"LIVE" from the Explorer 8-11-06 Cape Liberty

[AFT_LOVER]

for taking all of us along on the cruise via words & photos. So sorry to see the arrival pier waiting for you. They have to remove me kicking & screaming...........

 

Now be sure to post a new photo of Mr & Mrs Radio........ and the photos of the Destruco-Bar. Planes zooming in overhead as you drink.... YIKES.

[LynneL]

I hope the ship is okay! I hope my cruise is not cancelled this Sunday

 

 

Hey NYCruiser....I'm going this Sunday too. Can't wait!

[nycruiser80]

LynneL..... I will see you aboard! Can't wait til this Sunday especially after seeing these pics and live report!

[nanceelu16]

ok where is Radio with todays' report!!!!! Where are you???????

[slotaddict]

Thanks Radio for sharing your cruise with all of us. The pictures are wonderful, I don;t think I can wait for my November cruise. Leaving for Florida in the morning, won;t be around for the homecoming. Happy cruising!!!!!!!!!!

[Radio]

Radio, I am enjoying my cyber cruise so much, and can't wait to board in October! Thank you!

 

One question - is the docking pier in San Juan the one in Old San Juan or the one down by the Condado area. I would like to just walk to OSJ and not worry about a cab if possible - they scare me! :eek:

 

Have a great day today!

 

 

We docked at Pier 4 in Old San Juan

 

 

Radio

:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Radio]

Hi Radio,

Still trying to figure out what you are using most of the time for internet connection....are you on the ship's wireless connection at the per minute cost? I am a bit confused.

Does the Explorer have cell phone connections yet? If so is it a particular carrier?

Thanks for being so kind to keep answering questions!

 

Don't be confused ...I will clarify.

 

While in Port in NJ, I am using my VZW Connection (My Phone as a modem for my laptop) While at seas, I am using Wi Fi (The cost is .50 /min or .33/min...it depends on the package you use. VZW does not work while at sea. Cingular/ TMobile?Sprint I heave heard does work. You are able to use VZW while in Port at St Maarten, St, Thomas , and San Juan.

 

Radio

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Radio]

So Radio, at Morningstar Beach you're definitely able to use the pool at Frenchmen's Reef? That sounds great.

 

FISHTR - join our roll call for 8/25!

 

If you ask a Marriott Employee, he will tel you it is just for registered guests...I heard someone asking as I finished swimming....Oooops

 

Radio

:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[trvlmil]

Radio...........

 

Love your daily reports! Thanks for keeping us all updated.

 

Have you been enjoying the meals? Do you have access to the Concierge Lounge........how is it?

 

Thanks again for all the information - and pictures!!

[Radio]

Hello everyone !

 

I am back on board Explorer, after a great day in San Juan. The sky was very clear, but it was hot hot hot......I walked up to Fort San Cristobal, It was very interesting..I have been there before..but it was nice to go back... I then walked around the city, and found a Starbucks ! It was a big Starbucks too...and I had to stop there for a bit.

 

They changed the Old San Juan Wyndham to a Sheraton, so I had to go to the casino.. It was strange playing Roulette, and have someone offer you frww cokes and hot sandwiches.... Not Bad. I went up to the pool there to get a couple pics of the ship, then I went to a Cafe to have a very very good Cuban sandwich.... Boy , I could use one right now !

 

I also found out that RCI has constructed a new Cruise Pier in San Juan (Pier 3) It was christened earlier this month with the Navigator of the Seas. It is not an Embarkation Pier, but a new pier that will accomodate Freedom, Liberty and beyond.... It looks very nice.

 

I just walked around a bit more...then went back to the ship... I called Mrs Radio and talked for awhile (Thats why I didn't post sooner) Mrs Radio was unable to join me on this cruise due to last minute work related travel.

 

We are on our way to Labadee...I love Labadee, and it may be one of the most beautiful ports we visit.... Here are some pics...I will try to post a few more tonight.

 

 

Thanks for tuning in...

 

Radio

 

 

Fort San Cristobal

 

 

 

 

Great Building

 

 

 

 

New RCI Pier 3

 

 

 

Our Terminal (Pier 4)

 

 

 

.

[Cruising89143]

I saw them building the new pier back in December. Glad to see that it belongs to RCI. Very nice.

[Radio]

Here are a few more pics...

 

Radio

 

 

Sheraton Hotel and Casino, Old San Juan

 

 

Explorer Bow

 

 

Explorer of the Seas

 

 

 

 

Fort El Morro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

..

[Cruising89143]

Very nice photos. The Explorer looks great.

 

In December there was a bar set up in front of the Sheraton that had great drinks. Sat down and had a couple of Margarita's and people watched.

[dfishner]

really enjoyed your reports and the pictures really great and looking forward to my sailing on EOS in November. A quick question you had a picture of Jade restaurant is that on EOS? please say yes. If so where is it located on EOS

[MrPete]

It's in the Island Grill/Windjammer

[dfishner]

MrPete you made my day!

thanks

[Radio]

It's in the Island Grill/Windjammer

 

 

You beat me to it MrPete....

 

The nice thing about JADE is that the menu changes every night....

 

Radio

[LuvMyVette]

Hi

What are they hours for Jade? DH would love to try it!

Radio ~ The pictures are awesome as well as your reports! Thank you so much for making us all feel we are on the cruise with you. One month from tomorrow and Explorer will be my home for two weeks (Yahoo!).

Have a great time in Labadee. It's one of my favorites as well. What beach do you plan on relaxing at?

How's the food/service in the dining room/Portofino?

 

Thanks again!

[MisterBill99]

Radio ...really enjoying these reports. I have a question for you and Bill. Did you guys have reservations for your rental cars in St. T and St. M or did you just walk in off the street?

I just walked up in St. M. I got off the ship early (~8am) and I went right to Hertz because i felt more comfortable renting from them but I probably should have left and checked Budget to see if I could get a better deal (from either). I was actually somewhat concerned about getting a car because when I checked for availability online on Hertz's website, it said they were sold out. But I wonder if you can book through that site at all.

 

If there is a website for them, then someone should post it here because in checking here the night before all I saw was "you have to reserve on their own site" but no one said what it is! I found a Hertz St. Martin reservation website, but it was for the airport location.

 

I would be curious to see what the online rental rate is vs what they charge in person.

[nlcentralchmps03]

I signed on today to see my favorite thread at the top (this one).

 

Radio and co, have yet to disappoint.

 

San Juan looks fantastic.

 

Have fun in Labadee tomorrow, and don't forget your sunblock!!

[MisterBill99]

Hi

 

What are they hours for Jade? DH would love to try it!

How's the food/service in the dining room/Portofino?

Jade is just one of the food stations in Island Grill (rear of Windjammer) and it's open whenever Windjammer is open. However, they only have sushi (such as it is) at dinner. Some of the stuff is very good -- tonight they had an Asian slaw with shrimp which was a salad but which my wife enjoyed enough to eat as her main course (we ate there because the dining room menu did not excite us). I had a nice cellophane noodle and chicken salad. On the other hand, they had a chicken tikka dish which tasted more like tandoori chicken (barely) - chicken tikka should have a sauce and this had none. Tonight was Indian night at Jade, so they had a couple of other Indian dishes, which were OK, and the Indian rice pudding, which had good flavor and would have been much better if it had been cold instead of warm (also I don't think they used the correct rice). Also they tend to put shrimp in stuff and not let you know. They had an interesting dish out for lunch today and I discovered it had baby shrimp (I do not eat shellfish).

 

Our service in the dining room has been great. Yolanda learned all of our names the first night and greets us all by name whenever we arrive. The assistant waiter is good, started out slow the first now but now she brings us iced tea as soon as we sit down and keeps it refilled, which is my main requirement.

 

Also, last night they had this fantastic salad with the small mozzarella balls, and when we asked the server for more, she brought out a huge plate of them. Can't ask for more than that!

 

I went to the dining room tonight with my son, because we both wanted the duck breast appetizer and it was not at Windjammer. So Yolanda brought us each 2 of them, after which we left to eat dinner with my wife and daughter. The head waiter came over to make sure everything was OK, since the rest of my family was not there and the 3 other people at our table (who barely speak to us) were not there (but they have been showing up late). I assured him it was not a service issue, we just preferred the menu at WJ tonight.

 

Have not been to Portofino, I couldn't find anything on the menu that I felt was worth spending $20pp on.

 

Oh yeah, one strange thing about dinner at Windjammer. The names for their dishes often do not match what is on the menu. So for Bananarama soup, they simply had "chilled bananas with rum". For the Apple soup last night they said "chilled apples with cinnamon". And they served them in a cut watermelon in an area separate from the other soups. Strange. They actually did that with a dessert last night as well. It was listed as "pineapple in coconut crust" but it was actually just some sort of cake (which tasted almost nothing of coconut).

[PelicanBill]

If there is a website for them, then someone should post it here because in checking here the night before all I saw was "you have to reserve on their own site" but no one said what it is! I found a Hertz St. Martin reservation website, but it was for the airport location.

 

I would be curious to see what the online rental rate is vs what they charge in person.

 

Hello from one Mr. Bill to another.... and thanks Radio and you for the live reports, we love it!

 

The Hertz site is in fact the one you mention:

http://www.sxmrentacar.com/

 

You have to add "Cruise Pier pickup and return" in the comments - I had to email them to find that out. We will be on this itinerary sailing Oct. 6, and I reserved a compact for $36 + $5 fee + 8% tax, includes insurance.

[The Big Booper]

Hello from one Mr. Bill to another.... and thanks Radio and you for the live reports, we love it!

 

The Hertz site is in fact the one you mention:

http://www.sxmrentacar.com/

 

You have to add "Cruise Pier pickup and return" in the comments - I had to email them to find that out. We will be on this itinerary sailing Oct. 6, and I reserved a compact for $36 + $5 fee + 8% tax, includes insurance.

 

That seems to be much less than the walk-up rate we have paid in the past for a Toyota Corolla, which was $50 w/o insurance or tax. How does the car you are renting compare to the Corolla in terms of size or MSP?

[MisterBill99]

Ugh, I am not happy with our cabin steward. I had to leave a note for him to refill the shampoo in the shower (I would have expected them to do this between cruises) as we ran out. And I just discovered that he did not give either room fresh ice tonight, which means I won't be able to pour the melted ice water into water bottles to bring to Labadee tomorrow.

 

We also did not get towel animals for the first 3 nights. I asked the cruise director who to talk to about that as we were leaving the C&A party on Monday night, and she took me over to the person in charge of housekeeping. He took my cabin # and the next day we had towel animals.

[MisterBill99]

That seems to be much less than the walk-up rate we have paid in the past for a Toyota Corolla, which was $50 w/o insurance or tax. How does the car you are renting compare to the Corolla in terms of size or MSP?

I paid $40 walk-up for a Corolla, plus tax, fee and insurance. As I said, I should have walked away to see if the price went down (he claimed he was giving me a good deal). Even at that price, it was a great deal compared to taking a ship excursion.