MDSue

Absolutely fantastic glacier pictures!

Hello from another Tanzanite addicted cruiser who recently finished a review of the Jewel, spent 3 days on OSJ, didn't do any ship shows, and posted pictures almost identical to yours. We also took the rainforest tour through E&B tours, but I chickened out when it came to hiking to the waterfall. I recently recovered from back surgery and my sister has bad knees and we weren't sure we'd make the hike back up. I'm also from Suburban MD.

I'm loving your review- it's like Deja-vu for me, and letting me re-live my wonderful vacation through your eyes.

My sister and I stayed at Plaza De Armas, visited El Morro, and many of the other locations you did. We spent time near El Convento and I always wondered what the inside was like.

We did another itinerary, but otherwise had very similar experiences.

Thanks for sharing. I was having vacation withdrawal and your review is a fun remedy!

As long as you do the self-assist departing and leave the ship as soon as they make the announcement, you should be just fine. We did this a few years ago and were sitting at the departure gate by 9 am. The key is not to dawdle- try to be near first in line for customs, go directly to a waiting cab (no group van is necessary), and when you get to the airport- don't forget to go through the agriculture inspection first. All luggage must go through the inspection and get a sticker.

Then you can check your bags, get a boarding pass (don't bother to print ahead of time- I wasted many Internet dollars doing this when you can get one at the same time you check your bags).

The security line gets longer and longer as the morning wears on, but if you get off the ship early, you shouldn't experience any problems.

I prefer a little but later departure to allow for any unexpected delays, but 11 am is reasonable if you don't have any issues.

Great review. We wanted to use him a few years back but the price was high for just the two of us- it would have been perfect had there been more of us to share the cost.

I love your comment about tracking sand into the van. This seems to be a common problem with many drivers and guides who take you on a tour that includes a stop at the beach, but complain if you have a wet bathing suit (and no place to change).

Sounds like an excellent guide and tour!

CAN'T Decide - Old San Juan or Condado for 2 nights pre-cruise. Cruise leaves from the Pan Am pier, but don't mind taking a cab from airport, to hotel wherever it is, and to pier. We do not want to spend 300+ per night, so if we stay in Condado, will most likely be a hotel and not a beach resort. Definitely want to walk around Old San Juan one day, but should we stay there or go during the day and go back to Condado at night? Not sure what we will do the second day - maybe rainforest tour or maybe stay around town. I guess the real question is where do we want to be at night?

Thanks for you help!

I have stayed in both Condado and OSJ and they both have benefits. I don't think you'll go wrong either way. I've stayed at the Condado Plaza Hilton on 3 occasions and keep going back because I love the location and the amenities. You should be able to get a room in the $200 per night range unless you want oceanfront. The city-view room overlook the ships in the distance, but can be a bit noisy because they are right by the main avenue. The lagoon view rooms have a beautiful view of the lagoon and city and are in a quiet part of the hotel.

On the premises, you have numerous restaurants from a sea view café to a very nice Denny's, and a few other options. You can easily walk to other restaurants, as well. They have a nice casino also. The oceanfront side is rocky, but next door is a calm cove type beach that is protected from the usually heavy surf. They have 3 pools including one with a swim-up bar, and a salt water pool. Their ground are beautiful and well-maintained. They have cabs waiting outside for easy access to OSJ for around $10 per cab or there is a bus stop right outside which has regular buses that cost about $1.50 each way into the OSJ or other parts of Condado or San Juan.

On our last trip, we stayed in the heart of Old San Juan at a small boutique hotel over looking Plaza De Armas. We love the historic character and the location, but it lacks the amenities of the hotels in Condado and it can be quite noisy because of all the city noise. The upside is that you can walk to the forts and around the city which is really beautiful.

In my signature, I have reviews and pictures of both areas. Our stay in Old San Juan is included in my review of the Jewel of the Seas, and our stay in Condado is in the Caribbean Princess review.

We're going to give it a shot.

 

I think your time frame is reasonable. 1:30 all aboard, leaving the rain forest by noon gives us 1 1/2 hours.

 

Hertz right across from the pier opens at 7:00 so we should have 4 hours in the rain forest.

Enjoy!:)

Hi my in laws are cruising with us this xmas and they want to do nelsons dockyard but the pando trip is full so can anyone recommend a good company for a tour of the dockyard

many thanks in advance

A few years ago, we signed up for a 3 hour tour right at the tour booth located by the dock. We went to a few scenic overlooks, stopped at Shirley Heights, and then Nelson's Dockyard. We only had about 45 minutes to spend there, though. The tour was nice, and there was only four of us on the tour. I would have loved a little bit longer there, though.

The cost was $25 per person. I'm not sure if they offer longer tours. You may be able to arrange a group cab there and back as well through the tour booth. That is how we got to and from Valley Church Beach.

It is cheaper to go in a group than by an individual cab. I know it was cheaper to take the tour than just grab a cab there.

I agree with one of the other posters that you probably won't have adequate time to really enjoy the rainforest. For our trip, we left at 9 am and didn't get back until around 6pm. We stopped for about 1 1/2 at Luquillo Beach also.

It took us around an hour or more to get back into port due to traffic and such. I would allow a minimum of an hour and a half to be safe. If your departure is at 2:00 pm, they will probably request that you be back onboard by 1:30.

I've seen some half-day tours that go there, but personally, I think you will be pushed for time.

I have lots of pictures included in my review of the Jewel of the Seas. We really enjoyed our trip there

A few weeks before our spring break cruise, I also was looking for something different to do. This was our third visit and we had already done a half-day ship tour and an all day island tour that included waterfalls, the volcano, and snorkeling and beach time by the Pitons.

I wanted to go somewhere new and didn't know if we would have any luck hiring a guide at the dock. I didn't get any answers here, and when we got off the ship, we still had no idea what we were going to do

The very first person we saw when we were walking into the building that the dock leads into was a representative from Cosul tours. He was holding a sign for all the people who had signed up for their tours. I knew they offered a great all day tour to all the places we've already seen, but we didn't want to do that again. We chatted with him about what type of activities we were looking for. We wanted to go to Marigot Bay for a few hours and maybe go to see some local artisans. He told us about Caribelle Batiks, which has long been on my wish list of places to go on another island. I didn't know they also had a place in St. Lucia.

Anyway, the rep offered to hook us up with a driver/guide to take us where we wanted to go for $50 each (for two if us). We agreed and had a wonderful, custom-made tour with a great guide for just us. We went to Caribelle Batiks and had a private tour just for us right before a large group tour arrived. We also went to Eudovic's Art Studio to see custom woodworking, and a few scenic stops before our guide dropped us off for a few hours at Marigot Bay for some beach time and shopping. When we were ready, he drove us back to port.

I had no idea Cosul offered private tours, but we hit the jackpot because it was exactly what we were looking for- something different to do.

My husband and I talk about this all the time. We have one in college and one in middle school and it is close to impossible trying to find a time that fits with everyone's schedule and not be outrageous in price! We can't wait for our youngest to finish high school so we can take advantage of more last minute cruises at great prices. Living in Florida helps!!!

My youngest one graduates from college this month- no more tuition payments:):) I'm so happy to be able to spend some of those funds on travel now and to be able to travel during off season. It's bittersweet that the kids are all grown up, though, because they can't always travel with us anymore.

HmmI didn't see the pythons(?) mountains on the pics ... does the ship not dock anywhere near the

in St Lucia?

 

 

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The ship does not dock near the Pitons. They are a bit of a drive or boat ride away. We sailed by them in the evening on two of our trips, but this year we headed in another direction. They are every bit worth the effort to visit while you are there.

One year, or captain did a really close sail-by in the evening and had a cocktail party on the deck. We were so close, that you could almost reach out and touch them (at least it seemed that way). He did a 360 turn around right between the two peaks at sunset and it was probably one of our most amazing ship experiences ever.

I doubt they could get away with that any more.

This was the picture where I could see the two peaks of the Pitons in the distance from our ship:

This is one of the Pitons (Gros) from our excursion to Jalousie (now Sugar) Beach:

The pictures of our sail by are on another computer. If you cruise to St. Lucia, it would be worthwhile to find out if you will be sailing by them, or scheduling either a boat or land excursion that goes to them or the nearby beach.

Susan

Thanks Sue! That Windjammer seating area in the aft is one of my favorite things about Jewel!! Your report was very helpful to me, for many of the islands I haven't visited in 20 years.

 

Enjoy your next adventure...I hear you about the school vacations...we've just been "unshackled" from them too with our last one leaving home next year! When you have to follow the school vacation weeks one has to book "vacation weeks" a dozen or months in advance and book airfares the day the come out or pay handsomely (or be completely out of luck:eek:) I love the freedom that you can have mulling over good deals and deciding last minute:D

Thanks for all your comments and compliments along the way. I really appreciate them! I am still getting used to "retirement" after 24 years with the school system. I'll probably be rejoining the working world eventually (I do write for a local paper part-time), but I'm enjoying my time off for now. I'm really looking forward to traveling outside the school holidays and not having to pay the premium prices to do so; especially since my kids are grown now!

Susan

Susan

Thank you for your great review and pictures. It was an excellent way for us to see What our cruise will be like. Your pictures were just great. You kept us pinned through all your pages . Great job. Congratulations on the up coming wedding. Looking forward to your next review, We will be on the Jewel in Nov . First time for us for RCI and Southern Caribbean. Keep cruising the best so far.:D

Jewel of Seas Nov

kruise kat:)kruise runner:cool:

Thank-you. I really do enjoy sharing all my pictures and this is the first cruise I was brave enough to take my good camera with me to all my shore excursions. I'm glad you enjoyed them. You'll love the Southern itinerary- it is my favorite!

(I'm really looking forward to my daughter's wedding next year, but I will probably be having cruise withdrawal by next spring. My sister can only afford to fly east once a year, so we can't do a cruise and the wedding- but we are going to try and go somewhere right after the wedding)

Susan

Great job on the review. I am doing the southern route on JOTS in September and hope to do a photo review as well. I have learn a lot from your review. Thanks

 

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Thank-you. I'm looking forward to reading your review in the future. It is always nice to see what others do on their cruises. It's a great way to get future ideas!

Susan

Hi Susan

 

I am new to CC and your review is the very first one I have read!!! I felt like I was there with you. I started cruising 3 years ago with my daughter and we love it. I enjoyed your review so much. We will be on this cruise in March 2015. I now feel happy I choose it. I do Jane one question. Just how big does the ship feel? Our first two cruises where on the oasis in 2012 and the Allure just this past March. I'm hoping we don't feel "cramped". Thanks again for the fantastic review.

Shannon.

 

 

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Hi Shannon, I'm glad you enjoyed my review. I love the size of the Serenade and never felt crowded, but I have never sailed on one of the mega ships like the Oasis. I think that since the ship carries fewer passengers, and they have plenty of different areas and venues to hang out in, that there is plenty of space for everyone.

I always thought that I would feel lost on the really big ships. I'm sure the Central Park areas would be really nice, but I'm happy just looking at the ocean or relaxing in the atrium.

The biggest benefit to me is the itinerary. I love having 5 island stops and the one sea day to relax on the way home. You'll be spending so much time onshore, that you won't need all the bells and whistles of a larger ship (and they really aren't small).

The Radiance Class ships like the Jewel are really beautifully done on the inside and have lots of glass for outdoor views. It is my favorite class of ships.

Enjoy!

Susan

Fantastic review Susan and very helpful. Loved your excellent photos and narrative.

 

We are taking the Pacific Coast cruise on Jewel next fall and also looking at a 2016cruise to some of the islands you visited. much as I have enjoyed Celebrity, RCCL has better itineraries and pricing!! (How many times can you do the eastern Caribbean route after all. ).

Thanks Sandi! I'm hoping to convince my sister to try a Pacific Coast tour and next year might be our best opportunity since she lives near the West Coast.

I don't think there is any such thing as too many cruises to the Eastern and Southern Caribbean. They have my favorite islands. We've visited all but a few at least once and always find something fun to do.

I hope you'll post a review of your cruise next fall. I'd love to hear about it!

Susan

Thanks again. It's great seeing places we have never been and hear experiences from others for places that we have on our wish list :)

Thanks:):)

Susan

The rest of the story:

When we walked off the ship, we still had no idea what we were going to do; another "wing-it" day. We were hoping to find a taxi to Marigot or something else to do.

The very first person we saw when we walked into the building where you exit the ship area from was a representative from Cosul Tours. He was waiting for the people who had signed up for their tour.

I knew from reviews that Cosul offers outstanding all day tours of the island and that wasn't what we were looking for, but we struck up a conversation with him just as well. He asked us what we wanted to do and we mentioned Marigot Bay. We also told him how much we liked a screen-printing shop that we visited years ago and he informed us they were out of business, but they had a Caribelle Batiks on the island. I knew they were in St. Kitts and had no idea they were also in St. Lucia.

Anyway, the representative offered to hook us up with one of his guide/drivers for the day and he would take us to both Marigot and Caribelle Batiks, along with a few other stops and bring us back when we were ready. We agreed, and proceeded to have the perfect day in St. Lucia.

I felt like we hit the tour guide jackpot.

I'm not sure if we got extremely lucky or if it's not hard to book a last minute tour, but for us- success!

Thanks to Christopher and Cosul Tours!

Susan

Thanks Karen, I'm looking forward to cruising other than on spring break which is pricier than other weeks, but we've always had such good weather, I'm sure we'll still be cruising in the springtime again after the wedding:)

Well, the time has come to say a quick goodbye and thank everyone who followed along. I love to share my adventures with others; especially for the cruising "newbies" who have no idea what to do on the islands. I think even the most experienced cruisers like to look for new places to go and sights to see.

Now, it's time to start planning my next adventure. For the first time in 8 years, we probably won't be doing a spring break cruise next year. I've retired from the school system and can cruise whatever week I want and my daughter is getting married next June. Maybe, we will finally get to Alaska or Europe next summer. The possibilities are endless.

Thanks to all who posted and those who just followed along. See you next year and on the boards in the meantime. (I'll still check in from time to time though)

Susan

Sailing away from St, Lucia:

Some of the specialty drinks . We love the Wildberry Lava Flows:

The hidden sculptures- hope you find them:

And me, looking down to the atrium from the Crown and Anchor Club. If you are brave enough, it's a great place to get a shot at night of the beautiful colors and lights below:

Susan

The Carnival Valor soon followed:

The port of Castries, St. Lucia:

At departure:

We bid farewell to St. Lucia:

Soon, we were back onboard the ship and getting ready to say goodbye to our very last port; always a bittersweet day. We had visited 5 wonderful islands and had near perfect weather every single day. We only a few sprinkles of rain at Marigot Bay that lasted barely five minutes.

We sat on our balcony to enjoy the view before our departure:

In the distance, I noticed a tree that appeared to be full of large white blooms in the distance. As I looked closer at the tree, I realized the large white blooms were actually birds. I could see them flying in and out of the trees:

Do you think I have a shopping problem?????

Every time I cruise, I promise myself I am not going to buy too many souvenirs, but I'm usually a dismal failure. I have a Caribbean room in my house to devote the artwork and other stuff I pick up on my travels.

So when we were dropped off at the port and said goodbye to Christopher, the only thing left I wanted to purchase was a larger bag to carry my stuff home with. I knew the current carry-on bag I brought was not going to hold my burgeoning supply of paintings, prints, linens, pottery, jewelry, and other items.

We saw plenty of bags, but nothing quite big enough, until one of the very last shops where I found the beautiful bag shown in the picture with all my other stuff. My husband just shakes his head as I struggle out of the airport lugging a suitcase and bags bulging at the seams.

Really, the airlines allow each passenger to have one carry-on and a "personal item". I think we kind of stretch the definition of a personal item when I'm carrying on a huge bag, but as long as it fits under the seat, the airlines allow it. I crossed my fingers they would let me on with it.

Luckily, I was seated in the emergency exit row which has extra legroom and I managed to fit the bag underneath.

Nest year, I'll do better!

MarigotBay Yacht Club and Dolittle's sign:

We said goodbye to Marigot Bay and headed back to Castries. On the way back, we stopped at the same overlook and shop that we visited on the way there to pick up some snacks and Mt. Dew, my sift drink of choice that can be hard to find in the Caribbean. We always bring our own supply onboard to tide us over for the trip, but we were running short so I picked up a few extra for the rest of the trip..

Soon, we were back in the traffic of downtown Castries. You should definitely allow a little extra time on the return trip for traffic: This is the Carnival Valor docked in downtown Castries: