Today is Sunday, and we have been here for an entire week now. Truthfully, the time has slipped by rather quickly, as we tend to keep busy one way or the other. It was as cold this morning as they predicted, so our aim for the day was to search for the famous falling ice cold iguanas.
On our way out of the lobby, we saw a large sign for a wedding reception this afternoon. Once again, we were surprised to see this, but then Florida has different regulations, and this crowd would be mostly inside a convention room.
Right up the road near the canal, we saw our first iguana laying across the sidewalk, trying to warm up. We almost tripped over it, as it laid there motionless. It looked like a young one, measuring about 30 inches head to tail. Of course, many photos were taken, even close up. Still didn't move. Later on, the iguana was still there, having moved a little. That was 2 hours later when we walked back.
We walked up to the Heron Lakes Shopping Mall, where most everything was closed (Sunday). Then headed back to Publix for a few items. We did check out the seafood, but could not find the shrimp cocktail that was shown on Cruise Critic. With this being a weekend, we think they were sold out.
Back by 1pm, we had a lunch of ham, turkey, salami, and cheese on fresh hoagie rolls for a change. We are allowed to visit the hotel's restaurant now, but still feel that we have to be careful. Better to get back outside in the fresh cool air. Taking the afternoon walk took us back to the canals. One of the football games started early, but we didn't pick it up until later. It was the Rams versus the 49ers, and it turned out to be a good game all the way to the end.
Dinner was a shared turkey BLT with a side salad. We also split a Margherita flat bread, while one of us had a cup of noodles. Catching up on Seinfeld episodes the rest of the evening. Still funny……….
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, January 31, 2022
Report # 44 Marriott Hotel Sunday - January 30, 2022 Sunny And Cool 55 Degrees .......Day #8
Sunday, January 30, 2022
Report # 43 Marriott Hotel Saturday - January 29, 2022 Sunny, Windy & Cool 53 degrees Day #7
Well, the weather sure went south today….literally. Early in the morning the temperature was in the 40's, but with the wind chill factor, it might feel much colder. On our way out for the morning walk, we decided to change from our shorts to jeans. Good thing Bill thought to bring them when he packed on the ship. This weather seems much like what we have at home this time of year. Even the humidity was low today.
Near the lobby entrance, there was a sign welcoming Grandma Irma for a 90th birthday luncheon. Obviously, this hotel is not strictly for Covid positive guests. We sure hope that Grandma goes home with fond memories, birthday presents, and nothing more, like the virus. We bet that when the family booked this venue for her special day, they never thought it would be under these circumstances. The good news is that the affair was held in one of the convention rooms, well away from the hotel crowd.
So, we went off in search of iguanas and lizards falling from the palm trees, due to the frigid weather. Darn it….. we have yet to see any iguanas around this entire area. Is it possible they have been removed? One day we did see a lizard, but only one. The one critter we saw this morning was a squirrel, who held his ground while sunning under a tree. We got as close as 2 feet away from him, taking pictures, until he scampered up the tree. Truthfully, we don't feel that it is that cold, since we are used to it in northern California. But the animal life here must suffer when the temps drop like this. Tomorrow is predicted to be even colder.
Today we went to Coral Ridge Drive, and turned left just to see what was down the road in that direction. Turned out it was a series of gated communities. Very nice area to live it appeared. Eventually the street name changed to Nob Hill Road, and we continued to Parkland Reserve, another large community. Then we decided we were not going to run into any more strip malls, so we headed back.
Bird watching was super on this walk, as the waterway follows it for quite a ways. Spotting a hawk, we watched while he dove head first into the canal. Wish we could see what he had snagged, but it appeared something had hold of him. The bird struggled several times to get airborne, and after three attempts, it flew off. There was nothing in its claws, but it did appear he looked injured. What had attacked him? Possibly an alligator? There were signs all of the way warning of snakes and alligators, so they are here, even if we don't see them. Now we are on alligator watch as well.
There appeared to be several folks checking out at the hotel. We wonder if the Princess ship was in port today, since the Canadian couple had planned to re-board it. We have not seen them, so we assume they tested negative. Then later in the afternoon more folks were arriving, possibly more Covid related stays.
Time for lunch, we worked on reports and photos afterwards, then took another walk. Since it was so windy and cold, there wasn't one person at the pool. What we did see, were scores of fallen palm fronds everywhere we walked. We needed to be more aware of these suddenly falling, because they are large and that would hurt if it fell on your head.
By the way, our room never did get fully serviced. That's when we remembered the letter we got upon arrival. Reading it closer, it said we would not get any housekeeping services for the entire duration of our stay. Didn't notice that a week ago. But someone did give us extra towels and cleaned the bathroom. The bed was left unmade. If we requested a fresh set of bedding, we could do the changing ourselves. Not a big deal. Calling for more necessities like coffee, tea, creamers, sugars and cups, it arrived within minutes, hanging on the door. Except they forgot the coffee pods.
Dinner was two cheeseburgers with side salads made with romaine lettuce only. It arrived at 6:30pm, but without some salad dressings. We did talk to the dining room manager, who said we could order anything we wished from their extended menu. Like we said, we learned these things a week later. A few more days, and this will be another memory…….we hope.
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, January 29, 2022
Report # 42 Marriott Hotel Friday - January 28, 2022 Overcast in the AM & partly sunny 78 degrees Day #6
Looking out the window this morning, we saw fog….dense fog. Thought that only happened in San Francisco? Eventually, it did lift and the sun even came out much later. Crazy weather for Florida.
We had a chance to check the charges on our credit card, and found some odd pending amounts posted for this hotel. Nothing jived with our notes. So we met with the hotel manager, who said he would check into the room service food deliveries. We have only been given two receipts so far, so how they check this, we don't know. The manager indicated that he had a two foot long list for other guests to check as well. Perhaps he should not have said that, now we are really concerned. Also, this hotel does not have interactive TV's where you can see your running total. Really needs updating. They did print what they have up to date, but the food charges were still incorrect.
Our morning walk took us much further than we had planned, as we were looking for a certain bank. However, maps can be deceiving, and a few miles were actually several miles. Turning back, we did find a McDonalds. Last night, we had a phone call from good friends who live in Florida. They said some areas of the city do not allow signage or billboards. This must be one of those areas. The only clue that this was a McDonalds was a letter M on the side of the building. Even Walmart had a low sign on the corner.
Anyway, we turned back, and picked up a few more items from the grocery store. Heaven forbid, we run out of the biscotti cookies. We were ready for lunch after our long hike, so after that, we had a few phone calls to make. And finally after six days here, we had a load of laundry to do. The room was on the fifth floor, with two washers and two dryers. Naturally, the first machine we tried to use, did not take the quarters. The second one worked.
From there, we went down to the pool area, and stretched out on the lounges for ½ hour. The sun was in and out of the clouds, but it was still comfortable. Until a strong wind came up, and almost blew us away. At this point, there were about 13 of us relaxing, with one teenage boy in the pool. Couldn't help but notice there was a lot of sneezing and coughing going on, so we left right after we put the clothes into the dryer. That would take another hour, but best to wait it out in our room. We have never been so aware of our surroundings as we are now.
Our late PM walk took us in the opposite direction, towards a gated community. We followed the sidewalk until we saw the first bench, where we stopped for a rest. This concept of gated communities is not something we have a lot of in our area in California. Yes, there are a few, but for the most part, nothing is closed off to unauthorized traffic. Guess if it reduces theft and other bad things, it is a good idea.
We had hoped our room would have been serviced today, but it never was. Even with requesting the service at the front desk this morning. Tomorrow for sure we will follow up on this simple request.
There was a phone call from the guest relations manager on the ship, asking how we are doing. She went over all the info we needed, as well as getting the description of what happens here at the hotel. We filled in all the info we could think of, and said how nice it will be to be back on the ship Feb 2nd. Janine also described the day they missed Half Moon Cay, saying the entire island's beaches were covered with sea foam, caused by extremely high winds. They had no choice but to move on to the next port.
Dinner was in room service with a shared chicken quesadilla, Caesar salad, and BBQ chicken flatbread. It was ample….now we will have to walk further tomorrow. By the way, the forecast for the weekend is very cold, like in the high 30's. Good thing we brought jeans and jackets with us.
Bill & Mary Ann
Friday, January 28, 2022
Report # 41 Marriott Hotel Thursday - January 27, 2022 Overcast in the AM & partly sunny - 78 degrees
Another morning with overcast skies is what we woke up to today. At least it was not raining, but that may happen yet. After breakfast, we took a hike to guess where? Yep, Walmart. We are beginning to feel like we live there, like that movie with Natalie Portman a few years back. As large as this store is, there were not a lot of people shopping this early. All of the employees were wearing masks, as well as the shoppers, including us. Picking up a few items, we walked back a different way to get more exercise. The sun began peeking out, and it looked like we were in for a nicer day.
Prior to leaving the hotel, we asked when we would be "set free" after our 5 day quarantine. The front desk ladies called the manager over to speak to us. He said that the rep from HAL, Linda, would be the one to release us. We assumed he would get that call, but he said we will be contacted. Today should be the day according to our calculations, so why no phone call? He also said we should have been tested, but we let him know that we had not. There is roaming nurse that comes to the hotel to do such testing, but we have not been invited. It could be because we intend to re-join the ship, and not fly home. The manager suggested we call Family Assistance at HAL.
Back in our room, we saw we did have a message on the phone. It was Mary Beth from Family Assistance, who is taking the place of Linda who called originally. She said she would call the hotel, and let them know we have done our time. As of 5pm Florida time, we have not heard anything. Guess Rome wasn't built in a day.
Lunch was turkey and ham sandwiches with chips….no surprise there. As we were leaving the room, a maid was bringing chairs into the room across the hall. She asked if we needed them too, and we said yes, thanks. Then we took a short walk around the hotel grounds, but stayed out of the abandoned golf course. The hotel manager had mentioned that the property was off limits, and there were actually police in the area watching. If we had seen that posted, we would never have walked it.
Since the sun had peeked out for a while, we decided to take over a couple of lounges at the poolside, where some other guests were swimming and visiting. Guessing they were also in the same boat as us, we might learn something. What we did hear was that a nearby restaurant called Hurricane Grill & Wings had a happy hour at 3pm, and that's where these folks were every afternoon. Yep, we guessed right…..cruise folks. Just as we got nice and relaxed, it began to rain hard. Darn……maybe it's a passing cloud. It was. But most of the people left, leaving one couple behind. Perfect chance to share info.
Turns out they were Canadians who were put off of the Enchanted Princess on January 19th. The wife tested positive, while her husband was negative….same as us. They have been tested at least twice by the visiting hotel nurse, as well as independently testing locally somewhere close to here. They need to be negative to be able to fly home (international) in two days. We did learn from them that we can order whatever we wish from the restaurant's menu, even though the printed one they gave us was very limited. We wished them well, as they did for us. If we do not see them in three days, we will know their tests went OK. Funny, they both said "think negative"!!
Our laundry bag is filling up, so we stopped by the mini-store and picked up a small Tide liquid. The laundry room is on level 5, and we shall use it tomorrow. Both washer and dryer take quarters or can be operated with a cell phone. However, we were informed the phone thing was not working right now. Doesn't matter….we don't have one anyway.
The phone call finally came around 5:30pm from Mary Beth in Seattle. She authorized our "release", and now we are free to roam around the hotel's public spaces. With everything that has happened so far with this pandemic, we think we will remain as isolated as we possibly can be.
Dinner time arrived quickly, and we ordered one Margherita flatbread pizza with two Caesar salads. All of the items were very good, especially pizza.
Five days down, and five to go….but who's counting?
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, January 27, 2022
Report # 40 Marriott Hotel Wednesday - January 26, 2022 Mostly cloudy, but not as cold - 73 degrees
Today began about the same as the rest…..overcast, cloudy, muggy, and some drizzles. Rain was predicted, but it was light and occasional.
We took our morning walk again, heading for Walmart. There were a few items we missed yesterday, so this was a good excuse to get some exercise. Of course, it began to rain when we left, but this time, we had umbrellas. Only used them for 5 minutes, then the rain stopped.
Taking our time, we got back to the hotel by 1pm and in time for lunch. Now we have chips and dips, and even bought some Cup of Noodles. We can use the coffee maker to get hot water. There are no microwaves to use here, but we can improvise.
Walking this afternoon, we took the long way around the abandoned golf course. It is a haven for birds now, and right up our alley. It seems that the entire complex is surrounded by water, so it attracts a good number of water-loving birds. Of course, Bill never leaves home without the camera, and he did capture a few good photos. If nothing else, it sure gives us something to do.
Catching up on emails and photos, it was time for dinner. The menu for room service is pretty limited, so we both ordered cheeseburgers. They really were good, especially with the side salad, which is almost entrée-size. A chocolate biscotti was perfect for dessert.
Now the big decision is what to watch on TV? At least we have a full grid of programs to choose from.
Another day gone….
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, January 26, 2022
Report # 39 Marriott Hotel Tuesday - January 25, 2022 Mostly cloudy, but not as cold - 73 degrees
For a change, we slept in later than we usually do. Can't say that we are not getting a lot of rest during our stay. And it has to be helping me recover from this virus.
Running low on the coffee pods and tea bags, we called to ask for more. Requesting regular coffee, they brought decaf, and many tea bags. Calling again, the correct ones were brought, with the deliverer giggling down the hallway. It seems that about half of the time, something we have ordered is missing. And most of those times, we don't call. The secret could be not to order too many things at once.
After our yogurt breakfast with cranberry juice, we headed out for our morning walk. This time we were determined to find Walmart, which is supposed to be close by. Asking a group of ladies who were waiting to enter an exercise club, they pointed up the street and across the road. We would not have seen it, because the building was buried in palm trees, and there was not even a sign of what it was.
It had everything we needed and more. Prices were better than anywhere we have shopped. We do have a Walmart at home, but it is over the hill, and not on our regular path. And the largest city near us, Concord, will not allowed one to be built as far as we know. Lucky we have a Costco.
Lunch was in our room again with sandwiches just like we make at home. And now we have biscotti cookies, one of our favorites. They go well with slices of apples.
On our late afternoon walk, we passed more couples that were doing the same thing as us. Now we are wondering if this hotel is strictly for quarantined guests? It's almost like – don't ask, don't tell type of situation. The sun was going down, giving us a much different type of setting.
Dinner was one turkey BLT and one cheeseburger. They came with fries, although we had ordered a side salad instead. Our delivery gal said just keep them and enjoy the fries. Previous to this delivery, she had brought someone else's food. Meeting us at the door, she switched bags with us.
The final movie of the evening was the first half of Titanic, which we have seen a hundred times already. We think the best part was before hitting the iceberg, especially with everyone onboard. Don't need that in our heads once we go back.
Another day gone……….
Bill & Mary Ann
Report #38 Marriott Hotel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.......Monday - January 24, 2022
Woke up to someone singing "Happy Birthday", which of course, was Bill, reminding me that I was one year older. Even with everything going on, these birthdays seem to find you no matter what. Better than the alternative…..
We slept pretty good, except for waking up a few times, wondering where we are. The hotel room layout is similar to the ship's cabin. And the strange thing with one of us, is that the feeling of the sea motion stays long after leaving the ship. Could have sworn that we were still on the ship.
We were just about to begin our yogurt breakfast, when there was a knock on the door. It was the food deliverer who left a bag of dining room breakfast on our door handle. Except, it wasn't ours. On the top was a cardboard container with two fried eggs, hash browns, and Canadian bacon…..all piled on top of each other. It sure wasn't appealing. There was fruit and toast with jams in another cardboard box. That's when we called the front Desk and told them about the incorrect delivery. The bags were picked up, and delivered to the right room we assume. Little did the recipients know where their food had gone.
Doing our own housekeeping chores, not a big deal, we took our first walk of the day. The weather seemed better today. With the un coming out, it was not as cold as yesterday. But the wind was still chilly.
Yesterday, Bill had found the local supermarket at Publix. So we went back there. He picked up some more supplies like paper plates, napkins, and plastic cutlery, while I waited outside.
Back at the hotel, we dined on ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, and pillow candies from or room.
We had a surprise knock on the door again at 2pm. This time, it was a vase of flowers delivered to the birthday girl. The card said it was compliments from the Mariner Society. A phone call later on revealed that it may have been Gerald Bernhoft who sent the bouquet. Sure brightened up my day.
Another nice surprise, was a phone call from our travel agent in Seattle. It is not unusual for us to talk at least once a week concerning future bookings and the details. This call was purely a goodwill phone message for my birthday, and spending it with Covid. Again, it made my day.
Later we took another walk outside, where we discovered other folks seemed to be doing the same thing. It was a good time for a movie, so that took care of the rest of the day.
Dinner was hotel delivery of a shared chicken quesadilla then we had salads – one chicken Caesar and one panache of greens. We had toyed with the idea of ordering one slice of chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, but decided that the ice cream would be melted. Sharing a fresh apple seemed to be a better idea.
Bill & Mary Ann
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Report #37 Fort Lauderdale, Florida .........Transfer To Marriott Hotel..... Sunday-January 23,2022.
The view from my room was the best early this morning, as the Nieuw Statendam approached the coast of Ft. Lauderdale. It was still dark at 5:30am, and the lights of the city sparkled the closer we got. Looking at the aft TV camera, I could see a line of ships following us, like homing pigeons coming back to roost. Only one ship was not moving off shore, as it was the Nieuw Amsterdam that is being used as a crew quarantining ship.
The Caribbean Princess was already in her spot at pier two, we took pier 26, and the Celebrity Edge was right in front of us at pier 25. The Celebrity Summit was also docked, followed by RCI Odyssey of the Seas, and last to arrive was the Rotterdam.
It was nice watching the ships coming in, but it was really cold….not like Florida this time of year.
Breakfast would need to be early because I would have to be ready to go at any moment. Keeping it light, a continental meal would do. There was a short wait for the delivery, because no one else on the ship got to get in room service this morning. Just us shut-ins.
I had already packed up my few items yesterday, so when the call to leave came at 8:45am, I was ready. Janine said that Bill would be taken off first, then I would join him. The 4 or 5 person hazmat team showed up, took my two plastic HAL bags, put them on a rack, and then we proceeded up the hallway to the forward elevator. The last hazmat guy sprayed everything all of the way out. The elevator lobby was cleared out, then we entered and went down to deck A. From there, my room card was scanned, and we came out on the ground level.
Jonah, Bill, and the driver were waiting on the other side of the cyclone fence. Jonah said goodbye and promised me a fun birthday celebration upon coming back. Told her I would hold her to it. By the way, Bill was able to leave everything in our stateroom until we come back. Happy for that. He took only one suitcase of stuff for 10 days.
By 9:15am, we were on our way to the Ft. Lauderdale Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, located about a 30 – 40 minute drive from Port Everglades. There was little traffic, since today was a Sunday. Now here comes the funny part. The young masked, and gloved driver opened all of the windows to let in fresh air. Obviously he knew he was transporting a positive Covid person. He apologized for doing this, but said it was the law here in Florida. Remember it was cold this morning? Like in the 40's? In minutes we were freezing, having left the jackets in the suitcase. Seeing this, the driver turned up his radio very high as he sped at 75mph all the way to the hotel. The bad news was that this ice cold wind triggered a coughing attack, which did not stop until I got into the hotel lobby. I felt like I needed to hang my head out of the window like a dog. Oh what fun we have….
We worried that arriving so early at 10am, we might have to wait to check in. Nope, they were ready for us. The process was the same as every other place we have gone to, with the exception that we were handed a list of instructions with what we were allowed to do or not to do. This will apply for the five day Florida-mandated quarantine we have. And this applies to both of us, even though Bill is negative.
We are not allowed to visit public hotel spaces like meeting rooms, fitness center, pool, lounges, restaurant, or bar.
1. We may walk outside to get fresh air (wearing masks through the hotel lobby)
2. All requests to be made at Front Desk (dial 0)
3. No housekeeping services, but will deliver anything
No visitors
4. Room service meals are available with disposable trays and cutlery
5. All deliveries (including restaurant take-out) will be left at our door – have to wait 10 seconds to open the door
6. Complimentary items for the coffee and tea maker will be refilled
7. Trash bags will be given upon request
8. All outside food deliverers need to stop at the front desk first.
9. Any emergencies – dial 911.
Finally, they were sorry we were ill, and they promised to take care of us.
Once situated in our room (no balcony), it took a long time to catch up on emails and getting back reports written. At least the internet is working well here and it is fast. We were also given a list of local restaurants and cafes that will deliver food here. And we got a modified menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner items from the hotel's kitchen. Desserts too. Don't know if this was mentioned, but we are allowed $100 per person per day for food. That seems like a lot, but with the hotel prices, it might be tight eating three meals a day. Not that it matters, as the insurance will cover it.
Bill took a walk and found a Publix, a local supermarket. He came back with some groceries, and some fixings for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Although we do not have a microwave, there is a nice refrigerator that also works well. A few years ago, we spent about 12 days at a Sheraton Hotel, while waiting for the Amsterdam to go into a dry docking after a world cruise. Then we re-boarded and sailed through the Panama Canal to San Diego. Of course, we were not under lock up then, but spent the day eating out, walking a lot, and going to different malls. Many days, we stayed in and fixed our own mini meals, and visited the hotel's pool. The time flew by. So we can do this here.
There was a printed note in the room stating that it is normal practice for hotels to have a 5 day housekeeping policy. They claim that it meets their mandated sanitation and safety measures. Never knew that. As expected, we only had one each of the toiletries and two sets of towels. So we called and asked for more, and they brought it within minutes. A bag full of lotions, shampoos, soaps, etc. and six days-worth of towel sets. Anything else we needed, we just had to call.
Later in the afternoon, we were contacted by Linda, a rep from HAL's Family Assistance Team. She went over most all of the info we had already been told, leaving us reassured that all would be taken care of during our stay. In addition, she added that after our mandated stay here, we had the option of moving to a different hotel. HAL would only cover the charges for the same amount as they pay here. The difference would be on us. We told her we would think about it, and decide later.
Then we took a walk around the outside of the hotel, and located the pool. As nice as the pool area was, there wasn't a soul around. Of course, it was cool today. If it warms up in a few days, this will be a nice spot to get some sun.
It had been a long day, so we ordered dinner from room service. We had one chicken Caesar salad, and a cheeseburger (no fries), with a side salad. All was good, but expensive at about $50. That did not include any beverages or dessert.
Turned in early while watching old reruns of the Big Bang Theory. Loved it then….love it now.
One day down, and about 9 to go.
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, January 24, 2022
Report #36 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas Saturday January 22, 2022
This should have been a fun and easy day, but it sure wasn't for either of us. Of course, I knew that I was banned from going onshore, but Bill was also denied. The Bahamian government decided that anyone close to a positive-tested Covid person, was also not allowed off the ship. You can bet that did not sit well with him. Truthfully, all he would have done is walk the beach, then come back and eat lunch on the ship.
Now in our way of thinking, 236 in transit guests were tested yesterday. Not all passed as we found out. Now that leaves the 800 or so guests that did not have to be tested. As these folks will be going home tomorrow, so no one cares if they are positive or not. And believe this, we have seen many passengers coughing and sneezing, some with masks, some not. By the way, Barb got a call from the staff asking when she was vaccinated and boosted. Why? We think it is because we are tablemates. Nothing came of this inquiry. Both of us were also asked when our Moderna vaccines were given as well as the booster shot. They never asked to see our cards.
Here is some more info we got about the hotel stay. It will be at Coral Springs Marriott Hotel, about a 40 minute drive from the pier. All of the charges will be put on our Am Ex card, then we collect from both our travel insurance and HAL insurance. We do have an option of going home after a 5 day quarantine at this point, but we really do not want to have so much future cruise credit on our Mariner account. We decided to do the 10 days at the hotel, where at least we can get out and take walks. We promise to keep the masks on. In fact, we have never stopped.
Except for what we will need for the 10 day stay, the rest of our things can remain in our room on the ship. After all, it' s paid for until April 6th. So that was good news.
I woke up at 7:45am, with the sun peeking through the curtains. I had the sunrise this morning. The ship would be at anchor while in Half Moon Cay, but also held by the side thrusters to keep it from swaying. Probably not the exact terminology, but close.
Breakfast for me was in room service - continental. It was yogurt, fresh fruit, a few pastries, juice and coffee. Janine called and asked what I needed, which I asked for bottled water, meaning the aluminum bottles of water. Turned out they delivered six liter bottles of water. Later they returned with six of those bottles and another blue tote bag. Bill also called and we caught up on shared news.
Many of the guests had tendered over to the island, where there would be a skeleton crew. There would be the boat drivers, lifeguards, and perhaps one wrangler to tend the horses. The shops manned by the nearby Bahamians would be closed again. We learned that all of this purchased merchandise on the island would be charged to our shipboard account. Not included in this, were the hair braiders and massage ladies. Those would be cash only. All aboard was 2:30pm. The Captain pulled out around 3pm or sooner.
Lunch for me was a cobb salad, chicken noodle soup (Greg calls it Grandma's chicken noodle soup) and a slice of NY cheesecake. So far, all of my meals have arrived on regular plates, cutlery, and glasses of water. Looking out in the hallway, I saw multiple trays with disposable plates and cups. I am not complaining.
The rest of the afternoon was used watching a movie, Dog Days. Mildly funny, but amusingly predictable. It was then that we were presented with a dilemma. If we decided to share one room at the hotel, we would both be quarantined for 3 nights. Neither of us would be allowed to leave the room. Or, we could have rented two rooms with me locked up, and Bill free to come and go. If we chose that route, we would have been charged for the use of two rooms. Not sure HAL would have sanctioned that.
Bill had a 4pm meeting with the IT fellow to restore his computer back to normal. Took him 15 minutes to get it right. Then he had a meeting with Janine, whom he informed we would share a room in Ft. Lauderdale. He has been following a blog about a similar situation on another ship. If we are not restricted so much, we prefer to do the 10 days.
Dinner for me was chicken noodle soup again, along with a serving of prime rib. There was supposed to be a baked potato, but it never came. I had all of the toppings, so used them on the small potato finger. The meat was as tender and tasty as the last time I ordered it. A green apple finished the meal along with a glass of ice tea. As for Bill, he had fallen asleep, missed the 8pm dinner, and slept until midnight. All of this has finally caught up with both of us. Hope Barb understands.
Janine called again to check on me. She has been very thoughtful, and has followed through with all of her promises. Heaven knows, she has her hands full with other infected guests as well.
Tonight's movie was "Judy", all about Judy Garland and her life in show business. Wasn't so glamorous as they made it appear. Renee Z did a marvelous job playing Judy's part.
The clocks finally went back one hour last night. That's good, we will get more sleep that we both need.
Bill & Mary Ann
Report #35 Sea Day Friday-January 21, 2022 Enroute To Half Moon Cay.
Where to start? Sorry we have been side-tracked, but our worst fears became apparent when one of us tested positive for Covid (that would be me, Mary Ann).
We were required to go for our Covid test around 10am this morning, and for some reason, one of us was dreading it. We did learn later on, that a total of 236 guests were in-transit, some like us with several cruises back-to-back, and many with one connecting cruise. This is the highest number yet of continuing passengers.
To go back about a week, the last time we were in Ft. Lauderdale, we were given a new vase of flowers that included many Asiatic lilies for the first time. It took a few days, but when they fully opened up, the pollen went everywhere. That seemed to trigger a typical allergic reaction with me with a slightly stuffy nose and a dry cough. Nothing big, just annoying. A few days later, we had the flowers removed. Then came the day for the test, and you know the rest.
Where I came in contact with this virus is a mystery to both of us. And why I got it and Bill did not is also not clear. We have been both vaccinated and boosted with Moderna, and have been extremely careful washing hands and using sanitizer as well as wearing masks everywhere. As to the type of virus, possibly Omicron, they do not know.
Now that I had a positive reading with the antigen test, we had to return to our room, and wait to be tested with the regular test. A hazmat-garbed nurse came with her swabs and did the test quickly. It took less than 40 minutes to come back with negative for Bill, but positive again for me. Now what?
The Guest Relations Manager, Janine, called and described the next steps. First saying how sorry she was I was ill, I was given an hour to pack what I needed to be moved to another cabin. Bill was allowed to stay in our room…..a good thing. She also suggested that more time would be allowed for us to pack for an extended 10 day stay in Ft. Lauderdale. Great idea, since once I was removed, I would not be allowed back to help pack anything.
One suitcase was enough to put in the necessities, and possibly enough clothing in case we did not have access to laundry services. With many phone conversations later on, we did add some stuff.
So at least a 6 member hazmat team showed up to escort me from our room on the portside forward to the aft on the starboard side. One team member followed up the rear with a sprayer in hand, just like what we saw a few days ago. The first thing I noticed after passing through the fire door were eight small veranda tables placed outside each doorway. Since there are 16 rooms here, only half of the them were utilized. The tables were full of trays with used cardboard plates, paper cups, and containers. So it was after lunch time, around 2pm, when I got moved.
The room number was 5163, with an opposite layout from our room. It was also an adjoining room to the one next door, and it was unlocked. I fixed that. I did some snooping and located the throw pillows, two plush robes, and Club Orange blankets. Since there were no striped pool towels, the blankets will work on the lounges on the veranda. Perhaps they do not want me to use these things, but what can they do? Throw me off? Wait a minute, they are going to do that anyway.
This room was located two decks above the promenade deck near lifeboat # 19. I called Bill, and said I would look for him when he goes for a walk. It seems so odd to be separated. The few times that occurred was when the kids were born, during some hunting trips, or operations, such as the knee replacement I recently had. Can't say either of us likes it, although we will survive it. Lo and behold, Bill took his walk and found me on the balcony. It's like Romeo and Juliette, ha-ha! Well, not quite the same……
In the meantime, the staff is working with the Family Assistance Team of HAL in Seattle to arrange the plan for the next 10 days. We will not be allowed to quarantine onboard the ship. So that leaves one of us in isolation for two days until Sunday, when this cruise ends and the next one begins. We will not be sailing on the next one. When the details come through, we will let you all know.
Now what happens with me as far as meals are concerned? I am allowed to order from in room service, or from any restaurant during serving times. Janine, the guest relations manager, called several times to check on me. She was kind enough to order lunch for me , which was a Dive-In hotdog with fries. For some reason, they sent two orders. Never thought about it, but there is a delivery charge for this, but I forgot to ask. Janine said I would not be charged…..she would see to it. If I had ordered other types of beverages, then charges would apply, unless we had the Have It All package. No, we did not purchase that. Who knows…maybe if I drank more alcohol, I would have killed the virus! That's what Barb thinks.
About 3pm, Captain Eric came on the speakers announcing that he will be able to stop at Half Moon Cay, but there will be no shops opened, tours happening, or cabanas rented. Bahamian officials have the last say there, and at times, they even deny ships access. I knew I should have bought that HMC sweatshirt the first time we stopped here…..
Sitting on the veranda, the smell of the ship's exhaust became strong. That's when I noticed a residue of soot from the stacks in the gutter. That confirmed that this may not be the best location for a room on the ship. This never happens with the more forward rooms.
Between all of the phone calls, two hours disappeared and it was time for dinner. So my Gala meal was chicken noodle soup, a club sandwich (wow…good), and a few cookies with ice tea. Lucky me, everything came on real plates with actual real utensils. When my food arrived, there was a knock on the door. Took me a few seconds to open it, but the waiter was gone….like in 2 seconds. He must have knocked, and ran like hell. Can't say I blame him.
A movie, Bohemian Rhapsody, filled the rest of the evening. It was interesting and not at all what I expected. The music was good. My first day in isolation was not so bad. At least I am not really sick, and I still have trouble wrapping my head round the fact I have Covid.
Mary Ann (Bill, too)
Friday, January 21, 2022
Report #34 Day at Sea Thursday - January 20, 2022 Sunny and 82 degrees
It was a lazy day at sea for us, now that we have bypassed St. Thomas. The ship seems to be headed north westerly now as we make our way to Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas on Saturday. The weather has remained sunny and really warm on the port side of the vessel.
We have noticed a subtle difference with breakfast in Club Orange. The service and food is good as always, but this is an observation concerning the interaction between the guests and the management and waiters. From day one, it was the norm to have conversations with the staff, especially if they were not too busy. This is not happening now, and we think we know why. Maybe we are wrong, but we think the "arm's length" has something to do with Covid. We were told that even the department heads stopped having face-to-face meetings. They are relying on their cell phones for a conference call.
We felt the need to get outside and walk the promenade deck. One side was pleasant, and the other hot. On the plus side, there were many boobies hunting down the flying fish. Always fun to watch.
Lunch was in the Lido, where the salad maker knows exactly what we like. Hope he is not transferred to a different station, like they are doing with the dining room waiters. We are not used to that, and not sure we like it. Instead of splitting a sandwich, we went to deck 10 for a Margherita pizza or whatever is close to that. We have only tried the pizza once, and we were disappointed with it. The second time around, we definitely decided it is not the best we have had. When we were on the N. Amsterdam last fall, the NY Deli and Pizza was on the same level as the Lido. And their equipment was different, like having a real pizza oven. Everything about the pizza from the dough to the sauce and toppings were far superior.
There was an interesting-looking movie on the TV, but it was not a good one. With all of the choices they have for the movie library, we sure don't know where they get some of these. Guess we should put these thoughts on their survey, or better yet, email them directly from here.
There had to be at least three birthdays around our table tonight. The waiters outdid themselves singing the traditional song. We did not see a birthday cake served to the groups. Maybe they only do that on Grand Voyages.
Barb and I ordered soup….. one potato cheese and one chicken noodle soup from the room service menu. Fredy, our headwaiter, brought it personally. Chicken tenders with honey mustard sauce was an entrée for one of us, while the alternate chicken and a ½ order of ribs was the third one. All of us were happy to enjoy ice cream for dessert. The conversation revolved around the upcoming Covid test tomorrow. And we must admit, we are nervous about it. Anyone can have it, and not know it. Oh well, it is what it is.
Bill & Mary Ann
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Report #33 Basseterre, Saint Kitts Wednesday - January 19, 2022 Mostly sunny & 80 degrees
Today's port of call was Basseterre, Saint Kitts. And another new island in the Caribbean for us. The island is 65 square miles, and the neighboring island of Nevis is 40 square miles. Nevis is accessible by a ferry from Basseterre, or a water taxi. These islands were the first permanent English settlement in the Caribbean.
The island's history follows that of most of the Caribbean islands in that Columbus came across this area, which was inhabited by indigenous natives. Fierce battles between the French and the British ensued, and the Brits won. And it was the British that imported African slaves to harvest the sugarcane. What we see today are mountainous rain forests, ruins, and dormant volcanoes. Even the green vervet monkeys live here, their numbers are reportedly as large as the human population. They were brought here by the French for some unknown reason. Could not locate the number of citizens that live here today, however.
There is a golf course, horse racing track (Nevis), and a large Marriott Resort. Many of the old plantation houses were converted to bed and breakfast places, and are located up high in the mountains. Many of the beaches are dark sand, but they are free to the public. The most important historical site is Brimstone Hill Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located near the tallest inactive volcano, Mount Liamuiga at 3793 feet high.
One point of interest is the fact that Alexander Hamilton, the First Secretary of State under George Washington, was born in Nevis in 1755.
Breakfast was at 8am, and when we went to the elevator lobby, we were about to enter one, when we looked up and there was a hazmat person in there. He motioned to us not to come inside, which of course, we did not. We have been seeing too much of this recently, and now we are wondering how many cases do we have? No one will confess to that number.
We were late in arriving today at 11am, since we had quite a distance to travel from our last port of Grenada. We docked at Port Zante at a pier that measured 1434 feet long, big enough to handle the bigger mega-vessels. We were the only ship in port today. Port Zante is a 30 acre cruise ship and marina terminal. There were more shops, restaurants, and bars than we could count. All the usual suspects were there as far as island souvenirs go. And there were dozens of taxi drivers vying for our business. There were even two of them carrying baby monkeys, in diapers no less. Did we wish our photo taken with them? No way. These little guys have sharp teeth, and we don't trust them.
There were some tours here, but we have to remember to check them out on our interactive TV the day before arrival. Once the ship is in port, the tours disappear. If we come back here again, we will do our homework a little better. We did see a hop on hop off open air trolley, which may have been a ship's tour. All we wished to do was explore on our own, and with the help of a map we got in the terminal, we could locate the center of town.
Once out of the nicer Port Zante, it appeared seedy. Many old and empty buildings were crammed on narrow streets, and trash was everywhere. Walking on Bay Road took us to the Ferry Terminal, crossing over canals that were dumping who knows what kind of water into the bay. We did walk into their produce market, but not before we used sanitizer, and had our temps taken on our hands. That was different. Most all of their veggies and fruit were sold for the day, so we took some photos and left. Never did see a fish market.
Backtracking, we located The Circus, which turned out to be a clock tower. Further over, we entered their Independence Square, where many locals were having lunch under the mature trees. We did read that this is the spot where slaves were bought and sold. Across the street, we saw The Co-Cathedral, which was closed to the public.
Back at the port area, we heard Carnival-style music, and found a group doing a carnival dance. They were dressed in brightly-colored ribbons and wild headdresses. One had peacock feathers, reminding us of home.
All in all, the walk took us 1 ½ hours, and we knew that two tall draft beers had our names on them in the Dutch Café. We added our usual sandwiches and fries also. Then we spent most of the afternoon relaxing on the veranda or doing photos.
All aboard was 7:30pm. The reason for a later exit was due to the fact they were bunkering fuel all day. It was around that time, that Captain Eric came on the speakers to announce the cancellation of our next port of St. Thomas. He explained that many more staff and crew, as well as passengers have tested positive of Covid. We also learned from our travel agent that Crystal had cancelled all of their sailings today. We figured something was up, since we did not receive our When & Where for tomorrow. In fact, it never arrived tonight.
Dinner was so much fun tonight. We met Barb in the Tamarind Restaurant, and had a wonderful dinner. When the Amsterdam had this venue, it was a pop-up in the Pinnacle Grill. So we think Barb had never tried it. The appetizers we ordered were tempura shrimp (Barb loved them), noodle soups, and one Thai salad and the rib plate. Good thing they were conservative in size. Barb liked the shrimp crackers, but was probably afraid to try the dips. Two of them are spicy/hot, and the first thing Barb said was where is Heo? Our tablemate likes the hottest peppers in the world.
All of us ordered the wasabi-crusted tenderloin steak, and once again, it was tender as could be. We all liked the crispy onion rings that come with it. Desserts were one cheesecake, that does not resemble any cheesecake we know. We both had the sorbets…very tart and refreshing. It was 10pm by the time we left.
Passing the Rock & Roll stage and the BB King's Blues stage, we noticed there may be new musicians and singers onboard. The lounges were full of people for a change. But then there are only a few days left on this cruise, and most everyone will be going home soon.
Actually looking forward to a sea day tomorrow.
Bill & Mary Ann
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
Report #32 Saint George's, Grenada Tuesday - January 18, 2022 Sunny & warm 83 degrees
Well, we knew the day would come that one of these islands was going to impose and enforce restrictions regarding going ashore. Today's port of Saint George's, Grenada was the one. The notice in the When & Where stated that unless you had an HAL tour or used a government-approved taxi, we would not be allowed to go anywhere. This was also the same message we had yesterday, but later in the morning, it had changed, and independent folks could go for a walk. We had hoped this would be the case here as well.
Grenada is a small island with 120 square miles of lush rain forest. It is 21 miles long and 12 miles wide. It is often called the Spice Island, since their main export is nutmeg. These trees are grown in the mountains, as well as cinnamon, mace, bay leaves, cloves, turmeric, and ginger. Having been here once many years ago, we purchased little woven baskets filled with samples of all of these spices. Growing conditions are perfect, since this island sits 12 degrees above the Equator. No wonder the heat from the sun was so intense here.
Two other islands – Carriacou and Petite Martinique also belong to this island group. The population is 90,000. On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Ivan caused extensive damage to these islands, wiping out most of the nutmeg trees. The capital of Saint George's had much damage, taking it years to recover. The National Cricket Stadium had just been completed, but was destroyed. The Chinese government came to the rescue and helped to restore the complex in time for the World Cup Cricket competition in 2007.
There were a few tours here which included water sports, island drive, best of Grenada, river tubing, and highlights. The prices ranged from $50 to $130.
Now, here's the thing…..we were not allowed past the guards after weaving through the terminal shops. The only way out was to hire a taxi driver, or pay an escort to walk us through town. Neither option was acceptable to us. And from what we saw, it was not working for the other passengers either. We don't get it, when any of us are allowed to go all over the island, taxi or not, the virus would still be spread or picked up by locals. It should be all or nothing. So it boils down to money and the local taxi union, which we have witnessed in many other places around the world. We have seen barricades thrown in front of the mini vans as they tried to leave the port in Vanuatu. In essence, we were being held like captives unless we did it their way. So, we turned around and headed back to the ship with all the rest of the grumpy guests. Lucky we have such a nice ship to spend the rest of the day onboard. We had gotten a notice from HAL this morning that this port will be substituted once again on a future sailing. Perhaps by then, the restrictions will be lifted.
Back on the ship, we ran into Barb on our deck in the elevator lobby. While we were chatting with another couple, we spotted a hazmat team of four crew members coming down the hallway with two guests, luggage in tow, heading towards the aft section. The carpets and walls were being heavily sprayed as they passed by. Oh no…..it must be Covid, and they were going into quarantine. We discovered that area a few days ago while we were attempting to go to the aft elevator using deck five. The fire door was closed with a note saying crew only. So we assumed that was the Covid area for passengers. It would be confirmed later by asking our waiters.
Here's another strange thing….all aboard was 3:30pm, however, no one would be allowed to leave the ship after 2pm. Those on tours could come back after 2pm. Since we were on the wrong side to watch the pier activity, we went up to the jogging deck to watch the gangway pulled in. Four officers were standing there waiting for more guests. Eventually, they arrived but not until 4pm. They must have been on an HAL tour, or they would have been left behind.
We are now headed northwest to Saint Kitts, another new island for us. Hope we are not turned away again.
We had tried to get reservations for the three of us in Tamarind this evening, but were told there was only one space left. What? We are still trying to figure that out. So we made it for tomorrow at 8pm.
Tonight's dinner was good with the best tomato/bell pepper bisque. Each of us ordered a different entrée – one lasagna, alternate chicken (very moist and tasty), and pot roast with mashed taters, as Barb always says. So far, we have been happy with the daily choices.
By the way, the Pinnacle Grill has been opened on sea days for lunch from 12 to 1pm, but always closed on port days. And the photo ops are everywhere, every day, and every night. To be truthful, at times they can be a bit over-the-top with pushing their services. We prefer to seek them out instead.
One other small thing we found out was concerning the Jacuzzi on deck five forward. It is reserved for the staff, not the guests, which we figured. More than likely it would be used when the ship is docked, or else they might be blown overboard.
Bill & Mary Ann
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Report #31 Bridgetown, Barbados Monday - January 17, 2022 Showers, cloudy, sun - 80 degrees
Barbados is one island that we have visited numerous times over the years. And we have fond memories of the various tours we had taken…..some more than once. Barbados is a lime stone and coral based island, with Bridgetown the capital. This island is 21 miles long and 14 miles wide with 280,000 people living mostly in the Bridgetown area. The interior is still full of sugarcane plantations.
Upon arrival to the port, it was raining and heavily overcast. An occasional rainbow appeared, and we figured it would rain all day. The Viking Sea, the Tui Mein Schiff 2, and the schooner Alexander von Humboldt 2 were already docked. Offshore, was another ship that we would identify later as Cunard's Queen Victoria. She had no passengers we were told. Don't know the story there, but we are sure there is one.
Nice resorts, hotels, and golf courses can be found, and the watersports are excellent. Barbados is the most British of the islands in the Caribbean. It is not unusual that the folks attend an Anglican church in the morning, have tea in the afternoon, then watch a cricket match while sipping a Pimm's cup or rum and coke.
Deep sea fishing can produce dorado, kingfish, snapper, flying fish, and shellfish. It is then cooked with west Indian spices and condiments. Banks beer and Mt. Gay rum are made here. Mt. Gay is the world's oldest distillery dating back to 1703. For 300 years, British sailors were given 2 oz. of rum as a daily health ration. Who knew that?
Tours here include scenic drives, turtle snorkel/beach, a rum tasting train, beach break, Harrison Caves, Mt. Gay Distillery, a green monkey sanctuary, and finally the Atlantis submarine. The prices ranged from $40 to $120.
One tour that was not offered was a drive to the Sunbury Plantation for a special lunch. Years ago, we did that with our group of travelers and our host. It was a farewell lunch, since it was at the end of a world cruise. When half of the group went back to the ship, the other half of us stayed, lingering over conversation and never-ending wine and spirits. Our host asked the owners to bring out all of their liquor, and he would pay extra for it. Well, neither of us recall the ride back to the ship. All we do remember was that it was one heck of a farewell.
So when it was announced that we would not be able to leave the port today, but only take certain taxis to approved areas, we were disappointed. While doing emailing at the Front Desk area, we had a conversation with the guest relations manager. She told us that sometime around 10am, that restriction had been lifted for independent guests, and we were free to go into town. As far as we know, this was not publicly announced. To tell the truth, we had planned on challenging this anyway….all they could do is send us back on the ship.
Once off at the gangway, we saw a shuttle that was taking people to the terminal. No way did we wish to cram into a small shuttle or van. So they motioned us to the wall catwalk, where we could head towards the terminal and stay out of the traffic. It was a bit of a walk, because the ship had the last spot and the furthest away. And being that the N. Statendam was the largest of the ships in port today, we figured that was why we got the last spot.
Entering the mini-mall, we had to stop and use Purell, while our temperatures were taken automatically. Guess we passed, since no alarms went off. The first thing we noticed was that about half of the shops were closed. Few passengers were in there, so we assume many of them had taken tours. There was an info kiosk with a nice map, so we picked one up. Out the back door, many tours were filling buses and vans. Then we ran the gauntlet of taxi drivers offering us rides to wherever we wished. We wished to walk, and they were quick to leave us alone.
Eventually, we came across the fish market, where we love to stop and see what the catch of the day happens to be. Many of the vendors were busy dicing and fileting fish of all sorts. But first before entering the open-air facility, we had to stop and be Purelled and temps checked again. Good to go, we took photos then went back out. Just about the same time we were leaving, another couple passed by the local checkers (perhaps police). Since this couple were not wearing their masks, they got yelled at to put them on. Then they had to do the Purell and temp check. We could tell they were annoyed, but some folks just don't get it. We did notice that every local person wore a mask. Every establishment said no mask? No entry. In fact, just this morning, Jonah handed us a pack of six KN95 masks, so we can change them every 3 to 4 days, like the crew does.
Eventually, we found our way to downtown and walked the Careenage, a narrow bay where old schooners used to be scraped of their barnacles and re-painted. Now it is a spot for pleasure boats and water taxis. We did notice a sign that stated this was the place that slaves were bought and sold. Quite sobering.
As we worked our way into town, it was like walking into a beehive. Locals were out and about doing their shopping. Traffic was heavy on the narrow streets as well. We had hoped to locate a fabric store where we purchased two pieces of fabric for blouses years ago. Do you think we could find it? Not a chance as all of the streets looked the same, and we did not remember the name of the shop. Of course, there is a chance it is not here anymore. Maybe next time we come here, we will research its location online. Good time to head back, because it began to rain.
Glad we brought the umbrellas, we did not need them for long. The cloud passed over, and the sun eventually came out full bore. On the way back, we wandered into Pelican Centre, which was mostly closed. There may have been six shops opened at the most. Coming back through the security gates, we had to put our stuff through xray. Then it was a long walk through the terminal and back to the ship. It took us three hours for the round trip.
Our sodas never tasted so good once we were home. By 2pm, we went to the Dutch Café for our usual lunch there. We added Heineken beers as well. This venue has caught on because it was full of people.
Due to the fact we were late in docking, the ship's time here was extended to 5pm. That gave us time to work on photos, and relax on the veranda. By then, it had gotten so hot, you could have cooked bacon on the deck. Taking some closer photos of the ship outside the harbor, we could read the name clearly. It certainly was the Queen Victoria.
Dinner was good tonight. So far, we are seeing some repeats on the menu, but there is always something we like. Tonight they had prime rib as well as meatballs and spaghetti, two of our favorites. All three of us had the beef with baked potatoes. There was a new appetizer with rice balls mixed with cheese, then breaded and fried. It was served on a bed of Bolognese sauce, and was simply delicious. Could have doubled it and made it a main. Both of us had the baked Alaska, and Barb enjoyed her favorite butter pecan ice cream. It seemed so strange to be walking out of the dining room with just a scattering of folks still eating at 9:30pm. Of course, this is anytime dining, and most passengers opt for the earlier dinner time these days.
Tomorrow's port will be Grenada, supposedly with the same restrictions as today. We shall see…………
Bill & Mary Ann
Monday, January 17, 2022
Report #30 Castries, Saint Lucia Sunday - January 16, 2022 Morning rain, cloudy & 76 degrees
St. Lucia, our port of call for today, is a 27 mile long and 14 mile wide lush rain forest, also known for the best place for honeymooners. About 170,000 people live here, with 65,000 of those residing in the capital of Castries. St. Lucia is an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations. Although there is a lot of French influence here as well.
Days of old saw explorers, pirates, soldiers, sugar cane plantations, and even coal mines. Today, mostly bananas are grown, and tourism is the number one employer. Snorkeling, swimming, sailing, fishing, and sunbathing are the normal. Some of the ship's tours covered most of these activities. Prices ranged from $40 to $150 and included a trolley ride, highlight drive, a trip to the sulfur springs and a cocoa factory, a food & wine excursion, two types of tram rides, and a catamaran/swim tour.
While dining in the Club Orange, we heard that the ship was cleared, but there were restrictions. The first announcement said that only certified taxis could be used, as well as ship's tours. At the same time the second announcement came, it seemed like the diners all got up, dragging their chairs on the wood floors. They sure make a lot of noise, so we did not catch the entire message. By the time we left the ship, the local authorities had changed their minds about the taxis. But we did have to pass through a medical checkpoint, where we were supposed to have our temperatures taken. That did not happen, but we were required to "Purell", then get a non-removable wrist band put on. This was similar to what we did in Jamaica.
Entering the terminal complex, Pointe Seraphine, we found that many of the 20 shops, bars, and cafes were closed. Then we remembered today was Sunday and maybe that was the reason for the closures. Either that, or it was the dreaded virus. There were several other ships in port such as Ponant's Le Dumont D'Urville, The Viking Sea, and the smaller Sea Dream Yacht Club. We assumed that many of these passengers were on shore tours, because they sure were not in the port area, or even downtown.
Once outside the gate, we had to pass by a long line of taxi drivers offering rides to the beach….any beach. They seemed to accept "no thanks" for our answer. Except one fellow, who remarked that why do we want to ruin our expense shoes by walking to town? He suggested it was much easier to ride and save the shoes. Well, that was a new one we never heard before.
One of the largest markets was located fairly close to the dock. It is the Castries Market, where they sell produce and a vast array of spices. You can buy cocoa, turmeric, ginger, pepper, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and vanilla. We have purchased the cinnamon sticks before and put some in a bottle of rum. Really spiced it up. Next to this market is the Craft Market. It is full of baskets, straw products, wood carvings, and island clothing. And of course, a slew of souvenirs. Today all of this was closed.
Continuing up the street, we found the Vendor's Arcade also shut up tight. Arriving at the entrance to La Place Carenage, a three story complex of duty free shops, we asked the local door lady outside of this mall what the story was with the new Covid spread. She claimed it was no worse than any other island, and the reason everything was closed was because it was Sunday. Now we could have entered this building, but under the circumstances, we did not even consider it. By the way, we had been told that masks had to be worn everywhere we went today…inside and out, or else we could face being fined. Many folks did not wear the masks, and we saw no one challenged.
So we decided to take our time, and walk back to the ship. Some taxi drivers stopped their cars and offered rides to anywhere we wished. But there would be no way we get into a stranger's car. Even yesterday, a lady from the ship, who appeared to have a cold, asked us if we would take her photo with her cellphone. She was unmasked, coughing, and wiping her nose. Seriously, did she think we would say yes? Prior to this pandemic, we may have said yes without thinking. Not now.
For the first time this whole trip, we noticed that a collection table was set up on deck A for shore-purchased alcohol. These bottles will be kept until the end of the 10 day trip, and returned the day before disembarkation.
Even though it had been raining when we arrived, the skies cleared up, and it stayed dry. But the reason for that was we were packing umbrellas. It was still quite warm, but there was a nice breeze blowing. We got back to the ship by 1:30pm, and worked on photos until lunchtime. Today that was two salads in the Lido, and a shared turkey breast sandwich toasted in the grill. We got a couple of cookies to go, then relaxed on the veranda until it was time for the ship to leave.
We were in for a treat since the Captain had time to do some scenic cruising of the coastline. Two very famous volcanic peaks exist here, just south of Castries. They are called Petit Piton (2619 Feet) and Gros Piton (2461 feet). They were formed by a volcanic eruption over 30 to 40 million years ago. And ever since 2004, they have been named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These peaks have been famous icons for St. Lucia and can be found on many t-shirts and even their locally brewed beer (Piton). This is the first time that we have sailed early enough to see these peaks. It was either too dark, or they were covered in clouds. Today, the Captain got the ship so close to shore, we could hear the local dogs barking. And like the captains do in Alaska, he turned the ship on a dime, so everyone had a chance to see the peaks. Then we were on our way to the next port of Barbados., about 100 miles south of here.
At dinnertime with Barb, we were able to share a secret with her. Although we discovered she found this out a different way. Friends Susie and Woody are coming back on January 23rd. Susie had asked us to keep it a secret, because she wanted to surprise her. She did not find out from us, but from Susie's daughter. Whatever the reason, she was just as happy as we were that Woody has improved enough to come back until March 6th. They will be a welcomed addition to our dinner table.
Until tomorrow……..
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, January 16, 2022
Report #29 Philipsburg, St. Maarten Saturday - January 15, 2022 Sunny & 80 degrees
Our port of call today was the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin. Why the two names? St. Maarten is Dutch, while St. Martin is French. It is the only island that is shared by two countries. The island consists of 37 square miles, with Philipsburg the capital of the Dutch side, and Marigot the capital of the French side. There are 77,000 residents that speak Dutch, French, and English.
Locals say that the Dutch side has the best shopping, while the French are famous for their cuisine. It has been estimated that the salt trade began 4000 years ago here, but today, with as many as seven ships in port in one day, tourism has far exceeded the salt trade. There are 37 beaches and loads of resorts and hotels. One of the big events here occurs in late February, is the Heineken Regatta, where 300 sailboats compete from around the world.
Most of the activities revolve around the water. Ship excursions were beach and lunch 65., cruise & island drive 70., catamaran/swim tour 100., the Flying Dutchman zipline 140., circle the island drive 85., and a chef's table for 150.
We could not remember when we were here last, but we found this port on the back of a 2014 world cruise t-shirt. We also could not remember too many details about this stop. Many years ago, we took an island drive, probably with a swimming stop. The N. Statendam was not alone. A Club Med 2, a 5 masted computerized stay sail schooner, was across from us. Then the Star Flyer, was docked a pier over. The Wind Surf and the Star Legend were here, as well as the Seabourn Odyssey. Later in the morning, the RCI Explorer of the Seas docked here. Yep, that made seven ships, but we bet most of them were at half capacity.
Despite the forecast of rain in St. Maarten, it was just the opposite. It was warm and sunny, with a few drifting clouds and no rain in sight. The ship was docked with our room facing east, so the veranda was so hot, we could not sit out there. We left the ship around 10:30am, with the understanding we might not be able to leave the port area. This had been announced yesterday, but was not printed in the When & Where today.
It wasn't a long walk to the pier complex, but it did take a while for us to remember the set-up. All of the usual high end stores were here, plus more. Somehow we missed the Info Center, and did not have a map of the town. This is something worth mentioning regarding maps. We are so used to having ship-printed maps in every port while on the world cruise, but now, with the "going green" policy, nothing is printed. And for those that don't use cell phones, it would be a great idea to print your own maps before leaving home. So far, only about half of the ports had their info kiosks open. And while we are on the subject of hints, one of us has discovered that by sewing a few stitches on the elastic bands of the masks, they will not break apart. This has happened more than once to both us, so a few minutes of sewing prevents that.
We made one stop at a small shop, and talked at length to the owner. She told us all about the virus hitting the island, and how hard it has been on the community without tourists. We did end up purchasing an island t-shirt with a complete map of the Caribbean islands. It is better than the tiny map we brought with us from home. The price was right at $5.
So we walked out through the security gate with no problem. Well almost no problem, because we ran into a bunch of persistent taxi drivers. No thanks worked OK. The hike to downtown Philipsburg took 15 minutes, although we could have taken the 5 minute water taxi for $7 per person round trip. We needed the exercise, so that's why we walked. Now it was falling into place that we had been here. Making our way towards the beach, we followed the Boardwalk for the entire stretch of Great Bay. This boardwalk was chock full of shops, cafes, and bars with a few hotels scattered between them. Souvenir stalls filled in the gaps, but they really had good prices on island clothing and beach stuff. To rent 2 lounges, one umbrella, and 5 drinks, it ran $25 for the day.
We found the Hard Rock Café where we had eaten lunch 8 years ago. It was shut down tight, and the property was for sale. Sad to see, this has happened elsewhere in different parts of the world. Just to be on the safe side, we did not eat out or even stop for beers. Most everyone we saw wore masks, but not all of them. We did go inside a few shops, but they all required that you wear a mask and use Purell. No one took our temperature like they did in Jamaica. Seeing a turquoise visor, we bought it for $5.
When the sandy beach stopped, we turned around and headed back. There wasn't much of a breeze blowing, so we made no more stops. However, along the roadside, we came across two young ladies, who sounded Jamaican. They were taking pictures with their cell phones of something in the trees and brush across the road. We asked what they saw, and they said "moonkeys". Took us a few seconds before we realized they were saying monkeys. Really? Yep, there they were, right in the center of the dense bushes. Eventually, we spotted several of them dashing in back of the smaller one. Too quick to get photos of the big ones, the young one did not run. Where in the world did they come from? Barb will not believe this when we tell her we saw moonkeys. When we did get onboard, we researched these monkeys, and found they had been pets of the locals. When they could not take care of them, they were let loose. Now there is a troupe of them, running through these hillsides. They are called green monkeys, and are not aggressive. They seemed to be masters of hiding.
Going through the security gate was easy, then we went in search of the info kiosk. Somehow we had passed by it on the way out. We did find some island info in a real magazine as well as a nice island and city map. We will save it for our next visit, as it had a lot of good info on it.
Lunch was in the Grand Dutch Café with ham & cheese sandwiches with shared fries. For dessert, we had one slice of the apple pie, one almond cookie, and one chocolate muffin. I remarked that one day, we will split a bocce ball?sp, a huge chocolate eclair filled with whipped cream. Well, having mentioned that, the bartender brought over the huge pastry, saying why wait? So we shared it, and took the muffin home.
All aboard was at 3:30pm, and we watched the ship leave from our veranda by 4pm. The other ships were scheduled to leave as late as 11pm. The boobies followed us for miles, diving and fishing along the way. We did pass some more of the islands as we headed in a south-easterly direction towards St. Lucia.
It was time for another dinner with Barb. We all had the same entrée of beef short ribs, mashed potatoes, and carrots. Desserts were a chocolate cheesecake, a crème brule, and a fruit plate.
Tomorrow will be St. Lucia, another island we have visited several times.
Bill & Mary Ann
Saturday, January 15, 2022
Report #28 Day at Sea Friday - January 14, 2022 Mostly cloudy & showers 78 degrees
Today began much the same as yesterday as we sail towards St. Maarten. Heavy clouds stayed with us most of the day as did some showers. The sun did peak out during the afternoon, and with it came a most pretty rainbow.
Due to the time change last night, many folks arrived near closing time for the Club Orange breakfast. We could tell that the manager, Wayan, was getting very busy as was his staff. We could also sense that Wayan was not feeling well. There was a very good reason for that……he just got "boosted" yesterday, and was experiencing muscle aches, joint pains, a headache, and chills. Not to mention the sore arm. We told him that we had the same reaction when we got our shots last October. Perhaps that means the vaccine is doing its job better. It took a week for our symptoms to subside, and we told Wayan to hang in there. From what we understand, he does not have the option to kick back and take it easy.
Many activities took place all day, the biggest being shopping. We did go to the aft pool for a bit to get some sun. Still too cool for swimming, we did listen to the Music Trivia game played there. Hate to say it, but most of the songs were not familiar to us. The prize for the winning group was a double serving of ice cream in the Lido dessert section. Guess there are no prizes given anymore. Or perhaps, that only happened on Grand Voyages. Many years ago, we collected "dam dollars" for a variety of games or even walking a mile. At that time, we earned enough to trade for really nice sweatshirts. Those dollars are a thing of the past now.
After a Dutch Café lunch, we watched a movie with good actors….Nicole Kidman, Jason Bateman, and Christopher Walken. It was called The Family Fang, but really was a sleeper in our opinion. Good thing there is a very large collection of movies, and we will find more that are better.
If we have not mentioned this already, we need to compliment the laundry service here on the ship. For the most part, it has been the same day turn around service. And many days, the basket comes with a personalized note thanking us for using them. Nice touch.
Tonight was the first gala of this cruise, beginning with the Captain's welcome in the World Stage at 7:15pm. Barb attended and said the room was full of guests. The Captain's speech was only 15 minutes, then the one and only show of Cantere' Presents: Timeless began at 7:30pm. Prior to the virus interrupting things, there were two shows….one at 7:30pm and the next one at 9:30pm. Now we miss it since our dinner time is 8pm. And to make things worse, the entire BB King's All Stars are now in quarantine. We believe the two dueling pianists are still playing, but the Lincoln Center group are down to two people. We did find out that the Rock & Roll group are being quarantined on the ship. They were not sent home. We questioned Presty as to why this group of entertainers are free to leave the ship in ports, and the crew is not allowed. He said they are under a different contract, and cannot be made to stay onboard.
And we could have sworn that there was a passenger at Lincoln Center Stage doing a comedy routine. He had a full audience too. We could be wrong, but he was reading his jokes from a piece of paper. Oh well, guess this cruise is a unique experience. It is still better being at sea, than freezing at home, as most of the Canadians are saying.
For starters, we all had the shrimp cocktail, and Barb added a seafood cocktail also. She loves escargots, so she ordered a plate of those. Two of us had rack of lamb, sauces and gravies on the side, and one of us had the stuffed ricotta pasta dish. We have learned that if you like your ice cream frozen hard, you have to wait and order it after your main meal.
Tomorrow we will be in St. Maarten, but we are not sure if we will be able to go off on our own. Betty Ann announced today that only certified tour operators will be able to escort folks on excursions. Of course, that includes all of the HAL tours. We shall see……….
Bill & Mary Ann