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Stacey's Solo Southern Caribbean Valor Adventure!

sunbird21

By sunbird21,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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sunbird21

sunbird21

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Hi all, and welcome to my review! This is my third cruise review,first for Carnival,though Ive done 8 cruises now in total:)

Some background on me...

I am a single 30 something female, living in NYC currently. I love to travel, and I've started doing a lot of solo travel due to family/friend unavailability to travel on the types of trips I like to take, and also have not had a significant other willing to travel as well.

Just to pre warn you, I have a dry sense of humor and can be a bit sarcastic, so if you are easily offend,you may not enjoy my review. Im also not shy about expressing my opinions on something,which may or may not jive with yours,so again, the above disclaimer applies.

Another note...as I was reading a recent review on here, I feel compelled to add that as a solo traveler, I WILL have a lot of selfies...so to the sweetheart who complained about the amount of selfies on said review...you probably won't like mine either:)

Finally,as this cruise was my first return to carnival after two NCL cruises, I will have my thoughts comparing the two throughout.This is not bashing or praising either line,just showing my thoughts on what worked better for this one or that one. Hope its helpful!

Also-since my photos are uploading EXTREMELY slowly, for this post only, I will add on the pics in separate posts, so apologies ahead of time...this is a long text only post!

OK enough disclaimers....

This particular cruise was almost a last minute choice for me- I had initially wanted to do the NCL Breakaway out of the city, but due to a new job, I wasn't able to secure the time off during the timeframe that BA hits Bermuda this summer. Since I didn't NOT want to take the BA to Florida, I began to explore other options. My initial thought was on finally splurging the big bucks to take the really big ship on the other major cruise line that shall not be named. Pricing initially came out at $1900 for a solo supplement( that line is not solo friendly, hence my lack of cruises with them) for a balcony overlooking one of their interior themed areas( a complete interior was $1850). Naturally, I needed to talk myself into this one some more,especially since the destinations were not ones I was particularly wanting to explore.

So, for comparisons sake, I looked at NCL's other new ship, going to the same itinerary I did in January- when I decided to check out Carnival's Southern Caribbean prices. I had done five cruises on Carnival,and had always wanted to do this itinerary, but had never done Carnival solo, and wasn't sure how it would be going back to it after two cruises on NCL Epic, which I absolutely loved. Anyway,it ended up that the Valors prices for October were very very cheap for a solo...so I ended up booking an interior porthole cabin initially for $600- not a bad deal of solo prices and for a weeklong cruise to some amazing places!

In preparation, I read many blogs,including two by fellow solo female travelers,who exuberantly described awesome solo trips on the Valor. I joined my roll call,which was already quite active by the time I came along. I booked a flight about six weeks out on momondo.com, and bit the bullet and used PL bidding for the hotel in San Juan, two nights pre cruise, winning the Sheraton Convention Center(not the OSJ by the pier) for a cool $85 a night.

Then, two weeks prior to the cruise, I was filling out my online check in when I noticed that balcony prices were bottoming out....as in, it was only $300 more for me to get one. I hemmed and hawed a bit, even threw out my dilemma to the fine folks here at Cruise Critic. When most of the responses came back overwhelming in favor of jumping on it( I had one notable negative which I'll address more in depth later), that, combined with the thought that I probably won't have this opportunity again, propelled me to call my PVP and be my own upgrade fairy.

So now everything's booked, I'm ready to go....on to the review!!!

Day One-Friday October 3-Pre Cruise Day

I had a 9am flight out of JFK this morning, and due to the enormous amount of paperwork I have to complete for my job, I ended up resting for a mere two hours the night before. I also had my niece for Ohio planning on using my apt for part of the time that I was going to be away, so I had to really scrub down the place as well.

One of the advantage of my apt location is awesome subway access, and I was near a train that had direct access to JFK, so I wanted to take advantage of it and save on a cab/shuttle cost. However, living in upper Manhattan, this meant it was easily an hours ride, assuming there weren't any delays.thus, I ended up leaving my apt at 530am to have enoyght time to make it to the airport and check in.

As I said, living near this subway was supposed to be an advantage. I'm glad I had the opportunity to partake in it, because from now on? Never, Never again. To start, dragging tow full suitcase and a purse uphill for three blocks was tiring. But then,a block away, a gentleman who was retiring for the evening strolled past me and decided to launch himself at me,offering his services with the romantic declaration,"Come here,baby."

Needless to say, I declined, and proceeded to RUN up the last block,with two suitcases. Not a good idea AT ALL.

So I run into the subway station and down three flights of stairs with minutes to spare before the Rockaway A train pulls up. I'm sure I was quite the sight for the early AM commuters.

Thankfully,the train was somewhat empty, and I managed to get a seat,though two suitcases does take up a bit of space and elicit some glares further down the ride.Also thankfully, the ride in was timely(minus the inevitable traffic jam at 59th...never fails).

I connected to the Airtrain easily and got to T2 by 7:05. One of the thing I do love about JFK is how they don't conform to this silly notion that the airport tram needs to actually connect to the terminal. It's so enjoyable to take an elevator down, weave through a garage,walk across a street, and then go up another flight to the check in counters. I especially loved how upon finding said flight of stairs and lugging tow suitcases up, an airport employee ,meets me halfway up the stairs and tells me that there was an elevator at the other end of the building, then chants "Sorry!" before dashing up the rest of the staircase.

GRRR.

But all of that aside, the bag drop line went quickly, as did security, and before I knew it, I was settled in at a pretty cool bar/restaurant outside my gate that has individual iPads for your use. You could order food and drink,pay, and surf the web free of charge,as well as plug in your devices. No pesky waiting for a server to bring your tab and take payment- it was all done and good to go, so you could chow/drink/surf right up until your flight is boarding!

Sure enough, I did exactly that,including indulging in an adult beverage,as I am an extremely nervous flier. Like, if I don't have alcohol or Xanax in me, I'm the idiot screaming at every bump or word sound and passing off the FAs )and probably other passengers). My relatives refuse to sit near me on a flight because I may have clawed their skin off during takeoff once or twice. Believe it or not, I've flown a lot- not frequent flier status, but probably an honest hundred times in my lifetime,including three transatlantics and a TPAC to Australia. Desensitizing techniques do not work,nor does distraction. My ex BF introduced me to Xanax years ago during a flight to Guatemala, and it's been heavenly ever since. Yes, I could refuse to travel, but I love to do it,so flying is just a necessary evil I need to endure to be able to do so. I just need to be in an altered state of mind to get through it, and since I haven't established a primary care doctor since moving to NYC, alcohol is my substitute anesthetic.

Back to present flight...

Th flight to San Juan was definitely full, and I found my aisle seat next to a Spanish speaking couple who helped themselves both to the complimentary blankies provided.other than that, they were actually good seatmates- I certainly saw some troublemakers during the flight and was thankful not to be near them.

Troublemaker #1- just after they closed the main cabin door, one lady strolled to the back of the plane to use the toilet. The FA explained to her that the pilots were ready to leave the gate,but couldn't do so until everyone was seated. "well,I gotta go,so they're just gonna have to wait," was this passengers surly response. To prove her point, she stayed in said toilet for ten minutes. After two snappish announcements came on explaining the reason for the delay, she strolled out, grabbed something out of the overhead compartment before leisurely sitting down.

Thankfully, takeoff was smooth and the flight was otherwise uneventful(minus some screaming babies here and there). I was pleasantly shocked to discover that we were actually being fed in steerage during this three hour flight.

At one point, another troublemaker marched up the the first class cabin bc the line for the back lavatories was three deep. Upon receiving her scolding from the FA, she stomped to the end of the line.. I got into said line behind her and listened to her complain that having only TWO lavs for over a hundred people was just lousy business.

Seriously? Was this her first flight? EVER?!?

After a short two hour and seventy minute flght(that was actually a flight attendant joke,LOL) we landed, and I found myself and usage in a taxi line minutes later. As other reviewers have said, the taxis are zoned by district,so the price is set. To my hotel,it was $19, plus $2 for my luggage. The drive was only about ten minutes,and in that time,my initial impressions of San Juan's decor and enveloping huniditiy reminded me of Miami.

Upon arrival to the Sheraton Convention Center and Casino,I was VERY pleasantly surprised. Being that it was 1. My first time at a Sheraton, 2. I was a Priceline guest, and 3. The reviews on this hotel are mixed, I was a bit hesitant about what the experience would be like.

The front desk staff was extremely welcoming, and upon a simple question as to whether or not I could have a bayview room,the clerk cheerfully replied, "oh certainly! We can upgrade you free of cost,no problem! Thank you for staying with us!"

I had honestly not been expecting that they would, at least not without charging, so I was thrilled. I was even more so upon getting to my room with a huge window overlooking the convention center,pool area and the Pan American pier( where RCL and Disney dock). I didn't think I would see the Valor when it came in, but it was still a beautiful view. The room itself was very nice,similar to any Hilton,Hyatt,Mariott,etc. I unpacked a little bit for e next two days and then headed down to the pool,which was one of the positives of this hotel.

I'll stop here and give those who are wondering a quick breakdown of this hotel's pros/cons. It is just outside the old San Juan area, right across a little bay, and is sort of behind Condado. It's a $15 cab to OSJ or Condado, $21 to airport/Isla Verde area. There IS a public bus that you can take for 75 cents a ride,it runs every 30 min and stops at 9pm. For those who are really brave, it's about a twenty minute walk across the bridge to the Caribe Hilton beach.

So. If you think you are going to spend a LOT of time in OSJ, or at the beach,this may not be the hotel for you. However, I mentally reviewed what I wanted to do there, and decided that, excluding a trip in for dinner one night, most if my OSJ activities could be done on embarkation and debarkation days, so I allowed for two cab rides and was okay with that. I was happy enough to stay near the pool most of the time, as I'll outline, and ended up being perfectly satisfied being at this location.

The other main complaint from reviewers are the food choices...there are only three venues inside the hotel,a basic restaurant called Choices, a churrascara, and a bar with bar food. There's not a LOT of options immediately by the hotel, but there is a Mexican restaurant right outside the entrance, and a Sizzler down the street. Again, for the few meals I had here,it sufficed. I knew Id be on a cruise shortly with endless feeding opportunities.

Back to present day...

Once I arrived at the pool , I settled into a lounger(towels provided) surrounded by palm trees with a view of the infinity pool and the bay behind it,with OSJ finishing the backdrop. The pool bar was steps away, with an infinity hot tub( is there such a thing? Check out the pics and you decide) and several couches and cabanas around the deck.

Upon obtaining my first ( of MANY) umbrella drinks for the week, I finally began to relax and rested with my iPad.

A couple hours later, while watching small planes take off, I began conversing with a guy who was there for a conference. While chatting, he told me about a small convenience store a few blocks down,unadvertised by the hotel, where you could get toiletries,beverages,etc. not wanting to venture into OSJ at that point, I took his directions and found the place...can't recall the name, but if you walk out the back of the hotel,cross the green hill in front of the street, and keep going through the neighborhood on that same street, it's a few blocks away. It's a local little place,sells a few snacks, a deli counter and some wine/beer/soda, as well as a shelf or two of toiletries.

I returned to the hotel just as it was getting to be evening, and decided I was ready to crash for the night- I did only have two hours of sleep after all! Plus, I wanted to be well rested for my adventure the next day. I lounged around my room for an hour or so, then went downstairs and settled on bar food for the evening. It was ok...enough to keep me from starving for the night but no gourmet meal by an means! However, the cup of plantain chips were a great snack.

After a quick stroll through the quiet casino and hotel store,it was bedtime!

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deladane Great Review Rare

deladane

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Yay! Another Valor review to help with my planning for my March cruise!! I'm also a 30-something, former NYC resident, and I took a solo cruise in the Southern Caribbean a few years ago, so I can't wait to read your review! Thanks for taking the time to write it up :)

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sunbird21

sunbird21

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Although I could hear music from the Mexican place next door, I slept pretty well the first night at the hotel. I woke up fairly early and started getting ready for my zip line tour throughToroVerde Adventure Park.

 

I had never been ziplining but was interested, especially after my brother and sister in law went ziplining in St Thomas on a cruise a few weeks ago. I looked into that park, and came across Toro Verde in Puerto Rico as well. long story short, I decided that I'd rather do the zipping here and save St Thomas for a beach day. Plus,Toro Verde was the largest ziplining park with record heights and of course, the infamous La Bestia superman zipline. So, for my first time, i was going to go big or go home.

 

Anyway , they have several packages,but the one I chose included transportation to/from the park and lunch along with the 8 line canopy tour and La Bestia. I got a call from the driver at 7:30am, saying he would be there within 20 minutes. I got ready quickly, grabbed a breakfast sandwich from Choices downstairs and waited in the lobby. Once the van driver,Jerry, arrived, I got in with two other groups and sat in the back . I knew that a couple from my roll call were going to be on the tour,but I didn't see anyone in the van fitting their description, so I assumed correctly that there were multiple groups going to the park.

 

Along the ride,Jerry gave us a tour,describing different estuaries and local neighborhoods, and talked about local politics. He had us laughing at several points,including when he described Puerto Ricans as being "mutts" because they are from so many backgrounds."Here,we don't have black,white,Hispanic or Asian...just Puerto Rican! We call it North America done right!"

 

I enjoyed the tour, but regretted my choice to sit in the back,as did the couple next to me, as the ride was VERY bumpy...to the point we were flying out of our seats! The couple had Starbucks cups which I'm amazed didn't spill once. It was especially harrowing on the last stretch into the park, where Jerry took the switchback turns at about 50mph.

 

Upon our arrival to the park, we got out,got fitted into our ziplining gear and Jerry ushered us quickly past the little gift shop and up the first trail just as the second van of visitors arrived.this meant we were the first group to do the tour which was pretty cool.

 

In line for the first line(?) several of us admitted we were first timers and shared our nerves. One girl was especially freaked out,and her husband had to push her down the first line!

 

I was hesitant, but as they hooked me on and I floated down the first one, I was loving it! It was kind of a combo of a roller coaster and parasailing,going fast but peaceful at the same time, and over in a few seconds. It took me a couple of times to figure out to put my hands down quickly when I saw the blue block coming( this stops you before you hit the landing platform) as if I didn't, I got a good smack on my knuckles.

 

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Once I finished the first platform,they told me to continue down the trail to the next one,and that's pretty much how it went. Everyone was mind of on their own,although the individual pairs and groups obviously waited for each other. It did allow me to go through the first five or six kind of quickly, and the platform guys even showed me how to hold my camera so that I could get a video during my rides.

 

All was going well, until the last regular zipline, which was actually quite a climb uphill from the seventh line. I walked along with the female half of the couple riding next to me in the van and we chatted. It turned out that they were in town for a wedding of some relatives that evening! I have to admit, it was certainly an interesting way to kill time before such an event.

 

Anyway, as we got to the last platform,I was starting to get a little more anxious...this line was the longest and highest yet, and after this,it was The Beast! I have to admit, while I was enjoying the ziplining, I was developing this weird fear of the hook that I was hanging on to.it was shaped similar to those keychains that most people use for detachable fobs,where you slide open part of it to slip of the fob/key without unwinding it around the ring.My thought kept increasing that if I squeezed the hook too hard, it would loosen that part and open up,and,well...I'm sure you can finish that thought for me:) I tried asking the last platform guy how likely it was for that piece to come loose, and he shrugged, saying of course it could but "just don't move your fingers at all."

 

Great. That was reassuring!

 

I tried touch this thought as I took off of this last zipline,since the Beast was designed differently, I wouldn't have to think about my irrational fear again after this one. All was well, until I started slowing down well before the end.

 

Now the tour guides had warned us of this possibility,saying that if it happened, we were NOT TO TOUCH THE CABLE until we were completely stopped,as we could burn our hands. Once we were completely stopped, we could then pull ourselves in along the line until we got to the end or a guide came to get us.

 

Back to present course...I could feel myself slowing down,the end was in sight but not close enough. I could hear the guide screaming at me to grab the cable, but I was taking my instructions seriously and refused to do so until I came to a complete stop. However,just before I did, something horrific happened. Instead of stopping, I began to slip BACKWARDS along the line.

 

Now I had even more time to contemplate the hook opening up, along with the possibility of crashing into the zipliner coming behind me and both of us plunging to our deaths 600 ft below. I'm semi ashamed to admit it,but at this point I started screaming like a little girl(only a mere 25 years plus) crying out for help.

 

The guide then propelled himself along the line after me,still screaming at me to grab the cable- was he out of his freaking mind? I was going even faster backwards!-and finally he caught me,and began pulling me I with his legs. He kept muttering aboutu how I should've grabbed the cable and that I hadn't been going fast enough for my hand to get burned "that badly." Whatever,dude. Then he proceeded to stop twice and huff and puff from dragging me. I'm no anorexic,but I'm proportionate weight to my height,so I thought this was a bit much.

 

Once we made it to the end, I did thank him profusely for rescuing me, as he gulped down his bottle of water gasping for air.

 

Of course, the others in my group were chattering about seeing me get stuck, and asking if I was going to do the Beast. At this point, I was pretty much done with the whole zipline thing,but I had to go along with the open air van ride up to the Beast anyway, so I figured I'd wait out everyone else's ride and ride down to the main lodge.

 

As we got out by the entrance ,about half of my group got suited up into the special Beast costumes. A few continued to talk me into doing it,but at this point others were starting to chicken out upon seeing the cable stretch on into a mile of nothingness over the deep trenches of the rainforest.

 

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Soon, the first few people were zooming off with terrified screams, and because of the length of the line, we weren't able to see anyone land. As the second half of the people were waiting for more Beastie suits to arrive, a second tour van arrived and people tumbled out. I was watching the group walk towards the platform when I spotted a couple wearing matching Carnival Fascination shirts. Knowing that the other couple from the roll call had just been on the Fascination, I approached them and asked if they were J and R. They confirmed it, and we started gabbing about the cruise!

 

(Sidenote: since my fellow roll call peeps may or may not read this, I try to respect their anonymity so I use initials instead of names. I'm sure they can identify themselves and others from the group,but for the general public I try to maintain their privacy!)

 

During the course of our discussion, the other Beastie suits arrived, and before I knew it, J, R, and others in my tour out talked me into getting into one. The platform guy promised to pull me wayyyy back on the line to ensure that I wouldn't get stuck. Since we had to put our hands behind our back and hold onto a strap, I knew there was no way to film or take pics along the ride. I had the idea at the last minute to ask J if she would video me on my camera and I would collect it from her on the ship the next day....I wasn't too worried about not collecting it,though they reassured me profusely-although R did tease that there was a video charge!

 

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So with a record of me on the Beast,or me plunging to my death as R put it,I got hooked up,grabbed the strap, and the guy pulled me to the end of the cord...and a second later,I was zooming over the platform,past the cliff of the mountain, and was FLYING over nearly 1000 ft of rainforest and river streams! Of course I was shrieking,but tried to enjoy it,even spotting my tiny shadow on the bed of the forest below. I did slow down a bit towards the end of the platform, but thankfully I could tell I would make it!

 

With a hard landing, I was unhooked and exuberant about successfully conquering the Beast!

 

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I was the last one from my group so we walked down the trail to the van and rode back to the lodge/store. We were ushered upstairs to a bar/restaurant where we got our sandwiches and drinks. I sat with another couple there on vacation and we chatted for a bit. Then J and R arrived and we started going over the cruise again, and of course some others were asking about it as well.

 

Before I knew it,we were being directed to the photo sales($20 pp for pics throughout the tour) and just before I had a chance to examine all of mine, Jerry was calling me to the van, saying that everyone was ready to go. So, I took a gamble that the pics were worth $20 and bought the CD,hurrying into the van. I tried to grab a seat near the front, but the woman who previously sat next to me squawked loudly that she was NOT sitting in the back again, so in order to avoid a dispute, I was in the second to last row.

 

The ride back was quiet,needless to say,with a lot of snoozers. We dropped off the peeps at the Caribe Hilton first, and then headed back to the Sheraton. It was on this route that I saw that one could potentially walk from the Sheraton to the beaches at the Caribe in about 20 minutes...certainly doable for a New Yorker like me lol! Had I had more time,I would have tested it out,but alas.....

 

We got back about three, and with four hours to kill before my Barrachinas dinner,what to do? Umm...if you have any questions...please rewind to yesterday's photos and then submit your guess. That's right, this girl was in a poolside lounger with an umbrella drink faster than you can blink!

 

 

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Today the beautiful view of the infinity pool was enhanced with the Disney Magic and Royal Caribbeans Something of the Seas in the background. The pool was especially refreshing after the extreme warm temps in the rainforest. I ended up running into two girls who were on the tour as well,along with the guy from the afternoon before. The afternoon passed much too quickly. I had hoped to see the ships depart,but they stayed put...although I did get to hear the infamous Disney horn play "When You Wish Upon A Star" briefly!

 

I quickly got ready for dinner, which I had arranged via the roll call board. This is another area where my research paid off, as several reviews mentioned roll callers getting together at Barrachinas, a local restarant in dispute with Caribe Hilton as the location that invented the piña colada. It was also reported to have good local dishes and a flamenco dance show. I had about ten people reply that they were interested.

 

The cab ride in was $15, and the driver let me off about a block away from the restaurant, since the road next to it was blocked off for construction. Luckily,it was easy to find, and I arrived about ten minutes early,figuring I'd get the table and be there to greet people.

 

Turns out a group had already beat me to it! The family group of two sisters and their mom were there, (S, G, and J) and another solo traveler,I, and they were already sampling the infamous piña coladas and wearing the umbrellas LOL! Quick introductions were made,and another couple,J and C were shortly behind. Finally,another couple finished up the group a few minutes later(can't recall their names,I don't think I ran into them again but you know who you are!). It turned out to be quite a lively group, and we were two coladas deep by the time the show started( and yes, an umbrella had found its way to my head as well).

 

 

 

The show was pretty good, as was the dinner. I was planning on trying the chicken caribe no but ended up getting the dish above it, which was chicken wrapped in fried plantains. It was pretty good! S had the chicken caribeno, and we tried each others, and I have to admit both dishes were pretty good. A few others tried the mofongo and seemed to like it.

 

Before I knew it, dinner was finished, and we went our separate ways,excited for the cruise the next day! I did see the Walgreens across the square from the taxi stand, but I was too tired to go shopping at that point so I headed back to the hotel. As I was relaxing in my room, I watched the Disney ship sail from the port all lit up. In twenty four hours, that would be me!

 

 

 

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sunbird21

sunbird21

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Cruise Day!!!!!

 

My body was used to waking up around 6:30, and despite the comfortable bed, I was awake at about 6:15. My cabbie from the night before had said that it was unlikely to see the Valor from my hotel,but I peeked out the window anyway...and this is what I saw!!!

 

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At first, I thought I had a distance view of the ship in port, but after a minute, I could see that the Valor was steaming into port! I excitedly snapped photos and posted on out Facebook page, and soon found fellow roll callers up early posting similar photos. Excitement was in the air early today!

 

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Even though I knew some people had gone to the port as early as 1030 or so, I wanted to take advantage of the fairly late checkout of noon, and spent some time in that gorgeous pool. I headed down to it just before 7, and only one other person was out there,relaxi by the spa. I rested out there awhile, alternating between the pool and spa,watching the Valor complete her ride into port.

 

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Just as I was appreciating the calm early morning,the music began BLARING across the street at the Convention Center, and bus loads of teenagers were pulling up.the other woman outside looked at me and we were both startled! It was about ten to eight in the morning- I hope no one at the hotel was seriously considering sleeping in that morning!

 

I thought the music would die down, but it seemed like the party was just getting started, so I headed into the Choices restarant for a sit down breakfast. I passed on the buffet option,as I would have plenty of buffet opportunities over the next week. I had blueberry pancakes, which, sad to say, were probably the worst pancakes I'd ever had...very tough and difficult to chew. Definitely would NOT recommend!

 

After this disappointing meal, I went upstairs to the business center to print out my luggage takes and boarding pass. I panicked when I saw that the printer was out of ink,but after calling the front desk,they reassured me that they would print them out for me:)

 

I ended up back in the room, getting ready and packing, and finally headed to the port at about 11:45. Once again,it was a quick ride over,$15 fare. Having cruised primarily out of Miami,I expected there to be porters waiting to collect my bags(and tip) as I climbed out of the cab. Instead, I found a line of people lugging their luggage down the sidewalk into the terminal,as a herd of disembarking passengers were pulling their luggage in the opposite direction. I was shocked to see so many people getting OFF the ship at nearly noon!

 

So, I dragged my two bags down the walkway, stopped to show my boarding pass and passport halfway down, and continued with no porters in sight. Finally I asked someone at the entrance to the terminal building where we took the luggage(hint,hint) and he pointed to a crowd of people just inside,dropping off their bags behind a gate.

 

As I made my way inside,I stood in the disorganized group of about 15-20 people dropping off their luggage to porters who merely shoved the bags behind them. A few minutes later,they took mine...I'm not going to open up a discussion on whether or not tipping was appropriate, but I will admit, I questioned it at this point,because it seemed like I had done most of the work of getting it into the building.....JMO.

 

I also noticed,once the bags were gone, that several small booths were set up near the escalators offering free shots of rum,tequila,wine,etc. I didn't partake at this point LOL, but found it interesting. I headed up the escalator, managed to slip right past the embarkation phot setup, bypassed a champagne sampling booth, and got into the check in line. I logged the time on the Facebook roll call page just to pass along info- it was about 12:15, I think. The line was four rows deep, which wasn't too surprising,but it did pass quickly, and I found myself check in less than 20 minutes later. The woman that checked me in told me to go straight onto the ship, which led me to believe that people were getting on already. I walked pass a bunch of people sitting down(should've been a clue) and was about to get in the security line when one of the liquor samplers(yes,there were more) yelled at me to sit down. " Its not time to go on,just the people from Barbados!" she yelled. Long story short, the check in woman didn't give me a zone card, so I had to go back,find someone who grabbed me a zone 11 card.

 

 

 

I was going to sit down when someone called my name. It was J and C from the night before. They had been there since 11. I sat by them, and about 5 minutes later they started calling the FTTF,Platinum,Diamond cruisers to board. I saw J and R from the zipline tour,along with friends of theirs from the roll call board, in that group,with cowboy hats adorned with Carnival pins.

 

Zone 1 was about a minute after that, and J and C,who had been waiting for an hour, we're the next lucky group together on. I figured that it would be a good half hour before Zone 11 was called...I was sort of right. They started calling Zones 2-4 then, and somehow it became a free for all of people shoving in line. I got to the back of the line where I saw peop,e with zone cards anywhere from 9-13, and figured that by the time it reached the front, Zone 11 would be called or pretty close. However, the line didn't seem to move so much as people just kept cutting and shoving and the terminal agents just grabbed the Zone cards as people passed without even glancing at the numbers.

 

With all of this, I made to to security about a half hour later,and as I went through and onto the gangway, I spotted how those attempting to sneak on alcohol could do so easily. The liquor store is right before security,and there's another one downstairs. Once you pass security, you enter the gangway, which is two levels deep before the entrance to the ship. It is the doorway to the ship that has the alcohol check in desk, so there's plenty of opportunity to hide the liquor before this point.

 

Sidebar.... I'm going to call it right now. I'm going to invite a lot of flamers with my comments and stories on alcohol here. Yes, I am telling how you can sneak alcohol aboard,which I did at one point,so all of the people who think Carnival invites trashy people because of this, or who think people are cheating the system and driving up prices a going to have a a field day.

 

But,wait! I have a twist to this story.

 

I did buy the CHEERS package.

 

Yes,that's right! Not only am I inciting the people who hate alcohol smugglers, I'm going after those who think CHEERS buyers are nothing but lushes who spend the entire cruise wasted. I'm admitting to both!!! Go ahead bring it on...I'm curious to see which side can rip me apart better. I'll be especially impressed to those who can trash me for both in the same post.

 

I did pre warn you all that is review would contain sarcasm, didn't I???

 

BTW, not to give away a huge spoiler,but I did not in fact end up trashed throughout the cruise. I did drink,but responsibly, and I stuck to my limits.there will be no stories of passing out,throwing up,fighting,or stripping in this review,sorry to say- keep reading for continued details:)

 

OK,/soapbox. Back to review.

 

 

 

 

 

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sunbird21

sunbird21

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Anyway, I ended up getting on the ship at about 1:35, I think...entering through the third floor atrium. I found the above mentioned package for sale at the lobby bar,bit the bullet and purchased it,along with the Funship Special for the day.

 

I made my way up to deck 8 to see if my room was ready...and it was!!! I was so excited to see my first balcony room!

 

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I had mentioned the other day that I had debated the extra cost of this room on the boards here,and most encouraged it. I'd like to mention briefly the one notable discouraging post,who stated that a balcony was pretty must a waste on a solo traveler,and that I should wait until " there is a WE cruising." I was very much insulted by this, and I admit,it almost encouraged me to go ahead and get it. I'd just like to note to any solo travelers...ANYONE is deserving of ANY room that they can afford and want! I very much enjoyed the balcony over the week and was grateful to have it. Yes,I'm sure it can be romantic for a couple, but that doesn't mean it should be for couples only.

 

Anyway,after jumping up and down on the balcony,photographing the room while it was still clean and tidy, I headed up to the Lido deck for lunch.

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I have to admit I loved the location of my room,8405... It was near the aft,starboard side, and a few rooms down from the aft stairs,just one short flight up from the aft pool and bar and Rosie's. This was pretty convenient during the week.

 

I had hoped to grab some pizza,as the goat cheese and mushroom was a favorite of mine, by the pizza bar was closed! I walked around and found the burrito bar on the starboard side of the buffet,where you could get made to order burritos. It was pretty good!

 

After chewing down quickly, I headed backup my room to call C and J, who had suggested going to the Bacardi factory tour. I figured I'd either meet up with them or wander around OSJ and up to the forts for a few hours. I had a reservation for Scarlett's at 7:30, but J and R had invited me to join their reservation at 6, so I wanted to try that.

 

Just as I was heading down my hall, J and C were in front of my door! What timing! we met up with I, and the four off us easily disembarked the ship and walked down the main street to Pier 2. We purchased our oh so expensive tickets for the ferry($1 round trip) but it had already left,so with a half hour to kill,we went to the Mexican restarant next door for a quick snack/drink.

 

 

 

 

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sunbird21

sunbird21

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Then we got onto the ferry and headed over to Catano,and walked about a block or so in very humid heat until we found the taxis going to the factory. We got into a van with a bachelorette party that flew down to San Juan for the weekend. Between the four of us excited for our cruise and them,it was a pretty lively van...especially for J, who joked about his "harem" LOL! Of course they found it interesting that we had all met up online via the roll call boards and commented on how well we were all getting along. Then again,they could've been freaked out,who knows?

 

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Upon arrival to the factory, we got our two drink tickets,settled in with our first drink,a rum punch that was very strong!

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The tour tram left a few minutes later and drove around the lot before taking us inside several rooms with Bacardi family paraphernalia. We saw a short video on the history of Bacardi,which was in a room similar to the planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History here in NYC. With the rum punches consumed and the dark room...this is an easy place to nap quickly.

 

Along the tour, they had rooms where you could smell the different varietys of rum, and then in the last room,there was a bartender who gave away shots of the Bacardi Reserve. We met up with our bachelorette party and chatted some more before climbing aboard the tram back to the main bar.

 

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As it was getting close to 530,and both I and I( ok that was confusing) were invited to dinner with J and R at 6, we grabbed our second free drink to go,grabbed a taxi back to the ferry and headed back to the ship. We parted ways with J and C, who stopped by CvS to grab some snacks and beverages of their own.

 

We raced back onto the ship with moments to spare. Luckily, I was dressed somewhat appropriately for the Scarlett's, so I headed straight up. I stopped by her room, and I went up to the steakhouse. Luckily,there was no issue changing my reservation, and I was led to a window side table where J and R were already seated. I told then that I would be joining shortly, which she did. J and R had been here before, so they pre warned us that it was going to be a heavy meal!

 

My starters....I had two instead of a starter and salad....

 

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My filet mignon...

 

The chef samples that were brought around...

 

My seatmates food...thankfully J and I were also food porn photographers....

 

I was completely stuffed but I forced myself this dessert....

 

All in all, it was an AMAZING meal, and absolutely worth the $35!!!!

 

I headed back to my room,where I found my luggage,and unpacked. We had about 45 minutes before muster drill,which was plenty of time to get completely unpacked,make a coupe of last minute calls. However, I was getting pretty sleepy by the time the announcements beckoned us to our stations...it was about 9:40pm.

 

I had been to muster drills before so I knew what to expect,but this one was a bit different. They had us line up by height and then actually counted us before going through the typical emergency speeches in Spanish and English. Here is one spot where I do think Norwegian does it a bit better by having people swipe their cards upon entering the muster station.

 

Then again, I could've been just tired and cranky.

 

Finally,they released the starboard side first,which was my side,yay! I headed straight to my room, watched Revenge on TV from my balcony while also watching sail away. Talk about multitasking! I could hear the sail away party upstairs a bit,but from what I had seen so far in the ship, I don't think it was heavily attended.

 

After my show was over, it was lights out for me! I did leave my balcony door open to hear the waves,which wasn't hard, and fell asleep quickly.

 

 

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