We flew from Washington Dulles on AA directly to San Juan the day before. From the time we pulled up to the gate it took 25 minutes to pick-up our luggage and be in a taxi heading to our hotel. I liked the added feature that AA had staff checking everyone to ensure they had the right luggage. We stayed one night at the Caribe Hilton. It was a little expensive but worth it.ggage at 11:05. They opened the doors at 11:30 to process passengers. Since the disembarkation of passengers was a bit slow we weren't allowed on the ship until 12:25. There was some sort of problem with immigration clearing the ship for boarding. We were sitting by the pool soaking up the sun by 1:00 pm. Day 2 was spent at sea. That evening was the first formal evening. The majority of people were dressed for the occasion. The filet of beef was the best beef we have ever had on a cruise ship. We like our beef rare and our waiter made sure that we got what we asked for.

Curacao was next. We wondered around the town for a bit stopping for an Amstel Bright. It is brewed on the island and not exported very far. If you like beer try one. The afternoon was spent on the pool deck. For dinner the tiger prawns were good. Our table mates had the lamb shank and said that was very good.

Aruba was next on the itinerary. We took a taxi to Eagle Beech for $14 plus tip for two. Beautiful beach not far from the ship. Beach chairs were available for $15 for two. Several of my fellow cruisers were quite upset the beach chairs were not free. I really can't understand why they thought they would be. There were limited places to get a drink so bring water with you. The next day was a sea day. Laid by the pool for most of the day. That night was the second formal evening. The rack of lamb was fantastic. Read more