mimmy52

On 2/22/2020 at 4:10 PM, Oakman58 said:

Those were great pictures of the fort.

I never liked being called out of the audience to go up on stage.  One time in Vegas I was picked out of the audience at a ventriloquist show and made a complete fool of myself.

 

As Anthem of the Seas departed St. Kitts the North Star observation globe had been raised.  The folks inside that thing must have had a heck of a view.

 

It looks like a device to fling trouble-making passengers onto another ship.

Love the picture of Marty, and happy belated birthday, Aprille.  Ms Mary, I’d be okay with you making stuff up. After all, how would we know?

I was back in my cabin when I saw from the bridge camera that the sun was setting so I went back to deck 16 to take a few pictures.

The five of us met in Maltings for a pre-dinner drink.  It was crowded and noisy as usual. Four people next to us were playing cards and one of them spilled a milky drink.  Was it ever messy!  It even went under the glass on the table.  The waiter cleaned off the table top but all that yuck was still under the glass. 

We ate at Taste.  We now ask for a round table (easier to hear each other talk) and off to the side where we won't smell the smoke.

I had smoked lobster ravioli for my appetizer.  I'd had it once before and liked it but this time it didn't seem as good.

My entree was Broiled Rainbow Trout. Very pretty but so dry I ate only half of it.  

To make up for the disappointing trout, I had two desserts.  Chocolate fudge cake without the fine print which said poached apricot compote, pistachio cream.

The other was chocolate lava cake.  Maybe I had more wine than usual with dinner because these pictures are really blurred.

This must have been the pound cake with vanilla pudding and that picture looks ok.

We thought we would see the Wheel of Ill Will Game in the Atrium since that sounded like fun, but there were no chairs available.  We moved on to Headliners and Howl at the Moon and found a table with high chairs near the back.

We'd had a lot of fun at Howl at the Moon the other night, but tonight it was off to a slow, kind of boring, start.  It's all about song requests and the songs requested weren't that great.  And the three musicians didn't seem to interact with each other very well.  It got going better when some faster songs were requested.  I guess the slower ones must have had big tips.  Sis and Bil went back to their cabin but Bro, Sil, and I stayed on.  When Rhonda was going to play a Gladys Knight song, she decided she needed some Pips.  Two guys in front were tagged immediately, then Brian walked around with the microphone looking for another.  He even tried to get someone from outside the Comedy Club.  When he came back in, he headed straight for Bro.  The audience chose who was to lead and the other two were to follow his movements.  I loved it.

We were dropped off by the shops in Basseterre.  Everyone seemed to be heading back to the docked ships, and most of the town seemed empty.  All aboard for the Epic wasn't until 4:30 so I was surprised, but maybe passengers planned to eat on the ship, then go out again.  Town was very close.

There was a long line waiting to get through.  They expected to see a photo ID and many people had to dig through their belongings to find it.

We went right to the buffet to eat.  I had lentil soup and a tuna salad sandwich.

There's a wine vending machine in the Garden Cafe.  It wasn't included with the beverage package, but if you wanted wine all you had to do was go to the beverage station.

We saw they had Cartoon Trivia in the atrium.  We didn't plan to play but we went to O'Sheehan's for a drink and watched over the railing.  I think I had a mudslide.  I know at some point on this cruise I did, and I loved it.  It was very filling though, like a milkshake.  

They had some old cartoon characters but at least half were new that we didn't know.  Some we recognized like this one but couldn't place.

And we knew this one was a Care Bear but didn't know which one.

Bro and Sil went back to their cabin after that and I went to deck 16.  The Viking Sea was docked near us.

I never did get in the pool.  I'm a germaphobe and am very leery of pools.  Hot tubs are totally out for me.

But the slides looked fun.  Doesn't mean I went down one though.

It was a climb up a ramp with steps to the high point of the fortress.  A view after I got to the top.

Another guard was stationed here.  They were certainly trying to be as authentic as possible.

I headed back down before I'd climbed to the very top of the walls.  I hadn't found the stairs and I wanted to walk around below for a while too.  I didn't want to be the last one on the bus.  The views were interesting from below too.

I joined Sil at the snack stand.  She hadn't attempted the climb.  Once I saw her drinking a Coke, I was thrilled. Coke products!  I had one too.

A few minutes later, it was time to head back to the ship.  Once again the driver had to position the van on a curve to get through two narrow openings.  This is one of them.  The van goes through with only inches to spare on each side.  The fortress was my favorite stop of the day.

We were at Caribelle Batik ostensibly to see a batik demonstration but I think mostly to shop.  The grounds were beautiful though.

There was a line to enter the area where the demonstration was supposed to take place.  It was also the shop.

This was as much as I saw of the demonstration.  It was so crowded in there, everyone was being jostled, and this area for the demonstration was small.  

There was a wall of photographs of famous people who had visited, and our guide was pointing them out to me and asking if I recognized any of them.  Some were royalty, one was President Jimmy Carter.  I recognized them and he seemed pleased.  I didn't stay inside long though.  It was so crowded it was hard to move forward, most of the space taken up with batik clothing for sale with customers crowded around the clothing.  I had to push my way through to get outside.  I spent the rest of the time there admiring the grounds.

Judging by the number of bags carried back on the bus, the stop had been a hit. As we continued to the next stop, our driver pointed out various trees and told us how the leaves had been used before other medications became available.  Before they had toothbrushes, they used the leaves of a certain tree to clean their teeth.  We also saw of lot of hens and roosters beside the road.  The drive was interesting.

We passed a boatyard.

Then we came to our last stop, the Brimstone Hill Fortress

The hairpin turns up the mountain were scary. 

The driver was almost constantly honking his horn, and there were plenty of reminders in case you thought it wasn't necessary.

At the last couple of turns he had to position the large van to get through two narrow openings.  A regular bus would never have made it.

We had arrived.

I guess this could be called the changing of the guard.  I felt sorry for the men who did this.  It was a hot day, those uniforms looked hot, and the little box they had to stand in looked hot too.

I liked the pink license plates in St. Kitts.  On our way to the next stop.

These small roadside stands always interest me.

Our guide would pull over to point out certain things of interest.  Trouble was, he was hard to understand when he used the microphone because he had it so close to his mouth and he talked loud which distorted his words.  He pulled over to talk about road construction.  A hurricane had destroyed a large section of the road we were on and it was being reconstructed.

I take pictures of pretty houses too.

We came to a herd of sheep being driven to fresh grass.

And we passed the ruins of an old sugar mill

Shortly after that, we came to our second stop, Caribelle Batik.  The parking lot was so jam-packed here that an attendant had to guide each van in.

Fairview Great House was first the residence of a French military commander, then home to various families, a hotel in the 1960s, sat vacant for a while, then renovated for tourism.  We gathered around the dining room table as the guide told us about the House.

We had 30 minutes free time and were welcome to look around on the second floor, but I decided to start with the botanical garden outside.

Even though I didn't see a lot of flowers, it smelled really good outside.

There was a pool in the back and it is free to anyone who lives on the island.  As our guide explained though, they are all busy working.

There is also a lovely place to sit on a covered patio and enjoy the breeze. You could buy refreshments.

I never did have time to go back inside to the second floor before we were off again.

Monday, February 3, Basseterre, St. Kitts

We arrived in St. Kitts before 8:00 am and docked next to the Anthem of the Seas.  We are still having beautiful weather and calm seas.

I was in the theater at 8:00 for our 8:10 meeting time for our excursion called "Best of St. Kitts with Fairview Great House."  Since Sis and Bil had canceled the rest of their excursions, it was Bro, Sil, and me.  Well, we weren't the only ones in the theater, but there were a lot fewer compared to other days.  The first tour was called and about half in the theater left, then our tour was called and it seemed as if the rest of us left. 

We found our tour guide and followed her into St. Kitts where we joined a long line.  Entering St. Kitts

We had entertainment

They don't use buses on the islands but long vans (although sometimes I refer to it as a bus), so maybe 12-14 at a time were taken from the line and led to transportation.  You definitely don't want to get the seat where there's a wheel well.  There was a woman in our van who used a wheelchair, but she didn't get off at any of the stops.  It was hot that day and not all that cool in the van, but I hope she had enjoyment from watching the scenery.  I admire someone willing to go and she seemed to be by herself too.

We drove through town in a lot of traffic and the usual sights were pointed out: government buildings, churches, schools, banks and as we got under way, hospitals.  It sounds as if there are a lot of doctors here.  We passed Independence Square which was a nice park and the Immaculate Conception Co-Cathedral.

I can't remember if this was anything special or if I just decided it would make a nice picture.

We passed the ferry terminal

And two small trees covered with snowy egrets.

I think this was just the entrance to upscale housing.

Our first stop was Fairview Great House, built in 1701.  The parking lot was crowded.

You can still make writing your nonagenarian career. Unless you’re thinking of applying at Dairy Queen, then you probably wouldn’t have time.  I’d be glad to read about your every day life any old time. 

Ive been doing a review of my recent cruise on the Epic and I think I will use your catch phrase of not letting it ruin your vacation on my next posting, unless you object.  

10 minutes ago, JP82 said:

@mimmy52 Marella is part of the TUI travel group, and their motto is "Crossing the t's, dotting the i's and putting u in the middle" See what they did there?

 

I think the logo represents the U with the "t" and the "i" combined.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TUI_Group

In that case, it's clever.  I could picture it better when I followed your link.  Thanks.

Tonight at 6:30, Burn the Floor was going to perform in the Manhattan Room.  I requested that we eat there tonight instead of Taste.  We'd been eating in Taste because you could wear shorts there.  We met up outside the Manhattan Room but we weren't allowed in.  Bil was wearing shorts.  He said, "That's ok.  You guys go in and we'll go..."  Before he could continue, I interrupted and said "Let's go to Taste."  One of the reasons I was on this cruise was to spend time with my family.  I was looking forward to the next two days when all five of us would be on excursions together.

I ordered asparagus and artichoke risotto.

We asked Sis and Bil how their lobster lunch was that afternoon.  Sis said it was disappointing since they were each served one lobster tail.  She likes the whole lobster, plus they'd expected more than one tail.  Sis said on the bus for the highlights part of the excursion, she was squished on a bench seat.  At one point the guide wasn't able to see her she was scrunched down so far.  He came back, brought her up to the front, and gave her his seat.  Bil said they'd gone ahead and canceled the rest of their shore excursions.

Time for the entree.  I had Pan-Seared Alaskan Pollock.

Our table was close to the chandelier and the opening above to the casino.  The smoke from the casino almost drove us out of our seats.  It really took away from the enjoyment of the meal. And poor Sil was so tired I thought she was going to fall asleep and end up with her face in her plate, but she held on.

Dessert solves everything, almost.  I had double chocolate roulade. Very tasty.

Bil was talking about the various venues where the Super Bowl could be watched, but Sis said she was tired and he could watch it in their room.  Sil woke up enough to walk back to their room with Bro.  If I had gone back to my cabin, I'd have had my little cubicle with no where to sit except the bed and nothing to do.  I walked through the Atrium where they had set out a lot of extra chairs so people could watch the Super Bowl but they were all filled.

I went up on the pool deck and headed toward Spice H2O.  Along the way

The pool in Spice H2O was covered, the loungers gone and many extra chairs in place.  I got there just in time to see the Chiefs first touchdown.  

The chairs were filled up here too.

An extra bar had been set up

And they had a special cake

I couldn't sit in a lounger on the pool deck because they were all tied up for the night.  I found a seat in the Great Outdoors to listen to music for a while.

I got there just in time for their last song.  Moving on, there was karaoke in the Bliss Lounge and I hadn't been there yet.

Maybe it got going later but for now no one was participating.  Also, I'm not comfortable in a bar by myself.  Weird, I guess, but that's the way I am.  Comic Julie Barr was performing in Headliners so I went to her session.  It was listed as PG 13, so maybe that isn't Julie's forte.  Toward the end she told a few off color stories and they were funny.  But that was it for my night.  

After we got back, the three of us went to O'Sheehan's for a snack.  I had that delicious spinach and artichoke dip and it's so good I think it deserves another picture.

I planned to read for a while on deck 18, but first I wandered through the buffet.  This must have been my day to think about food.

My favorite station

Some prefer soft serve.  A crew member was stationed there to serve it.

Today at the Grab & Go you must have a crew member grab it for you.

Once I was on deck 18, I spent more take taking pictures than I did reading.  The Marella Celebration was interesting.  It appeared to be an older ship so I had to look it up.  Marella is UK based and the Celebration was built in 1984.

Then I took a lot of pictures of the town of St. John's.  I'm not sharing them all but you might think I have.

Time for another kind of tasting, the food.  We had ducana, an Antiguan dish made with coconut, sweet potato, raisins and spices.

Salted cod aka salt fish, small round bread, clam cakes, and a type of fish sauce that was really good.  I think the other food was kept waiting a little too long since it was just barely warm.  The tour description had shown a couple of chicken dishes but those never appeared.

Here's my plate with one of everything

We then had one more rum tasting, the five year old English Harbor.  Bro said it was great.  As I said, I'm not a rum person so I couldn't tell.  The bottle of Wadadli beer is what I had with lunch.  That had to be purchased from the bar.

Then came dessert, rum pudding.

It was almost time to leave, but five people got a coconut to drink.  They were the fastest on their feet when we were told there were five coconuts to be had.

As we were leaving, I noticed what appeared to be a nest on the electrical wires.  I think it was actually weeds that had grown that high at one time and had remained attached when the rest had been cut down.  I couldn't find evidence on the internet of birds building nests on wires.

We got into the bus for the short ride back, although we paused at an intersection so we could see the memorial to V. C. Bird, the first prime minister of Antigua (1981-94) who was declared a national hero.  The airport is named after him.

We were dropped off in the shopping area and Bro, Sil, and I shopped a few stores.

From this angle, the Epic appears to be plowing into some shops.

Back through security to get to the ship.  Be sure to carry a photo ID with you along with your cruise card.  The cruise director told us that every morning.  You're not asked for your photo ID in every port, but when you are, you'd better have it.

The Marella Celebration was docked on the other side of the pier. I think their logo looks like an emoji although I can't figure out what it would be representing.  A profile emoji with one eye and a half smile?

Shortly after that I made my way to the theater where I was meeting Bro and Sil for our "Taste of Antigua" excursion.  Sis and Bil were doing Highlights and Lobster Lunch.  I don't like lobster.  That excursion was also quite a bit more pricey.  Groups were called one after the other but we still had to identify our particular tour on the pier.  We were good girls and boys and lined up as we were told.

It was a little walk to the van but we passed some pretty flowers on the way.

We had a short drive through a very poor neighborhood.  When we pulled up in a messy parking lot in front of a "rum shack" called Julees, one woman on the bus said she was afraid to get out.  The guide assured her that once inside it was different.

She was right, it was nice inside with tables, chairs, umbrellas, comfortable seating, a cool breeze.  Actually, although we were inside, we were outside.

It was lovely.  We sat on a raised platform under a roof so didn't have to worry about the sun as some did.  Our taste of Antigua was to experience what the Caribbean is known for (according to the tour description)--rum and savory food.  I presumed these were the rums we would be tasting.  We were sitting at the table where you can see a blue hat in the right hand corner.

There was a mango tree nearby.  Tiny birds were flitting around and chirping.

The tasting started with an explanation of the history of Antigua, the sugar mills, the rum making.  The types of rum we would be tasting were described. I found it difficult to hear sometimes because on the other side of the wall behind our backs were people talking and a constant humming noise.  A microphone would have been useful.  

We were served some raw sugar cubes to chew on--very fibrous--and also were given a taste of the black pineapple grown on the island.  Sugar cubes are served in the photo below.

Our first rum tasting was a glass of distilled rum in punch.  Our second was a taste of the golden rum pictured.  I didn't get the description in my notes.  I'm not a rum person so I was still working on the punch when we were served the second tasting.

Sunday, February 2, St. John's, Antigua

Groundhog Day and Superbowl Sunday back home.  Perfect weather day in Antigua.

What the bridge cam showed when I woke up

Almost every time I'm on my way to or from my cabin, I cross over the studio lounge.  This morning I took a few more pictures of what the lounge offers.

The coffee machine that so many people say is great. I'm not a coffee drinker.  Sorry I didn't get a clear picture of what all those buttons do

Although the self serve pastries are no longer offered, we could still help ourselves to dry cereal and milk.  Funny that in the buffet you have to be handed your plates and bowls, but in the lounge it is okay to take a bowl.

And the bar offerings

I went up to the buffet. I think the Garden Cafe is a pretty place.

This picture was taken through the window from my table.

We're not scheduled to arrive in Antigua until 10:00 am so I thought this would be a good morning to get pictures of some of the buffet offerings. 

When we were entering the harbor, I went up to deck 16 to take a few pictures.

2 hours ago, JP82 said:

So glad that I was nosing around the NCL Forum and found another trip report by you. Loved your Poesia one on the MSC forum, and loving this one!

Thank you.  That is such a nice thing to say.

46 minutes ago, sunsetsoon said:

 

Now I have a problem. I'm forced to tell you that Marty will be 65 in September. I'm usually the one that makes that kind of mistake. But she also insisted on calling our butler Hugo. His name was Yogi.

 

 

Now I am in stitches.  So Aprille and Marty are still youngsters.  Thank you, Aprille, and I'm pleased you'll be contributing too.

I hope you will continue to be wordy. I don’t want to miss out on anything. I’m thoroughly enjoying your report and love your sense of humor. If I’m not being too nosy, can you share Aprille’s age? Or about what is is?

I’m looking forward to hearing more about your cruise. What a wonderful daughter and son-in-law you have!

46 minutes ago, stefmaia said:

 

 

I have sailed on all of the Star Clippers ships, an absolutely amazing experience. Very small rooms with portholes, amazing food, but the best part is leaving port with the sails flapping then feeling them catch and the ship just take off.

We had talked about how exciting it must be to sail on a ship with tall sails.

I had lunch in the buffet, then ran into Bro and Sil.  Sil suggested it was Mimosa time and that sounded good.  We got our Mimosas from the Wave Bar but then music started.  Nothing against music, but Bro and I both have hearing aids and talking over loud music doesn't work for us so we moved right inside to a corner of the Garden Cafe.  And since we were near the buffet area, I looked over the desserts and chose a no sugar added chocolate pudding.  Didn't look like any pudding I was used to but it was very tasty.  And then I went back for olives because I love olives.

Took a short nap after that, then went up on deck.  Saw this little boat go by that seemed to be kind of a party boat.  At any rate, the passengers were loud and seemed to be having a great time.

The Logos Hope was their destination.  I didn't see exactly how they got on, but they transferred right from the water.

All aboard time today was 4:30.  After 4:30 I started hearing announcements requesting four people, called by name, to check in with guest services.  We left over 30 minutes late.

Every evening when I'm leaving my cabin to meet up with The Four for pre-dinner drinks, I cross over the studio lounge.  There always seems to be a good sized group getting together for dinner.  I took a picture of the bulletin board for today.

Ever since I got on the ship, I've been struck by the symbol for the public restrooms.  Hands on hips makes the character seem angry.  There are times when a line to the ladies room makes me feel like standing with hands on hips, but there's never a line on the ship.

We met in Maltings for a pre-dinner drink, then went to Taste.  The service tonight was so poor we wondered if everyone was new that night.  It took forever to get our wine and my pre-dinner drink had been a Diet Pepsi, so I was impatient.  The food, when it arrived, was good.  I had creamy spinach soup for my appetizer.  

Linguine with Little Neck Clams for the entree.  It was delicious, but even so I have to say MSC has it all over NCL when it comes to preparing seafood (and pizza and French fries too).

For dessert, milk chocolate mousse.

Oh, yummy, yum, yum

We went from the restaurant to the Comedy Club to see Howl at the Moon.  I carried out my second glass of wine to take with me and the reservation person stopped me.  She poured my wine into a different glass, then handed me the empty one.  We laughed, and I called her tricky.

There were three performers at Howl at the Moon so two were able to continuously perform.  They were very talented and interacted with the audience.  I sat with Sis and Bil near the back in the high chairs that had tables. 

Bro had made a song request and tipped a million dollar bill which they found funny.   When Sis and Bil left, I moved up with Bro and Sil in the regular chairs and they'd managed to find seats with a little side table.

 A man from the audience was called up a couple of times to perform on his harmonica.  He did a good job.  Sometimes one of the performers would play the drums.  Shortly before I left an entertainer from Burn the Floor came in and played the guitar. It was a fun evening, but I didn't last any later than 11:30, then it was my bed time.

I was on my tour solo today because when I went to make my excursion reservations a month or so prior to the cruise, the excursions The Four had chosen were sold out.  Sis and Bil were spending the day at Copacabana Beach but I'm not much of a beach person anyway and Bro and Sil were going to Harrison's Cave.  Both excursions were available once I was on board, but I would have had a whole set of rearranging to do by then since I'd signed up for the tour of Hato Cave in Curacao. 

Anyway, we had now arrived at the submarine.

The tour description had talked about being seated in spacious, air-conditioned comfort, so I thought perhaps the bench indentations were a bit bigger.  That was silly thinking of course.  They were the same as the other submarine, so we were packed in tightly again.

The water was murkier than in Aruba.  I don't know if that is always the case or if there were causes that made it that way for today.  I still saw fish, especially schools of fish, but the coral wasn't as well defined.  The pictures aren't great (understatement) but I'm sharing some anyway.

We went down to 147 feet although for such a short while I missed getting a picture.  The guide and the sub captain were bantering during the tour.  It was supposed to be funny but it wasn't working very well.  Or maybe my sense of humor has been short circuited.

There was a sunken ship here too.

We were down about 45 minutes to an hour before we surfaced.  On the way back, we were all offered a glass of rum punch. If we'd been offered that before going into the submarine, I might have found the banter to be clever.  Or I might have fallen down the ladder.  Once we were back in the office we were given a certificate certifying we'd completed a voyage beneath the Caribbean waters and bestowing the title "Atlantis Submariner."  So now I have two certificates.

If you're thinking about taking a submarine voyage, I highly recommend it.  Both were very much fun and very interesting.  I'd choose Aruba over Barbados though, even with the rum punch.

We were dropped off back at the terminal building.

Saturday, February 1, Bridgetown, Barbados

I woke up way too early this morning, couldn't get back to sleep, so decided it was time for breakfast.  No trouble with buffet lines this early.  The Epic was arriving in Barbados around 8:00 and I was on deck 16 to take pictures.

There goes the pilot boat.

The P&O Britannia is in port and the Logos Hope is next to it

And the Seabourn Odyssey is also in port

The Star Clipper

A picture of the Star Clipper taken a little later

Yes, we are docked in Bridgetown.  A tip from the Freestyle Daily reminds us that wearing all types of camouflage apparel is illegal on the island.

I had signed up for the "Best of Barbados" excursion, but changed it because I was tired of long rides on buses.  I couldn't decide what else I wanted to do and finally decided since I'd enjoyed the Atlantis Submarine so much in Aruba, I would do it again in Barbados.  Meeting place was on the pier through the terminal building and the excursion ticket said to allow 30 minutes to reach the terminal building, so I left in plenty of time.  If you didn't want to walk to the terminal building (and it seemed that most didn't), there were shuttles available.  Some shuttles were regular buses but the little trains were the fun ones.

Passengers were disembarking from the Seabourn Odyssey

I spent some time looking through the shops

Went to the meeting place early following the red dots on the floor.  These people were in line for a long time.  Apparently something had happened to their transportation and they were late leaving because they didn't get on their bus until I was on mine.

I'd been sitting on a bench, having checked in with the Atlantis people and been given my boarding pass, when the woman next to me jumped up and hurried away.  I followed.  I hadn't heard our tour being called but there was a van waiting.  It only took half our group, though, and I had to wait for the next van which took about another ten minutes.  Traffic was horrible just trying to get out of the parking area.

Our driver is trying to get into that long line of vans and buses as is the white bus with the phone number on it.  People on that bus were the ones who had been waiting in line so long.  Once we managed to get into the flow of traffic, it was stop and go until getting out of the port.  After that it was just a short ride to the Atlantis office where we each had to sign our name in a book.  Once that was taken care of, we headed to the boat that would take us to the submarine.

4 hours ago, Mrworldwide_88 said:

Great review, very excited to go on epic soon!

Hope you have a blast!