This was my 3rd cruise and I sailed with extended family ages 11 - 47. We took a direct flight into San Juan on the day of the cruise, arriving at about 11:30 am. We then took a taxi to the pier $30.50 for 7 people and 8 bags - not counting carry ons (fares are based on both number of people and bags). The taxi service is well managed and hassle free at the airport. The ride was about 15 minutes and when we arrived at the terminal we were handed off to a porter who took us all the way into the building, bypassing a line of people. When we asked he just said "no wait, follow me". The taxi fares are based on number of people and number of bags, and we paid just over $30 for 7 people and 8 bags. There is a small liquor store selling alcohol on the lower level, but this is not the place to get your "cruise" liquor...that is on the 2nd floor. After checking in, the liquor store (and lots of samples) are available prior to boarding the ship. We put our purchases inside a carry on and had no hassles, but did see a few "confiscated" items later on. All in all, it took us about 1 hour from the time we left the airport to the time we were onboard the ship. After having lunch, we were able to get into our room at 2:00 pm, and then we attempted to leave the ship to visit OSJ. However, there was a computer glitch that prohibited departures or arrivals to the ship for about 20 minutes. Afterwards we headed to El Morro. Traffic was atrocious so we walked...much faster and better views! We ended up visiting El Morro (just the outside as we got there about 35 minutes before they closed), the Coach store, La Bombonera for some mallorcas (hey, Rachael Ray visited on one of her "$40 A Day" jaunts) and Walgreens where we purchased several 2 litre bottles of soda for the trip.

We took no ship sponsored excursions, but here's a breakdown of our daily trips: St Thomas - Took the open air taxi to Red Hook/Sapphire Marina to board New Horizons Day Sail. The pier area is quite large, and the walk to get a taxi is 5-10 minutes....better off taking the free "Havensight Shopping Shuttle" that runs directly from the pier to the taxi stand. Be aware that the taxi drivers will try to fill their spacious vehicles before departing...we were lucky as our driver left with only the 7 of us onboard (much to the chagrin of the taxi head honcho's who didn't seem very happy about his decision). It took about 25 minutes and cost $10 pp each direction. The day sail was nice, although the boat was filled practically to bursting. The deckhands were fantastic, however, keeping us happy with both food and drink. They called a taxi for us and had us back onboard with about 50 minutes to spare---taxis run all the way back to the pier and avoid the shopping area. Dominica - We had pre-booked a private tour of Titou Gorge and Middleham and Trafalgar Falls with Levi Baron of Bumpiing Tours. It was a madhouse trying to debark as it took us awhile to clear customs, and apparently everyone had tour reservations for the same time. Be advised that the pier area is quite hectic and it is easy to be overwhelmed by people offering tours, etc. However, we found Levi and were quickly out of the city. The tour was absolutely amazing and I could write a huge review just about our day with Levi. The best part was that we were always at each location alone...a huge group from Carnival showed up at our first stop (Middleham) as we were leaving and I was so happy that we had the waterfall all to ourselves. Levi had us back on the shop with 20 minutes to spare. First Elegant night. Barbados - We planned this as one of two beach days and headed to The Boatyard. We utilized the taxi drivers outside the gate on advice that they were more "human", but the driver still attempted to take us to a beach further away which we declined. The trip took about 10 minutes, and cost $5 pp. The outside of the Boatyard was rather unprepossessing, but once inside, was fantastic. Price was $15 pp and included a drink, a lounge and use of the water trampoline, the iceberg and the very popular rope swing...and a free trip back to the pier. Drinks were not inexpensive (beers $4 each, mixed drinks $6 and up), but there were several times during the day when you could win free drinks...and a 2:00 pm "free shot" session that had the bartender standing on top of the bar pouring shots down your throat. The music was loud at the bar, but carried out nicely to the beach area. Also, although these drinking games were available, I didn't see anyone drunk or acting stupid, so my 11 year old enjoyed it as much as the over 21 crowd. We also had flying fish sandwiches which were very good. We made it back in time to do a bit of shopping at the pier before heading back onboard. This was the night of the Repeaters cocktail party, with free drinks and hors d'oeuvres. St Lucia - Got up at 5:30 to watch the ship glide past the Pitons...forget to acclimatize the camera to the humidity so I really didn't get the pictures I was hoping to get of this majestic sight. We went diving with Dive Fair Helen and were put off by their disorganization. The diving, however, was incredible...we dove a reef and a wreck, seeing lots of sealife (turtles, eels, etc.) and beautifully, Disney-esque corals in yellows and purples. There is a large shopping area at this port, and several shops selling 2 for $3 local beer which my husband found very tasty (and the cheapest beers of the trip!). Antigua - This day was the final day to have the "Luggage Express" information in to the Purser's desk so we, along with everyone else who had procrastinated, were there early on. The cost is $15 per PERSON, up to 2 bags each. We managed to save $30 by consolidating bags to 2 pp. The Purser will need to see your flight information, photo ID and each person (over 18) who is taking the luggage express option. After taking care of this, we headed out for our Xtreme Circumnav with Eli who picked us up at a dock about 2 minutes from the pier. We visited Stingray City (where the stingrays now have an "out" on one side so are no longer penned in), where we did some snorkeling (and saw a HUGE lobster!), Hell's Gate, the Pillars of Hercules (nice snorkeling with a view of a 200+ year old anchor), Nelson's Dockyard and a private island where we had a great lunch. The tour was nice but it would have been perfect if we could have heard what the guides were saying over the roar of the engines. Our last Elegant night. St Kitts - Our last beach day. We asked at the Tourism desk at the pier about which beach to go to and Cockleshell was suggested. We paid $13 RT pp for the 25 minute ride. Our driver stopped at a location that gave us a great view of Frigate Bay and also of the narrow isthmus of St Kitts separating the Atlantic from the Caribbean. We asked the driver to return for us, which he did. The beach, which included the Reggae Beach Bar, cost $5 for loungers, and $5 for umbrellas. There was excellent snorkeling right off the beach, and plentiful starfish and other sealife. A couple fishermen pulled up in their boat with their day's catch....LOBSTER!....and I enjoyed a huge, freshly grilled lobster, rice, beans and plantains for $32 US. Debarkation - A mess. We had received our Luggage Express information and boarding passes the night before and had to have our bags outside our room by midnight (required of all who were not self debarking). We were told to be in a specific location by 9:30 am, but, apparently due to repeated closures by Customs) were not called until 10:30 and then did not make it through Customs until 11:15 am. We then had to claim our bags, walk through the building and out to the entrance to drop them off with the Luggage Express people. We had prebooked a rental car with Charlie's, and headed to El Yunque for some (more) rainforest hiking and then a quick dinner at Luquillo Beach, about 10 minutes away. Charlie's Rental Company allows you to drop off your rental at their airport location which is about 10 minutes away from the actual airport. Bottom Line. We loved the spacious bathrooms (which included not only a clotheline, but actual hanging bars in the shower), our table at the very back of the Universe Dining Room that gave us fantastic views of the ports we were leaving and the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff. Yes, there were a few areas that needed updating, and we missed our in-room fridge and being able to view our Sign and Sail charges and the nights dinner menu on our TV. It also was a bit hectic trying to fit a full day of fun in each port with preparing for Elegant nights, repeater parties, etc. We did not encounter more than a few rude people (which happens no matter where you go) and no unruly children. Because this is a port-intensive cruise, we didn't see as much of the ship as we could have because we were pretty tired out after each day of fun. We plan on cruising this itinerary again in the future so we can see what we missed on this cruise.