Picture It with Priscila

Southern Caribbean Ports – Should I Book an Excursion?

The best part of a cruise, besides the unlimited food, only having to unpack/pack once, entertainment on board, luxuriation time, … where was I going with this? Oh right! The ports that you get to travel to! Although all of them are touristy, it doesn’t mean they’re not fun or full of cool and beautiful stuff to do and see. For this post, we’ll dive into Southern Caribbean ports – these are the ones I visited on the Sunny Miles of Tropical Isles itinerary that I booked with Virgin Voyages. Spoiler alert: The islands are Sint Maarten, Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, St. Kitts, Puerto Rico. If you want to know more about a Virgin Cruise, check out my previous blog here.

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

I would say No Excursion for this port. You can get a group taxi (~$10 each way per person) to take you downtown or to Maho Beach, the top 2 places to go (according to the Visitor Center I visited). We weren’t that impressed with downtown – it looked like a small village town with shops but nothing unique. Maho Beach is the beach you see on Instagram where planes land feet from a beach. It’s super cool to see a plane fly above you and then land, and it also makes for great photos. Just be careful when a plane is taking off – the exhaust blows the sand and it feels like little daggers hitting your skin. After you take all the fun airplane photos, there’s a bar next to the beach to get some food and drink (albeit a bit pricey). If that’s not your cup of tea, there’s apparently another beach pretty close to the cruise port where you can rent some chairs and have some beach time. 

Bridgetown, Barbados

I would say No Excursion for this port. There were plenty of beach clubs in Carlisle Bay where the farther you walked, the better the deal you got. TIP: You can negotiate for beach chairs along with a turtle snorkel tour for $35-40. There was only one turtle on our tour, but we also got to see a couple shipwrecks. Overall, Barbados had my favorite ocean water – the waves were fun and the blue color was super gorgeous. Definitely make your way out to experience the beach here. 

Castries, St. Lucia

I would say Book an Excursion for this port. There wasn’t much around the cruise port so a transfer would be required to go anywhere. The main attraction are the Pitons (dormant volcanic spires) which are not near the cruise transport so seeing or hiking near them would require transport. We did an excursion where we saw the island and the Pitons via car, had lunch, did a botanical tour, and then sailed a catamaran back to the port with a farewell view of the Pitons, and I would say it was worth the money. We also got a ~30 minute stop to swim and see the black sand when we were on the catamaran. It was super fun, and I think the highlight was the catamaran as it was way faster to travel as the roads have lots of switchbacks. 

Fort-de-France, Martinique

I would say No Excursion for this port unless there is something specific you’re interested in. We walked around the port area, took photos, visited the church and the library, went shopping, visited the market for fruit and souvenirs, and had a rum tasting. It was super fun and pretty inexpensive. However, we also heard other sailors mentioning taking a rum tour or a dive tour so there are definitely excursions worth going on if there’s an activity of interest to you. 

Basseterre, St. Kitts

I would say Book an Excursion for this port. This excursion will likely be a resort visit, so I would suggest researching ahead of time to see what resort you might want to visit. For us, we visited the Park Hyatt and really liked it! We were also lucky that it was relatively empty. The resort pass included an adults only section as well as a large family pool and a private beach – perfect for quiet, luxurious relaxation! We took a group taxi with people also heading there for $10 per person one way for about a 20 minute ride. The taxi driver also called out a viewpoint where you can see the water difference between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The ocean had stronger, bigger waves whereas the sea had calmer, smaller waves. 

San Juan, Puerto Rico

I would say Book an Excursion if you’ve only got one day in order to visit El Yunque. We booked one with AirBnB for convenience although it also ended up being for safety too! We walked through the rainforest from a gravel road (bring and wear socks for traction), slid down natural waterfalls, and jumped down from rocks so even if you drove yourself, you wouldn’t know where to park and/or how to navigate the slides safely. Then, they also introduced and gave us traditional snack foods and gave us some time on the beach. Perfect way to end a day of adventuring! Then, if you have even more time, you can walk around Condado Beach, enjoy a beachfront drink, and find a delicious dinner before your flight out (at least that’s what we did)! 

Final Thoughts

I hope this post was helpful for helping you make decisions on what to do in these ports. They’re all amazing islands, and I hope you have a chance to visit one or all of them someday and on top of it, have a wonderful time exploring and getting to know the people, the culture, and the islands themselves. Let me know if you have any questions I can help answer!

“Everything” You Can Do on the Valiant Lady

I just went on my first Virgin cruise, and I can’t wait to share all about it! The Crew was so amazing – everyone always said hello, had a kind smile, and was there to make your vacation as best as it could be. All the waiters, attendants, and entertainment crew were amazing, but my favorite small moment was when we were doing puzzles in the middle of a closed cafe, and someone approached us to ask if we wanted something to drink. We asked for cups of water, and while it might not seem like much, it saved us a walk to a drinking station and we could continue to obsess over our puzzle. 

Similar to what I did with my Disney cruise, I want to consolidate what I experienced over multiple days as a preview of what to expect since you won’t have access to the schedule until you get on board. Normally, I list the different experiences in the order of “must do” to “nice to do”, but honestly, a lot of the dining, activity, and shows were equally enjoyable so keep that in mind. Let’s get into it! 

Dining

  • Pink Agave – This restaurant served Mexican fare, but the highlight for me was the smoky ribeye with cheese. Couple that with the guac and a tortilla, you will have the best steak taco! Shoutout to the papas con chorizo as well! The best baked potato dish onboard.
  • Razzle Dazzle – This restaurant only exists on 2 of the Virgin ships whereas all the other restaurants are onboard all 4 ships. It’s trendy, with twists on American classic go-to’s and also a heck of a vegetarian/vegan menu. The Nashville hot cauliflower was a surprise hit – it had a delightfully crispy exterior and they were able to lower the spice level if you’re like me and can’t handle too much spice! Another personal recommendation would be to mix the mafaldine and lamb shank – the mixture balances the saltiness of the meat with the creaminess of the pasta. This is also one of two places that serves brunch, and I highly recommend the watermelon and sesame “cream” starter and the bacon. They were two of my favorite things that I ate onboard the ship. 

  • Test Kitchen – I think this is an iconic Virgin restaurant concept, and it lives up to the experience! You enter a kitchen “lab” where they have a 5 course set for both omnivores and vegetarians. If you have two people in your party, I definitely recommend getting one of each as some of the vegetarian options were even better than the omnivore course. We went twice since we wanted to try 2 of the 3 courses available. Menu C was delicious, but menu B was a bit lackluster.   
  • Diner & Dash (The Galley) – I ate breakfast here everyday so I was very attached to this location. In addition, it’s also THE place to get lunch and dinner on the ship if you don’t have reservations. We came back early after a port day once and had amazing pork adobo and fried rice here. It’s also open 24/7 so gotta love this place! 
  • Grounds Club – This was the coffee bar onboard where I frequented to get my Flat Whites and Shaken Espresso (known as the Angelino on the menu). The coffees were an upcharge, but a great treat if you’re craving a fancier coffee. 
  • The Wake – This was the steakhouse restaurant, and the steaks were fantastic! I ordered a filet mignon and it was cooked to my preference and of good quality. I wish there was a mac and cheese side, but otherwise, it’s a familiar upscale restaurant. The lemon cheesecake was also one of the better desserts onboard.
  • Extra Virgin – This was an Italian restaurant, and there was a nice variety of pastas. You could get half portions of the pasta so we got all of them to try. My favorites were the gnocchi, spaghetti alle vongole, and pappardelle al ragu. We were stuffed after the pasta and the apps, but otherwise, we would have loved to try a protein or main dish. Next time! 

  • The Pizza Place – The pizzas were all freshly made so how could anyone complain about hot, fresh pizza?! The crust was ok, but the quality and quantity of the toppings made up for it. I think it’s truly a fan favorite – I saw so many people carrying pizza boxes around the ship! 
  • The Daily Mix (The Galley) – This was my go-to breakfast spot for getting toast and avocado to make my own avocado toast in the morning. In the afternoon/evening, it became a salad spot with lots of beautiful green veggies to choose from! 
  • Well Bread/The Sweet Side (The Galley) – This was the spot to get savory bread, sweet bites, and fruit. I visited everyday to try a macaron or cake, and most definitely to get my scoops of watermelon and pineapple. 
  • The Burger Bar (The Galley) – This was the other late night spot on the ship so I hope you crave burgers after a late night dance party! It also has a rotating burger of the day if you’re just a fan of burgers.
  • Gunbae – This is a Korean BBQ restaurant where you’re seated with other sailors. I think the experience will really come down to who you’re seated with (we had a wonderful time), but I can see it being really awkward with the wrong people. I’ve been lucky to have amazing Korean BBQ so while the food was fine, it wasn’t my favorite restaurant.
  • Lick Me Till… Ice Cream – I loved the ice cream flavors, but unfortunately, the texture was more icy than creamy so not my favorite ice cream.
  • Bento Baby (The Galley) – They had great to-go options for you to take back to your room or the pool deck, but nothing we tried was spectacular.

Activities

  • Scarlet Night – This is the most iconic party on Virgin Voyages, and it lives up to the hype! Everyone is dressed in red, and everyone joins the fun so don’t forget to pack something red! There’s Cabaret-style shows, karaoke, and dance parties. If you have time, it’s fun to visit the Glam Station before for a bit of glitter and pizazz! 

  • Workouts – A real cool thing about Virgin Voyages is that all the workout classes are included. You do have to sign up for some of them (with a no-show fee) but not all, and they’re a fun option. It’s always a great feeling to do an activity that includes extra movement and gives you extra stomach space. 😉
  • Puzzle Challenges – This was a new one for me, but not for other people considering how popular they were! My advice would be to get there 15-20 minutes early. Essentially, you have/form a team to try to complete a puzzle within an hour, ideally completing it first. We did one and got 3rd place! 

  • Club Caliente – This was the dance party on the last night of the cruise. It was fun but definitely not as crowded/vibrant as Scarlet Night. 
  • Karaoke Room – This was so cool to see on a cruise, but nothing novel compared to things on land. You could book a time slot for a private karaoke room for free, but make sure to get there early as slots do fill up! 

Shows

  • Around the World with The Diva – This was a show featuring The Diva, their resident drag queen, and it was a lively show with great jokes, fun music, and dancing. 
  • UNTITLED DANCESHOWPARTYTHING – This was the last show for us, and it focused purely on dancing. It was definitely fun to dance along, but it was also really cool to watch super talented dancers dance difficult choreography.

  • The Magnets – They’re an acapella group, and they were a surprise hit for me! We enjoyed their first show so much, we came to their second since it was a different show.

  • Stand Up Comedian – Our comedian was fantastic and so popular that we still couldn’t get seats to his last set 30 minutes before the show since people kept coming back. It’s not as unique as the top shows but still great entertainment and a wonderful way to spend time onboard. 
  • It’s a Ship Show – This is the variety dinner show that you’ll need to reserve, but there’s multiple time slots. We ate dinner before our show so we were just there for the entertainment. The singers and the dancers were great, but I just don’t think I’m a fan of the variety format. However, the special acrobatic performers were MAJOR highlights and it was worth sitting through to see their performances! 

  • Cabaret Shows/Lounge Singers – These were great ambiance entertainment sets. It was really impressive how often these singers performed and the catalog of music they knew! 

Final Thoughts

I hope this post was helpful for understanding what you can expect on Virgin Voyages, especially on the Valiant Lady! I hear that the ships are similar to each other so hopefully, some of this can be helpful even if you’re not going on the Valiant Lady. Let me know if you have any questions I can help answer!

How to Have a “Perfect” Day at Epic Universe

I just went on my first visit to Epic Universe, and wow, is it amazing!!! This is now my second favorite park in the world – Disneyland is still number one (a huge part due to nostalgia and personal history). Epic Universe is massive (can’t wait to see how they grow it), beautiful (you can tell they put money into it), rich in storytelling, boasts great food, and is just overall, one of the best places to simply exist in. Honestly, one of my favorite parts was sitting on the lawn, watching the fountain, listening to one of the most impressive background tracks, and chatting with my friend.

While this park is truly epic (pun intended), wait times can get pretty high. For example, the newest Harry Potter attraction averages a 2-3 hour wait with it having climbed up to 4 hours on 2 of 4 days and causing the attraction to have to close their queue 2 hours ahead of park closing. Therefore, it’s important to be flexible while also building a plan so I think the best way to prepare the “perfect” day is to prioritize the must do’s and then build the rest of the day around those. Another option would be to get the Express Pass, but I know that’s not feasible for every party. 

I wrote the different experiences in the order of “must do” to “nice to do” in the main categories of attractions and shows. For dining, I also went in order of favorites, but by restaurant locations with details of the dishes in the description. This will all be based on what I’ve personally experienced so you have a “buffet” menu to help start building YOUR perfect day while allowing space for your own exploration. I hope this helps you have your “most epic” day at Epic Universe! 

Attractions

  • Harry Potter And The Battle At The Ministry – WOW, this ride blew my mind! I could not believe how this whole thing was happening and how big everything was. Plus, the story was original, but still realistic in the Wizarding World. My jaw fell open and I was just completely mesmerized. If you are a fan of Harry Potter, this might be your new favorite ride in the world. It is for me. However, is it worth a 4 hour wait? No, I think it’s worth a 90-120 minute ride if it’s your first time experiencing it, but there’s too many other great things at Epic Universe for you to spend 4 hours in one queue if you only have a day. Also, it’s motion-sickness approved per my friend! 
  • Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment – This is the other headliner attraction, and it is truly a headliner. There’s multiple animatronics that bring to life the Universal Monsters in a brand new story. It’s just a little bit scary, a whole lot cooler, and surprisingly, it’s another motion sickness approved ride despite using the same ride vehicle as Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey.  
  • Hiccup’s Wing Gliders – This roller coaster was a dark horse for me. On the outside, it looks like a family roller coaster, and while it is, it definitely also has more thrill than what you see. Plus, Universal does the best job with storytelling on roller coasters, and this one is no exception. Paired with the music, it’s a can’t miss. Don’t miss this one – trust me. 

  • Stardust Racers – This is your adrenaline-racing thrill roller coaster although it also does have a backstory. Basically, the Celestians in Celestial Park are inviting us to race on comets which is why the coasters are the ones that are lit up at night instead of the track. How cute is that? I found the yellow side more thrilling, but it’s literally split 50-50 on the Internet so do both and try it both in the daytime and at night! 
  • Donkey Kong: Mine-Cart Madness – This is a shorter roller coaster so while it’s not worth the 3 hour wait it can get to, if you can rope drop this and ride it with a less than 45 minute wait, I think it’s worth doing at least once if you’ve got multiple days. It was less exciting for me as a story since I’m not as familiar with Nintendo World, but I still had a lot of fun.
  • Constellation Carousel – This is like the most epic form of a carousel you can imagine. There’s a double rotation (if you choose those animals), lights, enchanting music, and animals designed after constellations. Best ridden at night which is also signified by the longer lines at night!
  • Curse of the Werewolf – This is a spinning roller coaster, but besides some thrill, I didn’t get as much story so it was less exciting for me. 

  • Dragon Racer’s Rally – While the goal may be to get as many barrel rolls as you can, I found it quite hard! Also, since the load and unload process takes some time, the actual time you spend on the ride is quite short. Fine for a 20 minute wait, but I would not wait more than 30 minutes. However, the queue is cute, showcasing other trophies that dragon racers in Berk have won, and you get a nice aerial view of Berk.

  • Yoshi’s Adventure – Cute, but it’s the most simplistic ride at Epic Universe. You ride in a Yoshi, encounter character animatronics, and press buttons when you notice certain eggs. 
  • Fyre Drill – This is the water ride, and unfortunately, it was too cold the last 2 days I was there to ride it. However, I hear great things about it and am definitely excited to try it in the future! 
  • Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge – We didn’t prioritize this as I heard this was the same ride in Hollywood. Great fun, but not a priority at Epic Universe if you’ve been to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Shows

  • The Untrainable Dragon – The thing I loved most about this show was the music. The acting, the props, and the special effects were all great, but the music tied everything together beautifully. Simple story but done really well and a great 20 minute break from the outdoors. 
  • Le Cirque Arcanus – Another simple story done well, but I didn’t love the logistics of how the audience was moved. However, the queue and theater decor are both amazing. Really brings the “small tent, big space” of the Wizarding World to life.

Foods

  • Pizza Moon – This was my favorite quick service restaurant in Epic, and I do think it’s a lot of people’s favorite as well! My recommendation (like many others) is Pizza Lunare – you get roasted garlic béchamel, fromage de lune, ricotta, pancetta, and garlic confit on a purple celestial ube crust. This was SOOOO good – they make the pizzas fresh so it’s hot, cheesy, and has a nice chew. Not sure if it’s the ube, the crust, the pizza oven, or maybe all of it, but the crust texture is really well done! Then, for dessert, I recommend the Lunar Phase Cake – it’s a Meyer lemon olive oil cake with limoncello sabayon, blackberries, raspberry crisps. You get a moist but light cake and it has a beautiful (not artificial) lemon flavor paired with berries – what’s not to love?
  • Atlantic – If you have time, I recommend this table service restaurant. Not only is it beautifully themed, you get an epic view of Epic, and the food is really good. Celestial Park swings it out of the park with the food options. We split the Grouper Sandwich and The Atlantic Burger “Au Poivre” and if you have another person who can split with you, I highly recommend this combo. Both were delicious, well made, and fairly priced. Dessert was less exciting for me. We got El Pulpo and Passion Fruit “Caviar” – I liked the “caviar” more due to the tropical notes (plus, it came with a tin you can take home), but both were fine and very Instagrammable. 
  • Spit Fyre Grill – This spot is great if you’re looking for something quick in Berk. We got Meatlug’s Chicken Bowl which is a great option if you want something light, but the PB and J – Pork, Bacon and Jam mac and cheese cone is indulgent and heartier. Both would pair well with Stoick’s Ale which is a honey white ale, but it’s also a great walking beer. 

  • Mead Hall – We got the Thawfest Platter so we got a nice selection of meat, veg, and fries to eat and all were pretty good with our favorite being the sausage. We also got to try Gronckle’s Bread Pudding which was delightful – you can definitely taste the cinnamon in the bread pudding so if you’re not a fan of that, this might not be for you. 
  • Café L’air De La Sirène – I had to try the Butterbeer crepe! It comes with two so it’s definitely shareable. I loved it as a Butterbeer and Harry Potter fan, but my friend was less of a fan so the fan whimsy might need to be present for this one to be a must have. 

  • Das Steakhaus – The caliber of food is so good at Epic that this quick service is my least favorite even though it is truly a solid food option. It might have had to do with my ordering as my chicken, Bird on a Stake, was drier than the chicken sandwich, “Blood” Orange Chicken Sandwich. The Darkmoor Black Wings were good wings, but not my favorite. The desserts, Labotocotta and Red Velvet Death, felt similar to the Atlantic desserts – fine and very Instagrammable, but not something I would write home about. 
  • How To Treat Your Dragon – This is a bakery case location, and we chose a cake pop. The chocolate cake pop looked so good in videos, but it was too sweet (too much frosting to cake ratio) and too dry. Not sure if it was just our luck or chocolate was less popular, but I was definitely disappointed with this one. 

A note on Universal dining! While a few quick service locations have a mobile order pickup area where you then go find your own table and/or seat, most locations require you to sit at a table and they bring your order out to you. It’s both a pro and a con. Pro: it’s nice to get a table service experience at a lower price point. Con: you may have to get into a queue to even get your order. 

Final Thoughts

I hope this post was helpful for planning your Epic Universe day. Let me know if you have any questions I can help answer!