Live from Noordam Feb. 13 - March 5, 2010

[innlady1]

Dave,

 

Sorry I couldn't give you or Brenda my 117 "left over" Internet minutes. The Internet guy told me that once we disembarked, the minutes would be wiped out. Guess they don't want us passing them along........I shouldn't have asked...just should have done it!

[EaglesWing]

Will those of you who have visited the following ports please comment on your perception of safety (or any issues with safety) if you were to go off on your own renting a car and walking. We are on the 4/14 sailing going to: Aruba, Curacau, Bonaire, Dominican Republic, Grand Turk. Any issues in any of these places? We're renting cars and going off to shoot photography and walk in the ABCs. We're stumped about what to do in the DR--no whales to watch in April from what we hear.

 

Comments or suggestions from anyone please?

[jtl513]

A bit of bad news -- we will be sharing Crown Bay with the Oasis of the Seas! Should be a right royal cluster on the pier that day, and a scramble for a taxi, I would imagine.

UGH! :( When it was first announced that the Oasis would be going to Crown Bay until Havensight was dredged sufficiently, they said that HAL would be docking at Havensight whenever the Oasis was in. That made it better (in one way at least) for a HAL ship to be there on Tuesdays. I wonder why the change in plans.

[Love the beach]

Will those of you who have visited the following ports please comment on your perception of safety (or any issues with safety) if you were to go off on your own renting a car and walking. We are on the 4/14 sailing going to: Aruba, Curacau, Bonaire, Dominican Republic, Grand Turk. Any issues in any of these places? We're renting cars and going off to shoot photography and walk in the ABCs. We're stumped about what to do in the DR--no whales to watch in April from what we hear.

 

Comments or suggestions from anyone please?

 

Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire & Grand Turk---all are fine & felt very safe. As far as DR-- they caution you to be very careful--we took the tender in and just walked for a bit (town was too far for us to walk but some others did). Some on this board have taken some excursions. You might want to check out the "ports of call board" for the caribbean. Here is the link : http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587 Have a great cruise:)

Marge

[benny salami]

:cool: Agree about the safety of ABC islands but also Grand Turk. Grand Turk is a dive and scuba paradise. Avoid the shops and overpriced bar by the cruise dock and walk left to Jack's Shack. Well worth the short walk. No need to rent a car on this walkable island.

 

There is also a great eatery in town (on the beach) run by lovely former Toronto girls. It's a short $5 taxi ride. They have grouper, local specials and fanastic hot sauce. There are no shops in town. As far as DR, would stay onboard.

[Cruisiesusie05]

[quote name='benny salami']:cool: Agree about the safety of ABC islands but also Grand Turk. Grand Turk is a dive and scuba paradise. Avoid the shops and overpriced bar by the cruise dock and walk left to Jack's Shack. Well worth the short walk. No need to rent a car on this walkable island.

There is also a great eatery in town (on the beach) run by lovely former Toronto girls. It's a short $5 taxi ride. They have grouper, local specials and fanastic hot sauce. There are no shops in town. As far as DR, would stay onboard.[/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4][COLOR=black]Don't stay on board in DR, just leave your Rolex on board and join an organised Private or Ship's tour - you should have enough sea days without staying on board for another one![/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT] :D

[URL]http://www.casadoradodr.com/excursions.php[/URL]

[ninkb]

[SIZE=4]Sometimes my brain doesn't think straight . . . particularly the day I'm just back from a great cruise.

I mistakenly identified the great snorkeling excursion in post #5 of this thread. It was Woodwind, not Bluewater (which is not in Bonaire). Sorry if this caused any confusion . . . and thanks to CoolChile (who reads more carefully than I can think) who let me know. Open mouth, insert fin!

Hope each of you enjoyed your cruise as much as I did.[/SIZE]

[GCurry]

[quote name='EaglesWing']Will those of you who have visited the following ports please comment on your perception of safety (or any issues with safety) if you were to go off on your own renting a car and walking. We are on the 4/14 sailing going to: Aruba, Curacau, Bonaire, Dominican Republic, Grand Turk. Any issues in any of these places? We're renting cars and going off to shoot photography and walk in the ABCs. We're stumped about what to do in the DR--no whales to watch in April from what we hear. Comments or suggestions from anyone please?[/quote]
We were on the cruise with Dave and enjoyed meeting him, he's done a great job with this thread. As he stated, the meet and greet was a super event. Here are some answers to things Dave might not address.

Our two couples rented cars on Aruba and Curacao. Our friends rented from Hertz on Aruba, have them pick you up at the port as it's quite a distance to any of their rental locations. We've rented from Amigo there before on the advice of Arubalisa and had a good experience as they picked us up and dropped us off from the port. Things to see are the California Lighthouse at one end and their Arawak National Park on the far side with wild donkey's and goats. Get more than a compact if you do, as the park roads have cobbled water cuts that are easy to scrape with a low car. It's on the windward side and has a desert beauty with huge waves coming into cuts along that coast. At the visitors center they hauled a large boa several feet in length out of the brush as we arrived.

Curacao we played tag with Avis after the itinerary change but picked up our car at a kiosk on the Megapier where we docked. I'd done this before, so I was pleased to take our friends out to snorkel Tug Boat, a location near an old fort and Quarantine Station. We also resupplied at markets on both islands with waters and wines etc.

I envy Dave the whales as we saw a few while leaving the bay, but they were at a distance even with good glasses.
We shopped Samana and enjoyed walking the Malecon (sea wall) down to the "American" shops a block or two to the left of the pier. You can actually get better bargains under the tents than in the shops. Their Larimar stone is pretty and a good buy as well as souvenirs for the folks back home. They speak enough English to sell you stuff, and I speak enough Spanish to get a better price. They want to sell you things and take you places but you really aren't in any danger along there.

Jack's Shack on Grand Turk is a hoot, about 1/2 mile down the beach past Margaritaville. Ask him about his crab digging dog who threw sand all over our wives. It's primitive but cheaper and has some of the best Jerk Chicken you'll ever eat.
Good snorkeling right out from there if the weathers good which ours wasn't.

One other thing was the dancing, we dance ballroom and enjoyed each night in the Ocean Bar where the Neptune Trio played standards and Latin every night 6:30 to 11:30. The Halcats usually played in the Crow's Nest with a great variety including Country and R&R.

And now back to your regular sponsor---

[IRL_Joanie]

[quote name='Krazy Kruizers'][B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]Thanks for checking in.[/SIZE][/FONT][/B]

[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]Looking forward to your Live report.[/SIZE][/FONT][/B]

[B][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]Hmmmmmm -- we were on the Noordam last year for Valentine's day -- no roses given to the ladies at dinner.[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=2][COLOR=Blue][B]I am now so jealous!! I was on the Westerdam the 14th and none of the ladies received roses either:(

Joanie[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[innlady1]

[quote name='GCurry']We were on the cruise with Dave and enjoyed meeting him, he's done a great job with this thread. As he stated, the meet and greet was a super event. Here are some answers to things Dave might not address.

Our two couples rented cars on Aruba and Curacao. Our friends rented from Hertz on Aruba, have them pick you up at the port as it's quite a distance to any of their rental locations. We've rented from Amigo there before on the advice of Arubalisa and had a good experience as they picked us up and dropped us off from the port. Things to see are the California Lighthouse at one end and their Arawak National Park on the far side with wild donkey's and goats. Get more than a compact if you do, as the park roads have cobbled water cuts that are easy to scrape with a low car. It's on the windward side and has a desert beauty with huge waves coming into cuts along that coast. At the visitors center they hauled a large boa several feet in length out of the brush as we arrived.

Curacao we played tag with Avis after the itinerary change but picked up our car at a kiosk on the Megapier where we docked. I'd done this before, so I was pleased to take our friends out to snorkel Tug Boat, a location near an old fort and Quarantine Station. We also resupplied at markets on both islands with waters and wines etc.

I envy Dave the whales as we saw a few while leaving the bay, but they were at a distance even with good glasses.
We shopped Samana and enjoyed walking the Malecon (sea wall) down to the "American" shops a block or two to the left of the pier. You can actually get better bargains under the tents than in the shops. Their Larimar stone is pretty and a good buy as well as souvenirs for the folks back home. They speak enough English to sell you stuff, and I speak enough Spanish to get a better price. They want to sell you things and take you places but you really aren't in any danger along there.

Jack's Shack on Grand Turk is a hoot, about 1/2 mile down the beach past Margaritaville. Ask him about his crab digging dog who threw sand all over our wives. It's primitive but cheaper and has some of the best Jerk Chicken you'll ever eat.
Good snorkeling right out from there if the weathers good which ours wasn't.

[B]One other thing was the dancing, we dance ballroom and enjoyed each night in the Ocean Bar where the Neptune Trio played standards and Latin every night 6:30 to 11:30. The Halcats usually played in the Crow's Nest with a great variety including Country and R&R.[/B]

And now back to your regular sponsor---[/quote]

And quite the dancers you are! As one who needs hip replacement surgery sooner rather than later, you were an inspiration to watch...gliding flawlessly on the dance floor...and to think your surgery was seven short months ago! Bravo!

[innlady1]

We had dinner at the Pinnacle on Valentine's Day and all the ladies received a red long-stemmed rose. Walking by the Vista Dining Room, I noticed the same going on there...and it was decorated beautifully for Valentine's Day.

I'm not sure, but perhaps all these little extras are the influence of the new Hotel Manager on board??? Mark Pells...he's a gem. He came to both M & G's I organized, and that's a 1st. Every time I saw him "out and about," he stopped to chat. Quite the personality! Not to mention very very good looking! ;)

[GCurry]

[quote name='innlady1']And quite the dancers you are! As one who needs hip replacement surgery sooner rather than later, you were an inspiration to watch...gliding flawlessly on the dance floor...and to think your surgery was seven short months ago! Bravo![/quote]
for all you did to organize the meet & greet and your friendship on the cruise. We did enjoy meeting Gmapajamas, all y'all and them others and the reencounters throughout the cruise. I hate to speak ill of ole Mark, but I believe him to be from Dallas; he's probably JR Ewings son and a devil with the ladies.

Thanks too for the kind words on our dancing, it's a great adult hobby now that I've given up the athletics that destroyed my hip, and one we enjoy together. One down side is that you do get a lot of extra attention in airports!!:eek:
Our lessons start again tonight at NASA just in time to help me lose the 10 pounds I gained on the Noordam.

[Kimjergen]

[quote name='GCurry']We were on the cruise with Dave and enjoyed meeting him, he's done a great job with this thread. As he stated, the meet and greet was a super event. Here are some answers to things Dave might not address.

Our two couples rented cars on Aruba and Curacao. Our friends rented from Hertz on Aruba, have them pick you up at the port as it's quite a distance to any of their rental locations. We've rented from Amigo there before on the advice of Arubalisa and had a good experience as they picked us up and dropped us off from the port. Things to see are the California Lighthouse at one end and their Arawak National Park on the far side with wild donkey's and goats. Get more than a compact if you do, as the park roads have cobbled water cuts that are easy to scrape with a low car. It's on the windward side and has a desert beauty with huge waves coming into cuts along that coast. At the visitors center they hauled a large boa several feet in length out of the brush as we arrived.

Curacao we played tag with Avis after the itinerary change but picked up our car at a kiosk on the Megapier where we docked. I'd done this before, so I was pleased to take our friends out to snorkel Tug Boat, a location near an old fort and Quarantine Station. We also resupplied at markets on both islands with waters and wines etc.

I envy Dave the whales as we saw a few while leaving the bay, but they were at a distance even with good glasses.
We shopped Samana and enjoyed walking the Malecon (sea wall) down to the "American" shops a block or two to the left of the pier. You can actually get better bargains under the tents than in the shops. Their Larimar stone is pretty and a good buy as well as souvenirs for the folks back home. They speak enough English to sell you stuff, and I speak enough Spanish to get a better price. They want to sell you things and take you places but you really aren't in any danger along there.

Jack's Shack on Grand Turk is a hoot, about 1/2 mile down the beach past Margaritaville. Ask him about his crab digging dog who threw sand all over our wives. It's primitive but cheaper and has some of the best Jerk Chicken you'll ever eat.
Good snorkeling right out from there if the weathers good which ours wasn't.

One other thing was the dancing, we dance ballroom and enjoyed each night in the Ocean Bar where the Neptune Trio played standards and Latin every night 6:30 to 11:30. The Halcats usually played in the Crow's Nest with a great variety including Country and R&R.

And now back to your regular sponsor---[/quote]

GCurry,
Nice informative post, thanks for sharing! I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to pass this on to our March 25 Noordam sailing with same itinerary.
Best,
Kim

[GmaPajama]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="4"]I do have to pop in here and say how VERY much we enjoyed meeting everyone. It was such a joy to keep running into so many new friends - this will always be one of our really special cruises.

Sheila did a magnificent job of putting together the Meet & Greets, and we can't thank her enough. It was wonderful to come away from these cruises knowing we have some incredible new friends - friends we truly hope to sail with again.

Mark Pells went out of his way to tell us all how much management appreciates the Cruise Critic groups, and Cruise Director Eric was a riot. There is not a single thing about these cruises I would want to change. Except perhaps the fact that we had to disembark.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[GCurry]

[quote name='GmaPajama'][FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]I do have to pop in here and say how VERY much we enjoyed meeting everyone. It was such a joy to keep running into so many new friends - this will always be one of our really special cruises.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Sheila did a magnificent job of putting together the Meet & Greets, and we can't thank her enough. It was wonderful to come away from these cruises knowing we have some incredible new friends - friends we truly hope to sail with again.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[SIZE=4][FONT=Comic Sans MS]Mark Pells went out of his way to tell us all how much management appreciates the Cruise Critic groups, and Cruise Director Eric was a riot. There is not a single thing about these cruises I would want to change. Except perhaps the fact that we had to disembark.[/FONT][/SIZE][/quote][SIZE=4][FONT=Comic Sans MS] I agree Gma and we are putting some of those Pink Flamingo straws to good use with the kids thanks again.[/FONT][/SIZE]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=4]Come to think of it maybe it was Erik that was from Dallas as I was highly suspicious bout one of them boys![/SIZE][/FONT]

[quote name='kimjergen']
GCurry, Nice informative post, thanks for sharing! I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to pass this on to our March 25 Noordam sailing with same itinerary. Best,Kim [/quote] Not a problem Kim, learning from others is what this is all about. You can also email me for specifics.

[English_in_Spain]

[quote name='cougar']We will be on the Noordam in May and can't wait. Thank you for doing the live from, love to hear about the ship and some of the places we will be going to.:)[/quote]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]I see you are on the May 4th cruise, [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=blue]Do come join our very large roll call, We have quite a lot planned (all optional of course)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

Edit to say forgot the link
[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=959143[/url]

[RetiredMustang]

[SIZE=2]Trying again ...

[B]Wed., Feb. 24, at sea[/B]　
Today was one of those great days at sea that we like. We set our clocks forward before turning in the night before, and slept in really late (for us) -- 6:15. We had a leisurley breakfast while watching the sun rise over the ocean; it rose about 7:20. Afterwards, we took a stroll around the observation deck, admiring the sea.
　
We puttered around a bit, checking out the daily quiz (Broadway, which we could only answer a few questions) in the Explorations Cafe, and then split up -- DW to watch the culinary presentation of making steak Diane and Thai soup, and me to the Ocean Bar, where I had posted on this cruise's roll call that I would be for anyone who wanted to come and have an informal meet and greet. DW joined us after the demonstration.
　
The roll call for this cruise was not nearly as active as last. I had been able to let BBCats, who was on the previous two cruises, know about the meeting, and she and her DH came. Also there were keyscruiser, waiting2retire and bajaPaula -- pretty much everyone from the roll call. We had a pleasant hour chatting about HAL and food in the Pinnalce, and generally talking ship, as the saying goes.
　
DW and I then went to an Indonesia rijstaffel lunch the ship put on for returning Collectors cruise passengers. There was nasi goreng, Sumatra beef, shrimp crackers, seriously spicy green beans, shrimp, etc. A very tasty lunch, indeed.
　
We spent the afternoon mostly on our balcony, reading or watching for flying fish, and just generally enjoying a day at sea in nice weather. We then changed into formal clothes and went to dinner. We both hd the four-mushroom soup. which is excellent. Then, I had the orange and Grand Marinier glazed cornish hen and DW had cappellini pasta with arugula, tomatoes, pine nuts and a bit of goat cheese.
[B]　
　
Thurs., Feb 25, at sea
[/B]　
Another leisurely day at sea. A walk in the morning, watching the sunrise, and just a lot of reading and relaxing. We took another stab at the daily quiz, which was a hodge-podge of mixed categories of questions; truly trivia.
　
DW took in a talk about the marine life in the Caribbean in the morning, and we both attended Captain Mateboer's question and answer session in the afternoon. DW won a couple of hundred dollars at the slots, yay ... which probably put us only a little down for the cruise.
　
We learned that happy hour started again in the Ocean Bar and Crow's Nest. Dinner was our favorite -- osso bucco. This is a dish of veal shanks braised for hours and served over a creamy mushroom risotto with the reduced sauce from the shanks. Delicious!
　
We were invited to another drink/reception after dinner, this one hosted by Mark Pells, the Hotel Manager, and Mike the CD for the Collectors' cruise passengers who were on their second journey.
　
All in all, an unremarkable but also very gratifying day at sea on a wonderful ship.
　
　
　
[B]Fri., Feb 26., St. Maarten
[/B]　
We arrived on time or even a few minutes early into Philipsburg, and docked at the cruise facility just outside town. We were joined very shortly afterwards by the Thomson Destiny, which shared the ier with us, we on one side and she on the other. Our balcony overlooked the pier and the other ship. The Destiny looked familiar to DW and me. We know that Thomson has the old Noordam and old Nieuw Amsterdam, but the Destiny was neither of those. Instead, it looked like, I think, an old RCCL ship with the glassed in bar on top. Copper 10-8 would probably know what the Destiny was in earlier life.
　
We took a mid-morning shore excursion to take a hike through the forest. In 2007, we had taken a tour that went to Lotterie Farm and then included a hike up to a viewpoint on the slope of Pic Paradise, the highest mountain/hill of the island (about 1500 feet high). This time, there was no hiking uphill. We took a bus to Lotterie Farm, and then boarded a flat-bed truck fitted out with benches, and took a lurch up to the top of Pic Paradise. We then walked down to the farm -- about two miles of fairly rough trail through the forest, with several viewpoints from which we could see St. Bart's and the sweep of Orient Bay and Marigot on the French side of St. Maarten (St. Martin).
　
We got back to the ship in mid-afternoon, and by the time we had showered and changed clothes, it was not long until all-aboard, so I did not try to take the laptop to the wi-fi/bar in the shopping area at the head of the pier.
　
We watched as other passengers came back to the ship. Shortly after 3:30, they announced Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so please contact the front office, and we noticed a couple hurrying down the pier. A few minutes later, a couple of crew members dashed aboard, and we thought they would probably be hearing about it from their boss and might not be going ashore anytime soon. Then, at four we cast off lines, the ship's horn sounded, and we pulled away from the pier. Just then, at 4:04 by my watch, on the golf-cart style transports came tearing (well, going as fast as it could ... about a quick jog) down the pier, and a woman got out and waved frantically at the ship, which kept right on going.
　
We thought she would have an expensive trip to St. Lucia to meet up with the ship, but we spoke later that evening to one of the officers who said it was the wife of one of the crew, and she was able to get back aboard by coming out in the pilot boat. There is probably an officer who has had to explain to the captain just why his wife missed the ship sailaway.
　
Dinner was roast prime rib of pork for me, and penne with tomatoes, arugula, pine nuts and goat cheese for DW. We both had chocolate avalanche cake for dessert.


Then, it was time for another cocktail with the Captain and HotMan -- this cruise's medallion reception, from what we could gather.
　
I'll see if I can get this bit posted. If not, I'll add to it and try again another day.
　
More later,
Dave
[/SIZE]

[jtl513]

[quote name='RetiredMustang'][SIZE=2]We were joined very shortly afterwards by the Thomson Destiny, which shared the ier with us, we on one side and she on the other. Our balcony overlooked the pier and the other ship. The Destiny looked familiar to DW and me. We know that Thomson has the old Noordam and old Nieuw Amsterdam, but the Destiny was neither of those. Instead, it looked like, I think, an old RCCL ship with the glassed in bar on top. Copper 10-8 would probably know what the Destiny was in earlier life.[/SIZE][/quote]Wikipedia says:
[URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/Ship_prefix"][COLOR=#002bb8][B]MS[/B][/COLOR][/URL][B] [I]Thomson Destiny[/I][/B] is a [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/Cruise_ship"][COLOR=#002bb8]cruise ship[/COLOR][/URL] owned by the Cyprus-based [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/Louis_Cruise_Lines"][COLOR=#002bb8]Louis Cruise Lines[/COLOR][/URL], under long-term charter to the United Kingdom-based [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/Thomson_Cruises"][COLOR=#002bb8]Thomson Cruises[/COLOR][/URL]. She was built in 1982 at [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/W%C3%A4rtsil%C3%A4"][COLOR=#002bb8]Wärtsilä[/COLOR][/URL] [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/Hietalahti_shipyard"][COLOR=#002bb8]Hietalahti shipyard[/COLOR][/URL] in [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/Helsinki"][COLOR=#002bb8]Helsinki[/COLOR][/URL], Finland for [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/wiki/Royal_Caribbean_Cruise_Lines"][COLOR=#002bb8]Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines[/COLOR][/URL] as [B]MS [I]Song of America[/I][/B]. Between 1999 and 2004 she sailed for [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/w/index.php?title=Sun_Cruises&action=edit&redlink=1"][COLOR=#ba0000]Sun Cruises[/COLOR][/URL] as [B]MS [I]Sunbird.[/I][/B]

[RetiredMustang]

[B][SIZE=2]Sat., Feb. 27, St. Lucia
[/B]　
I had forgotten how pretty the approach end entry to the harbor at Castries was. There is a great natural harbor that we sailed into, while we were on our balcony listening to the roosters crowing all around the harbor. As we got closer, the scene became a bit more prosaic, with the container and industrial port across the water from our moorage at Pointe Seraphine.
　
We had been in St. Lucia only once before, in 2003 in think, and had taken a whale-watching trip without seeing any whales but lots of dolphins and flying fish. So, this time, we took a morning excursion that took us to a bit of the island -- the ship's Island Splendor Drive. We boarded one of those small, 30-pax buses that are so common in the Caribbean and drove through Castries out into the countryside.
　
St. Lucia is part of the British Commonwealth, and the official language is English, but there is considerable French influence as well, particularly in the place names. Our guide told us that, like many islands in the Caribbean, it had been fought over often between the English and French, with both countries controlling St. Lucia seven times each. The English were the last ones in charge, and St. Lucia was a British cololny until the 1970s.
　
We stopped at the largest banana plantation, and our guide pointed out the growing cycle of the banana and talked about some of the economics of the island. We then pressed on to a fishing village on the coast called Anse La Raye (bay of stingrays). This was a poor town of small houses and buildings clusted very close to one another. It clearly was a real working fishing village, but was not the quaint little place we might have imagined. We stopped in the midle of the town for a while, and looked at all the colorful clothing and crafts (most were marked "Made in China"). I did find an authentic St. Lucian product though -- a cold bottle of Piton lager for two bucks U.S. There was a nice Catholic church in the town as well that we were able to view.
　
We then went on to the island's community college, site of the remains of the barracks for the French and English garrisons during the wars of the 1700s. It was situated, of course, on the high hill (900 feet) that commanded the approaches to Castries harbor. Our guide also gave us a bit of a botany lesson, pointing out breadfruit, mango, cashew and other trees and shrubs, including the national tree, the calabash. This smallish tree sported some impossibly-large-looking gourds on it, that our guide said were inedible, but very useful as water jugs, bowls, etc.
　
We next stopped at a fine house belonging to one of the island's influential families. It was a very attractive building, with wrap-around balconies on both floors. The view of the port and Castries and surroundign areas were quite expansive.
　
We then returned to the Pointe Seraphine dock area, where you will no doubt be shocked to learn there was a shopping area including Diamonds International and Del Sol. I checked with the info booth about wi-fi service and learned there was none in the port area. So, I went back to the ship and, after lunch, tried for the umpteenth time to post a reply on CC. Astoundingly, it took, and I was able to post three days' worth of log.
　
We left Castries about 3, and sailed south to Soufriere by the Pitons, two large peaks at the seaside, to pick up several hundred passengers who had been on other shore excursions. While we were there, a beautiful five-masted sailing yacht came by, and I thought that it was one of the yachts of Windstar, which used to be owned by Carnival Corp. As she got closer, I could read that she was Wind Surf, which indeed was a Windstar ship. She looked like she was flying a Bahamas flag now. What a great-looking vessel!
　
It was formal optional night, and at the early seating almost no one was wearing formal clothing. I had on a black suit, and there were a few other suits, but I saw no tuxes. Most people were wearing nice but more casual clothing, especially, we imagined, those who had just come back aboard at Soufriere. DW and I continued our discussion about whether we thought this was a harbinger of where formal nights were going on HAL, and we think it just might be. We'll see.
　
Dinner was the lobster royale again that I had had on the previous cruise, with crab legs as a stater. DW had a strip steak and the onion soup. (I reported that DW had the penne with arugula on two nights, but obviously lost track there. On the St. Maarten day, she had a steak instead of the pasta.) The crab legs appetizer came with lemon and pepper sauce and a bit of cocktail sauce. [I]Warning -- cranky old guy rant coming: [/I]Why do chefs think they have to put a sauce on crab? The only things crab legs need are melted butter and perhaps a bit of salt. On an earlier dinner, I had ordered the buffalo mozzarella and tomato salad, and the chef had dressed it with balsamic vinegar, which was not the aged-several-years version. Again, why? The flavor of buffalo mozzarella is distinct but delicate, and the balsamic completely overpowered it. It's like putting a gob of Dijon mustard or horseradish on lobster. [I]End of cranky old guy rant, you may now resume normal reading.
[/I]　
We took a chance on the slots again, without much luck, and since there had been no invitations to a drink with the captain, we turned in early.
　
More later,
Dave
　
[/SIZE]

[GmaPajama]

[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="4"]I'm so glad another of your posts "took", Dave. Sounds like you're enjoying every second of this cruise, and we almost feel like we're still there with you. We were surprised by the designation of Formal Optional Nights - but saw more people dressed up than you're seeing. Maybe as people get used to this new option, fewer and fewer are dressing?

You've still got some days left ... Enjoy![/SIZE][/FONT]

[RetiredMustang]

[B][SIZE=2]Sun., Feb. 28, Barbados
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We entered Barbados harbor on time. The harbor is one of the larger ones in the Caribbean, and is basically U-shaped, looking upside down as you enter from the sea. On previous trips, we moored on the right-hand pier area, which made necessary either a long walk or a shuttle ride to the cruise terminal at the far left corner.
　
This time, the Wind Surf was moored at the base of the "U" and there were some tugs on the right side. I was wondering if they were going to move or the captain was going to try to squeeze between them when it became apparent that we were mooring on the the long left-hand side of the "U", past the container handling area and next to some warehouses and such near the corner. This made for a much easier walk to the terminal.
　
On a previous trip to Barbados, we had done an excursion that allowed us to snorkel with sea turtles, which we enjoyed very much, but the water had been pretty murky and the large graceful creatures could only be seen up close. Talking to fellow pasengers several days earlier, we learned that the water clarity comes and goes and they had found it quite clear. So, we bought tickets for the 5-star catamaran tour that included snorkeling with the turtles, a reef snorkel at another location, and lunch.
　
To get to the bus for our tour, we walked to the cruise terminal and out the other side. Barbados has actually organized it quite well, with bus "gates" and a large holding area with seats for people to wait. The terminal itself has, of course, lots of shops. We surrendered our tickets and boarded a smallish bus, and were driven about a mile to a dock that would have been pretty easy walking distance from the Noordam, but across the container storage area, so we presume they bused us for safety/security reasons.
　
We boarded a large catamaran and sailed up the west coast of Barbados to an area off the beach, where guides got into the water with some fish scraps to feed the turtles. We donned snorkle gear and jumped in. The water was not crystal clear, but more so than on our previous trip, so we were able to see the turtles quite clearly. There were a total of five different ones that I spotted, including one very large one five or six feet across the shell and head. They were swimming for the fish, surfacing to breathe and deftly avoiding our arms and legs as we tread water or floated. We had all been warned not to try to touch them, and were not allowed fins as those may have inadvertantly injured the turtles, and we all were conscientious about it, but if you don't see a turtle coming up behind you, you may swing an arm and contact one. But, the turtles were quite quick and almost always avoided any contact at all, even though they were very, very close at times. What a great experience!
　
After about 45 minutes, we re-boarded the catamaran and sailed further up the coast. The crew fixed tables around the bar area and brought out a buffet lunch that turned out to be quite good, actually. There was fried flying fish (a new one for me, with an interesting flavor), rice and lentils with some spice in the dish, a baked tagliatelle and cheese dish, barbeque chicken, rolls and salad. The bar would serve just about any soft drink you wanted. A while later, we arrived at a section of the beach where the catamaran anchored. Those who wanted to wade to the beach could do so, and those who wanted to snorkel could do so as well, or both, or neither as you preferred. DW and I again donned gear and snorkeled the reef area. The water was still pretty clear, and we were able to see lots of fish, primarily sergeant majors, parrotfish and lots of wrasses of various types. A nice place -- not as spectacular as Bonaire, but worth the trip.
　
After an hour at the beach area, we re-boarded and sailed back to the harbor, a trip of about an hour and a half. The bar opened for alcoholic drinks after the snorkeling was done, including some fine, and cold, local lager. On the trip back, the crew broke out some lemon pound cake and chocolate layer cake for dessert. The captain all trip long gave us a narrative of the multi-million-dollar homes along the beach and who owned many of them. On the trip back, we were overtaken by a motor yacht; the catamaran captain said it was about 75 years old and belonged to John Paul Getty III. It was quite a nice vessel, but DW and I agreed that we would prefer the Princess of India that we had seen in Curacao, should we ever find ourselves in the market for a yacht costing 8 or 9 figures. ;-}
　
We returned to the ship and showered and changed, and then, since our balcony faced the pier, we watched all the activity at the corner of one of the buildings. It obviously was the check-in, baggage drop and boarding procedures for Wind Surf. I know that she used to base out of Barbados and do 7-day runs of St. Vincent, Bequia, Carricou, etc. Apparently she still does, and Sunday is embarkation day. We wondered if normally she would be berthed where we were, since embarking passengers would be able to board right away instead of being hauled by taxi to the bottom of the "U" to the Wind Surf. Captain Mataboer must have been persuasive to snag the close-in berth.
　
For dinner, we had reservations at Canaletto, the Italian-themed free restaurant in the Lido. They had set apart a section of the Lido which functions as the other parts for breakfast and lunch, but for dinner they serve Italian-themed food. We had made a reservation days earlier when we booked the shore excursion, since it was a late return and we didn't want to rush to make early fixed. And, we wanted to try Canaletto again; we tried it once before on Eurodam and enjoyed it. The menu had a mix of authentic Italian dishes, like the antipasti (although no restaurant in Italy I've ever been to serves pesto sauce with antipasti), and the lemon gelato. Other dishes were Italian-iinspired, but mixed some things that an Italian restaurant would not. It was quite tasty, though, and we enjoyed it. I did have to laugh when I noticed the name tags of our Idonesian wait staff who were wearing horizontal-striped gondolier T-shirts. One was named Sale (the Italian word for salt), and another Peporincino (small hot red peppers). They laughed with me, cheerfully going along with the gag.
　
We went to the Explorer's Lounge to listen to the string quartet, and ran across BBCats and had a nice chat. We then turned in, and I slept well after the exercise (and cold beer) of the day's excursion.
　
More later,
Dave
　
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[jtl513]

[quote name='RetiredMustang'][SIZE=2]One was named Sale (the Italian word for salt), and another Peporincino (small hot red peppers). They laughed with me, cheerfully going along with the gag.[/SIZE][/quote]One of ours was named Gelato! :)

[EaglesWing]

Many thanks for your posts, Dave. Can you please help me understand the Canaletto? Is it open to the rest of the Lido or enclosed as a separate restaurant? I can't find it on the virtual tour of the Lido. What is the dress code for it? Is it worth skipping a main dining room dinner (which we alsways seem to enjoy) to eat in Canaletto? :confused:

[RetiredMustang]

[B][SIZE=2]Mon., March 1, Martinique
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We had never been to Martinique before, and were looking forward forward to a new experience. We moored just north of the downtown area. We only had a short time in port; all aboard was 12:30 p.m. And, there were not too many shore excursions on offer, but we signed up for one online before embarking because it included a trip to St. Pierre, the town destroyed by volcanic eruption in 1902.
　
We met on the pier just after being cleared, and walked a ways to board a bus. We drove through the city of Fort de France, and up into the hills. Our first stop was at the Basilica of Sacre Couer (Sacred Heart). Our guide told us this was built as a one-fifth-size replica of the famous basilica in Paris, and was dedicated to the soldiers from Martinique who died in World War I. It had some interesting design and art work, and had a good view back to the city and Noordam.
　
Our next stop was at the botanical gardens, which were quite extensive and had a large collection of plants, many we had never seen before. These two stops would have been on the way to St. Pierre, but an interior island road connecting to the coast road had been recently rendered impassable for buses due to damage from Hurrican Omar, so we retraced our route to Fort de France to take the west coast road north to St. Pierre.
　
St. Pierre was destroyed by the volcano, but it was not lava but rather a pyroclastic flow of hot gases and ash moving at up to 100 miles and hour that killed the people and destryed the buildings. We stopped at a small museum that had collected many artifacts of the event, including a church bell which had partially melted and deformed in the heat.
　
What with the traffic in the city twice, and on the coast road, we did not arrive back at the ship until a bit after the 12:30 all aboard. Several other tours also arrived late, and we got underway after 1 p.m. We sailed north up the coast, and the Captain opened the bow and the travel guide Susan gave us a narrative of the history of the eruption and destruction of St. Pierre. The Mount Pelee volcano was clearly visible as we passed fairly close to the shore and the clouds cleared from the top for most of our scenic cruising. We also passed Dominica later in the afternoon, although we were further away and it was a bit misty, so it was harder to see.
　
[B]　
Canaletto:[/B] To answer your questions EaglesWing, Canaletto is an integral part of the Lido seating area. During the day, it is just more seats with a different design scheme. In the evening, they do things with frosted glass dividers and decorations to create the illusion of a separate restaurant. Dress is casual, as is the rest of the Lido. As to why to go, that is a personal choice. Some dine there on formal night to avoid dressing up to go to the main dining room. You can certainly get Italian and Italian-themed food in the main dining room (which does such dishes as ossu bucco and various pastas) and at the lunchtime Lido pizza and pasta station. But, Canaletto has some dishes I have not seen elsehwere, and it's kind of a fun break. One note, though -- it is becoming more and more popular, so you should probably make a reservation a few days in advance to make sure you get a table at the time you want.
　
More later,
Dave
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[Natasha708]

Dave:

Thx so much for taking your time to give these live reports. :)

I heard it is 75 cents a minute to use the internet. Does it drop quite a bit if you buy the package?

I'm trying to decide if I should bring my notebook or not..

Thx again!