Day 6 At Sea / San Juan , Puerto Rico.

Last evening we attended the Theatre. The show was excellent. Dancers and acrobats entertained us with their take of world cities. I’ll leave you, dear reader, to guess what cities are referred to: 

We then adjourned for dinner. 

I wager you never attended a silent disco. For me it was a first. It’s silent as each attendee gets headphones with a choice of three types of music - Caribbean, Pop and Modern. 

 

The colour reveals your choice of music - mine was red - the Caribbean, apparently not very popular with the dancers!! 

The clocks were going forward by one hour as we sail east so we retired early.....

Having breakfasted in the Grand Cuvee, we went to the bookings office and booked a cruise in the Antarctic for February 2019!! 

Almost there !!! This afternoon, we arrive at our first port of call - San Juan, Puerto Rico’s capital city, first conquered by Juan Ponce in 1508

Spanish influence is evident in its fortifications, museums and cathedrals. It is a city of cobble stone streets lined with 16th and 17th century colonial buildings among the most notable are Fort Felipe del Moro and Fort San Cristobal and Ka Fortaleza, the oldest executive mansion in continuous use in the Americas. 

We disembarked at 15.30 hours and must return to the ship by 22.00 hrs. 

Leaving the ship with the ocean on our left, we first went to the Tourist Office to obtain a map. Having acquired same, we continued to Paseo de la Princesa - a beautiful tree lined pedestrian walkway. 

We continued through the only extant city gate , 

entered the old walled town and continued to Castillo San Felipe del Moro. The fortress overlooks the entrance to San Juan Bay - one of the largest fortifications built by the Spanish in the Caribbean. 

It was unsuccessfully attacked by the Spanish and the Dutch in the16th and 17th century respectively. 

We returned to the town to visit Cathedral de San Juan, which was in need of repair probably as a consequence of the recent hurricanes which hit the area. 

We continued to the other side of the island in temperatures that must have been in the 30s. We stopped for a drink at a picturesque local pub. 

Pouring over my map, I was approached by a friendly policeman to enquire if he could help. He directed us on our way, advising us to hurry as Castillo San Cristobal would close at 1800 hrs. 

We arrived with 15 minutes to spare having passed the impressive theatre as we walked. The Castillo site guards the eastern gate to the walled city. Covering 27 acres, it is the largest fortification built by the Spanish in the New World. 

We returned to the shopping area, lined with impressive colonial buidings 

One sported the following: 

and visited a few shops but didn’t purchase. Shopping is supposed to be better in St. Thomas, tomorrow’s destination. 

It was now dark as we returned to the ship

 

San Juan was a pleasant surprise. It was a more beautiful city than I had anticipated, the locals were very friendly and there was little evidence of the effects of the hurricanes that swept the island  late last year. 

We dined, attended a comedy show and retired   A long day awaits tomorrow in St Thomas. 

READ ST THOMAS before reading ST KITTS 

Day 5 At sea.

Last night we went to the Grand Cuvee for dinner. We had a window table to ourselves. One is only seated for dinner, breakfast and lunch is free seating. 

The menu bodes well - among the many choices for starters were scallops, muscles salmon etc and mains consisted of hake, lobster tail, Beef Wellington etc.  Desert choices were  baked Alaska (I haven’t had it for years - not since my first trip to the US in the 70s), and varieties of cakes, puddings and ice- creams. The portions were small but when one has lunch, there is no need for large portions. 

After dinner, we adjourned to the theatre for the show. It was entertaining as a foursome - two guys and two girls performed songs with orchestral sounds made by their microphones  alone!! 

After an hour, we adjourned to the pool area (Level 12) to ring in the New Year. 

It was alive with people. 

As the midnight hour approached, more guests joined in. I’d estimate the area comfortably held 2,000 people and the champagne was flowing! A lively band entertained us and counted down the New Year.

There were also other venues celebrating the birth of 2018 - probably a little more sedately! Last year, we celebrated New Year in Wellington, NZ. It was a wet, cold night with a chilly wind blowing in from the Cook Straits, which marred the celebrations somewhat - so much so that I had to check my NZ blog to jog my memory!!

I had the best sleep I’ve had in years. I suspect that the ship sung me a lullaby! 

We breakfasted in the Grand Cuvée restaurant - the main restaurant. If one books the Aqua or    Suite class, one has different restaurants. 

A great selection of juices, cereals, eggs, waffles and pastries were available. The staff are very polite and attentive - they will accommodate your every wish. I can understand then why Celebrity  Silhouette, our ship, has been awarded the world’s number one cruise ship. 

                     Celebrity Centre

A view of Celebrity Centre from Deck 15. 

We then went for a seminar on shore tours. The tours are very expensive starting at US$99 pp. As the ship docks near the cities, I think we’ll do our own thing. Apart from the cost, I’m not a fan of being herded around in a tourist bus!!! 

Shopping is big in these islands- especially precious stones. I think that when we land in St Thomas on Wednesday, I will make a purchase - what, I haven’t decided ..... We also attended a seminar  on shopping (I swore I wouldn't) but the fact that Celebrity Cruises will guarantee your purchases at a number of designated stores is tempting! 

Lunch beaconed. I know I’ve just had breakfast!! For lunch there is a choice of venues but I prefer the dining room. Again a great selection ... The Maitre D’ enquired if we’d like to join a table. We agreed and joined a family of four from NYC. He was a doctor, she a nurse, their son in IT and their daughter a speech therapy undergraduate. Their son had just returned from a visit to Ireland, stayed at the Shelbourne, ate at Guilbauds and Chapter1 and took tours around the country. His mother was most anxious to visit and we advised to visit in the Spring or the Fall (Autumn) . 

Afterwards, we adjourned to the pool deck at Level 14 and  realised why there were so few lunching in the Dining Room. Out on deck were three restaurants in addition to the Ocean Cafe nearby. 

On the deck above (Deck 15 - the highest deck) was the Lawn Tennis Club - an area of grass where lunch is served on white clothed tables. It was all so civilized - a British institution with an American twist. 

I am now sitting by the pool. The temperature is perfect with a nice warm breeze. I believe from Britain Today (one of a number of publications which keeps us in touch with the outside world) that it was only 7 in Dublin and the west has experienced Storm Dylan !! It must be at least 25 here! What a life!! 

Day 4 At sea.

Yesterday afternoon we took the 120 bus to the downtown terminal and then with a transfer ticket, boarded the 208 bus and arrived in Little Havana

Calle Ocho is 

in the centre of Little Havana, a centre for those who fled Cuba after the Revolution. (Fare $2.60pp)

The street was full of colour - men playing dominoes in the street 

restaurants reminiscent of Havana 

and many cigar stores selling what proposed to be Cuban cigars but I believe it is illegal to sell Cuban cigars in the US!!! 

We had a Cuban coffee - rich and sweet. Then we continued down Calle Ocho (8th Street) 

and boarded the 208 to return to the terminus. We waited in vain for the 120 and eventually settled for the S bus which dropped us reasonably near our hotel at Collins and 17th. 

We ate at Via Emilia, an Italian restaurant at 15th and Lennox. The food was excellent especially the pasta made in-house on a daily basis.  

We quitted Miami Beach today. We were pleased with the Hotel Flora’s location adjacent to all city attractions. Be warned however that in high season, around X-Mas and New Year, hotels here in South Beach are very expensive. Our 3 star hotel cost $300 per night. However, it’s convenient location on Collins Street with buses on nearby Washington and 13th st. - 50 metres from the hotel. Here one may board free trolley buses around the city, take a bus 120 to Aventura Mall or downtown. or to the airport no.150. All fares are $2.35 pp. 

To board Celebrity Cruises Silhouette, our home for the next week, we had to go to Everglades cruise terminal. This necessitated a bus to airport €2.25, a train to Fort Lauderdale €5 and a taxi from the train station to the cruise terminal €22. This was all done so we could experience the train journey aboard Tri rail !!!!  

On arrival our bags were taken from us and we set about checking in! It was organised chaos, passports checked numerous times, once through a security scanner, ESTA checked and finally, one hour later, we got our passes and boarded A welcome glass of Vueve Cliquot greeted us. The Queen Mary was much better organised but in fairness not all passengers embarked at Southampton, some had earlier boarded at Hamburg and others still were doing a return trip!! One elderly gentleman told me that he took multiple cruises annually, it was cheaper than a nursing home!! So there’s an idea for your old age.!! 

Finally we reached our state room. Our bags had been delivered. 

From our balcony, the port lay before us. 

It was beautifully appointed with a balcony to enjoy the evening sun. We adjourned to the Ocean View Cafe for lunch. Food from around the world was available, from Asian to Mexican to American and European. All tastes were catered for. 

After lunch we attended the mandatory fire drill and afterwards we returned to our room to rest as the ship sailed out of the harbour,  on time at 16.15 hrs  accompanied by the US Harbour Patrol with a machine gun to the ready!! 

Destination: San Juan, Puerto Rico 

It’s been a long day as we had quitted the hotel at  0930 this morning.! 

Dinner is at 20.30 and after it is a show at 22.00 and various venues are available to ring in 2018, depending on one’s taste.  And so we sail the high seas.....

Day 3

Our dinner venue last evening was a true American diner, taken apart, shipped from Pennsylvania and reassembled here in Miami Beach. Old diners don’t die, they go to Florida! 

On the recommendation of the New York Times, I ordered the Southern Fried Chicken but I was disappointed! I trust, as the Remain side of Brexit do, that it was not chlorinated chicken!!

On leaving the diner, we noticed the impressive Police and Courts facility. 

Afterwards, we took a stroll down Ocean Drive to see the Art Deco buidings in their evening dress

The Drive was awash with people enjoying the New Year week-end. 

Today we commenced the morning by taking a tour organized by the Miami Design Preservation league, an organization set up in 1979 to protect the c.1,000 historic Art Deco buidings in the one square mile beach area. 

Miami Beach reached its hey day in the 1920s and 1930s as a playground for the rich and famous. The city did not welcome Alcapone in the winter of 1928!!

When the Americans joined WW11, the city’s hotels were used as barracks to train the soldiers before they departed for Europe. 

After the war, the Beach became a centre for the Mafia in the 1950s. 

In the 1960s, 70s and 80s, the hotels in South  Beach fell into disrepair and were converted to condominiums for the poor and elderly. Today, as one observed all the rejuvenated Art Deco, Mediterranean and MiMo hotels, it is hard to reconcile that their porches were once occupied by the old, sitting in rocking chairs or the poor with their lines of washing hanging from clothes lines flung out to the nearest tree! 

In 1980 Andy Warhol, the pop artist painter visited the area and put it on the map. 

In the 1990s, it was a retreat for the gay population at the height of the HIV outbreak. They came to Miami Beach to live it up, as they expected that death was imminent! In 1992 Versace bought a mansion on Ocean Drive and the rich and famous visited here, including Elton John and Princess Diana.  

Eyes are raised when he demolished an Art Deco Hotel next door. In 1997, he was assassinated on the steps of that mansion. The mansion is now the hotel Villa Casuarina and if this is your wont, you may stay here and experience the site where not only the famous designer lived and died but where a film of the assassination was made!!

It was not until c 2,000 that the area became an attractive holiday destination. 

Our tour guide, a volunteer with the League, gave us an excellent, informative tour and took us inside the hotels to admire the Art Deco features. 

We were taken onto roof tops, where in the heddy days of the 1920s and 30s, they danced the night away. 

At the conclusion of the tour, we adjourned to a nearby restaurant for a healthy, Green breakfast - note the portion!!

We are now about to spend the afternoon in Little Havana, in Miami proper. 

More tomorrow..... or when I get internet connection again. We board the Silhouette tomorrow afternoon and set sail for the Caribbean - first port of call San Juan, Puerto Rico.