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

[rkacruiser]

6 hours ago, Overhead Fred said:

@WCB - Mitzi and I are boarding tomorrow; we will keep an eye out for you! Maybe we will stake out the Dutch Cafe 😁

 

If you do meet them, please give them my greetings.  I have sailed with them at least 4 times.  Very pleasant and friendly people.  

[Florida_gal_50]

I liked the way the testing was done on the koningsdam for my b2b. It was done in the mdr.  You had the choice of going back to your room to wait for results or wait there.  I waited there.  It didn’t even seem like 15 minutes and I was told I was negative.  You’d think I’d won the lottery 😛.  That said there were only 87 of us.

[rkacruiser]

32 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I liked the way the testing was done on the koningsdam for my b2b. It was done in the mdr.  You had the choice of going back to your room to wait for results or wait there.  I waited there.  It didn’t even seem like 15 minutes and I was told I was negative.  You’d think I’d won the lottery 😛.

 

Please explain to me why I should spend thousands of dollars to have such an experience.  A cruise vacation ought to be as pleasant as possible.  Adding this testing dimension to such an experience does not equate with "pleasant" for me.  

 

I understand your "joy" of being tested negative.  Congratulations.  

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Please explain to me why I should spend thousands of dollars to have such an experience.  A cruise vacation ought to be as pleasant as possible.  Adding this testing dimension to such an experience does not equate with "pleasant" for me.  

 

I understand your "joy" of being tested negative.  Congratulations.  

It's not for everyone for sure.  As Canadians I think we may be more used to this since we have to jump thru a lot of hoops.  This vacation has been chalk full of nasty surprises so this was the least of my problems.

[WCB]

Report # 88   Day at Sea  En Route To Fort Lauderdale, Florida   Tuesday - March 15, 2022   Mostly sunny and 80 degrees    Part #1 Of 1............13 Pictures

 

We got our in transit envelope this morning with a letter stating that we could get off of the ship by noon.  We will be free to go off in Ft. Lauderdale, or stay with the group, go through customs, and return back to the ship.  As always, we will choose to go to town.  All aboard is 5pm, so we have plenty of time to do what we need to.  If all goes according to this schedule, then it will be a major feat, considering the amount of time we lost in getting there.  By the way, we heard today that there were two ambulances on the dock in Aruba, so there may have been two patients, not one.

 

We also heard that five cases of Covid were detected with the in transit group yesterday.  So, the virus is not completely gone yet.  Our biggest concern is how many other folks, who did not get tested, also have it?  Unless they are flying internationally, they will not need testing.  And that is why we continue wearing our masks.  As long as the staff and crew on the ship wear them, so will we.

 

Today, the seas calmed down, the sun came out, and it felt like we had a following wind.  That also means we might have the currents in our favor as well.  It was obvious that we were sailing in a shipping channel, as many vessels passed by going the other way.  Mostly containers and freighters, and an occasional cruise ship.  The outline of islands was on the horizon, and wanting to know what they were, we went to the channel on TV to see where we were.  Too bad, it was not working.  Neither was the weather channel.  Hope that gets fixed because they are useful channels for us. 

 

During the afternoon, we checked out the Effy Shop onboard.  Everything in there was over-the-top expensive.  Even with the “up to” 60% off cabinet of selected items, the prices were still in the thousands.  No wonder we have not seen a crowd of shoppers in there.  The sales people were on the aggressive side, considering they usually let you look before promoting something.  Inquiring the price of one set of earrings, the sales gal went into extreme detail on the type of stones, diamonds, and gold in the pair.  Then there was the story on the color and clarity, etc.  Finally the price - $3000, but duty-free.  And that was the price for one hour only.  OK, I said thanks and I was still looking.   Not listening, she opened an alcohol wipe, so I could try the earrings on.  Again, no thanks.  In the meantime, Bill was checking out the watches at the other end.  He had a much nicer salesman, who gave him info without all the details or pressure to buy right now.  Eventually we will have to look more closely, but maybe when there are more customers in there.  Sure would be nice if we could apply the “have-to-spend” credit towards a future cruise.  Maybe someday…….

 

We had a phone call from the front desk with a message from Rene, the cruise director, that we will be able to go off of the ship by 11am tomorrow. Checking the When & Where, we see that breakfast in the dining rooms will be 8am instead of 6:30am.  That is great, because who wants to get up that early???   Not one of us. 

 

Working online, we discovered through the grapevine that there will be no dance hosts on the Grand World Voyage.  This is going to break the hearts of many a single lady, who enjoyed that activity more than bingo or trivia.  Now we wonder if there will be a need for the dance teachers?  We do know that the arts and crafts classes will continue, but not sure about the watercolor classes. 

 

Today we received another Journeys booklet with the current cruise’s sticker, and one more plastic HAL tote bag.  The bag is usually given on day one of the cruise, but being that over 1500 new guests will be boarding, our room stewards will be busier than usual.  We believe the bigger number of guests is due to the fact that many gamblers have been offered almost free rooms to book this cruise.  We know of two gentlemen near us at dinnertime, that booked this cruise for free and re-booked for the next one.  They mentioned that they had to pay port and tax charges, as well as gratuities.  None of their Mariner perks would apply.  We even saw online where some folks who belong to that club got offered a Neptune suite for free.  Wow…..who knew?  Also, the days you sail cannot be counted for your Mariner days.

 

Dinner had the Culinary Council menu with good choices.  We had appetizers of coconut crusted shrimp salad, sliced tomatoes, and prime rib with a baked potato  (hold the veggie stew).  Dessert was ice cream and frozen yogurt.  On the way back to the room, we passed through the casino to find it packed to the gills, especially the gaming tables.  Sure hope someone was winning in there…………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[phinu]

31 minutes ago, WCB said:

Report # 88   Day at Sea  En Route To Fort Lauderdale, Florida   Tuesday - March 15, 2022   Mostly sunny and 80 degrees    Part #1 Of 1............13 Pictures

 

We got our in transit envelope this morning with a letter stating that we could get off of the ship by noon.  We will be free to go off in Ft. Lauderdale, or stay with the group, go through customs, and return back to the ship.  As always, we will choose to go to town.  All aboard is 5pm, so we have plenty of time to do what we need to.  If all goes according to this schedule, then it will be a major feat, considering the amount of time we lost in getting there.  By the way, we heard today that there were two ambulances on the dock in Aruba, so there may have been two patients, not one.

 

We also heard that five cases of Covid were detected with the in transit group yesterday.  So, the virus is not completely gone yet.  Our biggest concern is how many other folks, who did not get tested, also have it?  Unless they are flying internationally, they will not need testing.  And that is why we continue wearing our masks.  As long as the staff and crew on the ship wear them, so will we.

 

Today, the seas calmed down, the sun came out, and it felt like we had a following wind.  That also means we might have the currents in our favor as well.  It was obvious that we were sailing in a shipping channel, as many vessels passed by going the other way.  Mostly containers and freighters, and an occasional cruise ship.  The outline of islands was on the horizon, and wanting to know what they were, we went to the channel on TV to see where we were.  Too bad, it was not working.  Neither was the weather channel.  Hope that gets fixed because they are useful channels for us. 

 

During the afternoon, we checked out the Effy Shop onboard.  Everything in there was over-the-top expensive.  Even with the “up to” 60% off cabinet of selected items, the prices were still in the thousands.  No wonder we have not seen a crowd of shoppers in there.  The sales people were on the aggressive side, considering they usually let you look before promoting something.  Inquiring the price of one set of earrings, the sales gal went into extreme detail on the type of stones, diamonds, and gold in the pair.  Then there was the story on the color and clarity, etc.  Finally the price - $3000, but duty-free.  And that was the price for one hour only.  OK, I said thanks and I was still looking.   Not listening, she opened an alcohol wipe, so I could try the earrings on.  Again, no thanks.  In the meantime, Bill was checking out the watches at the other end.  He had a much nicer salesman, who gave him info without all the details or pressure to buy right now.  Eventually we will have to look more closely, but maybe when there are more customers in there.  Sure would be nice if we could apply the “have-to-spend” credit towards a future cruise.  Maybe someday…….

 

We had a phone call from the front desk with a message from Rene, the cruise director, that we will be able to go off of the ship by 11am tomorrow. Checking the When & Where, we see that breakfast in the dining rooms will be 8am instead of 6:30am.  That is great, because who wants to get up that early???   Not one of us. 

 

Working online, we discovered through the grapevine that there will be no dance hosts on the Grand World Voyage.  This is going to break the hearts of many a single lady, who enjoyed that activity more than bingo or trivia.  Now we wonder if there will be a need for the dance teachers?  We do know that the arts and crafts classes will continue, but not sure about the watercolor classes. 

 

Today we received another Journeys booklet with the current cruise’s sticker, and one more plastic HAL tote bag.  The bag is usually given on day one of the cruise, but being that over 1500 new guests will be boarding, our room stewards will be busier than usual.  We believe the bigger number of guests is due to the fact that many gamblers have been offered almost free rooms to book this cruise.  We know of two gentlemen near us at dinnertime, that booked this cruise for free and re-booked for the next one.  They mentioned that they had to pay port and tax charges, as well as gratuities.  None of their Mariner perks would apply.  We even saw online where some folks who belong to that club got offered a Neptune suite for free.  Wow…..who knew?  Also, the days you sail cannot be counted for your Mariner days.

 

Dinner had the Culinary Council menu with good choices.  We had appetizers of coconut crusted shrimp salad, sliced tomatoes, and prime rib with a baked potato  (hold the veggie stew).  Dessert was ice cream and frozen yogurt.  On the way back to the room, we passed through the casino to find it packed to the gills, especially the gaming tables.  Sure hope someone was winning in there…………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

Joining you later today.  This is our third gamblers cruise and they so far have counted the previous days towards our mariner level.

 

[RICHARD@SEA]

WCB - 

 

I'm in FT Lauderdale near the port Thursdays weather is a hi of 82 degrees mostly sunny w 10% rain.....

[WCB]

Report # 89    Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Turn Around Day     Wednesday - March 16, 2022     Overcast, muggy, and rain  80 degrees    Part #1 Of 2...............80 Pictures

 

 

Looking out the window around 7:30am, we spotted the coastline of Florida, and thought it interesting how we made such good time in getting here this morning.  Although we were docked at pier 26 by 9am, we were not cleared yet. 

 

On our way to breakfast, we saw a line of guests already waiting at the gangway on deck two to be first off of the ship.  What part of do not congregate at the gangway don’t they understand?   It wasn’t until 10:30am until the first group would be called off.  We do know many people who had to re-book their flights in order to give them enough time to arrive at the airport.  With some folks, that meant having to spend the night in town.  So glad we are staying on.

 

Before we left, we had three separate knocks on our door.  One was for the delivery of President’s Club amenities of Diet Coke, bruschetta, and sweet tarts.  Then, a florist arrived with 12 dark red long stemmed roses.  Finally, a plate of strawberries dipped in  chocolate were gifted by our travel agency.  Really nice.  Normally, we are not present when these things arrive, so it came as a surprise, that the bruschetta would sit in the room for three or more hours without being refrigerated.   Since we had the time, we did make room for them in the refrigerator to make sure they were cold until we came back.  Same for the desserts.

 

While we were watching the docking process, the skies turned dark, and we had a really good downpour.  Great, now we will have to pack the umbrellas.  The weather station on the TV still was not working, so we did not want to chance getting drowned.  

 

After most of the groups had been called off, we left the ship by 11am.  By then, all that was left of the passing cloud were a lot of puddles in the street.  Taking the usual route, we saw the Celebrity Infinity docked at pier 21.  The ship looked empty, not only of guests, but of crew also.  In fact, their name was not up on the billboard at the port’s entrance.  Actually, the N. Statendam was listed at pier 21, although that was incorrect.

 

This time we did not make it to the top of the bridge, since we were already late in leaving the ship, and all aboard was 5pm.  We did want to be back by 3pm for the Mariner party. On the way, we came across a huge iguana on the sidewalk, who had met his fate perhaps crossing the 4 lane street.  Never saw one that big. 

 

Stopping at the Renaissance was futile, since we could not get online to update the Kindle.  So we went straight to the Harbor Shops, and walked through TJMaxx.  Finding some shampoo we needed was easy.  Then it was on to Publix for our room snacks and other supplies.  Good to go, we went back slowly to the ship.

 

By now, it was hot and really muggy.  The clouds never did go away, but it sure felt like rain.  Guess we were not too far from wrong there. Getting onboard was easy with our in transit cards, however, I set off the alarms in the terminal every time with my new knee.  Not taking my word for it, I always get the “pat down” treatment, then I am free to go. 

 

It took forever to get a ride back to deck five in the forward elevators.  They kept passing our floor, we assume with the luggage delivery.  When a door finally opened up, six of us squeezed in.  Then two more people jumped in.   Not everyone was masked either. Later on, going back down to deck two, we took the stairs.   Slowly for one of us.

 

We had 10 minutes to eat our bruschetta, then it was off to the gathering of the 4, 5 star Mariners and President’s Club members.  There are only three PC of us now, since Gyl, Howard’s friend, left today for home.  She will be missed.  The event was held in the Billboard Onboard and was well attended.  Sitting at the bar, we sipped champagne.  Howard spotted us half way through, and joined us for a while.  Beverages offered for this party were red or white wines, champagne, soda or juice.  The fellow next to us wanted a beer, which he did get served, but he had to pay for it.  We do have to say, our glasses were bottomless for the hour.

 

Back in the room, we watched our exit by 6pm or so.  Wouldn’t you know it, we heard thunder, which followed with driving rain.  Going through the opening of Port Everglades, no one was out in their backyards cheering us on.  However, this time, once we cleared the harbor, the Captain sounded the horn with two very long toots.  Glad he can live up to the name of Captain Hornblower again. 

 

A very faint rainbow appeared as we sailed further away.  We even went past the Infinity, which had left before us.  She went several miles off shore, then stopped.  That pretty much confirms our theory that she was an empty ship.  It had gotten chilly and wet at this point, so we had to go inside.

 

Dinner time was on deck three at our original table 309.   We had different waiters, but they seemed to know us since we have been around for so long.  Dinner was good with salads, appetizers, and one chicken, one oxtail, and one lasagna entrée to share.  Even with several choices of desserts every night, we still like the ice cream or yogurt.  Close to that were two hot fudge sundaes to finish the meal. 

 

Passing by BB King’s, we watched as the new group were dancing in place to the music, even up at the railing.  The band was playing songs from the 60’s.  Now the casino was hopping, and we could have sworn we smelled cigarette smoke.  They may have relaxed the rules on this cruise.  There wasn’t one empty slot machine or a seat at the tables.  Definitely a gambling crowd.  Last week on Gala Night, we rode the elevator with a couple of folks dressed in t-shirts and shorts just coming from the dining room.  They said that was as good as it gets for the clothes.  Guess they were part of the casino guests onboard.  

 

Now we will have two days at sea on the way to St. Maarten.  Hope the rain stops….especially for the guests who have come from the colder parts of the world to enjoy the warmth of the Caribbean.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[cruzingnut]

@WCB, smoking is indeed back in the casino!  Unfortunately....  It was so nice to be able to walk thru there while it was non smoking and now we'll have to deviate.  Bummer. 

 

Linda R.

[WCB]

Report # 90     Day at Sea  En Route to St. Maarten      Thursday - March 17, 2022    Mostly cloudy and 78 degrees   Part #1 Of 1...........1 Pictures

 

 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

 

Our first day at sea after leaving Ft. Lauderdale presented itself with mostly cloudy skies, slightly rough seas, and temps in the 70’s.  Rather cool, we never did see any rain, as it had been suggested.  Sailing in a southeasterly direction, we have the cooler side of the ship.  Those on the starboard side will get some sun on their decks.  According to the Captain, we can expect more of the same tomorrow.

 

Club Orange was quite busy today with the new guests that boarded yesterday.  We learned that about 38 people belong to the Club Orange group, as well as those in suites, and of course, us.  If this ship was at full capacity, we wonder where they would possibly seat so many people?  Maybe the overflow would go to the Pinnacle Grill, just thinking out loud.

 

Heading back to our room, we walked through the casino.  Truthfully, we squeezed through the casino, as it was crazy crowded.  And this was at 10am.  Once again, we could smell cigarette smoke, although no one we have asked seemed to know much about that.  We did wander around the many slot machines looking for smoking guests, but saw nothing.  Maybe we are dreaming about the smoke smell? More of a concern to us is the fact few people were wearing the masks.  There is not a chance there is 6 foot distancing here.

 

Many activities took place today. The Fitness Center offered some free classes, while some of their other things were at a charge.  That would be yoga and indoor cycling.  We prefer to walk the promenade where we can get a lot of fresh air.  Today the crew were busy scrubbing, hosing, vacuuming, caulking, and painting on this deck.  Finally, the “zambonie” we call the scrubber on wheels, was being filled to begin that job.  After doing three laps, we went inside when too many walkers came out.   There are areas on this deck that narrow down with room for one walker at a time.  And for some reason, there are people that choose to walk the opposite way.  This becomes a problem when you round the corner and have a possible head-on collision.  There are no directional arrows on this ship, showing the counter-clockwise pattern.

 

Sadly, we saw no decorations on the ship for St. Patrick’s Day.  It would have been a bigger deal if this was a world cruise.   Many folks did come prepared with something green to wear.  And there were a handful of people really dressed for it.  We do have to say the dinner menu reflected some of the traditional items like corned beef and cabbage, and a pea soup (not Dutch pea). 

 

We had been invited to another complimentary wine tasting in the dining room at 2pm titled, “James Suckling Pacific Northwest Wine Tasting”.   At $25 per person, we figured we saved them $450 for 9 events we missed.  Always nice to be invited, but we probably will never attend. 

 

Today we had a small salad in the Lido for lunch.  By 2:30pm, there were few people in there. We are trying to keep meals lighter so we can enjoy dinner.

 

And dinnertime was gala this evening.  We were surprised at how many people were already dining on deck three when we arrived at 8pm.  Then we asked Presty when the dining room opened up for fixed seating, and he said 7:30pm.  Technically, they open for the first seating at 5:15pm on deck 3.   However, with many guests requesting a table for two, they are bringing them upstairs from the open seating on deck two.  Sometimes there are no tables for them downstairs. When we come in at 8pm, there are many diners still eating from the anytime dining seating.  So it’s not the same as totally fixed upstairs.

 

Tonight we ordered the same meal starting with the shrimp cocktail, Caesar salads, and rack of lamb with a baked potato.  It was a little slow in coming, but worth the wait.  A chocolate soufflé and a hot fudge sundae were sweet endings. 

 

Now the test…..we walked through the casino and finally saw one guest smoking with an ashtray next to his slot machine.  So we were not crazy….we did smell the smoke.  We have also heard from friends on other ships that smoking has been re-instated on select cruises.

 

Coming back to our room, we had a surprise.  There were two koozies left on the bed with a note from someone we do not know.  Now this is a mystery we will need to solve.  How thoughtful is that?   Obviously, someone has been reading this blog and realized the difficulty we had finding these useful items.  Many thanks to our secret gift-giver!

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[riverrat]

😃 Exactly right. I have so enjoyed your posts since December, I am elated I could bring you something on board you wanted. I tried to find you Weds night at dinner but missed you so housekeeping helped me out. I hope you like them!

[Calgary3]

What a lovely thing to do Diana and John.  People like you make this world a better place.  🙂

 

[aliaschief]

Great reporting as usual and very appreciative. We just got off our Azamara cruise in Miami and now in Fort Lauderdale awaiting two weeks on MS Rotterdam starting this weekend.

Fort Lauderdale seems to be bustling with lots of families and young folks on Spring Break. 
 

So ships could see higher capacities in the next couple of weeks.

 

Thanks for posting.

[WCB]

Report # 91    Day at Sea Enroute to St. Maarten   Friday - March 18, 2022   Mostly cloudy & 77 degrees............Part 1 of 1...........No Pictures

 

Well, the mystery is solved……the folks that left the surprise koozies are D & J (not sure they want their names here).  They boarded the ship on Wednesday, but had no luck locating us,  so left the gifts at the front desk we were told.  Then this morning, we found their post on Cruise Critic, so once again, we say thanks.  We will surely meet you sometime soon.

 

It wasn’t a fit day for too much, since the weather wasn’t typical Caribbean……neither sunny or very hot.  Good day for lectures, games, and buying stuff though.  The shore excursion team had their work cut out for them, as the guests have an array of tours to book in the ports ahead.  Of course, these days, you can book in advance, as well as pay for them ahead of time.  That way you do not have a shock when you get your final statement. 

 

It was a pretty lay low day for us, but we did keep busy with walks and some movie-watching.  We spent the morning online trying to figure out a table assignment for the 23 GWV.  With the help of the Zuiderdam’s dining room layout, we figured out a table that will work for five of us.  Now all we have to do is get it confirmed. 

 

Lunch in the Lido was a simple small salad and two grilled torpedo rolls with ham and cheese.  By 2:30pm, the Lido restaurant was only half full.   The big set-up ends at 2pm, then one side is always closed down.  After lunch, we went past the Lido pool to see many sunbathers covered with towels. Like we said, it was not a pool day. 

 

Since we are sailing north of the islands in the Atlantic Ocean the seas have been a bit rough.  The swells were still 6 to 8 feet, and it was windy.  It is our guess we are fighting a current going southeast.  We did see some flying fish, but without the birds hunting them, it wasn’t as much fun. 

 

Dinner in the dining room was good with coconut crusted pork meatballs, salad nicoise, and  one parmesan- breaded veal chop and a lasagna.  We shared the entrees.  Served piping hot, we ate almost every bite, leaving room for two scoops of ice cream. 

 

Right before we were going to leave, a nice fellow came over to our table and introduced himself.  He was Fred (wife Mitzi), who has read our blog and was also looking for us when they boarded.  It seems that they are friends of a mutual friend, Bob (rka cruiser), who we have known for almost 20 years now.  It is always nice to meet people that have taken the time to read our blog.  Hope we have been able to be of some help along the way.

 

Tomorrow we will be in St. Maarten, and sure hope the weather is nicer.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #92    Philipsburg, Sint Maarten   Saturday-March 19, 2022   Cloudy With Partial Sun 78 Degrees    Part #1 Of 3.........80 Pictures

 

Now that the pattern of ports have been established, if it is Saturday, then it’s St. Maarten.  And we realized that this will be our final stop here.  Out of the several islands we have visited, this is one of the nicer ones.  It fits what we like…..a long safe walk near the water, views of the bay and beach, along with many restaurants and cafes.  Not to mention…..souvenir shopping – even if we are just looking. 

 

Today, the port had the most ships we have seen yet.  Already docked were the Seabourn Odyssey, the Viking Sea, the Aurora P&O, and the Star Legend.  Other vessels were the schooners Wind Surf and Star Flyer.  Two mega yachts nearby were the Tatania and the Moonrise.  And of course, the N. Statendam. All- together, that is one heck of a lot of people on this island today. Somehow they all got dispersed  on tours or whatever.  And it helped that the Odyssey, and the Star Legend were in the process of beginning new cruises.  The same might be said for the folks on the schooners. 

 

We left the ship close to 10am, under very cloudy skies.  Present were the heat and humidity.  Even though light rain was in yesterday’s forecast, we did not bring umbrellas.  On the way out, we passed by DI, so another stop was needed for the charms.  Actually, I was handed two different ones – sunglasses and an anchor.  Absolutely no sales pressure, as there were many customers in there. 

 

We walked out of the gate with the taxi guys fighting for our business.  The walk to town is very short, so no, we did not need a ride.  You know that we have only been in a car twice on this trip, not counting the transfer from the hotel in December.  And those car rides were when we stayed in Ft. Lauderdale for 10 days.  We did ride a bus for about 12 miles during that stay.  Feeling that staying out of close contact in vehicles, we would be safer from getting the virus.  Well, we were almost right.

 

Searching for the monkeys was futile, but we did see three goats, probably some one’s pets.  Although, we did see curried goat on some menus in town.  Other international items served in restaurants are roast duck, conch fritters, cooked or ceviche fish, calamari, and lobster.  Other specialties include rijsttafel and nasi goring, a favorite of the Indonesians.  Falafal, tandooris, and curries are also big here.

 

The several sections of lounges and umbrellas seemed to have more customers today.  Although few of the sunbathers were in the water.  Guess they read the signs on the beach.  Further down the Boardwalk and past the two piers, people were in the water.  After sitting on the long pier to cool off in the breeze, we went up a narrow alleyway towards the salt pond.  Thinking we would be able to see it, we could not.  The shoreline was covered with  dense shrubs and trees, so we did not attempt to cross the highway.  We did discover that off of the beaten tourist path, the old part of town was right there about three blocks away. There were many Asian cafes and restaurants here, and we did notice that several crew members were walking in this part of town.  They seem to know where to buy their snacks, etc. 

 

We did take a different side street to access the beach, and happened upon another tented souvenir area.  A white and blue knit cover-up caught our eye, and when the vendor whispered $10, we bought it.  Yeah, we’re easy……….

 

Back-tracking, we walked back the way we came, still looking for those monkeys.  No luck today.  And the goats were gone too.  Darn.  It was good to get back to the air-conditioned ship.

 

Lunch was in the Dutch Café with our now weekly ham and cheese sandwich with fries.  The Affligem draft beer was back, so we each had one.  Cookies finished the lunch.  About that time, we happened to see the purser, who always stops by for a refreshment at the Dutch Café.  When she asked if everything was OK, we brought up the subject of smoking being re-instated in the casino.  Apologizing, she said it was a corporate decision that began on March 6^th.   She was totally onboard with what we were saying, but also added that she alone could do nothing to change it.  All we can do is air our objections, and see where the chips fall.  There is not a huge crowd smoking that we could see, but enough that the smoke clings to your clothes and hair when passing through the casino. As for us, we will need to find a new path to and from dinner on the upper deck.  We should not have to do this, but we prefer clean air.  Doesn’t most everyone? 

 

Then we spent some down time in the room, working on photos and relaxing on the veranda.  And a nice bonus…..trying the access to wifi, we discovered that we could pick up the Star Legend’s signal with an excellent connection.  It worked early this morning, and we did not have to bring the Kindle onshore.  One less thing to pack.

 

The ship sailed after 4pm, and was headed towards St. Lucia tomorrow.  The Captain mentioned that we have 277 nautical miles with a speed of 18.5 knots to reach the island.  We did pass by some smaller islands on the port side, but the bigger ones, would be seen from the starboard side.  Doesn’t matter a whole lot, since it will be dark by then.

 

Dinner had a few good items like crab and corn fritters, nicoise salads,  black bean soup, Chef Rudi’s braised ribs, and a pasta with  sliced chicken breast.  It was filling, so we skipped dessert.  

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

[captainjohnrpyc]

On 3/16/2022 at 10:28 AM, WCB said:

Report # 88   Day at Sea  En Route To Fort Lauderdale, Florida   Tuesday - March 15, 2022   Mostly sunny and 80 degrees    Part #1 Of 1............13 Pictures

 

We got our in transit envelope this morning with a letter stating that we could get off of the ship by noon.  We will be free to go off in Ft. Lauderdale, or stay with the group, go through customs, and return back to the ship.  As always, we will choose to go to town.  All aboard is 5pm, so we have plenty of time to do what we need to.  If all goes according to this schedule, then it will be a major feat, considering the amount of time we lost in getting there.  By the way, we heard today that there were two ambulances on the dock in Aruba, so there may have been two patients, not one.

 

We also heard that five cases of Covid were detected with the in transit group yesterday.  So, the virus is not completely gone yet.  Our biggest concern is how many other folks, who did not get tested, also have it?  Unless they are flying internationally, they will not need testing.  And that is why we continue wearing our masks.  As long as the staff and crew on the ship wear them, so will we.

 

Today, the seas calmed down, the sun came out, and it felt like we had a following wind.  That also means we might have the currents in our favor as well.  It was obvious that we were sailing in a shipping channel, as many vessels passed by going the other way.  Mostly containers and freighters, and an occasional cruise ship.  The outline of islands was on the horizon, and wanting to know what they were, we went to the channel on TV to see where we were.  Too bad, it was not working.  Neither was the weather channel.  Hope that gets fixed because they are useful channels for us. 

 

During the afternoon, we checked out the Effy Shop onboard.  Everything in there was over-the-top expensive.  Even with the “up to” 60% off cabinet of selected items, the prices were still in the thousands.  No wonder we have not seen a crowd of shoppers in there.  The sales people were on the aggressive side, considering they usually let you look before promoting something.  Inquiring the price of one set of earrings, the sales gal went into extreme detail on the type of stones, diamonds, and gold in the pair.  Then there was the story on the color and clarity, etc.  Finally the price - $3000, but duty-free.  And that was the price for one hour only.  OK, I said thanks and I was still looking.   Not listening, she opened an alcohol wipe, so I could try the earrings on.  Again, no thanks.  In the meantime, Bill was checking out the watches at the other end.  He had a much nicer salesman, who gave him info without all the details or pressure to buy right now.  Eventually we will have to look more closely, but maybe when there are more customers in there.  Sure would be nice if we could apply the “have-to-spend” credit towards a future cruise.  Maybe someday…….

 

We had a phone call from the front desk with a message from Rene, the cruise director, that we will be able to go off of the ship by 11am tomorrow. Checking the When & Where, we see that breakfast in the dining rooms will be 8am instead of 6:30am.  That is great, because who wants to get up that early???   Not one of us. 

 

Working online, we discovered through the grapevine that there will be no dance hosts on the Grand World Voyage.  This is going to break the hearts of many a single lady, who enjoyed that activity more than bingo or trivia.  Now we wonder if there will be a need for the dance teachers?  We do know that the arts and crafts classes will continue, but not sure about the watercolor classes. 

 

Today we received another Journeys booklet with the current cruise’s sticker, and one more plastic HAL tote bag.  The bag is usually given on day one of the cruise, but being that over 1500 new guests will be boarding, our room stewards will be busier than usual.  We believe the bigger number of guests is due to the fact that many gamblers have been offered almost free rooms to book this cruise.  We know of two gentlemen near us at dinnertime, that booked this cruise for free and re-booked for the next one.  They mentioned that they had to pay port and tax charges, as well as gratuities.  None of their Mariner perks would apply.  We even saw online where some folks who belong to that club got offered a Neptune suite for free.  Wow…..who knew?  Also, the days you sail cannot be counted for your Mariner days.

 

Dinner had the Culinary Council menu with good choices.  We had appetizers of coconut crusted shrimp salad, sliced tomatoes, and prime rib with a baked potato  (hold the veggie stew).  Dessert was ice cream and frozen yogurt.  On the way back to the room, we passed through the casino to find it packed to the gills, especially the gaming tables.  Sure hope someone was winning in there…………

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

My wife and I are going on the March 27th sailing. Which Specialty Restaurant do you rank as you're favorite, and which ones are just OK  I want to make some reservations prior to sailing

[ON cruiser]

Hope all is well, Bill and Mary Ann. I eagerly await the "daily installment" as I enjoy following your travels. 

 

Regards,

ON Cruiser 

[dchip]

1 hour ago, ON cruiser said:

Hope all is well, Bill and Mary Ann. I eagerly await the "daily installment" as I enjoy following your travels. 

 

Regards,

ON Cruiser 

Hopefully it’s only Wi-Fi connectivity issues. 🙏🏼

[WCB]

Greetings all!

 

We are late in posting due to a problem in Barbados today.  The internet was shut down all day, because we were told that the signal interfered with the Barbados internet system.  We have been here three times with no problems.  Go figure?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #93   Castries, Saint Lucia  Sunday-March 20, 2022   Partly Cloudy With Some Sun  80 Degrees  Part #1 Of 4.........80 Pictures

 

Happy First Day of Spring!

 

Yesterday, we had gotten a letter from Rene, the Hotel ,General Manager, stating conditions regarding Covid in each of the ports we would be visiting.  We are referring to the ability to be able to go off on our own, without having to use a taxi or a guide. The three ports in question were  St. Lucia, Barbados, and Roseau.  Naturally, all of HAL’s tours would be allowed to operate, as well as port-authorized excursions.  We will not know until we arrive to the other ports whether or not we would get the “free-flow” permission.   Riding the elevator with a newly-embarked couple last night, we could not help but hear them say….we had better book tours in those three ports, or risk being trapped on the ship for three days in a row.  We did not say anything, but we knew from past stops, that most of these places did allow free-flow.  We will take our chances, and hope for the free-flow…if not we will be stuck on the ship like we were several times in Grenada.  The port of Roseau, Dominica is a new one for us on this cruise, so we shall see what they decide.

 

So, today the ship sailed right into Port Castries and docked port side in Pointe Seraphine.  Our bow was pointed right at the Le Champlain, a Ponant vessel.  Across the harbor at La Place Carenage was the Regent Explorer.  Next to her was the much smaller sailing ship, the 5 mast Wind Star.  It is possible that it was turnaround day for the Ponant ship, since we saw many crew members arriving, but no guests coming and going. 

 

It appeared that it was going to be a nice, warm day with a strong breeze blowing.  However, there were many clouds, and we did feel that it may rain.  So for that reason, we took umbrellas.  You know the rule is if you bring them, it will not rain.  True today.

 

Two charms of palm trees were given at DI today.  Since you have to pass through this smaller store, it was easy to get the free charms. Then we had to pass by the row of taxi drivers trying to sell us a trip to anywhere.   They all said the same thing……everything is closed in town.  Yes, we know.  It is Sunday, our fifth and final visit, and we know what is open and what is not. At least it was not raining today.

 

Walking the entire end of the harbor, we went straight for a change.  This time we located the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, a Roman Catholic Church built in 1897.  We read that a local artist was brought in here to paint colorful murals, and succeeded in finishing it before Pope John Paul’s visit in 1985.  Gosh, that must have been a huge and exciting event for Castries.  There is also a square here that has a 400 year old samaan tree, which shades about a quarter of the square.  Will have to look that up, as we do not have this type of tree growing where we live.

 

Anyway, being that it was Sunday, a mass was in process.  There were a few parents with very young parishioners that needed to be taken outside.  Most of the kids were dressed in solid white, as were their parents.  Singing was coming out the windows and doors too.  If it wasn’t for the service happening, we might have gone inside.  But we did see a large sign with specific rules for entering the church.  If you were not dressed properly, the ladies could borrow a shawl.  Men were not allowed inside with a cap.  Nice to see they have rules and we have no doubt they would be enforced, unlike  how some folks dress on the ship.  Dressing properly is a sign of respect for others and God too.

 

This area around the church had the more modern stores for the locals.  It also had a KFC, which looked busy, since most everything else was closed.  Something that was opened was the police station.  One of those people-mover trains came along, stopped, and let their passengers out to look in the church.  Many folks also bought sodas from a local street vendor. We suspect they were from the Regent Explorer, where they get most all of the tours complimentary.  Like we said before, they are really nice ships.

 

Time to head back.  A few stands were open at Castries Market, but not worth crossing the busy street.  You have to be so careful here, as we think the local drivers have the right of way.  Most of the market was being hosed down with disinfectant we assume.  Masks onshore were still required, so we think the virus is not over yet. 

 

Back at the terminal, we ran into Howard who was doing his walk, same as always.  Seems funny to see him without Gyl.  Back inside Pointe Seraphine, we walked to the end of the property and then over to the little dock area where a small ferry used to transport folks from here across the harbor to La Place Carenage.  Back in 2009, the boat ride cost $1 a person.  An old sign we saw at this pier said $5 a ride.  And now, it doesn’t happen at all.  Bet the taxi union had something to do with that decision. 

 

Back on the ship, we happened to talk to a nice couple who have a cabin up the hall from us.  Apparently, they have been following our blog since January, and thanked us for the info we supplied.   We love hearing that.  They had wondered who was in our cabin, since we have left the “Welcome Back” life preserver on our door.   They had remembered from a recent world cruise that door decorations had been banned.  Yes, we remembered that too, but since it was put up by Jonah, our event planner, we have chosen to leave it. 

 

By 5pm, the Captain took the ship south to see the Pitons – two volcanic peaks that are 30 to 40 million years old, and are part of UNESCO’s Word Heritage Site since 2004.  He turned the ship slowly several times so everyone could get a close-up view of these massive peaks. We were treated to two rainbows, since there was a heavy mist happening. What a setting for the village of Soufriere, the old colonial French capital.  He stayed here until the sun began to set, then eventually headed southeast towards the next port of Barbados.

 

We tried to get last minute reservations in the Pinnacle Grill or Tamarind for this evening, but they could not seat us until 8:30pm. It was understandable that it would be filled, so we will try again, but call sooner.  Dinner in the dining room was good with starters of spring rolls (appropriate since today is the first day of spring).  We asked for doubles, because they only serve one veggie roll on the glass noodles.  We each had a salad, then entrees of weinerschnitzel and lasagna.  We shared these, since the drier schnitzel goes better with something moist.  It was filling, so we skipped the dessert again.

 

The ship was rolling a bit with 8 foot swells, just enough to rock one asleep.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[JerryinBWB]

19 minutes ago, WCB said:

Greetings all!

 

We are late in posting due to a problem in Barbados today.  The internet was shut down all day, because we were told that the signal interfered with the Barbados internet system.  We have been here three times with no problems.  Go figure?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

Mary Ann, we are on board with you. Do you eat each evening in Club Orange?

[Hogladyrider]

I am reading and seeing on You Tube that Carnival Corp seems to be experiencing internet issues FLEET WIDE.

 

Some are reporting that all the equipment is outdated and needs to be upgraded.  Several other cruise lines are not experiencing any difficulties with internet service but they have newer equipment.

 

Maybe Bill & MaryAnn can see what they hear on the ship.

[WCB]

Report #94   Bridgetown, Barbados   Monday-March 21, 2022    Mostly Cloudy With Some Sun  8o Degrees   Part #1 Of 3........80 Pictures

 

If it’s Monday, then our port of call is Bridgetown, Barbados.  When we arrived at about 7:30am, one other ship was docked…..the Seven Seas Navigator, a Regent vessel.  We have sailed on her in New England, Canada, the Panama Canal, and the South Pacific and found the ship to be quite nice.  The rooms were huge and on the last of our cruises, the tours were almost all complimentary.  They are about as all-inclusive as they come, but also at a much higher price than most cruise lines. 

 

There weren’t many customers in Club Orange this morning, since a lot of people had booked tours.  For a quick fix, the Lido works best.  Oh well, that means the best service for us, and much less noise.  While we were eating, it was announced that the ship was cleared, followed by a further message that we had been granted “free-flow”.  Everyone was allowed off of the ship, even without tours.  Oh, what a surprise….not really.

 

Usually in the morning, we do internet work, but today, the internet was down with no time scheduled for its return.  No explanation, just apologies, and the promise they were working on it.  For us, having the internet is convenient, but for others, it can be an interruption of work, or the ability to pay bills on time.  Oh well, it was time to go off of the ship anyway.  The wifi will come back later we hoped.  

 

Leaving the ship by 10:30am, we did not have far to walk to the terminal building.  We were docked as close as we could be.  The Navigator was also docked about the same distance, but they rated a shuttle bus for the transfer.  Entering the terminal, we had to stop at a kiosk with a thermometer scan and automatic sanitizer spray.  There were a lot of passengers and crew members in this building, probably due to the loss of internet on the ship. 

 

Our first stop was at DI for two little flying fish charms.  They have to be my favorite charms now.  Outside the building, we never saw so many taxi vans as we saw today.  Perhaps more ships are visiting here, and the demand is bigger.  Even the taxi drivers were polite when we said no thanks to their offers of tours.  And that is another reason why we like this island as well.  Even in the crowded areas of the town, it is pleasant walking everywhere. 

 

Then we began the walk to downtown, passing a local man who works on pots.  That is, steel pots, turning them into an instrument, like steel drums.  He has been sitting in the park along the highway ever since we have been walking here.  This is probably a lost art, and we suppose he drives his family crazy with the constant hammering.  There has to be a story behind this hobby, and one day, we might research it. 

 

Even though it was mostly cloudy, it was very warm, muggy, and slightly breezy.  It might rain, but we took a chance it would not.  We were right.

 

Nothing had changed as far as wearing masks, keeping a 6 foot distance, and using copious amounts of sterilizer.  There was not a shop, store, or even the veggie market where we did not have to use Purell.  Most every Barbadian wore a mask, including the kids.  Our first stop was the fish market, where we watched mostly ladies working hard.  The fellows looked at us suspiciously, so taking their photos was not a great idea.  Over the years of traveling, you get the vibes of when not to film….you ask first.  In some countries, locals are far less tolerant of a woman taking pictures, even more so if taking video. 

 

From there, we went onto the Boardwalk at the Careenage (Old Wharf).  Surprisingly, there were few tourists there, so we continued across the pedestrian bridge, through Independence Square to the second bridge, Chamberlain Bridge.  Downtown traffic was bad here.  We carefully crossed the street to the War Memorial, the fresh water fountain, and the Parliament Building.  Walking up the main pedestrian street , we entered the veggie market.  It was actually cool in there, although it was also dark.  All of the fresh produce was like what we have at home, but we did see the fruit of the tamarind tree.  It resembled a brown fig, and we sure don’t recall ever tasting it before. 

 

On the corner across from this market was Abed, a large fabric store, which was crowded the last time we were here.  This time we went inside and found a nice floral print in crepe.  Now I will be quite busy this summer sewing.  On the way back, we went into a small grocery store.  Every item was marked in Barbados dollars, which is double the US dollar.  Doing the math, it revealed that everything was really expensive here.  For instance, a regular size box of crackers was US $ 7. 

 

We got back to the ship by 1:30pm, and stayed inside cooling off with sodas, ice tea, and snacks.  The internet was still down, and the front desk gal said it would not return until we left the port.  Now that is strange.  An announcement came before we left the port that our signal had interfered with the island’s satellite reception, so we must have been forced to shut it down.  No one was working on it, since nothing was broken.  Funny we did not have that problem on our last two visits?  Go figure…..

 

The ship left around 5pm, and headed towards our next port of Roseau, Dominica.  The Captain said that this will be a maiden port for the N.Statendam.  We tried looking up the tours for tomorrow, but nothing would download.  At least, we will not be returning to Grenada, the substitute port for Martinique.

 

Dinner was one of the best with arancini sp ? rice balls, salads, and prime rib as well as the hottest spaghetti and meatballs ever.  Asking for an outside cut and medium rare prime rib, it came perfectly cooked.  Once again, there was no room for dessert.  Probably a good time to start cutting back anyway.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[WCB]

In regards to dining in Club Orange for dinner, we never have eaten there.  However, our friends did go several evenings, and found it quite nice.  Service was excellent and their food was hot.

 

The internet problem in Barbados was due to our signal getting intertwined with the local system.  According to one of the officers onboard, we were asked to shut down our entire system until the ship left the port.   Nothing was broken here.  We assume the same situation applied to the Regent's Navigator as well.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, WCB said:

In regards to dining in Club Orange for dinner, we never have eaten there. 

 

I understand that breakfast in Club Orange is available for President Club members, but is dinner also included?