Cristobal in Spanish), so he call the fort "Fort Me".

Edited March 19, 2014 by olemissreb

[ghstudio]

What a terrific travelogue....The pictures are wonderful and some really hit home with me.

 

I spent a fair amount of time in Puerto Rico some 60 years ago when the Caribe Hilton was at the edge of the city. We arrived on DC4's, DC6's and super constellations...you know, those old planes without jets).

 

I sppent many hours exploring the fort next to the hotel which is now been restored a bit and open to the public....and of course el moro. I was, of course, a kid at the time...dad was working with Consolidated Cigars building a factory (wonder if they are still there?). Obviously much has changed...it might just be time to go back :)..but not for a cruise...just to visit, enjoy the food and drink...and the see the sights through adult eyes.

 

Thanks for the review...keep it coming.

[Xcitdcruiser]

Loving your point of view, and review. The nachos from Zaco Tacos look amazing, (except I'd have to have them leave the pork off of mine) and I love the snaps you got of the turtles.

Don't you love how trips that start out as 'once in a lifetime' are always the ones that produce the best memories....and morph into how soon can we do this again?!!

 

thanks again for spending the time to share such a detailed review.

 

Tutu

 

No problem - it's my pleasure!

The tacos were honestly the best I've had. You could choose between pork, chicken or beef (first time I've had an option!) I just asked for the most popular & I was very satisfied - even without any of the cheese.

 

Yes, you have a point. For some strange reason once you realise you would like to do it all over again reality hits that you have to work for it! I'm looking forward to retiring & being able to travel many times over!

 

 

 

We like all of it! We leave in two days for the Summit and I am curious as to what day the Reidel wine class is, hoping it is on our only sea day!

 

Thanks so much for your lively review!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

 

lol - ok, I have the dallies with me at work today so will need to figure out the best way to set them up.

 

Unsure if you've left yet but our Riedel Class was scheduled on the Antigua port day at 4.15pm which may explain the lack of people that attended. It may be worth asking whether they could set another one up - it is an extra fee basis activity after all.

 

Hope you have a great time!

[Xcitdcruiser]

Ha, ha, this gave me the best laugh! You have some great memories there Aussie friend! Look forward to hearing about the cruise :)

 

:D I'm telling you - we left that excursion & looked at each other with 'What WAS that??' I've just realised that I didn't note the constant screams of the other groups kayaking INTO the canal. It's pitch black. And all you are hearing is constant shrieks. We only paddled into a tree once :D (queue a little shriek from myself)

 

As an aussie you may appreciate this, but we were the only ones around! We did keep an ear out for a familiar accent, but nothing. It's a far cry from Europe where at every corner you will find your cousin's friend's niece.

 

I continue to enjoy each day's installment. I really appreciate your attention to detail and all of the research you have done. I am taking notes. I have never been to culebre and I have added it to my bucket list.Would you stay at the same place if you go again?

 

You seem to like to hike. We have found our favorite place so far to hike and snorkel. St John 3/4 of island is a park with lots of trails. There are remote areas to stay. It keeps bringing us back each year.

 

Looking forward to the rest

 

I'm glad that you are enjoying it. I can honestly say that we would not have had the same experience should I have not had the done the research & was travelling without my bible. DH was even appreciative! (he generally tells me to relax, & take things as it comes)

 

Casa Resaca in Culebra is great. Would I stay there again? mmm.... tough question. The ONLY negative thing were those roosters which prompted broken sleep. TBH though by the third night they only woke us at about 6am rather than 3am or so...maybe we got used to it? Or maybe they had an enjoyable sleep..

 

I think I would re-look at the options as there would have to be a trade off somewhere. It would be a matter of deciding what that is.

Sorry - that probably didn't help!!

 

Re hiking - the most we do in our everyday lives is a daily walk with a our little hound. I've trekked the Inca Trail & DH Base Camp but it's not something we are eager to do again! It kind of just happened - the El Yunque is a major attraction on the island that we simply could not miss it!

 

I have read about St John it does sound amazing. We decided that after El Yunque that was enough hiking for us for one trip ;)

[Xcitdcruiser]

How long did it take you to get to El Yunque? DH and I will be flying in a day early for our Summit cruise next year. While there is still much we haven't done in OSJ, I thought it might be interesting to do something different and have always wanted to head to El Yunque. My thinking is we could do a bio-bay on Friday night and then maybe hike the rainforest Saturday morning before heading back to San Juan to board the ship. DH has done business in Puerto Rico a lot in the past, so driving for him is not a big deal. Do you think that is something that is doable? We usually aren't in a rush to get on the ship, so boarding in mid to late afternoon would be fine for us.

 

PS - I'm loving your review. I loved your picture of the San Cristobal sign. We've got the same picture except our youngest son is sitting on top of the sign. His name is Christopher (Cristobal in Spanish), so he call the fort "Fort Me".

 

Driving from San Juan to El Yunque should take about an hour (I think they actually say 45mins) so your plan sounds realistic. The highway is in excellent condition & I wouldn't foresee a problem if you are a comfortable driver used to driving on that side. Oh, & make sure you get the auto/express tag on the car - it was about $10 with Charlie's Car rental. And don't bother with the gps - their map is excellent.

 

With the bio-bay, check the moon calendar (puertoricodaytrips.com have a great one) to ensure that it isn't a full moon (should it be visibility is terrible). Also, go for a 5.30pm start rather than 8.30pm otherwise you will be kayaking in the dark the whole time! And book earlier rather than later - always best to get your 1st preference in.

 

To hike on the Saturday morning I would recommend getting there early as the gates open. The weekends are always busier & there is not sufficient parking by the trails. I would also have a spare change of clothes (& shoes) should it rain, because if it does, you will be dripping wet. And by that point I would assume that you would have checked out of your accommodation you would be heading straight to San Juan. Well, after lunch at the kiosks & maybe a dip at Luquillo beach. :D That would get you to the ship by the afternoon.

 

Do you know where you would be staying in around El Yunque?

 

And your son. Very sweet. Fort Me - brilliant!

[Coolcruise02]

Great review, can't wait for more!

[Xcitdcruiser]

What a terrific travelogue....The pictures are wonderful and some really hit home with me.

 

I spent a fair amount of time in Puerto Rico some 60 years ago when the Caribe Hilton was at the edge of the city. We arrived on DC4's, DC6's and super constellations...you know, those old planes without jets).

 

I sppent many hours exploring the fort next to the hotel which is now been restored a bit and open to the public....and of course el moro. I was, of course, a kid at the time...dad was working with Consolidated Cigars building a factory (wonder if they are still there?). Obviously much has changed...it might just be time to go back :)..but not for a cruise...just to visit, enjoy the food and drink...and the see the sights through adult eyes.

 

Thanks for the review...keep it coming.

 

I'm so glad that you are enjoying the read & pictures. Seeing Puerto Rico 60 years ago & what it is now would be quite an experience. We actually ended up purchasing a book of a 'then & now' of San Juan - truly amazing. I will see if I can dig up an image of the Caribe Hilton & i'll post an image.

 

If you have more info on the hotel you mentioned or the location of the factory I'll browse for that also. I wanted to dedicate a post to this book, probably at the end of the review -

 

I did a quick search for Consolidated Cigars & it appears that they have an office in Cayey. So maybe the factory has been re-purposed?

 

My parents find going back to their country of birth fascinating, they always tell of their memories of what it was then & we can see the dramatic difference of what now stands.

 

I've just been told we have visitors over tonight so I may not get as what I would like posted as planned - sorry! :o

[Xcitdcruiser]

Great review, can't wait for more!

 

Thank you! I'm really excited I'm able to share! :)

[olemissreb]

 

 

Do you know where you would be staying in around El Yunque?

 

And your son. Very sweet. Fort Me - brilliant!

 

I don't know where we will stay. I hadn't even thought about staying out there until I read your review. DH is currently in Oman on business and won't be home until late Sunday. I'll have to throw the idea at him, but he'll probably just tell me that he can't think past next week let alone a year from now.

 

BTW - I, too, have a travel "Bible" with all our reservations, excursions, flight arrangements all sorted by island (or in the case of our trip last year to Alaska, by day). I've done the same thing when my son and I were touring universities and I also have a "swim bible" for my youngest son that has all his meet "heat sheets", psych sheets and hotel info (when needed). Those "bibles" sure do come in handy!

[wallie5446]

We have been to SJ a number of time's for a day as a port stop and have felt it was a bla-bla port. Reading your 'adventure' has changed our thinking! What a wonderful story teller you are! Thank You!

[One_plus_one]

:D I'm telling you - we left that excursion & looked at each other with 'What WAS that??' I've just realised that I didn't note the constant screams of the other groups kayaking INTO the canal. It's pitch black. And all you are hearing is constant shrieks. We only paddled into a tree once :D (queue a little shriek from myself)

 

As an aussie you may appreciate this, but we were the only ones around! We did keep an ear out for a familiar accent, but nothing. It's a far cry from Europe where at every corner you will find your cousin's friend's niece.

 

I can picture it and I'm laughing again... I would be one of those "shriekers" for sure! :D

 

I'd imagine that your accent wouldn't be recognized very well over there as they wouldn't get many Aussies visiting.

[Seatbelt_Bag_LOVE]

Driving from San Juan to El Yunque should take about an hour (I think they actually say 45mins) so your plan sounds realistic. The highway is in excellent condition & I wouldn't foresee a problem if you are a comfortable driver used to driving on that side. Oh, & make sure you get the auto/express tag on the car - it was about $10 with Charlie's Car rental. And don't bother with the gps - their map is excellent.

 

With the bio-bay, check the moon calendar (puertoricodaytrips.com have a great one) to ensure that it isn't a full moon (should it be visibility is terrible). Also, go for a 5.30pm start rather than 8.30pm otherwise you will be kayaking in the dark the whole time! And book earlier rather than later - always best to get your 1st preference in.

 

To hike on the Saturday morning I would recommend getting there early as the gates open. The weekends are always busier & there is not sufficient parking by the trails. I would also have a spare change of clothes (& shoes) should it rain, because if it does, you will be dripping wet. And by that point I would assume that you would have checked out of your accommodation you would be heading straight to San Juan. Well, after lunch at the kiosks & maybe a dip at Luquillo beach. :D That would get you to the ship by the afternoon.

 

Do you know where you would be staying in around El Yunque?

 

And your son. Very sweet. Fort Me - brilliant!

 

I second the extra change of clothes! When we went, it also rained. I was getting our water bottles out of the truck of our car, and I slipped. My butt was all muddy! Luckily there wasn't anyone in the area at the time, so nobody walked in the bathroom while I was washing my shorts! :o

 

We also rented our car from Charlie's. We spent 9 days in San Juan, and my DH was the dedicated driver. All the road trips were much more enjoyable to me, since he was very stressed about driving! PR drivers are crazy. By the last couple days DH was adapted to driving PR style. The San Juan driving was kicked off with me trying to use GPS to get us to Sam's Club. I sent him up a dead end road that was extremely steep and narrow. There were cars on both sides with inches to spare on either side. He got all the way to the top, and we realized it was not a through street. He had to back down the hill about three blocks! There were lots of dogs barking and people staring, which made it even worse. Whoops!

 

I am really enjoying your review. I love how many of your picture of OSJ and El Yunque are similar to the ones I took. I am especially looking forward to your pictures and review of the Summit. We will be sailing on the Summit to Bermuda this summer to celebrate my 30th birthday and our wedding anniversary.

[Xcitdcruiser]

I don't know where we will stay. I hadn't even thought about staying out there until I read your review. DH is currently in Oman on business and won't be home until late Sunday. I'll have to throw the idea at him, but he'll probably just tell me that he can't think past next week let alone a year from now.

 

BTW - I, too, have a travel "Bible" with all our reservations, excursions, flight arrangements all sorted by island (or in the case of our trip last year to Alaska, by day). I've done the same thing when my son and I were touring universities and I also have a "swim bible" for my youngest son that has all his meet "heat sheets", psych sheets and hotel info (when needed). Those "bibles" sure do come in handy!

 

 

I'm glad I've provided some inspiration !

 

DH is the same, on a daily basis he gets upset about asking what we'll be doing for dinner that night :confused: By the end of the cruise he openly admitted he was glad that I thought far in advance - go figure!

 

I would give about 45mins (to be safe) between the actual rainforest & the bio bay so it would make sense to stay somewhere close to one of them.

 

Should you stay the Rainforest Inn, it would be your first (& closest) stop on from San Juan. Check in, leave 45 mins to drive to the Bio Bay for a 5.30pm start. One you are done on the way back you can stop at either the kiosks for a casual dinner or BBQ Verde for some take away to enjoy in the room.

 

In the morning, enjoy their cooked breakfast, check out, then rainforest is only a 5 minute or so drive from there, do you thing, have lunch at the kiosks or at Luquillo beach, enjoy & then head back to your cruise - see perfect ! :D

 

- I hadn't thought about the 'Bible' for multiples purposes - but I think I will be putting it to do use. I'm currently trying to organise a cruise for my parents & should that go ahead, they are going to be amazed at the 'Bible' I give them :p

[olemissreb]

I'm glad I've provided some inspiration !

 

DH is the same, on a daily basis he gets upset about asking what we'll be doing for dinner that night :confused: By the end of the cruise he openly admitted he was glad that I thought far in advance - go figure!

 

I would give about 45mins (to be safe) between the actual rainforest & the bio bay so it would make sense to stay somewhere close to one of them.

 

Should you stay the Rainforest Inn, it would be your first (& closest) stop on from San Juan. Check in, leave 45 mins to drive to the Bio Bay for a 5.30pm start. One you are done on the way back you can stop at either the kiosks for a casual dinner or BBQ Verde for some take away to enjoy in the room.

 

In the morning, enjoy their cooked breakfast, check out, then rainforest is only a 5 minute or so drive from there, do you thing, have lunch at the kiosks or at Luquillo beach, enjoy & then head back to your cruise - see perfect ! :D

 

- I hadn't thought about the 'Bible' for multiples purposes - but I think I will be putting it to do use. I'm currently trying to organise a cruise for my parents & should that go ahead, they are going to be amazed at the 'Bible' I give them :p

 

Thanks for the info. I'll hit my DH with it when he gets back from Dubai - get him to agree while he's jet lagged! :o:)

 

Your parents will love the "bible". My mom was amazed at mine. She may have me organize one for her next time she goes on a trip with her church. :eek:

[Xcitdcruiser]

We have been to SJ a number of time's for a day as a port stop and have felt it was a bla-bla port. Reading your 'adventure' has changed our thinking! What a wonderful story teller you are! Thank You!

 

Oh no!! OSJ has SO much to offer! We were there about for 4 nights (meant to be 3) post cruise & were never bored - only went to one restaurant twice because there were so many to choose from!

 

I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying our adventure....there is so much to go!

 

I can picture it and I'm laughing again... I would be one of those "shriekers" for sure! :D

 

I'd imagine that your accent wouldn't be recognized very well over there as they wouldn't get many Aussies visiting.

 

No, many people didn't quite catch on with:

'so where are you from?' Australia.

'Wow.....that is so far away. You didn't come from there did you?'....pause..... 'But it's summer there?!'.

Yes. The only people heading to the Caribbean to ESCAPE the heat!

[Xcitdcruiser]

I am really enjoying your review. I love how many of your picture of OSJ and El Yunque are similar to the ones I took. I am especially looking forward to your pictures and review of the Summit. We will be sailing on the Summit to Bermuda this summer to celebrate my 30th birthday and our wedding anniversary.

 

Thank you - but I'm wondering whether we are twins from another world - this cruise was also to celebrate our wedding as well as my 30th birthday! (worked out great by the way :p)

 

Oh....& i may have also led DH along the wrong path once, or a three times but i won't go into that ;).

 

All daillies are scanned in so will start posting shortly!

[Xcitdcruiser]

Thanks for the info. I'll hit my DH with it when he gets back from Dubai - get him to agree while he's jet lagged! :o:)

 

Your parents will love the "bible". My mom was amazed at mine. She may have me organize one for her next time she goes on a trip with her church. :eek:

 

I like your plan! Jetlagged...just tell him how much you missed him ;)! Let me know if you want any further info - happy to help!

 

That's sweet - i hope that i get to help out my mum when she goes on church outings. :)

Edited March 21, 2014 by Xcitdcruiser

[stunned]

Congratulations on your recent wedding! I am really enjoying your review and can't wait to read more. :)

 

Judy

[Xcitdcruiser]

Wo hoo! Today was a very exciting day, not only were we embarking on the most exciting part of our trip, but it was my 30th birthday! Happy birthday to me!

Our day started by travelling from El Yunque to Condado to drop off our hire car. Like any other trip between DH & I, we got lost. Some lovely mechanics in a side street somewhere sent us on our way though. After we dropped our car at Charlie’s we hopped into a shuttle bus that took us to the pier. Now I had read a whole HEAP about embarkation, in theory it all sounded simple enough. In reality we (which really means I) were overwhelmed. Once we got dropped off there was a line to leave your luggage. Ok. But there were various lines – which ones do line up in? The longest so we didn’t feel out of place . Darn it – luggage tags – I KNEW about them but they weren’t on my priority list so I was frantically scrambling writing our details on tags they had available. We dropped of our 4 pieces. Tipped the porter (which I only knew as I noticed others doing the same) & headed inside. It was about 2pm at this point & there was no line up. I was so conscience of lining up in the right area that I ended up following DH - & i know for a fact he didn’t know where he SHOULD be going. Nevertheless, we were attended. They asked for documents & I gave him a blank stare not knowing what he was talking about; I eventually laid out all of my documents on the counter & he figured it out for me. Soon enough we were on our way!

It probably wasn’t all THAT difficult but I think I was overwhelmed with emotion & the reality that we were FINALLY on our cruise! I had been planning for this for SO long i KNEW what to do, but I froze. In the scheme of things it didn’t really matter but..... I froze during embarkation! Lame!

As we arrived on deck we were greeting with some drinks which was lovely. I expected them but DH was very impressed. Due to the time I knew there was a possibility that our rooms were ready to drop off our hand luggage & sure enough room 1138, Aqua Aft class was ready for us!

Now, the long awaited photos.

This is what you walk into (except our random belongings & DH sitting on the couch with his face blurred)

 

 

 

 

A comfy two seater

 

 

 

 

The dresser

 

 

And a close up of the bed. You can see in this image how clear it is that this double/queen bed is actually two singles pushed together – although the bed itself was very comfortable, waking up in the of the night because you are no longer lying flat is not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, the highly desirable AFT balcony from the inside

 

 

 

 

Standing on the balcony

 

 

[Xcitdcruiser]

The view down below from the far left corner

 

 

 

And whilst standing on the right corner

 

 

Now turning around, this is what we see (very comfy chairs & footstools btw)

 

 

 

 

Now, onto the smaller details.

 

The first thing I noticed was the lack of flowers. I’ll fast forward here – when we met our stateroom attendant that is what he first apologised for. The flowers were running late. When they did arrive later that day I had to laugh ‘flowers’ consisted of three stems. I guess they never specified HOW many flowers ;)

 

On the dresser we had the jug of iced tea & 2 x bottles of water. We didn’t always drink these but each day, they just kept on coming. In the middle of the cruise we decided it would do us some good to drink more water so we did end up drinking all of them. Also, interesting note about the water – we never saw this brand throughout the cruise, we didn’t think anything of it except when we visited my parents in (Australia) they had the same water – they purchased it from Aldi, a German low cost, supermarket chain. Go figure!

 

 

On our table we had a bottle of sparkling & three apples. We never did end up eating the apples nor drinking the sparking – didn’t look very appetizing.

 

Edited March 22, 2014 by Xcitdcruiser

[Xcitdcruiser]

 

Now onto our goodies on the bed

 

I was expecting more of a ‘premium’ bag based on what I had read, but this one will have to do. Also had some little extras. I never tried the lip balm (I always carry around my trusty Nivea) but i did get sprayed in the face with the mist at one point by DH. Refreshing.

 

 

 

A picture of the tv (will note more about the quality a little later). I thought the area above the tv was a little bit of a wasted space. The mini bar was in the cupboard below & was jam packed with drinks & snacks. We never needed to keep anything cool but can see why some ask that it is emptied.

 

 

 

Some awkward pics of the wardrobe & the shelve above. We managed to fit all suitcases in there.

 

 

[Xcitdcruiser]

Let's talk abut the ‘spa’ shower head. Now, it doesn’t look like much but when i first showered i ended up in fits of laughter whilst water came at me at all angles as i explored what each button / turn was for. We always had hot water & the pressure was great. If i were to be super critical i could say that it was a little cosy inside, but i managed :D I also have to make mention of the super dooper bar at the bottom that i had read so much about. One word = brilliant!

 

 

 

The toiletries available. I was surprised how non-flimsy the shower cap was. Generally hotel provided shower caps are for one wear only before they tear & become non-elasticized, but this one was great – ladies, don’t pack a shower cap! All products were lemongrass scented, but in the case for the shampoo & conditioner, that was all they had going them. I wanted to try them because they did look to be of a high quality but they were terrible. So bad that i hopped back into the shower to re-wash my hair with my own products. The other redeeming product was the moisturizer. Also nice after a shower!

 

 

 

Beneath the sink was a handy storage area. This was great for the toiletries bags so they didn’t sit on the cabinet taking up valuable space. The only thing we left there were a glass (provided with the iced tea) with our toothbrushes & toothpaste.

 

 

[20thAnniversarycruise]

Thanks for all the photos, I was wondering where, what and if the Aromatherapy diffuser was. Its listed as a perk of Aqua. Hubby and I will be on the Solstice next January for our wedding anniversary, and we booked aqua and Im wondering if i need to pack the scented candles (are you even allowed candles???). I couldn't see anything in your photos that resembled what I imagine one to look like.

 

Love the aussie perspective, we live in Port Hedland, and cruise ships come to our port but we can't get on :(

We have lots of questions that come from Australia being so different to the US and you have already answered a few, will be following your posts for more valuable info,

 

Thanks so much....

[DebbieMacG]

Thanks for all the photos, I was wondering where, what and if the Aromatherapy diffuser was. Its listed as a perk of Aqua. Hubby and I will be on the Solstice next January for our wedding anniversary, and we booked aqua and Im wondering if i need to pack the scented candles (are you even allowed candles???). I couldn't see anything in your photos that resembled what I imagine one to look like.

 

Love the aussie perspective, we live in Port Hedland, and cruise ships come to our port but we can't get on :(

We have lots of questions that come from Australia being so different to the US and you have already answered a few, will be following your posts for more valuable info,

 

Thanks so much....

 

You aren't allowed candles (no naked flames) but you can have the battery operated kind :)

[Xcitdcruiser]

Congratulations on your recent wedding! I am really enjoying your review and can't wait to read more. :)

 

Judy

 

Many thanks Judy! It's almost been three months now but it feels like we wed yesterday :)

 

Glad to hear you are enjoying the review, will be uploading some more shortly!