February 27/2014

After we got back on board I got busy on the cell phone. We have coverage here in the US so I called the car rental company and after lots of “Press one” and lots of Musac I finally reached Eric, a human and got all of the information I needed on our car rental situation. We just call a cab and away we go and we pick up our car. The reservation is confirmed. I was also able to confirm the stay in Orlando, reach Nancy and Cliff, leave a message for Sunny and Diane and have a chat with Jenny.

We went to lunch with Hank and Diane who are just 2 doors down. They may be our table mates for the next cruise. Tonight our table was occupied by 2 anytime dining couples. Michaela did not realize that Keith and Marion were staying on. Hopefully all will be straightened out tomorrow.

We went to the Princess Theatre for the show and after it we came back here and watched the movie “The Proposal” which was showing on our stateroom television. I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow will be the real beginning of cruise four. 

Cruise Number 4 Begins

Cruise number three is finished and cruise four is about to begin. They do the cruises in reverse order so we begin this cruise with 2 sea days and then the ports. Already we have a different attitude about this one. Before it has been an attitude of  “Oh Well , if we don’t do it this cruise we can do it on the next one”.

Now we are thinking , “we haven’t done this yet so we had better do it now”. For example they have an ice cream bar on the ships and we usually stop there at least once, but we had not done it even once yet so we did it yesterday. The same was true of a visit to a hot tub. We usually go often but up until last evening we hadn’t even gone once. We will have to take in a movie also because we haven’t done that yet either.

 We are finding it hard to believe that we have been here for 30 days and only have 10 days left to enjoy. At ten thirty we  had to go to the Da Vinci dining room with old cards and new cards and pass ports in hand. We were escorted off of the ship and through customs and back on again. Last time we did a shore excursion in Fort Lauderdale but this time we could not think of something we wanted to do so we  just stayed on board. It was cool and threatening to rain so I guess it was just as well that we did not go ashore.

Because of US immigration everyone has to take their passport, leave the ship go through immigration and when the count is Zero meaning that everyone is off of the ship, then and only then can we return to the ship. There were approximately 300 people who were staying on and had to go through this procedure. We had to wait in that holding area waiting for 13 people. It appeared to be families travelling together. They had not disembarked and the hunt was on to find them. We were delayed more than an hour because they did not follow directions. I guess they figured that the rules applied to everyone else but not to them. Finally we are back on board with our new room key activated.

Let cruise number 4 begin!!!.

Southern Caribbean Medley 2

Southern Caribbean Medley

Day	Port / Date	Arrive	Depart
1	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Thursday, February 27		4:00 PM
2	At Sea Friday, February 28
3	At Sea Saturday, March 1
4	Aruba Sunday, March 2	8:00 AM	7:00 PM
5	Bonaire, Caribbean Netherlands Monday, March 3	7:00 AM	2:00 PM
6	Grenada Tuesday, March 4	12:00 PM	7:00 PM
7	Dominica Wednesday, March 5	7:00 AM	4:00 PM
8	St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands Thursday, March 6	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
9	At Sea Friday, March 7
10	Princess Cays, Bahamas Saturday, March 8	9:00 AM	4:00 PM
11	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Sunday, March 9	7:00 AM

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Number Three Ends

Last day of Cruise number three.

Do you remember your teacher telling you about the doldrums? She said that the doldrums was a condition of no wind, no wind at all. During these times the great sailing ships would be stopped in their tracks because there would not be even a breeze to fill their sails and get them on their way.

Well that was the condition this morning. There was not even a slight breeze and the sea was like a big bowl of milk pudding. There was not a ripple, not a wave and not a sound. I have seen the sea many many times, more time than I could ever count and that is something I have never seen before. It was so strange and it is difficult to describe. The cruise ship just floated on top of the water and there was such a slight ripple as it passed through the water, there wasn’t even a measurable wake, and there was little or no sound. It was eerie. This condition persisted through the early morning and we marveled at it as we enjoyed our breakfast on the balcony.

After breakfast we headed out for a walk around the ship. I continue to be amazed at the tans that some people have. They have spent so much time in the sun that they are as dark  or darker than many of African descent. I shudder to think of how many will die with skin cancer because of what they are doing to themselves.

I then went to Explorers to play a game of trivia. This is the only game I have played during this cruise. I knew a few answers but we were a long way from winning. But it was fun.

My next event was the cooking show in the Princess Theatre. It was billed as  a Culinary Class and was conducted by Culinary Ambassador, Master Chef Commendatore Alfredo Marzi. This man is responsible for all of the menus throughout  the entire fleet. Basically he is the boss of twenty thousand employees and is responsible for serving five million passengers. We received a wonderful folder featuring the recipe he prepared for us.(Filipino Style Chicken and Seafood Pancit Noodles) He referred to the princess cookbook and prepared a scallop dish and a dessert from it. The event finished with a galley tour which I did not take.

We considered attending the champagne art auction but we changed our minds . We decided that since we had not yet gone for ice cream on this holiday that we should go. So we did just that. We each had a soft ice cream and then the cookie man came by and we had a chocolate cookie as well.

The suitcases are in the halls and people are busy saying good bye. We had our dinner, went to the show, went to the International Café for our usual night cap , went to the hot tub for about an hour and called it a night and a day and a cruise.

Tomorrow we are back in Fort Lauderdale and ..the beginning of cruise four

Sea Day

Second sea day of this cruise.

We began the day by going to the dining room for breakfast. We have been good all cruise and have avoided overeating at breakfast time so we decided that this would be the day. We were with a nice group, one couple from Quebec and one from Kamloops and one couple were from New Jersey. Ken splurged and had French toast and I had a pouched egg on toast. It was a nice treat.

After breakfast I went to the SPA and had my hair done. The gal this time was not as skilled as the young man who did it last time.

We had an orange for lunch.

This afternoon was the wine tasting and for some reason they thought we wanted to sit at a table for two, so we had no one with whom to visit. They served the same wines as the last wine tasting. I enjoyed the whites but gave Ken my reds. We did not get the glasses we need to finish our set. I bagged them up and brought them to dinner and asked Pim if she could arrange a swap for us.

Because this is formal night we had to get gussied up in our best bib and tucker. Our canapés were chocolate covered strawberries and they were great. That is a treat that I do enjoy.

Marian and Keith were there for dinner but Bob and Diane are still among the missing. She was quite ill with a cold so we are thinking they are laying low because of that. Lobster was on the menu and as usual I gave mine to Ken. He sure does love it.

After dinner we went to the production show “I’ve Got the Music”. It was even better than the last time. After the show we came back here and we took off the good clothes and went down to the fifth deck for coffee. There was music being performed by the group Accent. They were great and they drew quite a crowd.

By now it was almost 10:30 and it had been a long day so we called it a day and went back to our room.

Another sea day tomorrow, the last day of cruise number three!!

Antigua 2

Antigua

We have a Cruise Critic sponsored tour booked for today and so we are up fairly early, we have our breakfast and head out. We are not alone this morning the cruising sailing ship The Wind Star is in port along side of us.

Ken and I meet the tour at the designated place and right away we load up. It is the same group as yesterday but there are only 7 of us. That makes it much better. There is plenty of room in the van. Our driver is named Carl and we are underway. Carl has a microphone system and he speaks very clearly. 

As we climbed a hill Carl pointed out the new local hospital. I caught a glimpse of a lighthouse near the hospital. When asked, Carl said the lighthouse was not opened.

Because the Australian couple of Roger and Clair have requested it our first stop is at the newly completed Cricket  stadium. Carl tells us that it has been built by the Chinese and gifted to the Island of Antigua. It is magnificent in every aspect

 When we arrive inside the English team is there posing for a group picture.. I ask about the rules of the game and how it is played and I am not much wiser after all of the explanations are given. That is something I am going to have to Google when time permits.

We board the bus and we are off again. Carl points out all of the major buildings such as government buildings, hospitals, parliament buildings and the university. He names the parishes and the towns and villages as we pass through them. He tells us of the significance of the names , such as the village of Freedom town which was the first area to emancipate the slaves. He stops at a billboard which features the persons recognized as the heroes  of  the country. These are the important people of the country’s past and presence.

Our first major stop was at Betty’s Hope, a restored 17^th century sugar plantation that shows you what a working plantation was like in colonial times. The restoration is underway and many of the mills pieces of machinery have been restored to working condition. The visitors center which is housed in a former store room features a museum of estate plans, pictures and maps. I was particularly interested in the list of property on the plantation including the names of the slaves there. The grounds are extensive and there are many foundations and footings and sign explaining what you are seeing. It should be rather magnificent when it is finished.

Next stop Devil’s Bridge.

This is a natural bridge formed by erosion. You can see the waves pounding under it today. Apparently many slaves died here. It was believed that many thought they could swim back to Africa from here and they drowned in the attempt. Carl told us there is a petition underway to rename this Heavens   Gate.

We drove across the island with Carl pointing out many villages and schools and hospitals and answering all of our questions about the area.

The next major stop was at Nelson’s Dockyard. This is a natural Hurricane Hole. Ships shelter here when a hurricane is expected. Once it was home to 17 of the Royal Navy’s warships during colonial times.

Today it has been restored and in most cases the buildings are being used for their same purpose today. I bought 2 pineapple turnovers from the bakery that used to be the bakery centuries ago. Instead of the old naval vessels, the harbour is used by private sailing yachts. Many of the buildings help service yachts that are based here, and those are making ocean voyages. History has come full circle. The museums, boutiques, and restored buildings are part of the area’s designated national park

From the dockyard we went to Dow’s Hill Interpretative Center. Here there was a multimedia presentation celebrating Antigua’s colorful history from prehistoric days to the present.  It was very well done with dioramas and films. The grounds also contain historic ruins and a display of 18^th century artifacts collectwd from around the island. The views from here were amazing.

Next stop Shirley Heights

This spot was a look out to warn of approaching ships. There were many cannons stationed here and they would warn the Dockyard of any approaching French or privateers. It is nicely restored and it was a perfect photo stop. We could even see Eric Clapton’s house from here.

We drove along what is called Fig Tree Drive. It is a picturesque road that winds through lush vegetation, rainforest foliage and fruit groves. We saw sugar mills and quaint churches. But we did not see figs… in Antigua the word fig means banana.

We passed pineapple fields and saw some plants up close.

Soon our wonderful five hour trip with Carl came to an end and we were back at the port.

When we got back we discovered that a new ship had arrived in port. It is an Italian ship and the passengers were pouring off carrying towels, obviously on their way to a beach.

When we got back to our balcony we were able to zoom in and get a picture of the phantom lighthouse.

The next 2 days are sea days, time to relax and just take it easy.

St Lucia the second time,

This was the day of the gold medal Hockey game and we almost hated to leave our room. The game was not on the television but we checked on the computer and found out that the game was 2 to 0 for Canada and the third period was about to begin.

Only 2 ships in port today.

We had a cruise critic tour arranged for here so we had breakfast and headed for the meeting place.  We would find out that the tour had been oversold and we had to wait for a second vehicle to arrive and take the 2 extra people. No one travelling with us had a way of learning the score of the game so we had to spend the day in Suspense.

The first stop was a visit to “The Church of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary” The church was established in 1899 and it is amazing in its architecture. Because it was Sunday morning there were many parishioners attending mass. St.Lucia is 85% Catholic.

As we drove through the city our guide Emerie told us about the various buildings.

Next we travelled to Morne Fortune which is a military ruin.

We stopped at Marigot Bay where we had a photo stop to get the view.

We also visited a Banana plantation where we were told the various steps in raising bananas from sprout to full bunch ready to export. I bought a couple of them and they were very sweet. We were surprised to see that they encase the bunches in blue plastic bags which have been specially treated to help in the maturing of the bananas.

We drove through the 2 fishing villages of Anse La Raye and Canaries. These villages seemed to be very poor. The area is very hilly and the houses are precariously perched on the sides of cliffs.

Our last major stop was to visit the drive in volcano at Soufriere. We were given a guided tour of the caldera and its history was explained to us.

 We had a couple of photo stops to see the Pitons. At one of these photo stops I bought a necklace. It is made of coconut shell and is brightly coloured. It seems to me that I already have to matching earrings. I think I got them in Hawaii.

All in all it was an event filled trip. I have never seen such winding roads for so long. I neglected to bring Gravol with me and I was not feeling at all well. Fortunately a lady on the tour had some ginger which she gave to me.

We arrived back at the ship around three and the first thing we did when we got back to the state room was to check on the hockey game. We were thrilled to learn that Canada has won the gold . Go Canada Go!!

The tour was interesting , my general opinion is that I would not choose to live here. It is quite poor, the island is not well developed and it is entirely too hilly. 

Tomorrow we return to Antigua

Barbados

Barbados,

We are back in Barbados today and it is a very busy port to be sure. We are not alone. The Noorsdam, a P&o, The Seaborn Spirit and 2 large sailing Cruise ships are also here. So you can imagine how busy the port was. On the way to the cruise ship terminal we had to pass transports loading supplies and many other passengers heading out. Fortunately we had a pre arranged tour and we did not plan to try to get a taxi to a beach as we did on our last stop here.

We were doing the Coast to Coast Drive and Vistas, a 3.5 hour drive to see some of the highlights of the island. Our driver was Frank and our guide was Maria. Maria was a walking encyclopedia. She answered all of our questions and kept us enthralled with stories of the history and the culture.

We boarded air conditioned transport and travelled through Bridgetown which was founded in 1628. We saw many important places including the Parliament buildings and Heros Square. They have several round abouts and all are named for people who have made significant contributions to this country. We enjoyed a complimentary drink at our first stop which was at Highland Adventure Center. This stop afforded us amazing views of the island.

Next we headed inland and left the calm Caribbean Sea and headed for the wild Atlantic Ocean. The homes in this part of the island are noticeably poorer, and it is a rural area with small homes in various states of repair. Many had small backyard gardens and some goats and chickens. We came to an area called Bathsheba Beach. Here the wild Atlantic has sculpted gigantic mushroom shaped rock formations. We had a photo stop here.

There were some local crafters and one had some very nice fresh water pearl necklaces. Again I resisted temptation.

Our last stop was at St John’s Church. It is an amazing Classic Gothic structure, perched on a high cliff overlooking the picturesque East coast.

 The interior was wonderful with hand carved native mahogany pews, stained glass windows, a wonderful pipe organ and a beautiful circular staircase leading to the balcony.

Surrounding it was a graveyard with many historic tombs. Maria regaled us with stories of those buried here. There was one interesting grave. One sailor had asked to be buried standing up and facing the sea. His wish was granted.

We returned to the west side of the island, during the journey we passed many notable sites including Historic Gun Hill Station, Holetown with its monument commemorating the first settlement in 1625, and a sculpture commemorating the end of slavery.

Maria pointed out the royal palm, a tree which the locals call the Politician palm because it grows more than 100 feet tall, changes direction with every wind and produces nothing.

She also pointed out beautiful flowers and plants and explained their uses both past and present.

Barbados has free public education and boasts a 99% literacy rate, There is a lunch program and families pay 1 Barbadian dollar (50 cents US) a week to supply a noon meal to all children. They also have free universal Health Care and Pharmacare.

Sail away was after dark and so it was beautiful to see. The sailing cruise ships were all lit up as was the P&O ship which was still in port as we sailed away. We spent time on the balcony enjoying the cool evening breezes and the fading lights of this very special island nation.

Tomorrow we visit a drive in Volcano at St.Lucia.

Friday February 21/2014

Friday, February 21, 2014

This morning began very differently. The sound and the vibrations of the rear thrusters woke us. They seemed to be groaning and groaning and groaning. When we looked out there was a tug boat pushing against our side. This groaning and pushing went on for a full 45 minutes. The wind was blowing at over 26 knots and for awhile I wondered if he was going to be able to dock. Our Head waiter told us that any other captain would have abandoned the attempt because it was so difficult. But the captain persisted and we were docked safely, a half hour after scheduled but docked. We now have the Carnival Valour on the other side of the dock. I am sure our being in place made it a bit easier for their captain because we would be breaking the wind for him. After breakfast relaxed a bit and then went into town.  Because of the 2 ships being side by side there was quite a wind tunnel between the 2. As we passed we counted 7 lines holding the aft of the ship in place.

We roamed around the little shops and Ken found a new golf shirt and swim goggles. I got a little license plate for Leo. I came within a whisker of getting a pendant to match my blue diamonds but I resisted.

Then we came back to the ship to have our lunch. Again we had a very light lunch at the International Café.

This evening was the Captain Circle Party so we had canapé and drinks before dinner. Later we went to the show at the Princess Theatre, it starred Bobby Eakes. She was quite good as a singer but the sounds system was too loud. She starred as Crystal in The Bold and the Beautiful for several years.

After dinner we came back here and called it a night.

Tomorrow is Barbados and a Princess Tour.

PS. In case you haven’t noticed I have finally figured out how to resize pictures so they will go in the blog quickly!!