My View: A Symphony of Gratitude (Live Thanksgiving Week)

[BecciBoo]

One thing we loved about Bonaire being a Dutch protectorate...going to the Dutch market...soo  many wonderful food imports. Had some great cheeses and chocolates.  But ya gotta rent a car to get there.  We did a diving trip there once, it is really a desert island though, lots of brambles and cacti instead of Palm trees.  Donkeys and Flamingos.

[APDMOM]

8 hours ago, bonsai3s said:

We'd be happy to help as well...we are staying on.

11 hours ago, Margin Walker said:

I really enjoyed this thread.  Thanks for sharing all of this.  
 

My girlfriend and I are arriving at Terminal 18 @ 12:30 PM tomorrow to board Symphony.  

 

 Enjoy!!! ❤️ 

[APDMOM]

19 minutes ago, BecciBoo said:

One thing we loved about Bonaire being a Dutch protectorate...going to the Dutch market...soo  many wonderful food imports. Had some great cheeses and chocolates.  But ya gotta rent a car to get there.  We did a diving trip there once, it is really a desert island though, lots of brambles and cacti instead of Palm trees.  Donkeys and Flamingos.

Bonaire is one of our favorite islands! Wish more itineraries would include it. 

[APDMOM]

DH is driving while I just completed our check in for Norwegian Escape - 20 days to go!  😁 

 

I will try to post a few tips and pictures to help the drive go by faster. 

[APDMOM]

TIP: If you have a great server you want to remember in your review, take a photo of their name.  That way you can spell it correctly too 🙂. 
 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Some of the latest drink prices:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

TIP: Johnny Rockets serves free breakfast.  We love the B.E.L.T. sandwich on wheat toast.

 

TIP: The milkshakes at Johnny Rockets are included in diamond drink vouchers!! We had our share of them 😁

 

The only disappointment was that they no longer have the fresh orange juice… Just the syrup mix like in the Windjammer. 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

We are safe at home - 5-hour drive became a 7-hour drive due to rain and accidents on I-95. Every time we drive back from FLL or MIA, I think, "We need to move further South!"  😄

 

Posting soon about Curaçao...

[APDMOM]

My View: Day 6 - Willemstad, Curaçao

 

A Thanksgiving Day to remember:  Grateful for this city that reminds me of my dad (Willem). He was a blessing to everyone who knew him.  I look forward to the day we will be reunited past the pearly gates. ❤️

 

I am borrowing this picture from a previous visit, as it represents the city so well:

 

[APDMOM]

Sunrise on Day 6:

[APDMOM]

TIP: We docked at the farther pier - not the one by the sign that welcomes you to Curaçao. 

 

I will post some views from the ship later, but first our excursion experience...

[APDMOM]

Curaçao Highlights and Beach:

 

We booked a tour through Royal Caribbean.  Interestingly, the tour was cheaper through Royal than through Carnival, so we decided to do the tour this time around rather than in March 2024.  

 

The tour was run by Fiesta Tours.  It was interesting and enjoyable, but typical of a bus tour - you sit and ride for a couple of hours with sometimes poor views of the scenery.  It was a good 'overview' tour though.  Since we had never done a tour that ventured to the outskirts of Willemstad a bit, this was a great way to see some new sights.  

 

This tour included a drive through the Unesco District, a visit to Landhuis Chobolobo, a drive through  Botelier, a 2-hour stop at Mambo Beach, then a drive past Punda, then over the Queen Juliana bridge back to Otrabanda and the ship.  The description said something of the 'white cliffs', but neither DH nor I saw anything like it... it was sometimes difficult to follow the guide.

 

Leaving the port area, past Rif Fort and the market:

 

 

Love this!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Passing the Queen Emma Bridge - very accessible:

 

These pictures do not do Punda justice - the lighting was terrible from the bus:

 

[APDMOM]

UNESCO Heritate Area:

These homes are super colorful!  The tour guide shared that they used to bhe all white, but they hurt people's eyes because of the brightness.  So, a law as finally passed that they had to be painted in color.  Hoogstraat = High Street.

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Crossing the Queen Juliana Bridge:

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by APDMOM
Fix video

[APDMOM]

Punda and Otrabanda views from the bridge:

 

TIP:  I had the two sides confused in an earlier post about crossing over the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge.  The ships dock at Otrabanda (more residential) and you can cross over the Queen Emma Pontoon Bridge or take a free ferry service over to Punda (the shopping district):

 

 

 

Punda:

 

Otrabanda: (Means "Other side"):

Edited November 26, 2023 by APDMOM
typo

[APDMOM]

First Stop: Landhuis Chobolobo

We had a very quick tour here.  We got to taste three types of the Curaçao Liqueur.  I thought the prices were quite reasonable, and bought a bottle of Tamaréin:

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 26, 2023 by APDMOM
typo

[APDMOM]

Botelier Area - a more affluent neighborhood - a good place to rent an Air BnB:

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Mambo Beach:

 

After seeing all the recommendations for Mambo Beach, I have to say that we were a little disappointed.  It was worth this one visit, but it is too crowded for our taste.  The sand area is very narrow because loungers take up most of the beach space.  

 

I was hoping to get a good 'beach walk' in to get steps, but there was no space to walk, dodging kids and chairs... The water was lovely though - the perfect 'cool' temperature.  You can also see the ships from the beach:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

A Few Views around Oranjestraat & Arnhemstraat:

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

Views of Willemstad from the ship:

 

I think we found the cliffs!! We remember the guide referring to 'Table Mountain'... it was off in the far distance, so I did not make the connection.  We thought we would be driving close to the 'white cliffs', but it was just a reference from quite a distance.  Curaçao's Table Montain on the right side of this picture:

 

 

 

Carnival Magic Sailing off into the Sunset:

 

 

A growing moon:

 

[APDMOM]

Back on the ship:  Diamond Voucher Milkshakes!

 

There were some balloons around the promenade for Thanksgiving:

 

 

Solarium Bistro Dinner included turkey - not usually part of their buffet.  

[APDMOM]

Evening Views of Willemstad before we sailed away.

 

I wish we could have stayed later in this beautiful city.  All aboard was 5:30 PM, so there was not evening walk opportunity this time.  It truly is a picturesque city by day and night...

 

 

 

 

DV, until March, Willemstad ❤️🙂

[APDMOM]

HIRO: Truly a Unique Show at Sea - from High Diving, to Tight Rope Walking, to Kung Fu Fighting, to Acrobatics - very entertaining.

 

I love how the lighting was done to reflect the shadow on the rock climbing wall!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[APDMOM]

TIP: If you don't have reservations for the Aqua Theater Shows, there is great seating/viewing on deck 7 by the rock climbing wall.  

 

Even though we had reservations, we opted to sit there so that I could take pictures from a different angle without interfering with the view/enjoyment of anyone behind us.  The space we used is marked in red below:

 

 

TIP: There is also a 'secret balcony' on Deck 7 -  If you don't have a balcony but would like to pretend you have one - find this spot by the rock climbing walls: 😉