HAL Rotterdam

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This was our first cruise since the pandemic hit 2 years ago (our last cruise was in November 2019). We were supposed to sail on the HAL Rotterdam for an 11-day cruise beginning on Wednesday, November 9. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Nicole was heading her way to FL and Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) was closed on the day we were supposed to leave. We were told to be at the port on November 10 by 4pm. This is the first cruise that we have ever had delayed. We watched the Port Everglades webcam and watched the ship arrive at the port at 11am.

 

The ship can hold 2668 passengers. Our captain was Bas Van Dreumel, the hotel director was Wessel van Oorschot, Food and Beverage Director was Saurabh Vaishampayan and our Cruise and Travel director was Karlijn Verpalen. We were at Table 202 on Deck 3 Dining Room and our servers were Eka and Ipan. Even though we are at a table for two, there is another couple at a table next to ours that was so nice to talk to at dinner. They were Sharon and Doug from Dallas, TX (see picture). Our cabin was 11053 and our cabin stewards were Dada and Nocodemus. We enjoyed ourselves and glad to be cruising again!

Day 1 Thursday, November 10, 2022, Embarkation

We watched the ship arrive at Port Everglades at 11am. We left the house at 1pm and arrived at the port at 2pm. We got on the ship by 4pm. We went to our cabin to get our keys and meet our cabin stewards (Dada and Nicodemus). I was surprised that our luggage was already there! After that, we went to find some lunch. I had pasta from the pasta bar and Don had fish. Then we had to go to our muster station (Deck 3) to get our key cards scanned. We walked from Deck 3 to Deck 11 where our cabin is. While we unpacked our suitcases, we watched the safety video. After that, we went to have dinner on the Lido deck, and I was excited to get my sirloin steak there. Then we walked around the ship. There was a sail away party on Deck 10 at the Panorama Bar at 8pm and there was a great turnout. Ruth (and her husband Larry) organized the party, and she was the perfect hostess! We also met Dorothy and Keith (Macon, GA), and Connie and Tom (central FL) and others but I can’t remember their names. Then we went back to our cabin, and I had no trouble falling asleep!

 

Day 2 Friday, November 11, 2022, Sea Day

I was up by 5am and sat on the Lido deck working on my computer, reading, or knitting until Don joined me. I had an omelet on the Lido deck and then we decided to go to the dining room, so I had French toast there. After breakfast, we walked on the jogging track. At 11:15, there was a lecture by Karlijn about The Deep Blue, and it was excellent. She talked about sea turtles and sunken treasure. Then we went to lunch on the Lido deck. I went to the Cabin Crawl at 1:30 (Don took a nap) where people volunteered to let us look at their cabins. Ruth did a great job organizing this with a sign to keep us all together and a list of the rooms for everyone to have in case we got separated. After that, we got ready for Dressy night and headed to the Billboard Onboard bar for Happy Hour (50% off). Don had vodka on the rocks, and I had a bloody Mary and it cost $10.33. We met a nice older man named Art who talked Don’s ear off about the Navy. At dinner, we ate with 2 other couples in the dining room. Karen and Steve were from Canada near Niagara Falls. The other couple was from Peachtree City, GA. After dinner, we went to the show Humanity by The Step One Dance Company which was very good.

 

Day 3 Saturday, November 12, 2022, Grand Turk

After an early breakfast, we got off the ship and went snorkeling at the beach right by the ship. We didn’t rent any chairs (I heard the guy tell this couple they were $30) so we just set our stuff in the sand. After 2 hours of snorkeling, we went back to the ship and cleaned up. Then we sat by the pool and relaxed (reading) until lunch opened. After lunch, we went back to the room and watched Romancing the Stone on TV and napped. We went to Happy Hour before dinner again. We went to our correct table for dinner this time and had a table for 2. Beside us was another couple from Dallas – Sharon, and Doug. They were going to charge Doug $8.50 for a shrimp cocktail, so he canceled that. After dinner, we decided the Captain needed something to brighten his day so we gave him one of my knitted gnomes. Then we went to the Captain’s reception by the pool and met Ruth. She is the Group and Events Director. She told us that the critically ill people were not from the same cabin but were in the hospital at Grand Turk and were much better.

 

Day 4, Sunday, November 13, 2022, Sea Day

The morning started off exciting! Around 5:30am, they closed off the back deck on Deck 9 to prepare for an emergency airlift off the ship. Around 6:30, we didn’t see the actual airlift but you could see the wind from the helicopter causing the artificial trees to really whip around. Later in the day, the Captain announced that three people were airlifted – the sick passenger, travel partner, and doctor.

 

We ate breakfast in the dining room and had a nice time with the other people. Then we walked on the jogging track until it was time to go to the lecture Unexpected Heroes which talked about the love and talent behind sports in the Caribbean. After lunch on the Lido deck, we went to another lecture – The Caribbean Spirit that told the story about rum. By then it was time to prepare for dinner and go to Happy Hour. For dinner, we had prime rib and it was very good. After dinner, we went to the show Timeless by Cantare which was 4 nice-looking men singing love songs. I enjoyed it more than Don of course!

 

Day 5, Monday, November 14, 2022, Barbados

We got off the ship around 10am and walked downtown. It was very breezy but hot in the sun. We walked along the water to the historic bridge and then around the town back to the ship. We walked about 6 miles. I stopped at this store and bought a Coke No Sugar and a White Rock Ginger Ale for $3 US and got .80 back in Barbados money. We were told that the exchange rate was $1 USD to $2 in Barbados currency. When we got back to the port terminal, there was a free shuttle back to the ship so we took it. We were back on the ship by 12:45 and went to the Lido deck for lunch. After lunch, we sat on the deck and relaxed until it was time to get ready for Happy Hour. After dinner, we went to the show theater to see the movie Top Gun: Maverick at 8pm and it was a really good movie.

 

Day 6 , Tuesday, November 15, 2022, Martinique

We arrived in Martinique at 7am. We walked around town until 10am. People were not overly friendly here. When we tried to buy a soda in the grocery store, they wouldn’t take US dollars. We sat on the deck until lunchtime and returned again after lunch. Before happy hour, I went to get our luggage tags for disembarkation and was able to pick the group according to the time we wanted to get off the ship. We had happy hour and then dinner in the dining room. We went to the show In Tandem by The Step One Dance Company. There was this cute little girl who just had to dance in the aisles and was enthralled with the dancing!

 

Day 7, Wednesday, November 16, 2022, St. Kitts

We got off the ship at 8am and walked around until 11am. We bought 2 sodas for $3 in the grocery store. Then we found the Fabric Store (Church St. and Cayon St.) where Don buys his postcards. The artist wasn’t there and was told she was quite elderly and didn’t come down much anymore. Then the lady in the store offered to take the four postcards ($1 each) upstairs to her and asked her to sign and date them. We walked near the cricket stadium, and the police car stopped us telling us we shouldn’t go any further and suggesting we go back to the tourist area, so we did. We walked around some more before finding a post office. The girl was so nice and patient with figuring out how much each sheet of stamps cost in US dollars. Don ended up buying $32 of stamps. We returned to the ship for lunch and sat on the deck until happy hour. After happy hour we went to dinner and the show which featured the illusionist, TJ Tana.

 

Day 8, Thursday, November 17, 2022, St. Thomas

We got off the ship in St. Thomas at 8am and walked around until 9:30. We went to the Pueblo supermarket to get some soda for $1. This was the first time I saw a diet Pepsi on the whole cruise! We got back on the ship and relaxed on the deck until lunchtime. After lunch, we relaxed on the deck until it was time for happy hour. After dinner, we went to the show All In by Cantare. I enjoyed the four men singing better than Don did. Then we went back to the room and finished watching Aladdin with Will Smith. We also watched a movie called American Underdog that told the story of Kurt Warner, a pro football player.

 

Day 9, Friday, November 18, 2022, Sea Day

Today was a sea day so we didn’t do much. I partially packed my suitcase today. We sat on the deck and relaxed all day until happy hour. After dinner, we went to the show Musicology featuring the dancers.

 

Day 10, Saturday, November 19, 2022, Half Moon Cay

We were going to get on the tender at 9am but then it started raining. Instead, we sat on the deck and relaxed all day. I did go to the NY Deli and got us 2 bagels. They scan your card but it doesn't cost extra. Then they give you a device that vibrates when your order is ready. At 4pm we went to the enrichment lecture The Origin Story which told the history of Holland America and it was very well done. After dinner, we packed our suitcases. Then we went to the bar for a drink before coming back and putting our suitcases out in the hallway. We watched movies until bedtime.

 

Day 11, Sunday, November 20, 2022, Ft. Lauderdale

We had breakfast at 6am and then we got off the ship at 8am. I liked that we could choose what time we wanted to get off the ship and got the luggage tags for that time. It was well organized for getting off the ship and we got our luggage quickly. The line for customs was fast because we didn’t need to show our passports. They used face recognition machines and then we were done. Parking cost us $150. We were on I-95 by 8:30.

Changes we noticed:

• Turn-down service in the evening for your cabin has to be requested and is not automatic.
• The Lido deck didn't have as much variety as it used to have.
• The dining room dinner sound (xylophone) isn't used anymore.
• After dinner, there used to be a guy in a bellman's uniform that passed out mints, ginger, and dates but not anymore.
• We didn't see on the dining room menu the following items: Beef wellington, creme brulee,or baked Alaska.
• The shrimp cocktail was an extra $8.50 if it wasn't on the dinner menu.
• The pasta bar on the Lido deck was there but the guy didn't really make any fresh pasta for you. He told you to get what was already there.
• There was only 1-hour happy hour in 2 specific bars each night and none in the Crow's nest.  

Things I Learned:

1. To get on the internet on my computer I have to go to: http://navigator.hollandamerica.com
2. The internet was $179 for the premium package.
3. There was no movie theater on this ship.
4. They will turn you away from the dining room if you have shorts on.
5. On some ships, the Lido deck service is better than the Dining room but we enjoyed the dining room on this ship.
6. I like happy hour with 50% off better than the old $2 off the second drink or 2 for 1.
7. I don’t mind missing ports if it is for a medical emergency. I am always thankful that that emergency wasn’t for me.
8. I need to bring heartburn medicine for Don when we travel.
9. There was Dim Sum and fresh stir fry on the Lido deck for lunch every day.
10. I love having an omelet made for me every morning!
11. It was easy to walk into town when we got to Barbados.
12. Barbados – 2 sodas cost $3 USD.
13. You cannot wear anything with camouflage when you get off the ship in Barbados.
14. Martinique was not very friendly, and they don’t take US dollars.
15. St. Kitts – 2 sodas cost $3 USD.
16. St. Thomas – Pueblo supermarket – Diet Pepsi was only $1!
17. We like the cabin on deck 11 which opens right out to the jogging track.
18. Don't always depend on the menu on the Navigator app. The last night's menu was wrong.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Carnival Breeze November 2018 Part 2

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This is part 2 of our trip on the Carnival Breeze.

We went on a 14-day Journeys cruise on the Carnival Breeze. Our captain was Guiseppe Giusa, Chief Engineer: Vito Antonelli; Hotel Director: Carlos Santos de Melo; Cruise Director: Steven Schwartz. Our cabin steward was Lorenzo and we were in Cabin 1322. Our dinner table was 552 and our dining stewards were Danilo and Ari.

Day 8: Barbados 11/10/18

We had a lovely day in Barbados. We got off the ship at 9:15 and walked the catwalk out of the dock (and it was a long walk!). Then we turned right and walked into town (about 1 mile). We walked for a couple of hours and the weather looked threatening, so we took a cab back to the port (the cab fare was $2 per person). Then we took a free shuttle from the terminal to the ship because it was raining. After lunch, we sat on the deck and relaxed. Before dinner, we went to the Red Frog Pub to enjoy a couple of beers with Earl to celebrate his 50^th birthday. At the end of the dinner, they brought a cake and sang happy birthday to him. Then we went back to our cabin and decided to go to bed early. While we were watching TV,  a repairman showed up to repair our sink and I told him that we were already in bed. I asked him if he could come back tomorrow and he said if I didn’t have a complaint about it, he wouldn’t fix it. I decided to talk to the hotel director the next day!

Day 9: At Sea 11/11/18

We had a lazy day at sea. I saw Lorenzo, our cabin steward, who knew what happened the night before and told me that the guy would fix our sink. After breakfast, I went to find the hotel director. I gave him the message from Roberta and then told him what a great cabin steward we had because he was fixing our situation. Of course, Carlos wanted to know more about the situation and I told him. Then we walked around the track for an hour. We also went to the Academy of Fun session and learned about shopping apps that will help us save money when shopping.  Then we relaxed and sat on the deck until teatime when I had delicious scones. The hotel director sent us a bottle of wine for dinner which was nice. After dinner, we went to the comedy show featuring Derrick Eason.

Day 10: St. Maarten 11/12/18

We walked into St. Maarten and planned on going to the beach, but the weather looked threatening as we walked into town. We ended up walking around town and stopped at Zee Zee’s for some beer (5 Miller Lite for $10) and talked to Andrea. She told us that Suzette was out of town for her daughter’s graduation.  We missed her! We got back to the ship around 1pm and had lunch. We sat on the outside deck for a little while before leaving to get ready for dinner. After dinner, we went to the comedy show featuring Dwight Slade who was pretty funny.

Day 11: Tortola 11/13/18

We got off the ship around 8:30am and walked around the town. We were surprised how devastated many of the buildings were from Hurricane Irma. We went to Pusser’s store to get Don a couple of more baseball caps with the pirate logo, but they were wrinkled and distorted, so he didn’t buy one ($22 each). Then we walked back through town on the way back to the ship. We got back on the ship by 10am. After lunch, we went back to the cabin to relax. After dinner, there wasn’t any show, so we had an early night.

Day 12: San Juan, Puerto Rico 11/14/18

We had a nice day in San Juan! We got off the ship around 8am and walked to the Castillo del Morro. I love walking there along the water and my daughter and son-in-law have never been there. It was about a 2-mile walk from the ship. We got there before it opened and just sat on the wall and enjoyed the scenery. After visiting the fort, we went to El Meson for Mallorcas and sodas. Then we visited the supermarket. We split up and they went to souvenir shops while we went to my hubby’s favorite second-hand store. It started raining harder about then, so we made it back to the ship around noon and had lunch. After lunch, we relaxed in our cabin and watched Coco on the movie channel. After dinner, we went to the comedy show featuring Billy D. Washington.

Day 13: At Sea 11/15/18

We had a lazy day at sea. We had our laundry done today. We also went to a lecture to learn about astronomy apps for your phone. Then we went to an arts and crafts session where we decorated wooden tags. We spent the rest of the afternoon resting until dinner. Hubby had to leave dinner and went to bed because he has some kind of respiratory thing going on. I think his sinus drip made him nauseous. When I got back to the room, I was able to pack my suitcase and organize some things in the room.

Day 14: At Sea 11/16/18

Another relaxing day at sea. My hubby felt much better today. After brunch, we got our Bloody Mary’s and we packed our suitcases. Then we went to the seminar on Photography using your smartphone. After that,  we went to the Lido deck and hung out until we got hungry. At 2pm, we went to Arts and Crafts but all they had were wooden tags and the earlier session had picture frames, so we were disappointed. We went to the Limelight Lounge to wait until the session on Editing your Photos. Before the session, we saw a crew member who went to the back storage room and gave us a couple of picture frame crafts that they had earlier in the day. We had to leave at 4pm to go to the Captain’s party. We were able to see the bar waiter, Nijo, there and he kept the Miller Lites coming our way. We had a nice farewell dinner in the dining room and then we had to put our suitcases out in the hallway. After that, we went to bed early.

Day 15: Debarkation 11/17/18

We got up to the Lido deck around 5:30 and they started serving breakfast at 6am. After breakfast we went to our meeting place (Sapphire Dining Room Deck 3 at 7:15am) By 7:45, we were getting off the ship. Getting off the ship was very well organized. As soon as we got to our luggage, all of the luggage was in an area marked “Diamond.” Going through customs was a breeze and we went straight to a shuttle desk to turn in our return tickets. We went straight to the bus and got on it. By 9:30am, we were on the road.

Things I Learned:

1.     Cab fare to town in Barbados was only $2 but it wasn’t far to walk if the weather is nice.

2.     We really liked the Academy of Fun sessions! They are informative and well worth going to.

3.     We found a nice outdoor bar to get beer in St. Maarten.

4.     We found out that there was a lot of damage to Tortola from the hurricane!

5.     If we go to Tortola again, we will look at taking an excursion to Virgin Gorda and The Baths.

6.     Tortola was our least favorite port on this trip.

7.     We love walking around San Juan when it is overcast and light rain!

8.     The store Ecomania is still there but it is only half the store that it used to be.

9.     The supermarket in San Juan sells diet Pepsi for .79.

Original Photo by Pat Hensley

2018 HAL Koningsdam

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Our last cruise was on the HAL Koningsdam out of Ft. Lauderdale. Our captain was Emiel de Vries, the Hotel Director was Don Habetsthe cruise director was Christine Purcell, our dining stewards were Handrie and Suarsana. Our cabin was 1112 (an outside cabin) and our cabin steward was Agus.

 There were 2650 guests, 997 officers and crew. We traveled 3000 miles and used 232,470 gallons of fuel.

1/3/18 Embarkation:

We got to the ship around 10:30 and dropped our bags off. Then we had to go park our car at the Convention Center parking garage. After going through security, we had some difficulty getting checked in. Apparently, something happened to our cabin and they had to reassign us to a new one. So, after about a 90-minute wait, we were upgraded from an inside cabin (5172) to a nice cabin with a window (11121). Then we had lunch and a Mariner’s reception to go to at 2pm. We found our suitcases were sent to the old cabin so we got them ourselves and dragged them to the new cabin to unpack. After the lifeboat drill, we went to dinner which was nice. In the evening, we went to the poolside theater to see the movie A Mountain Between Us which was hard to hear because the pool was sloshing so loudly with waves. We were supposed to leave at 4 and didn’t leave until about 7:30 because the ship’s azipods steering system had a “little” problem. But we finally left and I hope there are no more “little” problems! After the movie, we stopped in the BBKing Blues Lounge but wasn’t very impressed so we went to bed.

1/4/18 At Sea:

Don was up all night with back cramps. He drank some Powerade and took a muscle relaxer around 12:30am. I got up at 5 and went to the Lido deck. While I was there, the crew members came up to the man behind me and asked if he was Mr. Charles and he was. His wife had been looking for him for a few hours and couldn’t find him. They called his wife and had him talk to her. I’m glad they found him. We had breakfast in the dining room but we weren’t impressed. Then we went to a 10am Cruise Critic meet up and I met Julian (Food and Beverage Director) and Fernando (The Wine Director) After lunch, we went to a Flower Arrangement lecture. Then we went to a talk about our next two ports: St. Maarten and St. Lucia. We also went to afternoon tea. By then we had to get ready for dinner and went to a Beatles Show in one of the lounges which was great. After happy hour, we went to dinner. We had reserved the table for at least 3 nights and checked after dinner the first night. The host said that would be no problem and wrote the table number down. As we entered we had been told that if we knew our table number to go ahead and sit down. Apparently, he was wrong and we were supposed to check in first. One host came by to let us know we didn’t check in and made a big deal out of it. Then he came by every 5 minutes to ask how our food was but I think he did it to irritate us. We ended up leaving and when I stopped by the host desk, they made it like we committed a major crime when we were just following directions! Then they said we reserved the time and not the table! (Every other Holland America cruise we have been on let us reserve the table and just told us to go to it each night!) But they were so rude that we will probably not eat in the dining room any more this cruise. We went back to our cabin until it was time for the show. We went to the comedy show to hear Jeff Neas and he was very funny!

1/5/18 At Sea:

We went to several talks about the different ports we were going into. Then we also heard the Captain talk about the ship along with the Hotel Director. We also walked about 3 miles on the walking deck which was fun. There were no lounge chairs on this deck on this ship so there were a lot of people exercising. We ended up going back to the dining room and was treated much better. I think it was because I talked to the Food and Beverage Director at the Cruise Critic meetup and he saw we were upset last night so I think he took care of our problem. But we will probably not go back again until the next formal night. We went to the show last night featuring the ship’s singers and dancers which was a great. Then we went back to our cabin and watched the movie “A Walk in the Woods.”

1/6/18 St. Maarten:

We got off the ship at 8:30 and decided to walk into town which was only a 10-minute walk. We passed a grocery store so we stopped and bought a Powerade for $1. We walked around town and saw a lot of damage from the hurricane. There were a lot of tarps and boards across windows. We also damaged light posts and palm trees. We went to the beach but the water was too rough for swimming so we didn’t rent chairs. When Suzette came to work, we visited her and gave her a bag of food. She had such a positive attitude about life and was so grateful to be alive! She said the sand got so high after the hurricane that she was able to walk right onto the roof of the restaurant and look down inside. Then we walked around town some more before walking back to the ship. There was a rain shower but it stopped by the time we got to the port. The port had beer for $3 but we had passed a shop on the way that sold beer for $1 so we walked back there. We bought 5 beers and then carried 4 back to the port to drink at a table there. When we got back on the ship we had lunch. After lunch, we went back to the room for a nap. At 4 we went for Happy Hour and then had dinner on the Lido deck. After dinner we went to the show featuring Brett Cave, a pianist who was very entertaining. He wore a bright red suit and was trying to imitate Elton John. Then we went to bed.

1/7/18 St. Lucia:

We were off the ship by 8:20 and docked at Port Seraphina. It took us about 15 minutes to walk into town. We noticed that there were a lot of police presence around. Most of the stores were closed because it was Sunday. We did see some food and vegetable vendors on the sidewalk. We came back to the ship around 11am and then had lunch. After lunch, we sat by the pool and relaxed until we left the port. Then we had dinner on the Lido deck. We walked around the ship and then got back to our room to find 5 phone messages. Earlier in the day we had written a letter to the hotel director because we had a charge on our account that wasn’t ours. I had gone to the guest services a couple of days ago and they said they would check into it and let me know but nothing was done. This concerned us because we were worried that someone was charging things to our account. We also worried that someone had another key to our cabin because the same card for charging was the same card used to enter our cabin. We went back up to guest services and met with Cahren, a supervisor, who assured us that it would be taken care of. The charge was entered manually which means that someone might have put in the wrong account number. She also promised to check with security to make sure no one had used a card to enter our cabin. At 9pm, she called us to let us know that security said only the cabin steward and us had gained access to our cabin. That was a relief. We watched a movie Victoria and Abdul and then Big Bang Theory until we went to bed.

1/8/18 Barbados:

We got off the ship at 8:15 and walked into town. The chaos at the taxi stations was overwhelming but once we got past that, everything was fine. It took us about 10 minutes to walk into town along the water. We walked to the famous bridge and it was pretty. They were also setting up the area for the installation of the Governor General at 4pm. It was hard to find a public restroom but we found one at the Colonnade and a guard had to unlock it for you. We got back to the ship in time for lunch. We tried to sit by the pool but when they retracted the roof, it got too hot and we moved. We finally went back to the cabin for a shower and a nap. After happy hour, we had dinner at the Lido deck and then went to see the show featuring the husband and wife juggling team called Airborne. We were in bed by 8:30pm.

1/9/18 Martinique:

We had a nice day in Martinique and walked around town. It didn’t seem as hot as Barbados to us. Most of the places wanted Euros and only some took US Dollars. We did buy some souvenirs at a place that took US Dollars and gave change back in US Dollars. They had people in red vests saying, “May I Help You?” to help tourists get around town and answer any questions. We were back on the ship by lunch time. Then we sat by the pool for a little bit but the rain arrived and they closed the roof over the pool. This made the humidity level go up so we went back to our cabin. Don watched the movie Now You See Us 2 but I took a 2-hour nap. Then we went to happy hour, dinner, and the show. We were in bed again by 8:30!

1/10/18 Antigua:

We walked around Antigua yesterday and there were 4 other ships in the port. I was surprised how over the years it still is as dirty and run down as ever. I know that we pay port fees and taxes and with about 5000 tourists a day coming in, there must be a lot of corruption if there isn’t enough money to improve, clean, and fix the infrastructure. We got back on the ship by lunch time. Sat by the pool again until they retracted the roof and let the sun in. Then we went back to the cabin for a nap until happy hour. After dinner, we went to the show featuring a magician who was pretty good.

1/11/18 St. Thomas:

We docked at the Havensight Pier. Our favorite beach was still closed and we were warned that our other snorkeling place (Coki Beach) wasn’t in good shape. We walked about a mile and a half into town. It was so sad to see all the hurricane damage. We were back on the ship by lunch time and then sat by the pool all afternoon. I actually felt like doing some knitting which I haven’t felt like doing much at all on this cruise. After happy hour and dinner, we went to the show featuring LiveWire, a husband a wife who played music with a Celtic twist. She played an electric fiddle and was very good.

1/12/18 At Sea:

It was a nice relaxing day at sea. After breakfast, we just relaxed by the pool until lunchtime. Then we had a special luncheon. In the afternoon, we packed and then relaxed in the cabin until happy hour and then dinner. We went to the show and then came back to the cabin and watched TV show about Grizzlies in Alaska which was really interesting. We also got to turn our clocks back an hour to Eastern Time!

1/13/18 Half Moon Cay:

We got on the tender at 8:15. As they were loading the 400 passengers on the tender, it started pouring down rain and we were on the top level so we got soaked. By 8:40, we were on the beach, the rain had stopped, and the sun was shining. One part of the beach was roped off because they had a tropical storm that caused dangerous exposed rocks so no one could use that area. The lifeguards spent the whole time chasing people off that part. I couldn’t believe that they would climb over the yellow line or walk around it and ignore that it was closed! Later, a group of people grabbed stacked chairs and was going to block the walkways with them but the lifeguard wouldn’t let them. Instead, he told them that they could make a new line in front of the people already on the front row. This really ticked off the people in the front row. Don calls this the Beach Chairs War. It was fun to watch!  We spent 2 hours on the beach when Don noticed dark clouds forming. So, we offered our chairs to 2 elderly ladies who had just arrived and headed back to the ship. As we got to the ship, it poured down rain again but we were on the covered bottom. Meanwhile, a lady passed out on the tender and before anyone got off, the medical team jumped on and took care of her. After cleaning up, we had lunch on the Lido deck. Then we came back to the room and relaxed until happy hour and dinner. After dinner, we went to the Variety show where past performers did some more (Airborne, Jeff Peterson, and Livewire). We came back to the room, finished packing and then put our suitcases in the hallway.

1/14/18 Disembarkation:

We had Pink 3 tags, so we expected to get off the ship at 8:15 but didn’t get off until almost 8:45. I woke Don up at 6:30 and then we went to breakfast. Our ship docked at Terminal 26 but our car was at Terminal 4. I had to go to guest services to ask if there was a courtesy shuttle to the parking garage and they said there was. I don’t know why they never announced that for everyone to hear. When we got off the ship, we found the courtesy shuttle and the driver was extremely nice. We got to our car at 9:10 and was on the road by 9:20. We got home at 8:20.    

Things I’ve Learned:

1.     Don’t let the dining room staff intimidate you. I’m easily intimidated but my husband isn’t. I’m so thankful he stood up to them.

2.     I’m not a fan of poolside movies because the sloshing of the pool water made it hard to hear the movie.

3.     It is good to get exercise when you are eating lots of rich food.

4.     Having dinner on the Lido deck is pretty nice because you can get the food you want and not wait to be served.

5.     Get to the Show Theater at least 30 min. early to get a good seat.

6.     Check your account statement several times throughout the cruise to make sure you don’t have any mysterious charges on it.

7.     It was nice to walk into the town at St. Maarten.

8.     The hurricane did a lot of damage to St. Maarten but they are coming around. It may take years for them to get back to normal.

9.     The beach at St. Maarten was pretty rough and I worried about the debris under the sand and water.

10.  St. Lucia is not my favorite island but my hubby likes it.

11.  Barbados was a safer place than St. Lucia.

12.  There wasn’t a lot to do in Barbados so the next time we will go to the beach again.

13.  Martinique is a pretty island.

14.  Martinique was friendlier than expected. 

15.  Public libraries are good places to use the restroom and the free internet.

16.  Antigua is a dirty place.

17.  St. Thomas had a lot of hurricane damage.

18.  We like Half Moon Cay.

19.  We like coming back to the ship for lunch instead of the island barbecue.