Mitsugirlys FASCINATION with San Juan-review & pictorial

[Wetescape2016]

 

 

 

Yea, we have carried pop in with us before and have even carried cans because we know just how long it takes for them to come back with one.

 

I don't know if those would work with her or not and they kinda look like what she already has and doesn't work. But I guess anything is worth a shot. I'll check into them. (Hopefully with her scuba class, she'll learn to pop her ears).

 

Yes, I private home care, as in subcontract from agencies and private people. I pick my own schedule, I picked my own patients, I decide how many I want, and I see the same patients routinely. Then the benefits of taking vacation whenever you want. ;) So once I get a full schedule to my liking, I don't take on any others. I absolutely LOVE my patients and we are so close. I worked for the hospital for over 30 years and the last 4 years before doing this, I was in the ER/Trauma. Fast paced, acute care...and now slow paced chronic care. It's such a switch up. :p But I enjoy it. I work 2-3 hours a day, not standing on my feet for 12 hour days and I'm out in the community (not to mention pay is outstanding obviously).

 

The hubby has been an aggressive skater for 23 years. He started a company 9 years ago selling skates. It progressed in a full blown store with BMX, skateboards, scooters, skates, penny boards, wake boards, long boards and clothing. He absolutely loves it. (Our store bakerized . com). My youngest son, Kolin...age 21, usually runs the store when we are on vacation (he rides BMX bikes) and the hubby runs the online part while on the ship...or beach. :D But, this next vacation, Kolin will be coming with us, so we will probably have to close the store for a week.

 

 

Wow that sounds like an excellent nursing job!!! And great hours for having a young one, and of course vacationing :D

My kim is on a surgical ortho floor at the hospital a stones throw away from us. She's doing the 12 hour thing right now, I can't imagine how that wears a person down! Though she does get 5 days off after doing 2-12 hour days and 2-12 hour nights, so theres a good amount of recoup time!

I'm a child and youth worker and work with teens with mental health and addictions on a locked in patient unit, but I have more control over my schedule than she does, so thats nice.

 

Your hubby's store looks AWESOME!!! I kept wondering about his Baker t-shirts i would see in your pics, so that explains them. I was a snowboarder in my teens and 20's. Somehow I aged about 40 years between my 20's and 30's and the winter is just TOOOOO cold to be outside LOL So Instead of spending money on lift passes we vacation in the winter to get away from the cold :D

 

I feel for Sakari. I would fly a lot when I was a kid too and I can remember the flight attendants would soak face cloths in boiling water, wring them out and put one in each of 2 styrofoam cups to put over my ears. I guess the heat that the cloths would give off would relieve the pressure.. I probably looked like a dope but it worked! I'm sure she will learn how to pop her ears in scuba classes (which sound amazing and you should totally do it too!!)

 

Have a great day!

[hlb76]

I'm all caught up.. which I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad about. I love knowing there are more installments waiting but I hate that I'm behind!

 

So glad Kendra ended up coming along. Love hearing her stories though thus far she has been on the up and up - minus some monkey business. HAHA

 

I bet Sakari will adore her PADI classes. I'm jealous - I would love to dive. I bet it wont be long and you will all be doing classes even with the ear issues.

 

Thanks for all you do to bring us with on these virtual trips!

[emdia43]

The kids continued to jump and Kendra continued to talk monkey talk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The guy gave Kendra his social media site for her to add him and told her everything about this monkey. He had went into the forest to get the mother and she had 5 babies. This was one of them and he was 4 months old I believe. He said they were all pretty tame and they had removed their fang teeth. He said they can only ship to 2 places in the US (Miami and Arizona I think). She would have to arrange to have an address in one of those places to accept the monkey and then have to pay shipping for it to get there (COD). She would not pay for the monkey until it arrived in the US.

 

 

 

 

 

I told her that no matter "how" he said it's done, I still can't believe that US customs would allow some animal from a different country to just be shipped there with no problems due to diseases and such. But she was on a mission.

 

(Update since we returned...still no monkey, of course, and the guy won't answer her on SM so....)

 

A video of the kids (and the hubby) jumping off the deck.

 

 

7SpAEKZiSog

 

I'm sorry but I find it very sad that you and your family would think it's OK to do this - tear a tiny monkey away from its family group and habitat to keep as a toy or pet. As long as people support this cruel trade it will continue.

http://arff.org/kitts

[Stinger-pr]

The hubby has been an aggressive skater for 23 years. He started a company 9 years ago selling skates. It progressed in a full blown store with BMX, skateboards, scooters, skates, penny boards, wake boards, long boards and clothing. He absolutely loves it. (Our store bakerized . com). My youngest son, Kolin...age 21, usually runs the store when we are on vacation (he rides BMX bikes) and the hubby runs the online part while on the ship...or beach. :D But, this next vacation, Kolin will be coming with us, so we will probably have to close the store for a week.

 

This is one half of the store.

 

 

 

 

Boy would I love to sit down with your guys to talk some old school!! I did BXM freestyle (that's before it was called an "extreme sport" for you kids) for a little over 10 years in the 80's and 90's. I always rode GT bikes exclusively and I even still have the last one I rode in my garage (basically an experiment in rust now...lol). It's amazing how BMX and skating have evolved over the years. Sometimes I sit an nostalgically watch some recent competitions and say to myself that I would've had to retire anyway because there was no freakin' way I would've achieved the skill levels where they are at now. I was never any good at skating though.

[mickev99]

Boy would I love to sit down with your guys to talk some old school!! I did BXM freestyle (that's before it was called an "extreme sport" for you kids) for a little over 10 years in the 80's and 90's. I always rode GT bikes exclusively and I even still have the last one I rode in my garage (basically an experiment in rust now...lol). It's amazing how BMX and skating have evolved over the years. Sometimes I sit an nostalgically watch some recent competitions and say to myself that I would've had to retire anyway because there was no freakin' way I would've achieved the skill levels where they are at now. I was never any good at skating though.

 

That's hilarious. My husband also rode BMX when he was younger and when we watch Xgames and other shows, he says there is no way he would do the things that they do now. He's happy with his mountain biking at age 52!

 

Sorry for the hijack.

[Wetescape2016]

I'm sorry but I find it very sad that you and your family would think it's OK to do this - tear a tiny monkey away from its family group and habitat to keep as a toy or pet. As long as people support this cruel trade it will continue.

http://arff.org/kitts

 

Its one thing to love monkeys, think they are cute and wish you had one. They did not buy one, nor do they own one...

 

Is it therefore cruel to own a dog, cat, bird etc? The mothers are forced into getting pregnant and then their babies are "torn" away from them at 8 weeks old (and they don't pose a threat to agriculture..) all for human enjoyment.

 

Animals are also raised in less than ideal conditions and slaughtered for human consumption.

I'm assuming you don't own pets, never have, and eat a strict vegan diet?

 

Just saying..

[Peace Love and Travel]

One more question for you. Now that you have done this cruise and spent a few days in Puerto Rico, if you only had one week of vacation, would you spend it on the Fascination specifically, same Southern itinerary, OR, would you spend your full week exploring Puerto Rico??

[Shonny Wayway]

My daughter will be 8 in December. On cruises she literally lives at camp and in the pool!!. Last cruise she only got off the boat in san juan because we had to and in St. Thomas because we went shopping. We are going to the beach on Saturday in St. Marteen!! :-) so I know I will definitely get her off the boat. We are black, but she manages to come home three shades darker and a mixture of tan lines as we carry four different swim suits.Not sure what really holds her at camp carnival but by our third day where ever we go on ship every one knows her name. This is my first cruise I am not the cruise planner, travel afent, mother hen (they literally follow me around) or immigration specialist (imagine filling out 15 immigration forms while everyone sleeps) so really looking forward to this cruise!

[I Luv Crusin]

We were booked on this cruise for next fall but I had to cancel it so we could go on the Legend to HAWAII!!! I'm sorry and can't wait to read the rest of your trip, Kim!

[perfect match]

I showed Sakari the video they had for the scuba program for kids and it's all she talked about last night. She wanted to do it last night! I will be calling today to find out more information about signing her up. The website it a little confusing. I think it's 3 days at 2 hours each and then you do monthly "dives" (probably in their pool). The first session this month is this friday! :eek:

 

I knew she would be excited! She will love it!

 

Sorry it took me so long to return. After work, I picked up Sakari from her bus stop and we immediately went to our local aquatics store to get information about scuba for her. The place is so amazing there. I can spend hours looking at everything...and actually I did. :p

 

So...I GOT HER SIGNED UP!!! She will do her first 2 classes (both classroom and the pool) starting in October. Then right after that is her "AquaMission" to become a PADI Seal and get her certificate and all that comes with it. Then she will be able to do a different "AquaMission" dive each month:

 

Creature ID Specialist

Environmental Specialist

Inner Space Specialist

Navigation Specialist

Safety Specialist

Search and Recovery Specialist

Skin Diver Specialist

Snapshot Specialist

Wreck Specialist

Night Specialist

 

She will continue to do the monthly missions and if she wants to be certified, she will be able to do that when she turns 10 years old. She is super excited and is super upset that she has to wait until next month to start. :rolleyes: They had a class starting this Friday, but they were full.

 

She has her packet, book and patches and now just needs to get her snorkel and mask. They provide the wet suit and all of the equipment...thank goodness!

 

I hope she likes it and I hope she sticks with it. That crap is E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E!!!

 

I was almost excited when they told me after she turns 10 and does the classes, she could actually do her open water certification dives in the Caribbean. :D That almost made me want to do it.

 

Oh, one other thing. They have you fill out a form and answer some questions (health) and I checked the "yes" to having issues with getting her ears to "pop" when coming down on a plane. So...they are making me take her to her doctor to get an exam and they have to sign off on the paperwork for her to be able to do it. :rolleyes: Now I wish I wouldn't have told them. I mean they teach you how to clear your ears. She just hasn't learn how. :(

 

The next month will seem like forever to Sakari, I'm sure, but it will also give her something to look forward to her. I am glad you were truthful about her ear problems. Actually, I have never known you to be anything other than truthful. That is one of the things I like about you.

 

The ability to release the pressure in your ears is really important in scuba diving safely, so I hope Sakari checks out OK. There are a number of reasons why some people are unable to clear their ears no matter what they're taught. Hopefully, Sakari is not one of them. I had a lot of problems with my ears when I was Sakari's age, but I have been able to learn to clear them successfully and have never had a problem over my many years of diving.

 

Yes, scuba can be expensive, but to me it is so worth it! You are probably going to find yourself wanting to join in the fun, and it wouldn't surprise me if Kendra did, too.

 

The program outline sounds like a good one, and I think it will be perfect for Sakari. It sounds to me, based on what you have said about the shop and the program that you have a good local dive shop. Good diver training is really important to insure that you're diving safely, and I know you want her to be safe.

[Medtech2]

DAY 3-Traveling from Fajardo to Isla Verde

 

Today was the day that we had to leave this beautiful resort. I started questioning myself about why I didn't book this place for the entire time because there was just so much to see and do here. But, I had always wanted to go to Isla Verde, so Isla Verde it was.

 

I woke up to the room alarm going off at 7 am!!! I had really wanted to sleep in. But, I couldn't figure out how to turn it off. After multiple attempts, I decided I was just going to have to get up. I thought it was weird that it hadn't went of prior to this.

 

So while I'm waiting on the family to get up, since they sleep through blow horns, I'll show you the "map" of the resort they gave me at check in. This will give you an idea of just how big this place is. When they say "resort", they mean RESORT.

 

 

 

 

 

So the family finally got up and we put our bathing suits on and packed the luggage.

 

We checked out fairly early since we had plans to stop at Puerto Rico's prettiest/best beach (so I was told) and then our drive on to the next hotel in Isla Verde.

 

We had decided since breakfast at the resort runs around $52 that we would eat cheap today and find a McD's along the way to the beach instead.

 

We checked out. There was no line. We caught the bus to our car. Drove car back to hotel. Packed luggage. Headed out.

 

We quickly found a McDonalds and stopped for breakfast. A few hand signals, mouth gestures and pointing and we had our breakfast and was sitting down. I ordered a meal with "toast"....It was extremely fascinating when I found out my "toast" was actually Texas toast! But it was good. Just a different than normal concept to me. They also gave you 3 of them with your meal. I believe with our meal, we get biscuits instead.

 

 

 

 

The hubby had ordered the "Tostada burrito". Now at home, we have the breakfast burrito meal and it comes with 2 small burritos filled with eggs, cheese, sausage and peppers. When the hubby got his, it was only 1 burrito, and as a LOT bigger than ours.

 

After breakfast we headed to Walgreens to look for some "back-up" 100 spf sun tan lotion and some more pop. We were unable to find the hubby his "Dew" fix, but they did have diet for me. I'm still finding that they only come in 8 packs. Where are the 12 packs in this place???

 

I thought these little baskets were neat. It had a handle and some wheels on it. I didn't have to carry anything. Why don't our Walgreens have this at home???

 

 

I text Kendra this picture and she did say she's been to a Walgreens that had that before, but don't recall where. They should ALL have them.

 

Then I receive this back from her...

 

 

Does anyone think she's a little excited that she was able to pull this off??

 

It was a 18 minute drive to our destination. Not bad at all. But, it did start to cloud up and start to sprinkle some. But I wasn't going to let it ruin my day. I mean we were going to the beach...where you get wet...so why does it matter?

Hi there! We are cruising out of SJ in November. I had wanted to do the Bio Bay but everything I'm reading says it is still at only 30%.

 

With Zika in the news how bad are the mosquitos? Do we need to get bug spray in addition to sunscreen?

[ChristineS72]

Your reviews are awesome and I thoroughly enjoy them!!!!

Chris

[mitsugirly]

We were on the 8/16/15 sailing.

I booked because of Kim's review also.

 

I had a sinking feeling we weren't going to be able to make it, the ship was just sitting out a ways from the dock and I knew that wasn't normal. There were some white caps. The Captain came on and said he would wait and see if the wind died down but by 8:30am or so, it wasn't happening.

 

I was so disappointed but my family and I had a great unexpected sea day.

 

I have read a lot of complaints about Carnival not being able to dock in Roatan in the past. I'm not sure if it's because of the location and how they have to go in between the dock and the land on the other side or what. I haven't really heard people complain about not being able to dock at NCL's dock, which is sorta out in the open. We have only been to Roatan with Carnival once, on the Dream, and I guess we were the lucky ones that got to dock that time. :)

 

Wow that sounds like an excellent nursing job!!! And great hours for having a young one, and of course vacationing :D

My kim is on a surgical ortho floor at the hospital a stones throw away from us. She's doing the 12 hour thing right now, I can't imagine how that wears a person down! Though she does get 5 days off after doing 2-12 hour days and 2-12 hour nights, so theres a good amount of recoup time!

I'm a child and youth worker and work with teens with mental health and addictions on a locked in patient unit, but I have more control over my schedule than she does, so thats nice.

 

Your hubby's store looks AWESOME!!! I kept wondering about his Baker t-shirts i would see in your pics, so that explains them. I was a snowboarder in my teens and 20's. Somehow I aged about 40 years between my 20's and 30's and the winter is just TOOOOO cold to be outside LOL So Instead of spending money on lift passes we vacation in the winter to get away from the cold :D

 

I feel for Sakari. I would fly a lot when I was a kid too and I can remember the flight attendants would soak face cloths in boiling water, wring them out and put one in each of 2 styrofoam cups to put over my ears. I guess the heat that the cloths would give off would relieve the pressure.. I probably looked like a dope but it worked! I'm sure she will learn how to pop her ears in scuba classes (which sound amazing and you should totally do it too!!)

 

Have a great day!

 

How cool that you were a snowboarder. Yep, he wears a lot of Baker shirts because of his business (and it happens to be our name, which happens to be how he came up with the name "Bakerized" because if you look that name up it supposedly suppose to mean "to f shiznit up", which is what skaters and bikers say about their extreme sport messing themselves up with the injuries and doing tricks :eek:).

 

I have never heard of the syrofoam things to relieve the pressure. I'm just really hoping this scuba class will teach her how to pop them. It would be so much better for her.

[jgskes]

I have read a lot of complaints about Carnival not being able to dock in Roatan in the past. I'm not sure if it's because of the location and how they have to go in between the dock and the land on the other side or what. I haven't really heard people complain about not being able to dock at NCL's dock, which is sorta out in the open. We have only been to Roatan with Carnival once, on the Dream, and I guess we were the lucky ones that got to dock that time. :)

 

 

 

How cool that you were a snowboarder. Yep, he wears a lot of Baker shirts because of his business (and it happens to be our name, which happens to be how he came up with the name "Bakerized" because if you look that name up it supposedly suppose to mean "to f shiznit up", which is what skaters and bikers say about their extreme sport messing themselves up with the injuries and doing tricks :eek:).

 

I have never heard of the syrofoam things to relieve the pressure. I'm just really hoping this scuba class will teach her how to pop them. It would be so much better for her.

 

Our first time to Roatan the seas were incredibly calm. I went up before our whole group to watch us dock. We were sitting out there and I went back downstairs and said...we are not going. Everyone thought I was crazy. The captain came on and told us that we were not docking because of the weather. It was soooo calm and seemed weird. I had booked because of your reviews for LFK. I actually cried. Fast forward two months later we got to go and loved it. I will be there in two weeks and hopefully be at LFK for my 3rd time.

[Jaime0528]

Great review as usual! I was curious what Kendra's shirt says, you said she has a tattoo shop, is it from there? It's cute! The matching tattoos too!

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

I'm all caught up.. which I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad about. I love knowing there are more installments waiting but I hate that I'm behind!

 

So glad Kendra ended up coming along. Love hearing her stories though thus far she has been on the up and up - minus some monkey business. HAHA

 

I bet Sakari will adore her PADI classes. I'm jealous - I would love to dive. I bet it wont be long and you will all be doing classes even with the ear issues.

 

Thanks for all you do to bring us with on these virtual trips!

 

I do have the next installment ready, I just have to get my last paper done for this week and I'll be starting on it. :)

 

Yea, for the most part, Kendra behaved herself. I think after this many years and the amount of cruises we take, she's finally getting the hang of it. :p

 

I still haven't convinced myself that diving is what I want to do. I wouldn't mind in a pool, but out in the ocean...eek. I think I would end up with anxiety over it, but we'll see. They do have some "experimental" classes they offer there. For $35pp you can try it out and see if you are interested in it. If you are, they credit $25 toward your classes to get certified.

 

I'm sorry but I find it very sad that you and your family would think it's OK to do this - tear a tiny monkey away from its family group and habitat to keep as a toy or pet. As long as people support this cruel trade it will continue.

http://arff.org/kitts

 

I guess that you find it sad for most of America, since most families own animals...whether it be a dog, cat, fish, or many of the other animals out there. I mean breeders and stores take all of these animals away from their mothers right? :rolleyes: Do you know that over half of America owns animals? Do you also realize that a majority of animal owners do not consider themselves as "just an animal owner?" They consider their pet as FAMILY. I know people with animals that treat their animals better than a lot of mothers treat their children in today's society. What about zoo's? Where they not taken out of their habitat for our viewing and enjoyment? The list could go on. It's something that has always been a part of life and will continue to be a part of life no matter how many animal rights activists continue to cry about it.

 

Your link stated that the monkeys in St Kitts and Nevis were (basically captured) by Africans and brought there. Isn't that taking them out of their natural home and replacing them somewhere else? Your link also stated that there are hundreds of free roaming monkeys there and they are causing damage to the crops. Then it states "The killing or export of monkeys is sometimes promoted as a solution to human-monkey conflicts." (Although I know the purpose of the article is against the killings, it's still a fact of something that is happening and approved). So killing off the population of monkeys that are taking over is a better option that having someone take it in and love and care for it?

 

I could go on...but I won't. You have stated your point and I have stated mine. I do no own animals (except a few fish) at the moment because my lifestyle is so hectic that I do not feel that it would be fair to any animal to be in my household and not receive the care and love it deserved at this moment. Maybe in the future... (yes, I have owned animals since childhood until the day they passed of old age and just chose not to include them as an added responsibility in my life at this time). On a side-note, I do respect your thoughts and comments and in no way am I attacking your comment or replying to this in a nasty manor, just making a few points because there's always two sides to look at. :)

[mitsugirly]

Boy would I love to sit down with your guys to talk some old school!! I did BXM freestyle (that's before it was called an "extreme sport" for you kids) for a little over 10 years in the 80's and 90's. I always rode GT bikes exclusively and I even still have the last one I rode in my garage (basically an experiment in rust now...lol). It's amazing how BMX and skating have evolved over the years. Sometimes I sit an nostalgically watch some recent competitions and say to myself that I would've had to retire anyway because there was no freakin' way I would've achieved the skill levels where they are at now. I was never any good at skating though.

 

Yep, I totally remember BMX freestyle back in the 80's. I had a boyfriend that did it and would compete and win trophies.

 

The hubby said to tell you that GT bikes are coming back and just released a line for their 2017 line up of bikes. :D

 

That's hilarious. My husband also rode BMX when he was younger and when we watch Xgames and other shows, he says there is no way he would do the things that they do now. He's happy with his mountain biking at age 52!

 

Sorry for the hijack.

 

 

:) Although my hubby still rides his skates, he's doing it more these days for some enjoyment here and there. Too many falls with aches and pains and about 80 pounds heavier than he was back then kinda puts him in what he calls "retirement" mode most days.

 

He also has a big heart and every time he gets a pair of skates, he'll run across someone that loves to skate (they do it on a daily basis) and are down on their luck or have torn up skates and can't afford new ones...and he gives his away every time (after only riding them maybe 2-3 times). :) He was once that kid that couldn't afford a pair of new skates and one good thing about him is he never forgets where he came from. As another one of my reviews mentioned, he even gave his hat to one of the tender guys that rode and begged for it. The excitement in his face was all that mattered to my hubby.

[pghsteelerfan]

Hey there, me again. :D

 

RE: Shipwreck at South Friars. So glad you at least got to see the black sand and that it was back. I also loved how it sparkled when the sun hit it, it was just so cool. I brought a baggie of it back and I still see those flecks of sparkle when the light hits it a certain way. I just need a cool jar to put it in (still in a baggie). I remember the post on the St. Kitts' board here on CC where we were going back and forth when you were trying to decide. Even though we are one of those few who liked it, I do try to make sure to let others know that it's "not for everyone". We liked that it was rustic and although there were others there, it was not crowded at all and we felt we had the whole place to ourselves. The "crowds" there were up in the restaurant/bar area. We also loved the views, but you had pretty much the same views from Carambola. And yes, at Shipwreck there is a side that's sandy when entering the water way over to the left (the swimming side). I didn't get to the snorkeling side, only swam over it when I heard there were sand dollars on the sandy bottom beyond the snorkeling area. We actually spent most of the day hanging out in the swimming side with several cold beers...just a nice, relaxing beach day.

 

That thread under St. Kitts...I got back on it the other day to answer a question a question about Cockleshell since I posted some Cockleshell Beach pics from 2013. I totally missed your comment about me knowing the different kinds of sand dollars (the Caribbean ones having 6 holes compared to the typical east coast USA 5 holes) and how you knew all of the fish, yes, if I ever need help with identifying fish, I'll be sure to ask. So sorry I missed that then.

 

That is great that Sakari is going to be taking scuba lessons. From what I you share about her in your reviews, she will LOVE it! She really is adorable. Our friend's got their son snorkeling lessons and he was getting certifications when he was about 12 or 13. I asked him once how it compared to snorkeling. He said he really loved snorkeling, could spend all day doing it, and that's why he got into scuba. He said with scuba you see so much more than you do snorkeling and he loved it. He said after experiencing scuba, he was bored with snorkeling. :) Unfortunately I probably wouldn't be able to scuba...my eardrum ruptured as a baby and although I really haven't had issues, I feel pressure/pain in it if I dive to certain depths, but fortunately my "free diving" for sand dollars in St. Kitts didn't affect it. To this day, I have a very difficult time "popping" it, even though I know the tricks. On flights it's weird...it usually tickles but once in a while it will hurt some. Chewing gum helps.

Edited September 16, 2016 by pghsteelerfan

[mitsugirly]

Its one thing to love monkeys, think they are cute and wish you had one. They did not buy one, nor do they own one...

 

Is it therefore cruel to own a dog, cat, bird etc? The mothers are forced into getting pregnant and then their babies are "torn" away from them at 8 weeks old (and they don't pose a threat to agriculture..) all for human enjoyment.

 

Animals are also raised in less than ideal conditions and slaughtered for human consumption.

I'm assuming you don't own pets, never have, and eat a strict vegan diet?

 

Just saying..

 

Exactly. Well said. :)

 

One more question for you. Now that you have done this cruise and spent a few days in Puerto Rico, if you only had one week of vacation, would you spend it on the Fascination specifically, same Southern itinerary, OR, would you spend your full week exploring Puerto Rico??

 

 

Well, since your rules said "now that I have done this cruise"...and that right there is my answer to all cruises. Once I sail a ship, I do not re-sail the ship. I look for another ship that I have not been on (with the exception of my upcoming cruise on the NCL Epic and I'm ONLY re-sailing it for the fact that this was the one and only cruise we went on and Sakari didn't get to come and she has never let me live it down). So I would have to pick the PR vacation or find another ship out of PR. :D

[mitsugirly]

My daughter will be 8 in December. On cruises she literally lives at camp and in the pool!!. Last cruise she only got off the boat in san juan because we had to and in St. Thomas because we went shopping. We are going to the beach on Saturday in St. Marteen!! :-) so I know I will definitely get her off the boat. We are black, but she manages to come home three shades darker and a mixture of tan lines as we carry four different swim suits.Not sure what really holds her at camp carnival but by our third day where ever we go on ship every one knows her name. This is my first cruise I am not the cruise planner, travel afent, mother hen (they literally follow me around) or immigration specialist (imagine filling out 15 immigration forms while everyone sleeps) so really looking forward to this cruise!

 

Sakari is the same way, everyone knows her and spots her everywhere we go (either on the ship or in port).

 

You have to fill out a form for every member? :eek: Why? Is it different than the forms we fill out? We are able to list all of our family members on one form as long as we are considered a family living together.

 

We were booked on this cruise for next fall but I had to cancel it so we could go on the Legend to HAWAII!!! I'm sorry and can't wait to read the rest of your trip, Kim!

 

Aww, so sorry you had to cancel. But hey, Hawaii sounds good too!

Edited September 16, 2016 by mitsugirly

[mitsugirly]

I knew she would be excited! She will love it!

 

The next month will seem like forever to Sakari, I'm sure, but it will also give her something to look forward to her. I am glad you were truthful about her ear problems. Actually, I have never known you to be anything other than truthful. That is one of the things I like about you.

 

The ability to release the pressure in your ears is really important in scuba diving safely, so I hope Sakari checks out OK. There are a number of reasons why some people are unable to clear their ears no matter what they're taught. Hopefully, Sakari is not one of them. I had a lot of problems with my ears when I was Sakari's age, but I have been able to learn to clear them successfully and have never had a problem over my many years of diving.

 

Yes, scuba can be expensive, but to me it is so worth it! You are probably going to find yourself wanting to join in the fun, and it wouldn't surprise me if Kendra did, too.

 

The program outline sounds like a good one, and I think it will be perfect for Sakari. It sounds to me, based on what you have said about the shop and the program that you have a good local dive shop. Good diver training is really important to insure that you're diving safely, and I know you want her to be safe.

 

They did give Sakari a book, with Chapters in it, and she is to work on the first 3 chapters before coming to class (although she has looked over the whole book already). :p She's definitely excited. I'm almost tempted to make her a countdown thingy, like we do for cruising where you pull off something every day, just to keep her from asking me daily when she gets to go. :eek:

 

Yea truthful sometimes hurts me, but it is what it is. I have already set up her appointment to visit the doctor and have the forms sign.

 

I know the hubby wants to do it, me...undecided. Kendra, I'm honestly not sure if she would or not. Now I know if we all got certified she would.

 

We are going HERE for the classes. Tell me what you think. I found it neat that they had books (like the ones I make for each one of our cruises using Shutterfly) on their counters and they were from all the places they go scuba diving and trips they all take. They had books from Belize, Grand Cayman and a bunch of other places. It was so cool to see all the places we have been before.

 

Hi there! We are cruising out of SJ in November. I had wanted to do the Bio Bay but everything I'm reading says it is still at only 30%.

 

With Zika in the news how bad are the mosquitos? Do we need to get bug spray in addition to sunscreen?

 

Yea, until I hear better reports on the bio bay, I would not do it. I am going to monitor what people say over the next few years and if it gets better, I will give it another try in the future.

 

We never had any problems with the mosquitos there. We did have problems with the sand fleas (no-see ums) constantly when we were at Fajardo and Isla Verde. No problems in OSJ. But I always take my bug spray as a precaution.

[mitsugirly]

Your reviews are awesome and I thoroughly enjoy them!!!!

Chris

 

Thank you Chris. I appreciate it.

 

 

Our first time to Roatan the seas were incredibly calm. I went up before our whole group to watch us dock. We were sitting out there and I went back downstairs and said...we are not going. Everyone thought I was crazy. The captain came on and told us that we were not docking because of the weather. It was soooo calm and seemed weird. I had booked because of your reviews for LFK. I actually cried. Fast forward two months later we got to go and loved it. I will be there in two weeks and hopefully be at LFK for my 3rd time.

 

 

That's weird and not the first time I heard that the seas were calm and they didn't dock. Maybe they were expecting the weather to change at some point during the day? It's hard telling. Super glad you have been able to make it to LFK.

[mitsugirly]

Great review as usual! I was curious what Kendra's shirt says, you said she has a tattoo shop, is it from there? It's cute! The matching tattoos too!

 

Yea it says something like Diamonds and tattoos are forever. I think this is a shirt she bought on vacation in South Carolina a few months ago. I don't think she has her company name in it. She does have company shirts though. I'm obligated to wear them to advertise of course...so I picked up 3. :D

[mitsugirly]

Hey there, me again. :D

 

RE: Shipwreck at South Friars. So glad you at least got to see the black sand and that it was back. I also loved how it sparkled when the sun hit it, it was just so cool. I brought a baggie of it back and I still see those flecks of sparkle when the light hits it a certain way. I just need a cool jar to put it in (still in a baggie). I remember the post on the St. Kitts' board here on CC where we were going back and forth when you were trying to decide. Even though we are one of those few who liked it, I do try to make sure to let others know that it's "not for everyone". We liked that it was rustic and although there were others there, it was not crowded at all and we felt we had the whole place to ourselves. The "crowds" there were up in the restaurant/bar area. We also loved the views, but you had pretty much the same views from Carambola. And yes, at Shipwreck there is a side that's sandy when entering the water way over to the left (the swimming side). I didn't get to the snorkeling side, only swam over it when I heard there were sand dollars on the sandy bottom beyond the snorkeling area. We actually spent most of the day hanging out in the swimming side with several cold beers...just a nice, relaxing beach day.

 

That thread under St. Kitts...I got back on it the other day to answer a question a question about Cockleshell since I posted some Cockleshell Beach pics from 2013. I totally missed your comment about me knowing the different kinds of sand dollars (the Caribbean ones having 6 holes compared to the typical east coast USA 5 holes) and how you knew all of the fish, yes, if I ever need help with identifying fish, I'll be sure to ask. So sorry I missed that then.

 

That is great that Sakari is going to be taking scuba lessons. From what I you share about her in your reviews, she will LOVE it! She really is adorable. Our friend's got their son snorkeling lessons and he was getting certifications when he was about 12 or 13. I asked him once how it compared to snorkeling. He said he really loved snorkeling, could spend all day doing it, and that's why he got into scuba. He said with scuba you see so much more than you do snorkeling and he loved it. He said after experiencing scuba, he was bored with snorkeling. :) Unfortunately I probably wouldn't be able to scuba...my eardrum ruptured as a baby and although I really haven't had issues, I feel pressure/pain in it if I dive to certain depths, but fortunately my "free diving" for sand dollars in St. Kitts didn't affect it. To this day, I have a very difficult time "popping" it, even though I know the tricks. On flights it's weird...it usually tickles but once in a while it will hurt some. Chewing gum helps.

 

 

Hey there! I wondered when you would chime in about St Kitts. I knew you were the one that said they loved the Ship Wreck and with your description of it, I knew that even though I decided on Carambola, I still needed to go down and see it and the sand. I'm so glad I did. The sand was just simply amazing! I can now say I'm a lover of black sand! :D I remember all the talk about some don't like the black colored sand because it might look dirty to them...but wow was all I could think. It definitely pleased me.

 

Yea, our scuba place said a lot of kids start taking classes around 10 years old and get certified around 12. However, he does have a lot of 8 year olds doing the classes now so that when they turn 10, they are ready for the certification. I just hope she decides she likes it and sticks with it. It's just too darn expensive for just a "let's try it and see if we like it" type of thing. But of course I would never force her to stay in it if she didn't feel comfortable.

 

The hubby has a missing ear drum and has always had issues with his ears. They get infected a lot. He says he can still remember the day he messed it up as a kid. His mother never took him to get it looked at and he suffered from infections in it all the time. When I met him, his infection was still going strong...every day of his life, with stuff leaking out of them and the worse smell ever! He finally went to a specialist about 2-3 years ago. He has so much testing done it was crazy. They gave him medications and instruction on keeping the infection away and it finally managed to clear up and he has not had a problem since...and still gets in the water. But fortunately, he has never had a problem with his ears when flying.

 

I don't know what Sakari's problem is. She never had any ear problems either. Not even an ear infection as a baby or child.

[mitsugirly]

So continuing on with the review because I really don't want to work on my paper and B is on his way over to spend some time with "sissy" and I know I won't be able to accomplish anything with that about to happen. LOL

 

DAY 7: ST MAARTEN vs SAINT MARTIN

 

Now I have always wondered what the difference between St Maarten and Saint Martin. Saint Martin is the French side and St Maarten is the Dutch side. I found this article, which I thought was interesting:

 

Saint Martin is known as “the friendly island,” a Caribbean paradise amiably split between the French side (Saint Martin) and the Dutch side (Sint Maarten) since 1648. There’s no border patrol, customs, or fences between the two independently governed territories. The two sides say they’re friends, but after 366 years of being neighbors, don’t doubt for a minute that each part of the island has a few things it would like to say about the other one. Both the French and the Dutch are convinced that their portion of the island is really the best place to visit, live, and play. So here’s a smackdown of what each side of Saint Martin would say about each other if they weren’t quite so friendly.

 

St Martin:

The French side of Saint Martin is what island life is all about: a laid-back attitude, fine food, pristine beaches, unspoiled nature, and an appreciation for the finer things in life. There’s no need for the cruise ships, casinos, and nightclubs of the Vegas-meets-Caribbean Dutch side of the island. We have culture, nature, French and local cuisine, outdoor fun, and, oh yes, topless beaches. Want McDonald’s and soulless time shares? Go to St. Maarten, or just stay home. If you want to experience a unique taste of France flavored with some hot Caribbean spice, come to Saint Martin.

 

So obviously this article was wrote by someone that lives on the Saint Martin side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was another day that the ship pulled in by 7am. However, since this is also a place that we had actually "booked" something for the day, we still didn't have to be up early and wasn't supposed to be at our meeting spot until 8:30am.

 

Once again, up at 6:45am and got the crew together, made my obligatory phone call to Kendra's room to tell her to get moving. We headed to breakfast and obviously we ate the same thing and I didn't feel the need to repeat a photo, therefore I didn't take one.

 

Around 7:40am, Kendra came strolling up to the buffet and once again, I gave the "you're late" mom look and told her I was heading to my room early because our room steward had collected our wet beach towels the day before and did not give us clean ones.

 

I headed back to the room and for the first time, I was unable to find our room steward roaming the halls. So, I called housekeeping and told them our towels had not been replaced and we needed some so that we could get off the ship. I did mention that we had a tour planned and needed to get there to meet them (hoping they would rush the towels and hear the urgency in my voice). That didn't work. You know you've waited too long when Kendra is able to scarf down breakfast, go to her room to pick up her bags and meet me at my room and is waiting too.

 

After waiting awhile, I went looking for my room steward again. Once again, he was no where in sight, so I approached another room steward who immediately got them for me and off we went.

 

Off the ship and we allowed the paparazzi to take 1 photo of us and then headed for the port exit.

 

 

The port was dead and it's so weird to not see anyone out this early.