The Daily for Saturday September 18, 2021

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

On January 26, 2020, the Rotterdam returned to Caracao on the way back to San Diego.  This day, we walked from the ship, which was docked in the channel to Queen Emma bridge and into town.  It was Sunday, so many stores were closed, but it was a pleasant day to wander.

 

The view across the channel from the bridge.

 

The main street leading from the bidge.

 

On of the unusual lift bridges

 

Interesting street art

 

We found this nice little open shaded area with cafes, bars, and decided it was time for a rest and a cool drink.

 

We past the clock and bells just about the time they rang at noon.  Notice the clock needs a sightl adjustment.

 

A more open area on the edge of the shopping disrict.

 

We just thought this was cute.

 

Once back across the Queen Emma bridge, DH headed back to the ship, and I headed to the old fort that marked the entrance to the mega cruise dock.  The fort was a surprise, since it was basically a shell with mordern building housing the typical port shops.  Only when I turned around to leave, could you see the inside of the fort wall.

 

A nice building and a side street on the walk back to the ship.

 

The final picture from Curacao

 

Lenda

 

[jimgev]

23 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

@Quartzsite Cruiserthanks for your photos showing your drive around Curacao.  We have never gone touring in a car we rented.  We have accompanied others who rented a car though, for instance, in Hobart Australia, North Cape Norway,  Benoa Bali, and Keelung Taiwan.   You and your DH have done that quite a bit.  Any tips for those of us who might be interested in trying it?

We have often rented a car at a criuse port. Here are a few "tips" to make the experience a bit easier.

1) Arrange for the rental in advance. When a ship (or ships) come into port there will be a long line of people wanting to rent a car. It is common to wait for a long time on line only to find that they have rented all their cars and you are out of luck. If you reserve in advance, you don't have to wait in that line.

2) Try to rent from a recognized agency (Hertz, Avis, etc) they are usually more reliable than something local.

3) When you reserve your car, sign up to join the company's frequent user club. There is no cost to join. That will sometimes give you a discount plus they usually have a seperate line for members to get fast service in getting their cars.

Edited September 18, 2021 by jimgev

[mamaofami]

2 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Congratulations tomorrow on your 62nd anniversary!!  That's wonderful!  I'm happy to hear Sam is in a great rehab facility.  Hope he's home very soon.

Thank you very much.

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Thank you.  I just saw the other thread (yesterday's Daily) where you answered my questions.  That is one large ship with 5200 passengers!  I'm sure you will be ready for another cruise (14 days perhaps) in no time at all.🚢 

Thank you Sandi.

We currently have a 14 night,7 night and 3 night cruise which we booked months ago and the new HAL ship is on our wishlist.

[mamaofami]

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Good morning from central Texas where we have sun with a fe fluffy clouds and a north breeze that comes and goes.

 

Glad to see that red pandas have their own day, and they do need our protecton.  The planned today's dinner has been postponed until later.  Instead, we'll have cheeseburgers and fries.  

 

I like the George Carlin quote, and always enjoyed his jokes.

 

We'll pass on the cheeseburger mac and cheese.  I might try the drink sometime and the wine sounds like one I'd enjoy.

 

@mamaofami  Carol, it's really good that the new place is so much better than the first rehab, even if it is a hour away.  Safe travels tomorrow for your anniversary visit to see Sam.

@ger_77  Gerry, the pictures from your getaway are beautiful.

@HAL4NOW  Bon Voyage!  Have a great cruise and enjoy Alaska

 

I did not forget about Oktoberfest.  We have only been to one OKtoberfest, and we still talk about it, since it was in a city you would not expect to find such a celebration -- Yokohama in 2018.

 

The band was imported, but the rest of the festival was Japanese with a twist.

 

Everyone seemed to be having a great time.

 

We have been to Willemstad, Curacao, twice.  Both times were in January, 2020, on our b2b Panama Canal cruise on the Rotterdam.  I'll post those pictures in different posts.

 

Lenda

 

Thank you very much.

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, mamaofami said:

Thank you very much.

Sending you both our best wishes for your 62nd wedding anniversary.

That is amazing.

Graham.

[Sharon in AZ]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

We got back home 30 minutes ago after our long 315 miles drive back from Southampton.

P&O new ship Iona was fabulous.

I hope everyone has a nice day.

Great pictures Graham!!  So nice you and Pauline were able to cruise. The ship is beautiful but the two of you are gorgeous. Thank you for sharing your pictures. 

[grapau27]

Just now, Sharon in AZ said:

Great pictures Graham!!  So nice you and Pauline were able to cruise. The ship is beautiful but the two of you are gorgeous. Thank you for sharing your pictures. 

Thank you Sharon for your lovely words which are greatly appreciated.

Graham.

[irishjim]

12 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

On January 26, 2020, the Rotterdam returned to Caracao on the way back to San Diego.  This day, we walked from the ship, which was docked in the channel to Queen Emma bridge and into town.  It was Sunday, so many stores were closed, but it was a pleasant day to wander.

 

The view across the channel from the bridge.

 

The main street leading from the bidge.

 

On of the unusual lift bridges

 

Interesting street art

 

We found this nice little open shaded area with cafes, bars, and decided it was time for a rest and a cool drink.

 

We past the clock and bells just about the time they rang at noon.  Notice the clock needs a sightl adjustment.

 

A more open area on the edge of the shopping disrict.

 

We just thought this was cute.

 

Once back across the Queen Emma bridge, DH headed back to the ship, and I headed to the old fort that marked the entrance to the mega cruise dock.  The fort was a surprise, since it was basically a shell with mordern building housing the typical port shops.  Only when I turned around to leave, could you see the inside of the fort wall.

 

A nice building and a side street on the walk back to the ship.

 

The final picture from Curacao

 

Lenda

 

You take lovely photos.

                                          Jim.

[StLouisCruisers]

16 minutes ago, jimgev said:

We have often rented a car at a criuse port. Here are a few "tips" to make the experience a bit easier.

1) Arrange for the rental in advance. When a ship (or ships) come into port there will be a long line of people wanting to rent a car. It is common to wait for a long time on line only to find that they have rented all their cars and you are out of luck. If you reserve in advance, you don't have to wait in that line.

2) Try to rent from a recognized agency (Hertz, Avis, etc) they are usually more reliable than something local.

3) When you reserve your car, sign up to join the company's frequent user club. There is no cost to join. That will sometimes give you a discount plus they usually have a seperate line for members to get fast service in getting their cars.

 

Thanks for your advice.  It actually sounds exactly what I would do here in the U.S. so it makes perfect sense out of the country as well.  

 

Any words of wisdom on the agency's insurance they try to sell you on?  Here in the U.S. we deny the insurance since our own auto insurance will cover us completely, but I'm not sure about what is the best idea out of the country.

[irishjim]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you for today's daily Rich and care reports Roy.

Interesting days and quote.

I will pass on the food and drink.

We called at Curacao on our very first Caribbean cruise on Crown Princess and it was very nice.

It is 16.00pm 60°F and cloudy at home.

We got back home 30 minutes ago after our long 315 miles drive back from Southampton.

P&O new ship Iona was fabulous.

I hope everyone has a nice day.

Graham.

You both look fantastic you will live to a ripe old age together.

                                                                                                           Jim

[bennybear]

Good morning all!  Thanks to those who contribute!  
Just wondering shouldn't Oktoberfest be in October?  
 

my only comment about today’s drink the Hurricane,  NEVER have more than one!  😉🤷‍♀️😂🤭😜
 

 

We enjoyed Curaçao,   Some island photos.  DH enjoyed the iguana stew.  

Edited September 18, 2021 by bennybear

[summer slope]

I have to say the way photo's have been posted on the daily's has changed how I look at things.  When we get back to cruising in January I will take them differently, more to show the area.

[StLouisCruisers]

7 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Good morning all!  Thanks to those who contribute!  
Just wondering shouldn't Oktoberfest be in October?  
 

 

We enjoyed Curaçao,   Some island photos.  DH enjoyed the iguana stew.  

 

OMG, I cannot handle that iguana stew!  😱

[Sharon in AZ]

Good morning everyone and Happy Saturday!  Thank you for the Daily Rich and thank you for your lists Roy. Extra prayers for those on the Care list and Sam. Plus Happy Anniversary to Sam and  @mamaofami for their 62nd Anniversary tomorrow. 
 

I’m hoping CC doesn’t act up while I’m trying to post!  I’ve been so frustrated lately with all the glitches and gremlins. 
 

I love cheeseburgers but not sure if I can convince Craig to have one while he’s on his diet. I’ll take a cheeseburger over cheeseburger Mac and Cheese any day. 
 

I was in Curaçao in October 2001 on the Zaandam with my DM. It was shortly after 9/11 and we were both really nervous about traveling but it ended up being a wonderful cruise. We took a trolley tour which gave a good overview. I don’t remember much else except the sail away was after dinner and there were fireworks at the port. Not sure if they do that any longer. We will be there in December on our Holiday cruise so we shall see. My pictures are too hard to find and all the ones already posted are much better than the ones that I took 20 years ago anyway. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

[bennybear]

7 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

OMG, I cannot handle that iguana stew!  😱

Me either!  DH is very adventuresome 🤷‍♀️

[jimgev]

17 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Thanks for your advice.  It actually sounds exactly what I would do here in the U.S. so it makes perfect sense out of the country as well.  

 

Any words of wisdom on the agency's insurance they try to sell you on?  Here in the U.S. we deny the insurance since our own auto insurance will cover us completely, but I'm not sure about what is the best idea out of the country.

Most insurance companies do not cover out-of-country car rentals. However, some do and some offer supplemental coverage for a price. Check your policy and your insuance company. Another possibility is to check with companies that sell Travel Insuance. Some offer out-of-country car rental insurance at a decent price. 

[StLouisCruisers]

5 minutes ago, jimgev said:

Most insurance companies do not cover out-of-country car rentals. However, some do and some offer supplemental coverage for a price. Check your policy and your insuance company. Another possibility is to check with companies that sell Travel Insuance. Some offer out-of-country car rental insurance at a decent price. 

 

Thanks!  I'll do that.  ***if I ever get out of this country again!**

[Sir PMP]

This is a lot better to eat in Willemstad:

 

 

With this:

[Sharon in AZ]

Jane @lazey1, I replied to your post yesterday but it went poof due to all the problems I was having on CC. Anyway I wanted to tell you that we are on the same cruise October 10th and can’t wait. It will be our first time on a Pinnacle class ship so really looking forward to this sailing even though Monterey was canceled. I’m hoping something gets worked out for Santa Barbara. The roll call isn’t very active and no one has set up a meet and greet yet. 
 

BTW I know you are in Arizona, are you in the Phoenix area?

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

49 minutes ago, irishjim said:

You take lovely photos.

                                          Jim.

 

Thank you.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

10 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Jane @lazey1, I replied to your post yesterday but it went poof due to all the problems I was having on CC. Anyway I wanted to tell you that we are on the same cruise October 10th and can’t wait. It will be our first time on a Pinnacle class ship so really looking forward to this sailing even though Monterey was canceled. I’m hoping something gets worked out for Santa Barbara. The roll call isn’t very active and no one has set up a meet and greet yet. 
 

BTW I know you are in Arizona, are you in the Phoenix area?

 

Sharon, I saw a news article this week about Santa Barbara was banning cruise ships either until or thrugh March 2022.  Sorry to be the one to deliver the bad news.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

@bennybear  While I'll try some local dishes, iguana stew is not one of them.

 

@grapau27  Thanks for the pictures of a lovely couple and a beautiful shiip.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

1 hour ago, StLouisCruisers said:

@Quartzsite Cruiserthanks for your photos showing your drive around Curacao.  We have never gone touring in a car we rented.  We have accompanied others who rented a car though, for instance, in Hobart Australia, North Cape Norway,  Benoa Bali, and Keelung Taiwan.   You and your DH have done that quite a bit.  Any tips for those of us who might be interested in trying it?

Sandi, sorry it has taken so long to answer your  question.  First, a neighbor stopped by and talked for awhile.  After I finally finished answering you and clicked submit reply, it disappeared.  Just love those CC gremlins!  🤣

 

DH rented cars for 40 years when he traveled for work, so renting cars is second nature to him and he is comfortable driving strange cars in unknown places, and on either side of the road.

 

We were lucky to be able to start cruising early, and as tecknology advanced we could take longer cruises as DH could work just about any where.

 

While we don''t always rent cars, we try to rent them whenever we can.  We've found we can see more places in a day than on a tour as we usually don't want to stay at a as long as the tour does.  We usually don't eat off the ship, or if we want something, we get something quick to save time.  Renting cars also lets us stop if we see something interesting that was not on our orginal list.

 

Before GPS, we would look at the shore excusions and decide where we wanted to go.  Then, we'd get a map to help us get there, starting with the site the furthest from the ship, and work our way back to port.  

 

With GPS, which we used as soon as it was available, and now cell phone maps, we are good to go.

 

@jimgev had some good suggestions.  As there are now more and bigger ships, we now reserve cars where ever possible, and in some ports we use the small local companies.

 

As a rule, we do not get the added insurance, but will if DH feels there could be a problem if we didn't.  This is usually, but not always, in small ports renting from local companies.

 

We learned the hard way when we could not rent a car in South Korea, to get an international drivers license.  Some countries require them.

 

Lenda

 

 

[puppycanducruise]

@grapau27Great pictures.  You and Pauline look wonderful.  You're so lucky to be cruising again.