Trish Traveler

FYI I have no idea why CC inserted asterisks for the author's last name??? I didn't type it that way, just so you know 🤷‍♀️

Con’t. CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA Saturday 3/2 7AM-2PM Back on our mini-bus we had a short amount of time to see some of the colorful sights of the artsy Getsamani neighborhood with many street murals, the “umbrella street”, and the former home of the famous author Gabriel Garcia *****, known for many works including Love in the Time of Cholera. (Our little group was quick today so I think that’s why we had this little extra peek into Getsamani). From the bus we were also able to see the La Torre de Reloj clock tower at the main city gate. Former home of author Gabriel Garcia *****:

Con’t. CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA Saturday 3/2 7AM-2PM Continuing on, we stopped at the San Pedro Claver Church (originally completed around 1654) where we first viewed some of their sacred artwork, before entering the beautiful sanctuary where a baptism was occurring off to the side. Back outside for a few more sights including the Christopher Columbus statue in Custom House Square.

Con’t. CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA Saturday 3/2 7AM-2PM We toured the Cartagena Cathedral which gave us a quick respite from the bustle of the city. Very beautiful and especially meaningful to us as we are in the period of Lent. We had a quick “museum” tour at the Caribe Jewelry store. It was brief, but I enjoyed the info and displays depicting the history and value of emerald mining in Colombia, as they are known for worldwide.

Con’t. CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA Saturday 3/2 7AM-2PM Next part of the tour would be the walking tour portion of the Old Walled city of Cartagena. We knew in advance that the street vendors can be very persistent. Although this was not a shopping tour, Dora let us know that if you show interest in anything, the vendor will follow you the entire tour. We could purchase along the way if done quickly as we had lots to see. We basically just said no thank you and tried not to make direct eye contact with any vendors. We had no issues – in fact it was less intense than I thought it might be from some experiences I had read. If you do shop, you can haggle prices on the street. We first headed down one of the many lovely, narrow streets with beautiful doors and decorative doorknockers. We visited several of the small squares in town, including Plaza de Bolivar with Dora giving wonderful narration along the way and her assistant keeping us all together. So much beauty and history to see. We stopped along the way for a demonstration from a street artist painting on mirrors.

We had no extra fees. No surprise "resort fees" like some hotels charge. Have no idea if there is a parking fee.

Con’t. CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA Saturday 3/2 7AM-2PM Heading back down into the city, our next stop was for photos at the impressive San Felipe de Barajas Fort built in 1536. There were already many tour groups here, with others that would be walking up to the top of the fort. Personally, with the heat here, I would not want to experience that. I was content with my photos from the base. It’s a large area, so easy to spread out and get your photos. Continuing on to the Las Bovedas Dungeons. This was originally built as dungeons in the old city walls in the 1700’s. We first had a short tour up on the walls where you can also view the ocean. Then we had some time to shop in the artisan shops which are in the converted old dungeons. We bought some coffee beans to bring home and had to taste a local Colombian beer (yikes, it’s early, but I guess it’s 5 O’clock somewhere. We always like an opportunity to try local beer).

Con’t. CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA Saturday 3/2 7AM-2PM We quickly met Dora who would be handling our tour today along with her assistant (sorry I forgot her name) and the driver Diego. Today the group size was 8 on a mini-bus van with great A/C. Our first destination was up the La Popa Hill to reach the La Popa Monastery. (Only small buses can travel this road, so you won’t find this stop on tours on the full size buses.) We were the first group up, so we headed into a beautiful courtyard where Dora explained in depth the details. There was a church service going on in the chapel with some beautiful music heard. We stepped out to the overlook where you can see the city of Cartagena along with the harbor and the Rotterdam in the distance. Although sunny this day, it was a bit hazy. When the service ended, we were able to visit the beautiful, tranquil chapel. We also toured the museum areas located here for some more history and artwork to behold. This stop had restrooms and a couple of vendor booths for quick shopping. The Rotterdam is to the far left side: Our excellent tour operator, Dora the Explorer: Our tour van:

CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA Saturday 3/2 7AM-2PM We were very excited to visit this new port for us. We were a bit concerned that the US State Department had issued a Travel Advisory at Level 3 – Reconsider Travel on January 2, 2024; due to Crime and Terrorism. Reading through the advisory, we saw that most of the elevated activity was in other parts of the country, not Cartagena. However, we are not naïve and know that bad things can happen anywhere. In the end we decided to stick with our plan to use an independent tour operator who is highly rated here on CC and on Tripadvisor for our tour of Cartagena – Dora the Explorer, who we had reserved online a couple of months in advance. We always make sure we don’t have any unneeded valuables with us while in port, and leave any jewelry in the ship safe (other than a cheap watch to keep track of time). We were aware of how hot it can be here, so we made sure we dressed appropriately and brought plenty of water with us (Dora also provided bottled water). Our room service breakfast arrived at 5:45AM and we could see on the TV bow cam that the city of Cartagena was in sight. It is big, with lots of white high rise buildings. Once ready, we headed out on deck for photos and to enjoy our arrival. A beautiful sunrise greeted us. As we entered the harbor, we passed a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary, who is said to protect the harbor. Where we docked was across from a very busy industrial dock which was interesting to watch while we waited for clearance. Poor little lighthouse is dwarfed by the high-rises: We were cleared right at 7am and headed to meet our Dora representative at the end of the pier. The port time is short here, so all the tours including the many HAL offerings need to get started early. Walking a little further we reached the Duty Free Shop where we waited for the rest of the tour group to arrive. We were greeted by the most beautiful Peacock. If you don’t already know, at this port there is a fantastic FREE animal sanctuary called Port Oasis Ecopark (more about this later after our tour). You exit the port through this amazing aviary. We got a preview, but needed to move along quickly to begin our tour. We knew we would have time later to enjoy the park.

SEA DAY Friday 3/1 We gained an hour this morning! Went to the Dutch Café for coffee and had to try one of their tasty ready-made yogurt parfaits. Another beautiful day, and the seas were a bit higher, but not too rocky with the stabilizers in use. This morning highlight for us was the World Stage presentation of The Panama Canal Up Close with Karlijn once again narrating. More interesting information in anticipation of our canal transit in a couple of days. It was packed, but we went early to get a seat. They also presented it at 2pm, and I believe it was also shown at the Lido Pool. Here is the bow web cam on our cabin TV. And you will see the area below I am using for extra footwear storage: For lunch we went to the NY Deli for pizza, which was about a 30 minute wait to cook, but they give you a pager. I had the delicious New York Style Wall Street and DH loved his basic Pepperoni, with Panna Cotta for dessert. Worth the wait. Had some mojitos in the afternoon that were a bit disappointing – no muddling, just a mint leave thrown in. Another lovely MDR dinner enjoying Crab Cake, Coconut Shrimp (good, but not much coconut flavor), Sushi Trio, Barramundi, and Roasted Chicken. The evening’s entertainment in World Stage was comedian Johnny Cardinale who was very funny. We like the PG (curse word free) comedy that HAL provides.

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM Leap Day! Back to the ship again where we enjoyed many of the choices at the Caribbean Themed Dinner offered at the Lido. It was once again delightful to eat alfresco at the aft Seaview Area, enjoying another gorgeous sunset. Celebrity Equinox: We were really relaxed and a bit tired but you are not in Willemstad everyday…so it was time to head off the ship for the third time to enjoy the night views of the ship and see the Queen Emma Bridge lit up. We really enjoyed this last year, so had to repeat it. That’s what is so nice about the long port times we had here. And even if you don’t want to get off the ship in the evening, be sure to at least go up to a higher deck to view the colorful lights including the bridge which you can see from up there! It’s delightful and romantic. Back on the ship to enjoy some great musical sets at BB Kings & Rolling Stone. Another terrific day in Curacao. Glad it’s a sea day tomorrow. View from the ship: Lemon Drop:

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM Leap Day! Heading back we heard the RhOS blow their horn for departure so we went to the St. Anna Bay waterfront to watch their departure. The floating bridge had been opened for them to slowly sail backwards out towards the ocean. Another large vessel left shortly after, so the floating footbridge was not available for a while. We enjoyed seeing more of the colorful murals and the Curacao sign before heading back to the Otrobanda side of the bridge to see a new stunning mural visible there. It was quite warm and we were ready for a refreshment so we stopped back in the RIF fort at Kaya to try the local Otrobanda IPA beer – perfect!

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM Leap Day! Crossed over the floating Queen Emma Bridge where we saw a cute doggie couple by the Love Locks! We stopped in the AnnaBay store for a free rum tasting and to purchase some of their rum. We passed the fruit and vegetable market before heading over a bridge to walk about a block to the building painted with a beautiful mural called Three O’Clock Romance. There was also a small park across the street with a cool eclectic recycled art fish sculpture. We saw more colorful murals, buildings and the HOHO bus. Three O'Clock Romance Mural:

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM Leap Day! After freshening up and eating lunch on the ship, we headed back out to explore more of Willemstad. We love this city. It is so vibrant and colorful. We headed through the RIF fort and took a little time to actually climb the stairs to view the remaining walls of the fort from above. Great views of the colorful Handelskade buildings that Curacao is known for. It was cool to see the Rhapsody of the Seas docked right in town there.

Glad you're enjoying it. More on the way. I'm hungry too...going to heat up leftovers soon. 😏

Yes, I agree. And the heavy stainless warming dish they place under your hot food plate is nice also. It sure makes for heavy trays. I always make sure to have my cash tips ready for the room service server.

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM Leap Day! Later, we snorkeled by the rock wall which actually had quite a large variety of fish with good visibility on this day. We always bring our own snorkeling gear. Among the fish we saw were: Sergeant Majors, Spotted Trunkfish, varieties of Parrot Fish including the Stoplight, Butterfly Fish, Blue Tangs, French Angelfish, Blue Head Wrasse, a Barracuda, a Trumpet or Needlefish, an interesting white crab and a sea centipede type of creature. We snorkeled the entire length of the wall and saw so much, with the bigger fish being on the right side as you face the water on this day anyway. It is a nice place to snorkel as the entrance is sand and because the area is mostly enclosed by the rock wall, so the waves are mild. And even as it gets crowded and many people like to congregate on the wall, it doesn’t seem to bother the fish at all. I know that there are many better places to snorkel in Curacao, but we definitely enjoyed what we saw today. It’s a lovely place to swim and especially nice for children because of the easy, gentle entrance. Although, know that it is touristy and the actual beach area is narrow if that’s not your thing. Returning to the ship in the afternoon, we were able to use a shared cab which was only $8pp.

WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM Leap Day! For many years we have wanted to visit Curacao and now we feel blessed to say this will be our 3rd visit in 3 years (and we’ve had nice long port times each visit). It has become one of our favorite Caribbean ports. It’s so beautiful and colorful and has great snorkeling too. It was a beautiful sunrise as we approached the port. We love to get off the ship early and beat the crowds, while enjoying the early morning wherever we travel. We decided to get a cab to Mambo Beach. As we got off the ship about 8am, there was really no one to share a cab yet and we didn’t want to wait, so we paid the $30 total one way to Mambo. We found a desirable set up of lounge chairs under a Palapa at one of the beach clubs for $5pp. The entrance to Mambo is $3.50pp and is oddly collected by a woman who walks around (not sure why they just don’t have you pay at the entrance. Although it does have some nice shopping and restaurants, so maybe they don’t want patrons to pay for that if not actually using the beach). Anyway, it is still quite reasonable. I walked the beach taking photos first while it was pretty empty. There is the wooden Mambo Beach sign for photo ops and many colorful beach bars.

Con't. SEA DAY Wednesday 2/28 Another delicious MDR dinner of Chicken & Callaloo soup, Cesare Salad (too much dressing), Jerk Chicken Breast and I liked the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, but was surprised by the heat as red pepper flakes (not mentioned) were on the shrimp. I am a spice lightweight now, and did my best to scrape them off. Otherwise the taste was perfect. We didn’t attend the Step One Dance Company performance of Humanity because we just saw it in September. We did enjoy some fresh air and a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean on the Lido Pool screen before heading back for the talented Rolling Stone Rock Room Band.

SEA DAY Wednesday 2/28 Up early to try Tai Chi for everyone on the Lido Pool deck. Another first for us. The sports instructor did a good job explaining and we enjoyed the relaxing moves on this beautiful morning. It was well attended. And although it was offered every morning, we just never made it back with the busy port schedules coming up on this cruise. Ready for buffet breakfast –I love those fresh waffles with berries and whip cream (although more of a dessert really), and the breakfast potatoes (as I really dislike those triangle pressed hash browns they also offer). And as always my favorite chocolate croissant, although the nut pastry was edging it’s way in this cruise! About 10am the Captain came on with the dreaded “There is a rise in gastric symptoms reported” announcement. He said to be diligent in washing your hands and to report any symptoms immediately. I know it happens everywhere not just on cruises. We had it on land over Christmas recently. We are usually pretty diligent with our hygiene practices, but would be even more vigilant. And although most of HAL’s buffet is served by the crew anyway, the few remaining self-serve areas were changed to crew-served as well as the beverage stations in the Lido. We also noticed that the bar menus disappeared although, we still had menus in the MDR the rest of the cruise. They also posted crew at every wash station entrance of the buffet (4) to strongly encourage washing your hands. We were glad to see all these measures implemented. Thankfully, we remained free of the virus. Don’t really know how many had it as they don’t readily release that info. Back to the fun stuff! Off to the World Stage for the Caribbean Spirit the story of Rum. My pirate DH especially enjoyed that presentation as rum is his spirit of choice. The Cruise Director Karlijn (we also had her in Norway) does a great job narrating these talks and the large screen adds a lot to the presentation. A very relaxing day at sea as we seek out shady areas to enjoy. After lunch I had an excellent “not too sweet” Mai Tai that Manny prepared at the Lido Bar. We found all the bartenders to be great and usually not much of a wait. I attended the “Where will You Cruise Next?” presentation in the afternoon to get some ideas. Time for an afternoon snack at the Dutch Café… we shared a toasted Ham & Cheese with that tasty curry ketchup dipping sauce and the deliciously decadent Bossche Bol (we were very good this trip, we only had one). Later we played Trivia which we always enjoy just for fun (and now with the Gastro announcement we weren’t really looking to team up). And we enjoyed more of the cool art found on this ship.

You're welcome. We have done many inside cabins in our cruise history so we are used to them. So although we have loved the few balconies we have had, we still tend to book inside for the price savings. We don't spend that much time in our cabin either. I love how dark they get for sleeping also. I'm sure it will take you a little getting used to, but you have to weigh the cost savings for yourself. And then you will know for sure if you will ever book an inside again after trying it out.

Con’t. SEA DAY Tuesday 2/27 Later we enjoyed the HAL 150th Anniversary Beer and I especially enjoy the Lagunitas IPA which was in bottles or on tap at the Dutch Café. At 3pm we decided to try the Indonesian Tea in the MDR to see what was special about that. Well it was okay. We shared a table and conversation with a nice man. We had a tower of goodies to share. Some of them looked like they were probably an Indonesian Treat, while others were standard like egg salad sandwiches. There were no choices given for tea, the server just came around and poured a ready-made pot of black tea. So although we enjoyed it, I don’t need to repeat it and I find it a bit wasteful. Tonight was the first Dressy Night, so we planned to eat in the MDR. But first was the Captain’s Welcome, Lido Poolside with Captain Bas Van Dreumel. They provide complimentary sparkling, red and white wines for a toast. It was a beautiful night out. We did duck out early to try and beat the crowds at the MDR, which we did with no wait at 7:10pm. We had the shrimp cocktail (a little too much sauce, but good) and the delicious Beef Tenderloin with Shrimp Newberg. The highlight tonight for us was the World Stage Show of a Steel Pan band called Island Magic. We arrived early to make sure we got a good seat. We have always loved Steel Drum music since we were introduced to it many years ago cruising. It always puts us right into that Caribbean mode. We were blown away by the quality of this band. This performance was classical and some show tunes. They were dressed formally and explained how the various steel pans represent the sounds of instruments in an orchestra. They performed music from Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Can-Can; as well as a stirring rendition of Ava Maria and so much more. And we were excited to learn they would perform another concert later in the cruise. I snapped one photo and I promise I did not video record as it was forbidden. I did however buy one of their CD’s available in the gift shop. Later, a towel animal greeted us with chocolate in our cabin. I believe we moved our clocks one hour ahead this evening. There were 4 time changes this cruise if memory serves correct. Always be aware of the correct time so you don’t miss activities or miss the ship when in port! When your cell phone is in airplane mode to avoid costly roaming charges, it won’t update the time automatically. If you use the ships wifi and go into the HAL app, it will show you the time there. Also, your cabin phone shows the correct ship’s time as well as the info on the TV. Goodnight.

SEA DAY Tuesday 2/27 After buffet breakfast, we went up to learn the Basics of Pickleball (as we are newbies to the sport). The sports guy did a good job explaining the many basic concepts of the sport and scoring before letting us all have a chance to hit a few balls. It was a good turnout. As on land, the pickleball seemed very popular throughout the cruise whenever we walked past the court. It was a bit windy, but a nice day overall. We visited the library and attended the Caribbean Up Close: The Deep Blue presentation in World Stage. The odd bacon in the middle is turkey bacon: Soon it was time for Lido Market Lunch. My pictures are just a sampling of the menus posted at each station and the many choices. There were always at least two varieties of carving meats also. I tend to really love the Asian offerings (especially since it is something I don’t cook often at home). We really like to eat outside in the aft area if we can find a table in the shade. A giant pan of Paella: One of the daily bread puddings:

Con’t. HALF MOON CAY Monday 2/26 8AM-5PM Tender Port Time to get ready for our HIA included specialty dinner in Tamarind for the first time. Thanks CC members for the advice on the various dishes to choose. Everything was so delicious. We went a little early for our 6:30 reservation to enjoy one of their special drinks at the bar, but they said we could be seated right away, so we did. We began with the tasty (but a bit sweet for us) Wasabi Cocktail and the Shiso Sour. We ordered 2 appetizers each and shared everything – Satay Sampler, Shrimp Tempura, Lobster & Shrimp Potstickers, and 5 Spice BBQ Ribs, along with the shrimp crackers and dips they provide. We switched to wine with dinner – we enjoy the 13 Celcius Sauvignon Blanc and the Murphy-Goode Merlot which is available most bars on the ship and are in the Signature Beverage Package. Our entrees were the delicious Wasabi Beef Tenderloin and the Crispy Duck (which had great flavor, but was a bit tough for duck). For dessert we both loved the lightness of the Mango Posset. We really enjoyed our meal here and the service and ambiance was great! The World Stage Show this evening was the Mentalist, Santiago Michel, which we enjoyed. Later we went to listen to the band in the Rolling Stone Rock Room which was very good and the favorite evening entertainment choice for my husband, as well as me. We also enjoyed the Pianist in the Billboard Onboard which is adjacent here on the Music Walk. HAL just recently changed this from dual pianos to one piano. I like this format better. I think it is more spontaneous and audience interactive. He was really good (I apologize I can’t remember his name and it isn’t listed in the Daily). My nightcap was the tasty, complex flavors of the Penicillin drink from the Ocean Bar. We also like the Half Moon Bar near here. Time for bed after a delightful, but long day.

Con’t. HALF MOON CAY Monday 2/26 8AM-5PM Tender Port Time to walk the beautiful beach further down to where the horse stable is (another shore excursion) just in time to see them leave and walk into the ocean for the start of their horseback ride. This is quite a distance from the main beach/swimming area in case you are wondering about that. I imagine the shuttle can take you there for HAL tours. Next, we headed all the way to the left as you are facing the beach to the area for snorkeling. Although, HAL offers a boat snorkel, it was sold out when I checked. I bring my own snorkel gear anyway and had read that the only decent snorkeling is this area where they have put artificial reef balls in the ocean. Because this is such a soft sand beach, it is a good introductory spot for beginners. It’s not very deep either. A man said earlier in the day, some turtles were spotted. I did not see any, but did enjoy some tropical fish varieties. Soon it was time to head to the tender boarding line where we waited about 20minutes for a 3pm boat (with last tender being 3:30pm). They did provide us with cold washcloths and water while waiting. Nice. Back onboard we prepared for sailaway and had an announcement of a delay because a crew member missed the last shuttle (uh-oh). Then they called a couple of passenger names. They pulled the anchor and we began sailing away. Then we stopped and they announced the missing passengers had been located on the island and they were sending a boat with them out to the ship. I’ve never heard of that happening. I hope these people know how lucky they were not to be left on the island to deal with this at their own expense. That must have been a dangerous leap from that little boat into a hole in the ship. Yikes. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at HMC and felt lucky that it was a good tender day! We had missed Great Stirrup Cay a couple of years ago, so we were due for a good private island day. You can see below that we are already a distance from our anchorage, while the boat speeds out with the late passengers. Below you can see the tiny boat next to the ship: