Hi, everybody. I'll be logging on more frequently now that we are getting close to the trip. I'm also starting to make plans for things to do while we're ashore.
As I think I've written here before, I am not a big believer in cruise line arranged excursions. It is our experience that privately arranged trips can be more spontaneous, more fun, and much less expensive.
We've decided that, while in St. Thomas, we are going to charter a catamaran to St. Johns, do some snorkeling, some beach time, and return in time to do some shopping. There are 8 in our group, and I am sure that we'll be able to include quite a few others.
Who else would like to come? Please PM me if you are interested so that I have an idea how big a boat to charter, and then I will contact you in the next few weeks to let you know how the approximate cost.
While in SJ, we have booked a private tour with a guide who has his own van. We'll be doing a walking tour, El Yanque, and if time allows, the Bacardi factory. Unfortunately, I do not believe that we are going to have room for anyone else on that trip, but if anyone else is interested in arranging something similar, I did get the name of someone who can arrange something quite similar. He is Javier Lomba. He has a 12 passenger van w/ AC. His father-in-law has a 22 passenger a/c van. I read that he charges $20/pp - - you can see how much money can be saved contracting directly with smaller vendors. His e-mail address is
jjesjav@aol.com I cannot vouch for him, as I never used him or spoke w/ anyone who has. I got his contact info from the
www.cruisecritic.com site.
For those considering the DVC charter to El Yanque, I would suggest that you reconsider. Linda and I took a Celebrity cruise last March that started and ended in San Juan. We had quite a bit of time after disembarking before our flight out, so we broke tradition and took the cruise line excrusion to El Yanque, because it ended at the airport. What a mistake! We were in a very large motor coach (there were actually several coaches for this excursion). DVC probably uses the same vendor. The guide droned on and on non-stop for the entire hour ride out there about Puerto Rico having the largest K-Mart in the world and similar trivia. When we finally got there, we were given only very limited time to explore this beautiful park. There were many interesting places we would have liked to have stopped, but it just wasn't an option. I would highly suggest that you arrange something on your own, or even hire a cab if you can't set something up in advance. Just be sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the ship, because the only advantage to taking a ship-arranged excrusion is that, if something goes wrong, they won't leave without you.
Looking forward to chatting more w/ you in the next 6 weeks and meeting all of you in August.
Dan
Lucky you - that bag is completely sold out now (and it's cute too!) 
I have the nametags covered. I'm finishing up the logo and will print them out this week. 
