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

[rkacruiser]

4 minutes ago, The Other Tom said:

Here you go:

Amazon.com: 3M Personal Protective Equipment Particulate Respirator 8210, N95, Smoke, Dust, Grinding, Sanding, Sawing, Sweeping, 20/Pack : Tools & Home Improvement

 

I will research this tomorrow.  I have had many referrals and none have met my needs.  Thanks for your link; I do appreciate it.  

[seaoma]

45 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I will research this tomorrow.  I have had many referrals and none have met my needs.  Thanks for your link; I do appreciate it.  

 

There is a highly rated mask by the mask nerd, Aaron Collins. He's a mechanical engineer with a background in Aerosol Science. You can find his informative videos on YouTube.

 

The mask is sold at Home Depot. It's a 9205+ Aura and made by 3M. It's NIOSH approved and protects very well. There are head straps that are very comfortable. My husband is bald and he says he can't feel the straps. I find the mask very easy to breath in and comfortable.

 

Anyone looking to upgrade their mask situation, should check into this one.

[iflyrc5]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have yet to find these.  Yet, I have been told that they exist for many, many months.  

Most of the N95 go around the head - the KN95 go over the ears like the surgical masks

[Cruising Is Bliss]

5 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I have yet to find these.  Yet, I have been told that they exist for many, many months.  

 

A family member is unable to wear ear loops due to hearing aids. I cut strips off the bottom of a white 100% cotton t-shirt and threaded a strip through each ear loop and tied them around behind their head. I made them permanently knotted so they can just pull their masks on and off.

[WCB]

Report #27   Day at Sea   Thursday – January 13, 2022   Showers & 77 degrees……Part #1 of 1………31 Pictures

 

Today was a good one to stay inside, since it was raining off and on during most of the day.  The temperature did warm up since leaving Florida which is nice. 

 

Breakfast in Club Orange was full of customers this morning.  In fact, the greeter gal had accidently given our table to another couple.  Apologizing profusely, she promised she would not make that mistake again.  Not a big deal, we just sat one table over.  All of the waiters except one were new.  And it was that waiter that had our made-to-order parfait ready to go.  We have decided that enjoying mimosas are best to have on Sunday only.  Oh yeah, we also learned that all of the Neptune suites were sold on this trip, part of the reason for the full restaurant.

 

We began our walk around the promenade deck, only to find that the majority of folks were walking opposite of the way we are used to.  On the old Amsterdam, there were directional arrows suggesting a counterclockwise walk.  On this ship, we have only seen “no jogging” or smoking only in a designated area.  As we approached the aft section of the deck, there was a rope across the deck with a  sign saying private event.  We toyed with the idea that it might be for a burial of ashes at sea ceremony.  Although we have never seen this advertised anywhere, that could be a possibility.  After a few flip-flop walks, we headed inside past the Front Desk.  That’s when we ran into one of the girls that works there, and she did confirm that the event was indeed scattering of the ashes.  You learn something new every day. 

 

A day at sea’s activities were in full swing.  And there are enough new passengers that were participating.  The shoppers and gamblers were back.   Missing was the 4pm Happy Hour, as was the second dance show in the World Stage.  The only Step One Dance Company performance was at 7:30pm.  On Music Walk, the BB King’s were still performing, filling up the spaces left by the Rolling Stones.  Dueling pianos were happening, and most of the Lincoln Center Stage group were playing. However, they were missing the cello player, who we assume, has Covid. 

 

We tried a hot bowl of split pea soup in the Dutch Café, along with a shared ham and cheese sandwich.  Needless to say, the soup was as good as it ever was.  Maybe better, because it was served hot.  Perfect choice for a dark and rainy day.

 

We had been invited to another wine tasting, but we did not attend.  Barb said it was really nicely done, and they served the better wines.  Instead, we watched another good movie until it was time for dinner.  Even though the menu is similar every cruise, there are many entrees we have not tried yet.  Our food has come on very hot plates and that sure makes a difference.  On our way out of the dining room, we were reminded that the clocks will go ahead tonight.  Sure don’t like that direction, but we will get it back.  The gain or loss of one hour has not given us a problem.

 

Presty had made another stop at our table to chat.  He is the one person onboard that knows the numbers concerning the passenger count.  Right now, the total of in transit and new guests is close to 1000.  Prior to this cruise, there had been more people booked, but with cancellations, it brought the number down somewhat. 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[janmcn]

N95 masks are different from KN95.  HAL is giving out KN95. (N95 are being reserved for medical workers hopefully ). 
Also, there’s a report that showed 60% of KN95 masks are counterfeit. Try to find some made in USA…difficult to do last minute for a cruise.

Edited January 14, 2022 by janmcn

[0106]

I also highly recommend 9205+ Aura Mask by 3M.  It’s NIOSH approved easy to breath in and comfortable.  I wear it 8 hours a day while teaching and just restocked my supply at Home Depot.

[seaoma]

20 minutes ago, 0106 said:

I also highly recommend 9205+ Aura Mask by 3M.  It’s NIOSH approved easy to breath in and comfortable.  I wear it 8 hours a day while teaching and just restocked my supply at Home Depot.

 

I second this. An article I read today said if a N95 is in a store and they are giving you the opportunity to buy it, it's an indication that the supply of N95s for medical professionals are adequate. 

 

1 hour ago, janmcn said:

N95 masks are different from KN95.  HAL is giving out KN95. (N95 are being reserved for medical workers hopefully ). 
Also, there’s a report that showed 60% of KN95 masks are counterfeit. Try to find some made in USA…difficult to do last minute for a cruise.

 

If you are looking for good masks, whether KN95 or N95, look into Aaron Collins, known as the mask nerd. He is on all the social media. He has links for reputable places to buy very good masks.

Edited January 14, 2022 by seaoma

[The Other Tom]

22 hours ago, seaoma said:

The mask is sold at Home Depot. It's a 9205+ Aura and made by 3M

I have a box of those and a box of "regular" N95.  I find the 9205+ to be more difficult to get adjusted, but once properly adjusted, they are more comfortable for me.  Note that they are rated as N95 as well.

[drowelf]

9 hours ago, WCB said:

As we approached the aft section of the deck, there was a rope across the deck with a  sign saying private event.  We toyed with the idea that it might be for a burial of ashes at sea ceremony.  Although we have never seen this advertised anywhere, that could be a possibility.  After a few flip-flop walks, we headed inside past the Front Desk.  That’s when we ran into one of the girls that works there, and she did confirm that the event was indeed scattering of the ashes.  You learn something new every day. 

I've done it a couple of times off ships while at sea and on land. I've always arranged it before hand with Ship Services and then follow up on the 1st/2nd day on board. Since my parents never got to travel the world, my Dad's last request was that I scatter their ashes all over the world on our travels. So once he passed, I had split his ashes into two urns. One went into the niche with Mom's and the other resides at home with us now mixed with Mom's. When we interred his, I took the opportunity to retrieve a portion of her ashes. Over the past 7 years we've scattered them over the world. Some of the places they now reside are Iceland, France, Spain, England and on the summit of Haleakalā on Maui. Scattered them into the sea sailing Drake's Passage going to Antarctica and off the coast of Iceland. 

 

I don't remember them ever blocking off the area we used. On the Antarctica (Zaandam) we were on the very stern in the area below the promenade deck, that the crew uses for line handling. For Iceland (Prinsendam), it was very cold and windy, so we just did a dash out the doors and got it done with minimal ceremony (5 minutes max). Each time we would be accompanied by a Security Officer, Environmental Officer and a Front Desk Supervisor.

Edited January 15, 2022 by drowelf

[WCB]

Report #28   Day at Sea   Friday – January 14, 2022   Mostly cloudy & showers  78 degrees     Part #1 of 1………20 Pictures

 

Today began much the same as yesterday as we sail towards St. Maarten.  Heavy clouds stayed with us most of the day as did some showers.  The sun did peak out during the afternoon,  and with it came a most pretty rainbow.

 

Due to the time change last night, many folks arrived near closing time for the Club Orange breakfast.  We could tell that the manager, Wayan, was getting very busy as was his staff.  We could also sense that Wayan was not feeling well.  There was a very good reason for that……he just got “boosted” yesterday, and was experiencing muscle aches, joint pains, a headache, and chills.  Not to mention the sore arm.  We told him that we had the same reaction when we got our shots last October.  Perhaps that means the vaccine is doing its job better.  It took a week for our symptoms to subside, and we told Wayan to hang in there.  From what we understand, he does not have the option to kick back and take it easy.

 

Many activities took place all day, the biggest being shopping.  We did go to the aft pool for a bit to get some sun.  Still too cool for swimming, we did listen to the Music Trivia game played there.  Hate to say it, but most of the songs were not familiar to us.  The prize for the winning group was a double serving of ice cream in the Lido dessert section.  Guess there are no prizes given anymore.   Or perhaps, that only happened on Grand Voyages.  Many years ago, we collected “dam dollars” for a variety of games or even walking a mile.  At that time, we earned enough to trade for really nice sweatshirts.  Those dollars are a thing of the past now.

 

After a Dutch Café lunch, we watched a movie with good actors….Nicole Kidman, Jason Bateman, and  Christopher Walken. It was called The Family Fang, but really was a sleeper in our opinion.  Good thing there is a very large collection of movies, and we will find more that are better.

 

If we have not mentioned this already, we need to compliment the laundry service here on the ship.  For the most part, it has been the same day turn around service.  And many days, the basket comes with a personalized note thanking us for using them.  Nice touch.

 

Tonight was the first gala of this cruise, beginning with the Captain’s welcome in the World Stage at 7:15pm.  Barb attended and said the room was full of guests.  The Captain’s speech was only 15 minutes, then the one and only show of Cantere’ Presents: Timeless began at 7:30pm.  Prior to the virus interrupting things, there were two shows….one at 7:30pm and the next one at 9:30pm.  Now we miss it since our dinner time is 8pm.  And to make things worse, the entire BB King’s All Stars are now in quarantine.  We believe the two dueling pianists are still playing, but the Lincoln Center group are down to two people.  We did find out that the Rock & Roll group are being quarantined on the ship.  They were not sent home.  We questioned Presty as to why this group of entertainers are free to leave the ship in ports, and the crew is not allowed.  He said they are under a  different contract, and cannot be made to stay onboard.

 

And we could have sworn that there was a passenger at Lincoln Center Stage doing a comedy routine.  He had a full audience too.  We could be wrong, but he was reading his jokes from a piece of paper.  Oh well, guess this cruise is a unique experience.  It is still better being at sea, than freezing at home, as most of the Canadians are saying. 

 

For starters, we all had the shrimp cocktail, and Barb added a seafood cocktail also.  She loves escargots, so she ordered a plate of those.   Two of us had rack of lamb, sauces and gravies on the side, and one of us had the stuffed ricotta pasta dish.  We have learned that if you like your ice cream frozen hard, you have to wait and order it after your main meal. 

 

Tomorrow we will be in St. Maarten, but we are not sure if we will be able to go off on our own.  Betty Ann announced today that only certified tour operators will be able to escort folks on excursions.  Of course, that includes all of the HAL tours.  We shall see……….

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[rkacruiser]

WCB, I highly recommend that you plan to attend a performance of Cantare.  Probably not the same group of men, but a group of this name performed during the dedication of Nieuw Amsterdam.  (A video of their performance is out there on the internet.)  I was fortunate enough to sail on Nieuw Amsterdam when this same group performed one evening.  It was the most outstanding musical program that I have ever attended on a HAL ship!  Prolonged standing applause at the end of their performance!  I have met others during my cruises who have experienced their performances and all have felt the same as me.  

[WCB]

Report #29   Philipsburg, St. Maarten   Saturday – January 15, 2022   Sunny & 80 degrees ……. Part #1 of 3…….80 Pictures

 

Our port of call today was the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin.  Why the two names?  St. Maarten is Dutch, while St. Martin is French.  It is the only island that is shared by two countries.  The island consists of 37 square miles, with Philipsburg the capital of the Dutch side, and Marigot the capital of the French side.  There are 77,000 residents that speak Dutch, French, and English. 

 

Locals say that the Dutch side has the best shopping, while the French are famous for their cuisine.  It has been  estimated that the salt trade began 4000 years ago here, but today, with as many as seven ships in port in one day, tourism has far exceeded the salt trade.  There are 37 beaches and loads of resorts and hotels.  One of the big events here occurs in late February, is the Heineken Regatta, where 300 sailboats compete from around the world.

 

Most of the activities revolve around the water.   Ship excursions were beach and lunch 65., cruise & island  drive 70., catamaran/swim tour 100., the Flying Dutchman zipline 140., circle the island drive 85., and  a chef’s table for 150. 

 

We could not remember when  we were here last, but we found this port on the back of a 2014 world cruise t-shirt.  We also could not remember too many details about this stop.  Many years ago, we took an island drive, probably with a swimming stop.  The N. Statendam was not alone.  A Club Med 2, a 5 masted computerized stay sail schooner, was across from us. Then the Star Flyer, was docked a pier over.  The Wind Surf and the Star Legend were here, as well as the Seabourn Odyssey.  Later in the morning, the RCI Explorer of the Seas docked here.  Yep, that made seven ships, but we bet most of them were at half capacity. 

 

Despite the forecast of rain in St. Maarten, it was just the opposite.  It was warm and  sunny, with a few drifting clouds and no rain in sight.  The ship was docked with our room facing east, so the veranda was so hot, we could not sit out there.  We left the ship around 10:30am, with the understanding we might not be able to leave the port area.  This had been announced yesterday, but was not printed in the When & Where today. 

 

It wasn’t a long walk to the pier complex, but it did take a while for us to remember the set-up.  All of the usual high end stores were here, plus more.  Somehow we missed the Info Center, and did not have a map of the town.  This is something worth mentioning regarding maps.  We are so used to having ship-printed maps in every port while on the world cruise, but now, with the “going green” policy, nothing is printed.  And for those that don’t use cell phones, it would be a great idea to print your own maps before leaving home.  So far, only about half of the ports had their info kiosks open.  And while we are on the subject of hints, one of us has discovered that by sewing a few stitches on the elastic bands of the masks, they will not break apart.  This has happened more than once to both us, so a few minutes of sewing prevents that.

 

We made one stop at a small shop, and talked at length to the owner.  She told us all about the virus hitting the island, and how hard it has been on the community without tourists.  We did end up purchasing an island t-shirt with a complete map of the Caribbean islands.   It is better than the tiny map we brought with us from home.  The price was right at $5. 

 

So we walked out through the security gate with no problem.  Well almost no  problem, because we ran into a bunch of persistent taxi drivers.  No thanks worked OK.  The hike to downtown Philipsburg took 15 minutes, although we could have taken the 5 minute water taxi for $7 per person round trip.  We needed the exercise, so that’s why we walked.  Now it was falling into place that we had been here.  Making our way towards the beach, we followed the Boardwalk for the entire stretch of Great Bay.  This boardwalk was chock full of shops, cafes, and bars with a few hotels scattered between them.  Souvenir stalls filled in the gaps, but they really had good prices on island clothing and beach stuff.  To rent 2 lounges, one umbrella, and 5 drinks, it ran $25 for the day. 

 

We found the Hard Rock Café where we had eaten lunch 8 years ago.  It was shut down tight, and the property was for sale.  Sad to see, this has happened elsewhere in different parts of the world.  Just to be on the safe side, we did not eat out or even stop for beers.  Most everyone we saw wore masks, but not all of them.  We did go inside a few shops, but they all required that you wear a mask and use Purell.  No one took our temperature like they did in Jamaica.  Seeing a turquoise visor, we bought it for $5.

 

When the sandy beach stopped, we turned around and headed back.  There wasn’t much of a breeze blowing, so we made no more stops.  However, along the roadside, we came across two young ladies, who sounded Jamaican.  They were taking pictures with their cell phones of something in the trees and brush across the road.  We asked what they saw, and they said “moonkeys”.  Took us a few seconds before we realized they were saying monkeys.  Really?  Yep, there they were, right in the center of the dense bushes.  Eventually, we spotted several of them dashing in back of the smaller one.  Too quick  to get photos of the big ones, the young one did not run.  Where in the world did they come from?   Barb will not believe this when we tell her we saw moonkeys.  When we did get onboard, we researched these monkeys, and found they had been pets of the locals.  When they could not take care of them, they were let loose.  Now there is a troupe of them, running through these hillsides.   They are called green monkeys, and are not aggressive.  They seemed to be masters of hiding. 

 

Going through the security  gate was easy, then we went in search of the info kiosk.  Somehow we had passed by it on the way out.  We did find some island info in a real magazine as well as a nice island and city map.  We will save it for our next visit, as it had a lot of good info on it. 

 

Lunch was in the Grand Dutch Café with ham & cheese sandwiches with shared fries.  For dessert, we had one slice of the apple pie, one almond cookie, and one chocolate muffin.  I remarked that one day, we will split a bocce ball?sp, a huge chocolate eclair filled with whipped cream.  Well, having mentioned that, the bartender brought over the huge pastry, saying why wait?  So we shared it, and took the muffin home.

 

All aboard was at 3:30pm, and we watched the ship leave from our veranda by 4pm.  The other ships were scheduled to leave as late as 11pm.  The boobies followed us for miles, diving and fishing along the way.  We did pass some more of the islands as we headed in a south-easterly direction towards St. Lucia. 

 

It was time for another dinner with Barb.  We all had the same entrée of beef short ribs, mashed potatoes, and carrots.  Desserts were a chocolate cheesecake, a crème brule, and a fruit plate. 

 

Tomorrow will be St. Lucia, another island we have visited several times.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[dchip]

Ooohhh, a turquoise visor and only $5. YES. We both love St Maarten. Thanks for taking us with you. Enjoy the sun. 
D and H 

[sailingdutchy]

 

@WCB  quote :   “ I remarked that one day, we will split a bocce ball?sp, a huge chocolate eclair filled with whipped cream.  Well, having mentioned that, the bartender brought over the huge pastry, saying why wait? "

 

That’s funny !  But as a born Dutchman I have to give you the correct spelling of what I believe from the description you had :  A Bossche Bol , a delicious pastry which from my dear wife I am only allowed to have one per cruise , hahaha ......... because of the most delicious chocolate and special " Dutch " whipped cream filling.

 

This pastry originated in the Southern Dutch city of Den Bosch  ( or if you prefer and can pronounce the old name  ’s Hertogenbosch  ) it is kind of like a chocolate eclair but larger , fluffier and with much better chocolate and more cream !

 

 

Tony 🤤🤤

[Dismomx5]

49 minutes ago, sailingdutchy said:

A Bossche Bol , a delicious pastry which from my dear wife I am only allowed to have one per cruise , hahaha ......... because of the most delicious chocolate and special " Dutch " whipped cream filling.

 

This pastry originated in the Southern Dutch city of Den Bosch  ( or if you prefer and can pronounce the old name  ’s Hertogenbosch  ) it is kind of like a chocolate eclair but larger , fluffier and with much better chocolate and more cream !

 

 

Tony 🤤🤤

I'm adding this to my notes for the Rotterdam in October. DH will be in his element!

[canadarocks]

Bill & Mary Ann... thanks so much for your very informative posts! Can you tell me if the Pinnacle Grill has been open for lunch on your Sea Days? 

[Sir PMP]

2 hours ago, sailingdutchy said:

 

@WCB  quote :   “ I remarked that one day, we will split a bocce ball?sp, a huge chocolate eclair filled with whipped cream.  Well, having mentioned that, the bartender brought over the huge pastry, saying why wait? "

 

That’s funny !  But as a born Dutchman I have to give you the correct spelling of what I believe from the description you had :  A Bossche Bol , a delicious pastry which from my dear wife I am only allowed to have one per cruise , hahaha ......... because of the most delicious chocolate and special " Dutch " whipped cream filling.

 

This pastry originated in the Southern Dutch city of Den Bosch  ( or if you prefer and can pronounce the old name  ’s Hertogenbosch  ) it is kind of like a chocolate eclair but larger , fluffier and with much better chocolate and more cream !

 

 

Tony 🤤🤤

De Bossche Bollen on the right:

[Duquesmom]

3 hours ago, sailingdutchy said:

 

@WCB  quote :   “ I remarked that one day, we will split a bocce ball?sp, a huge chocolate eclair filled with whipped cream.  Well, having mentioned that, the bartender brought over the huge pastry, saying why wait? "

 

That’s funny !  But as a born Dutchman I have to give you the correct spelling of what I believe from the description you had :  A Bossche Bol , a delicious pastry which from my dear wife I am only allowed to have one per cruise , hahaha ......... because of the most delicious chocolate and special " Dutch " whipped cream filling.

 

This pastry originated in the Southern Dutch city of Den Bosch  ( or if you prefer and can pronounce the old name  ’s Hertogenbosch  ) it is kind of like a chocolate eclair but larger , fluffier and with much better chocolate and more cream !

 

 

Tony 🤤🤤

And they are delicious!!   Thanks for the info.

[colonialinnkeeper]

On 1/16/2022 at 8:54 AM, WCB said:

Report #29   Philipsburg, St. Maarten   Saturday – January 15, 2022   Sunny & 80 degrees ……. Part #1 of 3…….80 Pictures

 

Our port of call today was the island of St. Maarten/St. Martin.  Why the two names?  St. Maarten is Dutch, while St. Martin is French.  It is the only island that is shared by two countries.  The island consists of 37 square miles, with Philipsburg the capital of the Dutch side, and Marigot the capital of the French side.  There are 77,000 residents that speak Dutch, French, and English. 

 

Good morning, Mary Ann and Bill,

     I am so enjoying reading your blog on your latest trip.  Your descriptions are so enjoyable to read, many reminding me of places we have been to and also have taught me many facts about these islands.

    One thing you wrote about St. Maarten was that it is the only island shared by two countries.  I believe the other island is Hispaniola shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti.  

     Sorry you weren't able to do another world cruise but you've made lemonade out of lemons giving us all a taste of the tropical visits you are experiencing.  Thank you, thank you!

[0106]

Thank you for you informative reports.  

I will be on a 2 week cruise(our longest) on 2/13.  I have been looking at the dinner menus on the app.  Seems to be repetitive, do they only have 7 menus?  Are you getting tired of the same foods?  

[WCB]

Report #30   Castries, Saint Lucia   Sunday - January 16, 2022   Morning rain, cloudy & 76 degrees........ Part #1 of 3.....................80 Pictures

 

St. Lucia, our port of call for today, is a 27 mile long and 14 mile wide lush rain forest, also known for the best place for honeymooners.  About 170,000 people live here, with 65,000 of those residing in the capital of Castries.  St. Lucia is an independent state within the British Commonwealth of Nations.  Although there is a lot of French influence here as well. 

 

Days of old saw explorers, pirates, soldiers, sugar cane plantations, and even coal mines.  Today, mostly bananas are grown, and tourism is the number one employer.  Snorkeling, swimming, sailing, fishing, and sunbathing are the normal.  Some of the ship’s tours covered most of these activities.   Prices ranged from $40 to $150 and included a trolley ride, highlight drive, a trip to the sulfur springs and a cocoa factory, a food & wine excursion, two types of tram rides, and a catamaran/swim tour. 

 

While dining in the Club Orange, we heard that the ship was cleared, but there were restrictions.  The first announcement said that only certified taxis could be used, as well as ship’s tours.  At the same time the second announcement came, it seemed like the diners all got up, dragging their chairs on the wood floors.  They sure make a lot of noise, so we did not catch the entire message.  By the time we left the ship, the local authorities had changed their minds about the taxis.  But we did have to pass through a medical checkpoint, where we were supposed to have our temperatures taken.  That did not happen, but we were required to “Purell”, then get a non-removable wrist band put on.  This was similar to what we did in Jamaica. 

 

Entering the terminal complex, Pointe Seraphine, we found that many of the 20 shops, bars, and cafes were closed.  Then we remembered today was Sunday and maybe that was the reason for the closures.  Either that, or it was the dreaded virus.  There were several other ships in port such as Ponant’s Le Dumont D’Urville, The Viking Sea, and the smaller Sea Dream Yacht Club.  We assumed that many of these passengers were on shore tours, because they sure were not in the port area, or even downtown.

 

Once outside the gate, we had to pass by a long line of taxi drivers offering rides to the beach….any beach.  They seemed to accept “no thanks” for our answer.  Except one fellow, who remarked that why do we want to ruin our expense shoes by walking to town?  He suggested it was much easier to ride and save the shoes.  Well, that was a new one we never heard before. 

 

One of the largest markets was located fairly close to the dock.  It is the Castries Market, where they sell produce and a vast array of spices.  You can buy cocoa, turmeric, ginger, pepper, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, and vanilla.  We have purchased the cinnamon sticks before and put some in a bottle of rum.  Really spiced it up.  Next to this market is the Craft Market.  It is full of baskets, straw products, wood carvings, and island clothing.  And of course, a slew of souvenirs.  Today all of this was closed. 

 

Continuing up the street, we found the Vendor’s Arcade also shut up tight.  Arriving at the entrance to La Place Carenage, a three story complex of duty free shops, we asked the local door lady outside of this mall what the story was with the new Covid spread.  She claimed it was no worse than any other island, and the reason everything was closed was because it was Sunday.  Now we could have entered this building, but under the circumstances, we did not even consider it.  By the way, we had been told that masks had to be worn everywhere we went today…inside and out, or else we could face being fined.  Many folks did not wear the masks, and we saw no one challenged.

 

So we decided to take our time, and walk back to the ship.  Some taxi drivers stopped their cars and offered rides to anywhere we wished.  But there would be no way we get into a stranger’s car.  Even yesterday,  a lady from the ship, who appeared to have a cold, asked us if we would take her photo with her cellphone.  She was unmasked, coughing, and wiping her nose.  Seriously, did she think we would say yes?  Prior to this pandemic, we may have said yes without thinking.  Not now.

 

For the first time this whole trip, we noticed that a collection table was set up on deck A for shore-purchased alcohol.  These bottles will be kept until the end of the 10 day trip, and returned the day before disembarkation.

 

Even though it had been raining when we arrived, the skies cleared up, and it stayed dry.  But the reason for that was we were packing umbrellas.  It was still quite warm, but there was a nice breeze blowing.  We got back  to the ship by 1:30pm, and worked on photos until lunchtime.  Today that was two salads in the Lido, and a shared turkey breast sandwich toasted in the grill.   We got a couple of cookies to go, then relaxed on the veranda until it was time for the ship to leave.

 

We were in for a treat since the Captain had time to do some scenic cruising of the coastline.  Two very famous volcanic peaks exist here, just south of Castries.  They are called Petit Piton (2619 Feet) and Gros Piton (2461 feet).  They were formed by a volcanic eruption over 30 to 40 million years ago.  And ever since 2004, they have been named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  These peaks have been famous icons for St. Lucia and can be found on many t-shirts and even their locally brewed beer (Piton).   This is the first time that we have sailed early enough to see these peaks.  It was either too dark, or they were covered in clouds.  Today, the Captain got the ship so close to shore, we could hear the local dogs barking.  And like the captains do in Alaska, he turned the ship on a dime, so everyone had a chance to see the peaks.   Then we were on our way to the next port of Barbados., about 100 miles south of here.

 

At dinnertime with Barb, we were able to share a secret with her.  Although we discovered she found this out a different way.  Friends Susie and  Woody are coming back on January 23rd.  Susie had asked us to keep it a secret, because she wanted to surprise her.  She did not find out from us, but from Susie’s daughter.  Whatever the reason, she was just as happy as we were that Woody has improved enough to come back until March 6^th.  They will be a welcomed addition to our dinner table. 

 

Until tomorrow……..

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

[jertom]

We have been to St Lucia on a Sunday and it was really closed up, more so than other Caribbean ports.

[regnig]

Enjoying you travels and info so very much.  Currently have fingers & toes crossed that all goes well and that we will be able to board on 3/16 for 21 days.  That 1st leg stops in St. Lucia but it is a Sunday also.  One of the many sailings I have been on has stopped there but once is enough for me. 

[Navybikermom]

Are they still doing nice photos in the atrium during gala nights? Do you have to wear a mask during them?