MITSUGIRLY sails off into the HORIZON-review & pictorial

[mitsugirly]

Well, so far so good. We were all dry and having a blast and then this......

 

The hubby drove around it the best he could and very slowly. LOL LOL LOL

 

 

 

Video:

 

 

It looked like Kendra was doing the same. (Notice that B is now up front. When we were at the little village, he cut the tour short and ran back to the buggy and hopped in the front seat and strapped himself in. He was making sure that he got the front seat this time around).

 

 

 

VIDEO:

 

 

We came across an area with a lot of men laying down by the side of the road. There were horses tied up and they all had machetes. The men, not the horses. 😉

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

We came to an area with a river. I just knew it had to be the Chavon River. I had heard about this place and had read that a lot of films were filmed here.

 

 

This was our welcome committee. I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to get out of the buggy, if they were going to stay still, if they were going to charge us like the others or what to think.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a place we were supposed to come and swim and wash off the mud. Well, we really weren't that muddy so far. However, Kendra....I think something must have scared her along the way 😉

 

 

 

 

It was VERY rocky in the area around the river. In order to get in, I took my shoes off and ouchy owie on the rocks. Normally I collect some sand from every place we go to and put them in these small little glass vases to display in a curio cabinet I have in my "fish" room. Well, since we weren't going to a beach this time....I collected a bunch of these rocks. hehe

 

 

 

 

I don't know about this place. It was pretty and all but not being able to see in the water and previously watching the Anaconda Movie...I was afraid to go deeper than my ankles.

 

 

 

 

 

Now I really don't know, but Danny (and Pro Excursions) claim that the movie Anaconda, Rambo and Apocalypse Now was filmed here. But, when you try to look this stuff up, most of it seems to point toward just "rumors" that they filmed here with many other comments about the "real" places these films were made. Who knows. Most of the time I think it's just something tours throw in as an impressive factor.

 

 

 

 

Honestly, we didn't stay here long at all. (I had kinda expected a longer stay, especially when they talked about a swim in this river). By the time you make it down here, take your shoes and clothes off, then ouchie owie across the rocks to the area you can swim in, it's time to go. 

 

[mitsugirly]

Back in the buggys we went and we were off...climbing somewhat of a hill.

 

 

 

It was only around 5 minutes and we pulled up to this place. I wasn't sure where we were going or what we were doing here since we had just stopped.

 

 

We all got out and Danny told us we were about to eat.

 

 

We walked past a place where they had a fire going and preparing something.

 

 

 

There was a huge palapa with tables.

 

 

Danny started pulling out drinks for us. Coke, Water, Sprite and ....Columbus  Dominicano Rum!

 

 

[mitsugirly]

I was busy taking in the scenery and seen the Chavon River down below us.

 

 

 

Then they brought out the first batch of pineapple and bananas. It was so yummy and hit the spot.

 

 

Time for a little bit of Rum and Coke.

 

 

 

 

 

Then they brought out some fried salami, plantains, and yuca fries. Now I have to say I have had the yuca and plantains many times before in other countries and other excursions and I have NEVER thought they tasted anything like this! THESE WERE AMAZING!!! Like so so so good! I was amazed and shocked at the taste they got out of these!

 

 

Everyone ate and ate and ate...and we needed more rum to wash it down. Then Danny and the other lady that was on our tour said that it taste even better with Sprite and it goes down so smoothe. Well, of course we had to try that as well. It was yummy.

 

We decided to take some pictures before we left. I stood up and OMG! Where was I? Who was I? Who are you? Why am I on a Tilt-a-Whirl right now? Whew! Help me walk. LOL

 

 

 

 

 

Alrighty then...you mean to tell me that I still have to walk all the way over there to get back in the buggy in order to leave? Like all the way over there? I need front door service right now please and thank you. Whew!

 

I swayed, I stumbled, but I was a weeble wooble that didn't fall down. I made it to a buggy...someone's buggy. I'm not sure. I was pointed in the direction of ours...and of course it HAD to be the furthest away!

 

 

 

Then off we went for an adventure of a life time and I didn't give two flying flarks how dirty we got now and neither did the hubby! LOL  BRING IT ON!

 

I handed the camera to Sakari and told her she's responsible for the pictures for awhile. Now that I review this movie, I'm pretty sure it probably has the same focus as I did about then.

 

 

 

[30scruiser]

3 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

I set the alarm for 7am, but everyone else woke up around 7:45am.

 

We headed up to the buffet for breakfast. 

 

We were pulling in at 8:45am. What a beautiful site. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beautiful pictures!  They almost look fake. Maybe because everything is so green and looks perfectly in place from the distance.

[mitsugirly]

Not a care in the world at this point.

 

 

 

 

Heading into the sugar cane fields.

 

 

 

 

 

Let me formally introuce our photographer...the man with the mask that would zoom past us over and over to take multiple pictures of our tour along the way.

 

My goal was to take pictures of him as he took pictures of us. I didn't want to leave him out right? Psshh, I was too drunk to care. It was a game at this point.  (And a funny one at that).

 

 

 

We stopped along the way and they told us to beware of the snakes and some other kind of poisonous man flesh eating bacteria monsterous creatures of the sugar cane field...I don't really remember at this point (well, really I didn't remember at THAT point).

 

 

 

B was the ONLY smart one of the bunch. He said screw the bag over the belongings and ganked that bag and wore it to keep from getting muddy! Tell me that kid isn't smart!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

The crew, I have no idea where this guy came from...I think he was our pit crew that followed behind us in case of any emergencies and to make sure no one was to break down, chopped down a stalk of sugar cane and started pealing off the bark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really wasn't sure about this stuff. It was tasty, but a weird consistancy. You would chew on it and suck out the sugar and then spit the cane part out. Interesting to say the least.

 

Then off we went again.

[mitsugirly]

AND NOW IT WAS TIME FOR FUN!!! Since B and Kam were fighting over the front seat, Kendra talked her into riding with us. But, she was still in the back seat but with mamaw this time around.

 

There was no slowing us down. It was full speed ahead and no one cared. Well, by no one I mean no one that had any feelings left in their legs, arms, feet or brain for that matter. Those that cared consisted of the munchkins. The alcohol had all of us adults pretty distorted.

 

 

 

 

Well well well now... this is what Danny has been telling us to do the entire time.

 

 

 

 

I look over at Kam and her hat was falling off and she refused to put on her sunglasses. At this point, there's a glimmer of a smile there and she was laughing. My kids have side by sides and they go riding all the time. They go to big events with miles and miles of riding and camping out. She's use to that. BUT, the diference is, she's riding in luxury then compared to now. Their side by side has doors, a top (which is removable), a windshield, they even put in a heater and a fan and also a radio. Well, this is hardly any of these things and she had no idea what was in store. Although they also have 4 wheelers, she usually stays in the side by side.

 

 

 

Kendra finally took the plunge too I see.

 

LOL

 

 

On to the next "puddle" lol

 

 

 

 

 

I don't know what made me decide to sit in the middle. I guess I thought I would have a better view but....I think it just got me muddier and I should have hid behind the hubby. LOL

[mitsugirly]

Whoopsy...Kam was starting to look worried.

 

 

 

Danny pulled over to see how we were doing. He screamed with excitement to see us all covered in mud. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

 

 

 

I like to call this next video "SNORKELING" LOL  Seriously! This one did us in and the sound in the video sounds like we are snorkeling.

 

 

 

 

My La Romana shirt I purchased from our last cruise is no longer white...and it still isn't after washing it when I got home. LOL

 

 

 

It was starting to get a little cloudy and I think I felt a sprinkle or two but it only last maybe 2 minutes. I was hoping for a little rain to wash off. LOL  I did hear other cruisers say that it rained a bit while in port though.

 

 

 

We came back to where we started from.

 

 

Kam was not happy AT ALL at this point and was in tears.

 

 

 

We had to take pictures of us covered in mud for the memory. We were soaked. Sakari gave it a thumbs down at that point but she was just watching these videos with me while I was posting them here and she said she had a BLAST!

 

 

 

 

 

 

They do have an outside shower to rinse off all the mud. We rinsed off and we put our equipment up and sat down for a moment while they prepared our pictures they took of us along the way.

 

 

[cruises42]

What kind of underwater camera did you use? Great pictures!

[dreadpirate3]

Loving your review! It will keep me occupied until my cruise in two weeks!

 

Your family is as beautiful as always and I can't believe how much Sakari has grown!

[mitsugirly]

So, it was our turn to get our pictures of the day the blue bandit took of us.

 

He took 85 pictures total of our family and we purchased them for $60 (which wasn't bad when Kendra and I split the cost at $30 bucks each).

 

However, I get home to view the pictures and I am VERY disappointed in them. They are the worse. Yes, we seen them on the small laptop they had set up and either we were too drunk to realize it or they looked a heck of a lot better on the screen and maybe it really pixelated during them copying it onto a CD. But they are terible. I didn't ask or see what type of camera he was using, but they need an upgrade! Maybe he doesn't know to put it on "sports" mode if he has it? You need that for moving objects to get a clear picture. I mean how do you think I get such a clear picture when we are moving? Focus please! Just focus on the right setting. I'm so disapointed. So, if you take this tour, I highly suggest saving your money and not buying the cd unless you don't have a camera to capture the moments yourself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mitsugirly]

I don't know. Maybe I'm just a perfectionist and a photo freak. I would just find these pictures unacceptable to present to customers and represent a company. Maybe they'll hire me and I can come to live there? hehe At least a few months out of the year?

 

It was time to get back on the open air bus and head back to the Pro Excursions place.

 

Immediately Danny broke out another bottle of rum. Oh boy. 

 

 

It was time to play a game. Now, remember, we are all already "out there in left field" to begin with. He says the game is: Take the bottle and start passing it around and everyone chants "rum, rum, rum, rum" and when he says "stop" the person holding the bottle has to take a chug. 

 

 

 

Well ok...he hands it to the girl in the other family. She immediately starts to chug. LOL "No, no, no, that's not right. You pass it around until we yell stop and THEN you chug". Let's start again. She hands the bottle to her boyfriend....what does he do? He immediately starts to chug it. LOL Then the mom (who was hilarious and she was a nurse too so we had a lot of drunken nurse talk on the way back)....chug, then the other son, chug. Well heck, we all just gonna chug. We're making up our own rules now! Kendra gets it and just pours it into her can of Dr Pepper she brought with her. LOL

 

 

 

 

 

We managed to finish off that bottle for a total of 4 bottles that day I believe? I don't know. I lost count after the first 2. LOL

 

We arrived back at Pro Excursions and our taxi was there to pick us up. We swore it was not the same person that brought us there and it was supposed to be.

 

We did a little port shopping when we got back and Kendra and I decided to buy these little things made out of sugar cane since that's what we had done that day. Now, this lady was really pushing for a sale. "I give you deal. Buy more than one and I give you deal". Well, the one I wanted was $15 and Kendra's was $10. So I know I was in a drunken state of mind but I can add, even if it took me a hot minute. That equals $25. She said, "buy both and I give them to you for $28". Um, say what? Wait, let me add this again. No, that's not a "deal". Ok, we'll buy them separate then.   I started correcting her math and she finally said $23 for both. Ok, we are saving an entire $2...oh gosh, where will we spend it all? 😉

 

 

 

Kendra saw some monkeys and parrots and wanted to have the kids take pictures with them. Why in the world would she want to do this when she has a monkey of her own at home??? So, she did the parrots. But she's had plenty of parrots as well. I don't get it.  They were $15 each and she got 2 of them. I gave her $6 because she was short and I told her to just let me have one to take a picture of it for the review. Well, I still don't have that picture. Does anyone want to guess why? BECAUSE SHE HASN'T EVEN EMPTIED HER SUITCASES YET! Now this shouldn't come as a surprise to most because the last cruise Kendra was on was last November 2017 and when she opened up her suitcases to pack for this cruise, everything was still in it from back then. #seriouslyrollingmyeyesx2  I swear that girl. I have no idea where she gets this stuff from!

 

Edited January 4, 2019 by mitsugirly

[mitsugirly]

We headed back to the ship and ran for the showers. Ahhhh clean at last. Every nook and cranny had mud in it. 

 

Nothing was open to eat but pizza and deli when we went upstairs so I opted for the pizza. I hadn't been there yet and that was fine with me. I love the pizza with the white sauce.

 

 

We topped it off with some ice cream and a sunset.

 

 

The kids wanted to go play some basketball since it was open. I was extremely tired at this point and the hubby had gained a new life. He said he'd stay with the kids while they played and Kendra, Kam and myself headed back to the room for a nap. The hubby said he would take the kids to the kids club at 7pm and then I told him to come wake me up.

 

At 7 he came back to the room to wake me up after dropping off the munchkins.

 

We headed out and caught the Love and Marriage Show. It was hilarious and these people were celebrities during the rest of the cruise. Of course they always have that one couple that has been married for 50 years and of course, they were the best with the crazy answers! We would run into them the entire cruise after that and she talked to everyone. I want to be her when I grow up.

 

 

We knew this was the last night for one of the comedians to be on the ship and we wanted to catch that rated R show. So it was off to stand in the VERY LONG line. We were way back and still managed to get in. It was a great night and funny.

 

 

 

[Cafedumonde]

Mitsugirly! What a great excursion! Sounds like one of those days that will stay with you forever.  

I am like your daughter and delay unpacking.  Every time I go to pack for a cruise I find all kinds of stuff in my suitcase.   Once I didn't use one of our suitcases  for a couple of years and found lots of souvenirs from about five cruises ago.  I had just dumped out the laundry and shoved everything else back in.  Lol

[mitsugirly]

Tonight was the Electric White Night party. I guess something like the White Hot party that NCL does. However, they have this IN THE ATRIUM! Yikes. It was packed but a lot of fun and a lot of good music. Sakari had already decided she didn't want to stay at the kids club and checked herself out and went back to the room. I went back and told her that we would be picking her up after the comedy show for the white hot party and they had balloons. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VIDEO:

 

 

 

I tried several times messaging Kendra with no response. She would have liked the music and party but I guess sleeping got the best of her.

 

 

[mitsugirly]

After the party, Sakari wanted to go back to the room because she was tired and wanted to draw and we decided we would head to our first Quest show. I've heard a lot about them in the past and wasn't sure I wanted to go but the hubby was very social this cruise and several friends he kept running into told him "you must go" and go we did.

 

 

It was hilarious, fun and very entertaining. We laughed and laughed and OUR TEAM WON!

 

There was supposed to be a midnight buffet, but we got there a little after 1am and there was nothing. Maybe it doesn't last long and we hadn't really had an official "dinner" and was on the prowl for food...pizza again. Geesh. Sakari was asleep and we had a pet frog tonight. 

 

 

 

Sakari had drawn a picture of her bird on her phone (Candy Cane)

 

 

 

I believe we went to bed at 3am. Thank goodness tomorrow is a late arrival day in Curacao (1:30pm).

 

[mitsugirly]

3 hours ago, GimmeAdventure! said:

Yay, you're back!  My family is new to cruising-  we did the Fascination in June, and just spent Christmas week on the Breeze, and I relied on your reviews heavily for both!  Coincidentally, I was just eyeing this same itinerary on the Horizon for Christmas 2019, as I've been dying to go back to Aruba.  Can't wait to read the rest, and thanks so much for doing these reviews!

 

Did you do the Fascination out of PR? We had a great trip that time! Love the Breeze as well!

 

You will love this itinerary. It's awesome!

 

We love Aruba and have been doing land vacations there in the summer the last 2 years and will probably go back this summer. 

 

3 hours ago, Cavners5 said:

Thanks for your review! Just happened to stumble across it. Our family (9 of us)  will be doing this same itinerary in June. So excited to her the rest!

 

It's a great cruise! You'll have a blast.

 

1 hour ago, cruises42 said:

What kind of underwater camera did you use? Great pictures!

 

Info on the first page. 🙂

 

53 minutes ago, dreadpirate3 said:

Loving your review! It will keep me occupied until my cruise in two weeks!

 

Your family is as beautiful as always and I can't believe how much Sakari has grown!

 

Thanks and glad you are here. Thanks for the comments. She really has grown a lot!

 

9 minutes ago, Cafedumonde said:

Mitsugirly! What a great excursion! Sounds like one of those days that will stay with you forever.  

I am like your daughter and delay unpacking.  Every time I go to pack for a cruise I find all kinds of stuff in my suitcase.   Once I didn't use one of our suitcases  for a couple of years and found lots of souvenirs from about five cruises ago.  I had just dumped out the laundry and shoved everything else back in.  Lol

 

It was the best day ever! We have all vowed to do this type of excursion again if we can on cruises. We loved it and so glad we did something outside of our normal beach time.

 

Pshhh, Kendra don't even dump the laundry out. haha

[SenatorsFan]

That's too funny about the Victoria's Secret store. It was definitely open on our October cruise. 

It looks like you all had fun on the muddy excursion.

Heather

[hdowney]

I am so excited to discover a new mistugirly review, I have been missing them.

 

This trip looks amazing.

 

Can I also just say that your beautiful little girl is turning into a beautiful young woman. She'll break some hearts 🙂 best put daddy on notice now 😄 

[GimmeAdventure!]

9 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

Did you do the Fascination out of PR? We had a great trip that time! Love the Breeze as well!

 

You will love this itinerary. It's awesome!

 

We love Aruba and have been doing land vacations there in the summer the last 2 years and will probably go back this summer. 

Yes!  We did the itinerary out of San Juan with zero days at sea-  it was wonderful yet exhausting.  I would definitely do it again someday though, and want to spend more time in San Juan also.  

We did a land vacation in Aruba about 15 years ago so a return trip is long past due, but I'd love to see Bonaire and/or Curacao too.

[Liverpoollovely]

i love your review so far will need to go back and look at past reviews 🙂 

 

[mitsugirly]

4 minutes ago, Liverpoollovely said:

i love your review so far will need to go back and look at past reviews 🙂 

 

 

Thanks and glad you are enjoying it.

 

 

9 hours ago, SenatorsFan said:

That's too funny about the Victoria's Secret store. It was definitely open on our October cruise. 

It looks like you all had fun on the muddy excursion.

Heather

 

 

Right. They think they have everyone fooled every cruise. lol

 

2 hours ago, hdowney said:

I am so excited to discover a new mistugirly review, I have been missing them.

 

This trip looks amazing.

 

Can I also just say that your beautiful little girl is turning into a beautiful young woman. She'll break some hearts 🙂 best put daddy on notice now 😄 

 

Why thank you and glad you are here. It was an amazing trip. Daddy is definitely preparing himself.

 

54 minutes ago, GimmeAdventure! said:

Yes!  We did the itinerary out of San Juan with zero days at sea-  it was wonderful yet exhausting.  I would definitely do it again someday though, and want to spend more time in San Juan also.  

We did a land vacation in Aruba about 15 years ago so a return trip is long past due, but I'd love to see Bonaire and/or Curacao too.

 

Isn't it just the most amazing cruise? I love less sea days myself. I still have to make it to Bonaire. Very little cruises seem to go there. When I was looking at Carnival, they aren't going there again until December of this year. I wonder why?

[mitsugirly]

12 hours ago, 30scruiser said:

Beautiful pictures!  They almost look fake. Maybe because everything is so green and looks perfectly in place from the distance.

 

Thanks. They look like that because of the setting I used on the camera when I took them. There's a setting called "miniature" on my camera, which blurs out the sides and pops the color while having the middle in focus. It's supposed to be a setting that replicates what photographers do in a "tilt shift" photo but I also like to use it on just scenery.