My View: Trading the Landscape for the Seascape

[lilalila]

 

Thank you for the effort you've put into this trip report!

 

What is the latest disembarkation time that was offered for those with the Bella experience?

 

Have you seen men wearing dress shorts in the main dining room for dinner or at the specialty restaurants?

[Sthrncrusr]

@APDMOM do you recall what days some of the food and spa specials ran? All you can eat sushi (or something), discounted spa services: facials, massages? We are debating buying a service pre cruise but I recall they had in port specials. If we were to book let’s say a facial for our day in Nassau, do we book on the ship when we board to get the discount , day of when they run said special and hope for availability, or pre-cruise (but not sure how they’d honor the better price)?

[APDMOM]

19 hours ago, lilalila said:

 

Thank you for the effort you've put into this trip report!

 

What is the latest disembarkation time that was offered for those with the Bella experience?

 

Have you seen men wearing dress shorts in the main dining room for dinner or at the specialty restaurants?

 

Hello, @lilalila

 

Debarkation times varied from 7:45 (self-assist) to 10:45 (tag number 34.  We were on deck 10 and we got tag number 20.  Our friend was on deck 14 and she received tag number 26.  Both of us booked Fantastica experience  I will post the debarkation times and our experience with the process later.  If you have your specific cabin number, I can share the assigned time with you.  🙂 

[APDMOM]

5 hours ago, Sthrncrusr said:

@APDMOM do you recall what days some of the food and spa specials ran? All you can eat sushi (or something), discounted spa services: facials, massages? We are debating buying a service pre cruise but I recall they had in port specials. If we were to book let’s say a facial for our day in Nassau, do we book on the ship when we board to get the discount , day of when they run said special and hope for availability, or pre-cruise (but not sure how they’d honor the better price)?

@Sthrncrusr

I forgot to check the boxes for spa specials when I entered the raffle, so I did not receive any handouts for spa specials.  I can tell you from prior experience that our best deals have been by booking online prior to the cruise.  For example, we were able to book a hair color, cut, style for $69 prior to the cruise, while it cost $109 on a port day special on the ship.  I am sorry I don't have specific specials from this past cruise.  🙂

 

 I do have a spa price list that I can post later.  

[APDMOM]

Home 😑

It is bitter-sweet that our vacation is 'over' and we are home.  The 'live' part of this trip report is now history, so I will continue with my retrospective input and "Views" from our last two ports.  It has been a busy cruise, as I wanted to make the experience fun for my friend on her first opportunity.  So, please forgive the tardiness on reporting on the rest of the cruise.  😄

[APDMOM]

My View: Day 5 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

[APDMOM]

Early morning views from the balcony of 10125 on Day 5:

 

Forward View:

 

Aft view:

 

Straight Down View:

 

 

[APDMOM]

Sunrise Views:

 

TIP: If you look at your daily planner, it will show you the estimated sunrise and sunset times.  If you turn on the TV on the navigation channel, you can see in which direction the ship is traveling to determine where to be for sunrise.  We were able to watch the sunrise from our balcony on the way down, and the sunset from our balcony on the way back. 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Views while Cruising into San Juan:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Self-Guided Walking Tour (more like a photo tour 😄)

 Our most recent previous visit to San Juan was in 2019.  At that time, the city was still recovering from a hurricane and it was dirty.  The buildings were in disrepair and it was a sad picture with a depressing atmosphere.  This time, the city is well on the mend.  The buildings have been repainted with beautiful colors.  They are still working on redoing some of the streets.  Unfortunately, Calle Fortaleza did not have the umbrellas up this time.

 

Walk with us through this beautiful, photogenic Old City:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2023 by APDMOM
remove extra space

[APDMOM]

My Favorite View:

 

TIP: This is a great port for a picture with the ship in the background.

 

 

[APDMOM]

Back on the Ship:

 

After exploring the old town for almost 3 hours, DH was kind enough to bring me lunch from the Marketplace to enjoy on the balcony.  I love that they had sausage rolls!!!  This was a delicious 'tast of home'.  

 

TIP: If you don't have a drinks pacakge, there is a 'daily drink' that is on sale.  The usual price is about $10, but the daily special price is $7.50 plus tip.  Just double check what they charge, as they entered the regular price when we purchased this one.  We did not realize until later and did not want to deal with the hassle to clear it up.

 

 

 

Flavorful Gelato at the Aft Pool:

[APDMOM]

The Hair Salon:

I always get my hair cut and/or colored on MSC ships because I really believe they have the best in the industry for haircare.  I got highlights on Meraviglia in November, so this time I just got the haircut.  As always, I was very impressed with the results.  I wish I could find an excellent hair stylist in our area, but I have yet to find one as good as the hair stylists in South Africa or on the MSC ships.  This time, I got double blessed -  My MSC Seascape Hair Stylist is from South Africa. 🙂

 

 

[APDMOM]

Spa Prices:

 

TIP: Try to book your appointments for port days.  The prices with the asterisk are only valid while in port.  There is also a time limit, so be sure to check when those prices apply.

 

 

[APDMOM]

Dinner:  Day 5 - San Juan

I totally forgot to take a picture of the menu.  I will try to guess at the dishes, but I can say that everything tasted great.  

 

Fish Soup:

 

Nachos and Guacamole:

 

Fried Jumbo Shrimp with Mango Chutney:

 

Grouper with Mango Salsa (one of my favorite meals of the week):

 

Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Empanadas:

 

Shrimp and Grits (A family favorite for the week!)

 

Rum Cake (too dry) with coconut ice cream:

 

Key Lime Pie (DS said is not as good as the one I make at home, but still good...LOL!):

 

[APDMOM]

Showtime: In Concert

 

This show was 'not my cup of tea'.  I enjoyed 2 of the songs.  The rest of the time teetered between clenching my teeth and 'If I did not have good manners, I would get out of here'.  Lots of screechy singing and unfortunately plenty of pitch issues.  To me, this show was not worth the time spent.  But, like I said before, don't let my opinion influence your decisions.  I grew up in a musical family and may be more critical than the average cruiser.  PS: Lots of angry girl, yelling songs.

 

Love Monica!! 

 

Best singer tonight - last cruise on his contract:

 

 

 

The live band was good:

 

 

 

Dueling Pianos - different theme every night:

[APDMOM]

My View: End of Day 5 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Sunset:

[Dgshooter]

Thanks for the great review. Your review of the Bahamas Panoramic Tour brought back some great memories. DW and I took that tour a few years ago and loved it. Bought a couple bottles of rum at the distillery! 

[APDMOM]

My View: End of Day 5 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Laundry is calling... will be back with more later.  As a teaser:  Puerto Plata is our new favorite Caribbean Port Area.  🙂 

[Morecruisesplz]

Following along. Thank you

 

[jules815]

1 hour ago, APDMOM said:

Laundry is calling... will be back with more later.  As a teaser:  Puerto Plata is our new favorite Caribbean Port Area.  🙂 

Someone else here on CC said the same thing. Can't wait to visit in September.

 

[Morecruisesplz]

On 3/18/2023 at 3:46 PM, APDMOM said:

We are about to embark on our 39th voyage at sea, trading the landscape for an adventure on Seascape. We are in Miami and opted for an AirBnB this time, as it was much more affordable than the latest hotel prices.

 

For those who are not familiar with my reviews/trip reports, I will be posting Tips in red to accommodate the skim-readers.  🙂

 

If there are any requests, just post here.  I will do my best to find the answers.  We have 2 Fantastica balconies.  Will share more about that later.

 

Thanks to @Radio who just did a fun live review, I am well informed and prepared for this trip.  I know he will be posting menus so I will just share anything that stands out to us with our experience. 

 

Our itinerary:

Goodbye Landscape:  Passing Downtown Jax on the way to Miami

 

 

 

Are you in YC? Food looks amazing. 

[Morecruisesplz]

On 3/24/2023 at 7:31 AM, APDMOM said:

My View:  Day 4 - At Sea

We love this quiet space for coffee early in the morning - we just grab a cup from the Marketplace and sit in Le Cabaret Rouge to enjoy the wake view:

Can we sit there with the Bella experience?

[APDMOM]

1 hour ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Are you in YC? Food looks amazing. 

 

No, just Fantastica - That is the food in the main dining room 🙂