LIVE! Liberty of the Seas April 28, 2023 to Vision of the Seas May 1, 2023: A side-to-side with Dragon of the Seas

[buffet24]

7 hours ago, DELTABLUE said:

I found a pretty good dynamic picture of the MDR taken from the balcony looking across to the staircase and the piano.  Question:  is that facing the front of the ship and the Centrum or the back?

See below:

 

The Picture above is taken in the direction of the Red Arrow in the picture below...  So it is facing Front towards the Centrum:

 

 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

4 hours ago, buffet24 said:

See below:

 

 

The Picture above is taken in the direction of the Red Arrow in the picture below...  So it is facing Front towards the Centrum:

 

 

Thank you for posting that. I took a couple pictures, but they just were not very revealing. This is much better.

[DELTABLUE]

4 hours ago, buffet24 said:

See below:

 

The Picture above is taken in the direction of the Red Arrow in the picture below...  So it is facing Front towards the Centrum:

 

 

Thanx for the assist!  I wanted to do a screen shot and just post that picture but did not know how to do it.  Will try and put this info together with the pictures you took earlier and pick a winner.

[DELTABLUE]

Glad that the sun came out for you!  Curacao was a stop on my first cruise, on the Sun Viking in 1984.  I remember buying a beautiful Murano  glass bud vase.  A great souvenir and one that was not too large or heavy to carry home.  Sadly, it has since been broken.  Maybe I'll have to make a return trip.

[rtb]

11 minutes ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Thank you for posting that. I took a couple pictures, but they just were not very revealing. This is much better.

Are you able to post the couple pictures just to help location?  Your pictures earlier are they from you coming into the dining room on the right side or left as you come in?  Thank you so much for the help….

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We have visited Curacao before.  So, we did not book any excursions ahead of the visit.  We felt we had done the things that were offered that we wanted to do. So, we were able to book a 2 hour taxi tour with 3 other couples [in a van].  

 

Before I post any of those pictures I think it will help to see how the city is organized. 

 

 

 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

The city is made up of several neighborhoods. If you look at the map above, you’ll see that the city is bisected by the Saint Anna Harbor. On the left side is Otrabanda (new section) and on the right hand side is Punda (old city). 

 

There’s a swinging pontoon bridge which connects the two sides of the city. If a ship needs to come into the harbor, the bridge swings open and pedestrians need to take a ferry to cross the harbor.

(the picture below is from our last trip here in November, but it’s a better shot than the one I took today)

 

The ferry is free and is only used when the pontoon bridge opens. 

 

Cars have to use the queen Juliana Bridge. 

 

 

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by DragonOfTheSeas

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Our cruise ship is docked in Otrobanda at the mega pier. 

 

 

It’s very close to the heart of the city. 

 

 

for those that are unplugged on their vacation and don’t purchase the Internet Curaçao Office 30 free minutes to cruise passengers. But the speed is sloooow. 
 

 

I’m using my Verizon international travel pass. It’s a pretty good deal. It’s $10 a day and that’s less than half of what the cruise ship charges per day. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

The vision is an older ship. So it needs a lot of care like any older thing. The crew does a good job of cleaning and maintaining the ship. Today they are washing the glass on the outside of the balconies, and in the places where it needs it, they varnish the balcony railings. 
 

 

The workmen is suspended for very complicated scaffolding that hangs off of a pole on the structure of the ship. 
 

The workmen stopped to talk to me.

 

 

Edited May 4, 2023 by DragonOfTheSeas

[DragonOfTheSeas]

The city of Willemstad is a UNESCO world heritage site. There is a strict architectural code. People can do what they want to the insides of their homes or businesses, but the outside Has to be maintained in the traditional way and colors.

 

 

 

The colors are predominantly yellow with orange roofs, but they’re also mini bright colors sprinkled in.

 

 

 

this house is called the wedding cake. Because if it’s design. Today it’s the archives building and I’m by the government.

 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

1 hour ago, rtb said:

Are you able to post the couple pictures just to help location?  Your pictures earlier are they from you coming into the dining room on the right side or left as you come in?  Thank you so much for the help….

Yes, me entering the MDR. 
 

 

This would be table 100 just beyond Purcell container. 

 

 

 

Looking on left of aisle is table 102. 
 

The pics are as you enter the left door. 
 

Hope this helps. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

DD always asks her college age kids to send home a “proof of life “ pic each day if they go on a trip with friends. Heather here is our proof of life. 
 

The Vision is in the background. 
 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Our last stop, was the distillery where they make Curaçao. 
 

 

It’s hard to believe that they make the liquor out of the seeds from the oranges.

 

The distillery was begun and owned by the Senior family. 
 

 

 

Several people were buying liquor to bring home with them. But I bought their other product. I’ve included the sign that shows all the many things that it says it does.
 

 

 

It’s a mentholated lotion, very cooling. We had someone in our group who had a sunburn and they sprayed it on her and she said it felt really good. 

 

 

only I would go to a distillery and come home with body lotion.🤣

 

 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I’m going to do a couple of general comments about food at the end of the cruise. I’ve taken a few pictures. But I want to try more of the new menu items. 
 

But one thing that has drawn a number of comments from passengers has been the Park café. The café has always been a good place to get food. I often have dropped in there after coming back off of an excursion for a bowl of soup or a little bit of salad when I didn’t want a big lunch. And DH enjoyed getting a slice of pizza for lunch. 
 

However, it is not open for lunch. Also, the windjammer does not serve pizza at lunch. They’re not all that many venues on the ship. It’s a shame they chose to keep this one closed during lunch.

 

 

 

[DELTABLUE]

3 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

I’m going to do a couple of general comments about food at the end of the cruise. I’ve taken a few pictures. But I want to try more of the new menu items. 
 

But one thing that has drawn a number of comments from passengers has been the Park café. The café has always been a good place to get food. I often have dropped in there after coming back off of an excursion for a bowl of soup or a little bit of salad when I didn’t want a big lunch. And DH enjoyed getting a slice of pizza for lunch. 
 

However, it is not open for lunch. Also, the windjammer does not serve pizza at lunch. They’re not all that many venues on the ship. It’s a shame they chose to keep this one closed during lunch.

 

 

 

Check and see if there is a difference in Park Cafe hours of operation between sea and port days.  I was also made aware recently that there are no self serve soda machines as there on on the other ships.  How are people managing to get their sodas if they need to find an open bar all the time?  Hear any scuttlebutt about that issue?

[rtb]

16 hours ago, DragonOfTheSeas said:

Yes, me entering the MDR. 
 

 

This would be table 100 just beyond Purcell container. 

 

 

 

Looking on left of aisle is table 102. 
 

The pics are as you enter the left door. 
 

Hope this helps. 

Thank you so much for the help…wish you smooth waters and sunny skies.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

10 hours ago, DELTABLUE said:

Check and see if there is a difference in Park Cafe hours of operation between sea and port days.  I was also made aware recently that there are no self serve soda machines as there on on the other ships.  How are people managing to get their sodas if they need to find an open bar all the time?  Hear any scuttlebutt about that issue?

I don’t think that getting sodas has been an issue. The bars are busy but manageable. Nothing like it was on the liberty of the seas. 
 

I think those are the every time hours for the Park Café. I am I went there on a sea day and they had the same sign up. I will check to see after these two port days if anything changes.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Bon Bini to beautiful Kranladijk, Bonaire. (I think I spelled that correctly)

 

This is a very small island the smallest of the five Dutch West India. When  I looked up information which, of course is always a couple of years old they gave the total population of 39,000 people in the city has 3000 people. To give you a new comparison yesterday and Willemstad They had 160,000 people.

 

 

 

this is a very small port area, and a blissfully short dock. 

 

 

I was standing in the center of the porch, looking in both directions which of the pictures below you can see how small it is

 

 

 

The taxi stand is just behind the building above. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by DragonOfTheSeas

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Today I’m going to do an open ocean snorkel with Woodwind Bonaire. They will take us to Klein Bonaire, which is a national park here. That’s where all the great coral reefs are. Bonaire is one of the best snorkel and diver locations in the world.

 

 

 

it’s hard to describe just how beautiful the water is here. 

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by DragonOfTheSeas

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I’m back. We had a photographer on the boat for snorkeling. I knew that ahead of time, so I did not take any camera with me. Her pictures should be uploaded to the website by tomorrow. I’ll post some then. With Carlos beautiful I swim through schools of fish and we got to see turtles. What could be better? 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I already posted this on cruise critic about 20 minutes ago. But I can’t find it on there so if it shows up later, it’s a double post I apologize.
 

We are here in beautiful Aruba. We are the only ship in Port today.

 

 

So luckily, we are at the first berth by the terminal. The city is just beyond that multi colored walkway. The main street is just beyond the diamonds international Building.
 

 

When we were here in November, there were four ships and we were all the way down at the end. It was a super hot and humid day. By the time I’d walk down the dock itself and then the walkway that lead into town I’m probably done a mile And was almost too tired to walk around. (. Far end of dock below)

 

 

 

today we’re going to chill for a little while in the morning to let our food digest and the clouds burn off. then we’re going to go to Eagle beach and have a quiet beach day.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Sorry I didn’t post anything yesterday afternoon. When I got back from my snorkel trip, it was time for a big nap. Ha ha ha  and anyone who knows me knows I never take naps.

 

There were a few times yesterday morning that I thought I was too old for what I was doing. 🙄😝😂

 

I know I’ve mentioned several times how breezy and windy it’s been, and that caused the ocean to have a lot of swells.  And while it was a drift snorkel where the current carried us along, the ocean swells made the going harder. I’m glad I did it and Woodwind Bonaire is so helpful.

 

The photographer has posted the pictures I got my emails but so far I haven’t been able to access that site. I suspect everyone is on the Internet right now. I’ll try again later.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Welcome to Eagle beach.
 

 

This is the low rise beach as opposed to Palm Beach which is the high-rise beach. Those names refer to the type of hotels that you will find on them. So if you’re looking for lots of restaurants, an action you need to go to Palm Beach.

 

But DH and I are looking for a quiet beach and so Eagle is the best for us.

 

 

 

noticed a low rise hotels, and the relatively empty beach.

 

 

And the taxi dropped us off right next to a beach bar so food drinks and restrooms are available. What more could a person want right?

 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Look what showed up in our cabin yesterday. DH and I reach 350 points on this cruise so we are getting our fourth crystal block. They’re changing the designs of the crystal block to put a colorful picture of the ship inside the glass blocks And they may look better. I’m not sure. But I’ve always liked the classic look of these blocks. 

 

The loyalty ambassador told me that if you choose to not take the block while you’re on the ship, then you don’t get one. We planned to take it anyway, but there are some who fly that don’t want to carry that heavy box with them in their checked or carry-on bags. But now they have no option if they want the block. 

[DragonOfTheSeas]

The water was beautiful today the sun was beautiful, but not the sand. You know that breeze I’ve been talking about well today it was very strong and the sand was whipping across the beach. After a few hours we had enough and we just decided to go back to the ship. 
 

I wanted to mention that there was no seaweed at all on the shore. There’s been a lot of discussion in the news about seaweed on Caribbean islands. But obviously, whatever is out there has not gotten to any of the ABC islands.