Archive for the 'Cruises' Category

Vacation Reading

One of the sweeter things about vacation is having time to read.  However, one of the heaviest things to pack is a book.  Dead trees are heavy.  But what if you could take along as many books as you could possibly read with some in reserve just in case you’re not in the mood for […]

Jewel of the Seas at Sea

Days 2, 3, 6, 9, and 11 Yahoo!  It is almost time for our next vacation.  Once again, we have chosen a cruise with Royal Caribbean.  When planning a cruise vacation, we know that the trip depends more on two factors than any other – including ports of call.  The first factor is the ship’s […]

Packing Post-Mortem

Perhaps you recall that we had decided to pare down our packing list for this cruise. The eight day cruise was our longest yet, plus we arrived in San Juan a day early. We took half our regular luggage. This allowed us to carry on everything outbound.  (Coming back we did check our bags.) I […]

Serenade of the Seas

Click for Album Magic carpet ride, indeed.  Fall asleep in one awesome port and wake up in another.  All your food appears on your table, beautifully presented, and flavorful.  Done eating?  Your dirty dishes fly away.  Bored?  Who cued the band that just started playing?  Too much fun?  Drop in the spa and let their […]

El Yunque – Very Photogenic

Click for Album This was our only cruise line arranged excursion. El Yunque is the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. Until 2006 it was the only habitat of the Puerto Rican Amazon, Puerto Rico’s green parrot. It is estimated that there are only about 40 of this endangered species living […]

Barbados – Pictures

Click for Album I had some video of the little sand crab you will see if you click through to our album. Unfortunately, it was completely out of focus. He was very cute as he dug his hole throwing sand out behind him. At least I did get a nice snapshot of the little critter. […]

Antigua – More Pictures

We went to Runaway Beach on Antigua because I had read that one could ride horses there. The horses arrived about the time we were ready to leave and it really did not seem like a great of a spot for horseback riding, so we passed. We did see this beautiful rocky point, adorned with […]

St. Martin – Photo Album and Video

When all was said and done, St. Martin was one of those places where we thought we could spend an entire vacation. Its European flavor, spiced with Caribbean seasoning, with a side of one of the prettiest beaches we have ever seen, makes for a pretty dishy vacation spot. Video of the beach after the […]

Coki Beach, St. Thomas – Some Pretty Fine Snorkeling

We didn’t spend much time in Charlotte-Amelie, where the Serenade of the Seas docked. Instead, we immediately took a cab to Coki Beach on the other side of the island. By clicking on the picture (or here), you can see the high resolution full slide show of the pictures we took on this beautiful island. […]

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

What is your favorite type of neighborhood? For me, it often depends on my mood. Some days I want a home by the sea. Other days, I would prefer a quiet tree lined street. I often want to be near an urban center. (I like the amenities and useful mass transportation.) Old San Juan offers […]