Christmas in Miami and New Year's at sea

Nice. I had a colleague whose first teaching assignment was in PR. If my Spanish was better I would look into it. I'm tired of being cold.


It really is a beautiful spot. I would love to see more of PR.
 
Great pictures! Those really are some big forts. And I guess if you're going to be holed up in a fort somewhere, one with those kinds of views wouldn't be half bad at all.

After a few seconds a man pushing a 3-wheel stroller emerged from the tunnel holding the blown tire over his head showing everyone that we weren’t under attack. It was kind of funny after seeing him but I’m certain everyone first thought was OMG!
:rotfl2: Oh, man! I feel for the guy though. Cause now you get to haul a kid and non-working stroller through the fort and back to a cruise ship or resort.
 
This is the stop I was looking forward to the most. I love exploring history and Old San Juan was certainly full of that.

::yes:: Looks really interesting from your photos.

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Love all the colours on the buildings.

For instance, San Cristobal kept all its water stored under the fort itself and there were large well heads in the fort. For this reason they didn’t allow livestock in the fort in order to protect their water supply.

Huh. Interesting.
But I guess that makes total sense too.
A fort would have to survive a siege, no?

The one we were able to access was down a very long tunnel and had drawings on the wall. Supposedly they were done by a captain that was kept there while awaiting execution.

I find that fascinating.
I'm picturing this man who draws on the wall. Sort of a "I was here". And years later, people are still looking at those pictures he drew.
He achieved his goal of not being forgotten.

You can see the outside of the observation post in this photo.

I wonder if they ever spotted anything.
U-boats or something.


Like I said. Love the colours.


That's so different from what I'm used to.
Fascinating also.

This is actually the top of the fort and there are 6 levels in total.

Whoa!

This gives you an idea as to the size, this was one of the mid levels.

Massive.

As we were about to leave, we were milling about in the square and there was a huge, and I mean huge, bang that came from the entrance area. Everyone stopped and I think look to see what had just blown up. After a few seconds a man pushing a 3-wheel stroller emerged from the tunnel holding the blown tire over his head showing everyone that we weren’t under attack. It was kind of funny after seeing him but I’m certain everyone's first thought was OMG!

:laughing: I wonder just how mortified he was?


Like that.
 
After we arrived there were two more cruise ships that made port. I do like that in San Juan you see the ships right along the main street. It makes for some nice pictures that are more difficult to get in other ports.


This was the smaller of the two and I think they need to clean her up a bit. I would think that with the prices of their cruises they could get rid of some of these rust stains. Wink wink.


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This one was parked next to us.


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With both ships using this same dock there was a bit of a line to get back through the customs area which was right at the street. After a few minutes we were back inside the building and we decided to check out the duty free store. They had some really good deals and I was close to getting a nice bottle of Highland Park Scotch but I couldn’t convince myself it would fit in our checked suitcase or that it would make it home without being broken, given the treatment the bag received on the way down.


Once back on board we spent the rest of the afternoon resting up and sitting on the balcony. Always able to find a quiet place with a balcony, especially an aft-balcony.


Saw a couple if interesting sites while sitting out.


Not sure what this guy was doing, he pulled up to the side of the ship and then left a few minutes later.


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And then there was still sleek looking craft.


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Shortly after that we were underway again. There was a little carnival area close to our berth, even had some penguins skating.


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Diner was once again in the Platinum dining room. Another night of great food and great service. We were able to learn a little more about our servers and their time with Carnival. Our head waiter had been working with Carnival for over 15 years and his wife was also working on the ship as a bartender. We never met his wife but he was certainly a nice guy.


After diner we decided to check out the Hasbro Game Night. It was fun to watch and what made it better was our son was chosen to participate. Unfortunately the game they were playing was a memory game and a couple of his team members weren’t in the best shape to remember. Their parting gift was a travel size version of Simon.


I’ll finish off this section with some of the shots of old San Juan as we were on our way out.


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::yes:: Looks really interesting from your photos.



Love all the colours on the buildings.



Huh. Interesting.
But I guess that makes total sense too.
A fort would have to survive a siege, no?



I find that fascinating.
I'm picturing this man who draws on the wall. Sort of a "I was here". And years later, people are still looking at those pictures he drew.
He achieved his goal of not being forgotten.



I wonder if they ever spotted anything.
U-boats or something.



Like I said. Love the colours.



That's so different from what I'm used to.
Fascinating also.



Whoa!



Massive.



:laughing: I wonder just how mortified he was?



Like that.


It was a beautiful spot, looking forward to going back sometime.
 
I do like that in San Juan you see the ships right along the main street. It makes for some nice pictures that are more difficult to get in other ports.

Cool

They had some really good deals and I was close to getting a nice bottle of Highland Park Scotch but I couldn’t convince myself it would fit in our checked suitcase or that it would make it home without being broken, given the treatment the bag received on the way down.

You could've transferred it to a non-glass container.
Like... oh, say... your stomach.

Not sure what this guy was doing, he pulled up to the side of the ship and then left a few minutes later.

Checking for rust.


Can't quite make it out. Do you know what that is?

Shortly after that we were underway again. There was a little carnival area close to our berth, even had some penguins skating.

Nope. I don't want to see ice when I'm on vacation, thankyouverymuch.

Unfortunately the game they were playing was a memory game and a couple of his team members weren’t in the best shape to remember.

:laughing:


Man that looks imposing.
 
Yeah... you'd think a cruise line could afford a few bucks worth of paint to keep the ship looking sharp. That can't be good for business to have other cruisers walking by your ships in port and seeing that on the outside.

I didn't realize Randall and his penguins were visiting Puerto Rico!
 


You could've transferred it to a non-glass container.
Like... oh, say... your stomach.

That would have been nice but they don't allow you to keep the liquor you buy in port. You have to turn it in and pick it up when the cruise is over.

Can't quite make it out. Do you know what that is?

It was actually a tug with a barge along side.

Man that looks imposing.

And that is the small one.
 
Yeah... you'd think a cruise line could afford a few bucks worth of paint to keep the ship looking sharp. That can't be good for business to have other cruisers walking by your ships in port and seeing that on the outside.

I didn't realize Randall and his penguins were visiting Puerto Rico!


I'm pretty sure they are a high end cruise line so you would think they would want everything looking nice.

@Cinderella's Fella didn't let us know he was there or we would have went over and visited him.
 
Both forts are very cool and very big.

Gorgeous photos. I would have loved to explore both forts!

After a few seconds a man pushing a 3-wheel stroller emerged from the tunnel holding the blown tire over his head showing everyone that we weren’t under attack. It was kind of funny after seeing him but I’m certain everyone's first thought was OMG!

I can imagine a few people had to change their shorts!

Not sure what this guy was doing, he pulled up to the side of the ship and then left a few minutes later.

He's a pirate. Steer clear.

There was a little carnival area close to our berth, even had some penguins skating.

Um...ok.


Wow, great shot. That looks amazing.
 
You could've transferred it to a non-glass container.
Like... oh, say... your stomach.

I need to write that down, damn good advice right there.

That would have been nice but they don't allow you to keep the liquor you buy in port. You have to turn it in and pick it up when the cruise is over.

Well, there is that. Hate that policy, I could buy bottle of rum for next nothing yet couldn't get access to it until after the cruise. But I did have it after the cruise so I could make my own fruity drinks with little umbrellas in them.
 
I need to write that down, damn good advice right there.



Well, there is that. Hate that policy, I could buy bottle of rum for next nothing yet couldn't get access to it until after the cruise. But I did have it after the cruise so I could make my own fruity drinks with little umbrellas in them.


Do you keep a good stock of little umbrellas at home?
 
So we’ve reached December 31st and we were getting to spend the day in Grand Turk, our final stop. We planned to continue our theme of a relaxing cruise once again and had no real plans for this stop. The only plans we made were to hang out by the pool, Declan wanted to have a go at the FlowRider, a look through the shopping area and a walk towards the conch graveyard. And that is exactly what we did!


As we approached the dock, I could see the Carnival Pride was there but I’m not sure how long she had been there. We got off fairly quickly and there were many people from the Pride just getting off as well.


We headed straight for the pool area and were able to find 3 loungers near the far end of the pool, close to the cabanas. There was a beach umbrella next to one of the loungers so that was a bit of a bonus. We got Declan signed up for the FlowRider right away and it was a good thing we did. They only had the 90 minute sessions left and the next available slot was at 2 pm.


We stood at the bar for a bit trying to get some drinks but it was very busy so we opted to return to seats and flag down a waiter. That didn’t take too long and Declan once again went for a frozen drink while we split a bucket of the local Turk’s Head lager which wasn’t too bad at all.


Pretty much the entire day was spent just relaxing, reading and people watching by the pool. Near the end of the afternoon a young couple from the UK grabbed the chairs next to us and we had a nice conversation about the UK and Canada.


As for Declan and the Flowrider, he mastered the body surfing fairly quickly but he didn’t have much luck with the traditional surfing. In fairness to him, neither did anyone else.


We enjoyed the time at Margaritaville, even with lots of people around, the pool area wasn’t too bad. We didn’t eat so I can’t comment in the food.


We finished our island time by browsing through some of the shops, checking out the space display and looking for conch shells.


Once back on board, we had a bit of a rest and then got ready for our New Year’s Eve dinner. This was another elegant night and lobster tail was on the regular menu. As was the case with the first cruise elegant night, most people were dressed up. I think we only saw one family that didn’t dress up at all.


This was the second cruise for us that included New Year’s Eve at sea. The first time we didn’t make it to midnight, partially because we had an excursion the next morning at 8:30. This trip we planned on being part of the on deck celebrations (the fact that there was to be free champagne helped as well).


We spent the early part of the evening at the comedy show and the Latin Nights show in the Amber Palace. This was the third show that the main stage performers at put on during the cruise and once again it was pretty good. They did have a talented group of singers and dancers on this cruise. Declan decided we should sit near the front for this one and his seat was on the edge of the splash zone. It isn’t the SeaWorld splash zone but I’m fairly certain if you sit in the front row or two of the middle section, you will get wet.


We eventually made our way to the Lido deck where the Glory Days band and singers were providing the entertainment. The band is quite good but the singers are a bit weak, in some cases karaoke like. As we got closer to midnight, waiters appeared with the free champagne, nice touch. At midnight the ship horn went crazy and the noise was incredible. Yet on the first cruise we heard none of this.


Soon it was time to call it an night. The next day would be a sea day and out last full day on-board. I’ll leave you with some pictures of Grand Turk.


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The view from our loungers


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FlowRider Time


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Poser!


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Successful Role!


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Not so successful attempt to surf


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Space Capsule Replica


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One of my favourites!


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One small step...


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Apparently the only jet ski in Grand Turk.


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Grand Turk Sunset


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So we are at our last sea day, always a bit of a sad day because you know the next time you wake up they will be kicking you off the ship.


The last day is always pretty typical for us and given our theme us not doing much but relaxing on this trip, it fit perfectly. Not much going on but some time in the sun, some time in the casino, some time in the arcade, checking out the last day sales, eating some food and having a few beverages. All in all the day was a success.


We did do the sea day brunch again and this time we had a table to ourselves. It wasn’t busy so we were able to talk to our server a bit and find out more about their life aboard ship. It is always nice to find out a little about how the crew works and lives for the period of their contracts.


The evening brought us to the final main stage production, Epic Rock. For me, this was the best show of the week, great music, great singing and dancing. A word of warning for those of you with young children. Sitting in the front row center may not be the place to be for your kids at this show. It is a little more riské than the others and there a couple of segments with the female performers that are definitely geared to an adult male than the shocked 11 year old boy we saw. Do get me wrong, there is nothing lewd or obscene, just a little more adult-oriented. I would have no problem taking younger kids, just sit a little further back. LOL.


There wasn’t many pictures this day but I did take a few of the cabin. Sorry for the lack of ship pictures, I didn’t take many on this trip for some reason.


This is the convertible sofa


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The main beds pushed together to form what they call a king bed.


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The TV and door to the balcony. All the cabins had flat screens I believe.

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Some shots trying to show the size of the balcony


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Some final pictures from our last night.


Declan and our bar server, Lester. One of the most personable servers on the ship. If you ever sail on the Glory, you will know Lester as soon as you hear him.


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Our wait staff, Ovie, Katherine and Jeffrie. The best bunch on the ship!


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After each production show, the performers head out to the Atrium to meet the passengers. On the last night they took pictures with anyone who wanted one, so we said Why not!


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I was disappointed the two male leads hogged the center area of the photo.


This was the Atrium Christmas tree area from above


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And our final towel “animal” of the cruise


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We planned to continue our theme of a relaxing cruise once again and had no real plans for this stop.

Sounds nice... and I always say that... then plan a million things to do anyway.

We got off fairly quickly and there were many people from the Pride just getting off as well.

So... a Pride parade where everyone was getting off.

we split a bucket of the local Turk’s Head lager

A bucket?!?!?

Pretty much the entire day was spent just relaxing, reading and people watching by the pool.

And when you say people watching, you mean...

Near the end of the afternoon a young couple from the UK grabbed the chairs next to us and we had a nice conversation about the UK and Canada.

Metric system. Celsius temperatures. Free healthcare.... the usual.

As for Declan and the Flowrider, he mastered the body surfing fairly quickly but he didn’t have much luck with the traditional surfing. In fairness to him, neither did anyone else.

That surfing part looks tough.
A lot easier with real waves, I think.

checking out the space display

I couldn't figure out why they'd have that.
I figured there must have been a tracking station, but I didn't know the rest of the story.
Interesting.

This trip we planned on being part of the on deck celebrations (the fact that there was to be free champagne helped as well).

It couldn't hurt!

As we got closer to midnight, waiters appeared with the free champagne, nice touch. At midnight the ship horn went crazy and the noise was incredible.

Nice.


:thumbsup2

Space Capsule Replica


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Cool. Is it life size (roughly)?

One of my favourites!


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::yes:: nice shot.

Grand Turk Sunset


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Another great shot.

So we are at our last sea day, always a bit of a sad day because you know the next time you wake up they will be kicking you off the ship.

And hence, a stowaway is born.

A word of warning for those of you with young children. Sitting in the front row center may not be the place to be for your kids at this show. It is a little more riské than the others and there a couple of segments with the female performers that are definitely geared to an adult male than the shocked 11 year old boy we saw.

Note to self. Sit front row center.

This is the convertible sofa


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That doesn't look too comfy. How was it?

I was disappointed the two male leads hogged the center area of the photo.

:rolleyes1
 
A bucket?!?!?


Yup, they fill an old tin bucket full of beer and give a a couple of ladles to scoop it out.


And when you say people watching, you mean...

Watching the drunks, seeing how people were dressed (or not dressed) and one couple who felt the pool was their own private hotel room.




I couldn't figure out why they'd have that.
I figured there must have been a tracking station, but I didn't know the rest of the story.
Interesting.

It seems to have been their claim to fame.

Cool. Is it life size (roughly)?


I think it was


::yes:: nice shot.


Another great shot.

Thanks



Note to self. Sit front row center.

You will not be disappointed.


That doesn't look too comfy. How was it?

I didn't sleep on it but Declan had no complaints.
 

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