CruiseXLife Takes Liberty- Maiden San Juan to Southern Caribbean Photo Review

[cruisexlife]

We began our drive away from the port. Our tour guide Denver introduced himself and began talking about the city and the things we were passing. Here is the Hewanorra House, I can't remember if it was an assisted living home or a hotel, but I thought the building looked pretty cool.

 

 

Docked in Saint Lucia

 

 

This ship is named "Walrus". It sank in Castries harbor a few months ago, and they are in the process of lifting and removing it. You can see little boats right next to it, belonging to the people who were inside the ship removing important things. Don't know if it was a salvage operation or if they were removing things for themselves, but I think that would be an interesting tour, to explore a half-sunken ship and actually go on it.

 

 

The MSC Musica docked in Castries with a catamaran next to it. You know, I have never been on a catamaran, and I would love to try one sometime soon. Maybe on my Caribbean cruise in November that is still being finalized. Cannot choose between 3 cruises, 2 different lines!

 

 

A local lady selling vegetables. At first I was upset that we didn't get to stop, as this was a huge local market and I would've liked a tomato and a cucumber to put in my bag for the day, plus I wanted to interact with some locals. But food and local interaction came eventually, more on that later.

 

 

A beautiful church in the downtown area of Castries.

 

[cruisexlife]

We drove on the main drag in Castries, right through downtown. I didn't get many pictures, I was very interested in what Denver had to say about the language, the prime minister, the people, etc. But we drove for about 10 minutes after that church picture was taken and began going up the mountain. Bye Castries! We stopped for at the famous viewpoint that many passengers get pics of their ships at. We stopped for about 2 minutes and didn't leave the bus.

 

Castries Harbor. You can see the small space for a little cruise ship behind Liberty, as well as the little cargo slot behind the Musica for another small ship. Cannot imagine this city packed with 4, it seemed very busy with 2 ships there.

 

 

Liberty, and Martinique in the background. :p He mentioned something about a ferry to Martinique from Castries, I'll have to look into it at another time. But there is so much to see in St.Lucia, so don't try and leave the island if you haven't seen all of it yet!

 

 

We began another 15 minute drive. Denver pointed out the prime minister's house and other important sight. Some random palms I took along the way. The drives through the island reminded me a lot of Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

 

 

We arrived at the Castries College. There, there was a viewpoint. We got out of "Starship 1" and Denver told us about the significance of the battle that took place here and overlooking the cliffs viewed from here. Here is Denver, holding a traditional St.Lucian doll.

 

[cruisexlife]

The beautiful view from the top of the viewpoint!

 

 

 

I made my way back to the bus. Here is where the begging started. Little kids literally went over to a bus, picked flowers, threw them at us, and got mad when we didn't give them money. I gave many locals money along the trip, and I had a really hard time not giving any to the kids. But the second I saw a boy take a coin, go back to the bus and drop the coin, I got on the bus and didn't think about it anymore. It upsets me too much, that not only is the country so poor that 4 year olds have to work for the family, but that it is so poor that the adults cannot watch the little kids, and they are fighting for themselves at age 4. I could've grabbed that little boy and no one would've noticed. Just so upsetting, so I tried to get it out of my mind.

 

Here is the view from the parking lot. So cool!

 

 

Next, we began the drive to a wood carving center and museum. I stared out the window for most of the next 20 minute drive. Bring an ipod, as the tour guides will constantly be talking and giving commentary, but the rides get longer and longer, and you will want something to listen to in case the conversation runs dry. Or you get carsick, as the roads are bumpy. Be aware of this as well, pack some Dramamine in your day bag for the ride on any land excursion!

 

[cruisexlife]

We arrived at the wood carving factory about 20 minutes later. We were directed into the building to begin the presentation. This was the first place I saw bathrooms being offered, so many made a stop there before entering this building. Here was our wonderful tour guide!

 

 

They began their show. The woodcarvers didn't do much other than wave when the tour guide (not Denver, a lady with the building) said their names, which of course I knew last night, but can't remember right now. Just my luck ;) She told us about the types of wood being used from the different trees on the island. She also explained the tools, their purposes, and how to use them. During the presentation, the woodcarvers continued carving their wood. I would've gotten more details, but I was more focused on them and the kind of work they were doing.

 

 

They are super talented, and it looks very hard, and rather dangerous. Their hands were all cut up, and looked to have been through some tool intrusions over their years. However, I was really impressed with their work.

 

 

Then, we were directed into the exhibit room and gift shop.

 

 

Everything in there was very beautiful, but out of my price rang. Even small things like refrigerator magnets were $20 or more. The things below were close to $175. They were beautiful, and I regret not getting one, but it wasn't really in my budget. Oh well. I enjoyed walking around and looking at them for about 20 minutes.

 

Edited May 18, 2015 by cruisexlife

[cruisexlife]

Many were buying things, so once we were finished browsing we headed back to the bus. Here is the mandatory license plate picture.

 

 

I found this beautiful pink flower in a bush next to the bus.

 

 

And this red one too. So cool!

 

 

So after spending about 45 minutes at the woodcarving center we boarded the bus again and began driving for a bit. We were going to drive, stop at a viewpoint, and then find our way to the beautiful town of Anse La Rae. It took about 45 minutes total.

 

Is somebody hungry? :D

 

[cruisexlife]

Here is a sugar field. Saint Lucia grows a lot of sugar. You can see the sugar cane in the back, with my favorite, a swaying palm :) If I ever decide to drop my life and become a farmer, it would be on a Caribbean island, one like St.Lucia. It is so lush and gorgeous and has lots of natural beauty.

 

 

We drove a little more and came to the next viewpoint. It was very gorgeous! I think that's a famous resort down there but don't hold me to it. All I know is that St.Lucia is only getting better the further south we go!

 

 

At this viewpoint, there were some shops, as well as vendors selling drinks and small snacks. There were also bathrooms here I believe. After our 10 minute stop, we headed out again towards the beautiful town of Anse La Rae. I have never seen bananas hanging from palms, so this was a pretty sight to see. Did you know that there are no monkeys in Saint Lucia because if there were, they would have no bananas? Denver made me laugh with that one! :D

 

 

Anse La Rae bound!

 

 

Next: Anse La Rae

[TheGinBoy]

Hey Cruisexlife,

 

I'm not really a Carnival gal, more of a RCCL type. But loving your review - perfect amount of fun info and lovely photos.

 

You should really try Adventure OTS, I did it in 2010 and loved every moment :)

[cruisexlife]

Hey Cruisexlife,

 

I'm not really a Carnival gal, more of a RCCL type. But loving your review - perfect amount of fun info and lovely photos.

 

You should really try Adventure OTS, I did it in 2010 and loved every moment :)

 

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I would love to give Royal another try this year, so you may see a review from me soon! I would love to try Adventure, I like her St.Croix - St.Maarten - Antigua - Martinique - St.Lucia itinerary, so once the price and dates are right, I'd book it! Thanks for following along, I'll get more tomorrow.

[cccer]

Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it! I would love to give Royal another try this year, so you may see a review from me soon! I would love to try Adventure, I like her St.Croix - St.Maarten - Antigua - Martinique - St.Lucia itinerary, so once the price and dates are right, I'd book it! Thanks for following along, I'll get more tomorrow.

 

We have done mostly Carnival but one of our best cruises was out of PR on the Serenade of the Seas. I was worried about a smaller ship but it was great. that being said, we are doing the liberty this year

[cruisexlife]

We have done mostly Carnival but one of our best cruises was out of PR on the Serenade of the Seas. I was worried about a smaller ship but it was great. that being said, we are doing the liberty this year

 

You are going to LOVE Liberty! I cannot wait to get to the ship your section, where I'll show you all of the pics of the ship that I have so you know just what to expect. I hope you're enjoying the review! :)

[bktich]

Did you book your tour in St. Lucia through carnival or an outside company? And which tour was this? Thank you

[cruisexlife]

Did you book your tour in St. Lucia through carnival or an outside company? And which tour was this? Thank you

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

It was called "Top 10 of Saint Lucia: Soufriere, Pitons, and More!" I booked it through Carnival, and this was a long and expensive tour on the most lush island, and I didn't want to risk anything.

 

Enjoy! :D

[erby2283]

So I'll pause the review for a bit to answer questions. Ask anything you have been wondering about San Juan, St.Thomas, the Sea Day, or the ship. I have not had much response from the review, so I want to pause and see who's out there. Feel free to ask any questions, I'm sure I could answer them! ;)

 

First of all, thank you for taking the time to post this review. I know how time consuming they can be and mine are no where near as detailed as yours! I am really enjoying yours as I sailed the Liberty last year from Port Canaveral.

 

So far I just have two questions.

 

I am flying to San Juan, from Raleigh, NC with a layover on Tampa but NO plane change and it gets in at 4:05 pm the day of the cruise. I didn't want to come in the day before b/c I have sailed out of San Juan 2x before and have sailed there several times before that and am trying to cut down on cost. That being said, some have me worried about missing the ship, especially since the cruise is in December - even though it doesn't depart until 10 pm. Would you suggest purchasing the Carnival Transfer or just rely on a taxi? Was worried about Rush Hour traffic - especially since the cruise departs on a Wednesday.

 

And secondly, we had planned on just staying on the ship in St. Thomas (or maybe just getting off or a quick bite across the street and to shop those close shops) and then enjoy an empty ship. But we have never done Paradise Point. In your opinion, is it worth the $21 p/p?

[cruisexlife]

First of all, thank you for taking the time to post this review. I know how time consuming they can be and mine are no where near as detailed as yours! I am really enjoying yours as I sailed the Liberty last year from Port Canaveral.

 

So far I just have two questions.

 

I am flying to San Juan, from Raleigh, NC with a layover on Tampa but NO plane change and it gets in at 4:05 pm the day of the cruise. I didn't want to come in the day before b/c I have sailed out of San Juan 2x before and have sailed there several times before that and am trying to cut down on cost. That being said, some have me worried about missing the ship, especially since the cruise is in December - even though it doesn't depart until 10 pm. Would you suggest purchasing the Carnival Transfer or just rely on a taxi? Was worried about Rush Hour traffic - especially since the cruise departs on a Wednesday.

 

And secondly, we had planned on just staying on the ship in St. Thomas (or maybe just getting off or a quick bite across the street and to shop those close shops) and then enjoy an empty ship. But we have never done Paradise Point. In your opinion, is it worth the $21 p/p?

 

Thanks so much for the kind words! I am so glad that you're enjoying the review, I hope it brings back some memories, especially when I get to the ship section. :D

 

I would suggest a transfer. That way, Carnival knows that you're there, and is waiting for you. I usually don't fall into tourist things, or use them just for "convenience", but this is the best option in my opinion. It ensures that you will get there, and safely. So yes I would purchase one.

 

About Paradise Point, yes and no. Yes, it was totally worth it, the views were great, and I really liked it up there. Took my breath away. But for the money, I would say that if you plan on going, make it worth it, as it can be expensive. But yes, if you haven't been, I suggest adding it!

 

Hope I helped, I'll add some more when I get a minute :D

[Dirkgun]

We arrived at the wood carving factory about 20 minutes later. We were directed into the building to begin the presentation. This was the first place I saw bathrooms being offered, so many made a stop there before entering this building. Here was our wonderful tour guide!

 

 

 

They began their show. The woodcarvers didn't do much other than wave when the tour guide (not Denver, a lady with the building) said their names, which of course I knew last night, but can't remember right now. Just my luck ;) She told us about the types of wood being used from the different trees on the island. She also explained the tools, their purposes, and how to use them. During the presentation, the woodcarvers continued carving their wood. I would've gotten more details, but I was more focused on them and the kind of work they were doing.

 

 

 

They are super talented, and it looks very hard, and rather dangerous. Their hands were all cut up, and looked to have been through some tool intrusions over their years. However, I was really impressed with their work.

 

 

 

Then, we were directed into the exhibit room and gift shop.

 

 

 

Everything in there was very beautiful, but out of my price rang. Even small things like refrigerator magnets were $20 or more. The things below were close to $175. They were beautiful, and I regret not getting one, but it wasn't really in my budget. Oh well. I enjoyed walking around and looking at them for about 20 minutes.

 

 

That is so cool... I have never seen anyone else review going to Eudovic Studios (the name of the wood carving place) We have gone here 3 times now and try to get here every time on St Lucia. THey do have great stuff there.

 

Here is a pic with the owner of the place.... he signed a few pieces for us that he made. Kind of makes the souvenir better....

 

 

 

Still loving the review.... keep it coming.

[cruisexlife]

We arrived at Anse La Rae and were told to be back in 20 minutes. Like all of the viewpoints and short stops, maybe set up stores for the people. Something I've never seen in the Caribbean before until coming here.

 

 

Then, we stepped between some of the stores, out to the famous Anse La Rae beach.

 

 

BEAUTIFUL black sand! :D

 

 

Wow

 

 

This beach really left me starstruck.

 

 

It was super gorgeous. I didn't see deck chairs or anyone laying out, but if someone bought 100 deck chairs and a shuttle bus or two, they could have themselves a thriving business with the cruise passengers.

[cruisexlife]

Here is one of the dogs that freely roam Anse La Rae. Now, I had to conquer a lot of fear to take this picture. I don't have the best luck with international dogs. :D In July, I was in Suzhou, China, and there was this dog. He was a beautiful golden retriever. He was laying nicely on the sidewalk. Someone in our group pointed at him to us, and once we all looked, he lurched up and growled louder than my Rottweiler!!! In Grand Turk, and any of my review fans (if there are any yet?) may remember this, there was a dog at the beach, so I took a picture, and my phone slid out of my backpack and into the sand, and I left my phone on the beach! We went back and got it afterwards.

 

Either way, I have gotten numerous scares from dogs in other countries. Thanks for not giving me a scare this trip buddy!

 

 

More shopping. See the pink house at the end of the road, well down that street one house is a homemade bread factory. Me and some of my new-found friends from the tour went over. They had amazing bread! It was very good, and very nice, considering there was no lunch with the tour. It was hot and made right in front of you, it was $1 for a piece. I would suggest making a stop there.

 

 

Some souvenirs

 

 

Goodbye beautiful Anse La Rae! I will be back with some SPF 50, a bathing suit, and a blue Carnival towel!

 

 

We began driving again. Our tour guide, Denver, picked us up some bread, so I got an extra piece of this tasty local-made food. Then, we passed one of his friend's house's, and he picked us up some bananas. We broke our our water bottles, and this became our lunch. Once we were finished our lunch, we stopped for another viewpoint, but didn't leave the bus. I really loved the view from up here, THAT beach looks gorgeous as well!

 

[Dirkgun]

Quote:

 

I didn't really understand why there was a flower cart in the terminal, to my knowledge, you can't bring plants onboard. Am I correct or could I have brought one of these beautiful flowers?

 

 

End Quote. I don't really know why it did not highlight the quotes.

 

 

 

 

Yes you can bring flowers onto the ship... just not back through the airport at USDA check point. I used to think they would not let you into Puerto Rico with them but I found out they let people off the ship with them there. We have gotten these arrangements there the last 3 cruises to Barbados. THey are pretty.

 

Edited May 20, 2015 by Dirkgun

[cruisexlife]

We were full-steam ahead to the Pitons now! I plugged in my headphones and pressed my head against the glass for the next 20 minutes, as I could not wait to get a glimpse of these long-awaited splendors.

 

I thought this tiny little town was cute.

 

 

So there was a beautiful mountain in the distance, and of course, my amazing luck shows itself once again, and it gets the pole dead in the middle of the mountain! :rolleyes:

 

 

Got it now! Gosh I love this scenery.

 

 

And, what you've all been waiting for........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After this commercial break!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No, just kidding. The gigantic, wondrous Pitons :D

 

 

Next: Pitons and Mudbaths

[cruisexlife]

Quote:

 

I didn't really understand why there was a flower cart in the terminal, to my knowledge, you can't bring plants onboard. Am I correct or could I have brought one of these beautiful flowers?

 

 

End Quote. I don't really know why it did not highlight the quotes.

 

 

 

 

Yes you can bring flowers onto the ship... just not back through the airport at USDA check point. I used to think they would not let you into Puerto Rico with them but I found out they let people off the ship with them there. We have gotten these arrangements there the last 3 cruises to Barbados. THey are pretty.

 

 

Wow, I'll make note of it for my next visit for Barbados. Thanks! :D

[cruisexlife]

We now began our drive into Soufriere and the Mudbaths. Do you see the mountain-that-looks-more-like-a-hill-thing in the middle? Now do you see the flat side of it? Do you see the white/gray area between the flat side and the surrounding mountains? Those are the Mudbaths :p

 

 

If you have not noticed, I have a thing for palm trees.

 

 

Could not get over these views.

 

 

The front Piton with Soufriere in the foreground. Imagine washing dishes in the sink and looking up and seeing that out of your window every morning? I wouldn't mind that, it would make washing dishes easier (:

 

 

This is also something that I have never seen before. See the big yellow bean? That's a cacao bean! They grow some cacao here on the island, so I thought it was cool to see them.

 

[cruisexlife]

We drove for a bit down windy and bumpy roads after briefly passing through Soufriere. We soon arrived at the Sulphur Springs Mudbaths. From the second I stepped out of the van, I immediately smelled the sulphur. If you're really getting into my review, pause for a moment, got and smash an egg in a boll, and leave it broken, shell and all, in the boll. Leave it on the counter. Come back in 24 hours, and smell it. That's what the smell was like!

 

 

Despite the smell of rotten eggs, I liked reading the information signs and listening to Denver talk about the sulphur springs, they fascinated me.

 

 

We originally planned on going to the Mudbaths, as mom took a trip with friends to Los Angeles and Vegas a few months before the trip, where they drove from LA to Vegas, and spent a day at the Mudbaths and Sulphur Springs, somewhere in between the two cities. She really loved it, and wanted to try again. Well, she read a view from a first-time cruiser that said the drive was long, therefore the ENTIRE EXCURSION sucked. Oh well, we landed on my new favorite cruise excursion. We do plan to make a trip here on a future stop (or land trip I liked it that much) to St.Lucia. Notice the man covered in mud!

 

 

We left the Sulphur Springs after 20 minutes, but we weren't out of the park until 45 minutes after the bus started moving. There is a one way street in and out, and no ay regulating it, and someone decided to be oppositional and go in the out way, and despite the four letter words and four letter word-representing fingers that were flying, the driver still decided to go the wrong way, causing everyone to have to yield off the side of the road and wait as this bus moved at 1 mile an hour. Oh well, we got some good laughs from watching passengers on other buses throw fingers and curse at the man. They were saying "You're going to make me late for my ship!". Honey, it was 2:00. You could swim to Martinique before the 4:30, the onboard time, let alone when the ship would've left you. You'll be fine. :rolleyes:

 

We began driving along the coast again to head back to Soufriere for a small city tour, another stop, and then the 75 minute drive back to Liberty. Here is the beautiful coast line of the Southeastern section of the island. See that building in the back? That's the resort they used for the first episode of the bachelor!

 

 

We made it back to Soufriere. The town square and some colorful buildings.

 

[cruisexlife]

Denver took us more through Soufriere. It was a small Caribbean city, so we didn't stay long, or get out of the bus. Fine by me. We took us past the hospital, where they only have 12 beds, and it is only one of three on the island. Mom works in a hospital and manages the beds, so she enjoyed learning about healthcare on the island. We then drove out of the city and up the mountain. After 5 minutes, we arrived at the Marantha Gardens.

 

 

Denver walked us down the steeps stairs into the garden. He did ask anyone who has walking issues to please stay on the bus, but everyone got off and did just fine.

 

 

At the bottom, there was a grassy space surrounded by small colorful building with signs on them. Plus, numerous flowers. I had never been to a professional garden before, so I enjoyed listening to Denver and taking in more natural beauty.

 

 

One of the buildings.

 

 

The inside of some fruit that I cannot remember the name of. It was Cacao or some native fruit. Denver passed around several cut-open fruits for us to look at.

 

 

The garden really was beautiful!

 

 

We made our way back out of the garden and headed up the steps, back up to the bus. We all got on the bus and headed to our last stop of the tour.

[cruisexlife]

We arrived at the Beacon Point Restaurant and Viewpoint, as were told to be back on the bus in 30 minutes. Inside, you could order food items and sit and eat them there. There was also a snack/drink bar, selling finger snacks, alcohol, soda, and bottles of water. There were also bathrooms here. But the cool thing that comes free with or without purchase, is this miraculous view.

 

 

W.O.W. :eek:

 

 

I was pretty hungry, but this view kept me mesmerized.

 

 

Mom and I took our pictures with the beautiful backdrop, then went to the bathroom. They were pretty clean here and, well, it would be at least 1 hour and 30 minutes until I would see another toilet. I went to go buy some food, but I forgot that Mom smuggled two apples off of the ship. She still looks out for me! I got us two bottles of water and we sat and enjoyed the view. When we heard Denver calling, we finished our apples, stretched our legs, and then got back into the bus, headed back towards Castries. Despite getting enough sleep, eating a lot, staying hydrated, and the final beautiful views of the island, I was knocked out cold after 15 minutes of driving, and got a free one hour nap. It really felt good to not only get a nap after the long day, but to wake up to this! :D

 

Edited May 21, 2015 by cruisexlife

[cruisexlife]

We ran into rush hour (rush hour in the Caribbean is between 3-5, when the people have to get the passengers back to the ship, and then they have to get back to their houses) traffic and took a while to get through the city. No one on our tour was on the Musica, but I like this picture I got of her.

 

 

I managed to snap this photo when we stopped yet again in traffic.

 

 

I missed you Liberty!

 

 

I think there are so many interpretations of culture with this photo. Is it an example of generations, or is it a metaphor? It really got me thinking after I went through my pictures :p

 

 

We pulled back into Port Seraphine and said our goodbyes. Denver was a great guide, and I really enjoyed having him. He really knew how to showcase his island, but not the way we think we wanted to see it. No, the way he wanted to see it, the way through a local. Cultural connections are the reason I travel, and I made many today by talking to him, talking to locals at the stops, and just taking in the scenery and way of life when we went through the country. This was such a great tour, I could not get over how many people didn't enjoy their day ashore once we got back onboard! It wasn't the wild stingray encounter we did in Grand Cayman. It wasn't the River Tubing trip we did in Ocho Rios. It wasn't Trunk Bay Beach in St.John. It was a glimpse into the culture of St.Lucia, and the memories I made today will stay with me much longer than the feeling of a stingray while standing on the softest sand in the bluest water ever will. I am so grateful to have taken in this beautiful island, it's most certainly going on the list of favorites!

 

We got off the bus and headed back into the port. It was 4:10, so we had about 15 minutes to play around in the shops. We walked slow so Mom could window shop. We got back on, dropped out stuff off in the room, and quenched out hunger with a Guy's Burger and a window seat. We watched the first half of sailaway from our window while eating. When we finished, we went up by the waterslide, and watched our amazing departure.

 

 

Next: Departure

Edited May 21, 2015 by cruisexlife