NYE Cruise 2023-24
We traveled with Roberta and John Kallina and Jim and Marilyn Board
Dec. 29th
Greg and I drove to Miami on Friday afternoon-evening. We stopped for dinner at Chili’s just before Miami. We both had a steak and it was excellent. Holiday Inn Express is where we stayed because we could leave our car there for $15 a day and they have a shuttle that will take you to the airport.
Sat Dec 30th
Early morning for us, catching the shuttle at 6 am for an 8:30 departure to San Juan. It was plenty of time but you never know with Miami airport. Lots of walking, not enough chairs in the waiting area, and many admonishments from the gate attendants about not crowding, pushing, etc. Welcome to Miami International. Plane left on time.
We located our luggage and out to the short taxi line. The San Juan airport is vastly improved from the last time we were here. It used to be a zoo.
Our ship, Viking Sea, is docked in Old San Juan. $27 for the taxi. We walked into the terminal, only people checking in, walked on the ship and straight to our room. Indira, our room steward, introduced himself. Our room is a Penthouse Jr Suite, PSI, an upgrade from our previous rooms. Room is larger with a sitting area that includes a couch and 2 chairs, longer balcony, 2 sinks in the bathroom, larger shower and unlimited laundry every day. We would have packed much lighter if we had known that!
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| Our ship, Viking Sea |
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| our group |
Lunch was in the buffet. At 1:00 the ship is empty. We don’t sail until tomorrow night so passengers will be trickling on. After lunch, we bought the drink packages and then I went to the pool area
and then back to the room to freshen up. The Kallina’s and Boards arrived and we all met in Explorers for drinks and then to dinner in the MDR. Dinner took an enormously long time. Seems to be a problem now in all 3 Viking ships we have sailed on. After dinner we went to Torshaven to listen to the Viking Band and others adjourned to their rooms. The Viking Band is good but not as talented as the bands on the first 2 cruises.
Sunday, NYE
We tried room service and pleased that the order was correct. A positive compared to room service on the last Viking cruise, however Greg’s ham and cheese omelet was lacking in cheese and ham. However, my eggs and bacon were perfect. We had an 8:00 am walking tour of San Juan. What were we thinking??? It was an included tour and despite some technical issues with the quiet boxes with other passengers and our tour guide, it was a good tour. We had been to El Morro fort which was not included but did visit Castillo San Cristobal which we had not seen. It was built in 1783 and is larger than El Morro.
After the tour we walked back to the boat, stopping at Walgreens for a new phone charger because mine died yesterday. We got back 11:30ish and I went to the pool area. Greg joined me and we ate at the Pool Grill. I had the ahi tuna and it was better on this ship. Greg had a hamburger. I stayed around the pool and Greg went back to the room.
The group met in Explorers for pre dinner drinks. Greg and I went down a little after 5 to secure 6 seats. Good thing we did, super crowded by the time all arrived. Dinner tonight was in Manfredi’s. We all had a nice meal with good service. We went back up to the pool area and grabbed a table. It was in the perfect spot to enjoy the music. John the guitarist played from 10 to 11. He is really good and played a nice variety, including some country songs. The singers and dancers, Viking Band and cruise directors took over at 11 and rang in the New Year. A good night for sure.
Jan 1 Monday St Kitts
Woke up to a rainy windy morning. We decided on the buffet for breakfast. There was going to be a New Years Day brunch from 10 to 2 but when you don’t announce it until the night before it’s hard to plan around it. We had reservations at the Marriott for a day pass. In hindsight sight it was way too expensive. $56 a person and gives you only loungers. Oh, and 10% off food and drink. We left around 9:30 and grabbed a taxi to the Marriott. We tried sitting on the beach but it was misting and windy so we went to the pool. Then it started raining pretty steadily so we went inside to wait it out. We were close to going back to the ship but it stopped and eventually the sun peaked out. We ate lunch, I had coconut shrimp and Greg had a turkey BLT. Both were good. We had prearranged for the taxi to pick us up at 2:30. Bad decision, it was finally sunny but it was what it was. Unfortunately the cab driver stood us up but we didn't want to go back so we took a taxi that was at the hotel and came back to the ship. I went to the pool but the roof was closed so no sun. Couldn’t win today but had a nice quiet time reading.
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| The hotel's facilities were very nice |
Greg and I went to Explorers Lounge and others joined us, minus Roberta. Our waiter asked about Roberta and John teasingly said he was looking to replace her in 2024 and the server, Sita, put on a show flirting with John. He kept us in stitches. Dinner tonight was the Chefs Table with a Mexican menu. Different but good. The main course was beef cheeks. Definitely a new item for us. Marilyn and Jim went to the show. We had seen it before so we headed to the room.
Tuesday Jan 2nd St Lucia
We did not dock until noon. Greg went to breakfast but I enjoyed a lazy morning. Mid morning we went to the Living Room and I had a Bloody Mary and blueberry muffin. We sat and read until lunch time and then went to the pool grill for hamburgers and back to the room to get ready for our excursion Aerial Tram. We met on the dock at 1:30 and were off immediately. It was about 30 min drive to the rainforest. Each tram held 8 people. We didn’t see a lot of wildlife but the rainforest was interesting and the the guide, Katie did a good job of explaining the plants. We did see a large hummingbird, Purple throated, several times and a tiny yellow warbler, the St Lucia Warbler. The description of the tour said there will be a walking tour of the hummingbird park at the end. Katie asked if anyone wanted to take a hike back into the forest. I asked about the hummingbird walk and she said we couldn’t do it on our own but would take us when she returned. The other group came back but Katie disappeared. I went looking for her and she said there wasn’t time and the tour included the hike not the hummingbird park. I explained that the description said hummingbird park and that had a lot to do with our decision to book the trip. She just shrugged. No tip for her. The other groups were given a choice between the hike and hummingbird park and all picked the hummingbirds. Although the others saw some gorgeous flowers they did not see hummingbirds. Oh well.
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| Been to St Lucia many times, both land and cruise |
Back on the ship, we were greeted with a beautiful double rainbow and then the skies opened up.
Everyone had different schedules so we ate separately. The MDR was our choice tonight and were seated quickly. The service was fast, food was good and we enjoyed taking to the tables on both sides. One couple had a cabin on lake Vermillion and wintered in McAllen. The other couple, Cathy and Steve, lived in Jonesboro Ark. After dinner drinks called us in the Living Room where we ran into Cathy and Steve and then we all went to the show, Tall Tales from a Short Woman, Erin McKinnie, the Assistant Cruise Director. Part musical, part comedy, it was a good show.
Wednesday Jan 3 St Lucia
Room service was on time and Greg’s omelette was much better. Our excursion met in the Star Theater at 8:15 and we were off quickly for Roseau Bamboo Rafting and Rum. The drive was about 45 min to the Roseau River where we boarded our raft which held 4 people. Jack Sparrow was our guide! We floated down to a sweet spot and tied up for a taste of grapefruit and sugar cane. Then we beached on a sand bar between the Caribbean and the river for photo ops. The rafts were tied in a straight line and we were towed slowly back to the starting point. A lazy, scenic tour. After all we’re back in the bus we stopped at the Rum Distillery. Typical tour with rum tasting afterward.
Traffic was very congested coming back. We all headed to the pool grill (us) and buffet for lunch. The clouds had formed so no sun plus they still had the cover closed on the pool. Greg and I went back to the room and I enjoyed some balcony time.
Pretty much the same routine, cocktails in the Explorers lounge and dinner in the Main Dining room. The show was Duets, with Singers and Dancers, featuring popular partnerships such as Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand with You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore and many others. Nicely done.
Thursday Jan 4 Barbados
Greg went to the buffet and I skipped breakfast. He and John left for Barbados Golf Club for a round of golf. I had made a reservation at Harbor Lights to 2 lounge chairs and an umbrella on the front row, since Greg was playing Golf Roberta joined me. Greg and I had been to Harbor Lights before and really enjoyed it. Water is beautiful and service is nice. Roberta and I had jerk chicken sandwiches and I har a drink or two. Must have a Bloody Mary and pina colado. Taxi going was $5 each with a full van and $20 back because it was just us.
Repeat drinks and dinner. Show featured the cruise director Ryan singing opera selections from Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, South Pacific and others. He has a very nice voice.
Friday, Jan 5th Dominica
Our bird watching excursion was cancelled so we got off the ship and walked a bit. The port area has not changed and is still very undeveloped. We took a tour with Bruno who gave us a 3-4 hour tour for $70 for both of us. Tour started at the highest point for a nice overlook. This is where the new gondola will start. It’s being built by an Austrian company and will be 6 miles in length, going down into the valley, back up the mountain, and over 2nd largest boiling lake in the world. Very impressive project. On the top of starting point there will be a restaurant and hotel. It will be good for Dominica’s economy. Next step was Trafalgar Falls. It was a short walk but did have a lot of steps. Greg and I were glad it had not rained. It could have been very slippery. There were two falls and very nice. Worth the climb. After the falls it was a short ride to a boiling hot spring. After a nice, windy, curvy ride we passed through the botanical gardens (more a park than a garden). We stopped to see a school bus smashed by a huge tree during a hurricane. No one was injured.
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| our guide |
Back to the port. We went to the pool grill for a late lunch.
Dinner tonight was in the Chefs Table. Service was slow again and food just okay. The show was a show unique to this cruises singers and dancers, a tribute to songwriters, Behind the Pen, with songs written by Carole King, Billy Joel, and Stevie Wonder and a couple of others. We really enjoyed the show.
Saturday Jan 6 Antigua
Room service since we had an early excursion and we were finally able to eat on the balcony.
Our excursion, Picturesque Beach break met in the Star Theater. Off quickly to our very hot van that took us to Jolly Beach. We had not been here before but another beautiful Antiguan beach. The turquoise water is mesmerizing.
We had a wooden palapa with two chairs that were spaced out nicely. The description said complimentary drink upon arriving and again with lunch but it was unlimited drinks. Didn’t go crazy but I did have a Bloody Mary and Pina Colada along with a couple of colas. The buffet was good with chicken and pork, rice and beans, slaw, corn, etc. one of the better excursion lunches. The ride back was a bit cooler because we opened all the windows in the van.
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| View from our balcony |
Dinner tonight was a BBQ on deck followed by music around the pool. Greg and I went up and put two table together around 5. Dinner was served starting at 6. We got excited when we saw people eating crab legs but after going through the buffet, no crab legs. In the World Cafe they had cold shrimp, huge mussels, scallops, crab legs and octopus. Not mentioned anywhere, you just had to go in and find it. Communication is still one of our frustrations with Viking. We enjoyed listening to John, the Guitarist, and the Viking Band.
Sunday, Jan 7th St Martin
We ate a leisurely breakfast in the MDR. Greg and I both ordered Eggs Benedict. There are only 2 ships in port so an uncrowded day. The water taxi is still $7 a person which is amazing since it’s been several years since we have been here. We walked along the beach strip. Every beach bar has someone hassling you to pay for chairs and umbrellas. We walked all the way to the end where they said padded chairs and free WiFi. The chairs were rickety and you had to go to the restaurant to get WiFi. He refused to give us our money back but we left anyway. We went back to Seaview. Chairs weren’t padded but they weren’t falling apart either, WiFi worked, and the bathrooms were spotless. We had drinks and appetizers and they were good. Nice day.
We walked back through town but many of the stores were closed because it’s Sunday. Came back to the boat around 3. The smoking area was in the shade so he went to smoke a cigar and I caught up on the blog.
Drinks were in the library because the Explorers Lounge was full. Dinner was in the main dining room with a good menu of soft shell crab, prime rib, and lobster thermidor. Dinner was quicker tonight and we made the main show, Southern Nights. We saw this show in the fall, but we enjoyed it again tonight. Hard to go wrong with country. We dropped in Tirshaven to catch the last of the guitarist’s set then off to bed.
Monday Jan 7th
Breakfast again in the dining room. We hailed a cab to Megan’s Bay. $12 per person, $7 per person to enter, $20 per person to rent a chair and umbrella, and $12 for taxi home. An expensive beach day but it is beautiful. Not very busy when we arrived but it was pretty busy as we left. We were the only ship in port so it was mostly land tourists at the beach. After getting back we grabbed a hamburger at the pool grill.
John saved seats in the Library and we gathered for pre dinner drinks then dinner in Manifredis. We had confirmed reservations before we left but not once we got onboard. They honored the reservation but wasn’t particularly pleasant about it. The meal again took close to 3 hours. Definitely the weak spot in Viking. Show started early tonight and bags needed to be out by 10 so we headed back to our rooms.
Pictures from the musical entertainment. All were very good.
Tuesday Jan 9
We had to be out of our rooms by 8 and off the ship by 9. We ordered room service for 7:30 and it came at 7:10. Order was correct and warm! We left the room and went to sit outside Winterhaven, then off the ship at 9. Taxis weren’t lined up but didn’t take too long for one to show up. We always enjoy San Juan and decided to stay for a couple of nights. Our hotel is Decanter and is in Old San Juan. We stored our suitcases and wandered. Stopped for a coke and coffee then more wandering. We ate lunch at El Parnaso, serving Mexican food. It was really good. We found a bench in the shade to wait for our room to be ready.
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| our hotel |
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| a coffee shop |
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| Barrachina Restaurant |
They were supposed to text when the room was ready but by 3 pm nada so we went back and the room was ready. It’s a huge room with two separate rooms and balcony overlooking the street. Pro’s: the room is big, bed is comfy and nice linens, has coffee pot, microwave and fridge, location perfect. Cons: getting hot water takes a long time and never super warm, coffee didn’t work on 2nd cup and none in the lobby, no longer has a restaurant and bar only open on weekends, safe didn’t work.
We decided after the big lunch that we didn’t want dinner so we walked around the corner to the grocery store and got cokes and snacks. Perfect!
Wed Jan 10 Old San Juan
Lazy morning then in search of breakfast. We found Cafe Manolin, which has been around for over 70 years serving traditional Puerto Rican food.
After breakfast we wandered down to the waterfront and back up to El Morro, passing a lot of the same places we did on the Viking Tour, just without a bunch of people in our pictures. We sat in a bench overlooking the water and the fort for a long time, enjoying a coke and water. We walked back to our room, dropped off the backpack and headed to Marilyn’s for a beer and mojito. A quiet bar a bit off the beaten path known for their mojitos. It was good, not as sweet, which I liked. The server was a bit surly but it was okay. We went around the corner to the store that had a print we are interested in.
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| What truly sets Old San Juan’s cobblestone streets apart is their distinct blue hue. The cobblestones are made of blue stone cast from the furnace slag and ballasts of Spanish ships. This combination of materials not only added to the durability of the streets but also gave rise to their iconic blue color, over time the slag turns more blue due to moisture. The blue cobblestones are thought to have been a tribute to the blue waters surrounding the island, paying homage to the ocean’s vital role in the city’s development and prosperity. |
After making a purchase we went back to the hotel to drop it off then off to Barrachina. We checked yesterday about reservations but they didn’t take them. Hostess said between 5 and 6 was the best time to come. We were shocked when they were closing up at 5. The hostess didn’t say they closed at 5 on Wednesdays. Oh well, we went across the street to La Cafe Punta. We both had Ceviche, Greg conch and me Shrimp. I had avocado with crab and Greg had skirt steak for our main course.
We walked dinner off by walking down to the port area. Carnival Celebration and RC Vision of the Seas was still in port and Viking Sea was leaving. It looked like Holland America was still at the International pier. We walked back to our hotel, taking a few pictures of the Christmas lights at night.
Thursday Jan 11th San Juan to Miami
We went down at 9:15 and our taxi was waiting an an uneventful trip to the airport. Checking in and TSA screening a breeze. There weren’t any restaurants open for breakfast but we had time to eat an early lunch before boarding the plane. Flight was on time but it took over an hour to get our luggage. Typical Miami International. The shuttle for the Holiday Inn arrived just as we walked out. Picked up the car from the hotel and on our way home.
