Jump to content
Cruise Critic Community

Venture to the Caribbean with Bill & Mary Ann on the Nieuw Statendam & Nieuw Amsterdam 12-18-21 to 4-26-22

WCB

By WCB,
in Holland America Line

 Share

Recommended Posts

WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 20   Oranjestad, Aruba   Thursday - January 6, 2022   Partly cloudy & 78 degrees    Part # 1 of 3.........80 Pictures

 

Aruba is smaller than the other Netherlands Antilles islands with 120 square miles.  The island is 19 ½ miles long, and 6 miles wide.  The official language is Dutch, but most everyone speaks English.  The population is about 72,000.  The highest point on the island is 617 feet , and there is a $280 fine for littering.  For that reason, we noticed the downtown area was spotless.

 

Fierce winds can blow here with the evidence shown in the divi-divi trees that lean permanently in the southwest direction.   The houses are also painted pastel colors, and this island is considered the party hot spot.  Especially at Carnival time.  Hurricanes are rare, and there are many things to see and do.  Ship tours included a trip to the ostrich and emu farm, owned by the same company that is on Curacao.  You can see a butterfly farm, or limestone caves complete with bats.  Several water excursions included beach stops, Atlantis submarine ride, catamaran sailing and snorkeling, or a ride to relax and swim on a beach.  Since I did not click on this yesterday, these tour prices were already gone this morning. 

 

Anyway, we were greeted with “bon bini” which means welcome.  The ship docked in Oranjestad, the capital, early this morning.  And since Aruba is only 45 miles from Curacao, we must have sailed in circles all night.  There were three other ship docked here…..The Jewel of the Seas, and the Grandeur of the Seas, both RCI.  The third ship was the Freewind, a sea organization motor vessel.

 

Soon after the ship was docked, we were treated to a rare sighting of a peregrine falcon soaring overhead.  Since there was only one bird, we toyed with the idea it may belong to someone on the island.  So we did some research to learn that these birds of prey migrate here, and can come from as far as Greenland.  They are the world’s fastest bird, gaining speeds up to 186 miles per hour. Taking over 100 photos with the good camera, resulted in some clear shots of this sky-diver. Assuming they dined on pigeons, we found out their diet here consists of iguanas and small lizards. Other birds we spotted today were pelicans, seagulls, pigeons, small doves, and cormorants.

 

We stayed onboard until 11am, watching the dock area where folks from the Jewel were walking to town.  Most everyone we saw was not wearing a mask.  Nor was this announced after leaving the ship.  It is common sense to wear these masks everywhere, since the rate of spread here is supposedly high right now.  The same type of souvenirs like we saw yesterday were for sale in the terminal building.  Once outside, we turned right and followed the main highway.  This took us to a nice marina, and some of their local fishing boats.  Some of the large fish were being filleted, with the scraps being fed to two pelicans.  They begged like dogs.  We went as far as we had back in 2010, our last visit here.  At that time, we had located a nice Italian café that had pizza.  It was in the Seaport Mall, which belongs to Renaissance Hotel.  Once again, we did not go out to lunch, only because the rate of Covid spread (Omicron) is getting high in these islands.  And so many of the other cruise guests were going unmasked.  No sense taking a chance.

 

We still had a nice walk to Wilhelmina Park where we saw a number of iguanas, lizards, geckos, and some birds.  The Renaissance Hotel here had a tidal swimming pool as well as a fresh water pool on their grounds.  Walking the seawall, we saw many small crabs on the rocks as well as seagulls.  In the surf, we could see many tropical fish chewing on the coral. 

 

On the way back, we passed by the numerous stalls which were all selling the same souvenirs we have seen on all of the islands.  Only the name of the island was changed.  The colorful stalls were worthy of a photo or two.  Back at the ship after our 2 ½ hour hike, we headed for a lido salad and sandwich.  It has taken over two weeks to discover they had sugar cones in the ice cream section of the Lido.  Had to have one of those with mint chip ice cream. 

 

Back to the room, we watched the port pedestrian traffic, and worked on future reports and today’s photos.  The beer in the Dutch Café was so good yesterday, we went back at 5pm today for two more with a shared ham and cheese sandwich as well as four crispy spring rolls.  These come with three types of dips.

 

Dinner was in the dining room where we met with Barb.  She had kept busy on the ship, and shared her day with us.  She has been here many  more times than we have, so what we shared about our walk all came back to her.  The potato soup was especially tasty this evening, as were the baby back ribs we had.  Barb ordered the shrimp meal, and said it was really good.  Desserts were two hot fudge sundaes and one fruit plate.

 

Sail away was right after 10:30pm, and we are now headed for Bonaire, the last of the ABC islands to visit.

 

There was a movie in the World Stage at 8pm…..No Time To Die, a Bond film.  But that was our dinnertime, so we missed it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  "Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann.

 

 

  • Like 11
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
St Pete Cruiser

St Pete Cruiser

Posted
Posted
On 1/7/2022 at 8:29 AM, WCB said:

Report # 20   Oranjestad, Aruba   Thursday - January 6, 2022   Partly cloudy & 78 degrees    Part # 1 of 3.........80 Pictures

 

Aruba is smaller than the other Netherlands Antilles islands with 120 square miles.  The island is 19 ½ miles long, and 6 miles wide.  The official language is Dutch, but most everyone speaks English.  The population is about 72,000.  The highest point on the island is 617 feet , and there is a $280 fine for littering.  For that reason, we noticed the downtown area was spotless.

 

Fierce winds can blow here with the evidence shown in the divi-divi trees that lean permanently in the southwest direction.   The houses are also painted pastel colors, and this island is considered the party hot spot.  Especially at Carnival time.  Hurricanes are rare, and there are many things to see and do.  Ship tours included a trip to the ostrich and emu farm, owned by the same company that is on Curacao.  You can see a butterfly farm, or limestone caves complete with bats.  Several water excursions included beach stops, Atlantis submarine ride, catamaran sailing and snorkeling, or a ride to relax and swim on a beach.  Since I did not click on this yesterday, these tour prices were already gone this morning. 

 

Anyway, we were greeted with “bon bini” which means welcome.  The ship docked in Oranjestad, the capital, early this morning.  And since Aruba is only 45 miles from Curacao, we must have sailed in circles all night.  There were three other ship docked here…..The Jewel of the Seas, and the Grandeur of the Seas, both RCI.  The third ship was the Freewind, a sea organization motor vessel.

 

Soon after the ship was docked, we were treated to a rare sighting of a peregrine falcon soaring overhead.  Since there was only one bird, we toyed with the idea it may belong to someone on the island.  So we did some research to learn that these birds of prey migrate here, and can come from as far as Greenland.  They are the world’s fastest bird, gaining speeds up to 186 miles per hour. Taking over 100 photos with the good camera, resulted in some clear shots of this sky-diver. Assuming they dined on pigeons, we found out their diet here consists of iguanas and small lizards. Other birds we spotted today were pelicans, seagulls, pigeons, small doves, and cormorants.

 

We stayed onboard until 11am, watching the dock area where folks from the Jewel were walking to town.  Most everyone we saw was not wearing a mask.  Nor was this announced after leaving the ship.  It is common sense to wear these masks everywhere, since the rate of spread here is supposedly high right now.  The same type of souvenirs like we saw yesterday were for sale in the terminal building.  Once outside, we turned right and followed the main highway.  This took us to a nice marina, and some of their local fishing boats.  Some of the large fish were being filleted, with the scraps being fed to two pelicans.  They begged like dogs.  We went as far as we had back in 2010, our last visit here.  At that time, we had located a nice Italian café that had pizza.  It was in the Seaport Mall, which belongs to Renaissance Hotel.  Once again, we did not go out to lunch, only because the rate of Covid spread (Omicron) is getting high in these islands.  And so many of the other cruise guests were going unmasked.  No sense taking a chance.

 

We still had a nice walk to Wilhelmina Park where we saw a number of iguanas, lizards, geckos, and some birds.  The Renaissance Hotel here had a tidal swimming pool as well as a fresh water pool on their grounds.  Walking the seawall, we saw many small crabs on the rocks as well as seagulls.  In the surf, we could see many tropical fish chewing on the coral. 

 

On the way back, we passed by the numerous stalls which were all selling the same souvenirs we have seen on all of the islands.  Only the name of the island was changed.  The colorful stalls were worthy of a photo or two.  Back at the ship after our 2 ½ hour hike, we headed for a lido salad and sandwich.  It has taken over two weeks to discover they had sugar cones in the ice cream section of the Lido.  Had to have one of those with mint chip ice cream. 

 

Back to the room, we watched the port pedestrian traffic, and worked on future reports and today’s photos.  The beer in the Dutch Café was so good yesterday, we went back at 5pm today for two more with a shared ham and cheese sandwich as well as four crispy spring rolls.  These come with three types of dips.

 

Dinner was in the dining room where we met with Barb.  She had kept busy on the ship, and shared her day with us.  She has been here many  more times than we have, so what we shared about our walk all came back to her.  The potato soup was especially tasty this evening, as were the baby back ribs we had.  Barb ordered the shrimp meal, and said it was really good.  Desserts were two hot fudge sundaes and one fruit plate.

 

Sail away was right after 10:30pm, and we are now headed for Bonaire, the last of the ABC islands to visit.

 

There was a movie in the World Stage at 8pm…..No Time To Die, a Bond film.  But that was our dinnertime, so we missed it.

 

Bill & Mary Ann  "Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann.

 

 

I like your optimistic attitude and enjoy your reports, even if it is from somewhere I know quite well.  Thus, my question to you who have traveled the world is:  Should the South Pacific cruise be on my bucket list?  The Zuiderdam leaves San Diego Feb 27 for 35 days to Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas Islands.  Looks like we can get a good price for a verandah, which I wanted on an itinerary like this.  March is prime time to be home in Florida for us, but you can't always go on these cruises when your personnel schedule dictates.  We have been to Hawaii, which we liked very much, but never past there.  New Zealand and Australia, bucket list places, seem to be off the schedule for at least another year.  Thanks for your opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
iflyrc5

iflyrc5

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, St Pete Cruiser said:

I like your optimistic attitude and enjoy your reports, even if it is from somewhere I know quite well.  Thus, my question to you who have traveled the world is:  Should the South Pacific cruise be on my bucket list?  The Zuiderdam leaves San Diego Feb 27 for 35 days to Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas Islands.  Looks like we can get a good price for a verandah, which I wanted on an itinerary like this.  March is prime time to be home in Florida for us, but you can't always go on these cruises when your personnel schedule dictates.  We have been to Hawaii, which we liked very much, but never past there.  New Zealand and Australia, bucket list places, seem to be off the schedule for at least another year.  Thanks for your opinion.

This is a great cruise that we have done twice - however, you might want to check out the Roll Call for this cruise on the Zuiderdam boards.  It is extremely active - almost 3000 posts.  There is still lots of concerns as to if they will be stopping in Hawaii and probably Bora Bora is out.  We were booked for the cruise but cancelled and plan to just cruise the Caribbean this winter.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report #21 Kralendijk, Bonaire  Friday-January 7, 2022   Partly cloudy & 80 degrees.......Part #1 Of 4.......80 .Pictures

 

Well, here we are in Bonaire, another island we have never seen.  Bonaire is 112 square miles and is 24 miles long.  The terrain is mostly flat with a very dry climate.  The landscape is cactus-covered for the most part, except for the salt marshes that house up to 15,000 flamingoes.  It is the biggest flock in the Western Hemisphere.  The trade in salt put this place on the map, and was harvested by slaves back in the 1500’s.  Donkeys were imported from Spain to transport the salt to the waiting ships.  Once the salt industry mechanized, the donkeys were set free to roam the island.  It is estimated that their numbers have doubled since then.  They survive with little water, and will eat the cacti as well as people’s gardens.  Besides the donkeys, there are long-haired goats and many lizards. 

 

The city of Kralendijk is the capital with a population of about 3000 people.  The entire population of this island is 18,000 people.  And from what we saw today, this is certainly not a commercialized tourist magnet like Aruba or Curacao.  What Bonaire offers is a diver’s paradise. The entire island is surrounded with Bonaire Marine Park, 700 acres of diving paradise.  There is a saying here that describes it best:  on what to do – dive, eat, dive, sleep, and dive.  Most vacationers are so tired at the end of their day, that this is not a big party town.  Spear-fishing or removal of the coral, even walking on coral is strictly forbidden.  Also not permitted to take off of the island are sea fans, conch shells, or any form of sea life.  Goatskin and tortoise shell items are not allowed in the US. 

 

Dining is far less expensive here compared to Aruba or Curacao.  Deep sea fishing is popular with catches of wahoo, marlin, tuna, swordfish, and sailfish.  There are few white sand beaches, but there are 180 miles of bike roads.  The waterfront is lined with a mix of small hotels, apartments, and bungalows.

 

Not in a hurry to go off of the ship, we took care of emailing chores by the Front Desk.  It happened to be in the middle of the crew safety drill, which took one hour.  In addition, some of the tender boats were being lowered and tested, we assume.  So far on this trip, we have not had to use the ship’s tenders.

 

There had been an announcement prior to getting clearance, that it was mandatory to carry our proof of vaccination cards in order to gain entrance to the island.  This is the first time we had to produce these since we boarding December 19th.  And these were looked at quite closely local authorities, because it was asked if we were boosted as well.  Yes, we are. 

 

There was no terminal here, as we simply walked through a gate and right into the town.  Along the way, there was a scattering of the typical ship approved shops, which were not all opened.  By the way, the Nieuw Statendam was the one and only ship here today.  Nice for us. Unfortunately, none of our crew members were allowed off once again.  We did find it odd that some of the entertainers were walking the town.  Later on, we asked about that, and were told that the entertainers are not considered part of the crew, and had permission to leave.  But unmasked?  Guess that is their choice…….

 

Following the waterfront, we came across Wilhelmina Park where we found a city map and a copy of the Historical Kralendijk Walking Tour.  There were only two copies left, leaving us to guess there have not been many cruise ships in port recently.  This was the best map we have seen so far complete with pictures and descriptions of each and every historical site.  As small as this capital city is, there was a detailed map of downtown and every possible store and café that was there.  We would come back to this area after walking the shoreline path. 

 

This was where some of the apartments, small hotels, and cottages were situated facing the water.  No beaches here, but there was access to the turquoise waters via boat ramps.  Some of the nicer cafes were in this area too.  Looking closely in the gentle surf, we started to locate many colorful parrotfish nipping away at the algae in the rocks.  This area was teeming with sea life, and even though this was a small boat marina, people were snorkeling and even scuba diving.  Right off of this coastline is an island called Klein Bonaire, and it appeared that ship tours with catamarans and glass bottom boats were headed in that direction. 

 

Many convenient benches were placed along this brick walkway, most of them in the hot sun.  And it was hot today, despite a breeze blowing.  Good thing for sunscreen.  We made it all the way to the end, where a resort cut off further access.  Just as well, it was a long hike back, but scenic.  Following the walking map, we located the streets that led to the downtown section.  The most historic buildings were located here.  After taking photos, we headed back towards the ship passing through the Wilhelmina Park.  Some souvenir tables were set up here, and a three piece jewelry set was purchased by us.  Most of the small restaurants were closed, perhaps until dinnertime.  Those pubs that were opened were full of ship guests.  So it was back to the ship for lunch of custom-made salads and lots of ice cold Cokes.

 

All aboard was 5:30pm, where we watched from the comfort of our veranda, as the ship pulled away from the pier.  Thank goodness, by moving, we picked up a breeze that cooled us off a bit.  Now this is where things got interesting.  Having read about the massive flamingo population, we looked in the direction of the salt flats.  It was suggested in Fodor’s Caribbean tour book, that if you had powerful binoculars, it was possible to see flamingoes in flight.  Yes, we had the binoculars, and we did see the cloud of pink birds flying.  Always pays to do some homework.

 

Dinnertime was in the dining room where we tried some new starters.  Barb had a seafood cocktail and we ordered spicy veal meatballs.  The snapper entrée went to Barb, a pasta dish for me, and a veal dish that was really wienerschnitzel.  It went well with the extra marinara sauce I had.

Before our main meal began, we had a surprise visit from Mustafa, our hotel manager, along with his secretary.  As they approached, we thought, oh no, what did we do?  Joking as always, it turned out their visit was a friendly one, ending with the gift of a glass of red wine for each of us.  Nice touch. 

 

Thinking we might go to the show in the World Stage, we learned from Barb that many of the entertainment venues have been cut short or eliminated, due to the low passenger count.  Tonight there had been a dance show at 8pm, but not repeated again.  Barb had been interested in the only dance floor option, the BB King’s Blues club, but they wrapped up before 10pm the previous evening.  There’s always the Casino………

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

  • Like 9
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
aliaschief

aliaschief

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, WCB said:

Report #21 Kralendijk, Bonaire  Friday-January 7, 2022   Partly cloudy & 80 degrees.......Part #1 Of 4.......80 .Pictures

 

Well, here we are in Bonaire, another island we have never seen.  Bonaire is 112 square miles and is 24 miles long.  The terrain is mostly flat with a very dry climate.  The landscape is cactus-covered for the most part, except for the salt marshes that house up to 15,000 flamingoes.  It is the biggest flock in the Western Hemisphere.  The trade in salt put this place on the map, and was harvested by slaves back in the 1500’s.  Donkeys were imported from Spain to transport the salt to the waiting ships.  Once the salt industry mechanized, the donkeys were set free to roam the island.  It is estimated that their numbers have doubled since then.  They survive with little water, and will eat the cacti as well as people’s gardens.  Besides the donkeys, there are long-haired goats and many lizards. 

 

The city of Kralendijk is the capital with a population of about 3000 people.  The entire population of this island is 18,000 people.  And from what we saw today, this is certainly not a commercialized tourist magnet like Aruba or Curacao.  What Bonaire offers is a diver’s paradise. The entire island is surrounded with Bonaire Marine Park, 700 acres of diving paradise.  There is a saying here that describes it best:  on what to do – dive, eat, dive, sleep, and dive.  Most vacationers are so tired at the end of their day, that this is not a big party town.  Spear-fishing or removal of the coral, even walking on coral is strictly forbidden.  Also not permitted to take off of the island are sea fans, conch shells, or any form of sea life.  Goatskin and tortoise shell items are not allowed in the US. 

 

Dining is far less expensive here compared to Aruba or Curacao.  Deep sea fishing is popular with catches of wahoo, marlin, tuna, swordfish, and sailfish.  There are few white sand beaches, but there are 180 miles of bike roads.  The waterfront is lined with a mix of small hotels, apartments, and bungalows.

 

Not in a hurry to go off of the ship, we took care of emailing chores by the Front Desk.  It happened to be in the middle of the crew safety drill, which took one hour.  In addition, some of the tender boats were being lowered and tested, we assume.  So far on this trip, we have not had to use the ship’s tenders.

 

There had been an announcement prior to getting clearance, that it was mandatory to carry our proof of vaccination cards in order to gain entrance to the island.  This is the first time we had to produce these since we boarding December 19th.  And these were looked at quite closely local authorities, because it was asked if we were boosted as well.  Yes, we are. 

 

There was no terminal here, as we simply walked through a gate and right into the town.  Along the way, there was a scattering of the typical ship approved shops, which were not all opened.  By the way, the Nieuw Statendam was the one and only ship here today.  Nice for us. Unfortunately, none of our crew members were allowed off once again.  We did find it odd that some of the entertainers were walking the town.  Later on, we asked about that, and were told that the entertainers are not considered part of the crew, and had permission to leave.  But unmasked?  Guess that is their choice…….

 

Following the waterfront, we came across Wilhelmina Park where we found a city map and a copy of the Historical Kralendijk Walking Tour.  There were only two copies left, leaving us to guess there have not been many cruise ships in port recently.  This was the best map we have seen so far complete with pictures and descriptions of each and every historical site.  As small as this capital city is, there was a detailed map of downtown and every possible store and café that was there.  We would come back to this area after walking the shoreline path. 

 

This was where some of the apartments, small hotels, and cottages were situated facing the water.  No beaches here, but there was access to the turquoise waters via boat ramps.  Some of the nicer cafes were in this area too.  Looking closely in the gentle surf, we started to locate many colorful parrotfish nipping away at the algae in the rocks.  This area was teeming with sea life, and even though this was a small boat marina, people were snorkeling and even scuba diving.  Right off of this coastline is an island called Klein Bonaire, and it appeared that ship tours with catamarans and glass bottom boats were headed in that direction. 

 

Many convenient benches were placed along this brick walkway, most of them in the hot sun.  And it was hot today, despite a breeze blowing.  Good thing for sunscreen.  We made it all the way to the end, where a resort cut off further access.  Just as well, it was a long hike back, but scenic.  Following the walking map, we located the streets that led to the downtown section.  The most historic buildings were located here.  After taking photos, we headed back towards the ship passing through the Wilhelmina Park.  Some souvenir tables were set up here, and a three piece jewelry set was purchased by us.  Most of the small restaurants were closed, perhaps until dinnertime.  Those pubs that were opened were full of ship guests.  So it was back to the ship for lunch of custom-made salads and lots of ice cold Cokes.

 

All aboard was 5:30pm, where we watched from the comfort of our veranda, as the ship pulled away from the pier.  Thank goodness, by moving, we picked up a breeze that cooled us off a bit.  Now this is where things got interesting.  Having read about the massive flamingo population, we looked in the direction of the salt flats.  It was suggested in Fodor’s Caribbean tour book, that if you had powerful binoculars, it was possible to see flamingoes in flight.  Yes, we had the binoculars, and we did see the cloud of pink birds flying.  Always pays to do some homework.

 

Dinnertime was in the dining room where we tried some new starters.  Barb had a seafood cocktail and we ordered spicy veal meatballs.  The snapper entrée went to Barb, a pasta dish for me, and a veal dish that was really wienerschnitzel.  It went well with the extra marinara sauce I had.

Before our main meal began, we had a surprise visit from Mustafa, our hotel manager, along with his secretary.  As they approached, we thought, oh no, what did we do?  Joking as always, it turned out their visit was a friendly one, ending with the gift of a glass of red wine for each of us.  Nice touch. 

 

Thinking we might go to the show in the World Stage, we learned from Barb that many of the entertainment venues have been cut short or eliminated, due to the low passenger count.  Tonight there had been a dance show at 8pm, but not repeated again.  Barb had been interested in the only dance floor option, the BB King’s Blues club, but they wrapped up before 10pm the previous evening.  There’s always the Casino………

 

Bill & Mary Ann  

So well written, informative. Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Hi St. Pete Cruiser,

Definitely, the Tales of the South Pacific voyage is a must-do on a bucket list.  We have done three of these trips, and would go again in the future.

Bill & Mary Ann

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report #22   Day at Sea   Saturday – January 8, 2022   Cloudy, windy & rain showers   72 degrees       Part # 1 of 1……….27 Pictures

 

This day at sea began differently than every day since December 19th, when we boarded.  Opening the curtain, we saw that our veranda and door were soaked.  Obviously it had rained during the night, and with the dark clouds and increasing winds, it would probably continue all day.  At one point this morning, Captain Noel came on the speaker and said we were listing due to 55 mph winds.  He hoped it would be temporary.  It was.

 

Heading out for breakfast, it was strange not to see more passengers doing the same thing.  In fact, we only saw a few crew members on deck two.  Perhaps more guests go to the Lido instead of the dining room.  We have continued going to Club Orange because they get it all right.  Now even our coffee cups are pre-heated with boiling water, making that first cup the best. 

 

At 11am, we were invited to another Mariner Recognition Event in the Ocean Bar.  This was Barb’s first one, and the third for us.  There were less than 20 guests there this time.  Captain Noel was his usual happy self, giving a welcome speech to all of us.  Hotel manager, Mustafa, was also present, as well as Jonah who introduced the two officers.  Wine and mimosas flowed this time. Most everyone did have their photo taken with both officers. After this event was over, at least nine of us stayed to finish our drinks.  Barb has a knack of being able to “break the ice” with anybody who sits close enough to her.  Before we knew it, our little group of three became seven.  Now this can be a good thing, because these well-traveled guests shared info about the cruise ships in the Caribbean and the Covid effect.  In the last few days, several major cruise lines have announced cancellation of their upcoming cruises.  Perhaps it is due to the fear the people have in taking cruises, thanks to the recent news scare.  It is understandable that they cannot afford to have such a low number of cruisers.  At 700 guests, we feel like this is a ghost ship at times.  While walking the promenade deck, one of us encountered no other walkers.

 

We all agreed that we are taking this cruise one day at a time, and if a cancellation is in the future, we will deal with it.  Nothing has been indicated that this trip will end, but then, nothing was leaked when the 2020 world cruise was cut short.  At that time, we had about 4 days to pack and make flight plans to go home from Australia.  At least we are closer to home if the same thing happens.  Fingers crossed….it will not.

 

The shop sales have begun, because we will be in ports for the next three days, then back to Ft. Lauderdale next Wednesday.  During the holiday cruises, these shops were much more busy.  But on this trip, there are few shoppers that we have seen.  The shop keepers stand outside their doors greeting the folks as they walk by.  That has to be one long day for them.

 

For a change, we decided to try pizza for lunch at the NY Deli & Pizza.  Going to deck 10, we found it was way too windy to sit there, and the salads in the refrigerated case appeared to be wilted.  So it was back to the Lido for a freshly-made salad and grilled sandwich.  A couple of cookies and an apple finished the shared meal. 

 

Working on yesterday’s photos and report, we watched the end of the series, Mare of Easttown. We never would have anticipated the ending.  So far, we have not located anything like this type of TV series, so will have to resort to movies. 

 

Tonight we have reservations in the Tamarind.  We had invited Barb, but she declined.  Not sure she likes that type of cuisine, although most of what we order is not strictly Asian.  Wanting to try something new, one of us ordered the vegetarian soup with tofu.  Really it was the noodles that made it sound good.  It was a nice surprise to find it tasted wonderful.  The secret was a touch of liquid smoke.  One of us had the Thai beef salad, and the other spring rolls.  We shared the rolls and a plate of the rib appetizers. Entrees were the wasabi-crusted tenderloin steak with onion rings and asparagus.  Sides of brown rice and mushrooms filled our plates.  Tonight the steaks about melted in our mouths.  Having been served on heated plates really made a difference.  Desserts were cheesecake that resembles no cheesecake we have ever made, and two scoops of vanilla ice cream.  By the way, the service was impeccable, and the restaurant was far from crowded.  That was a surprise since this was a gala night. 

 

On our way to our room, we passed by the BB King’s All Stars show.  It surprised us to see so many folks dressed in t-shirts and shorts.  That is fine during the day, but not on a gala evening.  At the very least, put on some long pants.  And how hard is it to wear a collared shirt?  It would have been nice if there was a show in the World Stage, but once again, there was only one at 8pm. 

 

Tomorrow we will be in the Dominican Republic, a place we visited back in the 80’s.  Wonder if it will look the same?

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

  • Like 10
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
WCB "Live from...." Rare

WCB

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Report # 23   Amber Cove, Dominican Republic   Sunday – January 9, 2022   Showers & mostly cloudy   80 degrees     Part #1 of 3….80 Pictures

 

We woke up to rain and wind this morning as we watched the ship approach the north coast of Dominican Republic.  It had been announced yesterday that the ship would be docked portside, but that changed when the captain turned the vessel completely around, and pulled alongside starboard side.  By the time we were docked, the clouds began breaking up, presenting a very nice chunk of a rainbow.  The rainbow sightings would go on most of the morning.  Then it got warm and steamy.

 

The second largest Caribbean island after Cuba, is the island of Hispanola.  Dominican Republic covers 2/3 of it, while Haiti covers 1/3.  The island itself is 18,765 square miles with a population of 8.8 million people, mostly of Spanish back rounds.  Part of their culture is dancing #1, eating #2, and drinking #3.  There are 1000 miles of beaches, so water sports are a big draw for the tourists.  Most of the all-inclusive resorts are more affordable compared to other islands, attracting a huge crowd from Europe. 

 

Natural resources include cocoa, coffee, rum, tobacco, and sugarcane.  The rain forests have crocodiles, green cockatoos, and 29 species of birds.  Gemstones sold here are the blue larimar, amber, and conch shell jewelry.  Some other info we learned is that it is not recommended to drink the tap water, or go without insect repellant, as there is malaria and dengue fever.

 

Scanning the map of Dominican Republic, we could not locate Amber Cove.  There was a reason why, and that was Amber Cove is not a city, but a deliberate-built enclosed complex owned by the Carnival Corporation.  It is somewhat similar to the port area in Grand Turk, even Half Moon Cay, their private island.  If you like shopping, swimming in a pool, lounging in the sun, or zip-lining in mind, then this is the place for you.  The pool with the lounges is complimentary, but the rest is charged (credit card or cash). 

 

Over 30 acres, this complex has duty-free shopping with stores like Dufry, Diamonds International, Effy Jewelry, Del Sol, and Cariloha.  These seem to be the biggest names in every port we have visited thus far.  What they do not have here is beachfront, only large meandering swimming pools.  Very nice bars and semi-outdoor restaurants are also at your disposal.  Although they are not free, as on Half Moon Cay, it appeared they had a varied menu and plenty of beverages.  Above the entire complex was another circular bar under a huge tent.  It was a long steep walk up there, but it was the best place to catch a breeze.

 

At one point between the shops, there was the exit, which from what could see, went nowhere in particular.  Taxi drivers were lined up to take you wherever the tours took the ship folk.  Some of the HAL tours were a drive to a beach, a jungle walk to see spider monkeys (at your own risk), waterfalls and hiking, and a catamaran sail & snorkel with lunch.  At Amber Cove complex, you could rent cabanas for as much as 300 per person or as little as 280 per person.  The more expensive huts were over the water, like you see in Bora Bora.  These did include a butler, a Jacuzzi, and the use of the zipline all day.  We did not see anyone inside those huts.  

 

Passing through the usually tents of souvenir tables, we just looked, but bought nothing.  The vendors really put the pressure on folks to buy something, it sort of took the fun out of it.  In Dufry, we did purchase a small bottle of white vanilla, but it tasted different from what we buy at home.  More of a perfume-like taste, it will be good in the Diet Coke.

 

Overall, Amber Cove was spotless, and well- marked with mask mandates and the 6 foot apart rule.  In most all of the nicer shops, you had to use Purell before entering.  By the way, we were the only cruise ship in port today. 

 

By 1pm, we headed back to the ship for our Lido lunch run and plenty of ice cold sodas.  Passing by the Lido pool, we noticed that most all of the guests were here, and not onshore.  Why not?  We have everything we need here, and it is free.

 

Working on photos after lunch, we discovered that most all of the pictures taken today were out of focus.  Not sure if the camera setting was just off a tad, or the camera is getting tired, we had to delete them.  There will be more stops here, so the photos will be coming.

 

By 5:30pm, we slowly sailed away from the pier, passing the beach front we had watched all day.  Since it was a Sunday, many families were enjoying their day on the beach with banana boat rides and windsurfing.  The music blared with merengue and salsa tunes, which we enjoyed hearing.  If all goes according to schedule, we should be back here a few more times.

 

Shortly before dinnertime at 8pm, we had a knock on the door.  It was our room steward Koko, who handed us two KN95 masks to wear while on the ship.  Oh no, what does that mean?  Originally, we had the regular masks, now we will wear what the staff and crew use.  No explanation was given.  Back together with Barb, she told us a story of a 4 person hazmat team spraying the entire hallway outside her room late this afternoon.  If the variant is here, we will hear about it soon, we assume.  In the meantime, we enjoyed our dinners of barramundi and parmesan-crusted chicken.  Fellow world cruisers, Diane and Al, joined us at dessert time.  They will be on for two 21 day cruises, and wanted to know how to access the stores in Ft. Lauderdale by walking.  They had assumed we were not allowed out of the port area.  We hope we are back at terminal two, a much easier walk.

 

The clocks went back one hour tonight, always a most welcome thing to do.  Tomorrow we will back in Grand Turk, but only for a short visit.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jolokia

Jolokia

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, WCB said:

Working on photos after lunch, we discovered that most all of the pictures taken today were out of focus.  Not sure if the camera setting was just off a tad, or the camera is getting tired, we had to delete them.

Take a look at the manual/auto focus switch on your camera. Sometimes on my camera the switch get a little bump and the auto focus doesn't work. I just switch it to manual, then back to auto and it works fine. I enjoy looking at your pictures they are great. enjoy your time at sea, John

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
cruzingnut

cruzingnut

Posted
Posted

@WCB, I'd bet that people were at the ships pool rather than ashore since they music by that lovely huge pool is loud enough to puncture your eardrums.  It's a shame, since it is a nice pool but we would stay on the ship next time we are there. 

 

That's disturbing to hear about the masks but every single ship sailing right now has covid.  The Zuiderdam has not only deck 4 set aside for covid but they've had to open up the forward section of deck 6 for more cases.  Not good.  Stay safe!

 

Linda R.

(Ganville-20 WC)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DrKoob "Live from...." Rare

DrKoob

Posted
Posted (edited)

Per the KN95 masks: We are on the 9/23 sailing and were told in advance (last Thursday) that they would supply us with those and that we would be required to wear them everywhere on the ship except eating and in our staterooms. It may not be a big deal or signal an outbreak, it is just the new policy until Omicron is under control a little better. We were advised that they would give us up to 4 masks and that we should consider bringing more on our own. 

BTW: This is fleet wide. 

Edited by DrKoob
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
iflyrc5

iflyrc5

Posted
Posted
44 minutes ago, DrKoob said:

Per the KN95 masks: We are on the 9/23 sailing and were told in advance (last Thursday) that they would supply us with those and that we would be required to wear them everywhere on the ship except eating and in our staterooms. It may not be a big deal or signal an outbreak, it is just the new policy until Omicron is under control a little better. We were advised that they would give us up to 4 masks and that we should consider bringing more on our own. 

BTW: This is fleet wide. 

Who told you that KN95 masks would be supplied?  HAL or your TA or ???   We are book on the Nieuw Statendam from Feb 2 - Mar 16 and have not gotten this word.  Not a problem - just wondering.  We already have purchased a box of 20 and plan to wear them on the plane too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DrKoob "Live from...." Rare

DrKoob

Posted
Posted
29 minutes ago, iflyrc5 said:

Who told you that KN95 masks would be supplied?  HAL or your TA or ???   We are book on the Nieuw Statendam from Feb 2 - Mar 16 and have not gotten this word.  Not a problem - just wondering.  We already have purchased a box of 20 and plan to wear them on the plane too.

We are part of a group called "Sail with Seth" that is sailing with HAL's Brand Ambassador, Seth Wayne. We had a Zoom call with him last week and we were told the new restrictions and that there would be KN95 masks per stateroom available to us. We too are taking an extra 20. A couple of those will get used on the plane and in the few days we will be in Florida pre-cruise. Here is the HAL doc we got from Seth about COVID precautions that mentions wearing them all the time.

US-Cruise-Protocols-0103.pdf

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...