Cheap cruises from san juan pr: San Juan Cruise Deals | Cruises from San Juan

Cruise deal alert: Royal Caribbean kicks off new year with 7-night fares less than $500 per person

If the winter cold weather has you thinking it might be time to book a cruise, Royal Caribbean has some deals you ought to consider.

Royal Caribbean’s Wave season deals began this month, in which the cruise line is offering sales on cruises going through early 2025. Since our readers likely want to get away sooner than 2025, there’s also a great array of choices you can find low prices for that depart in the first half of this year as well.

The current promotion offers 30% off every guest and Kids Sail Free deals when booking a cruise between January 3 to January 31, 2023. 

In searching for cruises that depart between January and May 2023, I found super low rates on cruises that visit the Caribbean, Alaska, and the Mexican Riviera.

Like any last minute cruise, the “catch” with these deals is you’re going to have to act fast to not only book them, but ensure prices for airfare are reasonable as well.

Since now is one of the best times of the year to book a new Royal Caribbean cruise, here’s a look at some of the best deals you can book for a winter or spring getaway.

Cruise deals

In looking through the cruise deals for sailings in the first half of 2023, here are some of the top picks:

Alaska

It’s never too early to start thinking of a cruise to Alaska, and there are some really low rates for the beginning of the Alaska cruise season.

• Radiance of the Seas 7-night Northbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier cruises begin at $350 per person (the southbound route is also similarly priced) for May 26, 2023.
• Brilliance of the Seas 6-night Pacific Coastal cruise from Los Angeles up to Vancouver is just $350 per person too, sailing April 12, 2023.
• Radiance of the Seas has a rare roundtrip sailing from Vancouver to the Alaska glaciers on May 11, 2023 starting at $521 per person.

Caribbean

If a warm-weather escape is what you want, there are lots of deals on cruises around the Caribbean.

• Rhapsody of the Seas 7-night Southern Caribbean cruise from Barbados is just $351 per person for March 19.  There are lots of other inexpensive sailings in January, March and April.
• Voyager of the Seas 7-night Southern Caribbean cruise from San Juan, Puerto Rico begins at $438 per person on February 12, 2023.
• Radiance of the Seas from Galveston, Texas to the Western Caribbean has a cheap sailing on April 15, 2023 for a 6-night cruise.

Mexican Riviera

For our west coast friends, Navigator of the Seas has a lot of great rates left for cruises in January and February 2023.

Sailing from Los Angeles, there are 7-night sailings that visit Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan, beginning at $471 per person for the April 28, 2023 sailing.

More deals beyond

These are just some of the cheapest prices I could find for a 7-night cruise that leaves in the next few months.

Royal Caribbean uses this time of year to boost its sales for the rest of the year, so you can find great prices for sailings later in the year, especially the fall.

In general, cruise pricing tends to favor those that book early and there are great rates to be had for cruises not just this year, but over the next few years.

Royal Caribbean is also advising that more deals will be coming this month, including flash deals of $550 instant savings and discounts on beverage and dining packages, shore excursions, internet and more throughout the month.

Renewed demand for cruises

It’s not your imagination, a lot of people are looking at a cruise vacation.

According to a AAA survey, 52% of adults in the United States this year are likely to consider a cruise vacation. That’s up from 45% a year ago.

Why are so many people looking to cruise? In short, many travel experts see 2023 as a big bounce back year for travel after the events of the past three years.

Royal Caribbean already saw a record-breaking Black Friday sales event, and AAA believes new cruise ships are enticing a lot of folks to try a cruise.

What to look for in a cruise deal

Ready to book a cruise for this year? There’s plenty of options, so here’s my advice for sifting through all the options.

Don’t just chase the lowest price

It’s tempting to sort cruise prices from lowest to highest and harp on the cheapest price you can find, but you’ll want to look at the big picture first.

First, look at the choice in cabin because that super low price is almost certainly for an inside cabin. There’s nothing wrong with staying in an inside cabin, but some people want more space and a view with their cruise.

You’ll also want to see if the price is for a guarantee cabin or not.

A guarantee cabin is when Royal Caribbean assigns your stateroom location, meaning you are unable to select exactly where on the ship your cabin will be. If you aren’t picky about your cabin location, booking a guarantee rate can be a nice way to save money.

If you’d prefer picking your own cabin location, though, expect to pay slightly more per person on the cruise fare.

Read more: What you need to know before booking a cheap cruise

Price out flights and other travel considerations

Royal Caribbean has some great cruise fares you can book, but the airlines might not.

Before you book a cruise, you’ll want to quickly check airfare prices to ensure you can afford the price to get you to that cheap cruise deal.

If you’re looking at a cruise more than 3 months from now, you’ll probably be fine in terms of flights.  But if you’re looking to getaway sooner, last minute flight prices could be a challenge.

Read more: Why booking a last-minute cruise isn’t always a great idea

Check with your travel agent first

If you see a great price listed for a cruise, your next step should be to ask your travel agent to price it out.

Travel agents can see a host of discounts you might not think of, as well as agency rates and special offers.

Plus, a travel agent may be aware of other deals available based on pricing they’ve been tracking.

Best Puerto Rican Cruises | Islands

Old San Juan, the historic district of Puerto Rico’s biggest city, is a mecca for cruise ships. And why not? The port’s location and availability of non-stop flights from major U. S. markets make it a great jumping-off point for ships exploring the heart of the Caribbean. Simply stopping by? That’s fine, too. Puerto Rico’s culture and liveliness are easily enjoyed, even if only for a day.

After stopping in Old San Juan, traverse over one of three bridges leading to mainland Puerto Rico. Venture along the cobblestone streets, and visit historic sites like forts and the district’s massive city wall. El Yunque, the island’s national forest, is also a site for nature-lovers to visit before leaving. Many of these are cruises to Puerto Rico from Miami, so be ready to experience a nightlife and urban culture almost unlike any other.

Here are the best Puerto Rican cruises that either begin or include a stop in Puerto Rico.

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San Juan & the Virgin Islands – Windstar Cruises

Windstar Cruises
Courtesy of Windstar

Travel aboard Star Legend with only 200 other passengers on this seven-day, roundtrip cruise that departs from San Juan, Puerto Rico. After embarking on this Windstar Cruises voyage, you’ll stop at six other ports, including Vieques, Puerto Rico; Gustavia, St. Barthélemy; Little Bay, Monsterrat, British West Indies; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands; and Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands.

Explore more than 400 restored Spanish colonial buildings in San Juan before starting your Caribbean expedition. Visit El Morro’s 16th-century ramparts, a UNESCO World Heritage site, or go on a hike in Puerto Rico’s El Yunque National Forest.

At each of this voyage’s stops, there are opportunities for excursions — 26 in total. They range from $55 to $625 and can last from one to five hours. Among the possible excursions are kayaking, snorkeling and ATV adventures.

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Caribbean Melody – Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises
Courtesy of Oceania Cruises

Starting from the bustling shores of Miami, you’ll embark on Insignia for a 10-day adventure that’ll see stops at six other ports: Gustavia, St. Barts; Fort-de-France, Martinique; Castries, St. Lucia; Basseterre, St. Kitts; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas.

Onboard this Oceania Cruises voyage, there are 12 eat-and-drink options, ranging from bars, restaurants, lounges and cafés. Check out the artist loft for guided painting, sketching and more. There are also three boutiques to purchase duty-free items, a spa, a casino, four live-entertainment shows, a library with over 2,000 books, a pool, two whirlpool spas and a sports deck with a putting green, shuffleboard and a fitness track.

In total, there are 45 excursions across the six stops, with the most happening on St. Kitts. Visit botanical gardens, go on jeep tours, hike through El Yunque, or go on an ATV tour. Whatever your fancy, there’s bound to be something that’ll catch your interest.

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Eastern Caribbean from Miami – Carnival

Carnival
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This Eastern Caribbean Carnival cruise takes you to four other ports in its roundtrip that begins in Miami, Florida. The seven-day voyage will include stops in the Dominican Republic (Amber Cove), the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas), Puerto Rico (San Juan) and Turks and Caicos (Grand Turk).

You’ll travel on Carnival Conquest with a crew of 1,100. In addition to a seemingly never-ending, twisting water slide, there’s also a comedy club, an adults-only area, 10 eat-and-drink options and live musical entertainment.

Excursions at each port range from dune-buggy rides in the D.R. and exploring fortresses in San Juan to parasailing off the coast of St. Thomas and snorkeling off Grand Turk.

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Southern Caribbean Cruise – Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises
Courtesy of Celebrity Cruises

Join 2,200 other passengers aboard Celebrity Summit on this seven-night Southern Caribbean cruise. You’ll embark on this roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and hit five other ports: Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands; St. Johns, Antigua; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; and Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis.

Never be bored on this Celebrity Cruises voyage that has you and your group at sea for only one day out of the entire trip. At each port you stop at, there are 20 excursions each, including 20 from your departing port. Experience anything from rum tastings and eating seafood to snorkeling, island tours and horseback riding.

For the time you are on Celebrity Summit, enjoy six eat-and-drink options, a top-deck, al fresco area for movies, a kids club for the younger members of the party, a casino, an art gallery, a fitness center, shopping and an adults-only spot when you need to simply get away.

Caribbean and Antilles – MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises
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Aboard MSC Seaside, you’ll embark on a unique itinerary that’ll depart from Miami, Florida, and return there midway through the voyage before ultimately ending there.

This 15-day, 14-night adventure will stop at nine ports, including a two-day stop in Puerto Rico: Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands; Cozumel, Mexico; Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas; Miami, Florida; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Nassau, Bahamas; Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, Bahamas; Miami, Florida.

Across this MSC Cruises’ cruise from Miami to Puerto Rico, there are 188 excursions, with the most (45) occurring in Cozumel. From snorkeling and bamboo rafting to exploring Mayan ruins and experiencing tequila tours and tastings, there’s an abundance of activities fit for anyone’s tastes.

Eastern Caribbean – Holland America Line

Holland America Line
Courtesy of Holland America

Visit Puerto Rico and three other Eastern Caribbean islands on this seven-day cruise, as Nieuw Statendam takes you and your group on a roundtrip that begins in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and visits Amber Cove, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Half Moon Cay, Bahamas.

Boredom aboard won’t be a concern on this Holland America Line voyage. There’s a variety of live-music opportunities, including genres like rock ‘n roll, the blues and orchestra. Head over to the Microsoft Studio to compile a photo gallery or a video from your memorable cruise experience, or visit the spa to unwind with the ocean’s waters around you.

In total, there are 11 eat-and-drink options, including 24-hour room service, New York-style pizza and French, Italian and Japanese cuisines. Want to get more hands-on with your food? Check out America’s Test Kitchen for live, onboard cooking shows and workshops.

Journey to Latin America with the Emerald Princess

Vladimir Dergachev

From Los Angeles on a cruise ship Emerald Princess ***** we went on a 16-day trip to Latin America with stops in Puerto Vallarta and Huatulco (Mexico), San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua), Puntarenas (Costa Rica), Panama and the Panama Canal, Cartagena (Colombia) and Fort Lauderdale (Florida, USA). The Emerald Princess departed on January 2, 2020 from the port of Los Angeles (San Pedro). Details: Los Angeles. Port America. World Cruise Center

Starting at $1,329. For the first time, the company has waived mandatory tipping, including children and senior citizens (approximately $200 each). Christmas cruise for Western Christians at the end of December, and for Orthodox Christians at the beginning of January. Therefore, in the Western Hemisphere in early January, cruises are cheaper than in Europe. Adult Americans are already working after the Christmas holidays, and the children are studying. Therefore, there are many American retirees on board.

“Emerald Princess” refers to the Grand standard. The liner has been in operation since 2007, length 290 m, draft 8 m, tonnage 113.6 thousand GRT, speed 21.5 knots. The liner has 19 decks, a maximum capacity of 3080 passengers, a crew of 1200 sailors, the official language is English, the currency is USD. The ship was renovated in 2015. Premium cruise, no Babylonian pandemonium at the swimming pools and elevators, 10 restaurants and bars on board. You can get acquainted with the internal device in other posts. The design of the liner is similar to other ships of the American company Princess Cruises (headquartered in California), which have already had to go on cruises. Has a lot in common with cruise ship “Crown Princess” (Crown Princess), built at the Fincantieri shipyard, Monfalcone (Italy). I will only note that the layout of the cabins is more successful than in other cruise ship projects. One of the first liners of this series “Sapphire Princess” 5 * LUX (Sapphire Princess) was built to order in Tokyo by the Japanese corporation Mitsubishi in 2004, registered in Bermuda (port of registry London).

For the first time in the crew of the Emerald Princess there were many Slavic brothers, mostly Ukrainians and Serbs. Over 100 Ukrainian citizens were recruited under a six-month contract, mostly Odessa Maritime Agency “Volans” . This firm is one of the leading and most experienced crewing agencies in Ukraine, which specialize in recruiting qualified personnel for cruise ships and yachts. She has been a crewing agent for Celestyal Cruises (since 1997), AIDA Cruises, Panstar Lines, Sea Chefs, Mano Maritime and Louis Hotels, and has been with Princess Cruises since 2004. The cruise ship is an upscale hotel with restaurants and bars, shops, a casino, a theater, beauty salons, swimming pools and a gym. Applicants who wish to find a job are offered specialized training in three courses of different duration up to 4-6 months.

About 15 jobs are required to work on cruise ships, including cooks, bartenders, waiters, photographers, stewardesses, dancers, sommeliers, stewards, stage lighting, handymen and many others. Working on cruise ships is based on knowledge of a foreign language, English and German or English and French at a free level are especially in demand, and work experience is desirable.
Salary per month from $1000 (photographer) to $3000 junior officer, including:

JAP (Receptionist) $1400 – $2100, Waiter (waiter) – $1318 + gratuity + tips (tips), Assistant Waiter – 1000$.
Stewards are predominantly Filipinos (Catholics). Pale-faced Slavs are not hired for this position. It is difficult for them (mentality does not allow) to smile at passengers all day long and say good morning/lunch/evening hundreds of times per shift. The wide Slavic soul cannot stand this, and after a few Good Mornings, there is a desire to send tourists very far.

Maritime agencies also offer high-paying positions on cruise ships, for example,
hotel service engineers ($7885) or electronics engineer ($7175), but I have never met such Slavic brothers.

***

Conditional American cruise ship classification:

Ø standard from 4 to 6 or more thousand passengers on board is designed for the proletariat, including pale-skinned, African Americans and Hispanics (weekly cruise at a ridiculous price for Americans of 300 – $500),

Ø premium from 1.0 to 3.0 thousand – for the middle class,

Ø         mega-yachts for ordinary millionaires and

Ø super yachts – for billionaires.

{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}{C}
Princess Cruises new ships under construction are designed for higher capacity up to 3600 passengers due to the increasing competition in the cruise market. Force majeure must also be taken into account. In early 2020, the Diamond Princess liner of Princess Cruises was quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama due to the coronavirus. On board were 3,700 tourists and crew members from 56 countries, including 25 citizens of Ukraine (crew members). While the liner was in quarantine, at least 700 people became infected. In addition to the caronovirus, there was a case of mass food poisoning and an interrupted flight of the Princess Cruises liner. Therefore, devices with Antiseptic gel (sanitizer) for hands are equipped on board the company’s ships, and a special employee controls this procedure before entering restaurants.

The cruise company also has to develop new navigation areas. In December 2019 and January 2019, the Coral Princess cruise ship of Princess Cruises made two voyages on the Buenos Aires – Chile route with a scenic cruise to Antarctica to the Antarctic Peninsula (without disembarkation). As practice shows, the passage of the turbulent Drake Passage is risky for a large passenger ship. But tourists can see the shores of Antarctica not for $14,000 (on a small ice-class vessel), but for only $5,500 (a cabin with a balcony) or $3,000 (an inner cabin).

***
Tourism crisis . The global tourism industry has been hit hard by the Chinese coronavirus epidemic and its associated restrictions and bans. Almost 150 million Chinese tourists traveled around the world in 2018, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Until 2020, it was the fastest growing outbound tourism market, in a few years the Chinese were ahead of the Germans (108.5 million) and Americans (92.6 million).

The combination of a huge population (nearly 1.4 billion in 2020) and rapid economic growth has resulted in more than three times the number of Chinese tourists traveling abroad over the past decade. The trips of Chinese tourists to neighboring countries grew especially fast. In Japan, they account for up to 30% of the foreign flow, in Thailand and Vietnam – more than 25%. Significant Chinese tourist flow in Hong Kong, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia. In Europe, their most popular destinations are France, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Germany and Russia, they most often visit Paris, Amsterdam, London and Rome.

Tourists from China spend more money when traveling abroad than other nationalities. According to the WTO, already in 2012 they overtook the Americans and Germans in this indicator. In 2018, the Chinese spent more than $277 billion overseas, with spending per person totaling $1,850 per trip. In 2019, their spending abroad approached $400 billion.

In Japan, Chinese tourists spent up to 40% of the total spending of foreign visitors. The losses of the country’s tourism business from the coronavirus epidemic could reach $1.8 billion.

During the Chinese New Year celebration in January 2020, Thailand lost 200,000 or 58% of Chinese tourists due to the coronavirus epidemic, due to which the country’s economy lost almost $300 million. More than 2 million Chinese tourists visited Indonesia a year. The Association of Hotels and Restaurants has already announced the cancellation of 40,000 hotel reservations in Bali. Approximately 20% of the total number of tourists in Singapore comes from China.

The World Business Travel Association estimates that the travel industry could lose up to $47 billion a month due to the coronavirus outbreak. The International Air Transport Association is forecasting a $30 billion cut in revenue due to falling airline ticket sales. The largest carriers in the world have canceled about 25 thousand flights on the most popular and busiest destinations, which leads to serious losses.

Cruise lines are canceling flights from mainland China and other countries. The ultimate damage from the declared coronavirus pandemic has yet to be assessed.

***
For the first two days, the Emerald Princess sailed in the open sea along the California Peninsula, which separates the Gulf of California from the Pacific Ocean. The Mexicans call the bay the Sea of ​​Cortez, famous for its red sunsets.

Other articles and posts about Latin America on the Portal and magazine “Landscapes of Life” :

GEOPOLITICS OF LATIN AMERICA
Latin American Frontier Civilization
Monroe Geopolitical Doctrine. America’s Backyard
Caribbean. America’s Near Backyard

WORLD CIVILIZATIONS IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD. Latin America
Brazil

From maritime robbery to financial piracy
Virgin Islands. Offshore under the American flag
St. Thomas. Jews in the West Indies
Puerto Rico. American outpost in the Caribbean
San Juan. Sea pirates did not pass here
Old San Juan and the cruise port
Dominican Republic. Country of upheavals, exotics and tourism
Saint Martin. Island of two masters

Caribbean region. America’s Inner Backyard
Cuba. Sophisticated revenge of the Empire of Good on the Island of Freedom
Caribbean. Golden Isles of Tax Paradise
Caribbean. Floating “islands” of entertainment
Haiti. The poorest country in the Americas
Haiti. Reservation for whites
Jamaica. “Jolly Roger” of pirates and financiers
Jamaica. Recreation and entertainment area
Cayman Islands turtles and financial assets
Cozumel. Island of Maya civilization

Journey to the West Indies to the Lesser Antilles, where blacks, mulattoes and mestizos live with dignity (15 articles) Panama.

I deliver passengers to the shore by shuttles.

Passing the Panama Canal

A young traveler aboard the Emerald Princess.

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Conditional American cruise ship classification:

Ø standard from 4 to 6 or more thousand passengers on board is designed for the proletariat, including pale-faced, African-Americans and Hispanics (a week-long cruise at a ridiculous price for Americans of 300 – 500 dollars),

Ø premium 1. 0 to 3.0 thousand – for the middle class,

Ø mega-yachts for ordinary millionaires and

super-yachts is for billionaires.

Tags: Cruises, Latin America, Travel

Cruises from USA | America with OneDayOnePlace.ru

I’m in my early 30s and I have a hobby. I collect check-ins in different states. I try to travel to new countries, but if I repeat myself, I will definitely go somewhere else during the trip.

The cruise turned out to be a great option for a short trip to collect several new places under different flags at once. What are cruises, how to choose a route and how much this pleasure costs, more on that below.

Why cruise and how to choose it

Somehow, on New Year’s Eve, I decided to escape from cold Moscow to sunny Miami! And as an addition, get to the ideal beaches of the Bahamas. When friends advised me to look for a cruise as a way to get there, I thought – why not?! Cheaper than hotels, not to spend money on food, and most importantly – I have never been on cruises before! (Singapore river cruise doesn’t count.) Okay, let’s try America’s retired staple!

There are many options for cruises – of varying degrees of availability, duration and timing. From Miami, cruise ships go to Mexico, the Bahamas, Jamaica … I had to carefully study the visa issue (for example, some routes include Belize, where a visa is needed).

Completely fit eight-day cruise “Eastern Caribbean” from Carnival. It started and ended in Miami, visiting the Bahamas (Half Moon Cay) and the US Virgin Islands (St.Thomas), the capital of Puerto Rico (San Juan) and the Grand Turk Islands (Grand Turk, the Turks and Caicos Islands). All waypoints are marked on the map in the article. Including all taxes, the cruise cost about a thousand dollars.

Cruise ship and what to do on it

Everything is well organized in the port. Everyone is met by cruise company employees, documents are checked and key cards are issued to the cabins. Further on the cruise, it is the key card that is the main document. It contains a credit for purchases on board, with its help the safe is opened and the entrance / exit from the liner is carried out. In total, about two or three thousand people are placed on the liner. The landing took two hours.

Before sailing, the crew conducted a briefing in case of emergencies. They explained exactly where to run to the boats. I wonder if it was the same before the Titanic sailed? The main thing that I understood is that you need to run faster than the Americans. I am an impressionable person, so I immediately imagined how sharks were tearing apart swarming and floundering fat men …

Then began acquaintance with the ship itself. It just seemed huge to me. Twelve floors above water, several more under water.

Zero and underwater decks are reserved for the cabins of a large team and power plants, generators, refrigerators and other service equipment. On the third – an information desk, a travel agency, a lobby bar, the main concert hall, shops, restaurants. On the fourth – a casino, a slot machine hall, a cabaret, two large restaurants. On the fifth – stand-up club, photo shop, souvenir, etc. Ninth – swimming pools, cafes, a pizzeria, an outdoor concert venue, sun loungers. The tenth is a spa center, a water park. The twelfth is the gym. And cabins, cabins, cabins… The captain steers the ship from about the sixth floor.

The first eternal question: where to eat? Bingo! Ninth floor! Typical supermarket food court with several buffets. Different types of cuisines were presented daily. On the day of departure was Italian.

The second eternal question: what to do? Every cabin has a full program of entertainment and excursions available every day. In addition to complete relaxation by the pool, vacationers are offered several concert venues, in-ship television, a water park, a casino, and entertainment shows in the evenings.

Here it is very appropriate to recall the title theme from Pirates of the Caribbean, because the pirates, it turns out, have not gone away! They still ply the Caribbean Sea and rob travelers … Only they are now called “cruise company such and such”! And then I’ll tell you why.

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Cruise extras

What does a person do when they get on a cruise ship for the first time? He walks everywhere, takes pictures of everything and uploads photos to all kinds of social networks. Is there internet in the ocean? Yes, but sold separately and costs sixty dollars for eight days. Can you be patient? Please!

Can you do without alcohol? Another hundred or two dollars of savings. Organized excursions yourself? Well done! (If not for the dollar, then this paragraph would not exist, of course.)

Basically, all excursions can be organized by yourself if you turn to the same Internet and prepare in advance. The problem arose only with extreme park (canopy tour) on St. Thomas . Three liners immediately disembarked passengers at the same time, and … there were no seats. I had to (smiley) rent a jet ski. And so, who gets up early, he manages to see everything before the crowd of tourists.

In general, everything was wonderful with the beaches: a lot of space, white sand, warm clear water, exotic fish…

And what amazing sunsets on the ocean! The sun slowly sinks below the horizon, only the ocean is around, a cool breeze blows in your face. The black Caribbean night is coming, the bright stars are twinkling. Romance!

The main entertainment of American pensioners, or Like in Egypt 5*

By the way, there is a common misconception that a cruise is an activity for pensioners only. Yes and no. Indeed, in the total mass of tourists there are many elderly people. Forty percent of the total. But they have their own party, which almost did not intersect with the youth. For example, it was more difficult for me to join the team because of poor knowledge of the language than because of age restrictions. Moreover, our pensioners and Americans are as different as heaven and earth.

In general, if we draw analogies with an Egyptian five-star hotel, then the liner has the same beautiful inner territory, around it is an analogue of the desert (Atlantic Ocean). Sometimes you go on excursions (stops in ports).

You swim in the pools, lie on sun loungers under the sun, visit the water park and spa. Watching stunning sunsets and sunrises…

There is an “almost all inclusive” system. Almost, since alcohol and all kinds of drinks are for an additional fee (tea / coffee, lemonade and water do not count).

What differs from the hotel: quite noticeably shakes. If such shaking was in airplanes, I would have developed aerophobia. And here – nothing. You get used to it. Up and down… From wave to wave…

Food on a cruise is an ongoing cascade of meals. Breakfast smoothly flowed into a second breakfast, then into lunch, an afternoon snack … Usually, all this took place on the ninth floor. If you walk from bow to stern, you can definitely find something to eat. There are also two main dining rooms and two swimming pools. Typical food court.

Dinners stand apart, as they were served in two shifts in two restaurants (Platinum and Gold). The time and place of dinner is even written on the key card. First, everyone dresses up for dinner. Many passengers came to the captain’s reception in tailcoats, ladies in evening dresses, etc. For a regular dinner, they dressed more simply. But not in shorts.

Secondly, dinner is served by a waiter and there is a menu. Thirdly, the menu itself is strikingly different from fast food. The choice is provided from five to six salads, six to seven hot dishes and a grill. For example, you can choose a cocktail of fresh shrimp, pasta with seafood and salmon, stewed ribs, steak, lobster. For dessert – cheesecakes, fruit, ice cream.

Sometimes the waiters put on a show and dance in the aisles and on special tables if there is a birthday person in the hall. With so many people (at least five hundred passengers per shift), finding a birthday boy is not difficult! Perhaps it is dinner that is the event for which you prepare all day. Delicious unreal. Specially did not eat for several hours, so that everything fits.

Cruise excursions and stops along the route

Half Moon Cay. Bahama, Bahama-mother!

In fact, of course, these are conditional Bahamas. This is a private island bought by a cruise company. A private paradise for Americans. The real Bahamas are distinguished by a much lower standard of living, affordable cheap alcohol, a poor population, etc. An American tourist should not look at this.

Give him the cleanest white beach, the clearest azure water, the brightest sun, warm breeze, shady palm trees, helpful staff, grilled burgers and similar tricks.

On the other hand, everyone is on vacation. Let there be paradise, albeit man-made.

Thomas (St. Thomas) – one of the US Virgin Islands

Formally – the territory of the United States. And so … The first thing that catches your eye and under your feet is left-hand traffic! USA?! And Coca-Cola for 3 bucks a can. USA?!!

The island is famous for the fact that there were many pirates here. I couldn’t even stop myself from visiting the pirate museum. It is said that at the beginning of the 18th century Sam lived there. Jack Sparrow himself! Capt. Jack Sparrow. Although I always considered him a fictional character. Where are the sparrows, and where are the Caribbean?))

San Juan, Puerto Rico Island

The morning is good if you wake up at 6:30 and at 7 in the morning you already go ashore in some new country for yourself. In Puerto Rico, for example!

There are two attractions here. Both are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are the fortresses of El Morro and San Cristobal.

Conveniently, a free tourist bus runs between them. It can also be reached on foot (1 km). It is said that underground tunnels are also laid between them. But I won’t lie, I didn’t see it.

Grand Turk

There is absolutely nothing to tell about Grand Turk. There is absolutely nothing interesting on the coast.