Liberty's Memorial Day Review (photo heavy) - Including Extra Days in San Juan!!

[trippingpara]

so in San Juan, you go through security and metal detectors, then walk thru the shopping and then board the ship?

 

Not quite. While you are in the terminal, there is a very large duty free liquor store that is situated in-between the waiting area and the security check points. The security personnel that are working the scanners are not Carnival personnel but Port of San Juan personnel. They are instructed to look for anything that is not permitted on the ship and to mark it (with an orange zip tie on the bag). They do not confiscate anything (well, except for maybe weapons!). There is then a long boardwalk in-between the security check and the ship. Once you arrive at the ship, the Carnival security guys are looking for the bags from the duty free store and the orange zip ties. If they don't see either one of those, they welcome you aboard with open arms. What you do with the bags from the liquor store or any bags marked with an orange zip tie while you are walking the 100+ plus yards from the security line to the ship is up to you. :D

[sweenbean21]

I love Culebra! We took the ferry and my mom and I got VERY sick. Going to the island was rough, there were alot of people outside getting air standing next to the trash cans and it felt like we'd never get there :( Coming back was a little better though....it was worth it though, great day on the island!

[cessnabmw]

I love Culebra! We took the ferry and my mom and I got VERY sick. Going to the island was rough, there were alot of people outside getting air standing next to the trash cans and it felt like we'd never get there :( Coming back was a little better though....it was worth it though, great day on the island!

 

When did you go? How long were the waits for the ferry and where did you get the ferry? Thanks!

[sweenbean21]

We went Christmas Eve, we stayed near the rainforest and had a rental car so we were able to drive to Fajardo to get the ferry. We got there early, bought our tickets and just waited at the ferry terminal. It is a small waiting area but they have some seating and a small snack bar. Everyone made it on board as I recall. I don't know if Christmas Eve would be a busy time to go or not though?

[trippingpara]

Our track from Flamenco Beach led us back past the airport and into the main populated area of the island. On our way through the center of town when we came across a rather unusual sight:

 

Yep, horses just chilling around town

 

 

There were several of them just wandering around grazing on grass. I guess that’s one way to reduce municipal maintenance costs! Who needs lawnmowers when you have horses free grazing across town? This must be normal practice as none of the locals even seemed to notice them. We grabbed a couple photos of them and slowly meandering on our own way.

 

The drive across the island only took about 20 minutes and that’s mainly because we were driving slowly to check out the sites. Luckily, no one seemed to be in a hurry and the traffic was very light.

 

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[Peemagg]

Horses are a win win. Lawn mowed and fertilized at the same time!

[trippingpara]

On the far eastern side of Culebra Island sits Zoni Beach. A secluded beach that is home to the highly protected leatherback turtles and their nesting sites. From March to July, they nest on this beach which has protected this beach from becoming built up and commercialized.

 

One of the leatherback turtle's nesting sites

 

 

 

They take their turtle nesting areas pretty seriously here (as they should). We have run into similar rules and restrictions in Hawaii too.

 

Trippette learning a little bit about Leatherback turtles

 

 

 

You are free to use this beach during the daytime, just not at night when the turtles return back to their nesting area.

 

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[CruzinScotty]

Trip, you are a real trip! :D

 

I love your writing style; you really make us feel like we're there with you.

 

Thanks for the in-depth review of the Behind the Fun tour. For many reasons, many of us wouldn't be able to do this tour; thanks for sharing.

 

I found the statistics quite interesting. Of particular interest was the number of hot dogs eaten in a week in comparison to the number of burgers. There's so much said about Guy's - and I'm a Guy's fan - but I would have never thought there would be that many hot dogs eaten in a week.

 

And your pictures are fantastic! You said you weren't going to post a lot of pictures of the Liberty since there are so many out there in other trip reports. When you are finished with your report; could you maybe re-think that just a bit? Pretty Please? Your photographic skills will surely yield some great shots that I bet a lot of us would like to see. I personally would love to see pics of the Atrium lights changing colors and the Venetian Palace Theater if you got pictures of the ceiling sculpture and/or the jesters.

 

I really enjoyed your pictures in Marigot, Saint Martin. We were there last year and did an tour of the island as well. We also only had 45 minutes in Marigot. It was raining and we saw nothing open except for a single gift shop. There was no open air market open; it was dismal and depressing. I could shoot myself because we really wanted to sample some French Pastry. I saw the Sarafina's sign from a block away that said "Crepes", but I didn't walk down to see that they had what we were looking for.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to do this report.

[trippingpara]

Aside from the turtles, Zoni Beach is a beautiful beach all by itself. No wonder the turtles return here year after year!

 

 

 

 

 

Off the coast of Zoni Beach sits Isla Culebrita (which can be seen here with the lighthouse in the distance) as well as Cayo Norte and Cayo Botella. On a clear day, St. Thomas can be seen from from the hills above here too.

 

The Faro de Isla de Culebritas (the lighthouse on Isla Culebrita)

 

 

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[trippingpara]

Our stop here at Zoni Beach was more for pictures and to scope out spots for future visits. We had a date with some serious snorkeling still, so after strolling along this beautiful beach for a bit, we headed out to cross our way back across the island to our next stop, Melones Beach.

 

On our back across the center of town again, there were our buddies, the mobile lawn mowing service.

 

 

 

 

This time they were a bit spooked by the vehicles but they kept their cool better than most Boston drivers do! I swear I even saw the light tan one signal for a left turn!

 

Coming up next...some fabulous snorkeling at Melones Beach!

 

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Edited July 1, 2015 by trippingpara

[trippingpara]

Trip, you are a real trip! :D

 

I love your writing style; you really make us feel like we're there with you.

 

Thanks for the in-depth review of the Behind the Fun tour. For many reasons, many of us wouldn't be able to do this tour; thanks for sharing.

 

I found the statistics quite interesting. Of particular interest was the number of hot dogs eaten in a week in comparison to the number of burgers. There's so much said about Guy's - and I'm a Guy's fan - but I would have never thought there would be that many hot dogs eaten in a week.

 

And your pictures are fantastic! You said you weren't going to post a lot of pictures of the Liberty since there are so many out there in other trip reports. When you are finished with your report; could you maybe re-think that just a bit? Pretty Please? Your photographic skills will surely yield some great shots that I bet a lot of us would like to see. I personally would love to see pics of the Atrium lights changing colors and the Venetian Palace Theater if you got pictures of the ceiling sculpture and/or the jesters.

 

I really enjoyed your pictures in Marigot, Saint Martin. We were there last year and did an tour of the island as well. We also only had 45 minutes in Marigot. It was raining and we saw nothing open except for a single gift shop. There was no open air market open; it was dismal and depressing. I could shoot myself because we really wanted to sample some French Pastry. I saw the Sarafina's sign from a block away that said "Crepes", but I didn't walk down to see that they had what we were looking for.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to do this report.

 

CruzinScotty, thank you for taking the time to read my review and for leaving such nice feedback, I appreciate it! I will see what I can do with the photos of the Liberty. I didn't take as many this time as I normally do. For some reason, we just didn't get around the ship as much as we did last time.

[trippingpara]

The map that we got from the Jeep rental desk became very helpful here as we had to do some back tracking in the very crowded and tightly packed downtown area. Don’t go down to the ferry area unless you are actually arriving or departing on the ferry. It is mobbed and very tough to navigate around in a car. Well, we eventually found ourselves sitting at the end of the road staring out at another secluded and empty beach. The road goes straight to the small rocky beach and even has a small parking lot. The main attraction here is not the beach itself but the snorkeling. Melones Beach is a part of the Luis Peña Channel Natural Reserve (it’s the southern anchor point of the reserve).

 

Across the reserve sits Cayo Luis Peña which is the western edge of the reserve. The snorkeling and diving in this natural preserve is some of the absolute best in all of Puerto Rico! We immediately got ourselves kitted up and headed out across the rocky beach and into the water.

 

I thought my shadow under the water made for a cool photo

 

Trippette flashes me the "it's all good" sign

 

 

 

Baby fish hiding out in the protective barbs of a sea urchin

 

 

The center of the reserve rotated from grass beds (great spots for turtles) to general coral rubble to incredible coral reefs with amazing fans gently waving in the current.

 

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[QTPieRye]

Hiya.... could you please tell me how many formal nights and which nights? I know most 7 night cruises have 2, but was not sure about this port intensive cruise. Thanks ;)

[trippingpara]

Hiya.... could you please tell me how many formal nights and which nights? I know most 7 night cruises have 2, but was not sure about this port intensive cruise. Thanks ;)

 

Hi QTPieRye, there were 2 Elegant Nights. The first one (and most heavily attended) was on Tuesday night (Sea Day). The second one was on Friday, (St. Kitts) and was less attended and was much more dressed down than the first one.

[Elaine2]

The James Bond look is so amazing !! Beautiful Family ! [emoji483]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kenrod]

Hey trippingpara, thanks for your review. I have been reading it over the last couple of weeks and have finally caught up.

 

I love this itinerary! Your pictorial makes me want to do it again. We did it with the Carnival Victory several years ago. Also, the way you write makes me feel like we are close pals.

 

Thanks very much for taking the time doing this and I look forward to the conclusion of your pictorial.

[Shih-tzu]

Loved this review.

 

Is there more to come??? I so looked forward to looking each evening to see if there were more pictures and your upbeat narrative. Not sure what I will do once there's no more new posts....

 

I am now more than ever looking forward to my Liberty cruise this upcoming winter.....will be that much sweeter with the snow and cold left behind....

[cinsu]

Your review has been amazing! You started when we were just under 30 days remaining until we go on the same sailing and here I am at 1 day remaining! Its a multi day project getting to Puerto Rico from where I am now. Many of the things you did we already have planned and others we are going to do only because I followed your review. Keep an eye out for a thread from me to live vicariously through my photos as I did yours!

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

[trippingpara]

The James Bond look is so amazing !! Beautiful Family ! [emoji483]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Izzypit, thank you so much for the kind words. My family appreciates it very much! I'm glad to know that somebody else enjoys my spy look. I'm not known for being afraid to stand out in a crowd as you can tell by my shoes for my tux!

 

A little father/daughter photo op

[trippingpara]

Hey trippingpara, thanks for your review. I have been reading it over the last couple of weeks and have finally caught up.

 

I love this itinerary! Your pictorial makes me want to do it again. We did it with the Carnival Victory several years ago. Also, the way you write makes me feel like we are close pals.

 

Thanks very much for taking the time doing this and I look forward to the conclusion of your pictorial.

 

Thank you so much. I appreciate your kind words. Glad we could be close pals and thank you for taking the time to read all of my nonsensical dribbling.

[trippingpara]

Loved this review.

 

Is there more to come??? I so looked forward to looking each evening to see if there were more pictures and your upbeat narrative. Not sure what I will do once there's no more new posts....

 

I am now more than ever looking forward to my Liberty cruise this upcoming winter.....will be that much sweeter with the snow and cold left behind....

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the review. Its comments like yours that keep me writing into the wee hours of the evening (a few shots of Jaggermiester doesn't hurt either!) And please do not fret, there is more to come.

 

I am so jealous that you will be enjoying my beaches and azure waters in the Caribbean while we are up here in the frozen tundra of New England!

[trippingpara]

Your review has been amazing! You started when we were just under 30 days remaining until we go on the same sailing and here I am at 1 day remaining! Its a multi day project getting to Puerto Rico from where I am now. Many of the things you did we already have planned and others we are going to do only because I followed your review. Keep an eye out for a thread from me to live vicariously through my photos as I did yours!

 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

Thank you Cinsu! You are too kind. Man, 30 days...have I been writing that long?? Man, I knew I could be a bit verbose but 30 days?? Wow! Have a blast and I will definitely be looking out for your thread to whet my appetite for another cruise!

Cheers!

[trippingpara]

I feel that I must apologize before I start back again with my review. As you have probably noticed, I am a complete camera geek and an extremely avid lover of the water. Now you put a pair of waterproof cameras in my hands and point me towards a body of water, well…

 

If you really don’t like or aren’t interested in underwater shots, you may want to remove yourself from the computer and go grab a couple pints of Guinness or whatever liquid of an alcoholic nature may tinkle your fancy. Well, even if you don’t want to leave, go grab a drink anyways! I’ll wait……

 

I’m going to be a bit busy here posting plenty of underwater photos. Again, I apologize in advance. Okay, thank you for coming back! Now, onto the pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[SoloSailorII]

Loved this review.

 

Is there more to come??? I so looked forward to looking each evening to see if there were more pictures and your upbeat narrative. Not sure what I will do once there's no more new posts....

 

 

Tripp again one of the best reviews ever. Awesome Pictures and Epic writing. Thank your for sharing your vacation and family with us.

 

Fair Winds and Following Seas....

[trippingpara]

If you are still paying attention then clearly you are a water nut like myself. Or you are simply bored off your butt from watching too many episodes of the Housewives of Toledo or someplace like that. And while we're on that topic, why are they always screaming and fighting about who slept with whose second cousin twice removed? What is up with that?? Any ways, I’m hoping that you're still here because of the first option! If it was the second option, you’d probably just switch the channel over to Who Wore This Dress or maybe to Dancing with the Constellations. Enough with my blabbering. On to the pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, okay, I’ll stop. Sorry, I tend to go crazy with a camera in the water. I did warn you though!

 

As we were cruising around the edge of a large grass bed looking for turtles and stingrays (we did find some stingrays), Trippette swam up to me with a nervous look on her face.

 

“What’s up hon?” I asked.

 

“I think I just saw a large barracuda!” she said excitedly.

 

“Really? Where?”

 

She pointed off towards the center of the reserve, off to our left.

 

“Okay. Good eyes. We’ll steer clear of over there,” was my response and dove back down to continue our quest forward into the grassy knoll.

 

No, not that grassy knoll! If you don’t know what I’m referring to, you are clearly too young and have not watched any news reports about a young man and his beautiful wife taking a nice drive down a Dallas road early one November afternoon. Any ways, we swam forward for about 25 yards when I suddenly froze. About 8 feet in front of me was that huge barracuda. He had teeth. A lot of them! And he was staring at me like I was a giant can of sardines, fresh and ready for the taking.

 

I immediately held up my hand to get the ladies behind me to stop. I quickly turned around and signed for them to head back the way we came. They both looked at me confused until I pointed out our not so little silver friend that was staring at us. I turned back around to keep my eyes on our friend. I’ve bumped into barracudas a lot in my dives and snorkeling. They will generally ignore you as long as you don’t pose a threat or invade what they deem as their territory. I was afraid that we did invade his territory as he was not moving away from the buoy that he was hanging out next to and he was staring intently at me.

 

As we stared at each other underwater, I decided that it would be a smart move to let him win this staring contest. So I slowly leaned onto my back (I was standing up under water), hoping that my large fins would make him think twice that these sardines were indeed too salty and rubbery and not worth the effort. Apparently it worked as he just hung out and watched me slowly swim away.

 

Once I made my way back to where the ladies were safely waiting for me, we decided that we had had enough and headed back towards shore. It took us about 15 minutes to swim back to the beach as we were a pretty good distance out into the reserve. It was a little tricky getting back in as it got really shallow and the rocks were filled with very menacing looking sea urchins. So we slowly made our way back to an area that we could safely get up and step out without fear of getting a grievous injury and having to pee on ones’ self to ease the pain. Oh wait, that’s for jellyfish! Glad I didn’t get stabbed by a sea urchin then! Everyone would have been pretty shocked and scared to see me frantically trying to pee on my wound!

 

We spent a couple hours here and there was only one other family that arrived shortly after we did. Talk about peace and quiet! We loved this spot. Melones Beach has definitely gone down in our “must return to” list!

 

 

Coming up next...Zacos Tacos and Playa Tamarindo Beach

 

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Edited July 3, 2015 by trippingpara