just back from the Adventure OTS 9/2-9/9

[hydrorama]

Sailed from San Juan 9/02/07, stopped at Aruba, Curacao, St Martin, St Thomas returned to San Juan 9/09/07.

 

Arriving Saturday at the airport in San Juan our driver from Fairway Transportation met us at the steps to baggage claim. Fare was $75 which is steep compared to the taxis. But we like to have someone standing by to wisk us and our bags away when we land Don’t think we paid over 20 dollars for any of the taxis we took during our visit. Once our bags finally came out we were off to the Sheraton in Old San Juan.

 

The Sheraton was very satisfactory. It was clean and the staff was friendly and helpful. We stayed in room 714 which is a corner suite, $195 booked direct. The room was shaped like a “v” with a small “standing room only” balcony at the point that gave a nice view of the water. The sitting room and the bedroom were at opposite ends so you can watch tv without disturbing each other.

 

After dropping the luggage and changing into our swimming gear we were off to the rooftop pool. Kind of small but there are some great views, bring your camera. There is no bar up there but there is a phone and room service would bring what ever you wanted. For dinner we walked a couple of blocks to the Old Harbor Brewery. A pretty nice nice place especially for the beer enthusiast. We tried the dark lager and the pale ale, both were very good. Their specialty is steak but we went with pizzas and enjoyed them with our beers.

 

After dinner we walked around a little and stopped at the grocery store across the street from Marshall’s at the Plaza de Armas. We picked up wine, there was an adequate amount to choose from. We also got water, flip-flops and some coffee from Puerto Rico to bring home. This store used to be a Pueblo’s but now it’s a Super Max. There was also a Walgreens on the corner.

 

The next morning we went for a run up and found a neat path that went to the point of the harbor running between the walls of El Morro and the water. After we showered we asked the bellman about a good place for breakfast. He sent us up the street behind the hotel (Tanka St I think) to San Fransisco St. Turn right at San Francisco St and it is the second or third door on the right. Across from a small park, The Plaza Salvador Brau. It has pastries in the window which were delicious but they also serve a full breakfast which was good as well and pretty cheap too. Mostly locals, many coming in after church it seemed. After strolling around a bit we went back to the hotel to check out. The bellman collected our bags and hailed us a cab. Their queue is on the corner at the hotel so there was no wait. Make sure you check the fair before they load the bags. Should have been about $12 plus luggage to the pan America pier. But I didn’t ask until we were loaded up and inside and it was $17!

 

Arrived at the pier and there was a long line in front of the building. They don’t open the doors until noon so we had about a 15 minute wait. You can drop your bags with the porters at the door before getting in line. There is an awning so you are not in the sun while you wait. The line moves very quickly once the doors open but we will probably wait until after 12 before showing up next time. I did not see priority check in but I asked an attendant and she escorted us to the doors just to the right of the main line. Check in was quick and easy.

 

After checking in we took a cab to El Morro for $19. The entrance fee was $3 each. The fort was pretty cool and we are glad we saw it. There is a short film you can watch that tells the history behind the island and the fort. After taking in the fort we made our way to San Sebastion St to the Amedeus Café. Very good lunch, excellent mojitos. Next we went to Cristo St. There is a small cigar shop there called Don Collins. They make their own cigars in about 6 or 8 varietys including one they roll with leaves soaked in rum. (it was quite good). They were extremely nice and offered samples. You could try any cigar you wanted, either smoke it their or take it with you. We spent about one hundred dollars and they gave us a free tshirt and a nice double blade cutter. On the opposite side of the street there is a Coach outlet, big selection and good prices. We picked up 2 bags while there. One was a gift and one , well, was not. Plenty of other shops to see in this area and thru out Old San Juan. We found all of Old San Juan to be quite walkable. There is another cigar shop closer to the Sheraton at 255 Fortaleza St called the Cigar House. Large humidor with an extensive selection. They had the elusive Opus X it was pretty expensive. The place seemed legit so maybe it was genuine. We didn’t try one but we bought cigars for the cruise and a few to bring home. It is always nice to get a fresh selection.

 

Around 4 o’clock we caught a cab next to the Sheraton (there are many in this area) back to the pier for $12 dollars. We walked right onboard since we had checked in earlier. Now up to our room, cabin 1278. We had been upgraded about 3 weeks prior to the cruise to a grand suit. We had only sailed in a junior suite before so we were very excited. The cabin was very nice. The bathroom is quite large with 2 sinks which was great. There was a lot more room on the balcony as well. There was a normal sized (height) table with normal sized chairs on the balcony. Great for having room service breakfast. And an evening cigar with a Muphy’s Irish stout from the tap at the Duck and Dog. Now as far as the new amenities they are not all in place yet. There was fresh fruit and a large glass bottle of evian water upon arrival. There were no binoculars. There was no flat screen tv but there was a dvd and a vhs player with surround sound. Maybe they are getting ready. There was a coffee maker which we used on the last day. There was no free in room wifi , but there was a pillow menu and we both enjoyed that.

 

A grand suit also gives you access to a private lounge and a concierge who will take care of things for you on the cruise, like reservations. Our concierge contacted us by email about 4 days before sailing and we asked her to book massages for us on the the first sea day which she did. The lounge was comfortable and quiet. There was a continental breakfast available from 8 until 10 . In the evening there were hot and cold snacks and appetizers (I have spelling issues) from 5 – 8:30 along with an open bar. There were also dvd’s and videos available to take back to your cabin. But the best part of the concierge lounge was 24 hour access to the coffee/espresso/cappuccino/café latte machine. Turns out my favorite is a cappuccino with a double shot of espresso.

 

We had main seating which was at 6 pm. Late was at 8:30. The formal nights were on Monday and Thursday, the sea days. On the sea days they brought snacks to our cabin. Cheese and crackers and chocolates. That was a nice suprise.

 

Our first port was Aruba. The ship docked downtown within walking distance to the shopping area. We had reservations with Clive of Dive Aruba to go scuba diving. Clive picked us up just outside the gate at the pier. First we dove on the blue reef and the Little Debbie wreck which sits upright and has easy access into the forward hold. The second dive was another wreck, the Antilla very large freighter resting on its side. Many areas to swim in and out of the ship. Not nearly as much sea life here as at the first dive site. Did see an eel on both dives. Also saw a sea turtle on the way to the second dive. Clive has a small boat and only takes a few divers with him. There were 5 of us when we went. We would dive with him again. Clive dropped us back at the ship afterwards. We showered and walked up Wilhelminastraat to have dinner since we had a late departure. We had decided on El guacho an Argentinian steakhouse. Good food and plenty of it. Nice selection of wine as well. On our way back we cut thru the neighborhood and walked along the shoreline . Thru the grounds at the Radisonn and along the wooden docks where the dive and fishing boats tie off. There are also some vendors set up selling tshirts and such.

 

The second port was Curacao where we rented a car from Avis. They are right on the pier and you can see them right when you walk off the ship. We had decided on the beach at Porto Marie, about 20 minutes away with no traffic. We were the only ship in port that day, actually every day on our cruise. Getting to Porto Marie was very easy just exit the terminal area and make a left onto “West Punt”. You will go thru a couple of roundabouts. When you start seeing billboards for condos and things in “Groteburg” You are getting close. Look for a small green sign that reads “St Willibrodus” make this left . You will see the church up on a hill off in the distance. This is where you are heading. When you get to the church make a left. There is a photo op near here with some pink flamingos. When the road forks stay to the right and you are heading to the beach, there are signs as well. They opened the gate as we pulled up , it was 9:20. The sign said 9:30. The admisson was 2 dollars pp and 3 dollars for a chair. Someone will come around to collect so just pick your spot. There are bathrooms with showers and a changing area and locker rental $3 . The open air restaurant has a pretty good selection. I had something called chicken sateh with bami. It was very good. There were vegetarian selections as well and a full bar.

 

Many people were renting scuba gear and doing shore dives. We went snorkeling here. They have made a trail from these concrete pods called reef balls to promote growrth. There was a lot to see here. The water is very calm especially in the morning and you can float with ease. The first trail is to the left of the concrete dock in shallow water. Not much swimming required. There is a second trail in deeper water out by the buoy line, There used to be a floating platform between the two trails if you wanted to rest but it had been torn loose during a storm and was on the beach that day. There are also some hiking trails behind the beach. You will need shoes for these trails, sandles might be a problem as the paths are filled with loose rocks. There really wasn’t too much to see outside of some lizards, which you can see on the rock face behind the beach, and the brush. You couldn’t see the water or the beach on much of the trail. We were on the San Mateo trail, the shortest one. When you did get view of the beach below it was very picturesque.

 

The third port was St Martin. We docked across from Great Bay beach. It was probably walkable but we took the water taxi, $5 unlimited travel back and forth. There are 2 drop off points the first is at the beginning of the (concrete) boardwalk and the second is at the other end where the main access to Front St and all the shopping is. Along the boardwalk there are many restaurants and bars. The prices on food and drinks were very good here. In the middle of the boardwalk, between The Black pearl bar and The Holland House Hotel there is a place renting segways. They are a lot of fun to ride. It was $30 for a half hour or $60 for the full hour. We stopped and left a deposit and were given a time to come back. Then off to Front St for some shopping. We were both impressed with Joe’s International jewlers. Helpful and polite staff anda good selection. Got a great deal there. Every time we hesitated the salesman punched some numbers into his calculator and showed us a new price. Saved over 50% off what we priced things at here.

 

For lunch we headed to a place we saw while riding the segways. It was past the end of the boardwalk out on the sand (yes we rode the segways on the beach!) I can’t remember the name of the place but it was white with red trim and painted on the wall in red was “ the local restaurant with a difference”. It was delicious, we really enjoyed it. This is also the area where the water sports are set up. The had jet-ski rentals and such. Did not get any prices though. All along the beach there are chairs and umbrellas set up. Since the AOS was the only ship in port we had our choice of the beach. We got chairs in front of the Black Pearl. For $10 you got 2 chairs with a nice 4” thick pad, an umbrellas and 2 beers. Plus it’s in the middle of the board walk.

 

The fourth stop was at St Thomas. We docked at Havensite pier and there was a shopping area on the pier. Everyone on board had to go to immigration control before you were allowed off the ship. Each person must take thier passport and seapass card to the dining room to present to an immigration officer they would then scan your card and mark it with a magic marker and you were free to leave the ship. The hours were between 7 and 9. At 8 there was not much of a line and it moved along very quickly. Once off the we took an open air taxi from the pier to Secret Harbor. The cost was $10 pp each way. The ride took about 20 minutes with no traffic. They drive on the left side of the road there but what was really weird was the steering wheels were all on the left just like ours. Secret Harbor is a resort with a nice quiet beach. There were no jet-skis. There were some kayaks and paddle boats at the far end of the beach. I don’t know if they were available to non guest or not. There was a bar and a restaurant on the beach with resort prices. Not overly expensive but not cheap. A blue moon beer was $5. There were bathrooms behind the bar. We didn’t see showers but there were several places to rinse your feet. It was $10 for 2 chairs and an umbrella. We paid the attendant who was raking the sand.

 

The snorkeling here was fantastic and covered quite a large area. It started in very shallow water and went out to where the sail boats were moored. From the concrete dock on the left you could see a variety of fish without going in the water at all. The water here was very calm so it was very easy to float and be mesmerized. Back on land if you stroll down to the rocky end of the beach there were some very large iguanas.

 

When we got ready to leave there was a taxi waiting at the front door with the ac running and he took us back to the ship. If there is not one there just ask at the front desk and they will call one for you.

 

Departing the ship was relatively painless on the last day. They asked everyone to be out of their cabins by 8 o’clock. Shortly before 8 we went to the departure lounge for platinum and up members. There were pastries, juice, coffee, and champagne available. We had ticket number one to get off, this might have been another benefit of the grand suite, which they called a few minutes after 8. By 8:30 we were standing outside with our luggage looking for a ride. There is a taxi kiosk as you exit the building. Tell them where you want to go and how much luggage you have (don’t include hand pieces). It was $21.50 to the airport with 4 pieces of luggage.

 

The airport was a breeze. There was only one other ship in port that day and we were there early so I’m sure that helped. We were sitting at our gate by 9:30. Make sure you leave the disembarkment tags from the ship on all your luggage. These show that you have been through an agricultural check. If these are missing you will have to go through this check at the airport before you can go to the airline counter. You will see signs that say all bags must be checked before check-in, if your tags are on your bag you are ok.

 

All in all it was a great cruise. Really liked the ship and the itinerary. Maybe next time we will do the Barbados route.

 

DJ

[bommarkm]

Thanks so much for your review!!! We are going in October 2008 which is too far away!!!

 

Kerry

 

:)

[TamaLee]

Thanks for the review. We leave in 24 days but are doing the Barbados route. But still love reading reviews. Glad to here you were at the airport so early. We have an 11:30am flight and we plan on being first off so we should be good to go.

[onlyalackey]

We too are just back from the AOS cruise over Labor Day. Must say the experience was awesome, the beaches (especially St. John's) were wonderfully relaxing. The ship experience was equally relaxing BUT we were very disappointed with the food on board. Even at Portofino's (the specialty restaurant) the food was really just average. The dinners in the regular dinig room were equally average to sub-par. The food in the Windjammer...well, that was almost "trough" food....We met a guy who has been on 20+ cruises and he had the same opinion. He said, because cruises are set at different price points, and this cruise was on the lower end, that he thinks RC adjusts the menus downward in terms of offerings and quality for lower priced cruises. I must agree. On the bright side, I didn't gain any weight! Perhaps my standards are set too high, I do eat regularly at finer resaurants....the experience on AOS was nowhere close....The service was not the greatest either. But.....I CAN"T WAIT FOR MY NEXT CRUISE!!!!

[Acronium]

Hello! We are booked on the Adventure of the Seas for that same itinerary in December.

 

We are also in a Grand Suite. I am curious about the lounge you mentioned, and also about alcohol on board. I hope you don't mind if I ask questions about that!

 

You said the lounge has an open bar between 5 and 8:30. Is it just those hours? Do they have beer, wine, cocktails? Is it draft beer or just cans? If it is like lounges for the suites I have seen on other ships, it amounts to a stocked mini-fridge with cans of cold beer, wine for one, and airplane sized bottles of liquor and mixers. Is that the case with the lounge on AOS or is it more than that?

 

I'm assuming there's a mini-fridge in the suite that is stocked similarly for which room service charges if you drink anything from it, is that right? Or is it like Princess where you get one free mini-bar?

 

Thanks so much for your review! It is really timely for us! Glad you had a great time.

[wrp96]

During the cocktail hours in the Concierge Lounge, there is someone who serves you, not a minibar. The wine comes from full size bottles, etc. Drinks are only available during those hours.

 

There won't be any alcohol in the fridge in your room. Only sodas and water.

[hydrorama]

Acronium, drinks are only available in the concierge lounge between 5-8:30. there were bottles of beer, heinekin-amstel light-bud-& miller light. There was wine and champagne along with name brand liquors in bar size bottles, all pour your own. plus water and soft drinks and other mixers. there was no charge for the drinks.

 

There is not really a mini bar in the suite. there is a small fridge with soft drinks and candy that will be charged to your seapass account if you have any.

 

hope this helps.

 

dj

[Acronium]

Yes, thank you, that is very helpful!

 

I know where we will be at least once a day between 5 and 8:30!

[lovetocruise99]

We too are just back from the AOS cruise over Labor Day. Must say the experience was awesome, the beaches (especially St. John's) were wonderfully relaxing. The ship experience was equally relaxing BUT we were very disappointed with the food on board. Even at Portofino's (the specialty restaurant) the food was really just average. The dinners in the regular dinig room were equally average to sub-par. The food in the Windjammer...well, that was almost "trough" food....We met a guy who has been on 20+ cruises and he had the same opinion. He said, because cruises are set at different price points, and this cruise was on the lower end, that he thinks RC adjusts the menus downward in terms of offerings and quality for lower priced cruises. I must agree. On the bright side, I didn't gain any weight! Perhaps my standards are set too high, I do eat regularly at finer resaurants....the experience on AOS was nowhere close....The service was not the greatest either. But.....I CAN"T WAIT FOR MY NEXT CRUISE!!!!

 

I'm not sure that's true about each cruise being set at a different price point for food. I've cruised on AOS in June, NOS in February and VOS in April the year before and they've all served exactly the same menus and buffets. The food in Chops on NOS was the best of all!! I think the more you cruise the more the food all begins to taste the same after a while. The way I look at it...at least I'm not the one doing the cooking. By the way, I'm boarding AOS again on Sunday.

[mustcruisemore]

thanks for the great review :)

[chazg]

I'm not sure that's true about each cruise being set at a different price point for food. I've cruised on AOS in June, NOS in February and VOS in April the year before and they've all served exactly the same menus and buffets. The food in Chops on NOS was the best of all!! I think the more you cruise the more the food all begins to taste the same after a while. The way I look at it...at least I'm not the one doing the cooking. By the way, I'm boarding AOS again on Sunday.

 

 

I agree here as well. We have been on 3 RCCL Cruises and the menus are always about the same. I am very happy with the food choices and have set my expectations accordingly. The mear fact that I don't have to prepare it, If I don't like it I can get something else, If I really like it I can get more, and the overall experience is just a great wat to top off a fun filled day.

 

If you eat out at finer establishments often then I don't really think any cruise food will make you happy. Mainly because of the sheer numbers of items that they have to produce in a day.

 

I would love to see what the food from a high end place would taste like under the cruising conditions.

 

Just my 2 cents!!!

[Buffettfan 225]

We are looking forward to sailing RCI for the first time and have booked a Grand Suite, wondering -

1.)How busy does it get am versus pm

2.)what type of appetizers are served, (crackers with unidentifiable items on them or real food :-)

3.)is there anything going on in there during the day

4.) and lastly- will our 17 year old be allowed in, or allowed only with us??

Thanks.

[Scorpiorose]

THANKS so much for taking the time to post! I'm finally ready to think about our cruise now in March.....will you mind a few questions?

 

The Sher. in OSJ - was it near a beach of any kind, within walking distance?

 

How much for a cab from the airport to OSJ? Basically?

 

COACH, did you say COACH Out let? Were they real?

 

How was the ship, bedding, staff?

 

Thanks again! Rose

[wrp96]

The Sheraton OSJ is not near a beach, at least not in walking distance. But you could get a taxi to one in another part of San Juan.

 

The Coach outlet in San Juan is on Calle Christo. I've had good luck finding items there (and yes, they are real). Others have not had good luck. It really just depends on what items they've gotten in.

[love2vacation]

Thanks for posting your review and the great tips for stores and restaurants in Old San Juan. I can't wait till our cruise in May 08!:D

[wrp96]

Thanks for posting your review and the great tips for stores and restaurants in Old San Juan. I can't wait till our cruise in May 08!:D

 

Hey Judi!!

[kevdds]

The second port was Curacao where we rented a car from Avis.

I'm planning on renting a car in Curacao as well. Any problems with, or tricks I should know about, with regard to finding gas and returning the vehicle? Thanks for the great review!

Kev

[hydrorama]

buffetfan - didn't go into the lounge too much in the morning, except very early for coffee (6-6:30)before the food was out and it was empty. the formal nights seemed the most crowded but it never got to the point of standing room only.

 

for the food there was raw veggies with dip, nuts and dried fruits. there were crackers with both identifiable and unidentifiable toppings. There were some hot selections as well. meatballs, pigs in a blanket, shrimp, chicken fingers and a few unidentifiablr things as well.

 

teens are allowed in except for during the hours with alcohol, but at least one couple had thier teen daughter with them during rhat time frame and Ana the concierge didn't seem to mind.

 

scorpiorose - sorry did not see any kind of beach near the sheraton. The coach outlet was real and thet had a good selection. some items were priced better than othere and there was a small clearnce rack near the door.

 

About $20 for a cab from the airport to osj.

 

kevdds - renting the car was very easy, the rental office is just steps away from where we exited the ship. the "sedan" with a trunk was $57 including the insurance and damage waivers. Thought we might need the trunk for our stuff at the beach but we didn't use it. driving was easy as well, the roads were in good shape with plenty of signs. getting gas was the only tricky part. avis required that you returned the car with a full tank and you had to give them the receipt. did not see too many gas stations but there was one very close to the port on west punt. it was on the opposite side of the road so we had to make a uturn to get to it. there is a side road that makes it easy to get back onto west punt heading towards the ship afterwards. as soon as you pull in the drivway there is a small blue building on your left. you must stop here first, prepay the attendant for the gas and he will tell you which pump to go to. i drove right past the attendant and it took a few minutes to figure it out. the station is about a half mile from the ship. returning the car was easy, just pulled up in front of avis. ask for a map before you leave!

 

any oher questions?

 

dj

[Buffettfan 225]

buffetfan -

any oher questions?

 

dj

Thanks for prompt answers Since you asked...

 

1.)how was the disemarkation handled for you (special priority, or use concierge lounge to wait?), did you take advantage of luggage valet service?

2.)just curious where your suite was located, we will be on deck 10 more towards bow or most aft elevators. Kinda strange concierge club is located deck 9 not on Gr Suite deck huh? Just wondering how far away it really is.

 

as far as suite- did it really have a walk in closet?,

Did bath tub have glass curved door, or curtain?

and for my moms sake- did room have the coffee maker someone mentioned? Usually they rely on room service though.

Balcony- were you happy with size, did it feel cavelike, any sun get onto it to bask in?

 

3.) would you be willing to scan your daily compass, or share them-

I am looking for activity regarding golf- putting contest, chip anything for teen son. Also someone mentioned Suduko activity??

 

4.) OH Curacao- did they still have those really cool rock/coral statues that look like people??

 

Sorry for so many ?? just reved on cruise in April.

[hydrorama]

no problem buffetfan. i had gotten a lot of info from these boards and am glad to be able to give a little back. it's amazing how an answer to even a mundane question can elevate your comfort level! (not that your questions were mundane but i had plenty of 'em!)

 

disembarkment went smoothly for us. we had a 12:30 flight but were given number 1 luggage tags for the first announced departure from the ship. i can only assume that this was becuase we were in a grand suite. the line did move a little slow off the ship and down the gang way but not too bad. the luggage was seperated by colors as well and our color (grey) was located right next to the exit. all our luggage was placed together. once we spotted the first piece the rest were right beside it. that was a first for us.

 

we had waited in a private lounge located in one of the dining rooms. it was on deck 5 one flight up from where we disembarked. the lounge was for platinum and up members and had nothing to do with the grand suite. there was pastries as well as coffee and juice available there.

 

There were no walkin closets in the grand suite, those were in the junior suite and were very nice i remember from our last cruise. the grand suite had closets along the entire wall where the door was. there were a total of 5 closet doors. 2 closets with 2 doors each that had an upper and lower bar for hanging shirts and short things and a single full lenght closet for dresses and longer stuff. plenty f drawer space as well.

 

the tub had a curtain. also had a nice platform at one end that was perfect for sitting and soaking your feet!

 

yes there was a coffee maker in the room with all the needed supplies. it was a frwench press style and made very good coffee.

 

loved the balcony. balcony and windows were the full width of the cabin. we had a table and chairs on one end and lounge chairs on the other. there was only one to start but we asked the cabin attendant for a second and she brought it for us. there was not much space between them but they both fit.

 

sorry i do not have any of the compasses and do not know much about the activities. your teen might enjoy the ice skating, even if to just watch the people fall on thier butts!

 

the lounge was located right next to the foward stairs on deck 9 and all the suites are pretty close to the stairs so the walk to the lounge was very short.

 

did not see any statues at porto marie, just the reef balls. did see a sea snake suddenly emerge from the sandy bottom. that was awesome!

 

if you have more questions i'll do my best to answer them.

 

dj

[Buffettfan 225]

Yes CC is a source of valueable info- thanks for yours-

 

coffee press- hopefully she can learn it if the need arises, makes sense no heating element.

closet- strange no walk in, perhaps wall of closets is more space?

 

Do you recall on balcony what you faced when docked?

I have found this info

aruba- port side- faced town

curacao-port side -faced town

St.Maarten- port-faced??

St. Thomas- port faced water, no Havensight mall?

 

As far as Curacao - did you dock at a pier looking like a circus tent cover, we haven't been there in 6 years but I loved curacao rock people, I have added a link (hopefully it will work) to show you want I refer to.):

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1030642684030562043afzxgXdsLs?vhost=travel

Thanks- Suzy

 

p.s. were you happy with formal dining dinner food quality, this is our first RCI ship. Always sailed Carnival prior.

[hydrorama]

the coffee press was very easy to use. i'm betting if a left handed plumber can figure it out most anybody can.

 

the walk in closet was definately one of the things we missed. there might have been more hanger space in the grand closets but the js wlaking had ample hanger space plus the added benefit of several shelves could see just about all of our clothes at a glance. plus we had room to store our luggage in there so it was totally out of the way.

 

Yes we docked at the tent like structure in curacao. unfortunately we didn't see the rock people. we made a beeline for avis. thanks for the link, they were kewl sorry we missed them. the port side faced the pier here.

 

aruba the port side also faced town. the starboard faced the water and the dissapearring sand bar.

 

st martin both side faced land. the starboard side faced greatbay beach and the shopping district while the port side had views of the hill side.

 

in saint thomas the port side faced town and the starboard faced a small bay with sailboats and the hills spotted with houses beyond them.

 

there were no bad views on this cruise.

 

everybody has got thier own views on dining. i thought the food was good, not great but i never had anything that i didn't like. and once you factor in the service and overall dining experience all the meals in the dining room were enjoyable. we ate dinner there every night except for aruba we ate on shore.

 

hope this helps!

[Buffettfan 225]

perfectly what I was looking for-

too bad you missed rock people, another excuse to go back (assuming they are there- I bet they are having found photos in webshots) They were so cool.

[kevdds]

kevdds - renting the car was very easy, the rental office is just steps away from where we exited the ship. the "sedan" with a trunk was $57 including the insurance and damage waivers. Thought we might need the trunk for our stuff at the beach but we didn't use it. driving was easy as well, the roads were in good shape with plenty of signs. getting gas was the only tricky part. avis required that you returned the car with a full tank and you had to give them the receipt. did not see too many gas stations but there was one very close to the port on west punt. it was on the opposite side of the road so we had to make a uturn to get to it. there is a side road that makes it easy to get back onto west punt heading towards the ship afterwards. as soon as you pull in the drivway there is a small blue building on your left. you must stop here first, prepay the attendant for the gas and he will tell you which pump to go to. i drove right past the attendant and it took a few minutes to figure it out. the station is about a half mile from the ship. returning the car was easy, just pulled up in front of avis. ask for a map before you leave!

dj

Wow, thanks for the details! That'll help a bunch. I presume west punt is a main road that I can't miss, right?

Thanks again!

Kev

[hydrorama]

kev - yes west punt is a main road and it is one of the first roads you come to when you leave the port, you can't miss it.