The Arizona Cruisers Invade the Southern Caribbean B2B on the Jewel of the Seas!

[DreaAST]

I'm loving your pics and review!

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I am anxiously awaiting your Calabazza review!

 

We will be with them in just a couple of weeks, and we are very excited! It's our very first catamaran and snorkeling experience, and we are just a tad nervous! We really have no idea what it will be like, and I hope you won't mind answering a couple of questions.

 

Will you please discuss entry to the catamaran...by land and water. I'm so worried that I won't be able to get on or off!!! :eek: I have two new knees, and this will be our first cruise since the surgery. The knees have kept us from doing this type of excursion for the past few years, and while they are much, much better now, I'm just not real confident about new things like this yet. Can't wait to hear about the day... the food, and drinks!

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to do your review! We are enjoying it so much!

 

I will attempt to answer you although Ginny will give her response also. I have muscular dystrophy so it is very difficult on me to use my legs so I was slightly concerned as well. When we got to the catamaran, the crew members were there to help you onto the boat. The boat was slightly moving as it was roped off to the dock. You remove your shoes before you get on the boat. I was able to get onto the boat fine with their arms for support. Much of the boat is different levels so I didn't do much walking around. I most stayed at the back of the boat at the table where I didn't have to navigate. The hardest part for me was walking down & then back up to go the bathroom. If you can handle stairs with your knees, you will do just fine. I have difficulty with stairs but I was able to do it fine.

 

As for getting in & out of the water, there is a ladder that goes down into the water and rails to grab onto for getting in & out and if you need a hand, the crew is there to help you if you ask for it. Trust me, if I could do it, you probably can. Enjoy it.

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

Hi Ginny,

What a wonderful detailed review.:) we have been to these island many times, but you have given me some new beaches to try!

 

Looking forward to more.

 

Thanks,

Ali

 

Ginny, I hope you don't mind me interjecting for Ali. As Ginny mentioned, I did something different than the rest of the group in Antigua. I wanted to just kick back at the beach just like our beach day at Carambola Beach Club in St Kitts. I had booked the Coconut Beach Club on my own. It is an all inclusive club and I made reservations by emailing them. It is $45/pp for the day and it included use of their facilities including the pool, all you can drink from the bar so we drank margarita's all day, and full buffet lunch which was really good food and beach loungers and palm umbrellas along the beach. The water was fabulous. Slightly calmer water than our day at Carambola Beach club. We had two fantastic back-to-back beach days and we were very glad we made that decision. It was very private and secluded. Even more than Carambola as it isn't as publicized.

[fish6]

Ginny, I hope you don't mind me interjecting for Ali. As Ginny mentioned, I did something different than the rest of the group in Antigua. I wanted to just kick back at the beach just like our beach day at Carambola Beach Club in St Kitts. I had booked the Coconut Beach Club on my own. It is an all inclusive club and I made reservations by emailing them. It is $45/pp for the day and it included use of their facilities including the pool, all you can drink from the bar so we drank margarita's all day, and full buffet lunch which was really good food and beach loungers and palm umbrellas along the beach. The water was fabulous. Slightly calmer water than our day at Carambola Beach club. We had two fantastic back-to-back beach days and we were very glad we made that decision. It was very private and secluded. Even more than Carambola as it isn't as publicized.

 

Coconut beach club looks amazing! How much did it cost for a cab ride there? Do you know if it is Adults only? I would like to get a contact if possible.....thank you so much:)

[AZ Karaoke Girl]

I don't remember how much the cab cost. It seems it was $4/pp each way but could have been twice that. I know I never paid more than $10/pp the entire cruise.

 

As for how to reserve, email "reservations@coconutbeachclub.com" and they will respond to you. Their website is http://www.coconutbeachclub.com/

[Arizona Laura]

I had a little problem with Inga, but it may have been the language barrier. She did know her job, but perhaps she was just trying to save me money. We ended up getting a great deal with the BOGOHO as our next cruise on Freedom was about 2/3 the price of the Jewel one, but I went with her and told her Freedom 4/26/15 Cabin 9342. She kept giving me other room numbers. Finally I asked her is slow clear speech, "Is 9342 available?" It was an now its mine. I didn't want to get another room and have Lisa come along and take it! :p

 

I had a difficult time understanding her as well. When she gave us our revised papers back for our Freedom cruise with DD, her DH and grandchildren for next June 2015 she said I put you in a JS for you saved money and you deserve it. It is on the hump. Gene and I just looked at each other and said ok. We got a good deal on it with extra OBC. She was extremely busy and said she had just stopped at our cabin on the way up and missed us. She is a pretty take charge lady. 2/3 of what she said I did not understand and trusted her to get it right though. I just double checked the cabin numbers and prices when we got back to our cabin for she had people waiting for her all the time. We really liked her. I got a JS..who am I to complain?

 

Laura

Edited June 1, 2014 by Arizona Laura

[Arizona Laura]

Ginny..you know how my memory is so I am appreciating your review with details so much and the pics are great.

 

Laura

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Hi Ginny,

What a wonderful detailed review.:) we have been to these island many times, but you have given me some new beaches to try!

 

Looking forward to more.

 

Thanks,

Ali

I'm glad to help! Even going back to the same islands I can usually find something new to do when I want. The problem with cruising is that we only see a slice of a destination. It takes many visits to see all that we would see if we were atying on the island for a week.

 

I am anxiously awaiting your Calabazza review!

 

We will be with them in just a couple of weeks, and we are very excited! It's our very first catamaran and snorkeling experience, and we are just a tad nervous! We really have no idea what it will be like, and I hope you won't mind answering a couple of questions.

 

Will you please discuss entry to the catamaran...by land and water. I'm so worried that I won't be able to get on or off!!! :eek: I have two new knees, and this will be our first cruise since the surgery. The knees have kept us from doing this type of excursion for the past few years, and while they are much, much better now, I'm just not real confident about new things like this yet. Can't wait to hear about the day... the food, and drinks!

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to do your review! We are enjoying it so much!

Stay tuned. I think Lisa answered some of your concerns, but I will posting ore about it....in pictures!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Lisa - no problem with the interjection. I'm glad you had a good time at Coconut Beach Club.:)

 

Laura - we had no problem understanding Inga. We loved her. I'm glad she saved you money. I know she did for us also. She spent extra time searching all options to give us the best deal.

 

I'm glad you're enjoying the review.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Sunny AZ Girl

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Week One, Day Six – Barbados

 

This morning we backed into port. It was another sunny morning so we decided to hang our banner from our balcony for all to see.

 

 

 

Can you see the banner? Center aft, second level of balconies from the top.

 

Several of us had a tour this morning with Calabaza Cruises to see the turtles and snorkel at shipwreck and a reef. Now, as I mentioned in my previous post I have a thing with getting into boats, so before booking Calabaza I carefully checked out the ladder situation on this catamaran. It looked doable, so we decided to take the plunge – pun intended! Before I go any further I want to say that all of us on this tour agreed that it was our number one favorite excursion the entire two weeks. But let me go into the details now.

 

Those of us in the Arizona Cruisers on the Calabaza Catamaran besides Steve (Old Steve) and myself were Lisa, Young Steve, Sheila, Jerry, Bev and Dave.

 

We left the ship at 8:30 AM for our 9:00 meeting with the Calabaza people. Following their directions we found a check in station at Gate 1 outside of the terminal. Easy peasy.

 

We loaded into a van along with four other people from the ship who were also on our tour and off we went to the Calabaza dock just a few minutes from the ship. Entrance onto the ship was not difficult with a stabilizing hand from the crew. Soon we were onboard and instantly relaxed on a beautiful Caribbean day.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Gina and her crew of two were the ultimate hosts. We were offered banana bread and hazelnut coffee almost immediately upon boarding. Yum! Of course, rum punch and other drinks were also available as they were all day. Gina also offered us some hot, crispy fish fritters right away. I am becoming a fish fritter fan.

 

We motored past some pretty nice yachts in the harbor before hoisting sail.

 

Soon enough we were under full sail and we had a relaxing ride to our first snorkel stop.

 

 

 

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Our first stop was at the turtles. When we first entered the water I didn’t see any, but soon Gina’s first mate began to throw out some turtle food and they came right away. Someone must have rung the dinner bell! Steve took these shots with his wonderful Canon D10 camera.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a good time to explain why I chose to get in the water. I checked out the ladder. Before I got into the water I made darn sure I could get out under my own power. I may be awkward on land, but in the water I am as graceful as a mermaid, or manatee, however you want to see it. It is the getting out that can be a problem. I stood on the ladder one rung at a time. Yep. It extended 4 full steps into the water in addition to having solid steps which are part of the boat going the rest of the way up. I could bend my knee enough to actually get on the steps under water. The ladder slanted out a bit so I didn’t feel as if I would fall backwards into the water. In other words, gravity wasn’t working against me as I got out of the water. It had great hand rails. In other words, it was the best darn snorkel ladder I have ever seen! I needed no assistance at all getting out of the water. None. Nada. That was a first.

 

Edited June 1, 2014 by Sunny AZ Girl

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Our next destination was in the high rent district. We had some refreshments along the way.

 

 

 

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We continued on a ways to our next snorkel stop over a shipwreck. We got back into the water and I dog paddled the short distance to the wreck and put my face down into the water and this is what I saw

 

 

 

Holy Moly! I have never seen so may fish in one place. It was amazing.

 

Just a short swim away was the reef and we were treated to more fish and coral.

 

 

 

I was swimming in this area next to Steve when my knee suddenly popped. I have not felt such sudden pain in a long time. If it weren’t for my natural floaties I would have surely drowned. Steve stood by me until the pain subsided in a few minutes. I was able to get back on the boat ok, but I was beginning to really wonder what was going on with my knee.

 

I want to add that the Calabaza staff was wonderful with our weak and non-swimmers. They provided vests and flotation devices and were near by all the time with a rescue float. It still doesn’t work well if you have fear of the water, but if you are willing to give it a try you can still have a wonderful experience.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We ate lunch in this calm bay. Gina prepared a great spread. It was all delicious. Once again, I ate it all before taking pictures. Sorry. I do remember everyone raving over the coleslaw. Coleslaw is usually just ok for me, but this was quite good. She sent me her recipes, so I will check it out and try it soon. The homes and resorts in this area are beautiful. This is where you will find me after I win that Power Ball!

 

 

Steve took some pictures of the galley and the head so you can see the access to the area. I avoided going down the stairs as much as possible. Steve was my gopher (go for this...go for that) when I needed something as our belongings were stored below. But the access was easier than some boats I have been on.

 

 

We had a relaxing sail back to the port. We raced the Silvermoon back and we won! Friends from our Roll Call were on her, so we all waved to each other and had a great time.

 

 

This was such a relaxing day after a busy week. We loved the entire day. Gina and her crew made all the difference.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We were transported back to the ship the same way we had come. Barbados has a very nice indoor shopping area right at the ship and since I needed some gifts to take home we decide to stop and do some obligate shopping. We found a nice little store that had some high quality locally made & designed items, so I was happy. After completing our shopping we headed back to the ship. We saw Lisa and Young Steve already on their balcony.

 

After we returned to the ship we had time to shower before heading to the C&A Upper Tier Event (invitation only). This was going to be a sailaway party held on the helicopter pad on the ship’s bow. It was lovely and we were honored to be asked. I am glad we got to go to sailaway on the helipad at least once. The only problem I had was that the party was accessible only by a flight of stairs. I wondered about the higher tier members who were left out due to accessibility. My knee was really barking as I went up those stairs. It was even worse coming down.

 

Once on the helipad we found Bill and Gina & Steve quickly became a two fisted drinker!

 

Nonnie was also there with us.

 

The event was hosted by the CD Carly B.

 

Since the Captain was a little busy sailing away we just waved to him from the event

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We watched as we pulled away from Barbados until the sun began to slip into the sea.

 

 

 

After dinner that evening we went to the show, Supreme, the Divas of Motown. It was enjoyable. The lead singer was not Diana Ross, but the songs were familiar and we enjoyed the music.

 

 

We were really looking forward to our next couple of days. We had a final Day at Sea for Week One and then Turnaround Day in San Juan. Best of all, we had no plans to leave the ship at all! It was our chance to recharge and get ready for Week Two.

 

Enjoy all of our pictures from Barbados

[beachluver9]

Hey Ginny!

 

Your awesome review has inspired me to book this itinerary for next year. I guess Alaska will have to be pushed back once again!

 

Thanks for sharing :)

[Nana57]

Enjoying your review! We will be on the Jewel in July on a B2B also.

 

We are also going on Calabaza. I'm a little nervous too! Was the catamaran rocky as I tend to get motion sickness. Did you see the turtles on top of the water, as I am not a swimmer and never snorkeled bc I wear eyeglasses and the mask wouldn't work over them. I may go in with a float/vest though.

 

Looking forward to you review on the B2B day. Don't know if we should stay onboard or go out for the day.

[4CruisingBadgers]

What a fabulous review! Thank you. We're on Jewel in less than a month - 6/28. My family would love to do this excursion. Did you book them direct? I did a quick google and they don't post their pricing. I can relate to your anxiety with getting in and out and moving around. This looks like a wonderful trip. Hope your knee is feeling much better.

[CntPAcruiser]

Enjoying your review! We will be on the Jewel in July on a B2B also.

 

We are also going on Calabaza. I'm a little nervous too! Was the catamaran rocky as I tend to get motion sickness. Did you see the turtles on top of the water, as I am not a swimmer and never snorkeled bc I wear eyeglasses and the mask wouldn't work over them. I may go in with a float/vest though.

 

Looking forward to you review on the B2B day. Don't know if we should stay onboard or go out for the day.

 

Hi, I wanted to mention a few things about your questions on the snorkel excursion. I also wear eyeglasses, and am prone to motion sickness. For the latter I use Bonine, and sometimes take an extra dose before an excursion. You never know how the water is going to be, and for me, sometimes the slow portions are worse than the motion (especially if they have to motor and I can smell the engine exhaust). For snorkeling, I go in without my glasses and wear a regular mask, and have no trouble seeing underwater. Maybe it depends on what type of vision one has? In any case, I hope you have a good time on your excursion.

[bumbletigger]

Thank you for your review of the Callabazza excursion. We are going to be on the Jewel in 2 short weeks and have the same thing planned in Barbados. I cannot explain how excited I am to swim with sea turtles!!! Your pictures are beautiful!

 

DH and I are also from AZ and would love to join your AZ Cruisers group, however, we are both teachers and can only cruise in the summer or during breaks. Based on your schedule you cruise in the off season for us. Maybe when we retire in 18 years we can join you.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Hey Ginny!

 

Your awesome review has inspired me to book this itinerary for next year. I guess Alaska will have to be pushed back once again!

 

Thanks for sharing :)

Hi Georgia! You will love this itinerary. As far as the islands are concerned this was my favorite of the two. However, the extra day at sea was very nice on week 2, so I suggest you do a B2B!:D

 

Enjoying your review! We will be on the Jewel in July on a B2B also.

 

We are also going on Calabaza. I'm a little nervous too! Was the catamaran rocky as I tend to get motion sickness. Did you see the turtles on top of the water, as I am not a swimmer and never snorkeled bc I wear eyeglasses and the mask wouldn't work over them. I may go in with a float/vest though.

 

Looking forward to you review on the B2B day. Don't know if we should stay onboard or go out for the day.

I was not bothered by motion on the catamaran, but I don't tend to get motion sick. If you do I would suggest you take a Bonine the night before the tour to prevent problems.

 

You do have to go into the water to see the turtles. They tend to stay under water for the most part. And of course the fish are all under water. The crew on Calabaza will make sure you stay safe if you tell them you are not a strong swimmer.

 

You must snorkel! There is a whole new world under the waves. There are special masks available. You can get the pricey glasses that are made with your prescription or you can get less expensive masks with generic correction (like reading glasses). You can also ask Calabaza if they have the corrected lens masks or bring your own like we do.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

What a fabulous review! Thank you. We're on Jewel in less than a month - 6/28. My family would love to do this excursion. Did you book them direct? I did a quick google and they don't post their pricing. I can relate to your anxiety with getting in and out and moving around. This looks like a wonderful trip. Hope your knee is feeling much better.

We booked Calabaza directly with Gina. The price was $110 pp. It was a pricey excursion, yet worth every penny, IMHO. However, we did book it almost a year in advance as she limits each trip to 12 guests. That is one of the things that make it special. You should e-mail or call her and ask if she has room. If not, check with Silvermoon as they also deliver a quality product. There are more operators discussed in the Barbados forum under Ports of Call here on Cruise Critic but I don't know much about them. I stopped research when I read about Gina and Calabaza!

 

Hi, I wanted to mention a few things about your questions on the snorkel excursion. I also wear eyeglasses, and am prone to motion sickness. For the latter I use Bonine, and sometimes take an extra dose before an excursion. You never know how the water is going to be, and for me, sometimes the slow portions are worse than the motion (especially if they have to motor and I can smell the engine exhaust). For snorkeling, I go in without my glasses and wear a regular mask, and have no trouble seeing underwater. Maybe it depends on what type of vision one has? In any case, I hope you have a good time on your excursion.

Thank you for the input. I agree about the Bonine and I commented about the masks. Steve uses the corrected lenses and they help him a lot. I am like you. I am fine with the regular lenses in the water, yet I am blind as a bat on land without my glasses.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for your review of the Callabazza excursion. We are going to be on the Jewel in 2 short weeks and have the same thing planned in Barbados. I cannot explain how excited I am to swim with sea turtles!!! Your pictures are beautiful!

 

DH and I are also from AZ and would love to join your AZ Cruisers group, however, we are both teachers and can only cruise in the summer or during breaks. Based on your schedule you cruise in the off season for us. Maybe when we retire in 18 years we can join you.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

You will have a great time on the Jewel and on Calabaza! Have fun!:)

 

Now let me explain to you about the Arizona Cruisers. We are a very large group that exists on Cruise Critic. We started here about 6 years ago as just a group of people who like to cruise. We are all ages, and cruise all cruise lines at many times of the year. The group that cruised together this time is just a small part of the larger group. Sometimes we cruise with other AZ Cruisers, sometimes not, depending on the circumstances. I have now been on 15 cruises and have done 4 with other Arizona Cruisers. They have been some of my favorite cruises because of the people. However, Steve and I also cruise with family (we like them, too) and have cruised by ourselves. Our Panama Canal cruise in 2015 is currently just with family members. I would love it if some of the Arizona Cruisers would join us!

 

These people have become very special to me. We meet for lunches and parties every couple of months. Sometimes we go to a restaurant, sometimes to someone's house for a pot luck. We have our own forum on Cruise Critic under the "Friends of Cruise Critic" section. The sticky at the top is our general chat thread where many of us meet every day and just talk about life. The moderators limit the number of posts to a thread to about 6,000 so the boards don't get bogged down. We are now on Part 5 of that chat! So as you can see, we talk a lot. We also have threads about health concerns and prayers, upcoming cruises, pictures, recipes and more. Come over and join us! If you want to cruise with some of us I know you can find someone cruising when you are able to go. the link to our forum is in my signature.