This blog is all about our vacations. Where we've gone, where we've stayed, and what we've done. The trips will include local day trips, longer road trips, and of course our grand vacations where we fly. I'll include links to our lodging, eateries, entertainment, and even some photos. I'll also share my honest opinions and let you know if it's something worth experiencing.
A trip of a lifetime; a 7 day cruise with a weekend in Puerto Rico with Tracy and her grandma (Nana), mother (Sheila), her aunts and uncles (Keith, Marsha, Judy and Patti) and lil' ol' me! We started off at 5:00AM in the morning with a limo picking us up at the house. It was champagne mimosas to start the trip and we were off to the airport. A Carnival cruise we had all been saving up for for three years. We were going to spend 2 and a half days in Puerto Rico then leave to sail in the Eastern Caribbean. Night one exhausting, but really fun. The Embassy Suites was an amazing hotel and they catered to our every need. Every night during happy hour 5:00 - 7:00PM the drinks were free. Rum punch all around for our group...or should i say Rum with a hint of punch...these drinks were all kick and super tasty. As you can see in the pic below we weren't shy with the fruity beverages.
The Whole Family
The hotel also offered a free breakfast spread and it was well stocked with fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, bagels, juices, pancakes, waffles and an omelette station. With this meal included in the price of the room and happy hour, the hotel was practically free. The amenities didn't stop there. The rooms were VERY spacious and had everything we'd need for a two night stay. The pool was gorgeous and heated (which i took advantage of on night two). There was an Outback steakhouse inside the hotel as well as a casino. If you couldn't have a good time in this hotel you were really trying not to. It's my understanding this is one of the few hotels in the area this nice. So, if you're planning a trip to Puerto Rico, consider the Embassy Suites.
Beach Side - Puerto Rice
A short walk from the hotel is a nice beach where the Embassy Suites has chairs and umbrellas for it's patrons (show your room key). The only thing that could've been a little better would've been bar service or something nearby to get some water. We ended up getting bottled water from a street vendor so we survived. Funny story, Uncle Keith was so excited to go into the water he ran in with his wallet in his pocket. Let's just say you should not microwave a wallet to dry it off. Good rule of thumb. The weather was perfect and the water was warm. We had all our chairs lined up and had a relaxing time.
The Bacardi Bar at Bacardi
Later the same day we took a van to the Bacardi plant for a free tour and samples...yes,...samples. Guess what? You get two tickets for two free Bacardi drinks...but if you tip the barkeep you get more than two free drinks. The super cool part is that you tell them what type of rum you want to try and they give you the best mixer for it. They are not shy with the pours either. The tour was really interesting but it was hot and we were starting to wear out. We still wanted to go to downtown Puerto Rico too. I wish we had more time to spend there. Everything was closing up when we got there so we only had about an hour to look around. The streets are beautiful with cobble stone and different colored buildings. Very fun.
Us and the Ship - Before we Board
On day three we packed up and we all got on a bus to take us to the port to start our actual vacation. Even though i already felt like i'd been on one already. When you pull up and see the ship it's amazing. It's so much bigger than you imagine. This wasn't my first cruise, but it was Tracy's. The first thing we did before getting on board was to get some bottled water and a little soda to take on with us.
Tracy & Senior Frog
On the way back from the store we stopped off at Senor Frogs for a couple of vacation beverages! I also tried the clam chowder because i always try the clam chowder...LOL. We had hours before the ship was to set sail and Tracy pointed out we are on vacation so we took the time to stop and smell the roses so to speak. I'm glad we did, the place was pretty fun. A chain for sure, and a little campy, but the food was good and the atmosphere helped us keep in the mood for a spirited adventure.
Day one on the ship we got settled and got our bearings of the ship's layout. Ironically i was on the exact ship on my other cruise so i felt right at home and was able to give a tour to everyone else. Really they all just wanted to find the casino! We did a buffet for dinner and caught the welcome show in the Ivanhoe Theatre. I had my first Miami Vice slushy rum beverage. I usually have only 1 a day. We aren't big drinkers. On the ship the drinks aren't free so you want to be aware of this.
The best part of a cruise is you go to sleep in your room at night and that doesn't change...but you wake up in a different country each morning. You don't even have to find parking. We awoke on day two in Barbados. Each port is unique in it's own way so when you look outside your ship's window (or in our case on our balcony) you see something new. Private boats in the water are also amazing to see. You can see why people fall in love with island living. I think out of all the beaches we ended up seeing on this trip i enjoyed Barbados the most. We grabbed a cab to Brown beach. When we got there our cabbie actually parked the cab, got out, and escorted us to the beach to make sure we got our chairs and then asked what time we wanted him to return (his name was Paris). We gave him a time and headed to purchase our chairs and umbrella.
Sonny
Beach Chairs in Barbados
Tourists are typically the only way the island people make money during the year. You basically "rent" the chairs and umbrella for the day. It's like $20 for two and well worth it. They also have people coming around to take your drink and food orders. The water was super clear and it's truly indescribable, even with photos. Crystal clear and warm, you just walk right in and enjoy. After getting out of the water you sit and take in the sun, sights, and sounds. Just shaking off your day to day grinds and trying to figure out how to retire early. While we were sitting there this local vendor was walking around (in jeans no less) selling his wares. Mostly handmade jewelry. If you saw something you liked, but wanted it in a different size or color he would sit down and make it. His name was Sonny and he told stories while he worked. We all liked this turtle bracelet and a couple other pieces and at $10 a pop - between us all - Sonny made about $100. He told us he loved his job and where else can his "office be outdoors in the sunshine, Mon".
Rainbow in St. Lucia
Wire Artist
Day two of the cruise we awoke in St. Lucia. I was actually pretty sun-burnt from Barbados (even though i had on sun screen) so we really only went to the marketplace and back. No beaches for Tracy and i in St. Lucia. We did, however, have the honor to watch a local artist at work. He twists metal wire into these incredible little figures. This was perfect for us because we wanted to bring the boys back a souvenir more meaningful than just a T-shirt (of course we got those too). We found Brad this really cool metal guy playing the drums and he happened to be painted lime green (Brad's favorite color at the time).
"Timmy"
St. Kitts (or Monkey island) was our favorite island of them all. Tracy, Marcia, Patty and I decided to just rent a cab for the day at $20 a head. This cab driver was the best! He gave us a relaxed driving tour of the island, stopped off at pic ops and sites, took us to a great swimming beach, and basically protected us the whole day. He was very knowledgeable about the island and all of it's building's and sites. As we were driving down a side street we came across "Timmy" who was on the shoulder of a little boy. Our driver slowed and i was able to talk to the boy. I asked if i could pet Timmy and he said "sure'...as soon as i did Timmy jumped in the car. What a cutie pie. Diaper and all, this little guy was as docile as a cat, but playful. What a great experience.
View on the Left of the Cliff
View on the Right of the Cliff
More Monkeys!
Later that day we ended up at a big tourist spot at the top of a cliff. From here you can see both beautiful views. We also had encounters with more monkeys. These pictures do not do these waters justice. The blues are way bluer and the different shades can't be captured on my simple digital cameras. It's something you really want to experience first hand. This was definitely a tourist trap, but worth the stop. As we were standing there some woman came up and threw monkeys on Tracy. If we wanted to snap a photo it was $5...we actually ended up with two photos and we gave her the $5. Since we already had the experience of the monkey in the car this seemed only half impressive. These little monkeys are all over the island so it's no wonder people have them as pets. They are sweet little guys, but you can tell they want to be mischievous little buggers. Truly St. Kitts was the best island for us as we did our own thing and Vern, (our cabbie) was amazing!
In St. Maarten we attempted to do the same thing, but the van we got was SO hot and the A/C didn't work. Plus we got stuck in traffic and that made things worse for everyone. We did get a chance to stop at Maho Beach which is where the airplanes land and take off so close to the beach that it literally blows people around at take off. There is a little bar off to the side that actually lists the departures and landings because people are crazy and want to see how close to death they can get without dying. I didn't shoot this video, but we did see a similar experience. We carefully watched from the sidelines though.
The next day we were back in Puerto Rico and getting ready to come home. It was a nice long vacation and Tracy and I can't wait to go back and do the Western Caribbean. We're already planning it for 2018 out of New Orleans, LA. Stay tuned!
The best part of a cruise is you go to sleep in your room at night and that doesn't change...but you wake up in a different country each morning. You don't even have to find parking. We awoke on day two in Barbados. Each port is unique in it's own way so when you look outside your ship's window (or in our case on our balcony) you see something new. Private boats in the water are also amazing to see. You can see why people fall in love with island living. I think out of all the beaches we ended up seeing on this trip i enjoyed Barbados the most. We grabbed a cab to Brown beach. When we got there our cabbie actually parked the cab, got out, and escorted us to the beach to make sure we got our chairs and then asked what time we wanted him to return (his name was Paris). We gave him a time and headed to purchase our chairs and umbrella.
In St. Maarten we attempted to do the same thing, but the van we got was SO hot and the A/C didn't work. Plus we got stuck in traffic and that made things worse for everyone. We did get a chance to stop at Maho Beach which is where the airplanes land and take off so close to the beach that it literally blows people around at take off. There is a little bar off to the side that actually lists the departures and landings because people are crazy and want to see how close to death they can get without dying. I didn't shoot this video, but we did see a similar experience. We carefully watched from the sidelines though.
