GAPearl Goes Solo on the Splendor! 11/1/14 SJU-MIA Repo Cruise Review.

[gapearl]

The safety drill was your typical safety drill and was over soon enough. I changed clothes and headed to our informal meet and greet by the aft pool. No one was really on the lido for the sailaway party and I heard it never really got going. We had about 100 people gathered. It was so nice to meet all of these new friends I've been planning this cruise with for the last year.

 

Troublifics was our second roll call nickname. If only you knew...:cool:

 

 

 

 

After hanging out for a little while I headed to the El Morocco Lounge for the midnight comedy show of Donnell Grey. He was really funny and I was laughing the whole show.

 

 

Edited November 13, 2014 by gapearl

[gapearl]

After the meet and greet we headed to the Red Carpet Nightclub. The DJ played almost nothing but reggae all night. There was a big group of guys from St. Croix that was loving every minute of it. Our first port stop the next day was St. Croix. I meant to ask them what were they doing when we got there. Seriously, what do you do when you live at a port stop? Stay on the ship? Go home and do laundry? The club never really got going and I was off to bed at 1:30 am.

 

These were new shoes that had not been broken in yet. My feet felt like :eek:!

 

 

Fun on the dance floor.

 

 

I'm trying to make the naked statue decent for you bashful people. lol

 

 

 

Lawd it's 12:30 am and I need some sleep! I'll be back at it tomorrow. Good night y'all!

 

Up next: My third virgin! Island, that it. :D

Edited November 13, 2014 by gapearl

[ATHENA3]

Love your reviews cant wait for more:)

[miked998]

I will be on the Splendor in a couple of weeks. Can you tell me who the Piano Bar entertainer is and if he/she were any good?

[Jenny in TX]

Just wanted to let you know how excited I was when I logged on to Cruise Critic this morning and saw a new review from you.....thanks for posting a review so quickly!!

[NCTribeFan]

I'm guessing by the time you were at the La Concha Halloween party, I was fast asleep. I was up at 4:30 that morning for our 6:20 flight. Ouch! Loved La Concha, though!

 

So, did you get your bags early? Although I pointed out the Priority on the tags, only one was delivered early (somehow it was the only one with an orange sticker on it). But the porter was in the hall and we asked about the others. She arrived in about 15 minutes with our other three bags.

 

Looking forward to being solo in a couple more weeks and having all the closets and drawers to myself again. Not to mention the bed and no snoring cabin-mate! :p

 

Now, if only the price would drop drastically and the solo supplement vanish. Too much to hope for, I think. ;)

[gapearl]

So excited for another GAPEARL review. You look fabulous as always, Kim! Can't wait to read the rest :D

 

Hey Jetset! Glad to see you back again!

 

Thanks so much for sharing your adventure with all of us! Looking forward to the rest.

Susan

 

Hi Susan! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

[gapearl]

Really enjoying the start of your review!

 

Thanks! Keep reading!

 

Subscribing wooooo!!!⚓️

 

 

Sent from my iPad Air using Forums

 

:D:D:D

[Handsome58]

Review so far. Your writing style is so vivid!!!! It is as if we are along with you. Great Job!!!

[gapearl]

My first time reading one of your reviews. WONDERFUL so far. :o

 

Welcome! So glad you decided to read! I hope you come back for more. :)

 

Ok Kim.... I have been waiting for you to get back. Waiting for the lowdown of another one of your fabulous trips. You can make a trip to the grocery store fun. Show us what you're working with. I love reviews from a young woman's solo experience. You are me almost 30 years ago. :D

 

OMGoodness I'm so happy to see you back here again! :D I think you'll enjoy this one. Not quite a love story like the Breeze. lol

[jabberjaw070596]

Going on the Splendor for Christmas!! Thanks for sharing your review and pics...they are awesome!! :-)

[gapearl]

That's exactly why I absolutely love your reviews! Keep'em coming! ;)

 

Note to myself... Do NOT read Gapearl's review when you have coffee!!!

You have me in stiches!:D:D:D

 

Oh there's a lot more where that came from! I'm just as animated in person. :D

[gapearl]

Hey GAPearl:

 

I'm from Puerto Rico (born and raised), now living in Georgia (Peachtree City). Hi neighbor. :) I go home a few times a year since all of my family (parents, sister, aunts, uncles and 54 first cousins) live there!

 

To answer your question, the island's original name was Boriken (name given by the original Taino Indian inhabitants), which was later changed to Borinquen. When the Spaniards arrived in the late 1400's, the island was renamed San Juan Bautista. Over time, the name San Juan was adopted by the capital while the island was eventually renamed Puerto Rico (or Rich Port, because of the belief that there was a lot of gold in the island). The term "Boricua", used to refer to people from Puerto Rico, derives from the original Indian name.

 

By the way, great job finding Tibes! That place is HARD to find, even for us locals! :o

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Hey Tapi! Yes we are neighbors! I'm not going to post on here exactly where I am, but I'm not far from you. I actually go running in PTC on the trail down by the library. Do you have a golf cart? :p

 

Thanks for all the info! You always post good stuff here though. Where in PR are you from? Tibes was really hard to find and I almost gave up on looking for it, but I'm glad I didn't.

 

Girrrrrrrlllll, it's about TIME you went on another cruise. That's the next best thing to ME going on a cruise, reading about yours! Welcome back!

 

Yeah for real! A year is too long to go in between cruises. I have so much more good stuff to come so stand by. :)

[gapearl]

This also means I get absolutely no work done for the next week or so. I think I'm ok with that. :D

 

There's a couple other Splendor reviews from this itinerary popping up so nope, no work getting done this week. ;)

 

I don't think we met! There were SO many people on the roll call and the group was so large that I just didn't get around to meeting many new folks (plus, I was sailing with a friend; if I'd been solo I would've done more mingling). It was great to see so many people I'd sailed with before, though.

 

I haven't even started writing my review! I haven't even done laundry yet (and I'm sailing again on 11/29).

 

But I'll find time to read this! :D

 

No I don't think we met either. Like you said, there were so many people and it was hard to keep track of who i met. Everyone seemed to know me though. There was a lot of KIMBERLY!!! And I was like WHO ARE YOU??? LOL I also came across a few people I sailed with on previous cruises, so that was cool. I'm following your review as well. It'll be interesting to see what you did different in the ports.

[gapearl]

Haha. My next review will be a big one. I will be covering 3 pre-cruise days in New Orleans, a wedding, group excursions, plus a lot more. So you may not get any work done for 2-3 weeks....I hope that's ok

 

I've been to New Orleans a few times and love that city! I was a bridesmaid in my good friend's big NOLA wedding last year. It was the BEST wedding I've ever been to! For a minute I was wanting a NOLA wedding more than a cruise wedding. :p We did a mile long second line through the French Quarter. I hope the wedding you're attending will have one so get to experience how much fun it is. I'll be on the lookout for that review! :D

 

Subscribing...love your reviews, and especially how you have so much fun cruising solo, since I'm doing my first solo this winter!

 

I love cruising solo! It's actually become my preferred way to travel. You will have a wonderful time I'm sure!

 

I always enjoy your reviews also! Just give me fair warning before you start so I can get some work done ahead of time.

 

I also love Brianna's reviews!

[gapearl]

I am enjoying your review! You sure know how to have fun:)

 

Im looking forward to following along.

 

Indeed i do! I love showing people that are nervous about traveling by themselves that you can have fun traveling solo. :)

 

Ok sounds good. [emoji2] we don't want the work production to suffer [emoji6]

** sorry for hijacking your review GaPearl ** [emoji2]

 

Haha no worries, you're good. :p

[gapearl]

Susie8862, Thanks! I don't want to sound like a cheerleader every time the topic of Puerto Rico comes up, but it's my island and I love it! :)

 

GAPearl: Thanks for all the wonderful Puerto Rico pictures. You've truly captured in photos a part of Puerto Rico that I wish that every visitor that comes to the island would get to experience! :)

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I love Puerto Rico so much! My Puerto Rican friends are like girl deep down you're really a boricua. lol Like you I'm crew and try to layover there as much as I can. I was hoping to see Arecibo as well this trip but that would have been pushing it. Next time I head down there for a few days, I'll be heading to Aguadilla, or even better Culebra! :D I hope my pictures have inspired a few people to explore the island outside of San Juan.

 

Yep....I am cruising with my dad :) He has had some health problems recently and we don't know what he future will bring so we are going to go now while we can and enjoy every minute together

 

Awww that's so nice you're going with your dad again! You two seem to have so much fun together. I'm wishing him a speedy recovery with his health.

[Tapi]

Do you have a golf cart? :p

 

Ooh yes. I was SO against it when we moved here, but eventually gave in. Now we use it to go everywhere. Supermarket, church, kid's school, haircut, you name it. I even experienced "golf cart caravan trick or treating" this year! :o

Where in PR are you from?

 

I'm from the west coast of the island. Small beach town about 2 hours from San Juan. If you like great seafood and beautiful postcard beaches, you need to put the west coast of the island on your "to do" list. :D

 

 

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Edited November 13, 2014 by Tapi

[wrigley80]

I've been to New Orleans a few times and love that city! I was a bridesmaid in my good friend's big NOLA wedding last year. It was the BEST wedding I've ever been to! For a minute I was wanting a NOLA wedding more than a cruise wedding. :p We did a mile long second line through the French Quarter. I hope the wedding you're attending will have one so get to experience how much fun it is. I'll be on the lookout for that review! :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I love cruising solo! It's actually become my preferred way to travel. You will have a wonderful time I'm sure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also love Brianna's reviews!

 

 

The wedding that I am in is onboard the Carnival Dream on embarkation day. The night before the wedding we are having the bachelor/bachelorette parties on Bourbon Street. Lord please help me [emoji12][emoji12][emoji12]

Yeah I absolutely love New Orleans. I just booked flights yesterday to be in New Orleans for a week for Mardi Gras...that is going to be a blast

[gapearl]

It was great to meet you! Can't wait to read your review!

 

Geri

 

 

Great meeting you as well Geri! Too bad I didn't see you around more. I hope you had as much fun as I did. :)

 

Freaking awesome! I have been so looking forward to another GApearl review!

 

Awwww yeah! Have fun reading!

[gapearl]

Loving your review!

 

Thanks you so much!

 

I love to reading your lively and helpful reviews. We were on this cruise so I have been watching for it!

 

Hey there! Did we meet or cross paths at any point?

[gapearl]

Yay!! Looking forward to another fantastic review from GaPearl!!! I love your reviews, and can't wait to see the dresses and shoes you wore each evening for dinner. I wish I could wear some of the shoes I've seen in your pics, but I have a bad knee. Thanks for sharing another great review with us! :)

 

I had considered going on this one, but I was already booked on the Sunshine for Sept of this year, and couldn't do both.

 

Dee

 

So, most of the shoes I brought were new. I don't know why I didn't break them in beforehand. :eek: Too bad you couldn't join us on this one. The itinerary was probably my favorite s far. Enjoy the rest!

 

gapeal, I have been reading your reviews for years. You do a wonderful job and have given so many tips and ideas. Thank you for all of the hard work.

 

How cool! Thanks for putting up with me all these years! Keep reading, so much more to share.

[gapearl]

Hi Kim! I'm checking in… can't wait to read your review of this A-M-A-Z-I-N-G cruise!!! It was great meeting you. Hopefully we can get together to visit Curt's Bar when then weather is better. :)

 

Hey Ticia! I am SOOO glad we got to meet! We must get together down at Curtis's place one day, or even just meet up at Atlantic Station on our own soon. :)

 

Yay! I can't wait to read your review! I did a similar itinerary on Celebrity back in 2010- we went to St. Croix, St. Kitts, Dominica, Grenada, and Tobago, round trip from OSJ. Looking fwd to seeing what you did at each of your ports!

 

ps: I have this dress too!! Gotta love Old Navy (I think I ended up buying 4 or 5 of their dresses in this style this summer, all in different colors and prints haha)

 

Hey there! Glad to see you here again. Between this cruise and the Valor last year, the southern Caribbean is definitely my favorite cruise destination now. I would love an itinerary with Tobago!

 

I got that dress off the Old Navy clearance rack the week before I left for like $6. I absolutely would have bought every color if they still had them. :D

[Tapi]

Like you I'm crew and try to layover there as much as I can.

 

 

Not going to ask you in a public forum who you work for, but I've wondered if you and I fly for the same airline. It would be funny if we have ever flown (or will fly) together.

 

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Edited November 13, 2014 by Tapi

[gapearl]

Another GAPearl review .... ahhh, great :p.

 

Really enjoying all the time and detail you put into your reviews. You look like you are having a blast and it feels like we are right along with you. I absolutely loved Cartagena too, definitely my favourite land vacation. Hope to run into you sometime on a cruise :).

 

Hey there! I'm glad to see so many people appreciate my effort. I did one big excursion that will be coming up later that probably 90% of the readers here wouldn't even think of doing. It's so fun taking everyone along for the ride and letting them experience somewhere or something through my camera.

 

I'm glad to run into someone else that loved Cartagena. When I told people I was going there, for months everyone was like you're gonna get killed and the FARC is gonna get you. Even my mom was like go on and go to Colombia, it's ok have an insurance policy on you. :rolleyes: Yeah there are bad places around town to avoid, just like any big city. I loved my time there so much that I want to tell anyone that will listen it's a great place so I can help get rid of the bad image people have of there from 20-30 years ago. :)

 

Hi Kim,

It was great to meet you on this cruise. Looking forward to reading this. :D

 

So great meeting you too! :)