1st timer's review Westerdam 1/23/05

A first time cruisers review of the ms. Westerdam Eastern Caribbean cruise 1/23/05.

First of all I have to thank everyone here on the HAL board for all of the information we were able to gather prior to our first cruise. Knowing some things ahead of time made the experience more comfortable and did not in any way diminish from the awesome experience. And, as many people told us before, no that we’ve experienced cruising…WE ARE HOOKED!

I will make multiple posts in an attempt to make this more readable and to avoid the posts disappearance into internet oblivion. I will be as objective as I am able and will highlight both the good (mostly) and bad (very little) experiences from our cruise vacation.

Day 0 – 1/22/05: Escape from Philly:

Saturday 1/22/05 was being predicted as one of the worst snow storms that the Philadelphia area has seen in a long time. The weather people were predicting between 18 and 36 inches of snow in Philly and more in “The northern and western suburbs” where we live. We had a 9:40 flight and the snow was predicted to start at 10:00. We got to PHL in good order and boarded the plane and pulled away from the gate on time. As we were taxiing to the runway, the pilot pulled off the main taxiway and shut down the planes engines. Fog in Atlanta (our layover destination) had caused our departure to be delayed. As we only had a 1 hour time frame to change planes we started to get a little nervous. We departed around 15 min. late just as the storm started to hit Philly. We landed in Atlanta and made it to our connecting flight just as they were ending boarding. We were SURE our bags wouldn’t make the flight! We got into FLL on time and when we got off the plane we were faced with a sea of humanity. The storm was really going strong in the north east and many flights out of FLL were being canceled. We made our way to the baggage claim not really expecting our bags to appear but…they were in the first batch off of the plane! We gathered our luggage and made it onto a shuttle to the Embassy Suites.

The lobby of the Embassy suites was also a mad house. Many people who couldn’t get out of FLL were trying to boo rooms but the hotel was full. We got registered, dropped our luggage in our room and went for a walk. We attended the manager’s reception that evening and then went out to dinner. We ate at Chuck’s Steakhouse which had some sentimental value for us. DW and I got engaged at a Chuck’s in Connecticut “several” years ago. After dinner we turned in early and dreamed in anticipation of embarking the next day.

More to follow………………..

I look forward to your further reviews with anticipation. We are booked for the same cruise on the Westerdam in early December and it will be our first trip with HAL. It's amazing how much mileage you can get out of reading other people's reviews - our cruise is still 10 months away, but these reviews let me think about it every day!

Sue

We got off the Westerdam the day you boarded her.

It still a mad house at the Embassy Suites when we got there at 9:40 AM. And it stayed that way all day as a few more flights to the north had been cancelled.

Great start K&RCurt. I'll be very interested to hear a first time cruiser's version of the same cruise we were on. We seemed to run into a very high number of first time cruisers this trip. It was fun sharing the pre-cruise excitment with you on the rollcall and then meeting up with you on board. Welcome to the "hooked on cruising" group. Fortunately the only cure is to book another cruise!

Day 1 1-23-05: Part I Embarkation

We woke up bright and early, showered and got down to breakfast. As we had reserved spots on the 11:30 shuttle to the port we had time to go for a morning walk. We went over to the CVS and picked up some small items we had forgotten from home. We got back to the room, checked that we had everything and headed down to the lobby to await transportation to the port. The Lobby was once again a total mad house. The shuttle scheduled to leave at 11:00 still hadn’t left and no one seemed to know what was going on. We checked in at the shuttle desk but we didn’t have a warm fuzzy feeling about the whole process. They were calling out peoples names and getting no response, people were yelling at the drivers and venting their frustrations while we sat by and watched. Eventually we were placed on the “11:15” shuttle which left the hotel at 11:55! Next time we'll take a cab.

We arrived at the pier and the porters took our bags and were very friendly and helpful and pointed us in the right direction. We got into the line which, at this point, was outside the building. We eventually made our way inside. While in line we met a family from Queens, New York – Paul, Paul Jr, Lisa and Jennifer. We struck up a conversation and it turned out that we were constantly running into them throughout the cruise. It’ amazing how an accident of being lined up with someone can result in fast friendships forming.

The entire embarkation process was mass chaos. Were got through the security screening with no problem, were handed number 11 and were hoarded upstairs into “The Hall of Waiting”. It was around 12:45 at this point and they were just calling number 6 when we were told where to sit. The procedure for lining up and checking in was changed about 4 times and no one could hear what any of the HAL people were saying. After about an hour our group was called up to wait for the next available person. We had our ID checked and they handed us our pack with our room keys and we were told to get on the ship and proceed to the Hudson Room. We proceeded down the hallway, stopped to take a photo (you should have seen the gallery of scowling faces in the photo area the next day!), and went on to the gangway.

One on board everything changed. We were greeted by the security officers who checked our boarding cards and ID’s and were then shown the way to the Hudson room by smiling well mannered crew members. There was a line to enter the Hudson room but along the line stewards were serving juice and water to help sooth the frayed nerves. We were directed to a very nice front office clerk with a laptop PC who took our credit card and also took our photos for the security system. This being done we were directed to our cabin and were told we could go to the Lido for lunch whenever we wanted.

We later found out that the problems all stemed from some issues with the computers at the pier. There was still no excuse for the poor communication and total disorganization.

Still more to come……

Welcome Back. I'm enjoying your review and look forward to your next installment.

;) Looking forward to enjoying your journey and over-all impressions!

We enjoyed Oosterdam last year, and are contimplating the

new Westerdam. Thanks!

I am enjoying reading your review. We are sailing in March and I hope we have a better embarkation. I can only imagine what the pictures of the passengers looked like.

:D Keith & Gina,

When you get a chance we would love to read about your cruise! Thanks.:p

SORRY..I know it's taken me a while to get back at this.

I've been getting stuck late at work. And on Monday my DS was up all night with "norvo virus" like symptoms.

Maybe I should start a thread about how the schools are responsible for the spead of viruses. Should I demand that the entire school be disinfected? I should be offered some sort of compensation due to my DS missing school and my DW missing work to stay home with him the next day!!! Perhaps I could get the school district to give me a FREE CRUISE!

That should keep everyone entertained until I can post my next installment tonight! LOL

Day 1 1-23-05 Part II – Sail Away and first night onboard

We made our way to our cabin, # 5092, Veranda deck just forward of the glass elevators on the port side. We had heard about how small cabins are from several friends and relatives who have cruised in the past. We were pleasantly surprised at the size of the cabin when we entered. We were also very surprised and happy to find 4 bottles of wine on the coffee table which our TA had purchased for us, as well as the Westerdam hard cover book “with the Captain’s compliments”. We immediately dropped our carry on bags and went out to survey the view from the veranda. We looked across the cruise terminal and saw the RCI Jewel of the Sea and the Costa Meddeterania. We then left to check out the ship and have lunch at the Lido restaurant. We were very impressed with the layout and offerings at the Lido. We chose our lunch items and sat down at a table by the windows on the port side. We had been seated for around a minute when a beverage steward came by and asked if we wanted soda cards. We signed for the “cards” and he placed the Coke stickers on our cards. After eating we wandered around the ship, eventually making our way to the Pinnacle Grill, where we checked on the time for our first night reservations. When I had called ship’s services I was able to “request” a time but was told I would have to check once on board to see if the request was honored or not. We were happy to find that all was in order and our request had been granted. There were quite a few people lined up attempting to get reservations for the first night, but it was sold out.

We went on with our wanderings and were able to find the sports bar just in time for the Kick Off of the Eagles vs. Falcons playoff game. We sat down in one of the seats across from the large screen TV and ordered some drinks. We found out that the seats next to us were occupied by a group from Atlanta! We enjoyed some friendly banter back and forth during the game until just before the life boat muster. We Went back to our cabin (and were pleased to be able to find it!) and our luggage had been delivered. We practiced putting on our life vests, if my head were any bigger I think I would still have it stuck over my ears! We went to our muster station at the sounding of the lifeboat drill and it went off without a hitch. We found that we had the same muster station as Paul, and Lisa’s family that we had met in the embarkation line. We returned to our cabin and started unpacking while watching the NFL game on the TV in our cabin. The phone rang and it was Sharonn from the boards. We had agreed before the cruise to try to get together after the lifeboat drill. We decided to meet in the Crow’s Nest. After unpacking and finishing the game we went out to find the Crow’s Nest. Luckily Sharon had her eyes peeled for two lost people. She found us wandering around the Crow’s Nest. We sat and chatted with Sharonn and her DH as the ship made it’s way our of Ft. Lauderdale. It was awesome to see the long line of fully lit-up cruise ships sailing out to sea.

After a nice get together we went back to our cabins ( Sharonn was also on the Veranda deck) to get ready for dinner. We got to the Pinnacle at our appointed time and were escorted to a table for 2 near the windows. We selected a bottle of wine from the wine steward and were graciously served by a very friendly and attractive waitress from Poland and an assistant waiter from the Philippines. There had been much talk about the staff in the Pinnacle on the boards. On this cruise the staff appeared to have pairings of an Eastern European and a Filipino assigned as teams. The dinner was WONDERFUL! DW had cedar planked halibut and I had the Sterling Silver porterhouse steak. DW had the triple Crème Brule dessert and I had the chocolate volcano cake. The service and food were superb.

After dinner we made our way forward to the Vista Lounge for our first “Showtime”. We, quite frankly, had very low expectations of the shows based on what I have heard and read. We were once again pleasantly surprised! The ship’s cast performed a few song numbers and the comedian Bernie McGrenahan did a routine. The singers and dancers were very good, along with the costumes, sets and effects and Bernie was hilarious. After the show we were very tired and returned to the cabin. Once back in the cabin we went out on the veranda and were mesmerized by the sight and sound of the sea as the ship moved along. We almost had to pinch ourselves to see if we were dreaming. We turned in, wondering if we would be able to sleep…………we didn’t have any trouble and were out like lights before our heads hit the soft pillows.

Yet more to follow……I won’t take so long between posts next time!

Great review, looking forward to your next chapter.

Great review so far!!! We sail next month, and your report is REALLY getting me excited!! Tell me more! Tell me more!!:p

Day 2 1-24-05 – Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas

My body is “programmed” to wake up around 6:00 AM but I am a fairly light sleeper and am used to being awakened by odd noises, DW turning over or getting out of bed etc. I had assumed that the process of docking a huge ship would be accompanied by a lot of jostling, jerking and bumping along with a cacophony of noise. I certainly wouldn’t SLEEP through it. Well….WRONG AGAIN! I opened my eyes at around 6:15, looked out the window and saw Nassau! We were already docked. I jumped out of bed like a kid on Christmas, and went out on the veranda with the camera and started taking pictures. DW woke up, we got ready for the day and went up to the lido for breakfast. I was overwhelmed by the amount of choices! I had a “little of everything” which ended up as a lot! But I loved the made to order omelets, the always available smoked salmon, the selection of pastries and especially the fresh squeezed OJ. Gina usually had the mixed fresh fruit, yogurt and croissants. After our 3rd cup of coffee we went back to the cabin (which had magically been cleaned in the 45 min. we were gone!) and got ready to go see Nassau.

We noticed that the RCI Mariner of the Seas was docked to us. As we walked down the gangway we felt a breeze picking up. When we got down to the pier between the ships it was like a wind tunnel. I couldn’t believe how hard the wind was blowing. When we got out from between the two ships…just a light breeze. I hadn’t thought about it before but it was just like being between two buildings in NYC. We went and walked around Nassau. DW got hounded to have her hair braided and we walked though the gauntlet of taxi drivers. We walked around for around an hour and a half, did a little souvenir shopping and IMO saw all we would ever want to see of Nassau. We got back on the ship and headed to lunch. We had a nice leisurely lunch in the lido at a table by a window on the port side. It was fascinating as we pulled out of Nassau to watch the harbor pilot jump off the ship onto the pilot boat. We basically wandered around the ship and then went and sat on our veranda sipping wine for the rest of the afternoon. One thing we did notice was that the ship was rocking quite a bit and we were having a little trouble walking straight.

This was also the first formal night. I have followed with much amusement the dress code battles on the boards. Keeping in mind that this was OUR VACATION we chose to dress up for the evening. I had rented a tux from the onboard supplier and DW wore a long black dress. This was also the evening of the Captains champagne reception. We got in line and shook hands with Captain Dirk van den Berg and entered the Vista lounge and found a seat. We had assumed that we would be served a glass of champagne and there would be a little speech and it would be done. We were VERY surprised when the stewards kept bringing more champagne constantly. They kept coming around refilling glasses! Captain van den Berg introduced the ships officers and also the employee of the month and welcomed all aboard. After the reception we headed to dinner.

As we had gone to the Pinnacle Grill the first night we were just now meeting our tablemates for the rest of the cruise. We were seated at table 167 an oval table for 6 near the aft of the lower vista dinning room. We were seated and met 3 of our tablemates. Shane and Lisa from the UK and Barbara from Saratoga, NY.. Barbara’s roommate Joan was not at dinner this night and had also missed the first night due to sea sickness. We had a very nice conversation and looked forward to getting to know our tablemates better over the rest of the cruise. We noticed two odd things in the dinning room; 1) There were a lot of empty tables and 2) There were a lot of people wearing sports jerseys (Yes, this was a FORMAL night). We asked our dinning steward about this and he told us that; 1) 400 people had missed the cruise due to the snow storm and 2) A radio station in St. Louis had sponsored a “sail with the Cardinal’s” cruise.(more on this later). We had a wonderful dinner and when done headed off to the Vista Lounge for “Showtime”.

This night’s show was the ship’s cast in a production called “The Grand Tour”. The costumes and sets were very good as were the singers and dancers. The two leads had awesome singing voices. The “second leads” were not quite as strong but were still very good. We were once again very happy with the show. It was much better than I had been lead to believe from reading on the boards. I don’t know if it was beginner’s infatuation or not…and right then I didn’t care! After the show we stopped in the sports bar for a drink and then returned to our cabin to turn in. Our programs for the next day’s activities were laid out on our bed. Chocolates were on our pulled down sheets, fresh towels were hung and our ice bucket was full. Off to sleep again on the wonderfully comfortable beds, being rocked by the waves of the ocean.

More tomorrow……………

Yet more to follow……I won’t take so long between posts next time!

__________________

Keith & Gina

:D Great Reviews! Thanks so much for letting us enjoy your cruise!

My DH was also "hooked" after our 1st Maasdam cruise. I'll bet this isn't your last!

"The two leads had awesome singing voices. "

I totally agree! I usually get bored during the shows but these two were the best that I've seen in a long time and I wasn't watching my watch through any of their shows! So glad you enjoyed this cruise!

Ahhh - Captain van den Berg....

Very nice man - he met his wife when she was a passenger aboard Noordam, I believe. We met him when he was master of Oosterdam last year and when we were filing through the reception line during last year's cruise, she had her eye on him the whole time!

Bepsf:

No doubt. DW had her eye on him too! She said "If you fall overboard do you think the Captain will come console me?"

Luckily we both have a somewhat twisted sense of humor!

Day 3 1-25-05 - Day at Sea

We woke up around 7:30 (late for us), put ourselves together and went up to the Lido for breakfast. After breakfast we went back to the cabin and got ready for the day. DW went and sat on the veranda to watch the ocean pass by and I went down to the Internet center to set up an on board account. DW was going batty not knowing how the kids were at home. I decided to just set up a wireless account for my laptop as it seemed the most convenient option. I got some E-mails out to the kids and had received some from them so DW was assured they were surviving our absence just fine. (Just so you don’t think we left our poor young babies at home while we cruised the Caribbean, DW1 is 19 and away at college, DW2 is 18 and a senior in High School and she and DS age 11 were at home along with our best friend from CT who drove down to spend the week with them). I also sent some quick e-mails to my friends at work letting them know I was enjoying the cruise while they shoveled snow and slaved away at work! I went back to the cabin and then we headed out to take the kitchen tour. As we wondered around the ship we noticed the impact that the “Cardinals” group had on a sea day. They had the Queen’s lounge curtained off all to themselves and also had a private bar table set up in the hallway outside the Queen’s lounge. Whenever there was a break in their programs the hallway outside the Queen’s lounge was flooded with people in Cardinals Jerseys.

We arrived at the Explorer’s lounge early to await the start of the kitchen tour. As we sat in the lounge several older ladies sat down in the same seating area. As Gina will strike up a conversation with anyone she started to talk to this group. We had a wonderful time talking to these ladies. They were the stereotypical HAL passenger, 70++ years old etc… It turns out that one of the ladies, Barbara, was originally from Poland. She was a Jew and had survived the Warsaw ghetto during WWII. She related the story of how she had lost her entire family in the holocaust. She said that even though it was painful for her, she related her story whenever she could so that what took place is never forgotten. She was such a strong woman and it was wonderful talking with her. I tell this story as an example to those who complain about HAL having nothing but “old people”. While the entire cruise experience was so awesome, this short conversation touched us more than anything else that happened that week. If it hadn’t been for a group of “Old Folks” sitting by us we would have missed it.

Back to the cruise activities –

We went through the kitchen tour and it was fascinating seeing the scale of the kitchen area and how spotless and well organized it was. After the tour there was a cooking demonstration in the Vista Lounge. Two chefs from the Pinnacle grill prepared the crab cake appetizer and everyone got a sample. While this was good in the Vista Lounge I look forward to the addition of the culinary arts centers to all of the HAL ships. DW and I have taken cooking classes in New Orleans and have also been in the audience for Emeril Live four times (once we got to sit at the area where Emeril cooked on the old set and got to try all of the dishes he prepared) and culinary demonstrations are much better when done in the proper environment.

After the demonstration we went back to the cabin, got into our swim suits and went to have lunch at the Terrace Gill by the Lido pool. DW had tacos and I had Bratwurst and the absolute BEST French fries. And then we met Norman…….A steward came up to us while eating and asked if we wanted drinks. We ordered two diet cokes. When he returned he asked our names. He introduced himself and then explained that he also worked evenings serving Hors d’oeuvres at the Ocean Bar and “even though they are supposed to be only for people buying drinks, I am inviting you so I will bring you some.” We finished lunch and found two lounge chairs by the pool and sat, swam, went tin the hot tubs, read and generally chilled out the whole afternoon. I even joined in the golf chipping contest. The whole time we were there Norman would not allow our diet cokes to become empty!

We went back to our cabin around 5:00, showered, got dressed and sat on the veranda and drank some wine. Since Norman’s invitation was so nice, we decided to go to the Ocean Bar before dinner for some cocktails. I had the martini of the day, which was the 007 Martini (standard martini with a twist) and DW had the drink of the day which was the Island Sunset ( vodka, OJ, lemon lime mix, Galliano and grenadine). Norman came to out table, greeted us by name, and brought out a great assortment of Hors d’oeuvres. We heard the chimes of the Yum Yum man and headed to dinner. Tonight Barbara’s roommate Joan was feeling well enough to come to dinner which completed our table for 6. Shane and Laura (I called her Lisa in the previous post and by the time I realized it the edit button was gone) related their “story” to us. Shane had been an antiques dealer in the UK. Someone had made an offer and he sold his antiques business. He sold most of his possessions and since he didn’t like to fly, booked a trans Atlantic cruise on the QEII. They also booked this cruise on the Westerdam. They were planning on getting off the ship in Tortola. They had hotel reservations for 2 nights and then ?????? Shane’s plan was to eventually buy a beach bar and make a life on Tortola! Wow…I wish I had the guts to just pick up and move to paradise!

After dinner we went to the Vista lounge for the night’s entertainment. Tonight was Joel mason the Elton John impersonator / tribute. We had arranged to meet up with Paul and Lisa from embarkation for the show. We found each other and sat down to enjoy the show. All we have to say is WOW! Joel is uncanny in his Elton John persona. DW has seen E.J. and thought that if Joel had shown up on stage at and E.J. concert, no one would know.

Another wonderful night on the Westerdam!

‘til nest post…………..

I've never been on the Westerdam, but have traveled the Zuiderdam numerous times (leaving again on the Z 2/19/05). You are so lucky to have seen Bernie and Joel Mason on one cruise! They are hilarious! Some of the best entertainment I've ever seen.

Was Jazzy by any chance the DJ on this ship? I've lost track of where he is.

This WILL NOT be your last cruise...I can just sense it.

Your cruise sounds fantastic!! I'm really taking notes so our Weterdam cruise next month will be perfect!! I hope Norman is still on the ship!!

cruzingqueen:

Yes we just LOVED both Bernie and Joel.

And Jazzy was the DJ.

CD was Vuk Rajcevic

Day 4 1-26-05 St. Maarten

We woke up around 7:00 and saw the outlines of islands off our veranda. We had room service deliver breakfast this morning and enjoyed breakfast on our veranda as we pulled into the harbor of Phillipsburg, St. Maarten. We got ready for the day and headed down to the Vista lounge to await departure of our shore excursion. The Westerdam was anchored in the harbor while we saw the Zuiderdam, a Princess ship, a Carnival ship and a RCI ship docked at the piers. We had booked the “Orient Beach Rendevous” and we were looking forward to a day on the beach but we were a little nervous about how the tendering process would work. Our excursion was called and we were sent to the “A deck” for loading onto the tender. Our excursion was on the third tender away from the ship. I was concentrating so much on watching my step off the ship’s dock and onto the tender that I smacked my head on the roof of the tender (This was the first but NOT the last time this would happen). We had a nice ride toward the pier but we stopped about 100 yards out from the pier and bobbed around in the harbor for around half an hour. While this was going on we noticed a flurry of activity around the first two tenders which were still at the dock area. Eventually the other two tenders returned to the ship and we went in to the dock. We found out later that there had been some lines left in the water and both tenders had gotten the lines wrapped around one of their propellers. Once off the tender we lined up and waited for our guide for the shore excursion to get organized. We walked in lines through the center of town to a parking lot where our bus was waiting. We boarded the bus and had a nice ride to Orient beach. The beach club we visited was called “Wakiki Beach” and it was also being used by the Celebrity and NCL ship in port. We got a ticket for a rum punch and also for lunch along with the excursion. The rum punch was very strong! We went and picked out a beach chair and laid out for a while. There were some beach vendors selling various items as well as hair braiding, henna tattoos and massages but they were polite and not a t all pushy. We went to the restaurant area and had our lunch. There was a choice of fish, ribs or chicken and lunch included a choice of soda, rum punch or beer. It was much better than we had expected. After lunch we decided to take a walk down the beach. We were warned ahead of time that this was a “clothing optional” beach and that the far end of the beach was a fully nude resort. We were certainly not offended by the topless/nudists but some people were. We wanted to go swimming as the water looked wonderful but it was a bit too cool as the sun was mostly behind clouds. We made our way back to our chairs and sat and read for awhile until it was time to head back to the bus.

After the bus ride back to Phillipsburg we decided to do some shopping. We picked up some souvenirs from the straw market area and also hit the shops along Front St.. We really enjoyed the Guavaberry shop, we ended up having Guavaberry Coladas and also bough a bottle of the Guavaberry rum, some hot sauce and Guavaberry – lime preserves. After shopping we headed to the tender dock and went back to the ship…….and I hit my head getting ON and OFF the tender!

Once on board we showered and got changed for the evening. We headed down to the Ocean Bar to see Norman and have some before dinner cocktails. We headed for dinner and had another very nice time. After dinner we bade goodbye to Shane and Laura, as they were planning to get off the ship and start their new life first thing in the morning. We went to the Vista lounge and the entertainment for the evening was Adam Kario who is a juggler / comedian. The show was good but wasn’t as wonderful as the past shows. This was the night of the Fillpino crew show. Unfortunately we were so tired we just went back to the cabin to bed after the Adam Kario show.

Until the next installment…

I loving your trip report!

Sorry it's taking so long between installments....Here's some more.

Day 4 1-27-2005 – Tortola, BVI

We woke early and had coffee delivered from room service and sat on the veranda to watch the Westerdam pull into the pier at Roadtown, Tortola. After getting ready for the day we headed to the Lido for another fine breakfast and then to the Vista Lounge to await departure of our shore excursion to Virgin Gorda. I don’t know why, but it really flipped me out that the boat to take us to Virgin Gorda docked against the starboard side of the ship and we did not have to go down the gangway to the pier and then go elsewhere to get on the boat. We had a nice half hour ride to Virgin Gorda. Once off the boat, while waiting for our busses to take us to the Baths we ran into Sharonn who had met up with Cruisergirl from the CC boards. It is so cool to meet people and be able to put faces with the names. We piled on the “busses” (really pickup trucks with flat beds and benches with a roof in place of the standard beds) and made our way to the top of the baths. We were given the “lowdown” on the paths and how to get to the various areas and told when to meet back up for the return. The patch down to the first beach was what I would call a “moderate” hike. We got to the bottom, took a quick look and decided to take the trail to the other beach and spend most of our time there. The path to the second beach was just as described elsewhere on the boards. Fairly strenuous, over and through boulders and crevaces, slippery footing and through ankle to knee deep water. Some of the folks on the trail were LOUDLY complaining…”I should have worn a swimsuit and better shoes…Why didn’t anyone TELL ME it would be this way!”. Some people want to blame their lack of attention to prior detail on ANYONE but themselves. The excursion brochure and everything I read ahead of time said “Strenuous activity, wear sturdy footwear and a swimsuit”…How much clearer do they have to be? (enough preaching…stepping down from my soapbox now). Once we got to the second beach we realized it was well worth the effort. We spread out a beach sheet we had brought (I believe they are called “neat sheets”) and went into the water. Well..Gina went into the water and I went in up to my knees, noticed the wavs were breaking fairly hard and that I was standing in front of a LARGE rock. I thought it best to not stand right in front of said rock and then broke the cardinal rule of being in the surf…I looked away from the water in order to reposition myself away from the rock. Just then, of course, a large wave hit me and dragged me up the beach, filling my swimsuit with sand! I elected to say out of the water from then on! At this point it started to rain. I took our other “neat sheet” out of the backpack and covered our stuff with it. I highly recommend these sheets as they shed water and sand and really do stay “neat”. It got to be time to leave and we took the parking area. We had our complimentary rum punch (plus another as our tablemate Barbara, who didn’t want her’s saw us and gave us her ticket). We had a nice trip back to the ship.

When we got back to the ship we went to our cabin, showered and got dressed. We had just enough time to get up to the Lido and catch some lunch. After lunch we headed off the ship to walk around Roadtown. We shopped in the straw market and in some of the shops in town and eventually stopped in the Pusser’s store, We bought some rum and t-shirts and then stopped in the bar for Painkillers. OMG…they were delicious and also provided for quite a surprise when we got up to leave! We made our way back to the ship and were quite amused to see our dinning room stewards playing soccer on a field near the ship as we approached the pier. We got on board and went to the Windstar café’ for cappuccinos. We then went up to the observation deck to watch as the ship pulled out of Tortola.

We returned to our cabin and got ready for the evening. This was an “informal” night, which to me meant a jacket and tie…and to many other’s on board meant jeans and sport’s Jerseys! We once again went to the Ocean Bar and were joyously greeted with appetizers by Norman. There has been some mention on the boards regarding the singer with the group “Up Beat” who were performing in the Ocean Bar. While her voice was not perfect for the music she was performing, I have to give her credit. She was VERY YOUNG for the type of music she was singing. The other members of the group were very good and the instrumental only pieces they played were excellent. At dinner, our stewards had moved us to another table that was unoccupied due to folks who mad missed the cruise He set a table for 6 next to one of the aft windows for the 4 remaining of us. We missed Shane and Laura and toasted to their luck before eating. We had another great meal and then headed for the Vista lounge for the evening’s entertainment. Tonight’s show was illusionist Leo Ward, who put on a very good show of slight of hand and large scale escapes and disappearances. After this show was the “adult only” show by Bernie McGenahan. Bernie’s R-Rated show was even more funny than his first and we were crying because we were laughing so hard.

After the late comedy show we returned to our cabin and headed to bed. We were looking forward to another day at sea.

Only 2 more days remain…………..