Today's port of call was Philipsburg, St. Maarten. It was raining lightly when one of us got up early. As the ship got close to the island, a nice rainbow appeared. Hope this meant the end of the rain for the day.
St. Maarten and St. Martin is the smallest land mass in the world to be shared by two sovereign nations. St. Maarten is the Dutch side with 37 square miles, while St. Martin is the French side, with 16 square miles. The population of the Dutch side is 48,000, while the French side has 39,000 people. The average temperature of the island is 80 degrees. The legal drinking age is 18 years old, as is the legal age for gambling on the Dutch side. Dutch St. Maarten is the only one that have casinos. Drugs are illegal. This island is not known for snorkeling or scuba diving, but it is more for the water sports like jet skis, booating, or wind-sailing.
By the time we were docking, we headed off for breakfast, where they continue to spoil us. We left the ship around 10am and walked past the terminal stores and shops on the way out the gate. By the way, a few ships were here today, such as the Seabourn Odyssey, Star Legend, and the Star Flyer. This has to be their turn-around day. Anchored off of the coast close to Marigot, was the RCI Jewel of the Seas. We wonder if this ship is being used as a quarantine ship? It never moved the whole time we were here.
There was no problem walking out of the gate, which was good, or else we would have headed back to the ship. Watching closely for the troupe of monkeys, we were disappointed that we saw none today. The sprinkles had stopped and there was mostly blue sky. No umbrellas today.
Fewer people were here compared to when we came around the holidays. At that time, families from mostly Europe were on vacation with their kids. We also noticed that there were less people on the beach, and even less in the surf. There was a reason for that, which we missed last time we were here. There was a sign on the beach stating no swimming, no snorkeling or scuba diving, and no jet skis, etc. Checking this in the book later, we found out that due to the number of bars and restaurants on the Boardwalk, as well as the number of cruise ships, no one was allowed to swim in these waters. That leads us to assume the water is polluted. As pretty as the color of the water was, it was also cloudy. Yep, polluted. Hundreds of lounges and umbrellas sat piled up, as there were few takers. Even with the reduced price of $20 for 2 lounges, one umbrella, and five bottles of beer. Free wifi too. It was suggested to swim further past the Boardwalk to enjoy the water. Sitting at a restaurant along the Boardwalk, we saw two gals from the Grand Dutch Café with two fellows from the ship. Finally, the crew can go off of the ship for a few hours. Good sign that things are getting better.
Our big purchase of the day was a tube of toothpaste. Thought I had brought enough, I forgot I decided to buy more long the way. The ship had tiny tubes for the same price as the big one we bought. We cut over from the beach to Front Street where most all of the shops are. One such store was a leather shop, with the owner being from Turkey. We recognized the unique women's leather jackets, of which I own two already. The owner explained that these were better since they were made with different leather. So therefore, his price was double of what we paid in Kusadasi a few years ago. He may have bargained some, but we have little to no space in our luggage, and we cannot afford to over-stuff them.
Another surprise was to see a store that sold specialty liquors. Blantons is a favorite of ours, but it is difficult to purchase where we live. It is made in small batches, so the price is steep. The most affordable was $90, while some of the higher alcohol content bottles were as much as $350. The vendor said it appeals to the Japanese travelers. Price is not a factor in their world. We had to pass since we could not get it past the xray machine, where it would have been confiscated. Then it would be given back at the end of this cruise. Then what do we do with it? We will be re-boarding another ship, where they would confiscate it. And we sure don't want to fly home with it. With our luck, it would break in the suitcase. The owner did mention that several high end cruise ships buy this whiskey to stock their bars. Not HAL however.
We walked back to the ship by 1pm, completing our 3 hour tour. We did make a few stops…one at a small shop near the gate, where we chatted with a very nice local vendor lady. She gave us her opinion of the Covid virus scare, and that she does not believe any of what is being told to the citizens here. With the ships only ½ full, she is hurting for business, and hopes, like us, that this whole thing will be over soon. Then we ran into Howard and Gyl, and talked for quite a while. Catching up on news with people we all know, and places we have been over the years. Then it was time to go in search of beer. They headed to town, while we went back to the ship.
Lunch was in the Grand Dutch Café again, but this time we both had the Affligem beer. Refreshing and really tasty, we added our sandwiches and fries. Finally, we split another one of those giant eclairs. Some other passengers came by to see what was in the middle of these giants. Think they ordered a few as well.
As we were on our way out, we stopped to talk to the purser (Finance Manager). Welcoming us back, she asked us many questions about the quarantining. Then we chatted about the upcoming world cruise, which she thought was going to be on the Zaandam. No, that had changed to the Zuiderdam, right now for 2023 and 2024. But anything can change……
It began raining slightly again by 3pm, but once the cloud passed by, the sun peeked out again. The ship left the port before 4pm, and with the breeze blowing, it got chilly. We sailed past a tiny island called Saba, and maybe we passed St. Barthelemy. We worked in the room until 7pm, when it was time for a special dinner . Today was Barb's birthday, and we all met in the Pinnacle Grill to celebrate her day. Once we were seated, we were visited by Janine, the guest relations manager, Rene, the hotel manager, and 2 other officers. They mentioned something about being a quartet, and we thought maybe they would sing. Nope, just kidding. Later on, Jonah, the event coordinator, came by with her husband, the Food & Beverage manager to wish Barb a happy birthday. They did sing the song. After our meal, a small square creamy chocolate cake was served, and the waiters sang the Indonesian birthday song. Barb loved it.
Now tomorrow's port of St. Lucia might not be a good one, as we were informed we may not be allowed to walk out of the port. We shall see………
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, February 6, 2022
Report #50 Philipsburg, St. Maarten Saturday - February 5, 2022 Light rain, then mostly sunny 80 degrees
