We came by new knees and hips, by walkers and canes, by glittering gym shoes, swagging attire, every hairstyle known to man, some blinging, and all swinging at our Celebration Caribbean Cruise. The stars – everyone born in 1950. What?!
Part I: The First Leg, San Juan, PR
Planning
It took Travel Agent, Maggie Longley of All Seasons Cruises & Tours, to organize and gather us by mail, Zoom, and numerous reminders. Oretha was the Chicago connection, but our personal travel advisor, Nedra Shelton, kept my posse, Janice Bell, Pat Kline, Indria Perrrilloux, and me in the loop. Her constant cry was “Don’t y’all read?!!!” We splendidly ignored her and kept bugging her for the information we needed throughout the cruise, including booking our one-night hotel accommodations. (Thank you, Nedra, for your generosity).
The cruise was setting sail from San Juan, PR. Most folks flew in from Chicago, but I traveled from Huntsville, AL, and Indria from Las Vegas, NV.
Airport Wheeling
Y’all, if walking challenges you in any way, or if you have a short time to make a connecting flight in a large airport, do not hesitate to ask the airline for a wheelchair. The wheelchair porters make their living wheeling you through the airport, providing the utmost comfort and efficiency. Tipping is not mandatory, but again, this is a good part of the wheelchair porters’ job. I suggest tipping at least $5.00.
Warning: In PR, you have two porters to tip for wheelchair service – one to baggage claim and the other for taking your bag off the turnstile. What?!! Also, once you pick up your bag, you gotta walk a country mile to the pick-up stand for your transportation. Needless to say, we could not wait to get to our hotel in Old San Juan.
Old San Juan
Date 23 February 2016, 19:35:54
Source Own work
Author Bjoertvedt
Old San Juan was lovely and quaint, with pastel shops lining the streets. We made it to Novona Studios, our small, lovely hotel in downtown Old San Juan, where the owner greeted us and told us we were on the third floor.
Guess what? No elevators!
Warning: When booking a studio or villa, always check for essentials. Some of us ain’t built to do stairs anymore, especially with luggage.
By God’s grace and some x#!##!!!, we made it to our rooms. Indria (my roomie) arrived after us, so we had to make the trek again with her luggage. Y’all!…!
FYI: She had individual fabric packing cubes in her luggage, which made carrying and arranging her belongings easy at the hotel and on the cruise. (Y’all know I’m gon’ find some for my next trip.)
Slideshow of Norvona Studios
We finally settled into our rooms.
Let’s Eat!
Y’all know that by this time, Pat, Nedra, and I were famished, so we set off to find a place to eat. (Indria is vegan and had to order in.) We found a local spot almost across the street from our hotel. Ajo del País was right on time for what we wanted. Not fancy, real local and a server to die for. What?!
We were really hungry, so I didn’t take any pictures of our food: (Sorry, not sorry). Our server helped us navigate the menu, and we settled on Conch Fritters, a shrimp dish, and chicken with vegetables. We all had margaritas, and our server gave us a sample of a Latin liqueur.
The food was delicious, and we had a great entry into an Old San Juan dining experience.
Statins Ain’t for Me
We got back to the hotel and readied for well-deserved sleep. Indria and I were knocked out when, all of a sudden, my left leg cramped… then my right leg cramped. Poor Indria had to try to help me, but I had to moan and move the cramps away. Y’all, them cramps came back every ten minutes. (At one point, I was so out of it, I got up and started to dress, thinking it was morning. Wishful thinking; it was only about 2 AM! Indria was like, WHAT?) Every time I’d try to sleep, the cramping started. Indria and I surmised it was the statin I had recently started taking; I finally had to place a chair and pillow on a chair in front of the bed. Legs raised, I finally got to sleep until…
…Drag Racing
I want to know how cars could drag race down a narrow street. Kids were screaming and cars were racing, Vrooming” loudly all night! The funny thing is, Pat and Nedra were on the same side as us, and they slept so soundly they didn’t hear anything!
The racing and my cramps made things oddly exciting during our night in Old San Juan, but we were glad to call an Uber and get our bags to the street to travel to the boat. Oh, and I stopped taking the statin.
A Few Things:
- Every Senior group traveler needs a Nedra Shelton . Someone with a clear head who can read and check details and talk about you when you don’t take care of your business. Check.
- Every Senior traveler needs a Pat Kline. You need popcorn or sandwiches? She travels with it. A nail file, lipstick, scissors, she’s got it. My girl has any and everthing you forgot to bring. AND when you need someone to grab some young men off the street to lug your luggage down 3 flights of stairs, , whether or not they speak English, Pat’s your girl. Check.
- Every Senior traveler needs an Indria Sita Khan Perrilloux. When you can’t understand your tour guide, Indria interprets what he’s saying and has you rolling with laughter. all through the cruise. Check
- Every Senior traveler needs a JB. We need some exotic style to shake us up, and JB is your girl. Check
- I can dance. What?!
On the serious side, even though I travel at least twice a year, I am finding I need to focus a bit more to organize, get myself on the road, and stay safe and mobile during my trips. I ain’t saying I can’t do it, but I give myself more grace for preparation and execution.
I got this, and so do you!
featured image: Indria, Nedra, and I (St. Thomas Apostle grad pic.), JB. Pat is on image at the restaurant.
Stay tuned for Part II – The 75 and Alive Celebration Cruise
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