Sunshine-n-Wine

We saw this cruise early and were intrigued by the really unique itinerary so we booked at a great price of $1000 for both of us including taxes and port fees for our inside room.  What was different for us about this particular sailing was the repositioning aspect of it - San Juan to Miami.  We flew into San Juan from Orlando on Southwest and rented a car from Miami back up to Orlando. Like the San Fran and Napa trip of 2012, I was in a boot for another stress fracture.  This put a pretty big damper on some of our plans.  I had really wanted to hike the rain forest in Puerto Rico, but that didn't happen this trip.  Guess we'll need to make another trip back when I'm not hobbling around:) Hotel in San Juan (2 days pre-cruise) The Renaissance La Concha in Condado.  We used the hubs' Marriott points and stayed two nights for a total of 60,000 points.  Very nice resort, good location, a couple of pools, and right on the beach.  Across from the h...

Booked this last minute as an Inside Guarantee, which was a first for us.  Usually we like to pick our inside room, but the price was significantly higher to do that.  Total cruise cost for both of us together was $807 for 8 days.  Not too shabby! Parking Park N Go (Ft. Lauderdale) - Reserved ahead of time at $6.99 per day, payable when leaving the lot. Free shuttle.  Service was fast and convenient.  Only thing that caught us off guard was having to leave the key with the attendant.  We also learned on the way out that there is a pre-pay option.  Would definitely do that next time. Room The inside guarantee paid off for us.  We ended up in 7441, the same location we would have booked ourselves.  To us, inside is great because we'd rather spend our money ashore.  Our ninja-like cabin steward was very attentive and friendly, and the AC worked just fine.  Since Lido is on 9 and the Promenade on 5, deck 7 was perfect. Ship Th...

Just home from a quick 3-day spin around Napa and Sonoma. If you can, download the Winery Finder app on your smartphone.  There are some interesting deals out there for a lot of different wineries (2:1's, upgraded tastings, extra pours, etc.).  Please note that, unlike a couple years ago, these deals require a public check-in and photo on either Twitter or Facebook.  I was not happy with this change since we never post about a vacation until we are safely home.  In the two instances we used the app, I deleted the post on Facebook soon after. We had to stay in two different hotels due to SpringHill being booked up for the NASCAR events Friday night.   Hotel SpringHill Suites Napa Valley  - There are probably some that will argue that this hotel is too far south to be convenient to wine country; however, we really enjoyed the hotel itself as well as the location. It is easy to get to either Sonoma or Napa, and it's closer to the airports (we flew out of...

I was very interested to see how this cruise line compares to Carnival.  I knew that we could carry on as much alcohol as we wanted, so for the first cruise yet, the rum rummers remained neatly tucked into the "cruise box."  I had also heard that the food is amazing, and that the private island is beautiful.  I love Coco Cay (RC's island) and Half Moon Cay (Carnival's island), so I was really looking forward to experiencing Castaway Cay. I couldn't help compare this ship to Royal and Carnival's 3-day cruise ships so I'm breaking my usual format to throw in some comparison tidbits. Parking We parked at the garage at port, which is different for us.  There were a couple of check points before even getting to the luggage and passenger drop-off point.  Drop off was easy, but it did take a while to get parked and walk back to the terminal.  The walk back to the car after the cruise was pretty nice though.  No shuttling back to the parking lot. We split...

This was a great Spring Break cruise out of Port Canaveral.  For the third time we used Park Port Canaveral at the Radisson.  As usual, it was much cheaper than parking at the port with great customer service and a quick shuttle.  $68 for a 7 night cruise. We booked Early Saver through Carnival directly last May, and we had 4 different price drops including an upgraded room before final payment.  If possible, we always book Early Saver.  For this trip, the hubs and I went with my coworker who stayed with us in our room.  She slept in a pullman bed, which was a bit of a climb up the ladder every night but tolerable.  The room did feel a little tight with three people, but the fare was much cheaper this way. The Ship On our 7 night cruise, there were two formal nights in the main dining room.  We selected Any Time Dining but never really had to wait for a table.  We were able to request the same waiter 6 out of 7 nights; one night it was...

The Tini Martini lit up for the holidays. We needed one more night in a Marriott brand from hubby to keep his Platinum status for the year, so we decided to take an overnight trip to St. Aug, a place we've been a couple of times already. Lodging Fairfield Inn - We usually stay outside the city, and this hotel is a good option.  Clean rooms, newer hotel, and continental breakfast to prep for a day of walking around.  It's a good affordable option. Restaurants The Back 40 Urban Cafe - I found this little gem on Trip Advisor a couple hours before leaving for St. Aug.   You will need a car to get here since it's a little outside of the old city downtown.  They have a happy hour hour each day from 3-6, and it's a hot spot for locals.  While we were eating, a couple about our age came in and ordered.  We asked them if they had been there before, and she said that they are there a couple times a month.  Hubby had the wet burrito, and I had the ta...

The River Street Inn - a nice example of the riverfront architecture. Hotel Fairfield Inn Savannah Midtown - We stayed in this hotel one night and decided to book another hotel for Saturday night.  It was a little bit rundown and not very convenient to get to the historic part of downtown  The price savings did not make it worth staying for a second night. Savannah Residence Inn Downtown/Historic District - Switching to this hotel was a much better option for us. 1) It was more convenient and within walking distance of many more things.  It is right next door to one of the Visitor Centers. 2) The fare-free DOT public transportation passes right by. 3) If you can find parking on the street (we got lucky with a spot in front), there is no need to pay for the valet parking. 4) The hotel is in much better shape with more amentities than the Fairfield.  I wish it hadn't been pouring outside Saturday night because I really wanted to relax with a glass of wine by t...