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

[WCB]

Report #2    Embarkation Day   December 19, 2021   Sunday   Rain showers & 80 degrees  Part #1 Of 2   51  Pictures

 

Even with all of the turmoil yesterday evening, we managed to sleep pretty well.  The only problem was the time change, which is three hours ahead of California.  Normally, we try to spend around three nights in Ft. Lauderdale to get used to the change.  Due to having the required Covid test two days prior to sailing, our only option for this pre-stay was one night.

 

We figured it has been four years since we stayed here before a world cruise. Not a fan of hotel restaurants (breakfast buffet), we discovered years ago that by walking up the street a few blocks, there was a nice local shopping mall with a family-style café.  So much for sleeping in later, we got up early enough to re-pack the bags to have them ready for pick-up at 9am.  Then we headed off for Kristof’s Kafe.  There was a 50% chance of rain, but we ignored it since the sun was shining through the clouds.  Yeah, right.

 

Being a Sunday morning, the café was almost full, but still enough room for us.  The food very was good as was the service.  Have to mention here that the restaurant staff did wear masks, although there was no mask mandate posted for guests at the café.  There was none last night at Bokampers either.   Since the local news is slammed with Covid spread in this state, we made it a point to wear our masks like we do at home.  Also no one asks for your Covid vaccine card here.  Thinking positive, we really wished this virus scare would be winding down by now.  Guess not.

 

Remember the 50% chance of rain?  Well while we were eating the skies opened up.  Really?  Naturally the umbrellas we brought with us were packed in the luggage.  Duh, we know better.  Waiting it out by finishing our last cup of coffee, the rain let up, and we decided to walk back and take our chances.  Turned out, it was a huge passing cloud, and we stayed dry.  When the sun started coming out, the roads and landscaping seem to steam, adding to the humidity.  Better get used to it from here on out.

 

We had until 11:15am to be in the lobby for our transfer to the pier. Our 2 pieces of luggage had been picked , so that was good. Going online, we discovered that HAL had sent 9 emails about changes, but nothing to click on.  If they involve the health questionnaire, we will just have to deal with it at the pier, as we were advise by them a few days ago.  Should have gotten this in writing.  No sense worrying about it now, but you would think HAL could fix this bug in their system.  Our patience with them is beginning to wear thin at this point.  It reflects an uncomfortable incompetence with their process….something we have never experienced before now.

 

In the lobby of the hotel, we checked to make sure our bags were there, and they were in the pile.  There were about 22 of us waiting for the big green bus to take us to the pier.  We were told by our buddies that the ship was delayed with guests that were late in showing up for the zero count, and we would have to wait a bit longer before we left.  This has occurred on other cruises as well and can be very frustrating for the folks that need to get to the airport.  Perhaps one day a fine will be imposed on those inconsiderate guests who cannot follow directions.

 

The bus ride was less than ½ hour, and we were taken to Pier 4, a new berth for us.  On the billboard entering Port Everglades were six ships sailing today.  That’s a good indication the cruise industry is bouncing back.  Right before we entered the building, we spotted an agent holding a sign that had six names on it.  Right in the middle were our names. We should mention here, for those who do not know us, we reached the President’s Club level in 2015.  That is after attaining 1400 pure sea days of sailing with HAL.  Anyway, the friendly agent led us into a different line to present our boarding passes, negative Covid tests, our Covid vaccination cards, and finally our passports.  Instead of a paper health questionnaire, they had a tablet with five questions about feeling ill.  Of course, we both truthfully said “no” to all of the symptoms, thank goodness.  Then we were off to pass through security.  With the alarm bell going off, I was asked if I had a hip or knee replacement.  Saying yes, I did, she was satisfied and let me go.  Then the agent led us to the counter where our passports were scanned.  No photos or a credit card were needed, as we were already in the system.  Easy……

 

A few staff members came to escort us to the ship’s kiosk, where we logged in with a slip of paper.  Our keys would be in the mail slot onboard. We were greeted by more crew members when we entered the ship. The room was ready, so we went directly there to drop off our hand carrys. We will go into more detail on the size of this veranda room (VC) in future reports, but we noticed it was a bit wider than our previous aft balcony room on the Nieuw Amsterdam.  With a few tricks up our sleeves, there should be enough space for the contents of the four pieces of luggage we brought.  Did we mention that we shipped two bags (65# each) through Luggage Free?  Yes, it was a bit pricey, but it saved our backs trying to haul them.  We are so used to getting four bags or duffels, in our case, with no weight restrictions sailing on the Grand Voyages, that we really appreciate how much that is worth now.

 

In our room, we had a lovely bouquet of roses and a bottle of Veuve Clicqout champagne on ice.  On the desk were two trays of snacks, as well as a case of Diet Coke.  We had a welcome letter from Gus Antorcha, the new president of HAL, outlining some of the shipboard credit gifted to us.  So it appears they will be treating this batch of cruises as a Collector’s Cruise, and combining all of the credits from the beginning.  That will save us the trouble of doing this with every 7 to 11 day cruise.  Of course, we will have to check this out later at the front desk to make sure, but not for a few days.  One other letter described Covid restrictions, and one of them was no smoking in the Casino.  We did find a pile of masks in our room, which are not the cloth masks we got on the N. Amsterdam.  Those did not fit well anyway, but were washable.

 

The first job was to program the safe which takes up a narrow shelf in a closet.  However, no matter how we tried, we could not get it to work.  Calling the front desk, one of the girls came to our room and discovered the battery was very low and was defaulting.  Once she fixed that, it worked fine.  In this same closet is the small refrigerator, which really takes up a lot of space.

 

The luggage we brought with us arrived, and at that time we met our room steward Koko.  He said he remembered us from the Amsterdam.  We had a few questions for him, and he did everything we asked within the hour, even though we told him “no hurry”.  We added that we would like to have nightly turndown service, but no towel animals.  He was fine with that, saying no problem.  Later in the afternoon, we met Faishal, our room assistant. The job of setting up house began for an hour or so, until it was announced we needed to go to the muster stations inside, not outside, and have our cards scanned.  It was mandatory to watch the muster video on the TV too.  Really easy compared to  the old way.

 

We could have gone for the Mariner Society lunch in the dining room, but by the time we remembered, it was after 1pm.  When the next two pieces of luggage arrived, we stayed and continued to put it away.  So far, it looks like the space will be sufficient.  Although, to make more room in the two closets in the hallway, we asked for plenty of wire hangars, as they take up less space.  Of course, we did bring much less with us, knowing the storage space was limited. 

 

Our next problem was not being able to log onto their website to buy an internet package.  The front desk gal did try to assist us, but it appeared the signal was not great in our room.  She suggested to go to the front desk area, and ask for the IT manager, which we did next.  He was most helpful, taking over the computer and making it work.  Since we will be onboard for 108 days, and we have President Club shipboard credit to buy a plan (Premium), he said he would figure it out.  That will also save us the time of doing this every cruise.

 

And since we were so close to the Grand Dutch Café, we decided it was time to have a beer, and check out their menu.  We had been reading about the almond cookies on Cruise Critic, so we had to have one.  That led to sharing a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and another monster-size chocolate chip cookie.  A perfect lunch after all.  This venue will be dangerous, but oh so nice.  And we were close to the dining reservation area, so we stopped and made dates for two weeks of Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, and Canaletto.  Many of the spots had been taken before this sailing, but he promised us to save us a table.  Once again, being members of the President’s Club really sets the scene for utmost attention.  And the head staff all seem to know our names when we talk to them.  Really nice.

 

There was an invite to a 4 & 5 star mariner reception, so  we went to the Billboard On Board to check it out.  Greeted again by the assistant Hotel Director and his crew, we stayed chatting with them and enjoyed some Mimosas.   Although the sail away was planned at 4pm, Captain Noel O’Driscoll announced we would be leaving around 5pm, due to the number of ships in port.  Once the ship began to move, we went back to the room, and stayed on our veranda until we were out of the harbor.  Never before have we heard the ship’s horns being blasted very long and numerous times.  Someone was sure having fun on the bridge.  On the waterfront side of homes, we spotted some folks holding a large HAL flag, while waving at the guests.  Residents of the condos were blowing their horns also.  On the way out, several fishing vessels passed by, and so did a pod of dolphins in the distance.  One of the best send-offs yet.  This time we did not hear the festivities from the Seaview pool deck, because we are located more forward on the port side. 

 

So two suitcases fit under the bed, one with extra toiletries, and the other for more clothes storage if needed.  The other two will be stored elsewhere according to our room steward.  We have to mention that we had several visits by the head of housekeeping, front desk ladies, and the head room supervisor, all letting us know we can contact them for anything we needed.  We are happy campers now that we have the room mostly in order. 

 

Leaving early before dinner, we walked through the two levels of shops onboard.  The managers were more than friendly, inviting us to check out their stuff.  They don’t know it yet, but they will see a lot of us for the next 108 days.  The upper dining room (fixed seating) was opened by 7:45pm.  As we expected, it was only ½ full, downstairs was also half empty.  But today was a busy day, and most folks probably ate early, then crashed.  We were told there are about 1400 passenger this trip.  Anyway, dinner was excellent as was our waiter, Surya. We ordered roasted chicken breast, jerk pork tenderloin, and one order of lasagna we shared.  Ended up with desserts of hot fudge sundae.  Another good start.

 

There were more gift cards in our room….a $50 spa service for both of us and a $200 credit towards Effy products.  There will be a wine tasting tomorrow at 1:45pm, and we were invited.  The When & Where brochure was on the bed along with two HAL chocolates.  We also received a Club Orange tote bag, which reminds me, we did locate the dedicated Orange Club Restaurant, and spoke to the manager.  He was happy to meet us, and promised to save us a table for two at the hallway window for tomorrow morning.  We believe the restaurant is reserved for Orange Club members, suite guests, and President’s Club members, another nice perk.

 

Time to close, but will be back tomorrow with more news.  A day at sea is what we really need.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[Florida_gal_50]

Thank you for the update.  Wow, chocolates on a non gala night.  You are getting special treatment ;).

[leerathje]

Looking forward to following along with you!

 

L.

 

[LouChamp]

Have a great cruise. Take lots of Food Pictures.  We miss the yum yum man!

[tompeter]

What a great start to your cruise. I think the real reason you were late embarking is that we were late arriving Sunday Morning. I was a Walk off Passenger, and that did not start til 815-820. When I walked thru the luggage pick up area, there wasn't a single piece of luggage there yet, so I am sure it took longer than 930 to even try to empty the ship.

 

On another note, you will love Koko and Faisal! Tell them Mr. Thomas says "Hello". You will not want for a thing.

Enjoy your cruise.

[WCB]

Report #3   Day at Sea   December 20, 2021   Monday   Partly cloudy & 78 degrees   Part #1 of 1   48 Pictures

 

Today began our first journey in the Caribbean Sea.  For a change, we decided to try the Orange Club restaurant for breakfast.  The manager had promised to save us a table, so why not?  This venue only exists as a separate restaurant on this class of ships.  It is accessible to suite folks as well as guests who paid for the Orange Club privileges.  This is also a fairly new concept that we never experienced on a Grand Voyage. From what we have seen, it has worked well at $25 per person per day to gain some extra perks.  We have been included as we already have earned most of the perks through President’s Club.

Breakfast items were close to the same as in the Main Dining Room, except there were a few different items offered.  To begin the meal, we enjoyed a Mimosa.  Then we had Greek yogurt with mixed berries and granola, followed by an American breakfast (eggs, bacon, muffins, and the famous hash brown hockey puck.  All of it was delicious and hot….even the hockey puck.  We were also served fresh squeezed orange juice (the only place you can get it), as well as lots of hot coffee.  The waiters were very attentive and not stressed as we have noticed in the Main  dining room at times on other ships.

While we were dining, Presty, the Lido Manager who we have known for many years, had hunted us down to say hi.  So nice to see him, he shared a lot of info since we had all been dispersed from the ill-fated world cruise in 2020.  He spent months on the Amsterdam before he was able to go home to Bali.  Glad to be working again, he runs the entire Lido and other venues……a huge job.  We promised to visit him during this cruise.

A walk around the Promenade deck was in order, so we did a one mile trek (3 laps).  Unlike the lower busy promenade deck on the Amsterdam, here we only saw about a half dozen people which included the working crew.  Most places around the deck are narrow, and there is little room for chaise lounges. In fact, there were no lounges at all.  No jogging is allowed, but there is one designated smoking area.

 

Today was the first time we spotted some wildlife in the form of boobys, flying fish, and some dolphins.  Around 12:30pm, Captain Noel spotted something even more interesting.  It was a dinghy with a surf board.  Still too far away to see anyone onboard, he turned around and headed back to check it more thoroughly.  Viewing from our veranda, we could see with binoculars that the boat was unmanned, which was good, or maybe it was bad.  The crew retrieved the dinghy and the Captain mentioned it would be reported just in case someone was missing.  Captain Noel’s theory was that it could have been washed out to sea during a storm.  This is not the first time we have had this experience, but all ended positively.

 

We are having a problem with getting online in our room.  The signal is just not strong enough.  So the best spot to go is across from the Front Desk.  The good thing is that we attract some attention from the staff, namely Mustafa Gulbahar, the Hotel General Manager, as they are called these days. Explaining our situation, he promised to look into solving our problem.  Not that we mind the walk twice a day, but it would be more convenient to stay in our room.  We are paying for the Premium plan, which works nicely near the Atrium.  So we shall keep you up to date with the progress.

That gave me time while there to decipher our shipboard statement with Cynthia (from the Amsterdam).  When the credits are listed, they do not itemize the source.  And it is difficult to figure out.  The final answer was she would look into it and let us know before the week was over.

 

Everything in our room has finally found a place.  Powerful magnets were used to hang a shoe bag from the ceiling for small stuff, and Command hooks were used to hang costume jewelry.  We had purchased a 4 foot ½ inch wooden dowel (cut in two) to hang from the ceiling with the magnets.

Now they are holding 14 shirts across the wall above the metal hooks.  We used the metal hooks to hang more shirts.  The walls of the room have far less metal in them, but the ceiling has much more.  The magnets stick so well, it is difficult to get them off.

We had read on Cruise Critic that over-the-door hooks would not fit on the bathroom door.  And that is correct.  If needed, these hooks could be used on the closet doors.  And to finish up the clutter, we sent two pieces of luggage to be stored until we need them in April.

 

At 1:45pm, we were invited to a Mariner Society wine tasting in the dining room.  But since we do not drink wine, we passed on the affair.  We have found that this activity appeals to the folks who are interested in purchasing a wine package.

Lunch was in the Lido after 2pm.  We discovered a row of high top tables against a wall, and had salads and sandwiches there.  Beverages were served by a waiter.  A few sets of double sinks are set up right in the Lido where people are urged to wash their hands.  Great idea.  On the way out, we stopped for two cookies for dessert.  Now that you are served, you tend to take less.

 

This was a good time to explore these upper decks.  First was the Lido Pool area, which seemed pretty full of sunbathers and swimmers.  The biggest attraction here was the big screen movie, which was showing Back to the Future.  No need to be bored while burning in the warm rays of the Caribbean sun.  The deck above this pool has what appeared to be bungalows, but we are not sure.  Above this deck is the running track, as well as the New York Deli & Pizza and a bar.  Now we know where to find popcorn, nachos, and pretzels.  Also above this deck are the Retreats for rent.  We did see a few folks sitting in them.  Wonder how hot these tents get?  More mid ship, we found the sports area which included a basketball court, exercise equipment, and shuffleboard to name a few.  They are smartly situated so no noise can be heard down under.  There is a lot to say about “new” as the design and layout are much more people friendly.

From here we walked both decks two and three with all of the shops, Music Walk, and Casino.  Every venue was full of people, and with continuing activities,  no place sits idle.  Perhaps when we are in port, that will be different.  We have to keep reminding ourselves that most folks are on here for one week, with only two sea days to buy stuff.  And they are buying……

 

This evening was Gala, and we wanted to see how people were dressed.  It was a mixed bag, but most everyone followed the suggested dress code.  Perhaps it is due to the fact this is a holiday sailing.  Leaving early, we stopped along the way to listen to the music in Lincoln Center Stage, Billboard Onboard, and Rolling Stone Walk.  Every venue had many customers…nice to see.  

Dinner in the dining room was good again.  The food has not been disappointing for us, as it was on the Nieuw Amsterdam.  Even our entrée plates were pre-heated tonight, keeping our rack of lamb and NY strip loin steak hot. Desserts were ice cream sundaes.  Our waiters, Surya and Oka, have been outstanding.  Even the head waiter stopped by twice to check on us.  We are guessing that with all of the alternate dining choices, the number  of folks in the main dining room are far less than usual.

 

For those that know us, we usually do not attend shows.  In past years, we saw them all over and over.  Same- same.  And when we have a table of eight, we never finish in time for the 9:30pm performance.  However tonight, the timing was perfect to check out the show of Step One Dance Company.  Not sure we would like it, we decided to stay a few minutes, then sneak out.  Well………we had a pleasant surprise to find a show that was so unique, we stayed for the whole thing.  This show lounge does not resemble the Mainstage at all.  It appears almost barren with a two story circular wall surrounding the stage.  The technology includes piped in music (no band), a light show, and dancing.  The theme tonight was Musicology, featuring a variety of musical instruments.  Each skit was fairly brief, but did include strings, percussion, guitars, organs, violins, and piano to name a few. Even if you did not care to watch the interpretive dance with seven talented performers, you would be amused with the changing display of lights on the floor, ceiling, and walls.  Glad we stayed and would give this performance a big wow, deserving of a standing ovation.

Tomorrow will be our first port of Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, new islands in the Caribbean for us.

 

Until then,  Bill & Mary Ann

 

[RedneckBob]

Hi Bill & Mary Ann,

 

Wow, what a long cruise; so many b2b’s. I hope you don’t run out of things to write with so many repeat ports 😳. Congrats on President Club Level. Do you plan to put all those specialty dining comps on eBay 😀 

[RICHARD@SEA]

WCB..... so happy  to see you posting once again & that you ae on a cruise - tho not a

world voyage.

 

As far as Florida is concerned - I've been stuck here(Fort Lauderdale) for the last several months.....there is no surprise in what you went through after living  here (I'll be gone as as soon as I can relocate).

 

i hope the last few months in california have gone well for you both.

 

Looking forward to reading of your current voayge as I've thought about living onboard for the winter months instead of having a second home on land.

 

Bon Voyage!!!

[RICHARD@SEA]

WCB, 

The nite before you sailed there were terrible storms here in Ft Lauderdale - I thought a hurricane was roaring through for several hours.  I'm a block off the beach and rain showers cause flooding in a lot of areas in Ft Lauderdale.  along w the strong winds delays would be expected.

As you sailed, I could hear the  ships horns going off....great to hear them again.  My first cruise out of Ft Lauderdale was back in 1975 - we were the only ship in port on the Saturday of Presidents weekend.  The condos gave us the most memorable sendoff w horns & bells....wonderful....glad you enjoyed!!!

 

[Dismomx5]

So wonderful for you to be cruising again! And it sounds like things are getting back towards a 'normal' whatever that is, for the time being. Thank you for letting me tag along!

[madera1]

Looking forward to following your journey once again. Hope you have a wonderful time.

[WCB]

Report #4   Grand Turk, Turk & Caicos   December 21, 2021   Tuesday   Warm & breezy 80 degrees     Part #1 Of 2.....33 Pictures

 

Well, here we are at our first port of the trip……Grand Turk, Turk & Caicos.  This is the very first time we have visited here, and we were pleasantly surprised at what we found.

 

Beginning the morning once again with a breakfast in the Orange Club, our day began with trying to figure out why we cannot get any wifi in our room.  And once again, we went down to the front desk area, and took two seats at the side table there.  Cynthia, a senior front desk employee, came over and chatted for a bit.  She was aware of our internet problem, and said a technician would be paying a visit to our room to see why this was happening.  Fine with us.  She also updated us on our account as far as the credits would work for this entire cruise.  They will need a copy of our travel agency’s documents to add up the cashable credit.  The statement on our account is not jiving with our contract, so this will have to be cleared up as well.

 

Grand Turk and the Caicos are located between the Bahamas and Haiti, and happens to have the third largest coral reef system in the world.  We never knew that.  Guests from all over the world come here for the diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, and offshore finance.  Must be similar to the practices in the Caymen Islands where the rich and famous can house their fortunes.

 

Out of the 40 islands here, only 10 of them are inhabited.  There are about 25,000 natives, many of whom are of African and Bahamian descent. They are called the “Belongers”. This group of islands belong to the British Overseas Territory.  Originally the natives harvested salt, retrieving it with rakes, bagging it, and transporting it on donkeys to the ships for transport to America and Canada.  To this day, several wild donkeys roam the islands. In the 1700’s, the plantation owners grew cotton for export, until eventually, tourism, fishing, and offshore financing took over as we mentioned.  Another village industry was weaving as in baskets, mats, and hats made with native grasses, palm leaves and sisal.  Today the salt ponds attract flamingoes who dine on the shrimp.  The abandoned windmills have become home to osprey who make their nests on top.

 

The deep sea fishing here is for bonefish, marlin, sailfish, wahoo, tuna, barracuda, and shark.  The larger islands of the Caicos have the most over-the-top resorts and hotels, and attract the Hollywood crowd we read. Grand Turk is only 7 miles long and 1 mile wide, and is more suitable for beach activities.  And for good reason, the turquoise waters are pristine, and the beaches have soft white sand.  This would be available for everyone on the ship.

 

The ship docked very close to the Grand Turk Cruise Center, built by the Carnival Corporation in 2006.  It comprises of 18 acres of shops, a few restaurants, numerous restrooms, and even a large swimming pool.  Guests from the ship were welcomed to use all of it, including the stretch of beach filled with chaise lounges.  All with no cost.  There are the usual high end jewelry shops, but also Caribbean apparel, souvenirs, and gifts. 

 

The most well-known bar and restaurant is Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.  Today, they were about the only restaurant opened for business.  We chatted with a local vendor at a craft market who told us they just opened this complex a week ago, as they may have been closed due to Covid.   She expected more ships will be arriving at the rate of 2 or 3 a week.  And they are most happy to see the tourists back. 

 

Walking the beach was most pleasant, since the temps were in the low 80’s and the humidity was not especially high.  But this could be deceiving, since a nice breeze kept us comfortable, and we know the rays of the sun could be dangerous.  We would have eaten lunch but we had indulged a big at breakfast, and were not that hungry.  Maybe next time, as we will be back. 

 

One of us did buy a few useful souvenirs, but for the most part, prices were high.  Have to mention that there was a capacity of only 7 people in a small shop at a time, and there several sinks with soap to wash your hands.  Great idea.  If you wished to go to downtown and nearby Cockburn Town, taxis were available for $5 per person for a one way 3 mile ride there.  There were only 2 tours offered through Shore Excursions, mostly sightseeing, and perhaps a beach stop.

 

Our time was limited with all aboard at 3:30pm.  We headed back to have lunch onboard at 2pm.  Then while relaxing on our veranda, the horn began blasting with really long blows.  Over and over again.  Finally an announcement was made for two missing guests.  We did see some people running to the gangway about then.  It would not be the first time we saw people miss the ship, although we think they made it.

 

Hey, we learned something new today.  Does anyone know what a “potcake” is?  To us, we joking said it sounded like a marijuana-laced dessert.  Well, no.  It is a name for the feral dogs that run these islands.  Not sure where the cake part comes from, but the pot refers to the fact that the dogs were fed from the bottom of the local’s cooking pots.  How about that?  Today the puppies from these dogs are being adopted out for free to tourists that travel here. And perhaps there is an effort to sterilize the adults.

 

Once the ship picked up speed, it began to cool off.  We did read that this is the beginning of the humpback whale season, where they are migrating to their feeding areas.  Keeping an eye out for a possible sighting, we did see some large fish jumping and diving under the ship.  They may have been tuna, but they were too fast to identify.

 

Lunch was in the Lido again with cobb salads and hot sandwiches.  A few cookies full of nuts ended the meal.  We checked out the back pool to see if there was a sail away party, but there was none.  What we saw were many lounges full of folks snoozing.  There were a few outside tables on the starboard side where guests could smoke.  Looking a deck above the Seaview Pool, we spotted a Terra Cotta warrior statue, and thought it odd to see it there.  We would discover why later.

 

While working online at the front desk, we learned that someone did come to our room and claimed the wifi worked.  News to us, we went back to try it, and discovered we could not get a signal.  We’ll let them know and see whatever tricks they have up their sleeve, or not.

 

Dinner was in the Tamarind this evening, and we did not get a written reminder in our mail slot like we do on the Amsterdam. Guess they figure we could look it up on the Navigator site, but we do not own a cell phone, so even a phone call reminder would be  good.  We were seated at a table for two at the window.  Lo and behold, right outside the window was the Terra Cotta warrior, which makes sense.  He is guarding the Asian Tamarind Restaurant.  Across the room from where we sat was the Nami Sushi Restaurant, which serves ala carte dishes with charges.  Not our cup of tea, but it was full of customers, including some officers. 

 

The service and food were impeccable.  Starters were Thai beef salad, spring rolls, and a shared dish of baby back ribs…..the absolute best. Shrimp crackers were served along with the little dishes of sauces and soy sauce.  Both of us ordered the wasabi-crusted beef tenderloin, which came with asparagus and tempura onion rings.  One side of basmati rice was enough for the both of us. Thank goodness the dessert of cheesecake was on the small side. It was unlike any cheesecake we ever had, tart and lemony inside a boat of white chocolate.  We finished by 9pm, but were too early for the World Stage show of In Tandem.  It will be repeated in future trips, and we can go then.

 

The clocks go ahead this evening, so better hit the hay, so to speak.  Tomorrow, we will be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but not until 1pm.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[St Pete Cruiser]

On 12/20/2021 at 12:23 PM, WCB said:

Report #2    Embarkation Day   December 19, 2021   Sunday   Rain showers & 80 degrees  Part #1 Of 2   51  Pictures

 

Even with all of the turmoil yesterday evening, we managed to sleep pretty well.  The only problem was the time change, which is three hours ahead of California.  Normally, we try to spend around three nights in Ft. Lauderdale to get used to the change.  Due to having the required Covid test two days prior to sailing, our only option for this pre-stay was one night.

 

We figured it has been four years since we stayed here before a world cruise. Not a fan of hotel restaurants (breakfast buffet), we discovered years ago that by walking up the street a few blocks, there was a nice local shopping mall with a family-style café.  So much for sleeping in later, we got up early enough to re-pack the bags to have them ready for pick-up at 9am.  Then we headed off for Kristof’s Kafe.  There was a 50% chance of rain, but we ignored it since the sun was shining through the clouds.  Yeah, right.

 

Being a Sunday morning, the café was almost full, but still enough room for us.  The food very was good as was the service.  Have to mention here that the restaurant staff did wear masks, although there was no mask mandate posted for guests at the café.  There was none last night at Bokampers either.   Since the local news is slammed with Covid spread in this state, we made it a point to wear our masks like we do at home.  Also no one asks for your Covid vaccine card here.  Thinking positive, we really wished this virus scare would be winding down by now.  Guess not.

 

Remember the 50% chance of rain?  Well while we were eating the skies opened up.  Really?  Naturally the umbrellas we brought with us were packed in the luggage.  Duh, we know better.  Waiting it out by finishing our last cup of coffee, the rain let up, and we decided to walk back and take our chances.  Turned out, it was a huge passing cloud, and we stayed dry.  When the sun started coming out, the roads and landscaping seem to steam, adding to the humidity.  Better get used to it from here on out.

 

We had until 11:15am to be in the lobby for our transfer to the pier. Our 2 pieces of luggage had been picked , so that was good. Going online, we discovered that HAL had sent 9 emails about changes, but nothing to click on.  If they involve the health questionnaire, we will just have to deal with it at the pier, as we were advise by them a few days ago.  Should have gotten this in writing.  No sense worrying about it now, but you would think HAL could fix this bug in their system.  Our patience with them is beginning to wear thin at this point.  It reflects an uncomfortable incompetence with their process….something we have never experienced before now.

 

In the lobby of the hotel, we checked to make sure our bags were there, and they were in the pile.  There were about 22 of us waiting for the big green bus to take us to the pier.  We were told by our buddies that the ship was delayed with guests that were late in showing up for the zero count, and we would have to wait a bit longer before we left.  This has occurred on other cruises as well and can be very frustrating for the folks that need to get to the airport.  Perhaps one day a fine will be imposed on those inconsiderate guests who cannot follow directions.

 

The bus ride was less than ½ hour, and we were taken to Pier 4, a new berth for us.  On the billboard entering Port Everglades were six ships sailing today.  That’s a good indication the cruise industry is bouncing back.  Right before we entered the building, we spotted an agent holding a sign that had six names on it.  Right in the middle were our names. We should mention here, for those who do not know us, we reached the President’s Club level in 2015.  That is after attaining 1400 pure sea days of sailing with HAL.  Anyway, the friendly agent led us into a different line to present our boarding passes, negative Covid tests, our Covid vaccination cards, and finally our passports.  Instead of a paper health questionnaire, they had a tablet with five questions about feeling ill.  Of course, we both truthfully said “no” to all of the symptoms, thank goodness.  Then we were off to pass through security.  With the alarm bell going off, I was asked if I had a hip or knee replacement.  Saying yes, I did, she was satisfied and let me go.  Then the agent led us to the counter where our passports were scanned.  No photos or a credit card were needed, as we were already in the system.  Easy……

 

A few staff members came to escort us to the ship’s kiosk, where we logged in with a slip of paper.  Our keys would be in the mail slot onboard. We were greeted by more crew members when we entered the ship. The room was ready, so we went directly there to drop off our hand carrys. We will go into more detail on the size of this veranda room (VC) in future reports, but we noticed it was a bit wider than our previous aft balcony room on the Nieuw Amsterdam.  With a few tricks up our sleeves, there should be enough space for the contents of the four pieces of luggage we brought.  Did we mention that we shipped two bags (65# each) through Luggage Free?  Yes, it was a bit pricey, but it saved our backs trying to haul them.  We are so used to getting four bags or duffels, in our case, with no weight restrictions sailing on the Grand Voyages, that we really appreciate how much that is worth now.

 

In our room, we had a lovely bouquet of roses and a bottle of Veuve Clicqout champagne on ice.  On the desk were two trays of snacks, as well as a case of Diet Coke.  We had a welcome letter from Gus Antorcha, the new president of HAL, outlining some of the shipboard credit gifted to us.  So it appears they will be treating this batch of cruises as a Collector’s Cruise, and combining all of the credits from the beginning.  That will save us the trouble of doing this with every 7 to 11 day cruise.  Of course, we will have to check this out later at the front desk to make sure, but not for a few days.  One other letter described Covid restrictions, and one of them was no smoking in the Casino.  We did find a pile of masks in our room, which are not the cloth masks we got on the N. Amsterdam.  Those did not fit well anyway, but were washable.

 

The first job was to program the safe which takes up a narrow shelf in a closet.  However, no matter how we tried, we could not get it to work.  Calling the front desk, one of the girls came to our room and discovered the battery was very low and was defaulting.  Once she fixed that, it worked fine.  In this same closet is the small refrigerator, which really takes up a lot of space.

 

The luggage we brought with us arrived, and at that time we met our room steward Koko.  He said he remembered us from the Amsterdam.  We had a few questions for him, and he did everything we asked within the hour, even though we told him “no hurry”.  We added that we would like to have nightly turndown service, but no towel animals.  He was fine with that, saying no problem.  Later in the afternoon, we met Faishal, our room assistant. The job of setting up house began for an hour or so, until it was announced we needed to go to the muster stations inside, not outside, and have our cards scanned.  It was mandatory to watch the muster video on the TV too.  Really easy compared to  the old way.

 

We could have gone for the Mariner Society lunch in the dining room, but by the time we remembered, it was after 1pm.  When the next two pieces of luggage arrived, we stayed and continued to put it away.  So far, it looks like the space will be sufficient.  Although, to make more room in the two closets in the hallway, we asked for plenty of wire hangars, as they take up less space.  Of course, we did bring much less with us, knowing the storage space was limited. 

 

Our next problem was not being able to log onto their website to buy an internet package.  The front desk gal did try to assist us, but it appeared the signal was not great in our room.  She suggested to go to the front desk area, and ask for the IT manager, which we did next.  He was most helpful, taking over the computer and making it work.  Since we will be onboard for 108 days, and we have President Club shipboard credit to buy a plan (Premium), he said he would figure it out.  That will also save us the time of doing this every cruise.

 

And since we were so close to the Grand Dutch Café, we decided it was time to have a beer, and check out their menu.  We had been reading about the almond cookies on Cruise Critic, so we had to have one.  That led to sharing a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and another monster-size chocolate chip cookie.  A perfect lunch after all.  This venue will be dangerous, but oh so nice.  And we were close to the dining reservation area, so we stopped and made dates for two weeks of Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, and Canaletto.  Many of the spots had been taken before this sailing, but he promised us to save us a table.  Once again, being members of the President’s Club really sets the scene for utmost attention.  And the head staff all seem to know our names when we talk to them.  Really nice.

 

There was an invite to a 4 & 5 star mariner reception, so  we went to the Billboard On Board to check it out.  Greeted again by the assistant Hotel Director and his crew, we stayed chatting with them and enjoyed some Mimosas.   Although the sail away was planned at 4pm, Captain Noel O’Driscoll announced we would be leaving around 5pm, due to the number of ships in port.  Once the ship began to move, we went back to the room, and stayed on our veranda until we were out of the harbor.  Never before have we heard the ship’s horns being blasted very long and numerous times.  Someone was sure having fun on the bridge.  On the waterfront side of homes, we spotted some folks holding a large HAL flag, while waving at the guests.  Residents of the condos were blowing their horns also.  On the way out, several fishing vessels passed by, and so did a pod of dolphins in the distance.  One of the best send-offs yet.  This time we did not hear the festivities from the Seaview pool deck, because we are located more forward on the port side. 

 

So two suitcases fit under the bed, one with extra toiletries, and the other for more clothes storage if needed.  The other two will be stored elsewhere according to our room steward.  We have to mention that we had several visits by the head of housekeeping, front desk ladies, and the head room supervisor, all letting us know we can contact them for anything we needed.  We are happy campers now that we have the room mostly in order. 

 

Leaving early before dinner, we walked through the two levels of shops onboard.  The managers were more than friendly, inviting us to check out their stuff.  They don’t know it yet, but they will see a lot of us for the next 108 days.  The upper dining room (fixed seating) was opened by 7:45pm.  As we expected, it was only ½ full, downstairs was also half empty.  But today was a busy day, and most folks probably ate early, then crashed.  We were told there are about 1400 passenger this trip.  Anyway, dinner was excellent as was our waiter, Surya. We ordered roasted chicken breast, jerk pork tenderloin, and one order of lasagna we shared.  Ended up with desserts of hot fudge sundae.  Another good start.

 

There were more gift cards in our room….a $50 spa service for both of us and a $200 credit towards Effy products.  There will be a wine tasting tomorrow at 1:45pm, and we were invited.  The When & Where brochure was on the bed along with two HAL chocolates.  We also received a Club Orange tote bag, which reminds me, we did locate the dedicated Orange Club Restaurant, and spoke to the manager.  He was happy to meet us, and promised to save us a table for two at the hallway window for tomorrow morning.  We believe the restaurant is reserved for Orange Club members, suite guests, and President’s Club members, another nice perk.

 

Time to close, but will be back tomorrow with more news.  A day at sea is what we really need.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Loved your comments about the Ft Lauderdale sailaway being your best ever. I watch them on the web cam and am always on the port side as we leave on a cruise. Glad you experienced a  "Grand Florida Sailaway"

 

[aliaschief]

Always a pleasure to read your cruise blogs. Thanks!

[ottahand7]

Your photos of the sunrise in Turks & Caicos were fabulous!!  We are joining you on the 2/13 leg of your trip doing a B2B.  Looking forward to meeting you in person.  Meanwhile we can enjoy your updates while we are on countdown!  

[SilvertoGold]

WCB:  so good to have you back on the high seas. This thread is my go-to first thing every day ;

 

One question: as President's Club members do you have the choice of the Pinnacle for breakfast?

 

Enjoy your cruises and have the merriest of Christmases.

[johnlcruise]

We just got off this past Sunday on the Statendam. We did a BB. What a great ship and crew.

 

We also had Club Orange. And Wynn the Manager there is something else. He's like the Energizer Bunny, never stopping and making sure you get excellent service from his staff. Be sure to have dinner there as they do a really good job.  Joko was our waiter in the Club for Breakfast and Dinner we like him so much we always requested him and usually got him. Please give our regards to Wynn the Club Orange manager that John and Susan From Denver said hi. And that Susan misses her Gluten Free muffins that he had for her every morning.

 

We loved the lay out of the ship. All entertainment is on the second floor. The World Stage had some very good shows that should not be missed.

 

We missed Grand Turks as it was not ready for us. So you where the first to stop there.

Enjoy your cruise. I'll be reliving it through you. 

Edited December 22, 2021 by johnlcruise

[rkacruiser]

7 hours ago, WCB said:

The most well-known bar and restaurant is Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville. 

 

Next visit, make a stop there.  It can be a "happening".  However, when my friend Nadine and I were there, she ordered a Margarita (she likes those).  She said it was the worst Margarita that she had ever drunk.  My Rum Punch was good, however.  A bit more Rum would have made it even better.  

[WCB]

Report #5   San Juan, Puerto Rico   December 22, 2021   Wednesday   Mostly sunny & 80 degrees                   Pictures

 

Today’s port of call was San Juan, Puerto Rico, a place we have visited often over the years.  The island of Puerto Rico is 110 miles long and 35 miles wide, with a population of about 4 million.  Most residents are US citizens, and the country was made a US commonwealth in 1952.  There is talk that Puerto Rico may become a state someday.  It reportedly rivals Miami with night clubs and disco.  And it houses El Yunque, the only rain forest in the Caribbean. This range of mountains can get 100 billion gallons of rain a year.  Not sure how that was calculated, but it can get hot and steamy up there.  Checking out the shore excursions, we did not see a trip there today.  There may have been considerable damage during the hurricane almost 5 years ago.

 

Founded by Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon in 1508, he became governor and created the Old City of San Juan.  The area we traversed today was full of 16^th to 17^th century Spanish colonial architecture, most of which have been restored.  Blue gray cobble stones that pave the streets in Old Town, were used as ballast on the Spanish ships.  Can you imagine how long they have held up? 

 

High stone walls used to surround this entire area, but eventually most of it crumbled.  Now the area is full of homes with tree-shaded squares, monuments, and lots of people, mostly masked.  There are two major forts here, as well as a cathedral, a convent, museums, and universities.  We would hike the area for a few hours.

 

The ship was scheduled to arrive at 1pm, so at noon, the bow on our deck 5 was opened for folks to watch the sail into the harbor.  Of course, we did that, and discovered there was a large Jacuzzi spa on this small deck.  Now whether or not it is opened while we are sailing, we do not know, since there is a very high step to access the outside.  The most fun about being out here was the show the boobys  and the frigates put on.  They were most curious to see people on this bow.  We were more curious to see how long it would take to get “christened”.  When it got more crowded out there, we went back to our room where we had just as good of a view as we sailed past the infamous El Morro.  However, we could barely hear Bettyann, the Cruise & Travel Director, give her scenic commentary listening to our interactive room TV. 

 

In the area of the piers, we could see two distinct stacks of whale tails, obviously Carnival ships.  One was the Sunshine and the other Mardi Gras, one of their newest and biggest.  With almost 100,000 gross tons to our name, we felt like midgets.  Docked at a pier further away, was the NCL Norwegian Sky, which may not even be sailing yet.  And while we were hiking, we spotted the Celebrity APEX, a fairly new vessel, sailing into the harbor, which was also huge.  Boy, that is going to be a whole lot of people in town. 

 

Once our ship was cleared, we watched while people poured out of two gangways.  We figured one exit was for tour people, and the other, independent.  Local shore side authorities were reminding passengers to put their masks on. You could tell from where we were watching, that some folks do not like being told what to do.  Some complied, and some did not. 

 

We had decided that on this trip it may not be wise to seek out lunch.  It is difficult to tell how much of the virus is around, and many of the cafes and restaurants in this part of town are fairly small.  Some had chains draw across their doors, because the place was at capacity.  There is too much good (and safe) food on the ship, we could wait until we got back. 

 

So we began or 2 hour hike, but not before purchasing an aluminum bottle of water on the ship.  No more plastic, and you cannot bring plastic water bottles back on the ship if you bought them onshore.  Even though the weather was quite nice today, the sun was still hot, and we did not want to risk dehydration.

 

Heading straight uphill, we found the road of the Old Wall.  The first fort we passed was Fuerte San Cristobal, a stone fortress built between 1634 and 1785.  This fort is even bigger than El Morro and was known as the “Gibraltar” of the West Indies.  Tour groups were already congregated at the entrance, and we could have toured it for a small fee.  However, we have been here and done that, so we continued onward.

 

We took our time walking towards Fuerte San Felipe del Morro. This fort was built on a promontory at the tip of the Old City back in the 15^th to 18^th centuries.  There were so many people out and about today and we realized most of them were locals.  School must be out for the holiday, and with so many cruise ships in port,  everything was crowded.  Families were picnicking and flying kites, a favorite pastime here.  Anyway, that was when we saw the APEX arriving to the harbor, which was about 3pm.  As we said, they would pull up right across from us at the pier.

 

From the fort, we walked back the way we came, which was far easier going downhill.  We ducked into a CVS to look for a battery-operated wall clock, but found none.  Then we tried Walgreens, and had no luck there.  Both stores were full of mostly crew members buying loads of snack food. Some actually bring suitcases to haul it back.  Lines wrapped around both stores with a long wait to check out.  Even if we had found what we needed, doubt we would wait that long in a line.  Best to wait until we are back in Florida to shop. 

 

Back to the ship, we searched for lunch, and found the NY Deli & Pizza opened.  We both had Caesar salads, and a shared pizza and meatball sandwich.  Our beverages were served by a waiter.  Then we still had those free Mariner cocktail coupons to use.  Going to the aft pool bar, we ordered mimosas in place of their special drink. It was so  good, we paid for seconds.  It was there that we saw  the Coke machine, and asked the bartender how that worked.  He said for $8 a day, you got a special soda glass with a chip in it.  Then you could drink to your heart’s delight from the machine.  Just don’t lose your glass, as anyone can use it.

 

Presty spotted us outside the NY Deli, and stopped to chat.  He said there was a total of 1250 or so passengers on this trip.  Then we heard from a waitress that there are 120 kids onboard….mostly because it is Christmas and many families are traveling together.  We also told him that we were going to the Canaletto for dinner tonight, and he said we would really like it. Of course, he is the head of that venue as well as the Lido.

 

Spent the rest of the late afternoon relaxing on our veranda, and eventually working on photos.  Dinner was at 8pm, and the Canaletto was not full.  Of course, the ship is here until 11pm, so many people may be ashore.  The special of the day was veal liver, definitely not our favorite.  But the menu offered numerous starters and mains.  Our Thai waitress explained everything, and made her suggestions.  We were more than happy  with our choices of antipasto, salad, calamari, and minestroni soup.  Two slices of their special bread were really good.  Although she did offer more, we said no, we would eat too much.  Mains were short ribs and lamb chops with ½ orders of lasagna.  All good.  Dessert was shared chocolate tart and  two types of gelato in small shot glasses.   While we were ordering, the Mardi Gras blew her horn, and set sail for their next port.  A half hour after that, the Sunshine departed, and by 10pm, the APEX left.  We would ship out at 11pm.

 

Tomorrow will be another port……St. Thomas.  Been there, but it has been many years.  Bet it doesn’t look the same.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[scubacruiserx2]

On 12/22/2021 at 9:01 AM, WCB said:

Report #4   Grand Turk, Turk & Caicos   December 21, 2021   Tuesday   Warm & breezy 80 degrees     Part #1 Of 2.....33 Pictures

 

Well, here we are at our first port of the trip……Grand Turk, Turk & Caicos.  This is the very first time we have visited here, and we were pleasantly surprised at what we found.

 

Beginning the morning once again with a breakfast in the Orange Club, our day began with trying to figure out why we cannot get any wifi in our room.  And once again, we went down to the front desk area, and took two seats at the side table there.  Cynthia, a senior front desk employee, came over and chatted for a bit.  She was aware of our internet problem, and said a technician would be paying a visit to our room to see why this was happening.  Fine with us.  She also updated us on our account as far as the credits would work for this entire cruise.  They will need a copy of our travel agency’s documents to add up the cashable credit.  The statement on our account is not jiving with our contract, so this will have to be cleared up as well.

 

Grand Turk and the Caicos are located between the Bahamas and Haiti, and happens to have the third largest coral reef system in the world.  We never knew that.  Guests from all over the world come here for the diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, and offshore finance.  Must be similar to the practices in the Caymen Islands where the rich and famous can house their fortunes.

 

Out of the 40 islands here, only 10 of them are inhabited.  There are about 25,000 natives, many of whom are of African and Bahamian descent. They are called the “Belongers”. This group of islands belong to the British Overseas Territory.  Originally the natives harvested salt, retrieving it with rakes, bagging it, and transporting it on donkeys to the ships for transport to America and Canada.  To this day, several wild donkeys roam the islands. In the 1700’s, the plantation owners grew cotton for export, until eventually, tourism, fishing, and offshore financing took over as we mentioned.  Another village industry was weaving as in baskets, mats, and hats made with native grasses, palm leaves and sisal.  Today the salt ponds attract flamingoes who dine on the shrimp.  The abandoned windmills have become home to osprey who make their nests on top.

 

The deep sea fishing here is for bonefish, marlin, sailfish, wahoo, tuna, barracuda, and shark.  The larger islands of the Caicos have the most over-the-top resorts and hotels, and attract the Hollywood crowd we read. Grand Turk is only 7 miles long and 1 mile wide, and is more suitable for beach activities.  And for good reason, the turquoise waters are pristine, and the beaches have soft white sand.  This would be available for everyone on the ship.

 

The ship docked very close to the Grand Turk Cruise Center, built by the Carnival Corporation in 2006.  It comprises of 18 acres of shops, a few restaurants, numerous restrooms, and even a large swimming pool.  Guests from the ship were welcomed to use all of it, including the stretch of beach filled with chaise lounges.  All with no cost.  There are the usual high end jewelry shops, but also Caribbean apparel, souvenirs, and gifts. 

 

The most well-known bar and restaurant is Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.  Today, they were about the only restaurant opened for business.  We chatted with a local vendor at a craft market who told us they just opened this complex a week ago, as they may have been closed due to Covid.   She expected more ships will be arriving at the rate of 2 or 3 a week.  And they are most happy to see the tourists back. 

 

Walking the beach was most pleasant, since the temps were in the low 80’s and the humidity was not especially high.  But this could be deceiving, since a nice breeze kept us comfortable, and we know the rays of the sun could be dangerous.  We would have eaten lunch but we had indulged a big at breakfast, and were not that hungry.  Maybe next time, as we will be back. 

 

One of us did buy a few useful souvenirs, but for the most part, prices were high.  Have to mention that there was a capacity of only 7 people in a small shop at a time, and there several sinks with soap to wash your hands.  Great idea.  If you wished to go to downtown and nearby Cockburn Town, taxis were available for $5 per person for a one way 3 mile ride there.  There were only 2 tours offered through Shore Excursions, mostly sightseeing, and perhaps a beach stop.

 

Our time was limited with all aboard at 3:30pm.  We headed back to have lunch onboard at 2pm.  Then while relaxing on our veranda, the horn began blasting with really long blows.  Over and over again.  Finally an announcement was made for two missing guests.  We did see some people running to the gangway about then.  It would not be the first time we saw people miss the ship, although we think they made it.

 

Hey, we learned something new today.  Does anyone know what a “potcake” is?  To us, we joking said it sounded like a marijuana-laced dessert.  Well, no.  It is a name for the feral dogs that run these islands.  Not sure where the cake part comes from, but the pot refers to the fact that the dogs were fed from the bottom of the local’s cooking pots.  How about that?  Today the puppies from these dogs are being adopted out for free to tourists that travel here. And perhaps there is an effort to sterilize the adults.

 

Once the ship picked up speed, it began to cool off.  We did read that this is the beginning of the humpback whale season, where they are migrating to their feeding areas.  Keeping an eye out for a possible sighting, we did see some large fish jumping and diving under the ship.  They may have been tuna, but they were too fast to identify.

 

Lunch was in the Lido again with cobb salads and hot sandwiches.  A few cookies full of nuts ended the meal.  We checked out the back pool to see if there was a sail away party, but there was none.  What we saw were many lounges full of folks snoozing.  There were a few outside tables on the starboard side where guests could smoke.  Looking a deck above the Seaview Pool, we spotted a Terra Cotta warrior statue, and thought it odd to see it there.  We would discover why later.

 

While working online at the front desk, we learned that someone did come to our room and claimed the wifi worked.  News to us, we went back to try it, and discovered we could not get a signal.  We’ll let them know and see whatever tricks they have up their sleeve, or not.

 

Dinner was in the Tamarind this evening, and we did not get a written reminder in our mail slot like we do on the Amsterdam. Guess they figure we could look it up on the Navigator site, but we do not own a cell phone, so even a phone call reminder would be  good.  We were seated at a table for two at the window.  Lo and behold, right outside the window was the Terra Cotta warrior, which makes sense.  He is guarding the Asian Tamarind Restaurant.  Across the room from where we sat was the Nami Sushi Restaurant, which serves ala carte dishes with charges.  Not our cup of tea, but it was full of customers, including some officers. 

 

The service and food were impeccable.  Starters were Thai beef salad, spring rolls, and a shared dish of baby back ribs…..the absolute best. Shrimp crackers were served along with the little dishes of sauces and soy sauce.  Both of us ordered the wasabi-crusted beef tenderloin, which came with asparagus and tempura onion rings.  One side of basmati rice was enough for the both of us. Thank goodness the dessert of cheesecake was on the small side. It was unlike any cheesecake we ever had, tart and lemony inside a boat of white chocolate.  We finished by 9pm, but were too early for the World Stage show of In Tandem.  It will be repeated in future trips, and we can go then.

 

The clocks go ahead this evening, so better hit the hay, so to speak.  Tomorrow, we will be in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but not until 1pm.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

We're unable to see your photos larger than a thumbnail . Can you explain how we can see them ? We have included a couple of photos from Grand Turk so that your readers can see what you may have seen .

 

[WCB]

I shrink the photos to be able to post them to the website.  You should be able to expand them with your fingers on your screen.

 

WCB

[Suzcruz57]

Have you posted your pictures? Am I supposed to click on something? Loving your writing, just dont want to miss anything.

[Dismomx5]

37 minutes ago, Suzcruz57 said:

Have you posted your pictures? Am I supposed to click on something? Loving your writing, just dont want to miss anything.

If you go to the first post, there is a link to the blog at the end of that post.  The pictures are on the blog.

[oakridger]

8 hours ago, WCB said:

I shrink the photos to be able to post them to the website.  You should be able to expand them with your fingers on your screen.

 

WCB

 

I read their blog on a desktop so can't expand with fingers like on a phone or tablet.  What I do is click on the pictures link then when it opens to the tiny pictures you can click on the + sign at the bottom of the screen and it expands the photos. Just keep clicking the + to make the photos as large as you want.

 

~Nancy

[albingirl]

I'm really enjoying this review.  We were on the ship the past two weeks.  Loved Canaletto so much; best staff ever and so personable.  Thanks for posting.