Fire and Ice : A photo travelogue from Alaska thru the canal to the Caribbean and beyond

[scubacruiserx2]

Our new , revised schedule was Wednesday October 26 - Key West

Thursday - @ Sea

Friday - HMC with Nieuw Statendam

Saturday - Nassau 

[scubacruiserx2]

Dinner was at the Pinnacle 

 

Tyler's first time having Escargot and clothesline bacon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And once again our friends in the Pinnacle took good care of us

Edited January 7, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

We just watched our next ( loud ) cruise sail away - the Nieuw Statendam leaving in a week which  ( we hope ) includes Grand Turk . This ship was our least favorite cruise a couple of years ago on our anniversary . For our sapphire anniversary this year we are going to and thru San Francisco to Kauai where we spent our 25th . A detail of my Florida Hawaiian shirt .

 

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

A couple of outtakes from Fort Lauderdale

 

17th Street causeway

 

 

Lifes a ball on Royal Caribbean

 

 

Pier 66 under repair

 

 

The Coast Guard base 

 

 

Ocean skyline

 

 

Fort Lauderdale was where we first got married and bought our 1st house .

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We were up a little early to beat the crowds and beat the midday heat 

 

 

 

 

We were there during Fantasy Fest and we had hoped to avoid some of the craziness by going early while the night owls slept it off

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasy_Fest

 

We used to use the Conch Train to see the city but we found something that we like better

 

 

 

We took the Pedicab to a photo hot spot before the crowds got there . It's about 1.3 miles - about a half hours walk away on bad knees .

 

 

The driver was a wealth of information and answered our questions about where to eat . He's talking about visiting the cemetery which is a popular thing to do here especially a few days before Halloween .

 

 

 

So we got our token been there done that photo for Tyler's mom and a little bonus .

 

 

We love the eclectic architecture - it reminds us of Coronado Island

 

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Just a minute or 2 away is the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rhett and Scarlet are residents

 

 

Peaceful Coexistence

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We decided to walk down to Duval Street to the Restaurant that we wanted to have lunch at . The lady at the Butterfly place had also recommended it and told us that half of the residents wanted cruise ships to visit and the other half didn't want any so they agreed to 1 per day and that we were the lucky one . So it was say goodbye to the butterflies and hello to friendly Fidel and walk over the rainbow road to Kaya Island eats .

 

 

 

 

The king of the road is everywhere

 

 

We chatted with the owner who grew up in Hawaii so it wasn't about the island of Key West as much as Hawaii .

 

 

 

I really liked the wooden surfboard next to the TV and he said that it belonged to his Dad . I also liked the art work which was done by a local . The place reminded us of the place that we ate lunch at on Santa Catalina .

 

 

 

 

 

 

We liked the Conch Fritters but the pork sliders were excellent

 

http://www.kayakeywest.com/menu.pdf

 

It looked like it might be a long wait for the men's room though

 

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

As we walked back we went by an empty Sunset Pier Restaurant and Mallory Square which would be  filled at sunset . Tyler had asked us if he could drive a jet ski and we knew that he would be thrilled and he was .

 

 

 

The view from our room

 

 

The red building was the old Post Office and customs house , now a museum .

 

 

In order to rent a jet ski you had to pass a written boating test if you were born after 1988 

 

 

 

A couple of people we late coming back to the ship which was blocking the sunset which is a BIG DEAL here and the main reason that some people get irate . We moved just before sunset and you could see the crowd gathered waiting for us to move .

 

 

 

We heard a round of applause not knowing if it was for us moving or the sunset - but  it was a good one 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Dinner with these ladies and this gentleman always brought a smile to our faces .  And we love the variety and taste of the food .

 

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We had a regular breakfast before meeting the Cruise Critic M&G in the Billboard on board at 1000 .

 

 

A brief visit with the ladies on the Neptune Lounge . They were always so helpful .

 

 

Near the Atrium they were going to have a lesson on how to make Margaritas and Mojitos

 

 

 

 

Our former Retreat worker Ian showed us his cocktail moves

 

 

 

We didn't get to see the whole thing as we had a special lunch set for the Retreat at noon .

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We were enjoying a nice , calm sunny day at sea

 

 

 

The Disney Wish

 

 

We were told that we would have to drop a patient off in Freeport - which is not the nicest port in the Bahamas but it's may be the closest at about 67 miles from the Port of Palm Beach

 

 

 

 

A safe two handed wave

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

When we were ashore and returning to the ship one day we saw a former server from the Pinnacle who had been moved to the MDR . He invited us to one of the tables that him and his new coworker would be staffing that evening for the Gala . It was or only visit there and Joel and Ulysses took great care of us .

 

 

 

 

 

And Ulysses made this beautiful drawing for Pat . I never cease to be amazed at how talented and helpful the staff has been on our recent cruises

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

Friday October 28th HMC 

 

We were up early to pick a clam shell before it got busy so we were on the 1st Tender . The Nieuw Statendam was right behind us .

 

 

 

As soon as we got off we made a beeline to the rental place before it got too busy

 

 

 

The water was warm and clear and Pat and Tyler wanted to snorkel . I just took photos and guarded the clam shell as people were checking ours out and asking a lot of questions about it .

 

 

 

 

[0106]

Thank you for this thread. A bit of sunshine every day! Can you rent the mats people are using in the water at HMC?

[scubacruiserx2]

9 minutes ago, 0106 said:

Thank you for this thread. A bit of sunshine every day! Can you rent the mats people are using in the water at HMC?

 

You're welcome . This was the first time that we ever renting anything on HMC and my wife and I both think that they do rent them . We would advise to rent or go early . Some people moved into the shell next to us and got removed because they thought that they were free . About 10:30 it got really busy and we heard that they had over sold the shells and people who had paid found that none were left .

[scubacruiserx2]

Room for 2

 

 

Nieuw Amsterdam on the rocks

 

 

The mats that people were using and Pat and Tyler looking for fish . They found some that a lady was feeding and a turtle also

 

 

The sisters of HMC

 

 

Getting too crowded for us

 

 

A fair number of people keep bugging us about our shell . Pat did meet a couple of ladies from the other ship who had paid and got no shell . They seemed to be very nice so we asked at the rental area if we could leave them the shell and  she said OK so we waited until they got settled in before we left at about 11 AM . A quick look at the church on the way back .

 

 

 

 

Leaving HMC to return to the ship

 

 

 

Approaching the NA

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[Sea42]

Wow, that is quite the crowd on HMC! I think I too would head back to the ship and enjoy the quiet!

[scubacruiserx2]

37 minutes ago, Sea42 said:

Wow, that is quite the crowd on HMC! I think I too would head back to the ship and enjoy the quiet!

 

We're kinda spoiled where we live for beaches . It's about an hour but we have a number of decent , uncrowded beaches , surfing and good SCUBA and some decent snorkeling . The sand and water color and clarity on HMC is very good but there's much move to see on the reefs and in the Gulf Stream current here where we live .

[scubacruiserx2]

Dinner was at the Tamarind

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we heard a quite Happy Birthday

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

We're in the packing mode for our trip on the New Statendam tomorrow . No Retreat space , no Club Orange available and no Neptune Suites . Tomorrow's weather is a high of 61 F , low of 42 F . Winds 16 mph with gusts of 30 . We did book a Thermal Suite for 7 days and we may need it ! 😉

[oakridger]

How will you manage??  Just teasing you.  Have another fabulous cruise Joe and Pat!!

 

Thanks again for all the pictures and commentary from the Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

I'm starting to plan a Non cruise trip to Norway in 2024 which is what was cancelled in summer 2020.  The planning is fun for me!

 

~Nancy

[scubacruiserx2]

We love Norway. Planning and anticipation is half the fun.

We did get to dive Grand Turk yesterday, yeah! 

I will continue to do the review of the Nieuw Amsterdam and do a review of the Nieuw Statendam when we get back.

[scubacruiserx2]

We made it back yesterday and spent the day traveling and unpacking but we're looking forward to continuing and finishing this thread . We will also be beginning our new one about the Nieuw Amsterdam 7 day Tropical Caribbean cruise . It will be called Our anniversary cruise on the Neiuw Statendam : Is the honeymoon over ? Part 2 . Our first trip on this ship was in March of 2019 was so bad that we almost left HAL . But we did carry on in other ships and were glad that we did . So will this one be better than the first one ? Find out on the new more intensive review beginning later today or tomorrow .

  You can read the original one  at the link below .

 

 

 

[scubacruiserx2]

And we're continuing with our dinner at the Tamarind with our grandson Tyler 

 

Desserts 

 

 

 

We really spent a lot of time with these wonderful folks and got to know aand to love them . They said that the sign that they were making with their fingers means I Love you in Thailand .

 

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

Saturday , October 29th found us in Nassau . We went to the Crow's nest for Pat's cup of Jo .

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler was still sleeping so we went to the Pinnacle for a relaxed breakfast. They had recently cut the Canadian Bacon in half so we ordered Back Bacon to replace it on the Eggs Benedict .

 

 

 

We were docked next to Disney's newest ship the Wish . It holds 2500 - 3500 passengers while the Nieuw Amsterdam holds 2100 - 2500 .

 

 

 

 

We had a lunch date ashore but while we were waiting we saw a lifeboat drill 

 

 

 

 

As you may have noticed , there was a lot of construction along the waterfront 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2023 by scubacruiserx2