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

[smlnd]

Will be joining you on Sunday.  Can't wait.  Quick question...Are they offering a morning stretch class on Nieuw Statendam?

[CruiseMGM]

2 hours ago, cruzingnut said:

 

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.

 

Thanks! Couldn't figure out how to see the pictures! 😄

[Nancy&Frank]

@WCB REALLY enjoying your dailies and photos.  
Looking forward to meeting you on the GWC 23’

Nancy

[WCB]

Report # 52   Bridgetown, Barbados   Monday - February 7, 2022   Mostly cloudy, warm & 80 degrees    Part # 1 of 3................ 82  Pictures

 

This morning at the Club Orange, Joyce our mimosa server, told us that none of the crew had been allowed off of the ship yesterday in Castries.  Then we shared our story of how we walked out of the terminal, and were not forced to take a taxi.  Maybe we slipped between the cracks?

 

Anyway, we took the time to complete yesterday’s reports and photos before we left the ship at 10:30am.  At least the weather looked good for no rain.  However, it was warm and muggy.

 

Once again, before we entered the terminal building, we had to stop, do sanitizer, and take our temps.  No alarms went off, so we were good to go and make our way to the opposite end and on towards town.  At least the N. Statendam docked very close to the terminal this time, but then, we were the only ship in port today. 

 

We had a leisurely walk to town, armed with the local map.  Doing some research online on fabric shops, we discovered a store that may have been the one we visited 10 years ago.  We shall see…..

 

First stop was the fish market, where the experts were super busy carving and fileting many species of fish.  Some were very small fish to extra-large tuna.  One thing we failed to notice on our last visit, was the installation of solar panels on the roof. Continuing on, we walked to the Old Marina, crossing over the Charles Duncan O’Neal Bridge, but short of going to the beach area.  Then we back-tracked to High St., passing the Parliament Building and the National Hero’s Square.  A long way up the street, the name changed to Roebuck St.  It was there we saw a tiny sign “Top Fabric” with a small door to enter.  No window front at all, and we figured this was not the same place we remembered.  However, we were this far, so might as well check it out.  Opening the door, we found a hallway where the real shop was through another door on the left.  It had an opened sign, but the door was locked.  Guess they were closed for lunch.  We looked through the window at what they had inside, and suddenly the door opened and we were invited in. Unseen by us, there was a door bell to ring, but we did not know they would keep the door locked all of the time. 

 

Long story short, we purchased 1½ yards of stretchy material for a future blouse.  The price on the bolt was $21.  We did know that was about double of the US dollar, so we figured it would be about $15 US.  Paying the owner, she rang up $18 Barbados, which we thought was US $.  Then she handed back $8, charging us only $9 US.  With the receipt, she handed back a $2 Barbados bill.  Wow, now that was honesty.  Now when I make this blouse, I will always remember that story.  In fact, we might go back and purchase another design the next time we come here.

 

Heading back, we passed by Nidhe Israel Synagogue with a cemetery dating back to 1630. St. Mary’s Cathedral was beyond that with a stop at Jubilee Gardens where there was a nice bench to use.  Made a sweep through mostly closed Pelican Centre, checking out one vendor’s cleverly –made copper wire jewelry designs.  Not inexpensive, we said we might come back there as well in a few weeks.  By the way, every place we entered today checked our temps and “purelled” our hands.  At the jewelry shop, I accidently sanitized my shoe instead.

 

Passing the gate at the terminal, we entered a door where our stuff was put through xray, and our room keys were checked.  At the terminal, it was the same process as when we entered on the opposite end.  At the variety store , we picked up a small bag of chips with the $2 Barbados bill.  At this same store, an elderly couple walked inside, and were asked to sanitize their hands.  The man did, but the wife yelled at the Barbados lady saying she just washed her hands in the bathroom.  It did not matter,  she explained, it was the law. Use it, or get out (the vendor never said this out loud).  Finally she complied, but mumbled all the way through the store.  That was really embarrassing for all the passengers in the shop. 

 

Lunch was in the Dutch Café, where the beers never tasted so good.  The sun had begun to peek out, and it was heating up outside, so we were thirsty.  Of course, we added our sandwiches and hot fries.  As the crew were not allowed off today, they were curious as to what we found in town.  We told them that we saw a lot of masks on the locals.  Inside, outside, they never took them off.   We did not either. 

 

It was after 3pm, when we got back to the room.  Great time to do some work and also relax.  Our veranda was in the full sun and hot as a pistol.  We sat out there off and on until the ship left at about 5pm.  There was a lot of horn blowing as we left.

 

It was dinner for five tonight in the dining room.  All but one of us had prime rib.   The last time I ordered that was when I was in solitary confinement.  A fun time was had by all.  Presty visited once again and mentioned that Philip, the head maitre’d on the world cruise had resigned to run his family bar business in Holland.  Maybe Presty will take his place in 2023?

 

Tomorrow we will be back to Grenada.  Will we be allowed off this time?  Who knows………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[ottahand7]

On 2/6/2022 at 7:47 PM, nimi17 said:

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.

Thank you for posting this.  We are boarding on Sunday and I love my Whiskey tastings!!   

[nimi17]

1 hour ago, ottahand7 said:

Thank you for posting this.  We are boarding on Sunday and I love my Whiskey tastings!!   

My pleasure! Noel was leading the whiskey tastings while we were there and we had a lot of fun with him. We had Pappy during the Connoisseur tasting and it did not disappoint! 

[cruzingnut]

@WCB, I can't tell you how many times we've been in that variety store in the terminal to get rid of excess Barbados money!  One time we went in with a bunch of change, laid it down on the counter and asked them to give us whatever would equate to it.  They had some very small candies, etc at the counter so they figured it out and we were set.   

 

It's a shame that lady yelled at the Purell person....really is embarrassing but the funny thing is, is that WE are more embarrassed than the one who should be! 

 

Glad you are continuing to enjoy your cruising!

 

Linda R.

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, cruzingnut said:

 

It's a shame that lady yelled at the Purell person....really is embarrassing

 

Just one more "ugly American".  

[WCB]

Report # 53   St. George's, Grenada   Tuesday - February 8, 2022   Mostly sunny & 82 degrees     Part #  1 of 2 ..............81 Pictures

 

Today’s port of call was St. George’s, Grenada, situated 12 degrees north of the Equator.  It is 21 miles long and 12 miles wide.  Nicknamed the Isle of Spice, it would have been nice to explore the city outside the terminal.  But it was not to be.  Once again we were required to take an HAL tour, or use a local approved taxi to go anywhere.  Even if we chose just to walk the city streets, we would have to have a guide. Not for us.  Now that really makes no sense to us other than it was a “money” thing.  You cannot fight city hall.

 

Anyway, here is what we didn’t see, but learned from reading maps and books.  St. George’s is the capital of Grenada, and has not changed much from colonial times.  The narrow streets are filled with shops built along the steep hills.  Old brick warehouses are now shopping malls that surround the waterfront.  Many of the homes are painted pastel shades that blend with the lush vegetation.  It is said that the harbor here is the prettiest in the Caribbean. 

 

We worked in the room until 10:30am, then headed off for the short walk on the pier to the terminal building, located within the  Esplanade Mall.  Before we went inside, a nice couple of folks came over and asked if we had been on the ill-fated 2020 GWV.  Yes, we had been there.  Turned out this couple had a room down the hall from us on the Amsterdam.  They remembered seeing us coming and going.  We are pretty sure they admitted to reading the blog, and had been on the lookout for us.  Small world…….

 

The Esplanade Mall was a series of duty-free shops with jewelry, electronics, liquor, gift items, clothing, local crafts and oodles of souvenirs.  Needing a warm sweatshirt, we finally bought one at one of the shops.  The owner gave us the cruise ship discount of 20% without hesitation. We did not see things flying off of the shelves so much today.  Then outside this store, we ran into another couple who  we have already met.  They are also doing a blog on this trip.  Before we knew it, a half hour went by as we realized we had traveled some of the same places and knew some of the same people.  Again, a small world. 

 

With that, we went back to the ship, and stayed inside the room until dinnertime.  All aboard was 2:30pm,but we did not leave on time due to a late tour coming back.  It was too late for lunch in the Lido for us, so we had some rooms snacks instead.  It was nicer to watch sailing out of the harbor from our veranda.

 

Here are a few interesting facts we came upon.  Back in 1961, a 600 foot cruise ship, named Bianca C, caught fire and sank in the harbor.  Going down 100 feet, it has become a diving site these days.  Encrusted with coral, it is home to giant turtles, eagle rays, jack, and barracuda.  A monument called Christ of the Deep was donated to this area by the Costa Cruise Line marking the spot.

 

A particularly disturbing piece of history happened in 1651, when the indigenous Caribs, after losing their battle with the French, committed mass suicide by leaping off a 100 foot vertical cliff to the sea below.  The site is named Carib’s Leap. 

 

Finally, back in October 25, 1983, the assassination of the Prime Minister and some of his supporters prompted Grenada’s government to request help of the US troops.  We remember that incident being called a one day intervention that prevented a war.

 

Dinner was with Barb, and was fun as always.  We ordered one lamb shank, tenderloin slices, and Rudi’s special brisket.  All were good and served nice and hot.  Desserts were also good of course.

 

Tomorrow we should be in Saint Kitts, a much different port than today’s.  At least it appears we will be able to explore on our own without a babysitter.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[0106]

On another thread, someone said 10 quarantine was no longer mandatory if you tested negative during your quarantine.  Have you heard anything about a change in quarantine procedures?

[iflyrc5]

On 2/7/2022 at 1:21 PM, smlnd said:

Will be joining you on Sunday.  Can't wait.  Quick question...Are they offering a morning stretch class on Nieuw Statendam?

I am not Bill or Mary Ann but am on the NS currently and yes at 0730. I went - there were only 2 of us that lasted 15 minutes and it was not very good compared to the class we take at our gym at home

[smlnd]

Thanks for the info. on the stretch class.  My husband and I will go every morning, so there will be a couple more in the class.  Maybe we can talk the instructor into running it for at least 1/2 hour.

[WCB]

Report #54   Basseterre, St. Kitts   Wednesday - February 9, 2022   Mostly cloudy & passing showers   Part #1 of 3..........85 Pictures

 

A place of rain forests, uncrowded beaches, historic ruins, and long dormant volcanoes, describes St. Kitts and sister island, Nevis.  Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts, has a population of 14,000 residents and is one of the oldest cities in the Eastern Caribbean.  In the past, it had been destroyed by colonial wars, fires, floods, earthquakes, riots, and hurricanes.  Re-built more than once, today you can find resorts and hotels such as the Marriott in Basseterre, or the Four Seasons Resort in Nevis.  Although Basseterre is charming, it is described as dilapidated.  You would never know that if you never left Port Zante, where we docked today.  Built on landfill in 1995, this 27 acre parcel houses 25 shops, bars, cafes, and arts & craft stalls. 

 

The N. Statendam was not alone in port today.  There was the RCI Rhapsody of the Seas at anchor, and another RCI Grandeur of the Seas across from us.  It was a surprise to see Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer in another slip, and a smaller vessel, the Spirit of Discovery, a Saga Ocean Cruise ship sitting off of the shoreline.  That is a heck of a lot of passengers here.  We know one thing. Very few people from the ships were in town, although a lot of them were in Port Zante.  Shore excursions must have taken many guests to other parts of the island for a bus tour, or swimming at a beach, and a sugar train ride. 

 

By the time we left the ship at 11am, the skies were dark and cloudy, but still warm.  By the time we walked through the shops, it began to drizzle.  Naturally, we had no umbrellas with us, so we waited out the rain.  It stopped within minutes.  Liquid sunshine, as they call it in Hawaii.  Turning left out of the terminal area, we walked as far as a World War One monument, dedicated to those who died in that war from here between 1914 and 1918.  Back to town, we hiked up Fort St. to a structure called the Circus, built in 1883.  This is a monument that resembles the  Piccadilly Circus in London.  This one has a drinking fountain at the base and is placed in the center of a roundabout.  Turning right from here, we headed towards Independence Square, the site of the slave market centuries ago.  In the center is a large fountain.  And there are many benches under the mature trees.  Always a plus.  Facing this park, was The Co-Cathedral, closed up tight.

 

Time to go back, we entered Port Zante and to the ship.  This whole area was full of passengers from all of the ships.  If these ships were full, we don’t know how this area could handle it.  We had some room snacks, then went to lunch in the Lido for a salad around 2:30pm.  Later on, we went to deck 11 to get more panoramic photos of the city and the surrounds.  That’s when we saw the Spirit of Discovery pull into the bay, but not actually dock. 

 

Before the sun set, we went back to deck 11 to discover the Regent ship had left.  The folks on the Grandeur were having a fine time while dancing below the big screen on their pool deck.  Must be a younger crowd there.  By 6pm, the Grandeur left, leaving us all alone.  We pulled away around 7pm, and then there were none. 

 

Tomorrow’s port will be St. Thomas.  This port was skipped the last time we were due to the fact the Captain refused to Covid test everyone onboard.  At least that is what we understood.  Good news is that tomorrow’s newsletter does not show any restrictions. We shall see………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[WCB]

Report #55    Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands   Thursday -  February 10, 2022   Mostly cloudy & 78 degrees   Part #1 of 4.............80 Pictures

 

It’s been a while since we stopped here, because St. Thomas had been cancelled the last time the ship was here.  We recall that there was a local mandate that required the entire population of the ship to be tested prior to going ashore.  Guess that was not possible, so we had an extra sea day with refunded port charges.  So we did not know what to expect when we arrived here today.   Was it a go, or not?  And since there was no special instructions in today’s When & Where, we figured it was a go.  And, by 8:15am or so, we got our answer……yes, we were cleared. 

 

When we arrived to Club Orange, it was almost empty of guests, even though it had opened at 7:30am.  Perhaps everyone had booked tours this morning.  Guess we were wrong since by 8:30am, the place filled up.  The people had slept in.  As soon as the ship cleared, the exodus began out of the dining room.  Folks had their backpacks and beach bags ready to meet onshore for their excursions.  Boy, what a difference from the past, when people on tours had to go to the Queen’s Lounge to get “stickered”, then wait until your tour number was called. We were ordered to sit in a seat, and not stand. People crowded the rope at the exit, then ran down the stairs like a herd of elephants to be first on the bus.  Heaven help you if you were coming up those stairs. And that was about the time we quit taking the tours. From what we see now, the tour bus folks go down the gangway, and wait for their group there.  Much more civilized.

 

OK back to today and a very few facts about the American Virgin Islands.  There are three main islands in this group.  The island of St. Thomas is 13 miles long, and 4 miles wide with 60,000 residents.  St. Croix is 84 square miles with 51,000 people, while St. John is 20 square miles with 5000 people.  If you are seeking excitement and crowds, then St. Thomas is for you, but if you want quiet, go to St. Croix 40 miles away.  St. John is a beautiful national park with pretty beaches and water activities.

 

Two hundred years ago, the exports were indigo, tobacco, and cotton.  Today, it is silks, crystal, linens and leather. 

 

We left the ship by 10:45am, and found the weather to be almost perfect.  It was partly cloudy but warm with a following breeze as we walked the same path we took last time.   A better idea, we had a map today.  The N. Statendam was docked the furthest away it could be.  Instead of heading into the Havensight Mall with the 60 shops, we followed the pier until we reached the Yacht Haven Grande. This is a beautiful small marina with many mega yachts and sailboats of all kinds.  We had spotted a very nice indoor/outdoor restaurant called the Navy Beach Restaurant, figuring it might be a good spot for beer later, but only if it was not crowded.  The boardwalk led past the marina, where we could see the large tarpin swimming under a bridge.  Tropical fish were among them, and that’s when we figured that people from a nearby café must feed them. 

 

Coming out the gate, we started walking Veteran’s Drive, the main street on the waterfront.  It appeared that recently, much work has been accomplished making this a beautiful walkway with benches and landscaping.  It took us past many historical buildings for a couple of miles at least.  One of the oldest buildings was Fort Christian, or what we called the Red Fort for the color it was painted.  It is St. Thomas’s oldest standing structure built between 1672 and 1680.  It has earned the US National Landmark status and has been used for a governor’s residence, a town hall, a courthouse, a church, and even a jail.  Since it was crumbled badly, millions of dollars went into the restoration back in 2008.  Right alongside of this fort was Vendor’s Square, which was filled with tent-covered tables full of typical souvenirs.  It was full of people, so we did not attempt to cross the busy street to check it out.  By the way, when we began walking the main street, we spotted the Celebrity Millenium docking in front of our ship. There was also another cruise ship docked in another port area, making that only three ships here today.  Sometimes there can be eight of them.

 

We came upon a couple of fellows fishing along the harbor’s edge.  It appeared that one of them had something rather large on his line.  His buddy helped him haul up a long barracuda.  They got it up on the concrete, then carefully removed the hook and lure.  Holding it up by the gills, many people took photos.  Then he released the fish to probably catch it again another day.  Lucky fish…..  

 

We walked as far as the ferry station, where you can take one to nearby Water Island or Hassle Island for the day.  Back in 2009, the fare was $9 for a round trip, but we are sure that has gone up.  Time to head back, we took our time, stopping at a few benches along the scenic drive.  That’s when we met a very nice couple from Alabama.  Also from the N.Statendam, they said they had been following our blog, and wanted to thank us for the info.  Gosh, that is always nice for both of us to hear.  They were even concerned enough to ask how I was doing now after the Covid episode.  Better, I said. Getting out and walking in the fresh sea air has helped a lot.

 

Passing by the Millenium, we saw a group of Caribbean dancers, one on stilts, performing right off of their gangway.  Sure brought back memories of our very first stop here many years ago.  Back onboard by 1:30pm, we finished our 3 hour tour.  Time for lunch and beers in the Dutch Café, then we finished the afternoon in our room and veranda.  Surprisingly, we watched as waves of light showers came over the hilltops and down to the harbor.  The rain was gone as fast as it started.  It did cool things off. 

 

All aboard was 4:30pm, and we left the harbor by 5pm.  Due to the heavy layers of clouds, there was a brief sunset.  Dinner was with Barb tonight….always fun.  We had chicken tenders, salad, and a potato soup.  Entrees were jerk chicken with beans and rice, while Barb had a series of appetizers and two small desserts.  We had one frozen yogurt and a hot fudge sundae with extra nuts….hold the marshmallows.  Our kind waiters know our likes and dislikes, and it sure would be nice to keep them.  So far, that has not happened, as they rotate about every two cruises.

 

Tomorrow we have a day at sea with two invites in the morning.  One is for another Covid test (not looking forward to that), and the next is the Mariner medal party.  Hope we pass the first one, and make it to the party this time.  We missed two of them when we had to leave the ship.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[felma531]

We enjoyed meeting you and will continue to follow your adventures. Reading your daily updates will make us feel as if we are still cruising. Hope you continue to have smooth sailing.  Monty and Margaret from Alabama

[WCB]

Report #56 Sea Day En- Route To Half Moon Cay Friday February 11, 2022 Partly Cloudy And Warm 78 Degrees..........Part #1 Of 1........29 Pictures

 

We welcomed a day at sea, after being in so many ports in a row.  It reminded us of one of the first cruises we took to Europe years ago.  We bet there were 12 ports out of 14 days.  Along with the time change and jet lag, we needed another vacation to recover from the cruise!

 

Well, after breakfast, we went to the dining room where we had another Covid test.  There were over 200 of us in transit this time.  The estimated number of guests for the next cruise is around 900, counting the in transit guests.  We waited in our room for the required ½ hour, and never got that dreaded phone call.  No call means that we tested negative.  That was the best news of the day.  However, a bit later, we did see the red light on the phone indicating a message was there.  Oh no…. did they make a mistake?   It turned out to be the office checking to see if we were happy with the changing of our hepa filter in the air return vent.  We had noticed excess dust in the room, and after inquiring about it, we were told these cabins were due to be changed.  It was done that same day, and yes, it was better.

 

At 11am, we were invited to the Mariner Recognition Event aka medallion awards.  This time it was held in the Billboard Onboard, where we were greeted by Janine, the guest relations manager.  She informed us that she is due to go home on Sunday, and we said our goodbyes.  She was the most helpful person during our stay in Ft. Lauderdale.  We will miss her.

 

Captain Eric Barhorst and General Hotel Director, Rene Tuiman greeted us, then proceeded to take photos with the medal awardees.  There were far fewer this time, so the party wrapped up quickly. Last but not least, we were introduced to the 19 guests as the highest numbered of Mariners onboard - aka President’s Club members.  Howard and Gyl had joined our group of five, and they were first to go for photos.  Susie and Woody were next, followed by the two of us.  Barb was last, and invited the rest of us to have a group photo.  These photos would be gifted to us like always.  But today, the group photo was also included.  Glad Barb thought to do that. The seven of us stayed and chatted until 12:30pm, then decided it was lunchtime.  

 

We took a walk outside, finding it had warmed up a lot.  Heading northwest, we shall be in Half Moon Cay tomorrow.

 

Lunch was in the Lido with salads and a shared sandwich.  By the time we got back to the room, we had two Delft tiles on the bed for this cruise.  And later in the afternoon, the photos were delivered, which included another picture of the ship. It appears that the special sales have picked up in the shops here.  There is only today, and part of tomorrow for folks to part with their money.  They seem to be doing a good job of it. 

 

This evening was the second gala night of this 11 day cruise.  Expecting all of us to be there, Susie and  Woody were missing.  So Barb, Bill and I went ahead and ordered appetizers, and three entrees of surf and turf.  That combo included a tenderloin steak and two extra-large grilled shrimp.  I donated the shrimp to Bill, who shared some of his steak.  It was ample.  Had to save room for a little dessert of almost flourless chocolate cake, and two scoops of butter pecan ice cream.  Barb had the same ice cream with a serving of crème brulee. 

 

Now the good news was that the clocks went back one hour tonight.  Sure took them long enough to give it back, ha-ha.

 

Half Moon Cay…..here we come.

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

[WCB]

Report #57 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas Saturday- February 12, 2022   Mostly cloudy, then mostly sunny with passing showers….  80 Degrees.....Part #1 Of 1........79 Pictures

 

We missed being on Half Moon Cay twice on the last two visits.  Having been exposed to me (Covid at the time), Bill was not allowed to go ashore.  Then we were gone for 10 days, but no one was allowed there due to unusually high winds.  So we are looking forward to our time there today.

 

At breakfast in Club Orange, we asked Wayan, the assistant maitre’d, if he was going to be busy on the island today.  He said of course, and he was taking “his boys” over there very soon.  Girls, too, we assume. We should see him organizing lunch at the island’s buffet.

 

Passing through the Casino on the way to the middle elevator, we were surprised to see that it was opened for business.  Not the shops or the bars, just the Casino.  It must be one of the few places where it is legal to do so.  When we reached deck A, there was a wait of 15 minutes before we boarded the tender.  It appeared that the seating and railings were being sanitized.  Can’t be too careful for us.  Could not help but notice that a pair of crew members,  perhaps entertainers, were mask-less.  Surprised no one said anything to them.  Entering the island before 11am, we were still too early for the food court to be opened.  So, we could not take a couple of apples for Ted, the donkey. Darn, he sure liked that. 

 

We saw Monte and Margaret from Alabama on the beach walk, enjoying the sand and sun like us. They said they will still follow our blog when they get home…almost like being there.

 

Another lady approached us and asked if we were part of the President’s Club group at the Mariner’s gathering yesterday.  Yes, we were, and with that she said that she and her husband were close to 700 days and their platinum medal.  She asked if we would be willing to share the info concerning the perks that come with being a member of President’s Club.  Sure, no problem, but her first statement was that we looked too young to have achieved this status, followed with how old are you two? And are you retired?  Really?  Questions like that sort of hit you between the eyes, if you know what we mean.  If we were thinking faster, we could have made up a crazy number.  Raised to tell the truth, mid 70’s came out, although pointing to me, Bill said 22. Really?  Normally he would say 92, just kidding.  Her guess was 52 – she must have had too much sun today.  Yeah close, but she missed it by 20 years.  Turning the tables, we asked how old she was.  Definitely showing surprise, she admitted to mid-70’s as well.  With all of that nonsense out of the way, we told her the perks we get.  She had heard the number of days needed for this group was 1000.  Impressed, she said they would never make it to that magic number of 1400 pure sea days. Funny, that’s exactly what we said years ago.  And here we are……

 

Continuing on, we made it to the very end of the sandy beach where the volcanic rocks are located.  No hiking beyond that point, although we have heard that snorkeling there is pretty good.  Stopping at the corrals on the way back, we found the horses were roaming freely, reminding us of the song “Who Let the Dogs Out?”  Ted, the friendly donkey, was standing all alone at the corrals.  Too bad we had no apples to feed him….maybe next time.

 

That’s when it began to sprinkle, heavy drops at first, then a light drizzle.  Actually felt nice.  We stayed under the corral overhang until it let up, cooling the air nicely.  Next stop was the Pirates Bar where we ordered a frozen Margherita and one strawberry daiquiri.  So good.  The bar staff was friendly today, as they were in the process of closing up the “ship”, and loading the leftovers to be brought back to the big ship.  Except for a small staff that come here from a nearby Bahamian island, all of the servers are from the ship. 

 

Back to the courtyard, we bought one ladies sweatshirt with the Half Moon Cay logo on it.  It is lightweight and stretchy, and will work well at home. There were no zippered sweatshirts for men.   All of the charges in the logo shops go directly to your shipboard account.  They also added a 10% local Bahamian tax.  Any items that were locally made like the straw items and wood carvings are cash only purchases.

 

You need to pass your bags and yourself through xray before entering the tender boat back to the mother ship.  Once back on the ship, our room cards were scanned.

 

Time for lunch at the Dutch Café, where Barb and Susie were relaxing at a table, we ordered our sandwiches, hot & crispy French fries, and two slices of apple pie, Dutch-style.  Two beers helped cool us down as well. 

 

Spent the rest of the afternoon in the room after the ship left the island after 3pm.  Since our room was facing west, the veranda was hot-hot-hot.  Once we began to sail, it cooled down enough to relax and enjoy the sun going down.  Another nice day spent on a beautiful little island.

 

Dinner was the Culinary Council choices, a one-time event at the end of every cruise.  Some of the appetizers were coconut-crusted shrimp salad, and a zucchini  soup with shredded apples.  Barb had the crab cakes, then we all ordered prime rib.  Woody and Susie had gone to the World Stage show tonight, and dined earlier.  Right before we were served the entrees, they showed up and joined us for dessert.  Really enjoying the performance, they recommended we see it.  Wonder if the 9:30pm show will ever return?  Tomorrow we will receive the online survey, so we might bring up some of these issues.  Who knows…maybe someone is really reading the comments.

 

Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow and another new start.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[WCB]

Report #58 Fort Lauderdale, Florida   Sunday - February 13, 2022  Heavy Rain Most Of The Day  70 Degrees.......Part #1 Of 2.........80 Pictures

 

Coming into Port Everglades means an early day all around.  The lower dining room and Club Orange were opened from 6:30 to 8:30am, but there was no room service.  Every crew member was gearing up for the new set of guests, saying farewell to those who were going home. 

 

Looking outside, all we saw was rain and a lot of it.  We were docked in a different pier this morning - # 21.  The Rotterdam had taken our usual spot at #26, while the Zuiderdam was at #19.  Docked starboard side, we were looking across the harbor at the Allure of the Seas at #18.  The Celebrity Edge was docked in front of the Rotterdam at #25 . Last but not least, were two Princess ships, the Caribbean Princess at #2, and the Island Princess at #4. This ship is the designated quarantine vessel now we heard. 

 

Checking into the hourly forecast online, we discovered that as much as ¼ inch of rain was expected within one hour this morning.  Should we leave, or should we stay?  Not wanting to be stuck on the ship all day, we left in what turned out to be the worst part of the rain.  Oh well, it’s just water, and we were wearing jackets and had umbrellas.  It wasn’t that cold, but the streets and gutters were flooded.

 

We had to be off by 9:15am.  Required things to  take off were our passports, room key, and in transit cards.  This time we had facial recognition, as we have had since almost the beginning.  Looking at the camera, it was not working for Bill. After several attempts at adjusting the unit, the screen finally said “successful”.  I went next, and it worked fine for me.  We assumed that if this camera failed, we would have had to show an agent our passports, so that’s the reason we needed to take them off with us.  So far, we have only used them once when there were no cameras. 

 

What a mess of folks there were outside the terminal who were waiting for rides with taxis or buses. We wove our way through them, then waited for the rain to let up.  The streets were like a river at this point.  We figured we could cross the street and access the parking garage to walk to the other end without getting too wet.  That worked, but once out on the streets, we did get soaked a bit.  The wind was blowing, which did not help.  

 

The first stop was at the Renaissance Hotel across the highway from Walgreens.  We were hoping to be able to go online at the hotel to  update the Kindle. Got online, but there was a very slow connection, and no time to download anything.  Usually we do this at Duffy’s during lunch, but we did not plan on eating out today.  Besides that, today was Super Bowl Sunday, and the restaurant would be busting out the seams. We are still leary of crowds and will be for a long time.

 

We continued up the street to Publix, stopping first at TJMaxx to look for a men’s zippered sweatshirt for Bill.  Even in this large store, we could only find ones with the ½ zipper.  Not planning on buying anything else, I ended up with two more silky long sleeve sweaters.  Nice to have something warmer for dinner.  Publix was next door, and we did a little grocery shopping.  We can tell you one thing…..when it rains like it did today, everyone goes out to the food store.  It was the most crowded as we have ever seen it.  Naturally, with the game coming up later, folks were buying typical football food.  If we were on a world cruise, there would have been a super bowl party with tons of snack and finger food.  Doubt that happened here. 

 

Good news was by the time we left the supermarket, the rain had let up.  The walk back did not take as long, as we did not have to dodge puddles and speeding big rig trucks.   Some of them drove way too close to those backed up gutters, causing a shower.  We know they secretly laughed if we got wet.  Others were better, slowing down as they passed by.  One van driver even stopped to ask if we needed a ride back to the terminal.  We thanked her and said we were good.

 

On our way back, we always have to stop at the checkpoint to show our ID.  This time the agent came out, and after looking at our ID’s, she  asked if we were armed.  We suppose this is a common question, but when we heard it, we said oh my gosh….no.  Then we were free to go.  There are always a couple of police present if there is a problem.

 

Back to the terminal at 1:30pm, we showed the in transit cards, and were brought to the line to board without going to the desk.  We headed to the room to change clothes and warm up.  In our room, we had two trays with bruschetta, and three truffle-like desserts.  Sparkling wine was chilling on ice, and  a new HAL bag was on the bed.  There were 17 diet cokes, a dozen gorgeous red roses, and cards from the Mariner Society and our travel agent.  Nice welcome back for another cruise.

 

The Island Princess left first at 3:15pm, but we could see she had no passengers.  This is the new quarantine vessel now.  Now that we do not have to go to a muster drill, it is done on TV, as well as getting your cards scanned.  We did it once in December, and we are still in the system, so do not need to do that every time.  By the way, our shipboard account rolls over with every cruise.

 

Captain Eric did the drill info and a mask warning before we left at 4:15pm.  He laid on the horn all the way through the passage.  There would be no naps for these folks in the condos today.  The Celebrity Edge followed us out of the port.  The rest stayed and left later we guess.

 

We hung out in our room, watching the sail away.  Then we had snacks for lunch.  That’s when our TV decided to stop working. Reporting it to the front desk, they sent Koko to fix it.  Once again it was remedied by unplugging the TV, then plugging it back.  That fixed it.  Koko suggested that when the people leave, the info on the TV’s is erased, starting clean for the new guests.  We also advised him that the volume on the bow camera was turned down in all of the rooms.  Hard to understand the announcements on the outside verandas, the TV works best.  Koko reported it, and an hour later we got a call from the technician thanking us for our input. They adjusted it for the whole ship, and yes, it was much better. 

 

The Super Bowl was on the Special Event channel , where we watched it until it was time for dinner.  Tonight we made reservations in the Tamarind, since nothing on the menu appealed to us. We left Barb a message, but she never responded.  They may have had other plans that worked around the game.  Our meal was perfect with a shared plate of assorted meats, one Thai salad, and a bowl of ramen soup.  I was served a huge rice cracker, while Bill had a basket of shrimp crackers.  Entrées were wasabi-crusted tenderloins, kept hot on very heated plates.   Sides we shared were brown rice and sauteed shitaki mushrooms.  Delicious, we ordered a small bowl of vanilla ice cream for dessert.  On the way back, we wandered through the shops to see if any new merchandise had been added there.  We would say no.

 

Now we will have two days at sea as we sail towards the ABC islands.  First stop will be Bonaire.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS   Wishing everyone a very Happy Valentine’s Day!!

[WCB]

Report #59   Day at Sea En-Route To Bonaire   Monday - February 14, 2022   Happy Valentine's Day   Rain, gale force winds-7, &  79 degrees   Part #1 of 1......56 Pictures

 

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!  

 

Would have been nice to say it was a sunny day, but no, it was pretty dismal.  The skies were dark with rain clouds, and it did rain for most of the morning.  It was the winds, 7 on the Beaufort scale, that made walking difficult on the promenade deck. 

 

Since there were only a few people in Club Orange this morning, Jonah had a chance to address a few questions we had asked her recently.  It was regarding whether or not they had Blanton’s, a small batch whiskey, onboard this ship.  After some searching, she said they did not.  There were some other ones that they considered close, like Elijah Craig, Bakers, Basil Hayden, Duke, or Pappy van Winkel.  None of which we are familiar. 

 

Then we had heard that the immigration process was a bit confused yesterday in Ft. Lauderdale.  Perhaps there had been a miscommunication with the shore side services, some of the in transit folks were not happy campers with the slow process.   That’s why we never stay with that group.  Later this afternoon, there was a knock on our door, and we were given a tray of sweets, with a card saying they extended their sincere apologies for the inconvenience it may have caused.  We had no problem, but we did enjoy the chocolates anyway. 

 

We had spotted a zippered sweatshirt in the ship’s shops, so decided to go try it on.  Having only one in the correct size, it seemed to fit OK.  When the sales person rang it up, he missed the 15%  Mariner discount for being a high star member.  Making a phone call, it was told we were correct, and said he would amend the bill.  However the original price of $75 would be on our account, to be changed later.  We would have to watch to see it was done correctly.  After all of that, we went back to the room, and discovered the zipper was not working properly.  So back it went for a total refund.  Now this may take a few days.

 

In the meantime, we had found two charges on our shipboard account that we did not make while we were on Half Moon Cay.  The bad thing there is that the vendors do not have computers to bring up your accounts.  They only look at your cruise card, then write your cabin # on a tag.  Since your room number is not on your card, anyone can give any room number.  If that happened, how would we prove it was not us?  Will find out tomorrow.  It is always good to check up on charges because stuff can go wrong.

 

We did take note that there were many sales in the Shops, mostly because tonight is the first gala evening.   You can pick up a lot of glitter for $10 or more.  Even bow ties and regular ties for the fellows. One thing we missed again was the complimentary wine-tasting. Really, it is an attempt to entice you to purchase a wine package using your loyalty discount.   For us, it would have been a 50% savings. 

 

The Captain’s talk came on the TV (bow camera station) while we were in the room.  What a difference….we could hear him well.  Nice to know someone actually listened yesterday and fixed it.  Outside on our veranda, it still was not  working, but that is someone else’s department.   And part of the Captain’s message was that the clocks will go forward one hour tonight. Another nice touch happened when a long stem pink rose was given to us for Valentine’s Day, compliments of Jonah.  That makes up for losing the hour.

 

We had a light lunch in the Lido, then came back to the room for computer work.  Sometime around 4pm, we were treated to a display of dolphins jumping close to the ship.  They must have been feeding, because the pod was a large one.  We have been here for almost 2 months, and these were the first we have seen out at sea.  Having quick access to the better camera, many great shots were captured.  With the ship doing almost 20 knots, we were past the pod pretty quickly.    Now we will be on the lookout for more as we head south to Bonaire. 

 

Dinner was with the group in the dining room.  The lamb chops looked really nice, as did the chicken.  One of us had the cheese stuffed pasta shells, and Woody had the crab-covered steak filet.  It seemed like a half dozen people were having birthdays this evening.  Usually that only happens towards the end of a cruise.  Birthday or not, some people like the special attention. 

 

Tomorrow will be another sea day, which we like to re-charge our batteries.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[highland cruiser]

Enjoying all you reports.  We got off the Nieuw Statendam on Sunday and it was a zoo at the airport.  So happy you are continuing your pictures and reports.  It was the first time for us on this size of ship and really thought it is a great ship.  So bright and airy.  Love all the art work.  Say hello to Joyce at Club Orange for us...Brad and Mary...she may remember us better with our usual drink order:  Pinot Noir and Merlot.  LOL!!

[WCB]

Report #60   Day At Sea  En-Route To Bonaire   Tuesday- February 15, 2022  Gale Force Winds & Deep Swells With Rain & Sun 79 Degrees.........Part #1 Of 1..........29 Pictures

 

You could tell from the lack of a great sunrise, that today was going to be a rainy one.  Not only rainy, but windy as well.  The swells were running deep enough to make deck walking difficult.  Starting the day in Club Orange was good as always.  Having a mimosa seemed to brighten our moods a bit.  Truthfully, this has been the first voyage that we have had so much rain.  Guess we have been lucky.  Sort of feel bad for the folks that have traveled from much colder climates to enjoy the sun here. 

 

We took our morning walk outside and happened to talk to a couple that were in line with us on the last Covid testing day.  We had shared our story about me testing positive 10 days ago, and the wife said she was terrified of the same result.  We wished them luck, and that was that.  Talking to them today, we found out that she did in fact test positive that morning, with a follow-up test in her room.  Lucky for her, the second test was negative.  Guess that happens often.  We’re not sure if they are on for another cruise.  If not, there will be no more tests for them. 

 

The shore excursion team were in the process of selling tours to the ABC islands coming up.  Then there was a shopping talk for these same ports.  Hoping to get the advertised free charm, I went to the gal’s desk to ask for one.  She said that was yesterday, and she did not have any with her.  But if I watched for her tomorrow, she would be happy to give me one.  Barb lucked out in the beginning, when she was given a set of charms, probably by a different sales lady.  Then she gave us a coupon to use ashore for another charm.  We have done that on past cruises, only to find out the free charm is their way to try to sell you something else.  In other words, it comes with strings to entice you to buy more.   Sometimes it is not worth the trouble.  One thing we have noticed is that with the ships at half capacity, the sales pressure is so much more than normal. 

 

Turned out to be a good day for flying fish-watching from our veranda.  We were treated to flights of all sizes, mostly the tiny ones.   But it is the larger ones that will go the distance, skimming the tops of the waves before diving.  As long as there are no boobies, these fish will pop up more often to spread their “wings”.   

 

There were plenty of activities to keep folks busy today.  For us, we had two long walks outside, lunch in the Lido, and a fine dinner in the dining room.  All five of us were present, and we all ordered the coconut crusted meatballs.  Nicoise salads were good, and our entrees of veal weinerschnitzel and sliced chicken with rigatoni were tasty.  Barb had tiny slices of beef, like London broil, and two desserts.  By the way, we have new waiters again after having the same fellows for two voyages.  That is their plan to make things fair for all of the servers.  Our table is located at the very back of the room, at a window.  Therefore, our waiters have a long walk to wait on us.  So beginning last Sunday, we have two new guys, that have to make that long walk.  Barb loves to tease them that she has to train them all over again.  But she is right.

 

We will not get to Bonaire until 11am, so it will be like a sea day with the restaurants opening up at 8am.  Even though we just put the clocks ahead one hour yesterday, it leaves you feeling tired.  Or maybe it is the rocking and rolling of the ship that lulls you to sleep.

 

Bill & Mary Ann 

 

 

[WCB]

Report #61   Kralendijk, Bonaire   Wednesday - February 16, 2022   Mostly sunny & 85 degrees   Part# 1 of 4.........80 Pictures

 

Bonaire, the “B” island of the ABC Dutch Lesser Antilles, has a total of about 18,000 people.   The island is 24 miles long, with 112 square miles.  And it is totally different from the other two islands in that it has a small town atmosphere about it.  Kralendijk, the capital, has about 3000 residents with a lot of vehicles.  It is known  for  the excellent diving and snorkeling, perhaps a rival to The Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  The waters are crystal clear, due to the fact it is a dry climate with little or no soil run-off.  One big draw is the fact you can night dive in many of the sites.  Typical fish sighted are the parrot fish, surgeonfish, angelfish, eel, snapper, and grouper.  The sites are actually marked by yellow-painted stones along the roadside.  There is a $10 nature fee you need to pay before entering water to scuba or snorkel, but it is good for one year. 

 

The Dutch seized all three of these islands from the  Spanish back in 1633, and expanded the salt industry.  This is an important industry even today.  Besides the water activities, biking is big here.  There are 180 miles of paved and unpaved roads to explore.  A half day sport fishing tour might set you back $325.  The catch could be wahoo, marlin, tuna, sword and sailfish. 

 

The local crafts include fancy-painted driftwood, or hand-painted kunuku, which are little wilderness houses.  Forbidden to take home are goatskin or tortoise shell items, or sea fans, coral, or conch shells.  There is a huge fine for attempting to do so. 

 

The Nieuw Statendam did not arrive here until close to 11am, docking at the South Pier.  At the North pier, there was the Oceana Marina, which ended up leaving about 1:30pm.  Today we were required to bring our ID’s, room card, and also a  copy of our Covid vaccination card.  These cards were checked when we left the ship, before entering the town.  Once again, we left the masks on most of the time.

 

This has to be  the only island that does not have a gigantic variety of high end jewelry shops. It is more low-key.  Yesterday, one of us picked up a coupon for a free charm at Milano Jewelers.  If we happen to pass it, we’d get it. 

 

Walking the same direction as we did back in January, we were happy to see the most colorful parrotfish in the waters right off of the main drive.  A seawall lines the Kaya CEB Hellmund Drive, and has a few benches along the way.  On one side of the road, there was a block or two of cafes, shops, and businesses that looked quite busy.   Passing by the crowds, we continued past the inns and condos, where the vacationing folks can walk right to the water with their snorkel gear or tanks.  Directly across from the town is an island called  Klein Bonaire, a very small island with a few perfect beaches.  No development has ever been allowed there, so you need to bring everything you want with you.  Water taxis will bring you there for about $14 per person round trip.  We noticed that many types of tour boats were bringing cruise ship guests there. 

 

Taking our time, we eventually reached the end the walkway, to find an iguana crossing the street.  It headed right for a tree along the beach, leapt up the trunk, and slithered its way to the branches.  Once up there, we had a hard time finding it.  Seeing the long tail hanging down, we saw that it was eating the leaves and red flowers of the tree.  A pair of small canaries were also dining on the nectar, oblivious of the monster lizard lurking there.  Guess he doesn’t eat birds.  We also  saw a fleeting small lizard as it headed under an old house.  We also spotted some more iguanas sunning themselves on the concrete wall further down the road.

 

Turning back, we cut up one of the small side streets to Kaya Grande, the main drag.  Finding the street that went up to a roundabout, we saw the sign, Kaya LD Gerharts, and followed that.  Passing several historical sites, we ended up at St. Bernard Roman Catholic Church.  Carefully crossing at the roundabout, we went inside for a bit.  We can say one thing for certain, people that live here don’t necessarily believe in pedestrians having the right-of-way.  If you are not fast enough crossing, you will be almost run over.  And they might even beep their horn.  To be fair, there were some nicer folks who did stop for us, just not many of them. 

 

Back-tracking, we did see Milano Jewelers on the corner, went inside, and got their charm.  They were selling a chain for the charm, but I already have several like it.  And the charm itself was a flamingo, which is what this island is known for.  In fact, there are an estimated 15,000 of them in the salt ponds.  But unless you take a tour there to see them from a distance, the only flamingoes you will see in town will be on t-shirts, painted on buildings, in the sidewalks made with stones, or with cleverly-made mailboxes. 

 

Getting back to the ship by 1:30pm, we headed for the Grand Dutch Café for ice cold beers and sandwiches with fries.  Once again, we split one of the huge eclairs.  The rest of the afternoon, we spent cooling off on our veranda and working in the room on the computer.   The day had started overcast, but warm.  Eventually the clouds opened up and it got pretty hot.  The humidity seemed to go up as well.  But we did not see any rain, which was lucky.

 

Dinner was in the dining room with our buddies.  It sure is fun when the stories come up that we can all share.  Always while on a ship somewhere like the Amazon, Australia, or Africa, or someplace with monkeys, snakes, crocs, or birds, we could talk for hours.  That’s how we end up being among the last to leave the room by 10pm.

 

Tomorrow we shall be in Curacao.  Shall expand the exploring there.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[aliaschief]

I have so enjoyed reading your daily reports. Thank you.

[julia]

Ditto what Aliaschief just said!  Love all of the descriptive history!

[WCB]

Report #62 Willemstad, Curacao Thursday-February 17, 2022   Very Windy And Cloudy 78 Degrees.........Part #1 0f 3..........78 Pictures

 

This should have been our third visit here, if Covid had not interrupted our travel plans.  So now, this is our second time in Curacao.  It was a partly cloudy day, with a constant strong breeze blowing all day.  It did help cool it off. 

 

Curacao is the largest of the three ABC islands, with a total of 171 square miles.  It is situated 35 miles north of Venezuela and 42 miles from Aruba.  There are 38 beaches around the island with all of the water sports you can imagine.  Willemstad is the capital, and that is where we docked today.  The historic center of this city is on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. 

 

It is a very walkable city center, which is exactly what we did beginning at 11:30am.  The ship was cleared after 8am, but we had some work to do before leaving.  No rush, since the all aboard time was 10:30pm.  Exiting the ship, we had been told to bring our Covid vaccination cards like yesterday.  However, no one asked to see them.  In fact, there were few locals wearing masks today.  Last time here, everyone had a mask  on. We sure hope that means things are improving.  Like yesterday, we left our masks on for most of the day onshore. 

 

The ship was docked at the Otrobanda district.  This is mostly residential with the Renaissance Resort & Casino and Mall right at our feet.  Then we entered the Riffort Village Shopping Mall and modern retailers. At Diamonds International, one of us went inside the store to collect another charm.  The sales lady also handed me a plastic waterproof container that can be used to keep money and your room key, etc. from getting wet while swimming. No pressure to buy anything.  Cafes lined the courtyard as we walked out of the area. 

 

Crossing over the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge with 16 pontoons, we came out on the Punda side.  Docked in Santa Anna Bay was a Tui ship.  Lining the harbor were the famous painted houses with gabled roofs called the Handelskade.  On this side, are numerous cafes, already full of customers, and six blocks of shopping, where tourists can buy embroidered linens, delft like earthenware, cheeses, clogs and artwork.  Not all of the stores are 100% duty free.   Maybe that leaves room for negotiation.  Here you can find trinkets and souvenirs as well as high end jewelry and watches. 

 

The red tiled roofs we were seeing were built with Dutch tiles that had been used as ballast in the old sailing ships.  Following the main street, we made our way to Wilhelmina Park and the historical buildings near it.  The governor’s palace is located near Fort Amsterdam.  Then we made our way through town to the Central Market, where the choices for souvenirs is unending.  Fresh veggies and fruit are available here as well.  Much of the jewelry was African designs, similar to what we have seen and bought while in Gambia. 

 

Along the Waaigat Canal, sits the floating market full of fresh produce.  There was one Venezuelan schooner tied up here, where the produce and even fish were being transferred to the pier.  Crossing over this canal, the Scharloo district begins.  A maritime Museum is there and some of the oldest Jewish homes also.  We read that the red light district begins here.  True or not, we did not cross the bridge to find out.

 

Time to head back, we followed the water around to the bay, where we finally saw the pontoon bridge moving.  It had to open to let a ferry out, and also let in a sailboat.  It is estimated that this swing span bridge opens up to 30 times daily.  Dating back to 1888, it was recently restored.  Normally the foot traffic is stopped, which is why there is a ferry to take the waiting folks across the bay.  Crossing paths with friends Gyl and Howard, we chatted long enough to watch the bridge swing open three times.  It opened just wide enough for the vessels to get by.  It must have to open all of the way to accommodate the Tui cruise ship that was docked in this bay. 

 

Then we crossed back over to the other side and eventually back to the ship.  Lunch was in order, but a light one was what we wanted.  This evening we were invited  to a pre-dinner cocktail with the Hotel General Manager, Rene Tuiman.  Usually he would have hosted a table for the nine of us, but due to the virus, he is only allowed to have cocktails with us. Newcomers Jennie and Don, also members of the President’s Club, joined us. He was quite gracious answering our many questions.   So after 1 ½ hours, he excused himself and off we went for a delightful Pinnacle Dinner.   The wine flowed, our meals were excellent, and after dinner drinks were offered.  We were all treated like royalty once again. 

 

Tomorrow, we complete our “Dutch” stay with the final port of Oranjestad, Aruba.  The forecast says it will be rainy, but we hope it is wrong.

 

Bill & Mary Ann