Part 6, Labadee 7/16/04 VOS cruise review

Day 4, Monday on Labadee: Another early day for me as I watched us arrive.

We decided to not rush to the tenders and to the beach. We took our time and got there late morning. We decided to avoid the more crowded and closer beaches, so we walked down to the end and Hideaway Beach. All of the hammocks were taken, so we dragged a couple of lounge chairs under one of the straw umbrellas. It was a hot day, so the shade was welcome. The sand was too hot to walk on, so we were glad we wore sandals, then water shoes into the water. I did bring my good camera, but left it mostly in a waterproof bag (except when I took it out for a few shots.) In addition, I brought my waterproof camera. I wore that (and my carrying case with my SeaPass Card and money in another waterproof bag) into the water. The water was beautiful. After some swimming, we went back to our lounges and lay for a while. It was hot in the sun, but in that shade, it was nice. Because it was starting to get a little late, we went to get some lunch. The food was being put away, but they were still serving. The timing worked out that we were able to catch the tram back. It was a long walk to where we were, so we were glad to not have to do it back.

“babchia” wanted to see the craft market. I wasn’t so keen, but went anyway. Yes, the vendors were very aggressive. Yes, we did walk quickly through both buildings. “babchia” would say polish words like she didn’t understand English. I just walked straight through and said, “No, thank you.”

The types of things they sell are mostly typical island crafts, including wood carvings, walking sticks, and paintings. If you like this type of stuff, you do have a variety to choose from. I didn’t care for it, so didn’t buy anything.

I did want a souvenir, so I did buy (actually overpaid) for a Haitian dollar bill. The person who I bought it from made out, and I got what I wanted. It worked out. We made it back to the boat with plenty of time.

FYI: The U.S. Government did issue a Traveler’s Advisory at the beginning of July for Haiti. They report the country is unsafe, and the police really are not there. Because Labadee is a fenced-off separate area, we found no problems or concerns being there. We put our trust in RCCL, and found no reason to feel otherwise.

Because we were going to “cruzeluvr”’s Vow Renewal, and because it was our anniversary, we got dressed up. We made it to the chapel in plenty of time to realize we had forgotten a present we wanted to give. I rushed back to the room, picked it up, then rushed back to the chapel to find they had already started without me!

It was a nice ceremony. I was able to take some nice pictures that I have to still send to “cruzeluvr”. (Charlie even wrote a really nice letter to his DW that he had to read, twice.) After the obligatory pictures, we went downstairs to one of the rooms next to High Notes. We were given champagne and there was (another) cake. (We couldn’t get away from cake, and this one was no different.) After a toast, and another picture, it was found the sun was going down. We were about to go to our reservation at Portofino’s. The plan was to have a piece of cake sent to our table for after dinner. Since we weren’t going to the main dining room, our piece was to be sent to our stateroom. The rest of the group already shares dinner with “cruzeluvr”, so they would have their cake at dinner. So, the ship’s photographer took the happy couple outside for a couple of pictures with the sunset. We went to Portofino’s for dinner.

My opinion of Portofino’s was it was great. I have had better Italian food (with the best at a little restaurant in Lewes, DE called La Rosa Negra, and in second place, Bellisimo at 17th and Tilghman in Allentown, PA). However, Portofino’s does a wonderful presentation of their food. They, also, use very good ingredients. In addition, I gave “babchia” a poem I had written. We had a wonderful time and enjoyed the food and service. (About the service, at one point, our waiter had to also do another table that he hadn’t expected to do. This meant he wasn’t as readily available for our needs. We told him this was OK because we were not in a hurry. Overall, this worked out fine for us, and we had a fantastic time.) So, was it worth the $20 upcharge for each of us? Yes! (And, I left a little extra tip, too.)

After dinner, we went to see that night’s show, “Dreamscape”. Overall, I found it a little strange because it is suppose to be based on dreams. Since dreams can be almost anything, they got to be a little creative. During this show, the singers truly shined. Each singer was able to show what he or she could do. Did this save the show? In my opinion, no; however, it was worth seeing these people shine.

Our plan was later go see Late Night Adult Comedy with Tom Cotter, but we were tired, and Ocho Rios was the next day. So, to our stateroom we went. When we got there, we found a present: After “cruzeluvr” and his dinner table mates had taken their pieces of his cake, he had the rest / most of the cake sent to our room. This cake was too big to fit in our refrigerator, plus it already had a cake in it from the first day. We did eat some, but could never get to any more. Unfortunately, we eventually had to throw the rest of the cake away.

The towel animal of the day was a bat.

Next, Ocho Rios!

I have copied and combined all of the parts of this review after Part 1.

Sorry about this mess.

Read the entire review at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?postid=1744631

DH of Babchia