It wasn't much more than 5 minutes past midnight, when Captain Eric came on the speakers (shipwide) with an unexpected request. A seriously ill passenger was in need of either O negative or B positive blood for a transfusion. This was a first that we can recall ever hearing that type of message. And disturbing as well. Completely scary, we sure hope the guest was OK. Of course, we did listen for further messages, but that did not happen. We also wondered if we would hear the sound of a helicopter, signaling a medical evacuation. Never heard that either. Maybe we will find out more tomorrow.
The N. Statendam dropped the front anchor at about 7:30am, while the engines would keep the aft in place all day. The ship was cleared after 8am, so there was our answer to the question as to are we going to the island today or not. Yes, we were here to stay until the last tender at 2:30pm. In addition, there was no announcement about cancelled tours or shut down souvenir shops. This did occur when the Covid numbers were up. Doing a little digging online, we discovered that the ship has gone into the orange from the green zone on the CDC scale. Many ships have, but not enough to shut anything down.
At breakfast, there was no word mentioned concerning the sick guest. We hesitated asking any of the crew, since privacy rules might be compromised. Will just keep our ears tuned, and hope the news is positive.
We went down to deck A to board the tender, but had just missed the last one. So we lined up for about 15 minutes. Total wait time and the ride to the island took about ½ hour. Earlier, it was heavily overcast, and it sure was cool sitting on the top of the tender boat. The sun would get stronger as the day progressed, but still comfortable.
It was far less crowded with only one ship here. Despite that, we still wore masks, which were required while on the tender boat. We did not remove them until we were halfway down the crescent-shaped beach. But first, we needed to pay a visit to the Food Pavilion, which was opened for lunch already. The counters were full of stainless steel 1/2 pans with iced salads like potato, coleslaw, and chopped fruit. Burgers, hot dogs, and tacos were among the choices, along with all of the yummy toppings. Individual desserts, like cupcakes, were on a center table along with a pile of fresh fruit. But it was the apples we needed for our buddy Ted. Picked up two that were slightly bruised, as Ted will not mind.
From there, we took off the flip flops and headed for a walk in the surf. Immediately, we noticed that the fine white sand was packed more solid than we remembered. And the dry sand appeared to have been groomed and mounded creating a ledge. It was fine with us, since sinking in the loose sand makes your feet and legs work harder, which is good, but not for miles at a time. We have seen a crew of workers raking and blowing leaves, keeping the area pristine, so cleaning the sand would be a reasonable guess.
Now here is the funny part…..what we were seeing was low tide….duh. In all of the times we have visited here, it has always been high tide. We have no doubt that this beach is kept clean, especially at the Pegasus Corral area, where the horses leave their calling cards. If they wait too long, the tide comes in and drags the droppings out into the water where people are swimming or snorkeling.
With the low tide, we were able to go a bit further past the coral rock outcroppings at the end of the beach. It provided more places to sit and relax in the warmth of the sun. People like to snorkel here because of the large rocks too. Today, one of us could walk out deep enough to see some of the small clear fish swimming there. They are not like the tropical fish we have seen elsewhere.
We left by 12:15pm, and headed for the corrals in search of Ted, the donkey. He was tucked into a corner of the stable, but slowly came to us when we called his name. He seemed to know if we had a bag, we might have a treat. He was right, as he munched the apples in a minute flat. By then, another load of guests came for their horseback ride on the land and surf. Ted would have continued to follow us, if it were not for the confusion of trucks and people.
By the time we reached the bar at Captain Morgan's ship, the staff was loading the tractor with all of the leftover beverages. It was just 1:15pm, but they have to stick to a time table. Every beverage stand on the way back was in the same mode. Not a problem, we could wait until we got back to our room for ice cold sodas.
We left the island by 1:45pm, without buying anything in the shops. For some unknown reason, their items (even HAL logo ones) were pricey. For instance, their logo koozies were $11 plus local tax. Or a long sleeve t-shirts were up to $44. Oh well, we have another day to think about it, since we should be back here on Monday, our final visit to this tiny island.
It was room snacks for lunch while we relaxed on the veranda. The ship left around 3pm with the Captain blowing the horn three long times. He was answered in kind by the local workers who were also on their way home to a nearby island. We should arrive to Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow by 7am.
Dinner was back in the dining room, our last meal on the upper level. Starting tomorrow, only the first seating will use this dining room, and it will be closed for the 8pm seating. According to what we heard, there will be 1100 guests for the next cruise, about 500 less than what we have now. We should be back at our table for six, but set for two. Be nice to have Fredy, the head waiter we have come to know so well.
There was a movie in the World Stage at 9:30pm, which we would have liked. It starred Clint Eastwood, one of our favorite actors. But since tomorrow requires an early start, we decided against going. Maybe next time.
By the way, we received the first new format of the When & Where daily itinerary. It is a tri-fold paper, similar in size to the gala evening dinner menu. All the same info fits, but on less paper we assume. The long thin ad was still the same.
Bill & Mary Ann
Sunday, March 27, 2022
Report #99 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas Saturday-March 26, 2022 Cloudy With Partial Sun 78 Degrees
