John and
Janet K. Matthews
Itinerary: Eastern Caribbean
Sailing Date: March 21, 2009
Age: Retired 70's
Occupation: Retired
Number of Cruises: 22 and counting
As always, we left a day ahead
of our cruise as I am handicapped and this makes it easier.
We flew Jet Blue to Ft. Lauderdale and stayed overnight at
Embassy Suites in Ft. Lauderdale. We like to stay at this
hotel, as it is always clean, nice beds plus nice personnel
and including an excellent full buffet breakfast. For the
first time we tried the hotel restaurant and the pizza was
delicious. We both love margarita pizza and this is a
different version compared to Texas and it was very good.
Embarkation:
Saturday, we arrived at 12:30 pm at the pier and we are now
Diamond Members so this is a new perk for us. We found an
RCI rep and he got us a wheelchair. We then got in a “Q” to
wait to be wheeled up the ramp (very steep) and into our
room. This man really earned his tip as the ramp was very
steep and John was very glad he did not have to do the
pushing! The RCI people that provide this service are
always smiling and willing to accommodate. We arrive at our
room and thanks to Care Vacations my electric scooter was
charged and waiting for us.
Cabin:
Our cabin was balcony #7320, handicapped accessible with a
large door for the scooter.
We enjoy watching the sail away and love the sound of the
ocean so we try to reserve a balcony or a junior suite
handicapped. Our travel agents, Bill and Sammie, Of Above
and Beyond, in Austin, Texas had a lovely bouquet of flowers
waiting for us. There is an electric teakettle for use in
every room with sugar, Lipton tea bags, condiments, cups and
etc., we did use it. Several passengers were commenting on
little things that were missing from their rooms due to the
cutbacks – no chocolates on their pillows at night.
We still had the cute towel animals three nights thanks to
the room steward.
John and I went to the Windjammer buffet for a light lunch
and then back to the cabin to get ready for the fire drill.
The fire drill was very organized. We went back to the
cabin to see if our luggage had arrived so we could start
getting things in order. Our luggage arrived one piece at a
time but it all got there. The cabin was a nice size and
could sleep a total of three using the couch as a bed. The
handicapped bathroom was excellent and if need be you could
bring a wheelchair into the bathroom but I can walk short
distances so this was not a problem. There are railings all
around the bathroom and a pull down seat in the shower.
This is a nice asset. We went to the Windjammer for dinner,
as we were both tired. We ordered rolls and coffee and a
wake-up call for the next morning.
We met our room steward for the first time and he was one of
the best we have ever had.
We rarely saw him but he did a super job. Room service was
busy I guess everyone was enjoying their balcony like we
were for breakfast. The coffee was good and hot and the
rolls delicious.
Dining:
Windjammer:
We went to both the Windjammer and the dining room for
breakfast but enjoy the Windjammer for the cooked to order
eggs, and etc. The Windjammer is strictly serve yourself
and the dining room you sit down and are served. We also
enjoyed Jade the Asian restaurant inside of the Windjammer.
They have absolutely delicious fried bananas with caramel
sauce and the egg rolls aren’t bad either!
Café Promenade:
This is a super little place to sit to have a great cup of
Seattle’s best coffee or tea or just water and watch people
go by. We loved the cookies and little sandwiches. We even
had lunch here one day.
Sorrento’s:
Sorrento’s is a separate pizza parlor and the pizzas are
delicious. They have a daily pizza but there is also a
selection of pizzas to choose from. I think we managed to
try them all (ha).
Portofinos:
This is a wonderful experience and the food is excellent.
It is only $20.00 per person extra but for a special
occasion this is a real treat and the service is excellent.
I was able to park my electric scooter by the door (along
with several others) so it made for a short walk to the
table. We had a table by a window so we could watch the
sunset. For the first time we ordered both Portofino’s and
Chops over the Internet before our cruise.
Chops:
This is definitely the place to go for steak. A waitress
gives you a description of the meat and you make your
choice. The Shrimp cocktail was outstanding. The shrimp
were huge! You are definitely pampered at Chops. The rest
of the meal, side dishes, were served family style. After
you are completely stuffed they offer you dessert. The mud
pie was yummy a do not miss. For $25.00 a person this is a
great buy and well worth every penny. There is a little
parking area for the electric scooters and wheelchairs. You
are also able to bring your scooter into the restaurant.
Room Service:
Since this was an anniversary cruise, our 51st, we arranged
to have the Romance Package. You have several things
(goodies and such) delivered to your cabin it is a nice
touch we enjoy. The breakfast was great it is delivered on
a HUGE tray and is very nicely done and special. We always
tip room service.
Main Dining Room:
This is a beautiful dining area. We were treated to a
lovely welcome special breakfast (perk for being a Diamond
Member) and had the pleasure of being seated with personnel
from RCI. We also had several lunches and really enjoyed
the salad experience in the dining room. There is beautiful
interesting art all over the ship and we found it easy to
maneuver.
Entertainment:
The skating show is a definite do not miss with lots of
energy and fun. It’s amazing to me how the skaters manage
to do so well on such a small rink. The name of the show
was “Freeze Frame” and the emphasis was on the 60’s, 70’s
and 80’s. There is a special area for scooters and
wheelchairs in Studio B where the ice show is held. There
were many over 70’s at the show and we enjoyed all the shows
and went to several. You can sit in your scooter or
wheelchair or sit in a chair in the theater. There is
parking space for the scooters. We enjoyed a show in the
main lounge that was a tribute to the Temptations and the
entertainers were available for pictures after the show. We
remembered quite a few of the songs – nice memories!
The adult solarium was nice and people were courteous and
John tried the fancy over the side whirlpool and pool.
Lounge chairs were available. We enjoyed “Sprinkles” the
low fat yogurt by the pool as well.
Ports:
San Juan:
We docked downtown in San Juan. I was able to take my
electric scooter right off the ship along with several other
people. You can take the scooter off or have someone do it
for you. RCI is there to help. We found San Juan to be
handicapped friendly and never had a problem. John likes
his souvenirs from Hard Rock so we went there and I did wait
outside for him while he made his choices. It looked like
rain so we headed back to Independence. By the way, there
is a Starbucks coffee shop if you are a Starbucks fan.
St. Thomas:
We docked at Havensight Mall and four ships were in port
with us so it made for a crowded, hot sunny day. There were
a lot of International travelers on board and they were
buying due to the exchange rate and it was spring break as
well. I personally like Havensight Mall it is very
wheelchair and scooter friendly and lots of shops to pick
and choose from. If you wanted to go downtown you could
just find a cab and there are cabs that cater to
wheelchairs. We have been here several times and do not do
any of the tours.
St. Martin:
There were five ships in port. St. Martin is easy to
navigate from the pier to shops or you can take a water taxi
to the other side but it’s difficult to maneuver a
wheelchair on the sidewalks and streets so we usually stay
close to the shops by the pier. John shops at Boolchands
for his camera equipment and several people were there as
well. He also treats himself to a hand rolled cigar while
we are there. There are several jewelry shops and such by
the pier and a band is playing nearby as well. It is very
clean and we felt safe. Always remember to carry your Sea
Pass and identification.
Labadee, Haiti:
John took pictures and rode the boat tender that takes you
to and from the ship to the island. I planned to stay on
board as did several other passengers. None of the shops
are opened but you can have coffee and such at the Café
Promenade and pizza at Sorrento’s. I understand they are in
the process of improving RCI’s private island. I did not
find it wheelchair friendly.
It is time to go back home. The main complaint I would have
is the wheelchair assist off the ship was extremely poorly
run. Whoever complained the loudest was taken care of no
order whatsoever. RCI does provide wheelchairs if needed.
People waited two hours to be helped off. At one point
Immigration stopped everything. People were waiting in line
in the hot sun. Finally, things got moving again. The
person from RCI waited with us till we got a cab to the
airport. He said he had never seen it like this before.
There were seven ships in port that day. Even the cab
drivers said things were a mess.
Would we go on this cruise again – yes! We enjoy the
cruising experience and we are booked on Serenade of the
Seas in May for Alaska. We are looking forward to it.
