Venture to the Caribbean with Bill & Mary Ann on the Nieuw Statendam & Nieuw Amsterdam 12-18-21 to 4-26-22

[WCB]

Many thanks for the best wishes.  We finally got back online this afternoon.

Linda, we can use our President's Club dinners in the Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto, and the Tamarind now.  Sel de Mer is not included, but we would get our 25% discount.

Thanks  for the positive comments.  

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Storylady]

Congratulations Maryanne & Bill in surviving Quarantine with such a positive attitude.  You certainly had a fantastic welcome home! Glad you recovered enough to pass the COVID test and that you both had such a great location for walking and spotting birds. Sorry that the restaurant variety wasn’t great. 
 

is your 10 Presidents Club meals for the whole cruise or for each cruise or segment? There certainly is enough variety in the three restaurants. And with your discount you could eat at the Tamrind or Canaletto even after you have used all your dinners.

[WCB]

We can use the President's Club perk of 10 dinners for each cruise.  Now we are allowed to dine in the Pinnacle Grill, Canaletto, or the Tamarind restaurants.  Sel de Mer is not included, but we do get a 25% discount.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, WCB said:

Sel de Mer is not included, but we do get a 25% discount.

 

I know of your issues with those finny creatures from the sea.  There are other items on the menu of Sel de Mer that might attract you.  Rudi's creation is the best specialty restaurant on any ship of any cruise line that I have sailed.  Carnival's steakhouses and Princess' Sabitino's and Alfredo's are excellent, but, Rudi's is just a "step above" in my experience.  

 

Glad that you have had a successful and a very pleasant start to your cruise!  

[WCB]

Report #48   Day at Sea Enroute To St. Maarten   Thursday - February 3, 2022   Cool, Gale Force winds, & 68 degrees..... Part #1 of 1......... 50  Pictures

 

The morning began with a nice sunrise that Bill was able to capture.  Lucky he is an early riser and we have the right exposure to capture it.

 

What a reception we got in Club Orange dining room this morning.  Every person working there, from the manager, Wayan, the greeter, Jonah, who pitches in every day, Joyce, the lovely mimosa gal, to the waiters and cooks……all greeted us with a hearty “welcome back”.  We even got our special table back.  Sure nice to have a hot breakfast  that was not served in a cardboard box.

 

Then we had an appointment at 10am with the IT tech, because the internet was still not working in our room.  Sitting at the table near the Front Desk, both Jonah and Janine stopped to chat.  Both managers have been most helpful with our situation.  We had brought the hotel statement and all of the receipts for our 10 day quarantine just in case we saw Janine.  She made copies and said she will begin working on it.  Also gave her our private insurance cards, which may help cover what HAL does not. 

 

So the IT tech supposedly fixed the computer, but we soon discovered it still was not working in our room, as well as not functional on deck three.  After playing phone tag, we finally scheduled an appointment with the same fellow at 3pm.  This time he would come to our room.

 

Time to get some fresh air.  We walked the promenade deck for at least one hour.   There was no sign of birds, but there may have been some tiny flying fish.  They are so fast, if you blink, you’ll miss them.

 

Today we got a letter from the Captain outlining what tours will be available in the upcoming ports.  Of course, all of the HAL excursions will be permitted, and in some places, local tours may be allowed.  As for third party tours or exploring on our own, three islands were iffy.  They are St. Lucia, Barbados, and Grenada.  We’ll have to wait and see what their rules will be when we get there.  On our last visit to Barbados, the officials lifted the no exploring on our own ban around 10:30am. 

 

The weather was quite cool today with winds at 7 on the Beaufort scale.  The ship was rolling with the choppy seas, but we have been in much worse.  Looking at the forecast in the upcoming days, we saw rain almost every day.  Hope it holds off on port days.

 

We had a light lunch in the Lido, with just a salad, since we wanted to save ourselves for dinner tonight.  It was the first gala evening, but we still have not been able to connect with all of our tablemates.  If they choose to dine at 7pm, we still prefer the 8pm time.  So we will probably do more specialty dining, with a few nights meeting with the group.  It’s not the same as being on the world cruise, where our group has assigned seating, with the same waiters for 128 days.  Not happening here, not even for two months.  We all have our quirks such as liking hot soup, sauces on the side, hot dinner, or no shellfish, etc.  Then we have to start all over again.

 

After lunch, we spent some time on the veranda, where we did spot some active flying fish.  It takes a lot of patience, but out of hundreds of photos, some good ones were achieved.  The good camera is the only way to go. 

 

Taking a walk at 5pm, we could see the Front Desk staff still bent over their desks working relentlessly on their computers.  Since it was getting dark, the light from their computers lit up the back room, where we jokingly say they are hiding.  Seems like their jobs are never-ending. 

 

Dinner for us was in the Pinnacle Grill at 8pm.  Expecting it to be full of guests, we were surprised to find it only half full at the most.  Since this was the first gala evening, we suspect the restaurant was busier early at around 6 to 7pm.   The service and the food could not  have been better.   Greeted by the friendly manager, we were served by a nice waiter who took our orders right away.  Both of us had the wedge salad with the clothes line bacon put directly on the salad plate.  We could live without the presentation, just give us the bacon.  Cutting it in small bites, we enjoyed it on our delicious salads.  Both of us had the lamb chops with a side order of a loaded baked potato.  The chops were finger-licking good, although we would have liked to use our fingers, we refrained from doing it.  At home?  Yes, we sure would have picked up those bones.  Desserts were one almost baked Alaska and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Glad we had kept lunch light, we enjoyed every bite. 

 

And so went our first day at sea.  Nice to be back.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[smlnd]

Can you explain exactly what is the Clothes Line Bacon?  Is there an additional charge for it?

[smlnd]

Another question:  We board Feb. 13th.  What I don't see on the Navigator App is anything scheduled for the Rolling Stone Rock Room.  Is there a band playing there or have they come down with Covid?

[The Other Tom]

29 minutes ago, smlnd said:

Can you explain exactly what is the Clothes Line Bacon?  Is there an additional charge for it?

Click on this link and scroll down to the picture of the bacon and salad.   

2022 Florida Cruise 48 (50 Pictures).pdf - Google Drive

 

I don't know if it costs extra or not.

Edited February 4, 2022 by The Other Tom

[The Other Tom]

6 hours ago, WCB said:

The morning began with a nice sunrise that Bill was able to capture.

Beautiful sunrise pics, thanks for posting.  The flying fish pics were good, too.

[USN59-79]

25 minutes ago, The Other Tom said:

Click on this link and scroll down to the picture of the bacon and salad.   

2022 Florida Cruise 48 (50 Pictures).pdf - Google Drive

 

I don't know if it costs extra or not.

It was available in the Pinnacle Grill at no extra charge; something like an appetizer.  Of course this was pre-covid.

Ray

[colonialinnkeeper]

30 minutes ago, USN59-79 said:

It was available in the Pinnacle Grill at no extra charge; something like an appetizer.  Of course this was pre-covid.

Ray

It is still offered and there is no added charge.

 

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, smlnd said:

Can you explain exactly what is the Clothes Line Bacon?  Is there an additional charge for it?

 

It's an appetizer on the Pinnacle Grill menu and there is no extra charge.  My opinion:  the presentation is pretentious.  WCB seems to agree with my thinking since they asked for it to just be served with their Wedge Salad and not with the usual presentation.  

[WCB]

Report #49   Day at Sea En route To St. Maarten   Friday - February 4, 2022   Cool, Gale Force winds 30 mph, & 68 degrees..... Part #1 of 1......... 84  Pictures

 

One of us woke up to a nice sunrise, although the seas had become more rough overnight.  It was windy and still cool.  And as the Captain had warned yesterday, there were gale force winds and deep swells, causing the ship to roll. Our average speed is 17 to 20 knots, and seems like we are flying.

 

Last night, we had to put the clocks forward, since we are heading southeast now. This will put us on the correct time for St. Maarten tomorrow.  We don’t like losing an hour (neither does the crew), but they promised to give it back to us before we get to Ft. Lauderdale.

 

After another nice breakfast in Club Orange, we headed out for the morning walk.  There were even a few sprinkles as we must have gone under some clouds.  If this is the type of rain we can expect in St. Maarten, then it will be OK.  When the ship is moving like it was this morning, walking can become difficult.  Think we did our mile or more, then came back inside.  

 

That’s when we discovered yesterday’s report had gone MIA on the computer.  There is a slight chance I pushed a wrong key and sent it into oblivion.  So it had to be re-done, which was not a problem, since I keep an outline in a notebook.  I typed, Bill walked.

 

It was almost chilly in the room, so we went in search of some warm sun.  That brought us to deck 10 aft, above the Seaview Pool.  The water in the pool was in the process of emptying with the movement of the ship. To say it was windy on this deck, is an understatement.  We were just in time for music trivia…….name that tune from the 80’s.  Think we recognized three songs, but could not recall the titles.  That’s when we spotted friends Barb sitting with Susie and Woody under the opposite balcony sitting against a window.  Joining them, we spent an hour chatting about a million things.  Joyce, our CO mimosa gal, asked if she could take a photo of the five of us to send to Twinkle, the Beverage Manager on many recent world cruises.  We all hope to see her in 2023.

 

Lunch was late at 3pm in the Dutch Café, where we had ham & cheese sandwiches with hot fries.  We swear they are addictive.  So are the almond cookies.  Bill discovered a new draft beer from Belgium, and decided he liked it.  It was called Affligem.  A fellow sitting next to us was talked into trying one of the chocolate eclairs, and was most impressed with the size when they served him.  We bet he ate the whole thing after we left.

 

Time for some veranda relaxing, we began seeing boobys, or one booby, who was gliding past our room.  He began diving for flying fish, and it was captured by the good camera.  Never got a booby with a flying fish in its beak before.  Today Bill got several photos, since the bird was diving close to the ship.  Pure luck.  Going for a late walk, the only thing we saw was the sun going down on the opposite side of the ship.

 

Dinner tonight was back at our table in the lower dining room, but we all happened to be there.  Table for five, we had a great time like we always do.  When we finished dessert, Presty came to see us.  It was like old times, because we have all known him for many years now.  Among other things, he told us that a large number of guests were doing room service today and this evening.  Sea-sickness was the reason.  Guess we are all old salts, and we seldom feel ill.  We also questioned Presty about Club Orange, and he said on this cruise the price was $35 per person per day.  That made us all happy, since the five of us are President’s Club, and  we get these benefits as part of our perks.  At least it applies to using Club Orange on the Koningsdam, Rotterdam, and this ship, the N. Statendam.  Presty also said there were over 900 passengers on this cruise.

 

On our way out of the dining room, we were approached by a nice couple who recognized us from Cruise Critic and our blog with photos.  Sure made us feel good since they were quite complimentary.  Music to our ears!  Since we have been back on Sunday, that makes five nice folks that have asked if we are Bill & Mary Ann.

 

Bill & Mary Ann, of course……..      

 

[The Other Tom]

Great pictures of the booby catching the flying fish!

[dmcfad2]

2 hours ago, The Other Tom said:

Great pictures of the booby catching the flying fish!

How can we see the pictures?

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

16 minutes ago, dmcfad2 said:

How can we see the pictures?

"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann (cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com)

[WCB]

Report #50  Philipsburg,  St. Maarten   Saturday - February 5, 2022   Light rain, then mostly sunny   80 degrees   Part 1 of 3............80 Picture

 

Today’s port of call was Philipsburg, St. Maarten.  It was raining lightly when one of us got up early.  As the ship got close to the island, a nice rainbow appeared.  Hope this meant the end of the rain for the day.

 

St. Maarten and St. Martin is the smallest land mass in the world to be shared by two sovereign nations.  St. Maarten is the Dutch side with 37 square miles, while St. Martin is the French side, with 16 square miles.  The population of the Dutch side is 48,000, while the French side has 39,000 people.   The average temperature of the island is 80 degrees.  The legal drinking age is 18 years old, as is the legal age for gambling on the Dutch side. Dutch St. Maarten is the only one that have casinos. Drugs are illegal.  This island is not known for snorkeling or scuba diving, but it is more for the water sports like jet skis, booating, or wind-sailing.

 

By the time we were docking, we headed off for breakfast, where they continue to spoil us.  We left the ship around 10am and walked past  the terminal stores and shops on the way out the gate.  By the way, a few ships were here today, such as the Seabourn Odyssey, Star Legend, and the Star Flyer.  This has to be their turn-around day.  Anchored off of the coast close to Marigot, was the RCI Jewel of the Seas.  We wonder if this ship is being used as a quarantine ship?   It never moved the whole time we were here.

 

There was no problem walking out of the gate, which was good, or else we would have headed back to the ship.  Watching closely for the troupe of monkeys, we were disappointed that we saw none today.  The sprinkles had stopped and there was mostly blue sky.  No umbrellas today. 

 

Fewer people were here compared to when we came around the holidays.  At that time, families from mostly Europe were on vacation with their kids.   We also noticed that there were less people on the beach, and even less in the surf.  There was a reason for that, which we missed last time we were here.  There was a sign on the beach stating no swimming, no snorkeling or scuba diving, and no jet skis, etc.  Checking this in the book later, we found out that due to the number of bars and restaurants on the Boardwalk, as well as the number of cruise ships, no one  was allowed to swim in these waters.  That leads us to assume the water is polluted.  As pretty as the color of the water was, it was also cloudy.  Yep, polluted.  Hundreds of lounges and umbrellas sat piled up, as there were few takers.  Even with the reduced price of $20 for 2 lounges, one umbrella, and five bottles of beer.  Free wifi too.  It was suggested to swim further past the Boardwalk to enjoy the water.  Sitting at a restaurant along the Boardwalk, we saw two gals from the Grand Dutch Café with two fellows from the ship.  Finally, the crew can go off of the ship for a few hours.  Good sign that things are getting better.

 

Our big purchase of the day was a tube of toothpaste.  Thought I had brought enough, I forgot I decided to buy more long the way.  The ship had tiny tubes for the same price as the big one we bought.  We cut over from the beach to Front Street where most all of the shops are.  One such store was a leather shop, with the owner being from Turkey.  We recognized the unique women’s leather jackets, of which I own two already.  The owner explained that these were better since they were made with different leather.  So therefore, his price was double of what we paid in Kusadasi a few years ago.  He may have bargained some, but we have little to no space in our luggage, and we cannot afford to over-stuff them.

 

Another surprise was to see a store that sold specialty liquors.  Blantons is a favorite of ours, but it is difficult to purchase where we live.  It is made in small batches,  so the price is steep.  The most affordable was $90, while some of the higher alcohol content bottles were as much as $350.  The vendor said it appeals to the Japanese travelers.  Price is not a factor in their world.  We had to pass since we could not get it past the xray machine, where it would have been confiscated.  Then it would be given back  at the end of this cruise.  Then what do  we do with it?  We will be re-boarding another ship, where they would confiscate it.   And we sure don’t want to fly home with it.  With our luck, it would break in the suitcase.  The owner did mention that several high end cruise ships buy this whiskey to stock their bars.  Not HAL however.

 

We walked back to the ship by 1pm, completing our 3 hour tour.  We did make a few stops…one at a small shop near the gate, where we chatted with a very nice local vendor lady.  She gave us her opinion of the Covid virus scare, and that she does not believe any of what is being told to the citizens here.  With the ships only ½ full, she is hurting for business, and hopes, like us, that this whole thing will be over soon.  Then we ran into Howard and Gyl, and talked for quite a while.  Catching up on news with people we all know, and places we have been over the years.  Then it was time to go in search of beer.  They headed to town, while we went back to the ship.

 

Lunch was in the Grand Dutch Café again, but this time we both had the Affligem beer.  Refreshing and really tasty, we added our sandwiches and fries.  Finally, we split another one of those giant eclairs.  Some other passengers came by to see what was in the middle of these giants.   Think they ordered a few as well. 

 

As we were on our way out, we stopped to talk to the purser (Finance Manager).  Welcoming us back, she asked us many questions about the quarantining.  Then we chatted about the upcoming world cruise, which she thought was going to be on the Zaandam.  No, that had changed to the Zuiderdam, right now for 2023 and 2024.  But anything can change……

 

It began raining slightly again by 3pm, but once the cloud passed by, the sun peeked out again.  The ship left the port before 4pm, and with the breeze blowing, it got chilly.  We sailed past a tiny island called Saba, and maybe we passed St. Barthelemy.  We worked in the room until 7pm, when it was time for a special  dinner .   Today was Barb’s birthday, and we all met in the Pinnacle Grill to celebrate her day.  Once we were seated, we were visited by Janine, the guest relations manager, Rene, the hotel manager, and 2 other officers.  They mentioned something about being a quartet, and we thought maybe they would sing.  Nope, just kidding.  Later on, Jonah, the event coordinator, came by with her husband, the Food & Beverage manager to wish Barb a happy birthday.  They did sing the song.  After our meal, a small square creamy chocolate cake was served, and the waiters sang the Indonesian birthday song.  Barb loved it.

 

Now tomorrow’s port of St. Lucia might not be a good one, as we were informed we may not be allowed to walk out of the port.  We shall see………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[bob12]

When visiting St Martin always liked the French side better.  Not as busy.  Local  market  and patisseries on the beach in Marigot  made it worth the trip.

[nimi17]

10 hours ago, WCB said:

Report #50  Philipsburg,  St. Maarten   Saturday - February 5, 2022   Light rain, then mostly sunny   80 degrees   Part 1 of 3............80 Picture

 

Today’s port of call was Philipsburg, St. Maarten.  It was raining lightly when one of us got up early.  As the ship got close to the island, a nice rainbow appeared.  Hope this meant the end of the rain for the day.

 

St. Maarten and St. Martin is the smallest land mass in the world to be shared by two sovereign nations.  St. Maarten is the Dutch side with 37 square miles, while St. Martin is the French side, with 16 square miles.  The population of the Dutch side is 48,000, while the French side has 39,000 people.   The average temperature of the island is 80 degrees.  The legal drinking age is 18 years old, as is the legal age for gambling on the Dutch side. Dutch St. Maarten is the only one that have casinos. Drugs are illegal.  This island is not known for snorkeling or scuba diving, but it is more for the water sports like jet skis, booating, or wind-sailing.

 

By the time we were docking, we headed off for breakfast, where they continue to spoil us.  We left the ship around 10am and walked past  the terminal stores and shops on the way out the gate.  By the way, a few ships were here today, such as the Seabourn Odyssey, Star Legend, and the Star Flyer.  This has to be their turn-around day.  Anchored off of the coast close to Marigot, was the RCI Jewel of the Seas.  We wonder if this ship is being used as a quarantine ship?   It never moved the whole time we were here.

 

There was no problem walking out of the gate, which was good, or else we would have headed back to the ship.  Watching closely for the troupe of monkeys, we were disappointed that we saw none today.  The sprinkles had stopped and there was mostly blue sky.  No umbrellas today. 

 

Fewer people were here compared to when we came around the holidays.  At that time, families from mostly Europe were on vacation with their kids.   We also noticed that there were less people on the beach, and even less in the surf.  There was a reason for that, which we missed last time we were here.  There was a sign on the beach stating no swimming, no snorkeling or scuba diving, and no jet skis, etc.  Checking this in the book later, we found out that due to the number of bars and restaurants on the Boardwalk, as well as the number of cruise ships, no one  was allowed to swim in these waters.  That leads us to assume the water is polluted.  As pretty as the color of the water was, it was also cloudy.  Yep, polluted.  Hundreds of lounges and umbrellas sat piled up, as there were few takers.  Even with the reduced price of $20 for 2 lounges, one umbrella, and five bottles of beer.  Free wifi too.  It was suggested to swim further past the Boardwalk to enjoy the water.  Sitting at a restaurant along the Boardwalk, we saw two gals from the Grand Dutch Café with two fellows from the ship.  Finally, the crew can go off of the ship for a few hours.  Good sign that things are getting better.

 

Our big purchase of the day was a tube of toothpaste.  Thought I had brought enough, I forgot I decided to buy more long the way.  The ship had tiny tubes for the same price as the big one we bought.  We cut over from the beach to Front Street where most all of the shops are.  One such store was a leather shop, with the owner being from Turkey.  We recognized the unique women’s leather jackets, of which I own two already.  The owner explained that these were better since they were made with different leather.  So therefore, his price was double of what we paid in Kusadasi a few years ago.  He may have bargained some, but we have little to no space in our luggage, and we cannot afford to over-stuff them.

 

Another surprise was to see a store that sold specialty liquors.  Blantons is a favorite of ours, but it is difficult to purchase where we live.  It is made in small batches,  so the price is steep.  The most affordable was $90, while some of the higher alcohol content bottles were as much as $350.  The vendor said it appeals to the Japanese travelers.  Price is not a factor in their world.  We had to pass since we could not get it past the xray machine, where it would have been confiscated.  Then it would be given back  at the end of this cruise.  Then what do  we do with it?  We will be re-boarding another ship, where they would confiscate it.   And we sure don’t want to fly home with it.  With our luck, it would break in the suitcase.  The owner did mention that several high end cruise ships buy this whiskey to stock their bars.  Not HAL however.

 

We walked back to the ship by 1pm, completing our 3 hour tour.  We did make a few stops…one at a small shop near the gate, where we chatted with a very nice local vendor lady.  She gave us her opinion of the Covid virus scare, and that she does not believe any of what is being told to the citizens here.  With the ships only ½ full, she is hurting for business, and hopes, like us, that this whole thing will be over soon.  Then we ran into Howard and Gyl, and talked for quite a while.  Catching up on news with people we all know, and places we have been over the years.  Then it was time to go in search of beer.  They headed to town, while we went back to the ship.

 

Lunch was in the Grand Dutch Café again, but this time we both had the Affligem beer.  Refreshing and really tasty, we added our sandwiches and fries.  Finally, we split another one of those giant eclairs.  Some other passengers came by to see what was in the middle of these giants.   Think they ordered a few as well. 

 

As we were on our way out, we stopped to talk to the purser (Finance Manager).  Welcoming us back, she asked us many questions about the quarantining.  Then we chatted about the upcoming world cruise, which she thought was going to be on the Zaandam.  No, that had changed to the Zuiderdam, right now for 2023 and 2024.  But anything can change……

 

It began raining slightly again by 3pm, but once the cloud passed by, the sun peeked out again.  The ship left the port before 4pm, and with the breeze blowing, it got chilly.  We sailed past a tiny island called Saba, and maybe we passed St. Barthelemy.  We worked in the room until 7pm, when it was time for a special  dinner .   Today was Barb’s birthday, and we all met in the Pinnacle Grill to celebrate her day.  Once we were seated, we were visited by Janine, the guest relations manager, Rene, the hotel manager, and 2 other officers.  They mentioned something about being a quartet, and we thought maybe they would sing.  Nope, just kidding.  Later on, Jonah, the event coordinator, came by with her husband, the Food & Beverage manager to wish Barb a happy birthday.  They did sing the song.  After our meal, a small square creamy chocolate cake was served, and the waiters sang the Indonesian birthday song.  Barb loved it.

 

Now tomorrow’s port of St. Lucia might not be a good one, as we were informed we may not be allowed to walk out of the port.  We shall see………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Nieuw Statendam’s Notes had Blantons when I was there for the whiskey tasting on our 01/12/22 cruise, although I can’t recall which bottles were on the shelves.

 

I’ve attached a picture of their whiskey tastings here for you.

[510picker]

I’ve enjoyed following along on your journey. My wife and I will be joining you April 6th for and 11 day cruise. I hope we get a chance to meet you both. 

[scubacruiserx2]

Thanks for sharing your photos of Flying Fish . We especially like to see them close up as on our lunch plate in Barbados .

 

 

[WCB]

Report # 51   Castries, St. Lucia   Sunday - February 6, 2022   Mostly sunny & 80 degrees     Part # 1 of 3...........81 Pictures

 

Well, here we are again, visiting the port of Castries, St. Lucia.  The last time we were here was January 15^th, although it seems like just a few weeks ago.  Not much has changed here, except for the fact we were in a different pier – La Place Carenage Shopping Mall.  Usually, we dock at Pointe Seraphine, but there was Regent’s Mariner and RCI Anthem of the Seas in our spot.  Why, we do not know?

 

Here are a few facts we may have missed the last time around.  St. Lucia has 238 square miles, is 27 miles long and 14 miles wide. Winter temps are 82 degrees, while in the summer, it can be 88 degrees. Night temps are between 72 to 79 degrees. Sea temps range from 81 to 84 degrees. The annual rainfall is 80 inches during the months of June through November (hurricane season).  There are 175,000 residents on this island, with 65,000 of those living here in the capital of Castries.  The language is English with French Creole.  They use Eastern Caribbean money where the US$ equals EC $2.67.  US dollars are gladly accepted as are credit cards (not always American  Express).  Lastly, St. Lucia became an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1979.  And that is all we know.  

 

So with today being Sunday once again, almost nothing was opened in downtown Castries.   One good thing was due to the proximity of the pier, we were much closer to the Castries Market.  Too bad it was 99% closed.  We left the ship at 10:30am, after watching many tour groups going off.  Some of them were being squeezed into minivans  and small buses. Not certain that we would be allowed to go off on our own without hiring a taxi, we called the Front Desk first.  They said we were cleared to walk outside the gates after getting a St. Lucia wristband.  Guess this identifies us as cruise passengers. 

 

There were a few terminal shops to pass by  before going out the doors.  Then we were accosted by several taxi drivers wanting to take us on a tour.  No thanks was sufficient to fend them off, as they were respectful. There were some locals milling around as we walked around the block of the marketplace.  Some were setting up food and drink stands.  Crossing over a canal of what appeared to be waste water, we quickly got out of the area.  This river of garbage was flowing under the road and directly into the bay.  Good thing there are no beaches nearby. 

 

From there, we headed to Seraphine Pointe to check out the two ships docked there.  We walked into the complex, and stayed for a while.  There was a singer entertaining in the center courtyard of the shops, so we hung around and listened for a bit.  There were quite a few people in this terminal today, taking advantage of the outside bars and cafes there.  We went all the way to the end and took in the local kids jumping off a pier in the distance.  For the first time, we noticed schools of tiny fish in the water.  One very big one was working the deeper parts. 

 

Rested up enough, we headed back outside to walk to the N.Statendam.  As we cleared the gate, we heard a woman calling us back.  Thinking she was a taxi driver, we just kept going.  Turning around, we realized this was a security guard, so we stopped until she caught up with us.  Assuming that we were on one of the ships docked here, she advised us that we were not allowed to leave the gate on foot.  The only way out was to hire a taxi driver who would take us to an approved destination.  We explained that we were from the HAL ship across the harbor, and were simply out for a walk.  Still not understanding, we showed her our room keys and ID.  She was very surprised that we were allowed off the ship, and their two ships were not. Go figure?  Satisfied with our explanation, she said it was OK to go.

 

With that, we left for our walk back, which took maybe 20 minutes.  It was a fairly warm and humid morning, and we were building up a big thirst.  We had ice cold Cokes in the room with some of the snacks we brought from Ft. Lauderdale.  A salad in the Lido at 2:30pm was just enough.  At 3:30pm, the Captain came on with his talk, then usually we leave after that.  Apparently, one passenger was not onboard yet.  That’s one thing you do not want to do, is be late in returning.  Watching from the veranda, we saw one man pulling a suitcase and walking quickly.  Must have been him, because within minutes, we were leaving. 

 

Thank goodness we were moving, because our veranda deck was really hot.  We enjoyed sailing out of the bay, then turning left to head towards the Pitons again.  Captain Eric blew the horn three times, and the other two ships left behind answered him back.  It took maybe 20 minutes, but once he was at the Pitons, he stayed for some time.  Since we only have 100 miles to the next port of Barbados, we will have plenty of time to get there. 

 

Dinnertime was spent with Barb in the dining room.  By the time we go at 8pm, it is never crowded in there, and we get excellent service.  They served the best crispy spring rolls for appetizers.  One of us had doubles.  Two of us ordered the parmesan crusted chicken breast,  while the other had wienerschnitzel.  (Can never spell that right.)  Desserts were pecan ice cream, crème brulee, and a chocolate sundae without marshmallows.  We were all happy campers. 

 

Like we said, tomorrow’s port will be Barbados, and we still do not know if we will be allowed to walk about town on our own.  Sure hope so.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[dmcfad2]

@wbcHi. Is there a blog or something where I can see your pictures?

[Hogladyrider]

7 minutes ago, dmcfad2 said:

@wbcHi. Is there a blog or something where I can see your pictures?

yes scroll back thru earlier posts and the link is posted there!

[cruzingnut]

9 minutes ago, dmcfad2 said:

@wbcHi. Is there a blog or something where I can see your pictures?

 

https://cruisingwithbillandmaryann.blogspot.com/2022/02/report-51-castries-st-lucia-sunday.html

 

This is for their latest one.  Just below the text, you'll see "X # of pictures"; the X is whatever the number of pictures there are for each blog entry so just click on that and you'll get to the pictures.  I think that there is a zoom function once you get to that page so you can enlarge them.  Enjoy!  They do a great blog and pictures!

 

Linda R.

Edited February 7, 2022 by cruzingnut