The Seas are full of WONDER and waves! Our first Disney Cruise - 7-night Eastern Caribbean; Feb 2018

Part 25) Morning of Day 5, Arriving at San Juan

Following the prior wonderful evening and entire birthday, Day 5 dawned on us as we were arriving at our second port of call, San Juan, Puerto Rico!

Like the other days I went up to the top deck to get some coffee and to watch as we pulled into port. I decided to splurge on one of the fancy coffees from the Cove Cafe (I think it was a mocha this morning)
Kcv3TVX.jpg


We had docked rather early that morning so I only got to see the very last bit of docking and then just took in the view of the city and the moutains in the background. In the background of the below pictures you can see the Castillo San Cristóbal which we would be visiting later
6RyePjW.jpg
kdJXZnJ.jpg


As I was wondering around, even though it was pretty empty, they still had the Funnel Vision on, playing short clips and having Disney trivia on it. Also noticed the ship docked next to us, the Freedom of the Seas, had a rock wall on the top deck that looked pretty cool!
gyaW2Fb.jpg
RP8Dwhy.jpg



When I got back to the room I found Emma was still asleep, though Olivia was up and reading in her bunk (Peter had slept across the hall in my mom's room)
irV3Sor.jpg
BuhT7x7.jpg


We decided to do room service this morning just to save time and do less (what felt like) rushing around to get ready and then up to the buffet and then back to our meeting point for our excursion, etc.). Looks like the kids went for Fruit Loops this morning (I think they were excited as we don't normally get that at home)!
ng7mETu.jpg
 
Part 26) San Juan - Part 1

For San Juan we had booked a similar excursion as on St. Maarten - this one was called the New and Old Jan Juan City tour. Judi and I had been to San Juan once before and loved Old San Juan so we wanted something that included time there. This tour also included admission to the San Cristobal Fort which we thought the kids would like.

After going to our meeting place we were off the boat and through the port area. This sign caught my eye about the dangers of bird smuggling
8qq3qWN.jpg


It was a long line of people to get to the different buses, etc. but it was all well organized ...
eMELbXF.jpg


... and soon we were on our bus. I was next to Peter who very much wanted a window seat
uJchaAW.jpg


Our guide was super energetic and that definitely helped keep interest as there were some rather long stretches on the bus
5jgIJtc.jpg


The first part on the bus wasn't too long (maybe 15mins or so) and we got to our first stop which was in front of the capital building and near a lot of statues and other art pieces

GZrbyto.jpg
UHzgxa6.jpg

XU72yju.jpg


At this location was also Paseo de los Presidentes - which is a stretch where they have life sized bronze statues of the US presidents that have visited Puerto Rico. There are 9 statues (the first president to visit was Teddy Roosevelt) and then every president since then (Trump has recently visited but they haven't put up his statue yet).

We took a picture next to Teddy Roosevelt, and then Emma wanted one with her at FDR
w9OWnXh.jpg
FqxV3OJ.jpg

lOTacOS.jpg


We then got distracted by colorful and noisy birds in a tree ... Hey, we were coming from the cold in the North East so this was an unusual site for us! Actually around this time we got alerts to our phones that there was weather advisories up by where we lived and that schools were closed, etc. ... nice to not have to worry about that!
1jqj7ng.jpg

ffgKhlb.jpg


We then got back on the bus for a much longer stretch of time as we went over quite a bit of the Island to see different parts of it - and also got updates on how things were following the storms. San Juan was in much better shape than St. Maarten, but still not fully back - we saw some street lights out, etc. Even more recently there have been reports of power grids going out, so definitely still feeling the effects!

We passed a few stadiums where they have different events, including hosting some of the Baseball World Classic games
J2SPBOr.jpg


I also liked this - as it didn't say Burger King on the building, just "Casa del Whopper"
x2FGLGD.jpg


We then went by the beach area where they had a lot of parks in front of the water - seemed like a nice area, though our guide said it was still considered the "cool" season so not much activity actually in the water
TNHxbIg.jpg


Judi and I both love art deco style architecture (one reason we picked the location we did for our wedding reception) so I loved the look of this classic hotel - the Miami
JJmSS4G.jpg
 
Part 27) San Juan - Part 2

After driving for a while (it did feel a bit long and the kids were getting antsy) we arrived at the San Cristobal Fort. We noticed on top of the wall was an iguana (so can see it a bit in the first picture and then I zoomed in a bit)
7gUHFOM.jpg
KLpeL7s.jpg


Before we did the more formal tour part we had a few minutes to enjoy this open grass area inside the main walls that overlooked the water a bit - and attempted to get some family pictures
6MmWOdo.jpg
QJ0N0i5.jpg


We then went through the fort and one thing that was nice was our tourguide from the bus was our guide here too and he kept the energy level up and did a good job describing what life was like for the people in the fort and why it was built the way it was and just the strategic importance of the island

We did get to a point that overlooked the dock and we could see the Disney Wonder - so the kids were more up for posing for pictures here.
UQpXSEy.jpg
hJVoqDo.jpg


We then had some free time to explore and I tried to take some fun/interesting photos
WfrSLMR.jpg
9Wig3u9.jpg

D4LGBWT.jpg


After this we had some time to explore an area near the fort that had some local vendors/artists and also stop for some food. We found this place called Mavi that had coffee and empanadas. It was small so we got it all to go and ate in the park area where the vendors were set up. The empanadas were really good!
fADVIBz.jpg
N4Lynq5.jpg


We checked out the art - one thing we like to do when we travel is pick up some art from local street vendors and the like ... nothing crazy expensive, but something unique from the area. So we did buy a few of the painted wooden tiles from one stand and then from another the woman and her son collect feathers from the rain forest and then paint the feathers, which we thought was rather cool
e1bzgtW.jpg
Kea5pMa.jpg


ctSTuSb.jpg



Then it was time to head back. We had a little time to rest and relax, but then we had to get ready for Pirate Night!!!!

TTFN!
 




Loved seeing all of the pictures from San Juan. Nice idea to buy something unique from the location as a souvenir. Looking forward to hearing about Pirate Night!
 
Loved seeing your pictures from San Juan! The fort and statues of the US Presidents looked awesome! As I’m a big MLB and Yankee fan passing by the World Baseball Classic stadiums looked pretty neat! I’m also glad you were able to pick up some cool souvenirs!
 
Looks like a fun visit for the kids!

That artwork is so gorgeous. Very nice idea for a souvenir!

Looking forward to pirate night!
 
Your time in San Juan sounds really nice! I love the souvenirs you ended up coming away with, very lovely!

Thanks - we did enjoy our time in San Juan - the one stretch on the bus was a bit long and the kids napped a bit, but the stops were really nice and the fort was fun (though probably could have done that and the shopping without doing a tour, but still fun)

We are really happy with the pieces we got and definitely remind us of the trip!


The feather painting is awesome!

I know! We thought it was so cool and just neat to talk to the woman who does them and her son was there working on some others and stuff - we love that sort of thing: something unique and attractive and reminds us of the trip - and supporting the local economy isn't a bad thing either!


I really like the feather painting it is very pretty.

They had a bunch that were really pretty, of different sizes - we are definitely happy with the one we got!


Love your day in San Juan. It's on my list to see some day.

We really enjoyed the day - we have liked the island both times we have been there. Definitely something worth seeing (of the two non-Disney islands we went to, definitely recommend San Juan)
 
Loved seeing all of the pictures from San Juan. Nice idea to buy something unique from the location as a souvenir. Looking forward to hearing about Pirate Night!

Thanks - we definitely enjoyed San Juan. We aren't always able to but we find usually you can find some sort of local artist that produces something a bit unique and will remind us of the location/trip and doesn't cost a fortune. It's turned into a bit of a tradition for us which is nice!

Pirate night coming up - either later today or tomorrow hopefully!


Loved seeing your pictures from San Juan! The fort and statues of the US Presidents looked awesome! As I’m a big MLB and Yankee fan passing by the World Baseball Classic stadiums looked pretty neat! I’m also glad you were able to pick up some cool souvenirs!

I hadn't seen (or really knew about) the president statues so I thought those were pretty cool! The fort was a lot of fun and something a bit different to do.

Seeing the stadiums and just different parts of the island and how it has developed and also how it is recovering was very interesting (I think the kids got a bit bored though).

Thanks - we were glad to find the art work we did!


Looks like a fun visit for the kids!

That artwork is so gorgeous. Very nice idea for a souvenir!

Looking forward to pirate night!

Overall they liked San Juan better than St. Maarten - there was one stretch on the bus that was pretty long and they fell asleep at times. But they liked the Fort, for sure!

We really liked the art we found - there were quite a few artists at this location - some woodworking and the like. Happy with our finds!

Pirate night is coming up soon - hopefully later today or tomorrow!


Your San Juan excursion sounds lovely!

Thanks! We definitely enjoyed San Juan and think we made the most of it
 
Part 28) Pool Time!

After returning to the ship following our excursion, we did have a little time and the kids wanted to go in the pool - though Judi wanted to rest for a bit. The rest of us changed into our swimsuits and headed to the area by the kids pool which is the part by the big slide.

vMNaGDn.jpg


Much of my time was trying to keep track of Emma as she would get in the pool, then get out and go to the various showers, and then get back in the pool, and then repeat
rKfBNP5.jpg
5og4yVi.jpg


We also took the time to get some of the free ice cream!
KSXr3Ez.jpg


And I enjoyed a couple of drinks - including a margarita as it was actually national margarita day that day
kCSsX54.jpg
ZuL63JV.jpg
 
Part 29) Hello, It's Smee You're Looking For

Before too long though we went to shower and change into our Pirate Night Outfits. W ehad actually gotten most of the kids costumes at Walmart the week after Halloween when they had all the costumes 75% off. I had a pirate Hawaiian type shirt over a t-shirt with R2-D2 dressed as a Pirate that said "Arrrrr2-D2" and Judi had a shirt with Smee on it that said "Hello, It's Smee You're Looking For"

One of the meet and greets I wanted to get in was Captain Hook and he was meeting with Smee that afternoon so we headed down a bit early to make sure we go in for that one. We actually made it to the Atrium in time for the meet before that one which was Pirate Goofy, so we got inline to meet him. When it was our turn, Goofy had fun not quite giving Emma high fives
X7uTEyR.jpg


CwhJUV0.gif


I think Judi was running a bit late so she wasn't there for the family picture with Goofy
hSt0cvC.jpg


Then we got back in line for the Hook and Smee meet ... but first some porthole poses
Fp55i1p.jpg


Then Hook and Smee came out and Goofy got scared of them and hid behind the piano ... but Mr. Smee tried to convince him that the meant him no harm:
8taj3wi.jpg
ls6K0Ab.jpg


Then was had a fun meet with Hook and Smee. At the end of the below gif you can see Hook trying to point out to Smee that Judi has a picture of him on her shirt - which Smee was super happy about!
793rBPA.gif


Then the family picture
w3owpAf.jpg



They also had some pirate themed backgrounds set up with the photopass photographers so we got in line for some of those ... but first some porthole poses
OuIYvxQ.jpg


They were doing as many pictures as everyone wanted, so we thought we would do some of the kids individually first. Peter wanted nothing to do with it but we did get Olivia ...
DcujkxA.jpg
5cbnx3l.jpg


.... and then Emma being a total ham
iTXxQ8W.jpg
nERc1t8.jpg
6xNPlbe.jpg
KHUnjpx.jpg


We did convinced Peter to be in the family photo - first a nice one, and then a silly one (though with our family it is sometimes hard to tell the difference)
xfaNiGj.jpg
Qg0pksO.jpg
 
Part 30) Pirate Night Dinner

and then it was time for dinner! On the 7 night cruise your pirate night dinner is in the restaurant you are assigned to 3 times, so you get each restaurant twice for normal nights. For us, we were in Animators Palate - which I think is a good location as they use all the screens to display pirate images. I liked how a lot of it seemed more like concept art vs just stills from the final movies or anything.

Nw1Omkj.jpg
ADkwZ63.jpg
mF9t8Jj.jpg


Menu:
QhPPvYD.jpg


You can see Peter here with his tomato soup that our servers had started bringing every night for Peter even if it wasn't on the menu
6raxuad.jpg


My appetizers (I couldn't decide) - vegetable samosa and crab cake. The crab cake was good but the samosa was the winner!
NcmCR0C.jpg


I think this is Olivia's - it was the chicken skewer (I think the others just got mac n cheese or something we've had before)
guNgB9X.jpg


I also got the chilled mango soup - which was ok, but nothing spectacular - nice to have something different though
8kRP8n0.jpg


For my entree I got the jerk chicken. Our server warned me that it was spicy ... and it actually was! Nothing super spicy or anything but a lot of times with Disney when they say spicy I get like no spice, this actually had some. AND it was one of the best things I had all week. So if you like a bit of spice I highly recommend it!
R1Y0rFU.jpg


I did also want to share that the kids menus this meal could be turned into pirate hats!
4Nf60IF.jpg
dNAMLSu.jpg
 
Part 31) Dessert and Black Panther, Finally!

Then it was time for dessert:
5cWXXmo.jpg


Judi got the cheesecake tart and enjoyed it!
6O1p7LM.jpg


My mom got the Bananas in Paradise and found it quite good:
ieCafM6.jpg


and I got the Pirate's Treasure Sundae ... it's funny that I normally would ignore the sundaes but they turned out to be some of my favorite desserts and this was no exception.
KUuRJwF.jpg


Since I had eaten dinner in Palo the night before (which was my actual birthday) they brought out my birthday dessert and sang to me this night
sGmjmUF.jpg



I have to say that I had read in some other trip reports that the menu for Pirate Night wasn't that special and people (repeat cruisers) often now skip it and do Palo that night, etc, but I really enjoyed it and thought it was one of the better meals from top to bottom!


When we got back to the room we had our largest towel animal yet - that actually used the bed spread and included some chocolate doubloons!
nQdeZDK.jpg



So they had made an announcement earlier in the day that due to the weather (the wind specifically) they were cancelling the fireworks. They were still going to do some of the other pirate night stuff but given the bad weather the idea of being up on deck didn't really appeal to anyone, so the kids went to the kids club. This night was also when they were first having a showing of Black Panther which had just opened in theaters that previous weekend and Judi and I really wanted to see it so we decided to do that.

We decided to have the champagne I had surprised Judi with and used our the travel mugs that Dreams Unlimited had given us as part of our gift bag to take it with us to the theater
OMZMuS0.jpg



They were showing this first showing of Black Panther in the Walt Disney theater rather than movie theater and it was pretty full. It was a ton of fun to get to see this for the first time, on a Cruise Ship, in a full theater with a ton of other Disney fans. The crowd was really into it and made for an even better viewing experience. I really like the movie and am super glad we decided to do this

That was it for that night as Day 5 comes to a close. Coming up next, our last scheduled Sea Day!

TTFN!
 
Pirate night looks like a ton of fun! Sucks the fireworks were cancelled but it still looks like you had a great time despite that.

Seeing a Disney or Marvel movie on the ship for the first time would be an awesome experience.
 
Great update! Looks like you all had a fun time at the pool and also with the pirate meet and greets. Your kids are adorable and I love how you were all dressed up for pirate night. Sorry you didn't get the fireworks (I like them but they are small compared to the ones at WDW). And what a fun way to see the Black Panther!
 

She has so much personality! So much fun.

Looks like you guys had a great pirate night even though there were no fireworks. We just watched Black Panther over the weekend and it was really good. I've only seen a few of the Marvel films so I don't have much to compare it to.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!







Top