Southern Caribbean Cruise

03/05/10 - 03/15/10

Just Cruises - Holland America's Noordam

Clay & Pat Stahl

Bahamas

Turks & Caicos I.

Dominican Republic

Curaçao

Bonaire

Aruba

Following is a summary of our 10-day cruise of the Southern Caribbean with 252 photos. Day-by-day links are shown on the right, they are all on this page, so you can also just scroll your browser to view them all. The page is best viewed with Internet Explorer 7 at 1024 x 768 x 32 bit color in full screen mode, over a broadband connection!

03/05 Travel to Port Everglades & Boarding. 03/06 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. 03/07 Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands. 03/08 Samaná, Dominican Republic. 03/09 Caribbean Sea. 03/10 Willemstad, Curaçao. 03/11 Kralendijk, Bonaire. 03/12 Oranjestad, Aruba. 03/13 Caribbean Sea. 03/14 Caribbean Sea. 03/15 Disembarkation.

Friday 03/05 Travel to Port Everglades, Ship Boarding & Caribbean Sea

After breakfast at the Kenilworth in Sebring, we packed up for the last time, and headed on RT 27 South around Lake Okeechobee to the East-West interstates that lead to Ft. Lauderdale and the Port Everglades Cruise terminal. It was pretty much 65 mph all the way with little traffic. The portion from Sebring to the south of Lake Okeechobee is surrounded by orange groves and from Lake Okeechobee to the interstates, you see only sand and gravel quarries.

We dropped off the big suitcase at the terminal, parked in the parking garage, and took the shuttle to the terminal, arriving shortly after 11:00. It was about a three hour ride with no stops. It was still pretty cool for Florida.

Check in was again an efficient process with a little wait before actual boarding as we were plenty early. We expected the usual glass of champagne on boarding, but not this time, so we (and most everyone else) headed up to the buffet for lunch. Of course we needed a bottle of wine, and rather than wait for a wine steward, Clay went to the pool bar and ordered a bottle. The bartender immediately summoned a server who accompanied him to the table, but it probably still saved some time. Naturally, the buffet was crowded and we sat with a French Canadian couple from Quebec, both parties having a good time with the language barrier. We signed up for two 5 bottle wine packages and two wine tastings at a big promotion table at poolside.

We didn't expect the minibar in our stateroom, but we promptly replaced that stuff with a few bottles of our whites. Holland America doesn't prohibit carrying aboard wine and Champagne (and now beer, we heard) on board, even though it costs them a few bucks. Not that we didn't spend more than our share over and above the two wine packages and quite a few wine tastings!

The Muster Drill is still mandatory, but this is the only cruise we've been on where we didn't have to wear the life vests. There was a segment on the ship's TV station on how to do that and it was playing as we entered our stateroom. But there is no assurance that you watched it and they didn't take a head count when we assembled. We have the late dinner seating, and wandered around the ship locating all the places in which we may be interested, i.e. Dining Room, Theater, Culinary Arts Center. The latter was the usual location for the Catholic Mass, and Pat attended. On Sundays, it was in the main theater.

Logo: Nieu Amsterdam II & de Halve Moen	Usual Mandatory Muster Drill Without the Life Vests!	Pool With Retractable Roof Opening Gap Is Weather Dependent	Aft Pool No Roof Here!

The Chandelier At the Top Of the Atrium.   It Took a Few Passings to Realize That it is Constantly Changing Color (About a Minute Between)

Our stateroom is very nice, with a good sized bathroom with a bathtub, although we would have preferred the usual stall shower. We sailed promptly at 5:00, backing up past another ship, Holland America's Maasdam which we were on two years ago, and was in the berth right next to our parking garage, turning around and heading out the channel due East.

We're Backing Up	Passing Holland America's Maasdam	And Turning 90 Degrees.   We're On the Starboard Side

Heading Out The Channel Past the Nova Southeastern University Site

We received an "Onboard Value Booklet" with coupons for various activities, most of which do not interest us. We're not sure if everyone gets these (probably) or if only the Mariner's cruisers (Previous Holland America passengers) received them. Anyway, there is a $10 refund for the Admiral's Wine 5 bottle Wine Package for which we had already signed! A visit to the Front Office produced a credit, making a small dent in our tab.

We stopped to hear the Adiago Strings, a young Ukrainian string quartet playing classical. We heard them quite a few times.

We attended a "Wine Sampling" with genial Cellar Master Sascha pouring three wines from the two available packages offered. The fee was waived if you bought a package, and especially for us as we had already signed up for two.

"Wine Sampling" with Cellar Master Sascha	Don't Know Much About Art, But ...	The Ukrainian Adiago Strings, Our Favorite Music

Our tablemates are Canadians Ted and Marlene and Jerry and Bobbi from Michigan. We mixed very well, and the fact that all at our table drank wine with dinner had nothing to do with it. We're sure that age is a factor in pairing, but for the first time in quite a few cruises, we have wine drinking people for dining companions. Oh! And our last names just happen to be extremely close alphabetically!

Canadians Ted and Marlene Streppel	Michigan(ers!) Jerry and Bobbi Sundquist	And Alphabetically Close: Clay & Pat Stahl

The first night's show was typical starting with the cruise director's spiel, but there were three funny competitions between pre-selected audience couples competing in common shipboard activities.

"Stack That Plate"	"Hit That Ball"	"Make That Bed"

We stopped in at the crowded Piano Bar with Lee Strubeck, for a few numbers before calling it a (busy) day.

Saturday 03/06 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas     See our 2008 and 2011 visits here

We try to do breakfast in the dining room when we have time. Of course it takes a little longer and the food isn't any better, but it is nice to be served, and you meet some interesting people. Today, it was a Canadian couple on their third consecutive Noordam cruise! We found many people doing back-to-back, as the itinerary is different, but this couple is doing the same cruise that they did twenty days ago, and they have 38 Holland America Cruises to their credit!

This is Holland America's private Island and we were here in 2008. There isn't much for us to do, although we signed up for the "Aqua Trax Adventure" (Jet Skis) this time. However, we canceled that the previous day since the forecast was for cool temperatures (sheesh, the Bahamas, for God's sake), and that turned out to be a good move. Most people were anxious to get to the beaches and you needed a tender ticket early, but after we waited a while, there was no rush, and we had a very choppy ride until we got close. Sometimes, the sea is too choppy to even go ashore, and we wonder how close we were to that.

It was cool for the Bahamas, and we wore sleeves for part of the time. There are a lot of shops at the entrance, sort of an antiseptic Straw Market like Nassau, and Pat looked in a few, but found no bargains. We walked around and lay in a couple of chaise lounges for a while.

Very Choppy, Rough Tender Ride In	Holland America, Bahamas, Half Moon	Their "Straw" Market	Wasn't That Warm!  Nov 31st?

Lunch was a Barbecue, and there were so-so ribs along with the usual cruise ship private island fare of burgers, hot dogs, chicken, and various salads. A young couple at same picnic table were doing the Aqua Trax Adventure, and asked us if you get wet! Duh! They thought they might also cancel.

We stopped to listen to a steel band playing in the nearby bar and attracting a pretty good audience. The tender ride back was much more pleasant as the water was a lot less choppy.

Plenty Of Free Chaises	The Noordam, Tender, Swimmers	Steel Band, Pretty Good	Half Moon Cay From Back In the Tender

We explored the rest of the ship further noting the music venues and inquiring about the Italian non-surcharged specialty restaurant, but it is a tough ticket requiring reservations and we never got there. Pat went to Mass as she did a few times, but there was always someone else to do the readings.

We had a couple of drinks listening to the Adagio Strings for 2 sets. A nearby lady talked the entire time pausing only when the performers did. And she replied between numbers "Well now you got it right!" How would she know, she didn't seem to listen? We're sure being Ukrainians they didn't understand the comment, but knew it was critical.

After dinner, Clay and Pat had a disagreement as to where the Captain's Welcome Party was being held. Clay headed to the main theater, and Pat wasn't sure and went to our stateroom to check. Pat finally got to the theater, and we both got our glass of champagne and saw the Captain introducing his crew, but being separated never met, and only Clay saw the show, "If Walls Could Rock", the ship's singers/dancers with 80's - 90's music.

The Big Guy	(Some of) The Ship's Officers	The Show: "If Walls Could Rock"

Sunday 03/07 Cockburn Town, Turks & Caicos

The Turks and Caicos tourism industry maintains that Columbus was here in 1492, but more likely, the first European visit was in 1512. They were claimed by several countries over the years with Britain eventually gaining control and they are presently a British Overseas Territory. A major part of the population are descended from the slave trade and slavery played an important role, with the first African slaves brought here to work in the salt ponds. The slaves were freed in 1834 by the British Government.

Since we didn't dock until noon, we again had breakfast in the dining room with a Cape Cod couple, the man formally from Pennsylvania between Lancaster and York.

We attended a cooking demonstration in the large and well-equipped Culinary Arts Center: "Have You Ever tried?" Polenta With Balsamic Mushrooms, Fresh Spinach and Pine Nuts. It was short and very well done with pre-prepared samples handed out during the demonstration.

Party Planner Kelly and Pinnacles Grill Chef		TV Screen Overhead View	Generous Sample During the Demo

The Country is the Turks and Caicos Islands (a British Overseas Territory), The Island (one of 40) is Grand Turk, and the City is Cockburn Town

The ship arrived at 12:00 noon, the scheduled time, and we got off as soon as we could and met our tour at the Cruise Ship Center at the end of the pier. We got a wrist band and boarded the second of two small busses. The other bus took off on time, but we had to wait for some stragglers, and were off 15 minutes later -- no big deal.

We Dock at the Grand Turk Cruise Center, About Two Miles From Cockburn Town			We Met The Tour in The Cruise Center

Our driver was very talkative and we passed by the former United States Air Force facility where astronaut John Glenn spent a few days being debriefed after his 1962 Mercury flight splashed down a mile or two off the coast. The route took us past the Governor's residence, he being appointed by the Queen. There were many beautiful Bermudian style buildings, but also many in disrepair, a casualty of hurricane Ike in 2008, the guide said.

Mercury Capsule Replica	There Was a Little New Construction	Many Colorful Bermuda-Style Houses and Salt Pond Remnants

The first stop was at the "Salt House" and the no longer used salt ponds. The gates and pipes used to fill and empty the salt ponds are now used to drain water from the island during heavy storms, and the recreated 17th century saltpan tells the history of the salt and slave industry in Grand Turk.

First Stop at the Salt House (Salt & Slave Trade Museum)		Bahamian Church Damaged By Hurricane Ike

We continued on to Lighthouse Park with its 150+ year old working lighthouse, built in London in 1852. There had been many wrecks on the nearby reefs, damaging the islands main export of salt. The lighthouse is still operational, although badly in need of repair, and of course closed to visitors. There are and nice views of the sea, and donkeys and Clydesdale horses roaming around.

Lighthouse Point: Lighthouse Operational, But Closed To Visitors.   Nearby, There Are Some Great Views and Many Pettable Animals

It was back to the Cruise Ship Center with plenty of time before boarding, and although we would have preferred to go into town for lunch, it was a two-mile taxi ride. So we headed to the nearby Margarativille for a conch chowder and a couple of drinks. After a walk around the shops, we were back on board with plenty of time to spare as usual.

A Beach and a Couple of Swimming Pools Adjacent to the Bar.   They Seem Connected, But Are Just Part Of the Cruise Terminal Complex

There Is Not Much Going On In Mid-day Margarativille	A Bowl Of Conch Chowder	One Of Many Typical Caribbean Stores

Back in our stateroom, we poured a couple glasses of wine and went to the Crow's Nest to listen to Gary T'To (sic). He took a long break, so we left, peeked at the dinner menu to see what wine we are going to order, and went back to our stateroom to change.

We typically caught the Adagio Strings for part of a set before going in for dinner. Tonight, we both ordered the swordfish and for the first on only time, we weren't satisfied, it being a little overcooked. The show was again pretty good with Jeff Mouche, comic and magician. He asks the audience how many are Jewish like him, and then how many are from New York like him. After the New York hands go up, he says "same people!"

Jeff Mouche, "Eccentric" Comic and Magician, With a Couple of Volunteers. " He Works For Many Cruise Lines, Not too Surprising

Monday 03/08 Samaná, Dominican Republic

Although we have a mid-morning tour, we still did the buffet breakfast. The Ship anchored a little early a long way from shore. Samaná is on the North side of the Dominican Republic, and we were on the South side at La Romana in 2007 and a long way from shore then also. Samaná used to be an island until silt washing into the narrow passageway joined it to the mainland. The town is named Santa Bárbara de Samaná after a Spanish queen.

We met for tour at 9:50 in the Queen's Lounge (Culinary Arts Center), the only time we met for a tour on the ship, probably to meter the tender traffic. There were a lot of tours meeting there, but we were one of the early ones to be called. There was a 20 minute tender ride to the Samaná dock, and then we waited 15 more minutes on shore.

Samaná, A Long Tender Ride Away

Up On Dry Land For 15 Minutes	"Not With The Ship"	Back On the Dock For a Ferry Ride	Our Guide Explaining

We re-entered the dock and got on a boat for our "Dominican Experience and Shrimp Fest." Again, we had a quarter hour boat ride hugging the shore, to our beach. we staked out chaise lounges on the beach before heading up to the main building for the Shrimp Fest. First, we went single file through the "Museum" where we reviewed numerous stones, the guide said "of great historical significance." Maybe so, but at least a label, much less a brief story was nowhere in sight. There were other parties not from our ship on adjacent beaches, but the pavilion was only for us. We sat at a table with an interesting lady from Canada by way of England, and another lady that we see often on the ship at the Adiago Strings just before dinner.

A 15 Minute Boar Ride From Samaná	The Pavilion For The Shrimp Fest	An Anonymous Artifact	A Massage Tent -- Unusual

Clay ordered wine and beer at bar, and a server accompanied him back to the table. There were colorfully dressed young dancers doing a few numbers, including the Baile de las Cintas (Ribbon or Maypole Dance). There was also audience participation, with a few of the cruisers taking part.

The Dancers Were Very Entertaining.   And Very Energetic!		The Intricate Ribbon Dance	High School, We Figure

The buffet lunch was just OK with salads and of course shrimp. After that, we went down to the beach with Pat having a contentious discussion with regard to our staked out chaise lounges. By that time, we wanted a place in the shade anyway, because we finally have Caribbean-like temperatures. There was about an hour left and Clay took a very short swim and we were soon waiting for the boat to take us back to Samaná. Something was amiss, as we waited a half hour or so at the stated time, but finally boarded a Catamaran for a speedy ride back to the Samaná dock.

The Dominican Republic's "Bridge to Nowhere", Well Actually To a Tiny Island That Was Featured in Bacardi Commercials

Samaná the town was a little disappointing with only a few kiosks and a dug-up main street with few retail businesses. We walked around but there wasn't much to see. The Shore Excursion office had published a flyer warning that Samaná is "undergoing a major road construction project", and not to take a tour that involved a lot of time on a bus. We didn't do that of course, but not because of the warning. There were also a lot of other warnings with regard to the Dominican Republic being a developing country and the like. After a drink in a restaurant, we rode a tender back to the ship.

Gotta Dig!   They Have To Do It Sometime	Kiosks and Pushy Street Vendors	On A Banana Boat Back	They've Done This Before

We had bad luck finding a music venue this evening, Gary T'To was supposed to be in the Crow's Nest until 7. but he made an early exit as there was a private party again. So we headed for the Adiago Strings and when they returned from their break announced that they were not notified, but they had to play at a private party, probably the one in the Crow's Nest! So we picked up our drinks and were lucky to get seats for the Neptunes in the atrium's Ocean bar.

Tonight's Theater Show: "The Flying Fingers Of Piano Man Stephen Kane"			Tablemates Bobbi & Jerry

Tuesday 03/09 Caribbean Sea

We again had breakfast in the dining room, this time with a Canadian couple and 2 English ladies, maintaining the international flavor of the cruisers. Being a day at sea, we attended another cooking demonstration and the usual kitchen tour.

No Elbow Room When a Lifeboat.   That's OK!	Paella Salad (Sample During) and Caribbean Crusted Scallops with Thai Chili Mayonnaise

The Kitchen Tour, Some Displayed Just For Us, Some Working.   Barilla, Very Nice!   But Is That a Box of Wine On The Right?

We attended a "Name That Tune" with two other couples in the piano bar, with the announced prize being a "free cruise brochure". Scoring was by a neighboring team but with supposedly liberal scoring, we only got 10 out of 15; they didn't give us "Don't Cry For Me", because we didn't have "Argentina!" Duh! It didn't matter, because another team got 15/15 and three others got 14/15. Their prizes were Holland America coffee mugs!

We took glasses of wine from our fridge (the emptied mini-bar) to lunch at the buffet. Holland America must know that people do this, but look the other way. In our case, we're buying more than our share anyway. The Captain hosted a "Behind the Scenes: Life at Sea". He gave a brief talk about his always wanting to captain a cruise ship, and mentioned that there is a "United Nations" crew from the Netherlands, England, the Philippines, Indonesia, Canada, and the United States. We're sure it is the same with most other cruise lines, but we didn't see many from that last country! The cruise director roamed the audience with a microphone and attendees asked about a dozen questions, most good, but naturally a few inane.

The Wine Tasting was supposed to be in the Culinary Arts Center/Queen's Lounge, but a posted announcement that we saw at the last minute changed it to the main dining room, so we were a little late. It was very well attended with about 130 participants, probably the reason that they changed the venue. There were the usual mix of wines with reasonable pours, a sparkling, two whites, and two reds. There was a great deal of time spent on the sparkler with three Sabre a Champagnes (Sabrages). Very nice, although they used a $6 bottle of California Sparkling wine, and it took a major part of the time, the other wines getting glossed over and the reds hardly mentioned at all.

Cellar Master Sascha Did a Great Job With 3 Sabrages, One By Himself With a Heavy Bud Vase!				English Couple Retired To Spain!  Less £!

We attended the "Elegant Wine and Cheese Party" with Party Planner Kelly. It wasn't a party, but "how to plan a party!" Kelly went over different types of cheese, including a few of each category: "Blue & Bold", "Semihard & Smooth", "Aged & Rich", and "Soft & Creamy". The proper wine to go with each was discussed, although Kelly said to be flexible here. After the discussion, we got to taste some ordinary cheese along with your choice of the house Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay!

Behind the Scenes: Life at Sea	(Planning) The Elegant Wine and Cheese Party		The Que Syrah Shiraz Wine Flight

Sascha hosted a "Que Syrah Shiraz" Wine Flight. We were the first and initially the only, but Sascha said he would have done it for one! Another (somewhat chatty) taster showed up shortly, and his wife a little later, but did not taste (well actually, she shared)! There were three wines, a California Pitite Sirah(!), a South African Shiraz, and an Australian Shiraz.

We again caught the Adagio Strings for a few pieces, after a long break from before 7 to 7:30 -- to eat, we later found out! The show was again very good with the ship's singers and dancers.

Wednesday 03/10 Willemstad, Curaçao     See our 2008 visit here

For the first time, we had an (automatic) wakeup call at 6:30. We're already there which is too bad, because unlike our 2008 visit, we are up river from the pontoon bridge. It would have been nice to see them open it to let us pass.

Curaçao was the largest transport center for slaves in the New World. Curaçao had no plantations itself, but in the 1660s, more than 1,000 slaves began arriving each week to be "seasoned" (taught various skills) before being exported to British and Spanish colonies in the Americas. The practice continued until slavery's abolition in 1863.

Punda "The Point" and the Pontoon Bridge	The Queen Juliana Bridge Farther Up River	Otrabanda, The "Other Shore"

A Casino, Natch	Not Our Ship, But We Were There in 2008	Farther Out the Countryside	Egress. "Tentashon": A Teen's Show

After breakfast in the buffet, we met our tour at the end of the pier for the Curaçao Country Drive. We had a big bus with a chatty woman guide (similar to our last visit), and first made a stop at the St. Willibrordus Salt Flats to view the flamingos.

1796 Slave Revolt	We Will See More of These Later	A Mosque	Recession-Proof	Even the Cemeteries Are Colorful

The next two stops were somewhat underwhelming, beaches that were almost deserted for whatever reason, although there were some nice views. And it was a nice break from our guide trying to teach us Papiamentu, one of the languages of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao) and made up from a mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French.

Playa Abou (Knip Beach), Longest Beach	Playa Forti On The Western Tip	Not To Worry, It's Far From In-Bloom Now		Caribbean Xmas

Curaçao's Highest: 1230ft Mt Christoffel	We Didn't Stop At Every One!	It's Available!	All The ABC Islands Are Extremely Dry

The next stop however, was worth the trip alone, National Park Shete Boka with a scenic network of walking trails to limestone grottoes and fossilized caves and spectacular ocean views. The group followed our guide down a path leading to the sea with her commentary, but soon dispersed to view the sights on our own.

"Seven Bays" in Papiamentu	The "bokas" Are Created By Millions Of Years Of Waves Breaking On the Limestone Cliffs

You Can't Go Very Far, But ...	... It's a Cave With a Hole To the Sea	A Very Windy Northwest Coast Making For An Angry Ocean

Our last stop was at a traditional adobe house with a thatched roof built as they were about 130 years ago. It illustrates the way the Afro-Curaçaoan rural population lived until about 1950. The method of construction dates back to before the year 1700 and coincides with the coming of the enslaved Africans. Inside a is a small museum with typical household artifacts from the past.

Last Stop: A Traditional Adobe House With A Thatched Roof Built As They Were About 130 Years Ago

Back at the ship, again most people got out of the heat for lunch, but we walked into Punda, the old part of town that looks like Amsterdam.

Walk Across the Pontoon Bridge Opens More Than 20 Times a Day	On the Other Side Is Punda, "The Point" Or Old Town	Moises Gomez, Led Fight for Autonomy	Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue 1730: Oldest In the Americas

We looked at many places for lunch, but as with the Netherlands, there is no Dutch cuisine, as the restaurants reflect their many colonial influences. Finally, we decided to try a hotel, and it was a hotel for sure, but it turned out to be a hotel school! There were student servers, probably new students getting an initiation on serving at a usually lightly attended lunch. We suppose there were students in the kitchen also, but it was OK, although not at restaurant school prices!

After Looking At Many Restaurants, We Decided On Lunch Here.   It Was OK, But It Is Definitely a Restaurant School Too

We walked around a little more which was probably a mistake, as it was very hot and humid now. By the time we got back to the ship, we were really beat! Where is that cool weather we had in Florida -- or even in the Bahamas!

The Entrance, and One Of the Many Canals, Just Like The Netherlands		Floating Market, South American Supplied.   Here A Melon

2 For 1 Drinks With a View of the Queen Juliana Bridge From the Crow's Nest		All Ready For the Lido Pool Party

We are in port until 11 and there is no show this evening, so after dinner, we went on a "Pub Crawl" at 9:30. It consisted of a drink at each of 5 bars for $15, a deal for a cruise ship! There were about 40 people, and we shared a drink coupon between us as did some others. We thought we could choose the drinks, but each bar had fancy, fruity drinks ready and waiting (it had to be that way for that many people) when we arrived. They were also full strength, so even though we shared one, ours (and many others) went half-finished.

The Bar Manager Andre was the host and there were little question and answer sessions where he described the recruitment and training for the bar staff. They are all Filipino, and Holland America has two schools in the Philippines, whereas all the hotel staff are Indonesian (and Muslim, precluding them from bar work).

Of course, we got the champagnes at the last bar, but the first four bar drinks were so sweet, it made the Champagne seem abnormally dry! The Crawl lasted about an hour and a half and we thought it was fun. At the end, we signed up for "The Pub Crawl Reunion" in two days. We seemed to have intruded at the crowded Piano Bar & Oceans Bars, but with the beverage Manager Andre running the crawl, we were welcomed. The Outside Seaview and Lido Bars were still hot and very humid, especially at the last stop where there were prizes for answering drink-relater questions. We won a tee shirt and luggage tag for knowing (guessing!) the meaning of XO in Cognac (eXtra Old!)

The Pub Crawl: Beverage Manager Andre and One Of His Staff	The Crawlers.   We're There In the Back, Behind the Hands!

Thursday 03/11 Kralendijk, Bonaire   &nbap; See our 2011 visit here

We again arrived on schedule at 8:00AM with the pier on our side and we are the only ship here. We tied up with the help of a couple of tugs pulling lines across to the shore. It seemed from our balcony that the lines would cut off access to the shoreline just opposite our ship, but a view from ashore showed the lines to be high in the air. Duh!

It's a crap Shoot As To Which Side We Dock, Probably Pretty Close to 50-50.   It's Always Fun To Watch The Mooring Process

Again, we have an early tour, so it was breakfast in the buffet. We still had a little time and got off early and roamed around for a while before meeting our tour. It is hot and here we went for the non-air-conditioned tour rather that the ($10 more) air-conditioned tour. Well, we made that decision in December back home, and now we were having second thoughts.

A New Country For Us!	We Can See Our Stateroom From the Shore	Not Only No Air, But It's a School Bus!

The guide immediately said that we made the correct choice as the air-conditioned bus was sterile and we will get to feel the island more this way! In addition to trying to cheer us up, he was a very good guide and loves his island. He was far and away the best tour guide on the trip. Bonaire is a favorite among scuba divers, and we passed many dive site signs all along the southern side of the island.

We've Never Seen Anything Like This	Auto Transport.   Enough To Fill the Entire Island!	Most of the Roads Were Very Rough

Off we went and it soon became apparent that the lack of air-conditioning was going to be no sweat (sorry), but the suspension on the school bus would (and did) bother us the entire tour. We passed a lot of nice houses near the coast, all foreigners the guide said, as the natives live inland, although we understand that there aren't that many hurricanes in the ABC islands near South America.

The Sea On One Side, Rocky Cliffs On The Other		3m Barrel Venezuela Crude Oil Storage.   Refined on Aruba & Curaçao

The itinerary didn't seem to follow the description in the Shore Excursion brochure, but the first stop was certainly there, Goto lake to see flamingos, and we weren't disappointed.

Lake Gotomeer (or Goto): A Landlocked Saltwater Lake	Plenty Of Flamingos In Lake Goto	A Century Plant

The unscheduled Washington Slagbaai National Park is the first nature sanctuary of the Netherlands Antilles. It was established in 1969 and provides a habitat for parrots, flamingos, parakeets, iguanas and many other species of birds and reptiles and its beaches are nesting grounds for sea turtles. It was formed from two of the largest and most productive plantations on the island during the colonial period,

Not In Tour Brochure	Dead Coral In Limekiln	There Are Many Walking Trails	Restroom Signs, Guess Which is Which!

Also not in the tour brochure was a stop at a Christian shrine on the top of a hill. There were some excellent views, but no identification as to its significance. The guide mentioned that there is a centerpiece of a likeness of the virgin Mary that has been out for renovation and he hoped we would find it there today, but it was still gone. While there is a donkey sanctuary caring for more than 400 sick, wounded, and orphaned(!?) animals, there are still quite a few wandering around. The guide said if you hit a donkey with a car, call 911, and someone will rush out immediately to tend to the donkey!

The Shrine: "Christ Yesterday, Today, Forever" In Papiamentu		Some Wind Turbines	A Non-Farm Donkey	A Cactus Fence Taken Root

We had a leisurely light lunch in Kralendijk, "Krah'·luhn·Deik`", means "coral reef". In all the ABC islands, there is a Venezuelan Beer available and Clay wanted to get some to take home. We heard that there is a supermarket a few blocks away and we set out in that direction. Well it was more than a few blocks but they had the beer -- either in a case or single bottles! Clay asked if that was the only way it was available i.e., no six-pack, but only got a reply about the cost and that they do take dollars. Anyway, we grabbed 6 bottles, gave the cashier a ten dollar bill and got Netherlands Antillean Florin coins in change. They also call it the Netherlands Antillean Guilder, or just guilder in honor of the former Netherlands currency, which of course now is the Euro! Clay grabbed the local shopper that preceded him and made his day with a gift of the coins (about $3). Further, they apparently have no paper or plastic, and we had to stuff them in our Holland America carry bag, but they went through security on the ship without incident.

A Leisurely Lunch Across From the Ship		To Market We Go	Not USA Size or Stock, But OK	Hugo Chavez's Favorite

We were probably the last ones to arrive at the Sommelier Dinner Champagne (Domaine Chandon Brut) Reception in the Pinnacles Bar, and had to borrow a chair to sit with a couple from Gainsville, FL. They knew of the Ormond Beach area and both couples were disappointed to be split when we were ushered into the Pinnacles Restaurant for the dinner. There were five courses and four more wines with plenty of refill opportunities. Cellar Master Sascha was the host, and with the chefs, introduced each course and its wine. We sat with two Dutch couples and a Western Canadian couple continuing the international flavor of the cruisers. Having been to the Netherlands was a good ice breaker and although there was somewhat of a language barrier, we had some interesting discussions.

We sailed at 6:00pm (it was originally scheduled for 5:00pm) to get to nearby Aruba at 8:00am! The Show was Matilda & (Ventriloquist) Patrick, substituting for Tony Cherry who we will see tomorrow night. We don't know what happened there.

Pat Was Ahead Early.   No Further Word!	Patrick & Matilda, and Mrs. Patrick & ?

Friday 03/12 Oranjestad, Aruba     See our 2008 and 2011 visits here

Again, we were docked when we woke up and again we did breakfast in the buffet because we have an early morning tour. We found it easily, as all the tours were on the entire trip. On an air-conditioned (it's the only option here!) bus with driver and tour guide the same person. He drove along the coast pointing out the Low-rise hotel district and the High-rise hotels district. there are building restriction heights that keep them separated.

Typical Welcome!	Iguana Sighting	Two Displays Inside the Bus

The first stop was at the California Lighthouse, so named because the U.S ship California sunk about two years previous to its construction in 1910. Unlike most tourist sites with the usual gift shop, there is only a very nice Italian restaurant, La Trattoria El Farro Blanco, closed this early morning, with of course great views from the dining room.

The California Lighthouse	Some Great Views, You Can See Venezuela On a Clear Day		Very Nice!   Uses Recycled Water From the Hotels

We drove through Residential neighborhoods to Paradera church and cemetery, and finally to the Casibari Rock Formations, huge boulders in the center of the island. The highlight is the view from the top of the largest boulder. Walking trails and steps were created through the boulders. The path to the top of the main boulder has narrow steps with some handrails, tunnels, and ledges.

The Casibari Rock Formations	It Wasn't Too Bad Climbing Up With Handrails Part Of the Way, But Sometimes You Had To Crouch

It Was Windy, But Here Also Were Some Great Views From the Top		Scarier Adjacent Smaller Rock!   No Handrails!

On to the next stop, the Natural Bridge. We were here in 2008, so this was ho-hum. However, we did discover how those piles of rocks said to appear mysteriously were formed.

From the Bus: Mystery Rock Piles	A Larger Bridge Collapsed In 2005	The Wind Kicking Up the Surf	Aha! The Mystery Solved

We were disappointed to read in the brochure that we would visit an Ostrich Farm, and we thought we must have overlooked that when we signed up as we have been there before, or at least we thought. However when we arrived, it didn't look familiar, and Clay asked if there were another Ostrich Farm. The Guide said no, not on Aruba, but there is a bigger one on Curaçao! Aha, that's where we were, the trips are beginning to blend into one. Anyway, the one in Curaçao was more elaborate with a ride in a cart, and they raise their ostriches for their meat, whereas here, although sizeable, is primarily a tourist venue.

This Was a Walking Tour.   Without a Guide, They Mean.   N!		Largest Birds In the World	Tablemates Ted & Marlene.   Our Guide

They've Done This Before	Tablemate Ted Trying It	2-3 Lbs.   2 Dozen Chicken Eggs	A Couple Of Interlopers

We again got off the bus in town, only one other couple didn't go back to the ship for lunch. Pat saw a Mexican restaurant a few blocks on the way in and we headed there.

Lunch Here, 3 Tapas, Sangria and Balashi (Aruba's Beer)         A Lot Of the Streets Are Being Resurfaced.   Not Too Good This Year?

We went through the upscale Renaissance mall, browsed through two sets of kiosks and headed back to the ship.

One Of Many Upscale Shops	Colorful Aruba Buildings	Ship At the End Of the Street!	We Enter Farther Left

We again got the happy hour 2 for 1 in the Crow's Nest and caught the first set of Gary T'To. Boy, that's a funny name, wonder what's behind that! The beer selection is not too bad, with Bass and Becks available, but it took a few orders to notice that they offer a "Belgian Half Moon Ale". It's pretty good, but with no brewery listed on the label, probably contract brewed exclusively for Holland America.

After dinner, we attended a Wine & Cheese Tasting under the stars. Again the crowd was sparse -- actually with only us! Cellar Master Sascha hosted with a serving assistant. Most other people must be wined out, although we heard the next day that two others did show up after we had left. Postponed from last night, the show was vocalist Tony Cherry, Joan Rivers opening act for 17 years. He was pretty funny, especially with the cruise related stuff.

Gary T'To, After the Happy Hour	Tony Cherry and the Ship's Band, Postponed From Last Night

Saturday 03/13 Caribbean Sea

After Pat went to Mass, we had breakfast in the dining room with a couple from Chicago that have relatives in Ormond Beach, FL., small world! Today was the Mariner Lunch and all Star Mariners (with at least one previous Holland America Cruise) were invited. There were two seatings probably accommodating a good portion of the ship! The next level is the 2-star Mariner, with 30 or more cruise credits. We are probably close to that now. It's a complicated formula with days cruising, booking upscale staterooms, and now on-board spending all accruing credits. We sat with a couple from Washington, and as many other cruisers stick with one line, we lag far behind in that category.

We attended the Premium Wine Tasting in the Pinnacle Grill with the couple from the Sommieler Dinner Champagne Reception and a couple from Ohio/Iowa. This was much nicer of course and featured much better wines, a Champagne, a couple of French White Burgundies, a California Chardonnay, an Italian Barbera, and a Washington Three Vineyards Vininfera blend.

The last wine related activity was "It's a Sin Not to Zin Wine Flight" hosted again by Sascha, the Cellar Master, with the same attendees as the "Que Syrah Shiraz", us and the chatty other man joined by his "non-participating" wife.

It's A Sin Not To Zin With The Usual Suspects	Jerry's Next-to-Last Desert	Holland American House Beer

At the Pub Crawl two nights ago, we had signed up for the similar Pub Crawl "Reunion", and it was pretty similar with 4 of the 5 bars being the same. There are 11 bars on the ship, but they probably need the larger ones to accommodate the crowd. There were less attendees this time, but probably about 25 or so, and that's a lot for any bar to serve at once. Again the drinks were very and fruity (and alcoholic). It was still a lot if fun, and something to do although here there was a show in the theater, the only one that we missed.

Bar Manager Andre	Caught Us Between Bars	Got Us Again, But Going Up!	Don't Know.   He Is With HAL	Andre Flashing

Sunday 03/14 Caribbean Sea

After another breakfast in the buffet, we started packing. On a ship it's not too much trouble, you haven't acquired a lot of additional stuff, and there aren't that many places to put the stuff that you came on board with, so it was a fairly easy task, but you still double and triple check.

The Bar Manager Andre took photos of both of the Pub Crawls and said that he would make them available. After the first one, Clay went to the Main Desk, The Photo Gallery, back to the Main Desk, a Page for the Bar Manager, and finally a visit to his office. This time, Clay went directly to his office. Both times he couldn't be nicer, taking our flash drive and copying the photos that he had taken.

We got a preliminary copy of our bill to date and questioned a charge of $17.77. It was on an evening where we had a couple of other drinks, and we didn't remember this one. It was two Johnny Walkers and a Pepsi! This was obviously not ours with our imbibing history being mostly wine & beer and they said it will be refunded, and the final statement reflected that.

We had one bottle of wine remaining from our two packages, and we requested it from a wine steward at lunch. At dinner the Wine Steward soon became familiar with us, and learned early on about our pre-payment for the packages. This wine steward at lunch had to ask a number of questions after he brought the wine. Can't blame him, not that many people get a bottle of (or any) wine for lunch, but it finally worked out.

We each took a glass of wine from our refrigerator into the "Broadway Moves to Vista" mid-day show, with the Noordam Singers and Dancers.

Afternoon Show With the Ship's Singers and Dancers		The Final Night's "United Nations" Dinner Napkin Flourish, etc.

It was 2 for 1 happy hour at the Crow's Nest again (actually it was every day from 4 to 5 but we didn't catch on right away!), and again we planned to carry them over to Gary T'To's first set. Last time the bartender said that everything on the bar list was available 2 for 1. We thought that was a pretty good deal, so Pat splurged and ordered the Ruffino Pinot Grigio at $8. But the server said that there is a $6.75 cap on the two for one(!), so she got the $6.00 Alice White!

We only listened to 15 minutes of the Adiago Strings around their half-hour dinner break, since our Dinner is 15 minutes early tonight. It is the last night "United Nations" dinner, reflecting the crew's diversity (and the passengers on this trip at least!). It was the typical napkin flourish, salad thingy, mushroom mousse, cucumber wrapped salad, and three courses with the traditional baked alaska desert.

We packed our one huge suitcase, put it outside and got all the carry-ons ready. The Northern Lights bar has DJ Troy hosting "Rock It Until We Dock It", but we are going to pass that up for a couple of reasons!

Saturday 03/15 Disembarkation

We arrived back at Port Everglades before dawn and at the terminal right across from the parking garage. That saved us a half hour or so. It was the first time we can remember returning to a different terminal than the one from which we left.

It's Dawn And We Are Docked At Port Everglades	We're At a Different Pier, Directly Across From the Parking Garage

We had an early breakfast in the buffet by the pool, and it was surprisingly not too crowded! There was a lady from Minnesota that talked with us for a while and then sat down at our table uninvited! She must have been very lonely!

Back at our stateroom, the assistant room steward was making up the bed already, probably to get a head start on a busy day for them. There was a mid-morning knock on the door and it was the minibar checker! In our case, he just replaced the stuff without comment that we had taken out on boarding to make room for our wine and presumably accounted for all of it!

There was an announcement that there will be no more announcements -- you are expected to disembark at your scheduled time. But there was of course, somebody always has to be paged for whatever, usually a credit card problem. You can get off as soon as we dock, and the incentive to do this is not having to wait for your bags. Ted and Marlene, two of our tablemates got off early doing this. After a final check of out stateroom, we headed for a lounge with about an hour to wait.

Our scheduled disembarkation window was 8:45 - 9:00, and we left then, but met a 20 minute holdup on the way down probably due to other people going before their time. Finally, we got our big bag, went through immigration, and walked to our car in the garage across the street. After a little trouble finding the car again, neither of our remotes would beep! Sure enough, the battery was dead. We got a jump from an attendant driving around in a golf cart, and we took off on I95, getting off at Ft. Pierce and stopping at a Hundai dealer in Cocoa, FL. We had lunch while expecting to get a new battery, but they said the battery was fine as shown by a thorough (only $25) inspection. Their suggestion was that we may have left the dome light on and, in the 10 days, that did the deed. We weren't so sure, but it only cost us an hour or so, and we made that up by staying on I95 to Jacksonville, and then Rt 17 to Kingsland, Georgia for the evening, same as the last two years.

The next day, the car started fine, and with a lunch near Charleston, SC we made it to Jacksonville, NC for the final night. There was the usual traffic around Norfolk, and we had corned beef and cabbage just across the bridge- tunnel, listened to 16 tracks of Irish music, had a Guinness near Dover, DE. for our St. Patrick's Day Party. We arrived home in early evening.

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Created: 03/29/10 Changed: 04/14/11

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