Enchanted Princess

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The Enchanted Princess can accommodate 3,660 passengers and 1,346 crew members. Our captain was Raffaele Di Martino, the hotel director was Miguel Rocha, and our Cruise director was Tee Ayoub (from Brazil). Our interior cabin was C131 on deck 10 (Caribe deck).

Day 1: Ft. Lauderdale 1/6/26

Donna and Bob drove us to Port Everglades. We left at 8:45 and got there about 9:45. We were on the ship by 10:15. We peeked to see where our cabin was, but it wasn’t ready. Then we found a bar and had a beer. We checked into our muster station before heading to lunch. Lunch was on the Lido deck. After lunch, we walked around the ship and then spent the rest of the time at the Seaview Bar. We went back to our cabin and unpacked our suitcases. We had dinner on the Lido deck and then went to the Gelateria for our premium sundaes. After the sundaes, we went to the Princess Theater to watch Reggie Rice, a comedian/magician. After the show, we walked to the atrium and watched the dancers. As we walked to the Vista Lounge, we heard that someone had a medical emergency. They set up privacy screens around the incident (tablecloths, etc.) and treated the man. After that, we returned to the cabin with our cappuccinos.

Day 2: Princess Cays 1/7/26

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We got our tender tickets at 9:15 and were on the island around 9:30. We played in the water for about an hour and then walked around the beach area. At 11:00, we decided to go back to the ship. After lunch, we had another premium sundae. Then we went to the bar for a margarita. While we were there, I checked my folio and saw where we were charged $5 at a bar, so we went to guest services. The girl explained that we were charged for canned drinks, which are not part of our package. I explained we didn’t know that, and the day before, we had gotten several cans of soda at no charge, so she took the charge off. From now on, we will ask if our drinks are included in our drink package. Then we went to another bar and relaxed with more margaritas. Before dinner, we stopped at our cabin and got our jackets because the theater is chilly. We had dinner and got to the theater about 6:30. The show, Spotlight Bar featuring the singers and dancers, was very good. Before we went to bed, I had to turn our clocks forward one hour.

Day 3: At Sea 1/8/26

After breakfast, we went to the session “Discover Caribbean with your Princess Insider,” which was okay but not great. Then we walked on the jogging track until lunch time. After lunch, we thought about going to the session on “An overview of Philipsburg, St. Maarten,” but decided to get our sundae instead. Then we went to the tail end of the session. Next, we went to the bar and had a Bloody Mary, but it wasn’t that great. We went to the session on “An overview of Basseterre, St. Kitts,” which was really boring. We decided to hit our favorite bar, the Seaview Bar, and have another Bloody Mary. The bartender, Imran (Bond), made us a Bloody Caesar using Clamato juice instead of tomato juice. Then we decided to try Sex on the Beach, which was really sweet. By then it was dinner time, and after dinner we went to the show, Lovena B. Fox. She was a singer and had a great voice. After the show, we returned to our cabin to watch the Fiesta Bowl (Ol’ Miss v. Miami, FL)

Day 4: San Juan 1/9/26

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We got off the ship by 10:15 and found our meeting place for our shore excursion. As we got off the ship, we watched an ambulance arrive at the ship. We went to the El Yunque Rainforest ($129 pp), and it was scheduled for 4 hours. We had a really nice bus ride, and our first stop was at the observation tower. Then we stopped at the big swimming pool, which was built by the CCC. We saw a couple of waterfalls. While we were at the swimming pool, it poured down rain. As we descended the mountain, the rain stopped, and the sun came out. We got back to the ship around 3:30. We went to the Lido deck and had a late lunch. Then we stopped to eat our daily sundae before going to the bar for a drink. Soon after that, we went to the theater that featured Yuri and Nato, an acrobatic duo. After the shop, we went to the Salty Dog and had French fries. Then we returned to our cabin to watch the Peach Bowl (Indiana vs. Oregon).

Day 5: St. Maarten 1/10/26

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We got off the ship around 9:45, and instead of walking into town, we turned right out of the port gate. We walked towards a residential and business area until we reached the beach on the other side. It was really hot outside, so we returned to the ship by 11:15. After lunch, we went to the Seaview Bar, but there were no seats, so we went to the Good Spirits at Sea Bar. I went back to the cabin and took a shower. When I returned to the bar, we had another drink before going back up to the Seaview Bar around 3:30. I got some French fries from the Salty Dog Café. After dinner, we went to the show, “5 Skies,” which I enjoyed. We stopped to get our sundaes after the show, when I realized I had lost my medallion in the theater. After finishing our sundaes, I stopped at guest services, and someone turned in my medallion. Then we went back to the cabin and watched Jerry Maguire.

Day 6: St. Kitts 1/11/26

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We got off the ship at 8:45 and walked around the town until 10:30. It was overcast and even showered a little bit while we walked around. After lunch, we got a sundae. Then we tried to sit around the pool, but the chairs were uncomfortable, so we went to the Good Spirits at Sea Bar. It was frustrating when, after I had to do a 2-handed wave to flag down the bar waiter, he nodded that he saw me and then disappeared. I ended up having to go up to the bar to get Don’s martini. Then we went back to the cabin to relax and finished watching Jerry Maguire. After dinner, we went back to get our 2nd sundae of the day and listened to the music in the atrium. On the way back to our cabin, we got 2 lattes: a honey lavender latte and a chocolate chip latte. We watched Finding Dory.

Day 7: Antigua 1/12/26

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We got off the ship by 8:30 and walked to the post office (1.5 miles away). On the way there, we heard a parade band playing outside the police station. It looks like they were having an inspection. At the end, they all got on buses and left. The lady at the post office was very nice, and Don bought about $60 worth of stamps. On the way back, we took a flatter route and went by the place where the post office used to be. Then we decided to get back on the ship and had lunch. After lunch, we sat by the pool and relaxed until dinner time. After dinner, we had a sundae and then went back to our cabin to watch Oppenheimer. In the middle of the night, around 1:20 am, the captain announced that there was a fire alert malfunction, but now everything was okay.

Day 8: St. Thomas 1/13/26

We didn’t get off the ship today and sat by the pool until lunch time. Don took a break from relaxing and walked on the jogging track. After lunch, we had a sundae and then went back to the cabin to finish watching Oppenheimer and Avatar. We had to stop Avatar when the captions didn’t match the lips or the audio. We watched Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief instead. After dinner, we went to the show, featuring Tommy J, a comedian, juggler, and unicyclist. He had appeared on Britain’s Got Talent, and he was very entertaining. I had to frog my socks that I was knitting because somehow, I added 9 extra stitches to them, and they were too big.

Day 9: At Sea 1/14/26

Today was a lazy day. While I was waiting for Don to show up for breakfast, one of the crew members, Caroline from Kenya, stopped to talk about the socks that I was knitting. She is a knitter but has never made socks before. We are going to exchange contact info tomorrow morning, so that I can help her learn how to make socks. After breakfast, we walked on the jogging track. Then we sat by the pool and relaxed until lunch time. After lunch, we got our sundaes. Next, we went back by the pool and relaxed until late afternoon. We went to the Piazza area and watched the people doing ballroom dancing, but then Don got cold, so we moved back up to the pool area until dinner. After dinner, we got popcorn and coffee before returning to our room and watching movies. We watched Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb and Arthur the King, about a dog. I was able to knit my socks back to where they were before I had to frog them. I did more knitting today than I have the whole cruise.

Day 10: At Sea 1/15/26

Today, after breakfast, we walked on the jogging track. Then we went to the culinary demonstration at 10, which included a galley tour. After that, we got our seats for the Lido deck for lunch. At noon, they were having a special seafood and pastry buffet. I got my regular roast beef at 11:30, and then at noon, I got the black forest cake and tiramisu. After lunch, we returned to our cabin and packed our suitcases. We watched The Verdict with Paul Newman until dinner time. After dinner, we finished our last-minute packing and then put our suitcases out in the hall. We had to turn our clocks back before going to sleep.

Day 11: Ft. Lauderdale 1/16/26

I got up early to get our seats for breakfast around 4 am. Then I came back to the room to make sure Don was awake by 6. We were scheduled to get off the ship by 8, but they were ahead of schedule, and we were off the ship by 7:30. Bob and Donna picked us up by 9 am.

Things I Learned:

• Check my folio every day for odd charges somehow added to my account. It is easier to take care of them as they appear than wait for the last day.
• We talked with a couple who were wearing Hoka sports shoes, and we want to give them a try.
• I like the premium sundaes that are included in the drink package.
• If the drink package wasn’t a special included in the price of the cruise, I wouldn’t get it. It is $65 per person each day, and both people in the cabin have to get it.
• I’m glad we used our shipboard credit for an excursion to El Yunque Rainforest.
• Carry business cards with my contact info with me every day in case I want to exchange info with new friends.
• Put the picture of my luggage tag on the lock screen of my phone. Even though this time, I didn’t lose my phone on the ship, it could have happened. Then they would know who owned the phone.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

HAL Zuiderdam 2024

The HAL Zuiderdam can hold 1,916 passengers and 842 crew. Our captain was Frank Van der Hoeven, the hotel director was Glenn Cowley, our Cruise director was Karlijn Verpalen, and when Karlijn had to leave for a family emergency, Glen Michaels the Entertainment Director took over. Our inside cabin was 7132 and our cabin stewards were Johan and Matt. We had dinner at table 23 in the Dining Room 3rd deck. Our servers were Apri and Desri.

Day 1: Embarkation - Saturday, November 23, 2024

Click here for pictures while we were on the ship

We left our FL house at 9:30 and made it to the port by 10:30. There were no lines for dropping off bags and when we got to the parking garage, we found a spot on the 2nd level. Embarkation went very smoothly and we were on the ship by 11:30.

After lunch, we walked around the ship and dropped our stuff off at our cabin. Since our luggage wasn’t there yet, we walked around and got a couple of drinks. We found our dining room table (it was a table for 4) and we also checked on our shore excursions. When we checked, my suitcase had arrived so I put away my clothes. At 1:30, we did the safety drill which meant we had to go to Deck 3 and check in. Once we saw our lifeboat (section 16), we could leave. We watched the safety video on our TV and that was it. Don’s luggage had arrived so we put away his stuff. Then we went up to the Crow’s Nest to watch us leave (supposedly at 3:45). By 4:30, we left to get our jackets for dinner and went to the dining room.

We sat at table 23 and it was only the 2 of us. For dinner, we started off with French onion soup (for me) and a beet, orange salad (for Don). Don had Ocean Hake (fish, muscles, and clams) for the main entree, and I had the NY Strip Loin. We both had a cookies and cream sundae for dessert.

After dinner, we went to the Captain’s reception for 3, 4, and 5-star mariners. I got a picture with the captain. We went to the Crow’s Nest to get a cappuccino and then returned to our cabin so Don could watch football.

Day 2: Sea Day - Sunday, November 24, 2024

After breakfast, we walked for an hour around Deck 3. There were a lot of walkers out there with us. At 11, we went to the talk about The Caribbean Up Close: Water Works with Karlijn. I realized that we had been on the Rotterdam with her in 2022. She did a great job! I left at 11:30 to meet up with knitters and 6 others showed up. At noon, I met up with Don for lunch. At 2pm, we heard Karlijn talk about the Caribbean Up Close: Treasure Islands. Then we stopped at the Pinnacle Bar and had a couple of Bloody Marys before dinner. I enjoyed dinner in the dining room and our servers are excellent. After dinner, we went to the show: Emile Diego Doles, Tyler Michael Breeding & Company in Song & Dance. Then we stopped at the Pinnacle Bar for one last Bloody Mary before heading back to our cabin. Before going to bed, we watched DeadPool.

Day 3: Sea Day - Monday, November 25, 2024

After breakfast, we walked for an hour around Deck 3. There were a lot of walkers out there with us. At 11, Don went to the talk about The Caribbean Up Close: The Islands’ Spirit with Karlijn while I went to the Crow’s Nest to meet the knitters. After lunch, I went to a watercolor class on painting jellyfish. That was a lot of fun. At 3pm, we went to the Rolling Stones Lounge to hear Karlijn answer questions about St. Maarten. When we got there, Glen Michaels, the Entertainment Director, was in her place due to a family emergency. He was very good! On the way out, I gave him a gnome as a thank-you for jumping in to help Karlijn. After that session, we went to the Pinnacle Bar for pre-dinner cocktails. Dinner was very good again and after dinner, we went to the show: The Alans, a husband-and-wife team. He was the magician, and she was the mentalist.

Day 4: St. Maarten - Tuesday, November 26, 2024

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We met on the dock at 8:15 for our shore excursion: Under Two Flags, Island Drive. We got on the bus and our driver was Nicholas. We drove through Philipsburg (the Dutch capital) and headed to the French side. We passed by Orient Beach and stopped in Marigot (the French capital). We walked around for 45 minutes and found the post office but we didn’t buy anything since they didn’t accept US dollars. We stopped by Maho Beach on the way back to Philipsburg. We arrived back at the ship around 11:30 and felt this excursion was well worth the $30 pp that we paid.

After lunch, we sat on the deck and relaxed for a little while. Then we had a couple of drinks before going back to the cabin for a shower. After that, we went back out for another drink and then to the Lido deck for French fries. By then, we walked around until it was time to change for dinner. Dinner was prime rib which I enjoyed but Don’s prime rib was tough. At 7:30 we went to the show All That and enjoyed the show because we recognized all the songs. When we got back to the cabin, we watched the movie Avatar, the Way of the Water.

Day 5: Antigua- Wednesday, November 27, 2024

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We got off the ship around 8:30 and walked to the post office. Don bought $2 worth of local stamps. Then we walked to the Central market, the meat market, and the fish market. We got back to the ship around 9:30. We sat on the Lido deck and had some cool drinks while we waited for lunch to open. After lunch, we went to deck 3 to sit in the lounge chairs with a beer. Eventually, we had to move because they were cleaning the lifeboats so we went to the Pinnacle Bar and sat for a while. Then I sat with some knitters before going back to the cabin for a nap. At 5pm, we had a reservation at the Pinnacle Grill.

For dinner, we had lobster bisque as a starter. For the entrée, I had a 15 oz. boneless ribeye and Don had the Chilean Sea Bass. For dessert we had crème brulee. Our whole dinner was fabulous!

After dinner, we watched The Alans again do their magician mentalist show. It was entertaining.

Day 6: St. Lucia - Thursday, November 28, 2024

It was raining when we could get off the ship so we ended up staying on the ship all day. It pretty much rained all day until it was time for us to leave the port. We were glad that we had been here many times so we didn’t feel like we missed anything. In the morning we sat out on the Lido deck and read until lunchtime. After lunch, we spent the afternoon in the Pinnacle Bar listening to podcasts and I knit. After dinner we went to the show – Class Act which features songs by well-known women (Bette Midler, Enya, Helen Reddy, Ann Margret, Tina Turner.

Day 7: Dominica - Friday, November 29, 2024

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We had to get up early because we had a shore excursion scheduled – Dominica’s Favorite (4.5 hours for $60 pp). We met on the pier and got on the bus very quickly. Our tour guide was Corey and he was fabulous. About 15 min. into the drive, our bus broke down. We were right in front of the water treatment plant. 30 minutes later a replacement bus was sent and we were on our way. Some people needed to use the restroom so he stopped at a small store and asked if people could use the restroom. They came back and said that there was no seat and no toilet paper and it didn’t flush. I’m glad we didn’t need to use it. Our first scheduled stop was at the Emerald Pool. It was about a 15 min. walk to the pool downhill which means it was uphill on the way back but it was well worth the hike. Our next stop was at Trafalgar Falls and it was a 10 min. walk uphill which made it a lovely downhill walk on the way back. Our last scheduled stop was at the Botanical Gardens. At one of the Powder Puff trees, the hummingbirds were all over it. Before heading back to the ship, we went to the top of the mountain and got a lovely view of our ship and the town of Roseau. When we got back to the ship, Don and I went to the General Post Office which was a 2 min. walk from the ship. It was really hot and sunny outside. We weren’t sure where to go and the security guard asked us if we were looking for the post office and welcomed us in. It was nicely air-conditioned! The lady in the post office was patient and nice so we ended up buying $7 USD worth of stamps. On the way back to the ship, we stopped at the supermarket.

When we got back to the ship and went up to the Lido deck, it was just closing. Don was able to get a salad right before it closed. I went to the Dive In and got a hot dog and French fries. Then we stopped at the Pinnacle Bar for a drink before returning to our cabin to clean up for dinner.

After dinner, we skipped the show because we both were pretty tired from our busy day. We went back to our cabin and finished watching the movie Avatar. Then we went to sleep early.

Somebody told us that they went to Champagne Reef and went snorkeling. The cab driver wanted $100 but they negotiated down to $60. The driver dropped them off and then came back for them. Maybe next time we will give it a try.

Day 8: St. Kitts - Saturday, November 30, 2024

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We had to get up early again because we had a shore excursion scheduled – St. Kitts Railway (3 hours for $130 pp). We docked later than expected because it was very windy. It took 3 pilots and a tugboat to get us docked. We got off the ship around 8:30 and rushed to our meeting place on the pier (we were supposed to meet at 8:15). After a 10 min. bus ride, we got to the Needmust Train station where we got on the train. We stayed downstairs because it was air-conditioned. They gave us unlimited drinks (rum punch, punch, soda, or water) and a sugar cake (a candy mixture of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.) We got back to the ship around 12:30 and got on board to have lunch. After lunch, we sat in the Pinnacle Bar until it was time for dinner. After dinner, we went to the show featuring comedian Bill Boronkay. When we returned to the cabin, we watched the movie, Arthur the King which was very entertaining.

Day 9: St. Thomas - Sunday, December 1, 2024

We arrived in St. Thomas around 8am but we didn’t get off the ship. After breakfast, we sat out on deck 3 and enjoyed the scenery. I knit, read, and listened to podcasts. Around 11am, we went up to the Lido deck to claim our table for lunch. After lunch, we went to the Pinnacle bar to have a couple of Bloody Marys. Then we went back to the cabin to watch the Bridge of Spies. At 5 we had dinner at the Pinnacle Grill and then we went to the show featuring a Celtic violinist, Mairead Nesbitt who was very good. They showed a video of scenery (probably Ireland) while she played almost nonstop for 50 minutes. She was very lively and energetic as she played. We had to turn our clocks back an hour when we went to bed.

Day 10: Sea Day- Monday, December 2, 2024

Today we relaxed all day on the ship. We sat on deck 3 and relaxed until lunchtime. Don forgot his hearing aids and had to go back to the room. Then he had trouble finding his way back to me. I don’t know if his sugar is up or if he is dehydrated which may be causing his confusion. After lunch at 1, we went to Ask the Captain. At 3, we went to the Royal Dutch Tea. After dinner we went to the show Hey Mr. DJ which was very good. We sat with Mari and Viji again and I learned a little more about them. They are fascinating to talk with!

Day 11: Half Moon Cay - Tuesday, December 3, 2024

When we arrived at Half Moon Cay, it was windy and overcast so we decided to stay on the ship. We sat on deck 3 until lunchtime. After lunch, we went back to deck 3 where I read and Don walked laps. Then we went to finish packing our suitcase which didn’t take long. We also worked on a letter to the hotel director complaining about the deceptive advertising of the specialty restaurant. Then we relaxed in the Pinnacle Bar until it was time to get ready for dinner. After dinner, we went to the show which was a combination of the comedian and the violinist. Viji and Mari sat with us, and they gifted me a beautiful pair of earrings! I enjoyed the comedian because he used new material, but the violinist played the same songs that she played the other night. When we returned to the cabin, we put out our suitcases and finished watching the movie Horizon Chapter 1 and it was a horrible movie.

Day 12: Ft. Lauderdale - Wednesday, December 4, 2024

I got up at 4am and then went to the Lido deck. I saved our seats and went back to the cabin at 5:30 to make sure Don was awake. We got everything together and went for breakfast. Since we are 4 star mariners, we were able to get off the ship at 8:15 and we were on the road by 8:30. It was a very smooth debarkation!

Things I Learned:

• St. Maarten – cab ride to the boardwalk is $3 each way; water taxi is $4 one way/$7 round trip. $2 public bus ride to Maho Beach.
• Antigua - Someone recommended going to Jolly Beach so maybe next time we will take a cab there and check it out.
• Dominica – there is a mountain covered in grass and when the rocks get hot, the grass catches on fire and burns. Then the seeds that didn’t burn eventually grow and cover the rocks in new grass.
• We liked Dominica and want to go back.
• St. Kitts – the St. Kitts scenic train ride was bumpy but fun. The view would probably be better upstairs, but the downstairs was air-conditioned.
• I messed up and saw we were charged for Pinnacle Grill last night. I read on the Have It All package that we got 2 nights at the specialty restaurant. Apparently, it is only 1 night at the Pinnacle Grill and 1 night at Canaletto. So we had to pay for last night. I still feel like they misled us on purpose but I learned my lesson for next time.
• I’m glad I brought my magnets with hooks for me.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

MSC Magnifica Week 3

Click here for pictures of our days on the ship. 

Day 15: 11/11/23 At Sea

 

After breakfast, Don walked, and I relaxed on the deck and read a book. After that, we relaxed in our cabin until lunch. At 2pm, the retired guy from NASA spoke again and the room was full. He was really interesting and talked about the Shuttle Columbia and other things that have gone wrong.  After that, we had a few drinks until dinner time. We had dinner in the dining room, so we didn’t go to the show. The show starts at 9:15 so we went back to the cabin for the night.

 

Day 16: 11/12/23 At Sea

 

After breakfast, Don walked again, and I relaxed and read on the deck. At 11, we went to a talk about Columbus, Vespucci and other explorers. After lunch, we had another NASA talk where he talked about the Shuttle Challenger and other things. He showed us a model of the “O-ring” that he had made. Then we relaxed in the cabin until it was time to go to the Diamond Party. I got pictures with some of the officers, and it was a nice party. We ate at the buffet so we could go to the early show featuring the singers and dancers performing an Elvis show. They were very good and we enjoyed the show.

 

Day 17: 11/13/23 At Sea

 

We had another lovely day at sea. After breakfast, Don walked, and I sat on the deck reading. While he was walking, he saw a small sailboat out in the ocean. After that, we had some cappuccinos and met a guy, also named Don from Idaho, and enjoyed our conversation until lunchtime. In the afternoon we went to a talk about San Juan. After that we relaxed in our cabin. While we were watching the Whitney Houston movie (again), it suddenly switched to the Discovery Channel. I think we got in range of a TV signal. We also noticed that we got the Travel Channel too. Then we had pre-dinner drinks. After dinner, we went to the show featuring Yuri and Nato again. It was very entertaining. We stopped for some cappuccinos after the show and returned to our cabin. Before going to sleep, we watched some of the Discovery Channel. It was a nice change from seeing those same movies over and over again.

 

Day 18: 11/14/23 At Sea

 

This was our last day at sea crossing the Atlantic Ocean. We relaxed and read on the deck. At 11, we went to a fun Italian lesson. After lunch, we relaxed in our cabin until it was dinner time. Every day, we get gifts sent to our cabin. Today we got another bottle of Prosecco and a fruit basket. We now have 3 bottles in the fridge that we need to drink. While in the cabin, we watched some old movies. One was Follow the Boys with Connie Frances and Paula Prentiss. Another starred Jane Powell and Gordon MacCrae. I started watching one with Frank Sinatra but it was time to get our predinner cocktails before dinner. Don said that he was ready to get home now but he may change his mind once we are going to some ports every day.

 

Day 19: 11/15/23 St. Maarten

 

Click here for pictures of St. Maarten.

 

We got off the ship at 8:30 and walked into town (about 1 mile).  There were 5 ships in port and there were heavy crowds on the beach, so we decided to skip the beach. They were asking $25 for 2 chairs, an umbrella, and a bucket of 5 beers which was a reasonable price, but we knew it was just too hot for me and we wouldn’t be there long enough to enjoy that. So, we found the post office on Pond Island and the clerk there was so helpful. She ended up showing Don all these sheets of stamps that he bought for around $76. We stopped at a supermarket and bought 2 sodas for $2.50. Then we went to Caribbean Blue to say Hi to Suzette. I was so hot and tired that I forgot to take a picture of her! After that, we returned to the ship around noon.  When we got to our cabin, we had a plate of bonbons waiting for us. After lunch, we napped and watched old 1940s movies on TV (TCM channel). Then we had pre-dinner drinks. While eating dinner, we watched the Viking Sea ship leave and people on their balconies were waving their phone flashlights goodbye to us. I thought that was pretty cool. After dinner, we had a cappuccino before bedtime.

 

Day 20: 11/16/23 Tortola

 

Click here for pictures of Tortola

 

We got off the ship around 8:15 and asked at the information counter where the post office was. She gave me a map and explained how to get there. It wasn’t far away at all. So, we went to the post office and the clerk there was very patient and helpful. Don ended up buying around $50 worth of Tortola stamps. Then we walked to Pusser’s store, but they don’t sell hats anymore. We walked around town until 11am and then returned to the ship. When we got to our cabin there was another gift of canapes (caviar, salmon, and prosciutto). We had trouble finding Amstel Light or Dos Equis beer at the bars. They said they were low on supplies. After lunch, we returned to our cabin to relax until dinner. After dinner, we went to the show featuring Magician Juan Alvarez.

 

Day 21: 11/17/23 San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

Click here for pictures of San Juan.

 

We got into port at 8am but we had to do face-to-face customs. Our group C had to meet in the theater at 10am with our passports and key cards but they called us early.  Then they escort the group off the ship to customs. This whole process was well organized and went smoothly. We couldn’t return to the ship until after everyone had gone through customs and there was no one on the ship which was around noon. We walked around town and looked for some thrift stores but didn’t find any. When we got hot and thirsty, we stopped at our favorite fast food place, El Meson, and got mallorcas with cheese. I was able to order them using my Spanish and was thrilled when they understood me. After that, we walked around some more before ending up at CVS to buy some snacks to take back to the ship. Don had a stomach ache so we returned to the ship around 1pm. We had lunch and returned to the cabin so Don could rest. New treats arrived at our cabin again from the hotel director! Before dinner, we had a couple of drinks and ate dinner at the buffet. San Juan was pretty at night.

 

Things I’ve Learned:

• They played the same 6 movies in different languages every day.
• Check out both sides of the buffet because there may be different foods on each side.
• I like the Holland America ships that have movies on Demand in the cabin so you can stop and start them back as needed.
• Walking around the ship is good exercise (especially if you don’t use the elevator).
• Old movies are still fun to watch.
• You need to know how to tell military time on a ship.
• I need to carry 2 bottles of water when walking in the heat.

Click here for the write-ups for

Week 1

Week 2

Original photo by Pat Hensley

MSC Seaside 2019

For more pictures, click here.

We are back on the MSC Seaside again. We left Miami on 9/28 and returned on 10/5. Our cost included the beverage package and 3G of wifi. Our cabin number is 10184 and our cabin Steward is Raysen.  We had dinner in the Seashore dining room at table 474 which is a table for 2 and our waitstaff is Norwin and Daniel. This ship holds 5119 passengers! It is 153, 516 GT, 323 m (1060 ft.) long, and has 18 decks. Our captain is Francesco di Palma, Chief Engineer is Neven Krivic, hotel director is Andrea de Vincentiis, Cruise Director is Arturo G. Melo, and Guest Relations Manager is Natan Freitas. We also saw Rowena who works in the specialty restaurant (we met her on the Divina) and Mandy-Leigh Castle, the Yacht Club Director, who we also met on the Divina/

Saturday 9/28 Embarkation

We arrived at the port at 11:30 and our ship was at Terminal F. But the parking garage is labeled Parking Garage G and it cost $22 per day. Going through security was smooth and I didn’t even have to take my computer out of my backpack. We were checked in and sent immediately on the ship. After going to the kiosk to register our credit card, we dropped some stuff off at the cabin. We ate lunch at the Biscayne Bay Buffet on Deck 16 which was very small. We realized later that the last time we were on the ship we did not ever eat at this buffet. The main buffet is on Deck 8 (Marketplace Buffet). We found the Sports Bar and had a few beers. The bartenders Leo and Avel were excellent! We didn’t wait long and got another drink whenever we needed one. At 4pm we had the muster drill and we were sent into a bar area on deck 6. I couldn’t hear or understand anything, so I knit, and Don napped. When it was over, we went back to the Sports Bar for a beer and then decided to go to the dining room for dinner. Sometime during the day, we saw Roxy and Vince, who we met on the Seaside last September. At first, we hadn’t planned on eating in the dining room but this time we decided we would and the service and food were very good. After dinner, we changed and then went to the Metropolitan theater to get a seat for the 8:30 show called Timeless. Then we went to bed.

Sunday 9/29/19 At Sea

We had a pleasant day at sea. After breakfast, we did our exercise walk on the deck with the basketball court. At 10am we went to the Cruise Critic meetup which was a huge event. They had cocktails and cake and appetizers including a martini glass full of chocolate strawberries! We met a nice couple, Jason and Amber from Ontario. I also met another officer who was on the Divina with us. After that, we walked around until lunchtime. In the afternoon, we went to the Beer Improve (for families). I was going to do the arts and crafts but it was the same as the last time, so I decided to skip it. By then we had to get ready for dinner which was Elegant night. Dinner was enjoyable and after dinner, we went to the show Wizard, which I really enjoyed.

Monday 9/30/19 San Juan

In the morning we did our exercise walk. Before lunch, we sat on the back deck and visited with this nice couple, Miles and Angie, from Port St. Lucie. After lunch, we went back to the cabin and relaxed. Around 3:30 we went to the Sports Bar to watch the ship come into San Juan. We were off the ship around 4:30 and walked around town. We stopped to have a Mallorca at El Meson. Then we found the street with the cats so I can take a picture of the street name for Dyanna. Next, we found the street with umbrellas. There were new umbrellas there and the street was closed off to cars and pedestrians. Next, we walked around until it got dark. I bought two small leather bracelets to use with my shawls (2/$5). We got back on the ship around 7pm and had dinner at the buffet.

Tuesday 10/1/19 St. Thomas

We were going to go snorkeling at Secret Harbor, but it would cost $25 for the cab ride there and another $25 to get back to the ship. We decided to skip snorkeling and just walk around town. We got off the ship around 8:30. It took us about 45 minutes to get to the farthest end of town and it was hot outside. It was about a 2-mile walk to the far end of town. We walked around for about 2 hours before taking a cab back to the ship for $4 per person. We spent the day relaxing on the ship. After dinner, we went to the show and saw The Dream.

Wednesday 10/2/19 St. Maarten

We were one of the first ones off the ship at 7am and walked to the beach (about a 30-minute walk – 1 mile) and we were swimming by 7:30. I’m glad we didn’t wait for the water taxi because we didn’t see the first water taxi until around 8:30. We got to the beach so early that all the vendors hadn’t even finished setting up their chairs. We found a spot and dropped our stuff there, but we didn’t rent chairs or umbrellas. We swam in the ocean for about 3 hours. Before going back to the ship, we stopped by to see Suzette and she seemed happy to see us. After lunch, we relaxed until we went to the Black Card Party at 5pm. We enjoyed seeing Mandy-Leigh Castle (over the Yacht Club) again. We had met her on the MSC Divina, and she remembered us. We also saw Roxy and Vince from Kansas again. We met Paul and Sue from Port St. Lucie and found out that Paul was a semi-retired real estate attorney in Florida. He didn’t seem to mind when we talked shop and was extremely helpful. After dinner, we went to the show, Fly, which was very good.

Thursday 10/3/19 At Sea

We had a sea day and just relaxed. After breakfast, we did our exercise walk. Then we went to the theater to hear the Captain’s Question and Answer session. Don had a hard time understanding the Captain. We stayed for the Master Chef show but left in the middle of it to go eat lunch. After lunch, we went back to the cabin to relax until it was time for dinner. After dinner, we were invited to the Welcome Back Party, but we skipped it to go to the show, Peter Punk. We enjoyed the show.

Friday 10/4/19 Nassau

After breakfast, we did our exercise walk and then packed our suitcases. We arrived in Nassau at noon, but we didn’t get off the ship. At 2pm we had a private tour of the Yacht Club (thanks to Mandy-Leigh Castle, Yacht Club Director). Then at 5:30, we ate dinner in the Butcher’s Cut. We didn’t get out of dinner in time to go to the show so we walked around and then went back to our cabin so we could put our suitcases in the hall.

Saturday 10/5/19 Debarkation

Debarkation was total chaos! We were told to be in the Metropolitan Theater by 7:40 and we should have been the third group off as Black Card Members (after Self Assist and Aurea Experience). They said they would call our color tag (we were lilac0 and to wait in the theater until we were called. Then the crew member announced that we had parked the ship in a “different direction” so there was only one exit off the ship (for 5000 people!). It was worrisome when I started thinking about our safety if there was an emergency! There was no order or organization. Apparently, they were making announcements around the ship but none in the theater! We waited until 9:30 and finally just joined the chaotic line to get off the ship. People were just jumping in the line and others were going in the opposite direction dragging their luggage. No one knew what was going on (crew or passengers). While we were in line, we heard the announcement that there were newly added security measures and that is the reason for the delay. Either the guy in the theater lied or the one making the announcement lied but someone was lying! Once we were off the ship, we had to get in another line for some kind of face recognition. Then we got our luggage in the warehouse area and never went through a customs check. We were finally on the road by 10:30. This chaos had us rethinking of taking another MSC cruise because this is not the first time they have had total chaos getting off the ship.

Things I Learned:

1.     Inside cabins on MSC are very small!

2.     The bathroom was smaller than the ones on Carnival.

3.     This is the same captain we had last September.

4.     The shows are in Steampunk style.

5.     I like strawberries dipped in chocolate.

6.     We don’t care for the Beer Improv show.

7.     The walk into St. Thomas took about 45 minutes and was good exercise.

8.     The walk to the St. Maarten beach was not long and if we had waited for the water taxi, we would have wasted an hour.

9.     We didn’t have to rent chairs and umbrellas since we were only there for 3 hours but we found a spot that no chairs were set so we could watch our stuff.

10.  The beverage package that came with our cruise has been well worth the money.

11.  We like the individual acts within the shows.

12.  Debarkation on MSC ships is a disaster!

Original photo by Pat Hensley