My trip to: Puerto Rico, St Thomas, Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts and St Maarten
In September 2012 I found myself on a spectacular vacation. As
my plane hit the tarmac in San Juan Puerto Rico and I gazed around at the city
lights I knew it was
the start of a wonderful vacation.
I had never been to San Juan before but two days was not nearly
enough to experience all that the city has to offer. New San Juan is a bustling
city just like any other except it has a beautiful coastline and the beaches
are great for surfing during high tide.
There are also many restaurants and great shopping. I would suggest Plaza Las Americas you may not find the best deals in town but you will find a huge selection of stores with great merchandise.
SAN JUAN
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| Old San Juan |
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| El Morro |
Although I stayed in Conado Old San Juan was my favourite attraction.
I loved walking through the narrow cobble stone streets that looked very European. A day spent exploring the forts like the famous El Morro and
riding the free trolley while sampling fresh tropical sherbet from local
vendors was a day well spent.
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| Mofongo: a dish made with ground seasoned plantains |
I would recommend Punto de Vista, a restaurant close to the cruise port which offers fabulous local dining. We tried the fresh octopus salad and the mofongo stuffed with chicken which was delicious.
No meal is complete without a refreshing drink so why
not try
Medella the local beer.
The coast around the old city is breathtaking and although
you get a feel for the old architecture and civilization you also get to
experience modern extravagances like shopping at your favourite name brand
shops and shipping local beer with a view of the beautiful cruise ships.
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| my brunch at Under the Trees restaurant |
Also in Conado located on De Diego Street right next to the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel (which is where we stayed) is a nice restaurant to go to for breakfast and brunch called Under the Trees. Try the Pancakes they are fluffy and delicious! Just look at that picture don't tell me you don't want a big bite!!
The best way to get around San Juan if you are going to be there for more than one day is to rent a car. Taxis can be expensive if you are always on the go and the locals including the staff at our hotel, police officers and citizens as nice as they were don't seem to be very knowledgeable about the bus routes so don't depend on them to help you get around the city. The bus is only 75 cents per person but they take a long time to come and they are not very reliable.
THE CRUISE
After two fun filled days in San Juan we boarded the
Carnival Victory and set sail for a 7 day cruise that would take us to 5
different islands each with its own beauty and splendour.
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| Megans Bay Beach |
ST. THOMAS
St Thomas was our first stop and since I had visited the
island previously I decided to spend a day relaxing on Megans Bay beach and
shopping at the many souvenir and jewellery shops.
If you are visiting the island for the first time I would recommend taking a tour of the island and stopping by Coral World before heading to the beach.
BARBADOS
Barbados was probably my least favourite of our stops. Although
the island does have nice beaches the cruise port wasn't in an area close to
any of the most beautiful beaches and the tour stopped off in the less desirable neighbourhoods.
I did get to see Rihanna’s childhood home as well as other stars who have
property on the island.
The view from the highest peak is a nice place to
take some photos but the tour lacked in attractions and the island was quite
flat and not as lush and spectacular as some of the other islands we stopped
at. When you visit Barbados you definitely have to make sure you head to the
all the right locations in order to be satisfied with your trip. **(note: I don't have any photos to post for this stop because my digital camera stopped working and I had to purchase a new one the next day so all my photos from Barbados are on a disposable camera.)
ST LUCIA
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| View of the coast from the tour boat |
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| The Pittons |
St Lucia was next and it was by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I loved the green mountains and the beautiful beaches. The sand was black from the sulphur emitted from the volcano but it was fine and powdery and the water was clear and warm. The pitons which are the two highest peaks were breathtaking in all their glory and the tour was relaxing and enjoying. We took a speed boat right from the ship port which took us on a tour around the beautiful coast.
If you are doing a tour in St Lucia I would recommend doing the land and sea tour, it is just as beautiful as the land only tour but a lot less time consuming. Also if you get motion sickness the drive through the mountains although beautiful can be a bit treacherous.
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| The coast |
As we whisked through the blue water around the mountains we
listened to calypso and drank rum punch.We arrived at a beach close to the pitons
where we boarded a tour bus that took us up to the sulphur springs and then to
a waterfall where we could swim. The tour ended with a picnic on the beach and
time for more swimming.
Since September is hurricane season the tides push jelly
fish and other marine life into the beaches and I had the unfortunate
experience of being stung. Although it was painful it did not slow me down or
stop me from enjoying the rest of the trip. I think St Lucia is a good
choice for destination weddings and honeymoons.
ST KITTS
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| Volcano in St Kitts |
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| View of the coast: St Kitts |
St Kitts was next on our cruise. The tour we took on St Kitts took us
around the entire island and stopped at all the points of interest. There is a
volcano on this island as well and lots of local fruits and shops. We avoided
the beach because clusters of jelly fish could be seen in the water but as you can see I got some great photos of the landscape.
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| St Kitts |
ST MAARTEN
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| Maho Beach |
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| Orient beach |
One of the beaches we went to was Orient Beach and not only was the
water perfect for relaxation and snorkelling but there are many restaurants and
bars on the beach with food and great music. We rented chairs for $5
dollars each and it came with an umbrella and a drink, that’s a deal you can’t
beat!
There is also one section of the beach that is a nude beach, however if you are well over onto the non nudity side you will have no unpleasant or unwanted views.
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| warning sight at Moho beach |
Maho Beach is also something very unique. The beach is right beside the airport so you have the opportunity to watch the planes land right above your head! The experience is daring yet incredible.
People who stand too close to then fence sometimes have accidents when the jets from the planes blow them back and up into the air. As long as you stay on the beach and a safe distance away it is safe to visit.
This is a photo I took as we drove to the beach, as you can see the island is very developed.
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| photo I took of the fish at the beach! |
As we were swimming in Orient Beach we saw schools of angel fish. It was a great idea to get an underwater camera!
Cruising: The Ultimate All Inclusive Vacation
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| Our ship as we pulled into port |
A cruise is a
wonderful and affordable way to see many different places on one trip. On a
resort you are limited to whatever events they have planed; on a cruise you
have the options of so many different activities, musical shows, comedy shows
and five star dining experiences every night. In my opinion taking a cruise is the ultimate all
inclusive vacation that comes with impeccable service. The staff that wait on
you and make sure the ship is sparkling clean work around the clock cleaning
your stateroom a couple times a day, making sure you have fresh beach towels in
your room for your next day’s adventure and offering free room service 24 hours
a day.
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| Adult only area |
One of my favourite things to do is relax on deck, The Victory has a comfortable adult only area with hot tubs, lounge chairs and hammocks.
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| The ship's gym |
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| The sauna |
The ship also has a state of the art gym, and after working off all that food you have been eating there is no better way to relax than spending some time in the sauna which has a wonderful view! You can also lounge pool side and watch a movie on the big screen.
There also also many other things on board like the casino, bars, lounges, live music, night clubs, mini golf, library, internet cafe, shushi bar and the list goes on.
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| our ocean view Stateroom |
There are many rooms to chose from on the ship that accommodate every budget. This time we opted for the ocean view room which came with a king size bed, a big sofa and a nice window that gave us a view of the islands as we pulled into port.
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| ship departing from St Kitts |
I loved being on deck when the ship pulled away from the islands! you get an amazing view.
The photo on the left is one I took when we were leaving St Kitts.
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| Sun set as I left St Kitts |
You also get an amazing view of the sunset as the ship pulls away and the deck party begins!
The worst thing about vacation has to be the end. I would recommend this cruise itinerary to anyone looking to have a fantastic vacation. I hope everyone enjoyed looking at all my pictures and reading my suggestions.
Happy travels!!
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